# Brits talkin about Brit stuff



## ROLLACOSTA

hi guys just thought i would start this tread up ..mainly for Brit related issues..obviously anyone is welcome to join in, from which ever side of the pond they are on

overhere we have differant health and safety regs than you guys in the states as well as differant laws regarding our tree's ie tree preservation orders, working in consevation areas etc etc

we speak the same language as our 'mates from the states ' but our working day is often very differant...


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## ROLLACOSTA

i shall kick the thread off ..today after waiting for 2 months to get the go ahead to start a job section felling two horse chestnuts ,it all nearly goes all very very wrong now customer told me he had put in an application for the work and would show me the letter of consent when we turned up to do the work..well todays arrived i'm at the customers door and i ask can i see the letter ..anyway long story short ,client never got permission or even applied for permission

he told me they thought they could just get away with it ,anyway we leave the job site very unhappy..but it could have been worse as maximum fine for felling these 2 trees without consent could have been £20,000 each..the stupid thing is the tree's have basal rot and would have been given the thumbs up for felling anyway


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## teressa green

you should have dealt with tree officer yourself ,explained the situ ,arranged site visit ,send i paper work and chill for 8 weeks,or the earliest planning meeting,then added your time to the total cost ,i state on quotations that price includes consultation with tree officer etc,,, most tree officers are just failed wanna be climbers with a mean streak,smile and be friendly ,gets you a long way


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## ROLLACOSTA

i nearly always act as the agent for TPO work ,but this time the client had told me he had already sent the application form off and had been given verbal permission..he obviously lied

Teressa how often do you work as the agent and still not get the job?? ..i charge to act as the agent nominal fee reimburst when i send the bill / finnish the job[ no way im doing a ton of consultancy for free]...theres no way you will get a tree officer to come on site down here and liase with you about residential tree work.


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## teressa green

*stand by*


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## teressa green

fairly easy if the tree is a problem ,ie butt rot they cake it ,good point tho ,bout the consultancy and not winning the job,doesnt happen here often ,good local standing


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## Ross Turner

Rollacosta,great idea for this thread,im just a climber so dont have any stuff like this to sort out myself.When i was a team leader seeking permission to carry out tree works on behalf of the electric compaies i did come across some very difficult people ,be it landowners or council tree officers but i managed to get the job done.


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## ROLLACOSTA

ROSS as this thread progreses you will /should have plenty of input ,no such thing as just a climber


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## Ross Turner

I know,I am a climber who enjoys his job & wants to gain a formal qualification in arboriculture.


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## jamie

*ok*

ross im a formal qualification wanting to be a climber... lets trade.

jamie


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## Ross Turner

Hi Jamie,What qualifcation have you got,Is there no vacancies for climbers in scotland?.


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## jamie

*qualifications*

eh B/Technol (hons) countryside management, RFS cert Arb (good un i feel) and my cs 30 / 31 and 38,

and the lot from school.

got a job as a trainee climber, been there a year and a half, for most of that time i have been gettting little but im now advancing.....having fun while i do it.

jamie


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## Ross Turner

So you have only part of the RFS cert arb,as you need more NPTC qualifications,which goes back to what Rollacosta & i was saying in another thread.


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## blue

we've been shafted quite a few times,do all the donkey work,get permission to carry out works,lose jobs to tree tick scum


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## Nickrosis

> _Originally posted by ROLLACOSTA _
> *we speak the same language as our 'mates from the states ' *


Same language! Are you kidding me? Who would say "Mates from the States" over here?  Pardon the interruption....


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## blue

whats wrong with the way we talk?


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## ROLLACOSTA

Nickrosis...do you mind stepping aside and showing me you'r visa before you come on this thread


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## blue

i agree rolla,keep your nose out


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## ROLLACOSTA

ok boys to keep this thread a bit of a do..lets all revert to speaking 17th century english..or cockney rhyming slang


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## MasterBlaster

*Wait!*

Get me an order of fish n chips before ya start talking all funny, and sheet!


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## ROLLACOSTA

how about for a few days we all speak 1930s school boy talk ..you know mustard ,gordon bennet,goody gum dropps
,nice one cyril nice one son,pass it on


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## a_lopa

back to doing reports,i charge 300 for a report which is then for free if i do the work.there you go old chaps,blymey.was having a few beers with a few poms while on holidays,they didnt like gypsys to much


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## MasterBlaster

*Alright, I'll have a go...*

Fie, varlet. Thou hast the cerebral fortitude of a small crawling thynge.


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## ROLLACOSTA

ah so there aussie the old poms where getting in a bit of a 2 and 8 about the travelling folk hey

trouble with tinkers they love the old sausage and mash anyway they can get it..theyll stitch an old folk or gullable person up like a kipper


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## a_lopa

one pom had a car yard but wouldnt sell to travelling folk,they had a bit of a ????? about rooney before the game against the sweeds then he kicked a few and he went from poor breeding to king.i like the tinker bit ill use that.heres a bit of native aus,''ill have one lady in the boat, dozen king browns and packet of blue''translated=cheap cask red wine,12 bottles beer and pack cigs


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## ROLLACOSTA

> _Originally posted by Ross Turner _
> *I know,I am a climber who enjoys his job & wants to gain a formal qualification in arboriculture. *




which qualifacation do you want to go for then Ross ??..i would go for a degree if i had the time and money

i might go for a rfs diploma..some day


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## jamie

*okay dokey*

while wee are here can i talk in proper scots then and have a conversation all to meself?

rolla did you ever get the mulcher i heard you talk about a while ago.

MB i'll have a fish supper, plenty of sauce (brown that is, no vinager / ketchup). 

Anyone know of any MSCs in arb anywhere?

thats it, 

jamie


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## ROLLACOSTA

no, no mulcher yet though i did like the look of the baby AHWI and the mulcher on the tracked bobcat ..seen at the apf show


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## Ross Turner

I would like to get the RFS cert Arb & the ISA cert aswell.
For the rfs cert arb i would only have to complete two more nptc tests.
A degree is out of question as i have a family to support & mortgage topay.


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## ROLLACOSTA

> _Originally posted by Ross Turner _
> *I would like to get the RFS cert Arb & the ISA cert aswell.
> For the rfs cert arb i would only have to complete two more nptc tests.
> A degree is out of question as i have a family to support & mortgage topay. *



i think it would be possible to do a degree part time ..like you i have a family 3 kids and one in the oven, a business,and home to pay for...


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## Ross Turner

*Msc*

I dont know any that offer that course but Myerscough offer a Bsc if thats any good but is a 4 year course with the second being work placement.
http://www.myerscough.ac.uk/courses/rptLeafletsAdmin_web.asp?MnuKeyQual=BSCARB10304/054YY1
I hope this is of help.


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## blue

rolla,
i like the idea of talkin rymin slang but i don't think the boy's over the pond would have a scooby what we're on about.probably leave 'em for hovis


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## highpoint-utd

eeeeeayyaaaa ,yo dont forget im a manc kiddas and id lose youse too , its a good idea about this thread rolla ,seems to me the mates in da states work a lot more larger stock than we do BUT we on the other hand have the omnipresent power called europe . oh btw forgive me if im rambling just had 12 pints of best (12 pints of heavy for jamie)


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## jamie

*heavy?*

heavy, im a fan of caladonian 80 shillin or belhaven best, and the guiness that is beside me just now.
oh and rhyming slang is lost on me, im just a young northern laddie, from the country that brought the world deep fried mars bars.....we will fry anything..... 

rolla reason i asked is that we have just got another ahwi (a excavator mount), now we can mulch the world, we all reckon we will appear in FBT at somepoint. so i might become famous.....in some way, i dont get to operate the big machines, well i got a shot in out merc mbtrac 1500 today...that was fun.

jamie


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## MasterBlaster

So, do all you funny talking guys drive rides like Blue?

Just curious.

:angel:


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## R.Borist

Hi Jamie

Picture is of an excavator we used on a job earlier this year, is this the one you've got?
Just curious as I heard it went to Scotland.

R.borist


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## highpoint-utd

nope cetainly dont butch ,me and the missus have a nissan primera 2.0litre 16valve sports saloon car( its been played with a bit so is quite quick)but blues robin reliant is a very clever idea ,
did you do a google search on only fools and horses ( tv programe over here).imo that car is one very clever sales tool more power to the lad from the south.oh and by the way well done ricky hatton(a boxer from manchester ) even if he is a blue nose(manchester city fan )


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## ROLLACOSTA

MB...i would like to make you an honoury Brit..if none of the boys have a prob with that!..by the way nobody in there rite mind would ever own up to driving a motor like blues 3 wheeler...this car called a robin reliant also comes in truck and van form no bull ..and it can be driven on a motor cycle lisence...the commen name for blues motor is called a plastic pig


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## SteveBullman

i've seen one with a tipper on before now


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## blue

it 'aint my only form of transport i've also got a v6 mondeo and a sick yamaha wr400


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## teressa green

been after a wr 400 for a while ,whats wrong with it ?and is it for sale ,,,,,?by sick you do mean ill,not sick in a really: sick piece; of kit?


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## ROLLACOSTA

i reckon at the next APF or any arb show for that matter, we should have our very own ARBORISTSITE..tent so we can all meet up i'll sponcer the tent and banner..we can all be very aloof and elitist for a day or two  

if its ok with DARRIN..the 'AS' site owner

any shows comeing up?????


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## Ross Turner

Rolla,that sounds like a great idea,meeting up & putting faces to names.


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## SteveBullman

probably have to wait till the next aa show in june rolla


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## ROLLACOSTA

thats what i thought steve..i think it will be a god idea having a small tent and banner..wonder if shows charge for FORUM tents ?? i doubt the AA would or caple manor's tree day


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## MasterBlaster

> _Originally posted by Ross Turner _
> *Rolla,that sounds like a great idea,meeting up & putting faces to names. *



Put yur mug in yur avatar. That helps.

See how handsome I am?


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## blue

terresa,
i meant that my wr400 is in need of a bit of tlc.
new set of tyres,investigate small water leak and fix,new brake pads,relace fork seals,new headlight,tax and mot and she's ready for some more dirrrrty fun.
may sell it and buy another stroker though.ripping 2 stroke or grunty 4banger can't decide


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## jamie

*mulchers*

r.borist, thats the one, no where near as efficeient as the rt 350, its got stuck twice already in 5 foot of peat....much fun getting it out.

jamie


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## ROLLACOSTA

how much doe's it weigh jamie and what didyou use to get it out ??


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## jamie

*20 tonne*

its based around a 20 tonne volvo excavator, the counter weight has been replaced with the donkey engine (the big red bit on the back) and the head weighs about 2 tonne. 

an MBtrac 1500 with 2 11 ton winches on the back, double rigged to do the pulling and a 13 ton exavator attached via a large sling to the front of the 1500, then pull and track and out she pops.

the 1500 has now been converted back to a skidder (it used to carry a mulching head, but that set up was crap, hence the dedicated machines) so it now has a jumbo butt plate on the back. i was the winch man, fun way to spend a morning.

jamie


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## ROLLACOSTA

i take it with that kit your boss is into logging??..do you jamie do any site clearance work down in england??


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## jamie

*aye sort of*

he is into it all, i reckon he is trying to get into the site cleareance bit more and more, his prediction is whole tree chipping will be the next thing after mulching, for biomass or whatever.

to him a good cutter is worth more than someone who has all the bling of new kit, he told me blatantly that until he sees someone climb with the latest kit and do it faster and more productivly than they could with basic kit he wont invest in it. there is a local company who are high on gadgets, low on productivity and low on competance (felling cuts all over the shop, we have an informal hinge of teh week competition)

as for the logging bit, not really more site clearence, we mulched in the lake district, one mulcher is 60miles north of inverness and they may be off to ireland soon.

for the machines he is thinking of buying his own low loader as he spent 15k last year on haulage.


jamie


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## Ross Turner

jamie,What company do you work for?.


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## ROLLACOSTA

jamie with my company i supply all rigging gear etc plus my own kit of course .and all size saws ..but if the boys want to climb gucci style then they can by all means do so, but don't ask me to buy the stuff ..i think this is standerd the across the industry


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## ROLLACOSTA

a plant hire firm boss told me he makes most of his profit with his lorry and low loader


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## jamie

*edinburgh woodlands*

ross, edinburgh woodlands,

rolla, ditto, im sure if i turned up and could climb as quickly with teh gucci as i could witout he wouldnt mind (maybe be more receptive) but if teh productivity aint there he aint a fan, why pi$$ around for 2 hours on a job which should only take 1 hour just because you have to constantly rerig gucci (exagerated i know)

jamie


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## teressa green

can i claim copyright on the word GUCCIwhen relating to tree climbing equipment,,,,,,,,,,,here in writing is my intention to claim the name,,,,all cheques made payable to myself,,,,,,small discount for cash,,,,,,,as per usual ,,,,


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## ROLLACOSTA

stephenbullman your pm box is full..anyway steve have you or marcus had any dealings with the colchester tree officer [name is pizey/pisea/pizee ],what a complete twat he is so very very unhelpfull..i get the feeling with this bloke he doesn't like outside companys moveing into his area prob already got his own in-town favorites


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## SteveBullman

never heard of him rolla.
a tree officer who is a twat? well thats just unheard of


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## jamie

*on the aubject of twats*

while you mention it.

boss sent me out on my own to cut and chip half an acer (to say it was 20 foot would be an exageration). when it fell it landed on his caravan (the lowest branch moved about 3 foot. he was adament the tree was dangerous and he tried to make me admit it...... anyway, the tree was someone elses and i told him if he was really woried about it move the caravan, he phoned the boss and told him i was very unhelpful in that suggestion and nopt just cutting the tree down. anyway i cut it down today after he pestered the landowner.

jamie


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## ROLLACOSTA

jamie sorry mate but you're last post emmm ..i just about get it ..are you tonight on the old 'mountain dew'


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## PRUNER 1

at last a return to the forum and a brit one at that! about time and hi to all you fellow brits.


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## Ross Turner

Hi Pruner 1,Where abouts are you in the NE England & where did you study.


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## PRUNER 1

hi, i work in darlington and studied at houghall college just before it went ????, i got a hnd in arb.


