Cordata

Looks like a handy machine, what jobs do you mostly use it for & which attachments do you have for it?

Thanks for your reply, All the previous companies I worked for used portawraps, I haven't got anything against a bollard just haven't used one yet.. What would you say are the benefits of a bollard? From googling it sort of looks the same as a portawrap but it ratchet straps to the tree..? I guess it's stable & fixed and not wobbling around like a portawrap is?

Hi all, Which size diameter rigging rope do you find is best? I'm considering a 14mm to start off with. Also for a portawrap, honeybros sells a medium & large version without much price difference.. Think I might as well go for large unless there's a good reason not to? Finally to attach the portawrap to the tree I'm looking at dead-eye slings, any recommendations for which diameter and length to go for? Thanks

Ahh makes sense, sounds like a good system 👌

What was the process for that? I imagine if an employee said they didn't want to pay (regardless of having signed that bit of paper) and dragged their feet, you as the employer could easily spend £1k or two on legal costs enforcing it all? Or I may be wrong, I've never been involved in anything like that.

Hi all, First off apologies if I am basically spamming the general forum with questions lately, I've recently started my business and have been very appreciative of all the helpful advice other arbtalk members have given me on here. If it's a problem admins I'll try to put questions in more specific forums in the future. I have been in contact with a loan provider who can give me good terms and I want to get a Forst chipper as I've had good experiences using these as a subcontractor in the past - does anyone know ballpark how much it would cost for an ST6P and for an ST8P? I just want to get a sense of pricing before approaching a local dealer for a quote.

Thanks for the reply, it's a 17 plate Nissan cabstar

I've recently bought my first truck for work and need to get it serviced. Local garages didn't want to take it on which I know would have been cheaper than the official dealer service, so I called them for a quote because I can't find someone to do it. The dealer charges for a minor service (oil change, oil filter, brake & clutch fluid, fuel filter) £579 A major service (minor service stuff plus air cleaning filter, grease hub bearings & hub cap both axles) £626 Included in all these quotes are complementary washing, hoovering, and RAC breakdown cover which I can't deduct from the cost of the quote, so literally these are the prices I seem to be looking at. How much do you all pay for servicing your trucks and do you go to local garages or dealers? Price is mad for what it is

Planting rate is different everywhere, I used to get paid 10p a tree to plant, maybe 12-15p is now a typical price. Can't judge how many will be planted, but less than usual if it is steep ground, say 500-600 per day if it's bad? I wouldn't use any protection for the Sitka but the Douglas will get demolished in the open if animals get to it How many are you planting per hectare?

Very interesting, thanks for the reply and that is fair enough!

Interesting post showing the manufacturing process 👌 I'm looking to buy my first chipper and have been looking at Forst ones, is there a reason you don't sell blades for this manufacturer?

Hi all, I have a forestry background and used to frequently map out compartments for establishment sites, measure features etc, and use GPS data to put these in GIS software to create maps. I'm in arb now and am interested in the surveying side of things. Can someone explain the "roadmap" to doing these surveys I see advertised for local authorities? For example I have seen one instance where a LA wants a complete mapping done of species present in a given area. What minimum DBH would you measure, what would your methodology be for doing this, and (I guess this comes with experience) is there a well-reasoned way of coming up with a timeframe for how long this would take? Any general information on surveying and mapping for arboricultural purposes, as well as the go-to standards and resources for this kind of work would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

I'm glad for the input of everyone here, A man from Yell.com called me up last week to try and get me to pay to list my business there and was extremely pushy in trying to get me in on it, and said it was all wonderful etc in getting leads There's nothing I hate more than a pushy salesman so I declined. I might have gone for it if not for that experience, so I feel good/vindicated in my decision. It isn't targeted marketing, and sounds like the people working there are terrible in many others' experience too..

Was that £45 one second hand? I got a machinemart advert in my emails and they are a lot more than that (but I think reasonably priced for something I'll use for maintenance every single week) -

Everywhere I've worked before has had an air compressor for cleaning out the gubbins that builds up in a chainsaw. All I knew about them is that they made a racket while pressurising, and they had a small metal nozzle thing with a trigger to pull to shoot air out I'm looking to buy my own but I don't know what to go for, is there much to consider? Do you use yours for anything other than cleaning out machinery?

Also as an added question - is there any benefit to different tooth designs, and do you buy these from the original machine manufacturer or can you get decent - and far cheaper, I'm guessing - generic ones elsewhere? My understanding is that the teeth are carbide tips brazed onto steel. So I'm guessing there is a market for generic tooth designs somewhere? Not that I'm seriously considering this either, but has anyone made their own teeth by brazing tips onto steel blanks? Would be an interesting project.

Hi all, I am looking for my first stump grinder. Currently looking at either of the super portable chainsaw powered ones: Alpine Magnum & Predator Terminator (who names these things?). The Alpine Magnum is a good machine as my last boss used it, and he would tackle fairly large stumps with it, but the price to me seems bonkers for what it is at £5.6k - £6k depending on the setup. Predator Terminators look to be a few grand cheaper but look less robust from first impression, I don't know if that is true. There are also standard pedestrian ones, these seem to weigh around 130kg (not very portable for one man) from what I've seen, and I've heard good things about FSI. Not sure if going self-propelled is worth the extra money from the beginning. Ultimately it seems like a choice between doing a small-medium stump anywhere (chainsaw powered machines), or any sized stump as long as access allows it (pedestrian machine). Can anyone give their insights into which machine they would start off with and why, just trying to make an informed decision. Thanks

I don't see these suggestions being particularly easy.. where does someone find a straight swap from another truck? Sounds like a once in a blue moon suggestion your mate with a similar truck would offer you. I said £5k+ for an arb conversion not £15k Guessing you have your own yard if you're using a loader? I'm using a tip site currently but plan to find a yard in the future. Do you make firewood & sell chip?

Spoke to the seller on the phone, he'd go to £10k and it has 33k miles on the clock The tipper version of this same truck is £15k more (inc vat) for the same mileage according to other ads which are more or less accurate prices according to Parker's valuation. Going for a tipper version I'd have to get an arb body fitted on top of this which I'm sure will get into £30k+ total price territory which is money I just don't have I guess I've answered my own question here to be honest, shovelling chip out the back is no fun from past experience at other companies but I need to get started and I can do a lot with my own (tipper-less) truck

I am in the market for a truck (first vehicle starting up my new business, currently going through the pain of renting) and see one I like and have lots of recommendations for from other tree surgeons. It isn't a tipper however. Does anyone have experience converting a truck to a tipper, what kind of things do I need to consider (materials for chipbox, dimensions, weight?), and how much did it cost you? I'm posting this before I get on the phone to conversion companies to see what kind of quotes they have, just wondering what advice the discerning folk of arbtalk have on the matter. Thanks in advance

The rate sounds good if you can get it 😁I'm very interested in getting a chainsaw mill and later this year once my tree surgery business is running I fully plan to plank up almost anything that could be valuable/good for projects.

Is that a going rate for milling timber? Seems like a lot