Vedhoggar

Stopped selling kiln dried firewood a few years back as the air dried wood at <20% MC actually burned better than the kiln dried stuff and also works out considerably cheaper, nobody ever asks for kiln dried wood. Don’t buy in wood only standing or at rideside and locally sourced.

Hourly rate £8.20/hr - £9.50/hr to begin with. Oak generally splits easy, start from the outside and work inwards, some wood will be difficult/impossible to split with an axe and with some logs steel wedges will useful at times. With some jobs consider hiring in a log splitter and charge it out on top of labour rate. Be aware of risk of injury to leg area when using an axe as well as eyes also if driving in metal wedges with a sledge hammer or back of a log splitting maul wear ear protection and of course wear steel toe cap boots .

Haven’t been able to access site for days but it seems back to normal now without making any adjustments my end.

I deal with quite a lot of blown trees on the farmland and saws used are MS460 (76.5cc) 25" bar, MS362 (59cc) 16" bar and MS240 (42cc) 13" bar, the trees are mostly >160 yrs pine, lime and beech. The range of saws used is well suited in dealing with with blown trees of this size, the MS460, a nearly new second-hand purchase years ago, isn't much used but couldn't do without it. That MS500i looks like a good saw but haven't used it.

74m3 over 3 days how many people involved/man hrs on site? 9t of softwood processed how many people/many hrs on site?

There doesn't seem to be any clear guidance on the choice of chainsaw boot cut class on the HSE website. All cuts I've seen to chainsaw boots over many years has been in the toe area, which is protected by steel, although I'm sure other areas get cut from time to time. The probability of cutting a boot at max speed I would think is low, but the relationship between the cutting speed and protection class nevertheless needs to be considered. However in doing so, should we not be considering the average cutting speed (max less 20%) rather than the maximum. If a lot of walking is expected and also if wanting to keep feet as cool as possible a low cut class might be a better option, particularly for those more experienced chainsaw operators, but a higher cut class for those with not much experience. We've come a long way with PPE in the industry from wearing boots with only a steel toe cap, denim jeans, no helmet just ear muffs (some not even that) and also saws without a hand guard never mind a chain break, but I am not convinced that more experienced operators need to go to cut class 3 or even 2 chainsaw boots.

Looks like it might be Elder Whitewash (Hyphodontia sambuci) or some similar pathogen (mainly found on dead elder but also other hardwood). You say the logs burn alight so that's not a problem if to be burnt on a stove and not stored in the house however anyone with asthma or allergic to mould ought to keep away from them. The mould will be just on the surface of the log so could be split away with an axe and the mould on the end of log brushed off with a wire brush (outdoors). Separate the contaminated wood if you can to minimise spread onto logs without mould. Moisture is the main issue so need to keep moisture to a minimum both before going into the wood store in future as well as within the store itself.

Can’t view your image but it sounds like mildew (type of fungus), it will be because your logs got a soaking beforehand. Firewood delivered in spring or summer if get wet usually dry out if left a while before being stored but more difficult come autumn, if your logs are likely to be left out in the open try and schedule delivery on a day forecast to be dry or at least cover them up with a tarpaulin sheet. Mildew should dry up if logs stored in a dry well ventilated area and will brushed off (wear a mask), if logs <20% mc they will burn.

Tree Cedrus atlantica, cones not cedar (the cones might have been imported with material used to mulch around tree).

£10-20 seems to be about the going rate for stacking that amount of logs depending on hourly rate. Days all the same, no surcharge for weekend deliveries, work around the weather and what's best for customer and if they live in an affluent area that doesn't come into it price being based on costs and competition.

The virus is suppressed in many rural areas and haven't notice any difference so far except have had difficulty getting parts for some equipment from abroad, it seems to be more of an urban problem however some rural areas where virus is suppressed have been put into higher tiers because of association with urban areas where virus isn't suppressed and positive infections high which may have a knock on/detrimental effect.

Have an Ochenkopf sappie holder, same sort of thing and useful with the small hand sappies (£8.95 plus VAT).

Yeh we’ve got one of those small Stihl ones and the same thing happened, handle has lasted but wedge came out. Good idea about having something to hang it up with, could just drill a hole in the end of handle and tie something through it.