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## Chucky

Well, as an American, I thought “english” was my native tongue. But after having read the above five pages of thread, I’m beginning to wonder. Not to speak disparagingly of the Brits and Aussies, but in five pages of posts I think maybe five words I recognise as “english.” And to make matters worse, these words within the context of the sentences they were written, made not a sliver of sense to me. I even took the trouble to run some of the sentences through a modern language translation engine – and what did it do? – it spit them out as “undecipherable.” I think I’d do much better trying to figure out what _Martians_ were saying, should they post on ArboristSite. 



-Chucky
Talk, Block, & Walk TREE SERVICE


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## MasterBlaster

Yo, the name of this thread is the Brit Thread, eh? What we might call one 'english' word means something completely different in another culture, even though it's spelled the same or whatnot.

Ya ever be outside the CONUS?


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## Nickrosis

> _Originally posted by Chucky _
> *Well, as an American, I thought “english” was my native tongue. ... made not a sliver of sense to me. *


What? You don't understand something like "jamie,What company do you work for?." ???  Sounds like you're just pulling a chain that needn't be pulled.


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## Chucky

Yep,

Love pulling the Brit's and Aussie's chains. Or as they might put it, "wankin' it!


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## a_lopa

wanker= cock smasher


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## jamie

*ya wanka*

wank. slang for masterbate......im not doing that over this site.....no sireeee, dont flatter yourself.

jamie


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## PRUNER 1

wey looka heeya man, a divent na wot yees aaal sayin like!!! this is how bad it can get up here in the grim north! not done much today to my disapointment. am waitin of lots of new shiny kit courtesy of the tax payer!!


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## PRUNER 1

why have the yanks n ozzies started talking about masturbation on this thread? get your own room!


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## ROLLACOSTA

> _Originally posted by PRUNER 1 _
> *wey looka heeya man, a divent na wot yees aaal sayin like!!! this is how bad it can get up here in the grim north! not done much today to my disapointment. am waitin of lots of new shiny kit courtesy of the tax payer!! *



well me old china i think its grim all over the country ,people all over tell me the tree games crap i tend to agree..to many little one man bands..what new kit did you get ??


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## Ross Turner

Pruner 1,I take it you are working for the borough of darlington,Is phil still there???


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## Chucky

> _Originally posted by PRUNER 1 _
> *wey looka heeya man, a divent na wot yees aaal sayin like!!! this is how bad it can get up here in the grim north! not done much today to my disapointment. am waitin of lots of new shiny kit courtesy of the tax payer!! *




I rest my case.


-Chucky
Yank, Thank, Bank & Wank TREE SERVICE


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## MasterBlaster

It's just another culture, dude.


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## PRUNER 1

yes it is the borough of darlington and yes phil does still work here, although he is now senior arb officer. aint got my kit yet but am lookin forward to bf2, grillon, ball locks, stretch air trousers and gore tex boots for the grim northern weather. how do you know phil and do you know any of the others? richard ?


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## Ross Turner

I started a YTS at Houghall back in 1989 & went on placement with them,In my 2nd week i injured my shoulder & was kicked of the course.Thats how i know both Phil & Richard.I have also done work for Andrew Jackson & Micheal McDonough from Fenby Ave.
I bet you if you mention me to phil he will say i owe him money for some dodgy kit he sold me & i mean dodgy.
Last time i heard he was studing for his PD arb,Did he get it & did how many kids has richard got now?.
Say hi to them.


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## jamie

*work*

at the moment we are doing this mad site clearence (with our new mulcher). they are flattening a woodland to......plant a new woodland.

anyway we have been working longer hours this weekend and have a weekend of overtime as well

oh joy

jamie


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## BigJohn

What is a good rogering?


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## highpoint-utd

a good rogering  

what your gonna get if ya dont stop being innane 





rogering aka avin it off ,pleasing a member of the oposite sex with vigour


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## MasterBlaster

> _Originally posted by BigJohn _
> *What is a good rogering? *



It's the bloody dawg's bollocks, I tell ya whut!


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## highpoint-utd

woohoo butch is a closet cockney 
or have you beeen watchin lock stock and two smoking barrels


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## MasterBlaster

That was a cool movie. That one, and the later one with Brad Pitt.


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## PRUNER 1

ross, rich has 2 kids now, both at secondary. phil did his hnc arb eventually. i can beleive the dodgy kit thing! they were still lowering on three strand till i started a year ago! council life is a slow pace tho, not what ime used to and ive been there a year now. still i get to climb some of the biggest trees in this area which is nice. its nice to get into a 90 foot beech quite often and put your pruning mark on it. houghall has gone to the dogs now tho. the good lecturers left after my first year there and now they have students whove just left, teaching current students. hasnt got a reputation anymore.


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## Ross Turner

Its amazing what happens in time,I belive what you say about Houghall,It went to the dogs before it joined up with the other colleges.As for dodgey kit try this one,FC81 full body harness,a few worn karabiners & a 3 strand rope that you could not tie a bowline in or prussik for that manner.
Are you based in the depot at Vicarge lane/road or west end cem?.
I would love to get onto a council tree gang as i would make my life a lot easier.
As for big trees have you seen that cedar up at the Nunnery(between Cockerton & Conniscliffe road)thats a good climb as you can sit on the canopy & look out over darlo.


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## PRUNER 1

ross we are based at west cem, i know the cedar you meen. i havent climbed that but i did prune the fruit trees in the orchard. that tree is emense. work goes out to tender now though so i dont think that we do much in there now. we are currently pruning all the trees in cem lane and have just completed 9 months in the south park back in feb 04. every tree was pruned and 350 were felled. wish it was like that again getting stuck in instead of traipsing round town in a tranny all day. ive lived in darlington most of my life. never noticed how many bloody big turkey oaks there are!!!


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## Ross Turner

Is there a lad called Darren working on the hort side he went by the name Daz the boxer.If so say hi to him from me.I used to live in Aycliffe & Darlo but moved away in 98 to work down country.


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## ROLLACOSTA

> _Originally posted by BigJohn _
> *What is a good rogering? *




well bigjohn 'a good rodgering ' is something you wouldn't want a cell mate to do to you..or something a lady friend might want you to do to them ..to be blunt it means intercource ..rodger is rhyming for todger which means penis, again a slang word..you get it now mate


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## ROLLACOSTA

whats the average price you or your firm is now paying for insurance..i have just submitted a proposal to a new firm 5 mill public liability cover, 2 staff employers liability ..i have also noticed that there are now a few more firms outhere now offering insurance so at last it's possible to shop around

but jeez what a lot of red tape to get insurance they ask every question possible and want you to provide ,all tickets nptc, generic risk assesmant,site risk assesmants,mewp tickets ,health and safety policy,lola tickets for all kit,chipper and stump grinder tickets ..put it like this i have been doing paper work all day ..pisses me off all i want to do is climb and work a saw not become a part-time pen pusher


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## teressa green

thats what wives are for paperwork,coffee,etc ,joking girls


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## a_lopa

hi guys hows the warm piss,just wondering if any tinks masquerade as tree experts in your lovely country(s):angel:


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## teressa green

hundreds of the bleeders,white tranny vans and 017 stihls,seem to shy away from the big stuff,but always touting for business seem to charge way over the odds ,a blight on the legitimate working man ,got a mate who tips is bash /waste logs over the entrance to their lairs,at 4 am ,a real laugh watching the tidy up ,even more so on giro day ......


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## Ross Turner

I bet its a laugh watching them,Its about time someone turned the tables on the unskilled butchers.


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## teressa green

risky but fun ,about 4 tonnes of lombarby wood tipped one morning,for some reason they dont hang about ,also most of the tree lads round these parts ring the tree officer/hse/police ,best one is call the police and say youve seen them looking through house windows but wish to remain anonymous,the red diesel is a good one aswell,police turn up sharpish ,check out their vans/chippers /saws etc,they soon get the message ,


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## ROLLACOSTA

> _Originally posted by aussie_lopa _
> *hi guys hows the warm piss,just wondering if any tinks masquerade as tree experts in your lovely country(s):angel: *



i read some where that ozz has it's fair share of 'TINKS' as well some from great britain but also a lot from greece and other mediteranian countrys


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## a_lopa

greeks lebos you name it weve got it


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## ROLLACOSTA

Gale force winds tommorow all over the country...with structual damage exspected


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## teressa green

good ,gonna sharpen the saws fuel the truck and put call divert on ,love a bit of storm damage,in the morning ,its the smell of money ,,,,sod victory......


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## ROLLACOSTA

i have nothing but big trees ,lombardys,big beeches etc booked in and this weather is supposed to last untill the weekend
so i guess it means more time off..we have had lots of storms down here in the past couple of years ,very little storm work though odd tree blown over no big deal...imo when the trees hit the deck its no longer much of a problem..very often home owners clear it up themselves takeing many weekends and lots of chains


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## teressa green

your not one of these soft southern pufftas ive heard about are you ,,,,,,thought you were a leeds lad ,get up them bloody trees you lightweight,might be time for you to visit the home county and get re educated in the northern working mans ethics ,about 12 pints of john smiths :with a head: should do the trick followed by a fat bird ,kebab ,and walk home 8 miles in your tee shirt singing glory glory leeds united ,or similar,blinding ,,,,,,,,,,


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## highpoint-utd

hmmmm gale force winds ,nice up goes the call out fee lol
as for you teresa how is life in the first division? lmfao 
LEEDS= uniteds feeder club many thanks for smithy eric rio and all the rest of the lads who seen sense and came this side of the pennines (just messin with ya)


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## Tom D. Wilson

nought like a spot of lawn surfing.


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## teressa green

barnsley football club,,,,,,,,,,sore point beat by sheff wednesday and donny in the same week ,piss poor performance ,bit like you manc tree climbers ,,,,,only messing with ya,,,,,winds were not as predicted,john kettley sold us a dummy,


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## ROLLACOSTA

looks like a very handy truck ..could have used that today when dismantelling some lombardy poplars...if the boys overhere new for how much or how little you guys in north america can pic up a decent bucket it would make em sick


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## jamie

*weather*

gale force winds we laugh in your face.....horizontal rain, fun fun day.....

roll on the snow...well slush this far south...i want to go work somewhere where you get proper snow..... not this slush [email protected]

so how many southern jessies were rained / blown off today (by blown i mean wind)

jamie


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## MasterBlaster

I don't see how you can live up there, Craig. I'd be migrating! 

And I sure wouldn't be no treeman!


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## MasterBlaster

I bow to your Northern Manliness...


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## jamie

*r borist*

i want to live there, scotland is too hot....the summer it can get up to 24oC.....far too hot....

and in the winter its just wet


jamie


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## PRUNER 1

*kew*

did any of you guys see alan titchmarshes program on bbc 2 last night about kew gardens. they showed 2 of their arborists installing cobra bracing in the tallest tree on the site. it showed an interview of one of the lads in the tree and he was shaking like hell, he could barely keep his foot on the limb!


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## ROLLACOSTA

no mate i mIssed it...haha did you here about Titmarsh when he was on ground force ..he reccomended flush cutting silver birch haha..have you been to kew i think it's a fantastic arbouretum humm have i spelt that correct


----------



## Tom D. Wilson

missed that one but caught a bit of one a while back and this bloke was takeing down a tree, the thing was they could of got m.e.w.p in no problem but he decided to show off instead, totally knackered himself climbing to the top and started dropping big chunks makeing a right mess of the lawn.
mind you that cobra bracing looks alright, had a rep come and show it off last week. :blob5:


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

hi Tom welcome AS


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

> _Originally posted by Tom D. Wilson [/ cobra bracing looks alright, had a rep come and show it off last week. :blob5: [/B]_


_

was the rep Vince from Fujikura?? if it was hes a real nice bloke_


----------



## jamie

*Scottish Maths paper 2004*

SCOTLAND 

HIGHER GRADE MODERN MATHEMATICS PAPER 2004 



GLASGOW REGION 

Name........................................... 

Nickname.......................... 

Gangname........................ 

1. Shuggie has bought half a kilo of cocaine for large. He wants to make 300% on the deal and still pay Mad Malky his 10% protection money. How much must he charge per gram? 



2. Wee Davie reckons he'll get £42.50 extra Marriage Allowance a week if he ties the knot with Fat Alice. Even if he steals the ring, the wedding will cost him £587. And he'll have to start buying two fish suppers & a litre bottle of Iron Brew every night instead of one. How long will it be before Davie wishes he'd stayed single? 

3. When Rangers play Celtic, their fans sing The Sash every 10 minutes when they're winning and every 15 minutes when they're losing. How many times did they sing it at last season's 1st league game at Ibrox? 

4. Joey and Davie stole a 1999 green Toyota 1600GL with 35,000 on the clock - and got a grand for it. How much more would they have got if it had been metallic silver, done 29,000 miles and had low profile tyres? 

5 Jake the Flake and Fingers got grassed up for dealing speed. The Flake got 18 months but Fingers got 3 years. How many more previous convictions did Fingers have? EXTRA CREDIT: Who was Fingers' Brief? 

EDINBURGH / BORDERS REGION 

Name.......................................... 

Rugby Club.................................. 

Daddy's Company......................... 

1. Gavin has a spare ticket for Julian Clary at The Festival Fringe. But Benji and Adrian BOTH want to go with him. How long does he cry before giving them the tickets? 

2. Half of Peter's friends say that they went to school with Ewan McGregor. Another third say they were Gordon Brown's flat mate at University. A sixth say that their dad played rugby with Tony Blair's dad and the rest say Sean Connery was their milkman. Only one is telling the truth, so how many friends does Peter have? 

3. Todd wants to be a lawyer, but is as thick as Edinburgh Castle. His daddy is a Freemason and a QC. How long before Todd becomes the Lord Advocate? 

4. Tamsin's Personal Trainer charges £250 a week, but has sex with her whenever she wants it. Jasmin's Life Coach charges £50 a week but has refused all sexual advances. Which one of the women weighs 19 stone? 

5. Princes Street is 2467 yards long. On average, there is someone begging for money every 195 yards. You walk at 3.1 miles an hour. How long will it take if you tell them all to sod off and work for a living? 

HIGHLANDS REGION 

Name.................................. 

Glen.............. 

1. After Hector's death, Archie has to pay Death Duty on Glenbogle. With 25,000 acres, Archie must pay £1.76 per acre for the first 15,000 acres and 90p per acre for the remainder, including VAT. How many people actually give a toss? 

2. An Afro-American called Zachary Obisanjo Kokobobo asks a Tartan Shop in Inverness if he has any Scottish Geneaology. How long does it take to flog him full Highland dress and matching kilts for his wife and 10 kids? 

