Bill C

I've been cutting seasoned oak a couple of times in the last year and one bit was Turkey Oak(believe everything people say about it) the Stihl 3/8" x 0.063 semi chisel was throwing sparks in one bit of timber but the Stihl 3/8" x 0.043 Picco micro mini chain cut it no problem. The PMM3 also cuts very clean.

Thinking about what I've just typed, It's not quite correct, growth should spout from the pleachers at any point, but were they touch the ground they should root.

With what little I know, the stumps should have been cut at ground level and the pleachers laid low with most downward growth trimmed off. Any other growth weaved together and trimmed to a height just above the Pleachers. I was told the ideal way to lay pleachers is up hill, if that can't be done towards the sun. But if the growth is sparce but high the pleachers can be laid in either direction to fill gaps(a bit different if it's a competition). When the hedge has grown in 5/6 years then it can be laid in the correct direction. I was also though that the pleachers would only spout new growth were they touch the ground, like when Hazel is copiced and laid on the ground and staked.

I know it's a bit late for advice now, first off it's a bit late in the season to lay a hedge and you've already cut the hedge, but with a bit of planning it's possible (I've seen the skilled people do it) to lay fairly large trunks as a hedge, it's not as easy as it looks(people who know what they're doing always make it look easy). If you go on the Black Down Hedge Association home page http://bhha.info//Default.aspx and facebook page there is several photo's of various hedges being worked on by novices and experts alike. The end results are very good, most are Devon style which by the photo in your post might suit your hedge.

Haven't used their mains saws but I have a 9" grinder that is very powerful more so than any other grinder I've used so I suspect the electric motor side would be very good, I have got the 36v LXT battery saw (DUC305) that is between a Stihl MS 170 and the MS 180 and find it easier than a petrol saw for up to 8/10" firewood.

I've got a 240, runs a 15" better than a 16" bar but I'm running .325x.063" bar and semi chisel chain a 0.050 chain/bar would be better. it feels like a MS180 but a good one is way more powerful. Typical Pro Sthil saw in the way it runs, if you have to do any work on it, it's really easy to work on. I've got a MS180 & 036 and I'm a mechanic by trade the 180 & the 036 were what I thought they would be but the 240 is a far better saw than I thought. Of the three it's the easiest and best to use.

Stubby is correct there is no such thing as part time PPE. I only do part time for myself but feel lost if not wearing the correct gear. I've got Stihl trousers and can't fault them, but I suspect like all chainsaw trousers a bit of a pain to dry. Helmets, gloves and boots are whatever fits the best. As for ground work gloves I'm trying Beswift cut resistant gloves at the moment (most gloves don't last long) and for hawthorn etc Toolstation/Screwfix welders gloves.

I would still weld a full length of steel to each body rail to allow it to sit on the full length of the chassis rails to spread the load. it only needs incorrect hole sizes or holes drilled in the wrong place to crack a chassis. The flex mounts will be more important if you do weld as above because it'll make the body subframe stiffer and more prone to cracking.

Is the body rail inside the vehicle chassis rail, if so you'll have to weld sections to the body so the rails sit on top of the chassis rails. Cut off the body mounts and reweld them to line up with the chassis mounts. Leave a gap between the mounts so that a crushable spacer can be fitted to the four mounts at the rear of the chassis and I would fit spring loaded front mounts to the front. They are called Die springs from somewhere like WWW.Zoro.co.uk . If you don't allow some flex in the mounts it will crack.

Don't drill through the top flitch of the chassis it'll crack

Being a a non professional user I feel anything over 50cc becomes a bit of a handful after a while of using them. The saw I use for most work is a old and abused Stihl MS180, from everything from hedge trimming up to 18" seasoned Ash/Beech and Oak, and small scale milling of posts etc, waiting for it to blow up but to be honest it just gets stronger. But for looking after a wood I would use my Stihl MS240 with a 15" bar, feels as light and easy as the 180 but in a totally different class when cutting. So my vote would be the Stihl MS241 or the Husky version of it.

A old Devonshire term of Spurtang? is a horse drawn implement to break up hard ground so it might be a local term for using a spade to do the same thing. Only a guess, my mother was a local land girl during the war and she worked the land with Shire horses. Still got part set of Heavy horse harness and horse brass in the attic.

Organic Guy I was working on the hedge in the other field running North to South.

The Devon hedge can be either turfed or stone walled along the sloping sides below the steepers but it's not seen as much now as it's work intensive. The more often seen hedge is just layed along the upper edges and a digger is used to remove soil from the sides and base, this is then placed on the top of the edge between the steepers. This type of hedge also explains why the Devon digging spade is designed like it is, the spade head is like a Spade on a deck of cards and the handle is about 5 foot long which allows the spade to cut into the soil and it's length allows the soil can be thrown on top of the hedge with ease, it's also easy to cut turf with the Devon spade. The soil removed from the base of the edge also becomes a water drainage ditch and adds height to the hedge. It took 50+years and a hedge laying course to make me understand and fit together all those little bits of information that's been bouncing around inside my head since I was a kid!!!! Never to old to learn!

That's the course I was on, working with Adrian on the mixed Hawthorn hedge(just got the last thorn out of the back of my hand) very very good instruction from all the instructors. Your wife worked with Steve on the other hedge, very good day out and well worth the money.