5thelement

I would think that the double knife shredder will be easier to maintain/sharpen and balance than the three knife. I’ve always used the double without any issues so never bought/used a triple. The rigid shredder guard on my 555 is still sound after 10 years use.

Definitely Cherry.

Husqvarna 555rxt and 555fxt for tough stuff and woodland thinning. Husqvarna 535 and Stihl 460 for lighter stuff, I’ve more cord/head/blade types than you could possibly imagine.

But the engine is running for longer periods with the blade, using more fuel because the area is taking longer to complete.

Sounds like you’re using a machine with an underpowered engine for the cord/head you are running. I’ll walk one side of a ride with cord on my machine, you have a blade and see who gets to the end first. I’ll have a brew ready for you.

You will cover far more area quicker with cord than with a metal blade, with less exposure to vibration and less fuel. Stihl do a couple of heads that I have used for specific jobs, tuff grasses growing on flint at a nature reserve in Rye, metal blades created the risk of sparks/fire, this head had plastic blades that you replaced, think Stihl recalled it though, not sure if it is back on the market(Polycut Head) The other option is the Stihl Durocut head, it has really aggressive short strips that you replace as required, it smashes through bramble/bracken far quicker than a blade, just work around any tough regen/saplings, finish the largest area then hit the tuff stuff that you have left with the blade.

Had some Buxus to remove today. Thought it would be straightforward, 37 degrees and a long drag begged to differ, the largest was just short of 14”.

Rhododendron is the worst timber ever invented for putting in a chipper. It twists and turns in all directions so it is difficult to feed into the rollers, unless you have a big budget machine, it has soil pockets and soil/ stone attached to the layered shoots which wrecks the blades. It does make high grade firewood and charcoal, but again, its growth habit slows down the processing side.

I watched Bobs team @aspenarb strip out some pretty extensive Rhododendrons from a Larch plantation near Westerham a good few years back. Digger with rake and decent operator was slowly pulling up each main stem, the layered shoots being pulled out along with it, pushed up on the ride to be mulched into oblivion by a large HP tractor. The only stuff that needed chainsaw and spraying was growing close to retained trees. I went back there a couple of years later, very minimal regeneration.

I have one of these. Slow compared to some that I have used but the double speed ram is fast enough for my needs, 7 -10 tonne split depending on the model, nothing it hasn’t split yet, my burner takes 50cm logs and it splits them at that length all day long.

Yeah, the head on the AUS set is bahco, the Jameson one looks much more capable. I have an avenue of Maples to re-lollipop shortly and need the set primarily for this, and setting my climbing line high in dense conifer, Jameson also do a big shot attachment for their poles. I think I’ll go with the Jameson, thanks for the input guys.

I am in need of a decent extendable pole pruning set and have narrowed it down to these two. I am familiar with the AUS kit and this one has a Silky saw attachment, but I seem to remember the lopper was always a bit naff. Mr Bolam recommended the Jameson set, aluminium instead of fibreglass and not sure on the generic saw attachment but they look very well made. The price difference isn’t an issue, just want to get the set that performs best, anyone had experience with both brands, pros and cons?

UK

And you can coppice them. 👍

I’ve done a fair bit on these machines over the years. I have a mix of Stihl/ Husqvarna machines of varying sizes for different uses. Husky 535/555rxt and Stihl 461 for trimmer cord/grass blades/mulcher blades. These are mostly used for ride widening, maintaining mountain bike tracks and clearing around newly planted tree to allow access for spraying or to avoid spraying altogether. I have a short shaft Stihl 461 and a Husky 555fxt with thumb throttle and heated handles for clearing saw blades. These are used purely for spacing out plantations and on conservation sites that don’t allow forestry mulching machines on site , RSPB/Conservation sites where ground nesting birds and habitat destruction are an issue. I would contact any local conservation Charities and see what they come back with, the work would be intermittent and seasonal but I would regularly have at least six weeks per year booked in for four guys at £250 per day, and similar for spraying, gave everyone a break from hand cutting for a while, that’s going back 5 years or so.

Forestandarb where advertising a brand I had never heard of yesterday, claiming the lightest type ‘A’ s in the UK market.

They certainly are capable of far better performances than they have showed so far, they need to up their game because after comparing the Spain v Italy, match they would be 6 down at half time.

Pretty much, well rotted woodchip compost, algae/seaweed extract, organic fish/blood and bone, molasses and apple juice, then aerated and applied mainly around the drip line.

Been helping another Arborist this week on this veteran tree reduction. This Holm Oak is estimated to be 350 years old and on the remarkable tree register. It has some significant stress fractures in the main stem and scaffold limbs, some previous historic hat racking, and some old and super tight cobra bracing. The crown of this tree is far bigger than the photos suggest, when the reduction is complete the bracing will be replaced with a new boa system ( 8 and 4 tonne). The lawn immediately within the drip line was scarified and the area has been fed with a home made magic potion prior to, and throughout the work, finally being covered with a 4” layer of woodchip. The photos are of the mostly finished job, they are back to do a few final touches today/tomorrow, then they will install the sign. IMG_5209.mov

Or Half Man half Biscuit.

Forestry England have been doing this for years now.

My mate Wes played sax in The Beat, amongst others.

I listen to FiP radio here in France, a mix of English language classics from the last 5 decades and the French equivalents that I have never been exposed to, a fantastic eclectic mix. I used to be able to pick it up in Brighton/South Coast back in the day, not sure if you still can.

Have you actually confirmed ADB in any of the trees you have noticed, or is it just an assumption?

What’s your reasoning for UK trees to be less affected than the rest of Europes Ash, stiff upper lip?