3. If an Aberdeen supporter laid every sheep in Grampian Region end to end, how many people would be surprised? 

4. If you caught a Loch Ness Monster 115 feet long and each foot weighed 27lbs, how much money would you make by selling your exclusive story and pictures? 

5. Sorry, question 5 has been delayed by heavy snowfall and will be here as soon as the Cockbridge - Tomintoul road re-opens in the spring!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

so whats the going rate for a 3 man gang around the UK theses days???


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

JAMIE now thats funny


----------



## jamie

*thats us*

thats basically us north of the boarder...

today the boss got the new saw and me and andy both wanted that saw, so we cried and refused to work until we got the saw.....

guess where i come from

jamie


----------



## blue

*going rate*

£400-£450 aday min.
what you charging rolla?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i base my priceing on who im working for authoritys and developers i charge the max, the rest domestic stuff etc varies considerably...but 380 - 450 is the going rate i reckon around here


----------



## teressa green

no comment ,discount for cash???? did someone say cash,,,,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

JOHN PEEL
RADIO 1 DJ AND REAL NICE BLOKE
1939-2004
RIP :angel: 



died today
john peel radio 1 dj , ordinary bloke and real nice guy ,a great british institution !,without this guy there would have been no sex pistols,clash,u2 and many many more great bands he gave un-signed bands air time on national radio, on his nightly 10 pm show..most of us Brits in the over 30 age group will no just where in comeing from


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

come on guys lets try and keep the brit thread alive !..so what have you boys been upto this week..and man what a storm/battering they got down the west country this week..i bet the tree boys down there are cashing in


----------



## jamie

*work*

one of our mulchers has been having problems, an oil line to the turbos was pishing oil so the boss was away with the operator leaving me on my own to bodge away at the yard......for 2 days......on my own...boring as ****.

got some dodgy geezas round trying to sell us cheap desil gennies and powertools....they had a irish plated transit....and dissapeared sharpish.....never left a calling card, funny that.

after a day out with the boss (i was driving the long routes everywhere to avoid the rain ) i found out that he aint taking on another climber as he would much rather give me the exp and instead get a new groundie.....yeah....so that is me up off of the bottom rung of the ladder no longer no. 5 in a 5 man crew.

jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

Been looking for another job since i walked out of my last one last friday.My old boss wanted us to carry out work in servere winds,Thunder & lighting next to 11kV lines & stated in the past things like "if you dont do it you dont have a job","if you arnt at the digs tonite you dont have a job tommorrow"(did not tell us to have overnite bag)."its your Job or Family".
Then his safety was lets say questionable.


----------



## teressa green

electric co state that in storms ,lightening risk move away from the ohl,its stated in the regs ,electricity at work regs,health and safety at work regs ,hsg 47 ,etc etc ,sounds like a real idiot this boss of yours,if hes prepared to sacrifice safety for profit ,maybe you should get away from him ,you do have a young family ,before work do you complete risk assesments,method statements etc,if so get the risks on paper ,cover your self,do you need to report your daily whereabouts to elec co ? if so .ask what lightening risk is ,yeb used to call us daily with lightening risk ,category ,work safe mate ,


----------



## Ross Turner

Yes i know all that,I am Unit 5 qualified as well.His risk assesments arnt worth the paper they are written on,as for method statements he hasn`t got a clue.we had to let the REC know everytime we moved site & very rarely would they advise of electrical storms in the area,National Grid used to.

As i said i walked out of that job a week ago.The last job i carried out was an Ash takedown nothing big,just that everything had to be roped,as we were working in a carvan park so had caravans on 3 sides & a 11kV line to deal with as well(cat 1 tree).the owner had another 12 sites on his land & would not consent until this tree had been removed.
It took 2 days for 3 men to finnish the job due to high winds & thunder storms.

I texted him on the first day to say job was not going well & he replied "just get on with it".So that was the last straw & left.


----------



## blue

i've worked for people like that.if all else fail's i found on one occasion a little violence did the trick.still walked from job though but felt a whole lot better about it


----------



## teressa green

yeah ,violence should do the trick ,if carried out asap after a ????ty conversation/phone call


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

are you self employed Ross??...if your old boss employs quite a few men then i would inform HSE about his working practises..regarding the ASH td then unless the length of time taken to do the job affected you severly financialy then i would tend to be on the side of your old employer simply get it done if i/the employer lost out financialy tuff chit

being an employer i find it sometimes a strain keeping everybody happy...im not sticking up for your old boss but running a bizz theses days is a real head ache ..when an employer goes home 50 % of the time he takes work home with him.i often do 70 hour weeks half of which is un-paid


jamie then transit van boys where travellers the gennies arnt knicked there just cheap chineses chit..watch out for them selling dewalt drills at silly low prices..there not dewalt there chinky again with a dewalt sticker...theses boys also flog tv ,cam-corders etc ,half of which are second hand non workers ,i personaly know lots of theses boys imo everyone has to make a living /feed the family ..errr but im not buying anything from em  


well boys the weather has been kind to us [unless you live in the west country] well its been good down here in the SE /EAST ANGLIA...have you got another job yet ROSS ??..terressa and blue keep the violence to a minimum last tear up i had cost me a brocken nose and £250 fine


----------



## highpoint-utd

what you get the fine for rolla affray???????
£250 fine got you off lightly there ,
ive got a court order against me from my missus ex not aloud within 250 yards of the little turd or away to the big house i go on a section 18 assault (one down from manslaughter)
apparently this woman beating scum didnt like it one night when his door went through and some chap (dunno who ????) preceded to kick his head in ,funny how there where conflicting reports of my whereabouts at the time ,i swear i was in the pub with the lads on that night ,in fact several witnesses testified to the fact and the cctv tape from the pub got inadvertantley wiped  strange series of events :angel:


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

YEP £250 affray bound over to keep the peace for 1 year so no real big deal..still id have rather of had the fine and been bound over than recieve the beating i gave the twat any day  ..put it like this he ate mainly soft food for several weeks and got booted out of the ARMY seems this twat liked to get pi$$ed up and start a scrap on a fairly regular basis fortunatly this time he met more than his match..


----------



## Ross Turner

Rolla,
No im not self employed & i dont think it hit my X boss financialy as he was getting paid day rate for the zone we were working on as no one else was willing to cut it.
I have thought about the HSE but i think the other employees would suffer.As for paper work he has trouble spelling etc so he gets other employees to do it for him & his wife cooks the books(lol).Nearly all his work force do nearly a 65hr week & the wages for a climber was £400 & i had to supply all my own kit.

AS for running his bizz one of his surveyors does most the running about,while he flirts with all who gives him the time of day & does nowt.

As for finding another job,i have sent cv & covering letters to local companies to see if they have any vacancies.Fingers crossed.


----------



## teressa green

wish you well ross ,got my ear to the ground for you ,them drums is banging,sounds like you know the score work shouldnt be too hard for you to find,chin up ,and sod the ex gaffer ,not worth a carrot ,why not name and shame him ???? small world the tree caper in the uk, £250 doesnt sound too bad ,managable ,,,,


----------



## Ross Turner

thanks will do,i wont name & shame him just yet but the HSE may get a call.


----------



## teressa green

come on ross lad name the muppet??? pm will do .....


----------



## Tom D. Wilson

poor sugar in his fuel tanks, you know it makes sense. 

you lot sound a right rum bunch, fighting, court, telling the boss to shove it, hell you sound more like me than i am!

I'v been working as a ground man for the last year for an arb company, my boss is a right diddly, but he knows his stuff, so i'v started studying, in my first year of a national diploma in forestry/arb get to slack off for a couple of years! 
worked on the biggest tree in my life the last wed/thur. them storms didn't t touch us, perfect conditions, barely a breez. 200 year sycamour about 95-100ft. Right beast. had a cavity round one side near the floor, pritty big. dug all the crap out of it to see how much wood there was holding it up, by the time we'd finished we'd hit water, i could sit down at the botom crosss legged and still have room for a game of solitare and could stand up straight in it and i'm 6ft3. 

Proud to be British. now i'm off for a pint o'bitter and some black puddin. 



:blob5:


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

just seen on either used equipmant or large equipmant that one of our brother ARBOs up north has had a RAM CHIPPER NICKED..keep your eyes peeled i will pay £500 max for it !! only jokeing no fun getting FEEKING GEAR KNICKED


----------



## Nickrosis

Did somebody say my name?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

did you dismantle the tree Tom ???


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

ok boys from the UK put your faces to your names heres me on my day off


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

no seriously here i am


----------



## jamie

*pictures*

anyone want to see some pics of me on my days off go look for jamie here in the gallery sections.

cheers

jamie


----------



## blue

was pic 2 before or after tou been climbin?


----------



## highpoint-utd

*how busy are ya????*

hows the work rate for those lads who are running there own firms , for some reason me and the brother in-law have suddenly gone ballistic with work ??????? seasonal trend ????all of december booked up with tree work and the whole of november working on a one driveway ( yorkstone drive mega £s) loads of little jobs and tidy ups .????ed strange it was quiet 3 weeks ago ??


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

*Re: pictures*



> _Originally posted by jamie _
> *anyone want to see some pics of me on my days off go look for jamie here in the gallery sections.
> 
> cheers
> 
> jamie *




jeez jamie downloading your image made my puter all freeze up and then crash


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

*Re: how busy are ya????*



> _Originally posted by highpoint-utd _
> *hows the work rate for those lads who are running there own firms , for some reason me and the brother in-law have suddenly gone ballistic with work ??????? seasonal trend ????all of december booked up with tree work and the whole of november working on a one driveway ( yorkstone drive mega £s) loads of little jobs and tidy ups .????ed strange it was quiet 3 weeks ago ?? *



been crazy flatout for nearly 3 weeks now ,were boked up for all december &even takeing bookings for conifer hedges for may..funny things punters never came work emm out had 3 quotes ring in this evening  ...got 11 to see over the weekend so far


----------



## highpoint-utd

lmfao just got 6 leylandiis to take out ,of one of my big customers at his home ,great thing this interweb doobry, sod the post man send me work by e-mail  
oh and by the way lads our thread is 3rd popular after butchs 2 good uns  check the viewin figures, more viewers than an episode of craparation street


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

land of hope and glory!!!

rule britania britania rules the waves britain shall never ever ever be enslaved!!!

god save our gracious queen !!!!!


----------



## highpoint-utd

gentlemen 
"THE QUEEN"


----------



## teressa green

wonder if she wants her bush trimming ,full bush i should imagine,


----------



## Acer

> _Originally posted by ROLLACOSTA _
> *i base my priceing on who im working for authoritys and developers i charge the max, the rest domestic stuff etc varies considerably...but 380 - 450 is the going rate i reckon around here *



Back to pricing..are these for 3 men, truck and chipper?

If I can, I'm charging about £250 for 2 saw operators plus £100 for each extra saw operator, plus £100 for a machine, either chipper, tractor/chipper or tractor/winch. I don't climb any more, because of the times 5 hike in insurance last year. This would be for local authorities etc. woodland management type stuff. I struggle to get that on work like planting and hedgelaying. You need a good team of 3-4 for planting to make money, and it's hard to get decent people. The going rate for hedgelaying is a bit low, as one bloke nearby prices really low, mops up the work and then flops it all over as quickly as he can. But I still do it, cos it's my favourite work  . In my experience, forget gardens in Nottingham. You can charge the going rate on recommendations, but most first time customers want the cheapest job, and the pikeys, cowboys, people starting up and other assorted lowballers mop up most of what is a poor market. 

Just out of interest, what profit do you company owners make as a % of turnover? Anyone doing better than 25 % ?

Agree on the stolen gear, rolla. I've been looking for a chipper recently, and been offered a knocked off one. I'd have saved about 5k, but didn't fancy lining the pockets of scum like that. It's a shame more people don't look at it that way.


----------



## Tom D. Wilson

in answer to your question rollercoaster, we dismantelled it. (i say we; the boss dismantelled it, i cleaned up while he sat in truck having a fag.)


----------



## Tom D. Wilson

nought better than berrying your head in an old ladys bush all day.


----------



## Tom D. Wilson

sorry bout me spellink.
ha i don't work i'm a god ???? scrounging student now, slacker than a harlets muff on a sunday morning. 
i even get a free bacon sandwich every morning!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

acer...i dont realy know my daily profit but to tell the truth it aint good..too many like you said in this game ...to make money you got to do nothing but small jobs ,have no kit ,no insurance,have a dosser work for you and pay about 30 quid tops cash in hand as and when needed,buy all your saws down the pub knocked off or at a push buy the cheapest chit saw from B&Q..have no qualifacations,either dump your transit load of brush in a layby or have a bloke on the fiddle down the dump...joe public only ever wants the cheapest price and as we all know theres only one way you can give it..ie run a business like the above....anyway didn't you read or hear on the radio last month the govermant recons a black economy is good as it creates entrapeuners.. funny i thought it produced a bunch of tossers


----------



## blue

rolla,
you sound like it's all doom and gloom surly thing's aren't that bad for you?
at this rate it sound's like your goint to self-emplode on us


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

blue things arnt that bad for me personaly but for the whole industry it's very bleak..no disrespect but for you boys who are employed to be honest you dont know the half of what goes on behind the scenes just to get a days work...when you boys finnish on a frieday night you forget about work till monday ..question highpoint do you forget about work for a whole 2 days??..i sure dont


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

blue things arnt that bad for me personaly but for the whole industry it's very bleak..no disrespect but for you boys who are employed to be honest you dont know the half of what goes on behind the scenes just to get a days work...when you boys finnish on a friday night you forget about work till monday ..question highpoint do you forget about work for a whole 2 days??..i sure dont


----------



## jamie

*bleak*

rolla, as number 2 nowadays i am becoming aware of how bleak it is. as 2 guys are now away in mulchers all the time i hear all the stories....its either me or he talks to the dog all day......

jamie


----------



## teressa green

just seen the news 3 of our boys killed in iraq ,what have we let ourselves infor,Blair the s:it,how does he sleep nights ,am angry now,what a waste ,god bless the boys and their families /friends ,


----------



## highpoint-utd

nope rolla certainly dont ,but then again ive two strings to me bow . arboriculture and landscaping /grounds maintenance ,
me brother in law is a landscaper so we work on big jobs together , but he never gets a day off ( coz hes mad i think ?????? ) but i always try to manange my time efficently


----------



## jamie

*work*

im always happy to work on, late weekends dont matter. gets me extra brownie points as well. apart from work i drive for a certain large pizza establishment based in a hut fri / sat nights.... more money and i get to work with some honeys....not that 4 big guys aint nice to work with, but sometimes you need to look at wimin who you work with....until pmt hits.....

when i left the boss at the yard he was finishing welding some extensions onto the mud flaps of the the MB trac 1500 with 2 11 ton winches on the back....great skidder...pulled our new mulcher out of teh peat.

jamie

jamie


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

> _Originally posted by teressa green _
> *just seen the news 3 of our boys killed in iraq ,what have we let ourselves infor,Blair the s:it,how does he sleep nights ,am angry now,what a waste ,god bless the boys and their families /friends , *




makes me sick that our boys are dying for cheap oil..i wish Bush and Blair a slow lingering death....i also feel for the iraqi familys who have lost women and children ...what i cant understand is why are the general public here and in the States are so narrow minded, i wish they would take a look at whats going on from the other side of the fence....how many iraqi civilians killed now somewhere between 10,000-100,000 ..makes me 

by the way when i mean cheap oil i mean cheap oil for the yanks..oh no there paying $2 a gallon...sick FEEKING JOKE IMO


----------



## Ross Turner

*Bonfire Night*

How many of you company owners have helped the local bonfires by giving them all your cuttings,I did years ago when i was working for a small firm.
Every job we had near to 5th November we used to take the brash & logs to the local bonfires to save us having to pay waste transfer fees.


