Dan Maynard

Glad you're happy with it, I think they are solid built. (Said before but I would definitely get a shorter bar) Oilers I tend to crank up, on the basis that a bit too much oil is not expensive, but not enough will knacker both bar and chain so is.

Thank you. Maybe I'll have another go with a better file, strikes me would be like anything else that it's easier to sharpen if done earlier rather than letting it completely lose the edge.

Our church tower was rebuilt by the Victorians without taking the spire down, they propped everything on oak beams. Seems like you must be able to prop this with enough 4x2 like you say, maybe a box or two of 100mm screws.

I can't quite make out the formation at the top of that, looks a bit like either a limb or top has gone from there? Or maybe it was whacked back because of the power line. Seems like a risk of decay at that point, might be possible to tie in a brace across the Y but I think be prepared for something more drastic.

I get the tools and plant through Trust, they seem to just take a percentage of the value to work out premium and so pro rata mine is probably around that sort of level, that would be 5% of 15k (guessing cost there) Having said that, I had 2 claims in less than 2 years so I'm not on the best rate.

I'm intrigued, it went one of two ways: Like the old lady who swallowed a fly, they set out in the smaller van but it broke down, so they fetched a bigger one to carry it. Then that one broke down..... Or did they start with the tractor, put a truck on the back and think "Hey, that's an empty truck right there, we could put another truck on it" and then when they'd loaded that one think "Hey that's an empty truck right there.....

On the plus side if you've got 40 trees then you have scale, worth getting machinery in even if they are tricky trees then a grapple saw would take them down quickly. Depends where you are but maybe worth talking to someone like Alistair Magee.

You're on. Let us know when you're up so we can set the video recorder.

March April usually pick up for me after a Christmas lull, hard to detect the increase this year.

You let the others have a go with it then? Does look good kit.

He buggered in the second round though when you have to choose a different subject.

I tried sharpening with a diamond file that I had a few years ago and while it was sharper wasn't really happy that it was back 100%. Maybe a better file would help. Did a search for diamond feather file on eBay and seem to be about £8 now - are these the ones?

Reckon if they're made in China the dimensions will be designed around shipping containers rather than people.

Personally I think reality is a blend of the above, the tree has a price and the customer doesn't know what team or equipment you're going to use or how efficient that makes you. I also think there is definitely a level of service vs price factor. It's not quite the same as mercedes vs lada though, because there is also the personal relationship/trust factor. Then I think there's a kind of price ceiling like you get with houses, as in you couldn't charge £2000 for a £200 tree no matter how professional you are. The only way to get that is fluke or threatening behaviour, which is not unknown (Hodges rogue crew above). This must mean people have a vague idea about what they can afford before we start. There's a chap Nick Bailey I've seen post on FB who sometimes posts the job price, people will moan that's he's a ripoff merchant but in reality he's just offering the mercedes level service at a mercedes price. Quick professional quotes, smart, logo 7.5t trucks, quick in and out so customers not waiting around, etc.

Elder is quite a good one to pick as well, as it has a naturally short lifespan - be a rubbish strategy if you always picked oaks and then waited for them to die.

Perfect! You're not "going to the pub a lot" , you're "doing design research"

Bahco triangular bowsaw won't fit in my sawpod very well. The zubat isn't designed to be sharpened either, hardened teeth. As a climber my silky does a lot of reduction work, haven't worked it out exactly but many thousands of pounds per blade. Don't tell Silky but I'd still buy one if they cost twice as much.

With a bit of luck the inside of his chainsaw wrench is rounded out and there's nothing wrong with the saw!

If you send the notification in by email then they basically have to enter it in to the planning portal to get it on the public record with everything else, so there will be a clerk trying to answer exactly the same questions as if you filled the online form.

And how many of them had sump pan corrosion? Case proved.

This is all shocking, chassis corrosion is a solved problem, shouldn't happen on any modern vehicle. I've a 14 plate Volvo, not a spot of rust on it. Don't mind taking the 110 to have chassis waxoiled, sort of expect it.

That's it, my Mrs got it for Christmas. I didn't find myself absolutely agreeing with everything he says about trees so not sure it's a completely reliable source but it is an interesting read.

Plants are sensitive to chemical triggers, I guess alive or dead should be really easy to tell from water content or how much water vapour is around the plant so yes absolutely plausible it responds to the host being dead.

In a word, bonkers. How does that make sense? All trees have roots made of wood, they all eventually decay.

As a Landrover owner I can say if your sump pan is rusting then quite clearly you're not leaking enough oil.