john87

They are simply liars... I have had literally HUNDREDS of letters that read like i HAVE to have one installed, but it is all simply deliberate lies.. Here is what "Which" have to say about it.. Do I have to accept a smart meter? WWW.WHICH.CO.UK An inaccurate meter reading can have an unwanted impact on your monthly energy bills. Read our guides to help you...

There has been some pruning done in the past, cannot remember where though!! Nothing has been touched on it for 30 years at least though. It is in a sheltered location surrounded by buildings that have to be 40 feet high all around, although the tree is a lot higher than that.. As to targets, all depends in which direction it fell!! If there was a target, would you be a bit worried or very worried?? john..

Nobody is obligated to do anything. They would LOVE you to believe that you HAD to have one, but go on any of the electricians forums, you will not find many of them that want one.. john..

Hi All, Take a look at this.. I think it is a scots pine?? Whatever, it is a massive thing, the photos do not do it justice at all. There is a huge branch that must be over 2 feet in diameter that runs right up to the top of the tree. Trouble is, there is a very large crack in said branch.. Could not be in a worse spot.. I would say that this branch needs to be removed before it falls and crushes the nearby buildings. Have a look at the photos and see what you think?? Thank you john..

You will be sorry when it all goes wrong.. They are terribly unreliable.. Wait till the day it claims you own thousands.. You will find that you are right up the creek.. The firm that do the metering are a different firm to the one that sells you the electric and there is NO WAY that they are going to admit to the seller that their meters are crap.. john..

I learnt a lot too. I have already found a VERY large branch on a scots pine that will have to come off as it has a big crack on a bend near the origin of the branch. It is one of them failures in shear along the neutral axis caused by the bending moment.. I would imagine these cracks form, because in a beam, a bending moment produces a longitudinal shear force that is highest at the neutral axis, and since wood splits along the grain easily, off runs the crack.. I will take a photo and post it.. Still got to sort a helmet.. I was thinking of getting one of them gopro things or similar too so one day i can look back and think "what on earth was i doing!!" john..

I bought the Stupsi the hedgehog book!! It is REALLY good.. I always thought of trees as, well, a tree! but no, they are VERY much a living thing, almost like they can think and stuff.. I certainly learnt something [lots].. john..

Ahh, yes, good points.. Never having used one i did not think about the fumes in the face and the heat of the thing.. You have a good point about the weight too. I picked one up in the shop and my god they are heavy!! Would not like to be using one all day i know that.. john..

What is better about the electric ones?? I would have thought just more to go wrong and batteries to wear out?? john..

I tried my binoculars but they would not focus up close enough. I tried taking photos too, and zooming in, but i could not make out much.. I will get one of them books!! I am quite good at structural mechanics thanks to my years of engineering, so i decided that if the branch concerned had enough tensile and compressive strength to resist the bending moment and shear forces imposed by its own weight, then as long as i had my anchor point close to the trunk, then the additional shear force caused by me would probably be ok. I was not happy though, and to be honest was daft to do it. Thinking something is ok and KNOWING it is ok are a mile apart when you are 30 feet up a tree!! I was concerned about falling bits landing on me, but as there was no wind at all, and the branch i was tied to was rigid i decided it would be ok.. Again, in hindsight i would do things differently, as in wearing a helmet for a start off.. john..

Yes, i think branches would be a HUGE comfort!! Ok, maybe not the best choice of tree for my first go!! What worried me, is, if you look in the second photo, see all the dead branches stuck up there??.. How did i know that "my" branch was not just about to fall off?? In the third photo, yes, branches would be awful nice!! In the last photo, the i tree i spiked up, how the heck are there gate hangers about 15 feet up?? I went past these just by flipping the flip line over them.. Was easy, just leant into the tree and flipped it over.. Felt so much more safe than the first tree, i was giggling like an idiot all the way up, well, about 18 feet. Went home then as the sun was terrible and i have to avoid the sun in a big way.. john..