----------



## iain

never bothered myself but i know its very difficult to get away with now adays, too many do gooders around since the regs have been tightened on green waste
+ the local councils bods have eye sight like a ???? house rats 
funny that they never seem to see the pikeys when they dump it the rest of the year


----------



## Ross Turner

thats true,Where abouts in the north east are you from Iain?.


----------



## R.Borist

> _Originally posted by Acer
> 
> 
> 
> Agree on the stolen gear, rolla. I've been looking for a chipper recently, and been offered a knocked off one. I'd have saved about 5k, but didn't fancy lining the pockets of scum like that. It's a shame more people don't look at it that way. [/B]_


_

Tuesday, daylight hours, just had our towable TP 760 stolen from Wiltshire. Landrover Green colour not standard Red, apparently 4 guys seen with a Landrover, 3 years old, photo to follow, reward for information leading to etc... Apreciate the usual unlikeyness of anything being spotted but you never know. As it is probably the only 760 in these colours there's always a chance.

Thanks

Peter_


----------



## iain

hi ya ross 
i`m from york, but live nr the boro now

any stolen gear i started a thread in the used equip sect 
best to know if your getting a wrong un plus i`d luv to catch one of the thieveing tw*ts offering me someone elses gear what a kicking he`d get your tools r how we make our living `you just don`t **** with that `


----------



## jamie

*its slipping down*

thought i'd better pull this thread back up to the top.

jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

*The Boro*

Iain,When you say near the Boro,Where are you on about?.When Cleveland County Council was going the firm i worked for carried out work for them.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

any of you boys using tracked chippers ,been thinking about getting a tracked jensen ..can be fitted with winches ,log-spliters,tow bar etc ..it can tow a 2 ton trailer so the salesman told me...ps a firm around here has bought 2 new tracked platforms like the ones on show at the apf


----------



## Ross Turner

Rolla,I have used both the Timberwolf & Greenmech tracked chippers,they both have their own merits,ie the timberwolf will fit through a standard gateway & the greenmech has adjustable legs for working on slopes.
As for the tracked platform have used one aswell,Nice bits of kit.The only problem with them is that you have to lower it down before you move them along.
If you can go for it they are the dogs


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

you working yet ross??


----------



## iain

hi ya ross 

i live in the redcar & cleveland council borough area who we also work for 

hi rolla 

don`t think i`ll be buying a jensen or anyother tracked chipper just dont see the point for my work 4x4 and a mobi will do for the ruf stuff
if i had too i`d save me penny`s and buy a unimog they can pull > 20tons you can put a winch on and you can fit a chipbox on it run it on red diesel and no road tax coz its a tractor 4*4 drive the dogs watz itz


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

> _Originally posted by iain _
> *hi ya ross
> 
> i live in the redcar & cleveland council borough area who we also work for
> 
> hi rolla
> 
> don`t think i`ll be buying a jensen or anyother tracked chipper just dont see the point for my work 4x4 and a mobi will do for the ruf stuff
> if i had too i`d save me penny`s and buy a unimog they can pull > 20tons you can put a winch on and you can fit a chipbox on it run it on red diesel and no road tax coz its a tractor 4*4 drive the dogs watz itz  *



ian i do contract work for the old m.o.t bloke/ manager told me..all that stuff about mogs is about to change..before much longer ..they will need to run on white deisel,have an operators lisence..and if over 7.5 ton hgv will be needed etc AC PRICE told me the same thing in strict confidance .....

all vehicles that use the highway ececpt push bikes have to be

taxed ..dumpers,tractors the lot


----------



## iain

rolla 

fare doos m8 how much is them there tracked beasts then 
bet they`s not cheap 

rgds 
iain


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

ian i would have bought a mog years ago..but when i spoke to ac price and even my local mot reginol center they realy put me off,my luck is i would have it a week then she'd have to be stood up,they told me 2 years ago mogs are realy a grey area..but like we all know what a great bit of kit they are..you know the more above board you are the more likely your to land in the chit

back to tracked chipper i was quoted over the phone 21 grand +vat..jenson sadid they would fit a tow bar ..no needdfor a truck on local jobs track there and back


----------



## Ross Turner

> _Originally posted by ROLLACOSTA _
> *you working yet ross?? *



Hi Rolla,No sign of any work yet but sure something will come along.


Iain.Tracked chippers can get to places a 4X4 cant we found that out doing utility work


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

> _Originally posted by Ross Turner _
> *Hi Rolla,No sign of any work yet but sure something will come along.
> 
> shame you aint down here i'd find a day or two for ya..you got a truck .or trailer ross ?? stick an add in the local paper bound to get a bit of conifer work..feek i'll even lend you a saw if you need one*


----------



## Ross Turner

Thanks Rolla,No Licence,No truck,No saw got all my own PPE & climbing kit.

Sent out seven CV`s & had one phone call asking what wage i would except & have not heard anymore.If things get tight i will just have to do some agency work in the warehouses etc.

Keeping my chin up.


----------



## blue

ross,
have you tried arb jobs.com?sorry i'm computer inept and can't do a link but google arbjobs.alot of jobs in the uk on there


----------



## Ross Turner

Blue,When i go to Arbjobs.com no jobs appear so Tony at Arbjobs sends me any that may be of interest to me,Im also registered with complete treecare.com.

So far nothing has turned up.


----------



## iain

morning ross

a friend of mine has gone over to the us for 18mths mainly doing bucket work 

then he`s bound for oz for a similar time thro an agency

hes a single gadge so it suited him i must admit i cant blame the guy

would that be any good for u


----------



## TimberMcPherson

I'd give my eye teeth to get a mog, sorry for being a colonial and crashing your lads thread. I even have a matchbox mog in my truck-sad bast$rd I am.


----------



## Ross Turner

Iain,
I dont think my other half & kids would like me leaving them at home while i went abroad to work.
I jacked my last job because my boss kept telling us we had to stay out overnight for up to 4 nights per week& when you have a 4yr old,3yr old & a 6week old children you dont want to be doing that kind of thing.


----------



## iain

hi ross 

fair comment m8 i work to to support my family aswell

where do u live now, u mentioned working for cleveland council
b4 

as their are a few co`s looking for climbers up here


----------



## Ross Turner

I used to live in Darlington & surrounding areas.I now live in Telford,Shropshire.
My partner will not relocate as the oldest child has just settled into school & she is making new friends.
I know Glendale is looking not sure about any others.


----------



## iain

there are at least two others of decent size one of which keeps recruiting the staff of the other

you sound as though you`ve got plenty of knowledge im sure it will be just a matter of time b4 u get another job, do you get horticultural weekly there are always arb jobs in it if not someone on this thread might keep an eye on it for you 
i stopped my subs unfortunatley sorry


----------



## Ross Turner

*Hort Weekly*

Iain,
Dont need to buy Hort weekly as you can view it on line at
http://www.hortweek.com/recruitment.cfm.
The other two companies dont happen to carry out utility work by any chance do they?.


----------



## teressa green

ross,that link isnt working mate? tilhill are recruiting arnt they always,,,,,


----------



## Ross Turner

Try this link & click on jobs
http://www.hortweek.com/
Yes Tilhill are always & so are fountains.They both have the same problem,Crap management skills & they pay ????e wages.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

> _Originally posted by TimberMcPherson _
> *I'd give my eye teeth to get a mog, sorry for being a colonial and crashing your lads thread. I even have a matchbox mog in my truck-sad bast$rd I am. *



TIMBER your welcome here any day  feel free to post


----------



## teressa green

Ross,might be crap pay etc ,but if it helps you out short term then give them ago ,get in a good crew ,get picked up at home ,and shine like a diamond in a pile of s&ite,you tried the job centre web site,approx 80 vacancies advertyised on there ,,,,, chin up ,


----------



## teressa green

the link is, jobcentreplus.gov.uk .click search ,then general vacancies,the agriculture,then forestry worker ,name your location and off you go ,good luck mate ,steve xxx


----------



## Ross Turner

*Job search*

I hit all the sites that advertise jobs on a daily basis.There are no local companies advertising at the mo.Some companies have my CV on file & will contact me if any vacancies arise.
I worked for Fountains on the National Grid contract as a team leader & it was i they used as a scape goat if anything went wrong since i was unit 5 trained if owt went wrong on my sites even if it was down to mis management.
Example,Method statement stated 7 field staff + Manager to do job in 4 days.More like 2 field staff & was told get it done ASAP.
one section of the job was to section fell 7 lombardy poplars so they did not damage a steam pipe at the Ford plant in London,I asked a manager if i could get the trees down with out damage to the pipe could i do it & he said yes.The third tree we dropped stripped a small red oak of 8"dbh of all the branches as we felled it in high winds.
We nearly had the full job complete when we got stopped & the company blamed my crew for not following the method statement.
This job was carried out on behalf of CTRL.
So who needs to work for a company like that.


----------



## Big A

> _Originally posted by TimberMcPherson _
> *I'd give my eye teeth to get a mog, sorry for being a colonial and crashing your lads thread. I even have a matchbox mog in my truck-sad bast$rd I am. *


When I worked for a local co. they just got a mog in our opinion unimog stood for Useless,No-good,Inefficient Machine Of Grief. The only person who seemed to gain was the boss, we just seemed to have to work harder and faster. It was fitted with chipper, crane large chipbin with 3 ton trailer behind. Hi all new to this interweb thingy.


----------



## Ross Turner

Welcome Big A,What company did you work for.I have known firms use Mogs & the feedback i got from the employees was its a great machine.


----------



## Big A

The machine was featured in FBT about 5years ago I dont want to name co. It had advantages on site clearances but in everyday tree surgery we (the employees) found it so cumbersome on narrow Suffolk lanes and if the ground was wet we spent so much time re-instating it was laughable. Ive since used a Fastrac with 10" chipper and found it far superior!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

> _Originally posted by Big A _
> *The machine was featured in FBT about 5years ago I dont want to name co. It had advantages on site clearances but in everyday tree surgery we (the employees) found it so cumbersome on narrow Suffolk lanes and if the ground was wet we spent so much time re-instating it was laughable. Ive since used a Fastrac with 10" chipper and found it far superior! *



err let me guess who that was...nahh way to easy


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

anyway hi big A so whats the name of your firm ??..did you find this forum through stephen ??


----------



## R.Borist

Attached is a picture of the chipper stolen last Tuesday 2nd. I realise the chances of anything coming up are limited but you've gotta try.


----------



## Ross Turner

*Chipper*

R.Borist,Was the chipper parked up lie in the pic?.If so you where looking for trouble as there was no anti theft devices attached to it like a hitch lock & a wheel clamp.

You may say that these wont stop a determined thief but it would make them reconsider.
I hope you get it back as i know is a pain in the ar$e when you have equipment stolen.


----------



## Big A

> _Originally posted by ROLLACOSTA _
> *err let me guess who that was...nahh way to easy  *


Hi Rolla I think you guessed who I worked for with the mog, to be fair a lot of the problems we had were caused by operator error, and the boss being to impatient to listen to opinions from his workforce. I hear that quite a few of his present staff are jumping ship now no surprise there! I now sub out to Steves brother 3 days a week, then do my own stuff the rest of the time.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

hi BIG A my climber worked with you many years ago i think he may have broken your coller bone..yeh jason Lenard..he aint changed ,the times i have to tell him to stop cutting massive lumps and just take it slower


----------



## jamie

*mogs*

i love the mog i drive most days. its great fast (50mph), good in the wet. winch up front with the butt plate can pull jumbo logs, was skidding out some 3 meter long 36"dbh ash up a terraced banking. the 13" chipper on teh back handles all but the largest / most bent pieces of wood and the 5m3 chipbox takes all the crap. 

after running this set up i cant understand why people still work out of pickups and tow chippers.

the big mog we have has a small 10" chipper but a 16m3 chip trailer.....try filling that.

mogs are great, if used off road a winch is handy as i managed to get stuck going into and out of a site, the mud was 2 1/2 foot deep though.

jamie


----------



## Acer

Back to chippers...

I considered a tracked chipper, but ruled it out. I reckon a towable chipper and landrover would get to most places within reason, and I'll hire a tracked chipper if needed. For me, the extra cost of loan interest and depreciation for the tracked chipper (and trailer to lug it about on) would be more than the hire charges for the tracked chipper on the few occasions I'd need it.

In the future, I'm thinking of getting a compact tractor and fast tow forwarding trailer. You can drive the tractor to site then the tractor tows the trailer around - assuming there is something worth extracting. On some jobs it would be worth extracting even firewood, if there's at least a lorry load and a cost effective means of extracting it. With the three point linkage, you can run all sorts of implements as well as a chipper. Fit the right tyres, and they have negligible impact on the ground, for working on sensitive sites. Seems to make sense if you do a wide variety of jobs, none of them needing heavy lifting/pulling.