I find a small pickaroon or log tongs best for moving split logs if I don’t want to bend down, use log tongs a lot when moving 50cm split billets, have pulp hooks but would never use them for lifting split logs. Bahco 200mm max jaw opening hand log tongs we use as well as the next size up depending on what we are lifting.

Oschenkopf shafts are mostly ash but some hickory. The 110cm Tirol sappie we have has an ash shaft, it is designed for rolling/dragging not lifting unlike the shorter ones which can be used for lifting as well. Bought the one we have specifically for a job where we wanted roll large logs to a splitter and it did the job - had it 2 yrs and shaft still sound, we use smaller sappies/pickaroons for lifting/moving smaller logs. Ochenkopf also do a 70cm sappie with a plastic/aluminium shaft which is exactly the same design as the Oregon one MattyF referred to.

That Bison looks like the Stihl hookaroon, it will not grip frozen wood/probably bounce out, hook of same design of one that snapped on mine on contact with frozen wood. That Fiskars is designed to grip frozen wood and the stop end is a good feature but shaft looks a bit straight.

Looks like a well designed pick Matty, like the stop end which is a good safety feature and notches for frozen wood, probably a bit short for rolling big stuff but looks like a good general purpose pick which could be used one handed.

Bought the Ochenkoff 1100mm Sappie 2 years ago and very strong/well made piece of kit, have also Stihl 400mm (50g) and 800mm hookaroom which aren't very well made, the point on the longer one snapped off first winter when moving frozen logs. Ochenkopf do a 380mm hand sappie as well which is just as well made. Clarkforest.com in Dumfries stock Ochenkopf (search under forest and garden then sappies & log picks), costs are 1100mm £75 ex vat and 380mm £28.50 ex vat, they also do a holder for the hand sappie.

Typical averages of increase in volume/weight ratio to be expected between felling and weighing of 20 days for unbarked timber: Spruce and Douglas fir April-Sept +7%, October-March +1.5% Pine & larch April-Sept +5%, October-March +1% Decline expected after 70-80 days as drying cannot go on indefinitely. Rate of drying influenced mainly by weather but also to some degree by dimensions of timber. Ref. FC Mensuration Handbook I lost out one very hot/dry summer because of delay in moving fencing products and chipwood from roadside. You can of course sell by volume but many will only deal in weight as their system is set up for that.

Majority of unleaded 95 octane in UK Contains up to 5% ethanol but no requirement for renewable fuel like ethanol to be added to super unleaded 97 grade petrol, BP Ultimate does not have ethanol added except in SW England likewise Esso Super 97 grade the same except in SW England, Teeside and Scotland. UK Gov would like to add more ethanol but only domestic refinery for adding ethanol closed and importing it would counter environmental benefit.

You say you are very careful with your mix but if using fuel with ethanol added that might be the problem, add ethanol inhibitor to fuel for small engines or use ethanol free fuel, the ethanol can damage the carb/other parts, it also can attract water.

In the second image there looks like some ground disturbance on other side of fence, has there been any work undertaken there in recent years?

Having to spend time training someone or not is going to have an influence on what rate you start someone on, better to start at a base rate and increase hourly rate if reasonable to do so, if you don’t have to spend time on training £12 - £15/hr but if need for training/supervision around £10 -12/hr, then there is what sort of work ethic does the person have which unless you know the person will only become apparent once they start. You could also consider a base rate plus a bonus or even a piece rate rather than payment based on time worked. Some will work well above that of your average average trained worker and maybe even be outstanding but most likely to be an average worker, there are also those who are steady but on the slow side and some with no interest in the job, seem half asleep/hung over and constantly checking their phones, you can’t pay all the same rate, start them on the minimum you are prepared to offer and take it from there, I usually ask what someone needs and negotiate from that as at times someone will ask for less than I had in mind.

For someone 18 and older £9.30/hr Real Living Wage outside London area (ref. Real Living Wage Foundation), if self-employed labour only £12/hr, no problem getting someone to work for these rates at the moment, working a 7.5 hr day.

It is advertised as an 'Island' winch not an 'Igland' winch ... predicated text can be painful