I sorted what i was doing wrong!! i had the leg straps too short. When i lengthened them it was a world of difference!! john..

Yes, it was quite fun!! [in a perverse way!!] I think one mistake i made was roping up a tree with a ten metre trunk.. Would feel loads safer with some branches round you!! Would be a lot better if i was more certain of the condition of the tree too, and that my anchor point was not going to fall off. Seems that conifers are very prone to bits just falling off, wonder why that is?? Feel LOADS happier on spikes though!! That is great fun, not so funny when up the tree you stop to take a photo and drop you glove!! happily it was easy on the way back down!! john..

Yes, that is the one!! Cannot find them on Uk sites though. Do you think they would be easier to handle than the curved handle sort?? I was thinking that they would be MUCH better really, as with a curved handle, how you going to cut at an angle?? The weight of the body of the thing would try to keep the thing vertical if you follow me.. john..

Thanks for that.. Well worth knowing.. I think if i get one i will get the straight handles one as i have seen people on youtube saying the throttle is tricky to use on the curved one too.. john..

Well, In the end i got an Arbpro tree access 3 harness. I like it a lot, seems comfy enough and i have managed to adjust it so that i am in a fairly upright position as this is what suits me.. I chose it largely because they do a chest harness for it, that not only converts it to a full approved fall arrest harness, [just right for when the fire brigade have to come and rescue me!!] but i am one of them with very narrow hips so i thought the chest harness would stop it all ending up round my Ankles with the weight of gear hanging from it.. Climbed up my first tree today too!! Was well scary as it is some sort of coniferous thing at least 3 feet in diameter and is about 30 feet to the lowest branches. Was not filled with confidence either as i could see that at some time branches have been breaking off the thing, so i did not trust the thing one bit... I went up on a self tending blakes hitch and came back down with a figure eight to save wearing the rope.. Did not enjoy it one bit to be honest.. I am no good at doing that "hip thrust" thing and soon found the the easiest way for me is to push up the tree with my legs while just hauling the rope in with my hands.. Was a bit miffed to find that what i thought would be hard anodising on my friction saver rings had worn through after one climb where the rings rub together due to the rope pressure.. Is this usual?? Next i had a go with spikes on a different tree. I got Notch gecko steel spikes, and for boots i got Haix protector light 2-0 boots.. Well, what can i say.. Spikes are a different world.. Got used to them in the first 6 inches, and after that soooo easy.. They just feel so safe and stable. Soon learnt that you want to be well close to the tree as this seems much more stable, and well, not scary in the least!! Cannot wait to have another go!! The boots were great, the spikes do not move around at all.. I was surprised at the force required to yank the gaffs out of the tree when you go to take the next step though!!. It was so easy that i had to force myself to just take little steps and not big ones.. john...

Anyone know the difference between the ppt2620h or the ppt2620es?? Everywhere i have looked i see the PPT 2620ES [which has a curved handle] but my local dealers have ones with a straight handle that they say is the latest model. I think they are the PPT2629H Anyone ever seen one??? john..

Yes, i think that might be best.. Up to now i have just used my ordinary everyday industrial boots from screwfix. BRILLIANT boots especially as they are £16 a pair [and last ages] but useless with spikes as hardly no instep so the spikes twist around all over the place.. john..

I have no idea what i should go for.. Do not want to spend a fortune, but want something good with spikes.. john..

Which ones do you mean?? The oregon ones or the tree hog ones?? What spikes you using?? Thanks john..

Why are they crap for climbing in?? john..

I had a look.. Great boots, but OMG, the price!! I can but dream!! john..

Hi All, What are the best boots to use with spurs?? What do you all use?? Thank you john..

I "might" cut the main bits off so that at least it will not fall over just yet.. I like that idea so i might do that.. One problem is that next to it is a disused driveway that is overgrown. If i clear that, the tree will have to come down in its entirety, as people are liable to park on the newly cleared drive and if the tree then falls and crushes their car they will either be not pleased or dead.. john..

Very very good point, it does look like that...