Now, if anyone can lend us £20k. 

Re: comments on Fountain's. Agree entirely..sounds like they've got even worse. They're happy for you to bust your bollocks to pull the money in for them, but if anything goes wrong, they'll drop you like a hot brick. We had BSc Forestry qualified managers arranging railway work without even thinking about what they were going to do with the timber. I think most of the site visits were done without leaving the buffet car!


----------



## jamie

*forwarder*

as for forwarders we have a MBtrac800 with a timber boogie....works a treat., either that or we can stick the timber boogie on the wee mog. just dump the chipper first

you would have to prise my cold dead fingers off of the steering wheel of my mog before i considered a tow behind and pickup

jamie


----------



## Big A

Yeh Rolla Jason didnt ever break anyones bones when he worked with us, and I'm glad someone had the heart to take him on as he was shafted at our place. His stories sound as good as ever!! Hope his technique has improved too! Has he been with you long?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

> _Originally posted by Big A _
> *Yeh Rolla Jason didnt ever break anyones bones when he worked with us, and I'm glad someone had the heart to take him on as he was shafted at our place. His stories sound as good as ever!! Hope his technique has improved too! Has he been with you long? *



**** he can tell some stories..he told me he droped a lump out of a tree and it hit you and broke your coller bone..before much longer i'll sign him up with mills & boon...still he aint a bad climber and thats what i employ him for..must admit for big take downs hes pretty $hit hot..Albert told me how he used to work , then he wouldn't have lasted with me 5 minutes..he's been with me for 3 years..he did a fantastic 20% oak reduction last week 70-75 high and 35+ wide all nice neat cuts back to growing points

do you climb for marcus?..was you working for alistair chippertech??


----------



## Big A

I tell you something, Albert was always a climber I rated and am pleased to say I worked with. I'm glad Jason got a break, he was a quick learner, just a bit bull-headed. Have you taken on any other E/W blokes as theres a lot on the market at the moment


----------



## Ross Turner

so what are or is E/W?


----------



## Big A

Sorry Ross, E/W Short for Eastwoods Tree Services, good place tolearn the trade, good standards of practice, and a great team of lads to work with


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

no mate no more eastwood boys..to be honest i have a lot of repect for mick dewhurst meaning the way he built up a good do any tree firm with all the right kit for the job..but as a person i think he lacks a lot of employer/people skills..from what i have heard


----------



## Ross Turner

Big A,I think i saw them about when i was working over in east anglia.


----------



## Big A

You hit the nail right on the head there, it was a good place to learn and perfect the skills needed in this trade, I heard today that 2 left him to go to Elite, Boy has that company grown. To answer your question yesterday yes I'm working for Marcus and I did work for Alistair (Chippertech). Never been one for the climbing side of things just small stuff and hedges. Work Rigging kit and give guidance to the new fellas


----------



## Big A

Ross you cant mistake the company usually see th mog coupla 7.5 tonnas and a DAF 3 tonna in convoy green livery with gold lettering. Looks well smart. They certainly have the kit.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

bigA yeah Elite has grown ,i could also with a few £100,000 invested by a family member..ahh im not concerned by him ,i started with bugger all got now 2 trucks ,chipper, 2 stump grinders,tipping trailers etc etc

probably like you as long as the old ££££s keep rolling in im happy..i have heard theres a little battle going on with E/W and Elite ..i bet i know who will win that one ,mr Elite tried to mess with me a few weeks a ago i had to put him right back in his place  when a job is given to me it stays with me period.. changeing the subject ,i aint out to pinch a worker from marcus bigA but its nice to know theres a good self employed groundsman out there if you know what i mean..somebody who knows how to rig a porta wrap etc etc..might need to give ya a call someday you never know  build bridges boy thats what my old man always said..


----------



## Big A

What is it they say? pride comes before a fall and I think 1 or 2 people in the trade should bear that in mind. A lot of them started off with a pick-up beforen moving up and now slag off those at the base level. I just want to enjoy my job nowadays and not be so stressed out at night that I go off my head, thats not necessary, unless your trying to build up an empire!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

very very true !..and lets face it how big can you realy go in the tree game here in East anglia  ..i havent seen richard branson starting up a virgin tree services yet


----------



## Big A

You're right there, if a company is based on the East Coast it can only expand North, South, and West and even their limited by travelling time costs!


----------



## Ross Turner

I agree with what you said Big A about just wanting to get on with a job & not be stressed out on a night its not fair on your family,I found that out.
These two companies sound just like two that work around cambridge & they are owned by two brothers who cant stand each other(or that was what it was like in 2001).


----------



## blue

would that happen to be Acacia and Eastern?our direct competitors


----------



## Ross Turner

Yes it would just happen to be those companies.So which company do you work for Blue? as i used to work over & around that area.


----------



## blue

ross,
i work for shire tree's.have done for about 2 1/2 years now.
he has got bigger since 2001 though.then i think all he had was a transit and a small chipper.
now we have 7.5 tonne lorry much better chipper,stump grinder better kit all round really(oh and me(haha wurzel))

who did you work for ross?


----------



## wurzel

> _Originally posted by blue _
> *ross,
> i work for shire tree's.have done for about 2 1/2 years now.
> he has got bigger since 2001 though.then i think all he had was a transit and a small chipper.
> now we have 7.5 tonne lorry much better chipper,stump grinder better kit all round really(oh and me(haha wurzel))
> 
> *


 yes we got blue instead of pay rise  
bout time we both had one now


----------



## Ross Turner

i dont like admiting this but i used to work for Tower forestry doing line clearance work for eastern electricity & Fountains working on the National Grid contract.Getting sick of utility & want to get back into proper arb.


----------



## blue

ross,
never heard of Tower.where are thy based?
how did you know about the brothers GRIM?


----------



## Ross Turner

Tower used to be based in Huntingdon,I learnt about thr brothers grim as you put them as one of the lads i worked with did weekend work for Eastern.Do you know anyone called Steve Morgan who i belive worked for one of them.Tower had 2 out of 4 areas of the contract for easten electricity.So i carried out work in Norfolk,Suffolk,Essex,Cambs,Beds,Bucks,Herts while i lived in St Neots Cambs working on line clearance.


----------



## Big A

Anyone know what the moneys like on the Lecky clearance nowadays, it used to be low when I did it in 96/7 and I keep hearing all sorts of figures and some of them sound OK


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

not good i got told by some guys who work for bts...too much blackthorn for my likeing anyway


----------



## Acer

I'd heard a lot of the routine line clearance had stopped, partly courtesy of fountains dropping a poplar over one line..is that true?

A lot of people I know were put on surveying LV poles. I think they were getting £150 / day and expected to survey 30 poles in a day. The catch: no-one mentioned how far each pole was apart. There might have been four poles in one village, two in another village 10 miles away, etc.


----------



## Big A

Same ????,different day! I'm surprised anyone's bothering with it then, luckily I can remember span after span of blackthorn well enough to not want to go back to that! Too much hassle with landowners being ar$y for my liking! At least on Arb work you know whats in store and usually get a brew & a tip.


----------



## Ross Turner

Depends on what area you are working in.SP power systems seem to pay good money but the only direct companies are Tilhill & West Coast Energy.MEB area all work was stopped as they were bought out by central networks who also run east mids elec so they are reissueing tenders for companies who are intersted but they cover a big area.I heard that Tilhill & Fountains prices where something like £17 per span clear & cut which only works out at £170 per K.

The work to get if you can is cutting ways for new lines or refurbs that is were the money is & all the line is surveyed & consented so all you have to do is turn up & cut.

BTS had only one section of the Eastern contract & they now have all to my knowledge.I too have heard the money per K is not that hot & as you have all said too much Blackthorn & hawthorn on line clearance.

As for cuppas & tips i have had my share when working in private grounds/gardens & also doing govy jobs.


----------



## blue

ross,
never heard of the guy you mentioned.only one i know by name works for Acacia is stuart also known as stupid


----------



## Ross Turner

never mind Blue,Its a small world the tree game.


----------



## PRUNER 1

aaarrgghh f!"£$%g conifers! i got me my new stretch air trousers on monday, love them to bits and wonder how i managed without them, doing a bit of guvvy conifer bashing this morning and they got caught on a tiny little sharp peg off a dead twig and ripped them! not chuffed. oh well off to mams to get them sewn up.


----------



## Ross Turner

Hi Pruner1,I take it the council bought the trousers for you are they as could as people make them out to be?.
It is a pain when something like that happens.
Hows the weather up glorious Darlo.lol


----------



## Acer

> _Originally posted by Ross Turner _
> *
> 
> As for cuppas & tips i have had my share when working in private grounds/gardens & also doing govy jobs. *



Talking about cuppas, have you noticed that the richer the customer, the less chance you've got of getting a brew? You could be trimming a hedge for a pensioner on a council estate and they'll mash every half hour, plus you'll get cakes and biscuits too . Do work at a massive house in its own grounds in some posh village and you'll get sweet FA


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i have a new young lad working for me poor bugger aint ever had a tip yet..thats over 6 months no tip..but i do agree the more money they have the less tea and tips..miserly chit


----------



## Ross Turner

I have never heard a such a true word than that.Its a bummer when you do a good job & the client gives a tip for the climber to the boss to pass on & he just pockets it,especially when the client has told you about it.


----------



## jamie

*other work*

driving pizzas at night....the flasher the house (along with 4x4 that will never see dirt) the lower the tip if any.

at work we rarely get tips......bummer come to scotland everyone is tight....

jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

Jamie,How fast do you get the pizzas to the customer?. I know down here we never tip as when we get the food its usually luke warm.


----------



## Nickrosis

Tips are quite exceptional around here. You were probably spending more time brown-nosing than working!


----------



## a_lopa

tips  whats that  never get tips,but theres no such thing here other than maybe leaving some change at a restaurant


----------



## a_lopa

> _Originally posted by Nickrosis _
> *Tips are quite exceptional around here.
> 
> im moving by the sounds of things*


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i'll give you a TIP don't expect tips


----------



## jamie

*how long*

five mins from when they come out the oven.....its crap.....speed limints and one way streets are only a guide on most fridays and sat i will get around 15 and sundays 10

not a lot but it helps....i can now afford to pay the gas bill.....after this its the Nat Ins then i might start on some new toys...

oh and im always nice to the customer, have a little chat (but dont outsay my welcome) and all that cusrtomer care crap

jamie


----------



## Big A

> _Originally posted by Acer _
> *Talking about cuppas, have you noticed that the richer the customer, the less chance you've got of getting a brew? You could be trimming a hedge for a pensioner on a council estate and they'll mash every half hour, plus you'll get cakes and biscuits too . Do work at a massive house in its own grounds in some posh village and you'll get sweet FA *


And when its cold and wet (all year) why do they (the rich ones) stand in the window with a steaming brew without offering you one all day. That really winds me up!!!!


----------



## jamie

*stoopid question*

if they came outside that would involve getting their £300 jacket on, the crampons on (trechorous condiditons wet grass) and get cold and wet coming out to offer you a brew....

im not a tea or coffee fan so i stick with cold liquids all year round.....

jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

was looking for a course in advanced rigging using the GCRS & speedlining & was wondering if any ones has been one,If so who ran the course & how much did it cost.
Thanks.


----------



## SteveBullman

proclimber ross


----------



## Ross Turner

Steve,Thanks but i was looking to see what other trainers are offering.


----------



## SteveBullman

did you try treevolution


----------



## SteveBullman

if you decide to go with proclimbers course let me know as im toying with the idea myself


----------



## Big A

I did advanced rigging/lowering/ speedlining course with treevolution about 4 years ago I think it was about £150 a dayfor a 2 day course. Good course but there were numnuts there who had been doing the job for years who didn't know the basics let alone comprehend the course, needless to say it was like going back to primary school and waiting for them to catch up!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

derrr like whats a timber hitch ...corr show me again how to tie a running bow-line,why can't ya use a 16 mill block with 24 mill rope??..10 raps around a porty?? hahaha BIGA i whent on a course with blokes like that


----------



## Big A

I wouldnt have minded so much but when you spend good £££s on a course you just wanna get on with it. How many times have you got to tell people to drop their lifeline away from their lowering line so they dont tangle/rub over each other? when will I learn to leave my gloves in my bag ready for that darned acacia? So many questions!!!!!


----------



## Ross Turner

*Proclimber*

Steve,the course proclimber is offering is £450 for 3 days,digs & food is extra.


----------



## SteveBullman

yep,i doubt you'll find its any cheaper elsewhere though mate


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

thing is steve on these courses do the instructors know any more than you or me ..to be honest id rather spend a day or more in a big tree practising differant techniques


----------



## SteveBullman

thats probably a good point rolla....it would be handy to know more about fall factors, best ropes to use etc though.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

imagine spending 450 and the first two days he goes over rope breaking strengths [you know 10% safe working load of a 4 ton rope etc etc] ,and talking about the differance between a block and a pulley bla blah..is this course for advanced climbers or newbies?? thats what id want to know

to many gucci know it all trainners out there to eager to talk BS and relieve folk of some hard earned ca$h imo


----------



## Ross Turner

All i wanted was to find a course that was run by people who knew the job & not full of bull $hit as Rolla stated.


----------



## Big A

Anybody else see the rigging demo at the APF this year, a fine example of what can go wrong by your Gucci trainers. Not only did it go wrong once, but twice. Gave me and me mates something to laff at!!!


----------



## SteveBullman

that was w*nk

that course is apparently advanced rolla
as for how good the course is, i guess you dont know till you do it.


----------



## jamie

*eh*

timber hitch????? pully??????

i shouldn't mock as my boss is adament that multiplait works for him and he is sticking to it (makes swinging fun), all lowering ropes are 3 strand....none of this fancy rope for him...no siree.

im working on him, plan for teh new year is to incorporate a cambium saver into his kit. look who is talking though, some guy with only 1 1/2 years under his belt not 23 like the gaffa.....so he must be doing something right....

jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

*Rigging Forum*

How many of us brits would be up to attend a a rigging forum to learn new techniques & discuss others & industry if we can agree what we want to learn etc..This is just something a trainer has suggested so i have asked him for numbers of people & costs


----------



## blue

jamie,
sounds like captain caveman climbing gear in scotland.i haven't used multiplat for about 10 years,bounce,bounce bounce,bounce,bounce bounce


----------



## Ross Turner

i last used multiplat in 1998,I must admit though its better than 3 strand any day.


