Dan Maynard

Good to know there's a happy ending.

I didn't, but didn't rig any wood down so there are a couple of dents in the lawn, nothing too drastic. To be fair we had two days money on and got it done in two days. Chip into dumper and drive it through the narrow gap.

"You seem to have built an enormous raised bed across the middle of the garden since I quoted" "Ah yes. Will that be in your way then?" I didn't know what to say really, went for "well at least its not a greenhouse ". Rather than "FFS, we'll just rig everything into the postage stamp size drop zone we have left"

That's from Google, but that's almost as bad as using Google for medical advice. I would disagree that heave is -likely- to occur, there is a very specific set of circumstances when it can occur , but we take down trees all the time without it happening. Poor draining doesn't indicate by itself that you are on shrinkable clay. If you are actually at risk, then when the trees get bigger or in drier summers you'll have subsidence issues, as above I'd say overall if the trees are gone then the ground will stabilise, and then you deal with whatever happens. Most likely nothing.

Can't see the point, just creating more plastic rubbish in the world. Buy something proper that will last.

I've been working at a cat food factory, it's the worst smelling place I've ever worked but maybe you're even worse there.

I'd give it another year and see, the slowest growing and worst stress time for the tree is first few years after planting and some of those summers were very hot and dry so the trees have survived the worst bit.

They do seem to be having an argument about nothing again.

Yes. Id be more worried about digging in the root zone but can't tell what you're planning.

2018 for me, feel like I'm a few rounds behind in the pub. I did go self employed in 2007 though, just not tree work. Seems an age ago now.

Fair play, I always try to split elm green as I remember doing rings with hammer and wedges from the big dead ones in the 80s that were rock hard after standing dead for a decade.

Personally I wouldn't worry about the tree, not that I'm in any position to advise structurally. It will be an ongoing cost to inspect and maintain, in order to keep your insurance up, but sounds like the neighbours are on this so hopefully you can share that. Think hard about the leaves. Some people can't bear to see them lying around, and if you're in that camp then the tree will drive you nuts. Other people let nature take it's course, the leaves disappear on their own in time. Maybe also look at gutter guards. I wouldn't be alcoholic but I'd be doing well if I had a pint of beer for every customer who's said to me "I like trees, don't get me wrong, it's just that this one drops so many leaves on my car/house/driveway"

I looked at Carroll, they do look well built. UK sales through Field and Forest apparently http://www.fieldandforestltd.co.uk/

Sheesh that's a pile. Was it hours, days or weeks?

That's cleaned up well !!! Or is that not the one you were selling?

I've used mine less since getting one with an engine, though.

Is it 2 stroke oil? What ratio do you mix your fuel?

I've not used one but seems to me a conveyor for the outfeed is the rolls royce option, so you aren't really handling the split logs just slide off the table.

The council won't give you any advice. Best advice is to get someone who is qualified and insured to inspect trees to look at it, and report - ideally not a tree surgeon who has a financial interest in doing work to the tree, so you can trust their advice. That way if your neighbours house is damaged you have not been negligent . You may also find in the fine print of your insurance policy that you should have any significant trees inspected. You probably don't want a hole under the tree like that, but old trees are often hollow so may be fine. Can't tell from pictures.

I remember the chap I worked for as a teenager telling me "we won't make a drama out of a crisis" means "we'll think of any reason we can to avoid paying out" Just have to follow through, maybe if you can show you have reasonable grounds for the delay?

Well I'd say get a multisaver, I've tried pulley and I prefer rings - little bit of friction at the top makes descent easier to control as it takes load off the knot. Also the ropeguide puts the pulley right on the stem so depending on branches rope can be free in one position but rubbing as you move round. Set the multisaver long and the friction point comes away from the stem and stays consistent, when you go back up just shorten it on the prussic. But as you say, on bigger trees I've switched to SRT so the friction is completely consistent wherever I go.

They said nobody would order takeaway food on the internet, but look at JustEat now...... I can see a place for it, you'd prefer to be working with someone you know but this wouldn't stop that just make the booking more transparent. I'm not sure how people would like to show off how busy their diary is, maybe that would put people off joining?

Other thing with air drying is you have to forecast sales a year ahead, rather than being able to produce more during the season if it's a busy year.

The multisaver is a brilliant bit of kit, on small trees you set it long when dropping away from the anchor so your rope isn't rubbing on the stem and shorten it up when you go back up. Chogging a pole you lengthen it as the pole gets fatter, or round lumps, then you have a descendable drt anchor all the way down which is safer than just throwing climb line round. Put the rope through the third ring first, stops it hanging down and getting spiked. So a well thought through, reliable, safe bit of kit. Works well, retrieves well, passes loler. Much better value in my opinion than eg ART ropeguide at over £200. I haven't used my fixed length cambium saver once since buying it, definitely wouldn't waste money on one. Once you get used to a multisaver you can't go back, the fixed one is always too long or too short and hence a pain in the arse. As you say, wrapping ends your chance of retrieval, forget it. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another. Edit: forgot to say Stein make a version now as well.

I think I've heard of people running 3/8 058 on worn 050 bars before, as 050 are more common in the states. If it's running free then there's no excess friction to cause heating, I'd run it and see how it goes.