Dan Maynard

.. and don't run without the air filter, shite sucked in will wreck saw.

Can't see in that photo, but if there is any target for it to fall on which you would want to be covered by insurance eg a house then it is worth checking your policy as the competent independent assessment may be a requirement. A friend who had a poplar fall was not covered as he had no QTRA, he didn't have any idea there was such a thing as a quantified tree risk assessment before.

I switched to top down lighting after reading the Norwegian firewood book. Works really well, have to agree.

I've just changed both propshafts on the landy, cured vibration although it did start around 35 not 60. Thing is, didn't realize just how shot the UJs were until I got them off, I mistakenly thought they were ok when checking them last but they can't have been. Thinking could be worth a really critical look and lever them about or even take off to check?

Or other thing I have suggested to people to plant honeysuckle or some other climber to grow up the things afterwards, people seem to like the idea although to be honest don't know how well it works in the long term.

This sounds right to me too, no cuts in my assessment were bigger than about 6 inch branch with snap or lift against hinge etc. I think this question in the schedule is about awareness of the risk of splitting out when cutting bigger limbs under tension, how you would manage that, not lanyard round it etc but you won't have to actually perform the cut. As the King said, CS examiners are more about working out if you know what you are doing than if you can remember the technical terms.

If you buy second hand from someone not registered? Was true for my JoBeau but sounds fishy on a £17k digger I agree.

Obviously we have no idea how big or where these are but can they be felled? Just thinking if you worked out a price for taking them out completely instead of climbing it might not be a huge amount more, client might take the option and plant something easier to manage.

I have faced a slightly similar situation in trying to get started with no experience. I also begun to do my own jobs, start very small and build up, I got Employers and Public Liability insurance from Trust as they calculated on turnover so £600 for my first year. This has gone up a lot now also with tools chipper etc insured but they were very good when my trailer was nicked just after taking the policy. I was also warned off giving anything which can be construed as advice, you need proper arb qualifications and Professional Liability insurance for that because it might be insurance company lawyers going after you to recover cost of damage incurred. If someone asks me if a tree is safe I explain situation and recommend local firms. It's not insurance but something I did once I had 30/31 was to volunteer with the Wildlife Trust, I have by now felled hundreds of trees for them which is all good experience and also started some subcontract work with a firm through a friend of the warden. Small firms are naturally cautious about unknown people but talk to each other so the network is important.

You'll be having that trouble where you need to put a pair of glasses on to find your glasses....

I'd certainly pay for up to date information, knowing closest tip site is valuable and I don't personally have a good network. If I end up at local composting place that's £20 a load fee as well as time spent.

365 is really good value for money when you look at it. Currently £550 Inc vat from FrJones including 4 spare chains. Might have to get one myself...

The thing nobody seems to mention is that we had data protection laws in place already with an Information Commissioner who went around imposing fines, but as small businesses we have in practice been ignoring that for years. Carry on as before, other priorities are higher.

Where are you based? Doesn't come up on phone app.

I only tried to buy one bar for my Dolmar, there is limited choice on pitch. I would suggest ring to check before spending, or go on chainsawbars and get a better one.

Also interested in this, nearly wrote the same post as you as I've started getting emails too. I reckon they've got data from Facebook as I don't even have a proper website. Like you I'm following the free credits to see what happens. Compared to using something like Checkatrade it is much more attractive to me as you get a reasonable description of each lead before you pay anything. Also the rate it generates leads is controllable so it's kind of ideal marketing/advertising spend compared to chucking out wedge of cash and hoping. In the long term I guess it depends how many people want to use bark to get work done and that's difficult to second guess.

I run a jobeau M500 in a 12 foot twin wheel trailer, I just section off a corner for the chipper with weldmesh, load the front part up with chip and then timber around it. Behind the landy payload is up to 1.8 tonnes so I don't run overweight. For pruning, small removal type jobs it is fine, you have to cut several garden type trees down to get even 2 cubic metres if you stop at 3" for firewood. Conifers are worst, lots of heavy green chip and people less likely to keep the wood.

Me: 'looks interesting' Mrs: 'you don't need to go there you'll just buy more stuff' Fair point.

I'm slightly suspicious about the timing, for the council to write that letter and it arrive only two days later he would have had to go back to the office and be straight on to it with a first class stamp - doesn't sound like council to me. I think it's possible the letter was drafted before the visit, clues being it doesn't mention the visit but rather says 'brought to our attention' and also that it says 'substantial building' and building regs, which I would not have thought apply unless it is within 1m of the boundary (and over 15m2 floor area). Probably is worth checking the building regs as that would be a different enforcement and you wouldn't want to be caught out, but I have a wooden double garage that didn't need building regs so should be a breeze. Your planning consultant will surely say but as far as I can see the only thing potentially wrong is if the shed is only for business use so store some personal gear as well.

I'm interested in the longer billets and saw bench idea, seems to be very common in Europe as you see lots of stacks of metre long wood in fields but I don't know the thinking. Does look like it makes a more stable stack than short logs.

The pitch and gauge are right so sprocket and bar are fine, it's a question of whether the tensioner and slots have range to allow it to fit on - give it a try. Saying that 68 is only one more than standard for 16" so seems short for 18"

I tend to agree with onetruth, you've got to consider the roots and whether they were planted properly in the first place if they didn't grow properly for a decade. If they have poor root structure then they will just get taller and fall over at some point, the taller they get in the meantime the worse the hazard.

Well thanks for that guys, generally positive about the narrow kerf so I'm going to try it out but you saved me buying the Oregon bar and wishing I had the Sugi.

Beat me to it there, I also bought 10 from them as they were listed on eBay. I don't see them at the moment but that might be because selling a few at at a time to the public is a pain, if you want bulk then make them an offer as they have to scrap the cages after emptying the bottle. There were hundreds in the yard.

Evening all. Anyone using the Oregon speedcut narrow kerf? I have a MS261, reading the hype about speedcut it seems like an aluminium centre and lower cutting force would make it ideal for an 18" climbing saw, nice and light. The only thread I could find was someone a while ago saying it cut like a banana and Oregon were going to take it back...