----------



## blue

climbing on 3strand would be my worst nightmare.imagine the twists in 50m of that


----------



## SteveBullman

my first rope was multiplat, with a prussik
boy did that make for a hard climb in the rain


----------



## Ross Turner

Blue,Take my word for it it was h£ll to climb with.


----------



## PRUNER 1

*ross*

those trousers are the mutts nutts! just make sure you get the long legged ones as they ride up sumat cronic when the harness is on, ime sick of being mocked for showin a bit of leg in the tree. absolutely no probs with stretching around the tree in splits etc. i would have gotten front only for the lightness and breathability for the summer but our risk assessment says full protection all the way. still nice n stretchy though. you other boys are so right about the cuppa thing. weve had tea n cake from the council estates and nowt but grief from the posh buggers. ime sick to death of feckin nimby's aswell. doin my sweed in at the mo. they all seem to be goin to the top and gettin the ombudsman involved. and councillors who think they know how to do the job better than me and the lads. if my job wasnt so important to me i would hand them my frickin harness and tell them to do it themselves! help stop me ime on a rant, my soap box cant take it anymore. the thing thing is that these silly buggers move into a house with a tree out front, then moan about a tree blockin the light out of the house. think about it saddo's!!!!!! the tree must have been there when you viewed the house, it didnt just spring up overnight. any whoos, gonna go before i fall off said soap box, ciao


----------



## PRUNER 1

by the way, weather aint too bad at mo. plenty of street trees to prune tho


----------



## teressa green

think some of the white stuff is forcast for the weekend,and we might get some snow


----------



## teressa green

any of you u k boys into the tuning mods on your saws? see equipment forums/saws,i prefer to leave mine as standard ,apart from bars chains,thinking is that both stihl and husqvarna have a better idea of how their saws should and do work than some bearded bloke in a shed,only modifications i do are carb settings,whats your opinions on this ,do you consider it on a par with some nova driving 18 yr old with a ripspeed exhaust,fluffy dice ,18 inch alloys,and a full frontal lobotomy as astandard,


----------



## jamie

*captin caveman*

thats one term for him, he knows his chit though.

when i can afford to im buying myself some rope and kit to use, was looking at some arbor master or xtc, might let him have a shot, he may change his view....

i hate multiplait for long asscents, if you need to pop up 3 foot and the rope stays taught. you are expecting show down there, dream on its still warm up here, max temp is, oh about 8.... far to warm, maybe a snow shower leaving the ground wet.

jamie


----------



## iain

yeah one thing about the weather this time of year those thermals tend to slow down the force 8 that seems to blow thro the tears in the crotch of my kneeflex `s 

what i want from a equip manufacturer aint just room for my knees to move !!! with out me pants doing one


----------



## blue

climbing on wet multiplat with a prussic.ahh the memories.$%£" ^**% ((_( %££"%$ &^$*&*(*&^^%%$££"!£"£$^&(*&)(*)(^&^%$^%$£^%$£


----------



## Base

teressa green i agree on tuning saws, personally i dont see too much point in day to day use, as cutting speed isn't really a issue as far as i am concerned, and the people i work with, if i want to cut something faster i will use a more powerful standard saw i would say the biggest saw i have used in a tree is a husky 372 with a 21inch bar does the job just fine for me


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

> _Originally posted by Base _
> *teressa green i agree on tuning saws, personally i dont see too much point in day to day use, as cutting speed isn't really a issue as far as i am concerned, and the people i work with, if i want to cut something faster i will use a more powerful standard saw i would say the biggest saw i have used in a tree is a husky 372 with a 21inch bar does the job just fine for me  *



have you used a moded saw ?? i have a 346..im telling you all the power and speed was amazing ..i dont want a moded saw for climbing use or standerd felling but it would be realy good to have a fast powerfull [ moded saw] like a 385 for ringing up big trunks of oak ,beech etc ..when there on the floor , the 346 i used seemed to have twice the pace and power of a standerd saw.. i can barely imagine what a moded 385 or 3120 must cut like


----------



## teressa green

is it worth it to invalidate the warranty ,and what about cutting speed would a bigger sprocket not give more speed,,,,,would your ppe stand up to a touch from a modded saw? what about insurance ,wanna cut faster that a 346 get a 357,reliabilty and durability ,when i work a saw i know its gonna work and not fizz and bang ,fuel costs,wear and tear ,get real stihl and husky know saws more so than some 2 stroke ex fs1e owner,why mess with a complete package ,would you tune a transit van to haul more wood ?


----------



## a_lopa

when are we coming to weild the willow on the poms, cant be to far away so many good batsmen its rediculous no one can get in the team permanent.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

> _Originally posted by teressa green _
> *is it worth it to invalidate the warranty ,and what about cutting speed would a bigger sprocket not give more speed,,,,,would your ppe stand up to a touch from a modded saw? what about insurance ,wanna cut faster that a 346 get a 357,reliabilty and durability ,when i work a saw i know its gonna work and not fizz and bang ,fuel costs,wear and tear ,get real stihl and husky know saws more so than some 2 stroke ex fs1e owner,why mess with a complete package ,would you tune a transit van to haul more wood ? *



good points! but ya stiill got to try one... p.s I WOULD NOT WANT AN EMPLOYEE using a moded saw for insurance reasons


----------



## SteveBullman

so who does modded saws round these parts rolla.
ive got an old 357 i might get done to see what its like before i swap it for another


----------



## TimberMcPherson

I have modified alot of 2 stroke engines in bikes (But as yet very little in saws), you can really help an engine out doing the basics. All engines come out sitting in the middle, a compromise of economy, noise, emissions, longevity, power, torque, usability, ease of manufacturing, weight and price.
You can mess with any of these factors but they will always change other factors.
actually take the new 660's they havent been lasting as well as the 066's (according to mates who work in forestry). It turns out that the new saws exhaust system is to restrictive to help burn more emissions and thus give the engine a shorter life. open the muffler, better power, longer life. (little bit more noise).

Husky and stihl make good products, as do ford or ducati, but out of the box they are a compromise, a little work can make them a jem. (transits can never be gems) There is a good reason why people spend so much money improving the performance of engines. Wouldnt you like to have saw that weights as much as a 346 that cut as fast as a 044? Would really speed up a dismantle job wouldnt it?


----------



## glens

Yes, but then you're surely compromising longevity of the saw if that means anything to you.&nbsp; More trade-offs...

Glen


----------



## iain

stihl and husky no what there doing (i personally like stihl )
so if it ain`t broke don`t fix it ! 
the liabilty issues on a staff injury if i let them loose with a mod`d saw would scare the crap out of me
but each to their own


----------



## TimberMcPherson

> _Originally posted by glens _
> *Yes, but then you're surely compromising longevity of the saw if that means anything to you.&nbsp; More trade-offs...
> 
> Glen *



As I said, mods can double the longevity of the 660. Im practical about my saws, they cost far to much to want to cause them any harm and as long as the mods are done right and you do the basics in servicing there is no reason that mods should shorten their lifespan.
Anything I do is generally to lessen or quicken the amount of gruntwork me or my team has to do. If I can get away blocking out a 10m tall stem with a saw that weights alot less yet cuts near the same as a 044, why carry more? 
I spend alot of money on gear, some of it such as my chainsaw winch only gets used once a month, but when its used it makes my life easier and jobs more profitable. Mod saws arent good everywhere, but in certain situations they shine.
But each to their own.


----------



## geofore

*tuneup?*

Would you tune up a transit van to haul more? Yes, many here order a 3/4 ton but get the 1 ton suspension system on the truck/van. Larger axels, brakes, heavier springs and tow package to carry loads. Glens, ported saws for work are different than having them ported more severly for racing. They tend to last longer ported for the woods but not for racing. The porting may be done as in my case of the bad back, I can't carry the heavier saw all day and expect my back not to complain. The lighter saw with the mods cuts near what a heavier saw does but is easier on the back. It's not the same thing as the old guy that buys a vette or jaguar to recapture his youth, we just want to get in a few more years of doing the treework because we enjoy it. Iain, you are not removing the safety features on the saw like the inertia chain brake or chain catcher. I don't see the ins. co complaining when there was a switch to synthetic rope from manilia or alloy caribiners from steel. Are your chaps any less likely to stop a ported saw than a bigger saw? Where is their arguement that the saw is less safe to operate to justify the rise in rates/ disqualification of coverage?


----------



## glens

I feel there's a significant difference between opening up the exhaust on an EPA-choked muffler in order to reclaim original design flow and taking the jug off to remove material and reconfigure it.&nbsp; The former will not be detrimental to long life but the latter will.&nbsp; The engineers put the necessary amount of "meat" in the cases to contain the bearings and crank that they've also sized for the job.&nbsp; If they'd thought a saw would last long enough for a level of power output at a lesser weight, they'd do it.&nbsp; This is academic stuff.

Glen


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

> _Originally posted by stephenbullman _
> *so who does modded saws round these parts rolla.
> ive got an old 357 i might get done to see what its like before i swap it for another *




i havent got a clue who will or does modding up saws in the area,i would think one of the boys at GREENS would do ya one as a bit of a project,the modded saw i used was a friends from chelmsford and to be honest i didn't go into details about it all i know or think he had done to the saw was a bigger piston was put in it ,im not very mechanical  but i know it cut realy fast ..i reckon Albert or Trevor would be able /capable of modding a saw


----------



## Ross Turner

*MS200t*

Hi lads,Just thought i say i have my own saw now so i can do a few small jobs to keep my hand in while looking for a full time job.
Any of you lot going to the TCC trainning weekend in April at Stone,Staffs?.I thought it would be great idea to meet up there.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

what does tcc stand for ??


----------



## Ross Turner

Tree Climbing Comps.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

FOR SALE an ifor williams tipping trailer 5x10 3.5 ton gross 18 months old been out /worked roughly 10 times it also has high mesh sides and spare tyre/wheel cost over £3,100+VAT im wanting £2,600 +vat no offers..i thought id give you boys a go on it before i put it in the AUTO TRADER...send me a pm if interested ROLLA...OH YEAH IT'S IN ''IMACULATE'' CONDITION


----------



## Tom D. Wilson

Quick one from the student life. 
Started branch walking for the first time over the last couple of weeks, had my first instance of a brach snapping and swinging in to get a face full of trunk. Was wondering if theres any one who knows, literature on the subject of branch strengths in different species. 
Cant wait to be climbing for a full time job.


----------



## SteveBullman

thats just something you'll learn from experience.
as you're a new climber i'd say there was every chance the branch that snapped was plenty strong enough for you if you'd have had more of your weight on your main line.


----------



## blue

our chip truck was hit yesterday evening by a car.it was parked outside on the road on a lit street whilst we were working out back.we heard a long skid followed by the impact.we ran out front to see a vauxhall corsa imbedded in the back of the lorry,the woman was ok but in shock but later got taken to hospital complaining of difficulty breathing and chest pains(me thinks a personal injury claim may be tried).the police were called and they came to the conclusion that we were not breaking any laws where we were parked and said the woman was totally at fault.
last night the lorry didn't look to bad but 2 of us went back this morning to finnish clearing up and wait for the guy who fixes all our vehicles.in the daylight it appears that the chassis is actually twisted and the fitter thinks it may be a write off.bummer really coz it's the best chip truck i've used in 15 years.oh well none of us were hurt so thats a good thing.could have been very differant if we were working behind it though.probably be hovis if we were


----------



## Big A

It always concerns me that however careful we are with our own safetyit only takes some muppet to run in the back of you while feeding a chipper and you're f****ed up. I've worked roadside in Ipswich with total Chap. 8 kit out and had some t*** run thru' the cones, people driving thru' red lights when doing take downs over the highway with a crane. Their excuses are stupid to say the least!! We can't cater for these kind of t***s!!


----------



## Nickrosis

That sucks, blue. I hope you get some insurance money from her.


----------



## blue

we were lucky that only the lorry was parked on the road.the chipper was on the drive with a pick up and trailor for the grump stinder.the lorry had been tipped and brought back and left on the road as there was no room on the drive.we were working out back and had just finnished grinding.all we heard was a long skid then a bang.

will know a bit more of the damage to the lorry in the morning


----------



## blue

you don't need a shotgun,just let them get on with it.it's called natural selection


----------



## Tom D. Wilson

but some one's letting's these things breed, its getting out of control.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

you found any work yet ross???


----------



## Ross Turner

Not yet,May have the odd job comming my way but thats about all,I have just bought myself a Jonsered 535 as a ground saw so thats my saws sorted,Just need some trees to work on


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

we havent had many new Brits join AS lately ,also whats happend to the rest of the gang ?? base,ian,terressa green??


----------



## Big A

Anyone else having trouble with Jensen chippers (tracked ones) losing nuts,bolts sundries all over the place?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Big A said:


> Anyone else having trouble with Jensen chippers (tracked ones) losing nuts,bolts sundries all over the place?




no but i was thinking of buying one next year ..whos got one of these machines in our area BigA ??..i was thinking of getting one with a tow-bar


----------



## Big A

Rolla, MB TREES, BTS run trailed Jensens and I think Walkers from Attleboro might have one as well. The chipper itself is really efficient on everything from wet conifer to deadwood, and it is a piece of p*** to maintain, but it does keep shaking bolts loose!


----------



## SteveBullman

give us a call if you want to come over and see it in action rolla.
we have premiers also. they're more reliable.


----------



## Big A

They kick Entecs A$$!!!


----------



## SteveBullman

A Mcculloch shredder kicks entecs arse


----------



## Ross Turner

We had a premier on hire from A Plant when i was working with fountains,It was in that bad a state that it blew up while using it.When we took it back they were surprised it was hired out in the condition we had.
I still say you cant co wrong with the likes of Greenmech,Timberwolf & Varmeer.


----------



## Big A

Fair do's, Ross I haven't seen a premier self-destruct sending broken blades and anvil out of the side casings, and when it (the entec) was returned to the factory it turned out that the weld that held the anvil was sub-standard. It was a while ago but when are they going to make them take in the brash as effectively as Premier? cant speak for the other 2 makes as no experience, but that's what this is here for.


----------



## blue

used a 10" greenmech quite a bit in the last 2years.good machine when the disc's are new/sharpe,pile of crap when only a little dull.used it on an ash removal when it was a bit blunt and wouldn't take even 2" branches!!for a 10" machine that's appaling IMO.also used a 6" one and that was one of the biggest piles of sheet ever,wurzel's used a new one and that wasn't much cop either he reckon's.
i also used premiers for about 6 years at a council iworked for.can't fault them in any way,thier only trouble is the price but you do get what you pay for.

biggest pile of sheet was bandit.completly useless.forever breaking


----------



## Big A

We had a Bandit 6" on demo few years back, put it side by side with 6" premier on hawthorn bushes, Bandit lost no sale! Then they sent down 9" BeastyBandit - put it against 8.5" Premier that was about 13y.o and worn out, Monterey pine this time, Premier 2 - Bandit 0. No sale. Did Use the big 10" Entec on Fastrac, that was the dogs doofers!


----------



## jamie

*chippers*

we run a 10inch farmi on teh back of our wee mog....its great....

the gaffa is looking into a 20" crane fed with its own donkey engine of course. that would be fun to watch....not too sure about manual feeding though.....hmmmmm just need to purchase a forwarder to mount it on as well

jamie


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

might come over and take a look at your new chipper steve ,did you get the machine new ,did you get any attachments for it ie tow bar ,log splitter . guy from jenson told me you could get a vast array of extras


----------



## SteveBullman

we got it new rolla....no extras though. its a tracked version.
let us know.....or i'll give you a call if we're going to be in ipswich with it.


----------



## Big A

stephenbullman said:


> we got it new rolla....no extras though. its a tracked version.
> let us know.....or i'll give you a call if we're going to be in ipswich with it.


You planning on staying around a bit longer then?


----------



## SteveBullman

Big A said:


> You planning on staying around a bit longer then?



who knows


----------



## teressa green

hi boys ,been busy how is you all ,see my ad on the used eqpt thread ,grab a crimbo bargain ,,,,,or two ,,,,


----------



## Eagle1

EDITED


----------



## glens

Hey DDM, what purpose are you trying to serve by that?&nbsp; If the post don't belong, do away with it and send the offender a PM or email telling them why.&nbsp; Modifying someone else's words is bad form, and what you did (replacing the words outright with a message to the poster) isn't a great deal better.

Delete both that one and this one, please.

Glen


----------



## Eagle1

I was kind of stirring the pot joking around. No offence to anyone or the "Britt" thread.
My post really isint worthy of being posted or read. I was ------- around. So, don't be hard on ayone doing there job.

By the way to the AS Staff. Love the new format and stuff. Thanks  

Do we have a spell check now???? I need one.


----------



## DDM

glens said:


> Hey DDM, what purpose are you trying to serve by that?&nbsp; If the post don't belong, do away with it and send the offender a PM or email telling them why.&nbsp; Modifying someone else's words is bad form, and what you did (replacing the words outright with a message to the poster) isn't a great deal better.
> 
> Delete both that one and this one, please.
> 
> Glen



No Glens I'm leaving that Post I deleted the post and left the poster a message.


----------



## jamie

eh


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

have any of you guys tried out a tracked platform ? we had one the other day 12m she was a bit bouncy to say the least..a local firm from around here has just bought 3 a 15m ,18m,and a whopping great 30m 

do you guys beleive tracked platform will be an essential peice of kit for the future or just an exspensive luxury ,i havent made my mind up about them yet ,and at about £35,000 for a 18m lets just say the 'jury is still out'


----------



## SteveBullman

in my opinion they're just an expensive luxury. however i would say that all depends on what your climbers are like. if you dont have fast climbers then sure its probably cost effective to stick y our guys in a boom.
i very rarely see a tree that i think needs a boom. a job we did a few weeks back involved a lot of hedging which it probably would have been good for, however even then i think the damage the tracks would have done to the lawn would have just upset the customer anyway.
so personally i'd say not for me, but i'd hire one as and when needed


----------



## SteveBullman

heard a rumour chippertech were getting one too


----------



## Ross Turner

Rolla,We used them on some jobs clearing power lines & they do save a lot of time.If HSE get there way they wil want all work to be carried out of buckets.
The tracks do hardly if any damage but that depends on the ground conditions,If it was wet ground you could alway lay boards down first.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i'm not certain how often a tracked machine would go out to work ,the 2 main problems i see are access and price ,if i was running a biz in the states ,canada ,australia ,even some european countrys then i think with there better access i would invest in one overhere in little old England i think i'd find it hard to pay for ...now a chap admitadly a salesman told me that in the near future the law will be that if tree work can be carried out with a platform then a platform 'must' be used..i get the feeling that god forbid a climber fell out of a tree the employers insurance will want to know why a platform was not used and try and get out of paying compensation as HSE reccomend where ever possible platforms should be used
therefore i can see more use of platforms in the future


----------



## a_lopa

our OHAS says if you can get a platform to the tree it must be used,not often goes that way thou


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i bet you would love a 22-30m omme tracked tower like whats advertised in ARBOR AGE AUSSIE [i would if one fell off the back of a lorry lol]....i reckon it would cut a long hot aussie summers day in half..problem is for all of us the price of them i bet they are near $100,000 aussie dollers


----------



## Big A

I believe that certain councils are already stipulating that whereever possible tree work on their parks etc. mewps should be used (Glasgow City Council I think) They have their uses on certain jobs, but as Rola says access is certainly an issue here. Do these tracked ones fit thru' a 2.5 ft. garden gate?


----------



## Ross Turner

Here is a link for some smaller tracked MEWP
http://www.arborplant.co.uk/Platforms/Octo?????.htm


----------



## Big A

Saw the tracked mewps at the shows this year but didnt really pay much attention to them, even if they do fit thru' a garden gate I wonder if they are compact enough to manouveur around the usual hazards in typical back gardens, surely for the cost you'd want it out at least 3 days a week to make it pay!


----------



## SteveBullman

plus it would chew up the grass


----------



## Ross Turner

You get around making a mess by laying down boards first.,It also makes clean up a bit easier.


----------



## Big A

I think someone already covered that with boards back there somewhere, but even so what a drag, seeing how much the tracked chipper cuts up grass compared to a quad and trailed chipper I know what I prefer to use. By the way chipper didnt lose any bolts today!!!


----------



## SteveBullman

i still say just climb it


----------



## SteveBullman

you obviously werent working hard enough then big A


----------



## Big A

Tomwas feeding today for the most part! Mind you Sills saw lost nearly all its bolts Bad Admin!!! Havent been petrol bombed by the neighbour ,,,,,,,,, yet!!


----------



## Big A

stephenbullman said:


> i still say just climb it


Thats ok until a council says otherwise, surely. We all know what they're like! done jobs where I've put climbers up a couple of trees then done a couple from the mewp then put them up some more, Ooooh I was so tired and sweaty - Not!!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

do you have TOM ex-perm boy employee with ya steve...??


----------



## blue

just dawned on me with all the talk about mobile platforms in means your gonna need another vehicle on the job.could work out very costly and a pain in the arse on most jobs.we already take up about 25' on the road thats without working space behind the chipper say another 10'.now thats a lot of space to take up on the roadside.now add a 4x4 and trailor another what 18'.with all the extra cones and signs your gonna need another vehicle just to carry all the crap.


----------



## jamie

we were looking at a platform, i have used one for some real bad elms, massive and bone dead. next day was massive beech, ancient and overhanging the road, that was fun the tree was to get halved basically as there was a lot of weight over the road (it really needed to come down and it was an out of the way b road).....not a nice prune, not good arb practice....hey ho.

if the platform aint tall enough to do the tree which is too dangerous to climb is it worthwile having the platform?

we had to get a saw on a stick to drop the top off of an Ash the top was big and the limb was too dodgy to tie into (i wasnt there though)

jamie


----------



## SteveBullman

no different tom, although hes bordering on a permboy himself


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

how many blokes have you got at the firm now steve ..going back to the subject of tracked platforms i know for sure that a bod in a platform could/can do a large prune up in half the time of a conventional climber.if access was avalable


----------



## SteveBullman

theres usually 6 of us rolla
as for halving the time of a prune, no way.
maybe for a slow climber, like i said they are a good idea, but it defintly wouldn't double the speed i could do a prune in, also unless you have a really opened crown tree you're not going to get into all the spaces.
the few times ive used cherry pickers i found this a problem, to the point that you end up either missing out pieces, getting them with a pole and not getting a good angle of cut plus risk buzzing the cuts, or else just having to climb the tree anyway to work the inside

just my opinion though


----------



## PRUNER 1

*mewp use*

hi guys, been using a biggy the last couple o days up here in cold not so sunny darlo. 34m bronto, taking down a big beech with meripilus at the end of a garden in a public walkway. tree was probably 30m. 3 stems, down and away in 4.5 hours. none of us were knackered. says it all about platforms. yeah its nice to climb, but i dont need to kill mesell for 8 quid an hour! as for using them to prune, not a chance. dodgy cuts from pole saws and you cant reach the interior crown without pruning your way in! got a big ash and beech down and lifted 3 more beech today with same platform. hope the boss doesnt decide to use them 2 much! got some photos to follow.


----------



## blue

*more bad luck*

after having a dozy woman slam into the back of the chip truck 2 weeks ago  today the tow ball/pin decided to come off the hire lorry  at about 50 mph with the chipper behind it.w ewere very lucky in that the chipper veered left and just slid along some armco,only damage appears to be a mashed up mud gaurd.if it had veered right then it would have gone over a divider and into oncoming traffic.
oh and wurzel had his pick up nicked last night and was found parked in the front of a shop 30 miles away


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

pruner how much did the bronto cost for a day? ,boys i cant beleive you don't see the benefits of a platform for crown reductions [not talking about crown thinning] imo most pruning done around these parts are a bit heavey handed simply because most climbers [i'm talking about most not all] cannot get right out to the tips 'less is best' imo


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

BLUE i cant beleive the luck your having lately..must be sending frank of his head.pleased wurzel got his truck back i take it, it wasn't burnt out??


----------



## blue

ROLLA,
re read my last post and wasn't quite clear about wurzel's truck.it was actually parked in the front of a shop


----------



## treesnlife

Hey Nickrosis, you think that's tough? Try being an american, working in New Zealand with kiwis and UK guys from different parts of the UK! It's amazing any of us understand each others slang and accents. Haha.

Aaron


----------



## PRUNER 1

bronto is about 300 quid for the day. here r some photos.


----------



## Ross Turner

So another one of Darlingtons big trees hath been felled.Did Richard wrap the lowering rope around another tree or has he got into the 21st century using friction bollards  

I looked a bleak cold day up home.
Wish the Lads that you work with a Merry Xmas & Happy New Year.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Pruner1 what made you use the platform ? time? safety?


----------



## Ross Turner

I hope everyone has finnished for this season & are going to enjoy the festivities.
All the best.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

yes merry xmas and happy new year to you all


----------



## teressa green

santas been ,03 plate ktm exc,fast orange ,stroll on tomorrow,hospital by dinner time


----------



## blue

lucky git


----------



## Ross Turner

So you will get to hospital quicker than the saw turning up(still not here)

HAPPY CHRISTMAS


----------



## teressa green

just been round the block ,bloody hell,hospital by 10 am ,upset a few neighbours sounds like an 088 minus the exhaust,a real hangover cure ,ross sorry mate been hectic here ,will send asap and deduct a few quid for the hassle,will mail you when in the post ,merry chrimbo lads ,


----------



## teressa green

*new toy*

here she is boys ,


----------



## a_lopa

ktms go like hell,best dirt bike going, is it a 520?


----------



## teressa green

525 really scared me,witless,maybe next yr ,when ive mastered this one ,


----------



## Ross Turner

OK Steve,Kids & their Toys lol


----------



## blue

terresa,
have you got your new toy dirty yet?if i ever get round to fixing my WR i'll come for a ride with ya,s. yorks has some beutiful countryside that i'd love to see fromm a bike


----------



## teressa green

got it dirty and got that cold ive been liad up all week with flu ,no sympathy from the missus ,fed up ,now on anti biotics,bike really impressed me little bit scary on snow and ice ,over the moors ,blue get it sorted and get yourself up here,fun fun fun ,good team of lads ,good beer and good views,we should try to get all the boys from here to have an unofficial meet sometime midlands hotel ?, faces to names and a good tree mans night out ,bull???? and beer ,and brummy birds ,,,,,,


----------



## blue

last time i went out in the snow(deep snow at that) my hands got so cold i nearly cried with the pain.i ended falling off cause i just couldn't hold the bars sometimes.we did over 100miles with about 80% off road(but the roads were so icy it was more dangerous on them)rode a few trails that were about a foot deep in snow.hilarios fun,one minute i was goin along ok the next i think i got cross rutted,big handfull of throtle to lift the front.over did it a bit i think as i got instant traction,front came up about 4 foot and i shot off at a anle not really in much control straight thru a hedge into field.
also subbed my bike in a deep byway that runs along a normally dry river bed.nothin like standing in icy water over the top of your boots.we emtied the carb,got my bike goin again and decided to escape the byway by goin up a steep bank into a field.i was 1st and made it up ok.my mate went 2nd and as he got near the lip at the top gave it to much and looped the bike and himself back into the water.laugh? couldn't stop.must have fallen off about 100 times that day but was one of the best rides ever.
???? i gotta fix my bike


----------



## Ross Turner

HAPPY NEW YEAR ,Hope you recover soon steve.


----------



## teressa green

recover ,i need help ,professional help,trick cyclist,worst new years eve ever ,in the local on pop,orange ,coke ,a cola,britvic,water ,the entire bottom shelf, piss taken all night ,bloody anti biotics,woke up this morning sober but pissing like sea buiscuit,


----------



## Ross Turner

At Least your Liver was alot better for it.


----------



## PRUNER 1

happy new year folkshope all is well. soon be tuesday!!! back to the grind. broke me mtb today so need over time yo pay for repairs! start as i meanto go on! platform was used to save time and effort and no we have a capstan now so no more tree wraps!!!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

ye roll on tuesday


----------



## jamie

*tuesday*

i was going to head to work today, the i was reminded that it was monday, gaffa would have loved that if i had turned up at the yard at 7...

jamie


----------



## SteveBullman

im not looking forward to work at all, being the fact i hate my job doesnt help much


----------



## teressa green

chomping at the bit here,van cleaned ,serviced,tools checked sharpened ,fuelled,ropes etc ready ,ppe sat next to back door ready for 6 am up and at em boys,gonna be a good year 2005,i can feel it in my bones ,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

stephenbullman said:


> im not looking forward to work at all, being the fact i hate my job doesnt help much



Ditto that !


----------



## SteveBullman

thats "job", not my work


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

oh i hate my job and the work


----------



## fmueller

So why don't you do something different?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

when i say hate the work i mean all the paper work ,organising ,bidding jobs ,going over the same old sales speel week in week out ,thats what i hate now if only i could be left alone on the tools so to speak then i'd be back to my old self in no time


----------



## Big A

ROLLACOSTA said:


> Ditto that !


Take another week mate, do suss out what we spoke about earlier!


----------



## Big A

Sorry, tha was to Mr Bullman!


----------



## fmueller

Oey


----------



## a_lopa

ROLLACOSTA said:


> when i say hate the work i mean all the paper work ,organising ,bidding jobs ,going over the same old sales speel week in week out ,thats what i hate now if only i could be left alone on the tools so to speak then i'd be back to my old self in no time




know what your saying rolla,just highball as much as you can.the speil can be a bit much ,i reckon your in for a good year capatilise on your strenghs you know your market well.and burn your competitors


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i will try to Aussie i will try!  P.S happy new year to ya all down under


----------



## teressa green

thankyou aussie,local rag getting a call ,good idea,now wheres my pen and paper


----------



## a_lopa

ok il delete it now


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## teressa green

wassup with you,not very spirited reply,miserable git


----------



## a_lopa

check your pm wasnt ment like that


----------



## teressa green

have done and send pm or should that be pm ,t,


----------



## blue

went back to work today,wish i hadn't


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

what happend?? blue ps got your jokes very funny even the wife laughed


----------



## teressa green

wife laughing ,id be worried ,very worried


----------



## Ross Turner

Steve,Any chance of the saw soon.
Thanks.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

guys im going to send HUSQVARNA an e-mail tommorow ,i want to know why saws in the States are half the UK price..have any of you seen the enormous price differance ??? saws overthere are half the UK price


----------



## Big A

From what I understand everything is cheaper over there, you could import from the States I suppose, what would freight and import duties add to the cost? I heard of someone who flew over to buy a Harley D, shipped it back, paid the duties and registration had a good holiday and still saved about £3000 off the asking price over here.


----------



## teressa green

warranty probs i should imagine ,lets face it we really do live in rip off britain ,we get shafted all ways ,cars ,fuel,the lot ,sometimes wonder why we put up with it ,vive la revolution ,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

bring back wolfy 'citizen smith' he'll sort it


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

lets face it from what i see we pay more for trucks,feul,saws ,insurance than the boys in the states,i also noticed they can drive upto looks like a 10 tonner without a hgv or operators licence,and they bloody well earn more.than us.i have sent an e-mail to Husky about saw prices im waiting to hear back,,funny thing is how comes saws were so cheap at the show ,you telling me that an ms200t selling at £330 wasnt still makeing a fair profit??


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

what we should do someday is all us regular UK AS members is order several grands worth of kit from sherrill or from some other big US arb supplier,what ya reckon ??


----------



## teressa green

should be looked into ,import taxes etc ,would be interested ,check it out your end will do the same here ,compare notes asap


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

already have max import duty is 5%


----------



## teressa green

what would be the postage on a vermeer stump grinder ,first class? sounds good maybe a rope or 2 to start with ,see how the land lies ,maybe our american cousins couls shed some more light on this ,,,,,,,


----------



## SteveBullman

last time i looked into it you could hire half a container for about £2500


----------



## SteveBullman

wouldnt be hard to get enough people together to buy enough stuff to fill that up.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

id start with 5 saws and a vermeer 352 or even a tx50 stumpgrinder plus a load of kit from sherril..i bet if we orderd enough stuff sherrill would put the whole package together for us..shipping a big order to england can't be any differant than a coast to coast order for them


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

now im off to work


----------



## SteveBullman

me too....oh no wait.....i have no job doh


----------



## jamie

you can have my job just now, the boss has just bought a set of wellies and waders size 11....im scared....we seem to do all our water based jobs in the winter, last nov i spent the month in a river.

jamie


----------



## SteveBullman

nah you're alright, im just going to be a man of leisure for the next week at least.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

new signature were is it ..TESTING


----------



## blue

anyone picking up any storm work?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

no you ??


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

stephenbullman said:


> nah you're alright, im just going to be a man of leisure for the next week at least.




haha is that what you think ,i have a days work for next sat if your interested ????


----------



## teressa green

bit of storm work ,tidy ups etc ,mainly reassuring house holders that their trees are safe,checking for root bowl lift etc,bit of dead wooding ,trimming broken limbs etc ,not great but it gets the name out there ,as good as money in the bank ,,,,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

tha asses in this area seen only to be concerned about there tree's when they have a huge bough resting on the roof of there house


----------



## SteveBullman

tend to find people wait for a couple of days till after the storm before calling so they dont have to pay emergency rates if they can be avoided


----------



## PRUNER 1

aaarrrgghhh!!!!! bloody storm, darlington clocked 90 mph winds on fri/sat night. we lost loads of sorbus and loads of huge poplars. plenty on cars and houses and loads of roads shut off. only 6 of us to deal with it all aswell. worked 17 hours on saturday and 15 on sunday then back to the normal grind today. all the cemetary's were shut, the south park that we restored with heritage money has been obliterated. months of work tidying up to come! loads of overtime though!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

and loads of private stuff i bet ????  to PRUNER1


----------



## iain

blue said:


> anyone picking up any storm work?



we have been swamped with it call outs for local auth`s n business but then you always get the usuual `how much will it cost ` brigade (private punters) god that really gets irritating after the umpteenth call :angry2: 
pruner1 we`ve lost plenty of the same but we seem to be getting it right across from conifers to oaks around here lots of wind blown debris on the roads, cuts down on dead wooding in the spring i suppose  

climb high n drink lots :angel:


----------



## jamie

*work*

we have not had anything major just yet, like with everything else, we breed them tougher than what you english do.

i have a saw home with me and my phone by my bed tonight as its a bit blowy out.

had a small beech with the top hung in another tree to remove on sunday, some local councillor came round and had a go at us as he wasnt informed of the decision. i was punching holes in the stem (the top chunk was a big un, i aint climbing on mush). the sh!t has hit the fan with the council arb officer because he never told the coucillor just told us to get on with it (it was in a primary school). there was only about 10 years of growth rings on it, where there was substantial growth.

jamie


----------



## blue

so far we've only had 2 stormjobs.a big dead horse chesnut snapped in half,we were due to fell it anyhow soon so didn't make anything on it.and a fallen connifer.
guees it was a bit more windy up there


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

big big blow coming this week so i see on the weather forecast


----------



## blue

big blow mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

yeh but not our area


----------



## blue

i see it's another good weather forecast for the north tomorrow and tuesday.just for a change though it looks like snow and gale force winds instead of rain and gale force winds.you guys up there are so lucky


----------



## jamie

*snow you say*

snow, maybe the scottish ski cnetres will open then

and hell may freeze over

jamie


----------



## teressa green

lucky ,forgot what a day off is like ,pricing til 9 pm ,bloody hell ,just wanna ride my bike on sundays ,


----------



## blue

terresa,
have you ever riden off-road in snow?


----------



## teressa green

yep, wash like russian roulette on two wheels ,fun fun fun ,doesnt hurt too much when ya sling it down the road,,,,,,just got up no snow or wind ,usually get a bit of wind after brekkie ,,,,,must be my age ,,,,,,phaaarrrrpppppp,,,,,,,cough ,fhutttttt,


----------



## iain

blue said:


> i see it's another good weather forecast for the north tomorrow and tuesday.just for a change though it looks like snow and gale force winds instead of rain and gale force winds.you guys up there are so lucky




mmmmm yeah that s just what we thought out working with the winds blowing all the ????e in your face while the cold try`s to freeze off the brass monkeys  lucky us 

but there you go i`m waiting for the indian summer pleasesssss


----------



## blue

think you'll have along wait Iain


----------



## blue

SO HAVE ANY OF YOU NORTHERNERS GOT TO MUCH WORK TO HANDLE after the winds recently,can have a lorry,chippa and crew up there if you need a hand?(sorry about the caps lock)


----------



## teressa green

we got snow ,2 inch wow,Blue us northern monkeys are too tight to give work away,didnt you know yorkshire is now bandit country,where men are men and sheep are worried, COME BYE ,BBBAAAAAHHHHHHH STARD,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

ahh your not worried we'd come up north and see all your topped and hat racked tree's are ya..tgreen....haha


----------



## SteveBullman

no work rolla?


----------



## SteveBullman

im bored, sitting here twiddling my thumbs.


----------



## teressa green

plenty of slash and dash merchants up here ,but if you want to build a good customer base its not the done thing,works rolling in nicely now,for the record i aint one of the slash n dashers ,good quality work for a fairish price ,today storm repair work ,large oak hangers every where ,job done ,now sat here trying to get some feeling back into my fingers ,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

stephenbullman said:


> no work rolla?




no i have work to do ,but today i picked my truck up after having high ali sides put on her ,and i waited in for the guy to pick up the trailer and pay me which he did..  ..did you work for w jarvis today


----------



## SteveBullman

no thats tomorrow and thursday.
big A on friday then nothing.
struggling to find work now, bit worrying really.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

changeing the subject ,i think well i'm pretty certain i shall be getting a U1200 UNIMOG ,with small hiab ,new chip box and new 10 inch chipper this coming financial year,do any of you guys apart from jamie,have much to say good or bad about mogs???..the only problem i have is that for a mid 80s mog with crane ,chip box etc and new chipper costs around £30,000-£35,000..my concern is the age of a mog in this price range,seems you don't get much for your money


----------



## teressa green

parts can be expensive,as can tyres ,you cant just pop into quick fit if the exhaust falls off,access can be a problem as can the history ,hard to know the history on an old uni mog ,fantastic machines but be very choosy and have a good long think about it,think its horses for courses ,if your doing site clearance work within 30 miles of home why not buy tractor trailer and chipper ,most boys up here have had the mogs and gone down the new holland with a schleisslingon the back route,,


----------



## jamie

*moi*

why not me? 

that really hurts.

as you know i love my mog, they are expensive to keep going i sometimes wish the chip box was bigger, easier to get round town, as for popping into kwik fit, whats wrong with a spanner and a gutter?
so are you getting a crane mounted on it as well as a chipper and box? im intrigued by the logisitics.
we have a winch and a butt plate up front, makes a great skidding / pushing tool.

i wont go on.

jamie


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

jamie said:


> why not me?
> 
> that really hurts.
> 
> as you know i love my mog, they are expensive to keep going i sometimes wish the chip box was bigger, easier to get round town, as for popping into kwik fit, whats wrong with a spanner and a gutter?
> so are you getting a crane mounted on it as well as a chipper and box? im intrigued by the logisitics.
> we have a winch and a butt plate up front, makes a great skidding / pushing tool.
> 
> i wont go on.
> 
> jamie



you have biased oppinions lol...logistics ,rear chipper,mid mounted chip box,crane behind the cab..or you could go rear mounted crane ,midmounted chip bin,front mounted chipper


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

teressa green ,i have been talking to ac price & frank atkinson ,both say they could supply me a genuine ex german council mog..and both said they don't supply rubbish ,but checking out there websites i have seen all sorts of mogs for sale both good ones and ones in need of attention...i think the only problem with a mog is ,if you by a bad one you could be in for alot of exspence...if a new cab & chasis mog was more affordable ie £30,000 -£35,000 i would by new ,but 50k-60k is way out of my league ..plus i'd want to spend another 20k+ on chipper, crane ,chip bin


----------



## blue

have you won the lotto rolla?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

stephenbullman said:


> no thats tomorrow and thursday.
> big A on friday then nothing.
> struggling to find work now, bit worrying really.



you should exspect work to come in slowly at first ,remember your only just getting your name around..you need to do a mail shot imo


----------



## jamie

*ok i am biased.*

i am biased, im still intrigued by the set up with the box and crane though.

jamie


----------



## Acer

*Mogs*

Can't back this up with fact, but i'd be interested to know the truth..

Aren't mogs classed as agricultural vehicles now, in the same bracket as tractors? I'd heard that might change, and some of them might end up in the HGV bracket, with all the hassle that involves with licences etc. Even smaller ones might need operators' licences and all that.

Just what i've heard, can't back it up with proof..


----------



## iain

ROLLACOSTA said:


> changeing the subject ,i think well i'm pretty certain i shall be getting a U1200 UNIMOG ,with small hiab ,new chip box and new 10 inch chipper this coming financial year,do any of you guys apart from jamie,have much to say good or bad about mogs???..the only problem i have is that for a mid 80s mog with crane ,chip box etc and new chipper costs around £30,000-£35,000..my concern is the age of a mog in this price range,seems you don't get much for your money



i know a man who has a u1000 with a three way tip box a ten inch rear mounted pto chipper and a front mounted winch 
i think he wants about 16k +vat for it if that price seems more reasonable for you


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## ROLLACOSTA

thanks IAN but when/if i buy a mog i shall buy it from a dealer from the UK or europe,that way if it gives me probs he'll have to fix it [i'll only buy one with at least 3 months warenty] ...guys i should say i would/will get a mog if the wife lets me she's a bit pi*t off with me wanting one at the moment,as ive just bought a new isuzu nkr and nissan navarra..litteraly 4 weeks ago...realy i could do with a new 352 [deisel] vermeer stump grinder
god i love the toy's in this game....i might take tgreens advice and go with a tractor,all i know is i need something that can get 10 ton away in one go ,plus power a 10 inch chipper time is money !!


----------



## wurzel

rolla are you getting much work seems to me you must be very bizi to justifie that sort of expense. i only ask as most of our gang has been laid off due to a lack of work.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

sorry to hear that wurzel..im just ticking over myself ,i wouldn't spend that type of money for a short term plan im looking more long term investment


----------



## jamie

*trailers*

we have a large box trailer with a drawbar mounted chipper on it (its a small pto chipper). the trailer is 16cube (i think) and ive never seen it full of chip. oh and it tips, downpoint is its huge, big problem parking it in town streets. it does however solve the 'tipping multiple times a day' problem.

all my rantings however are purely from an employee point of view from the guy who cant even afford to buy basic kit....

on a lighter note, my accountant mate has just earned mega brownie points by sorting out my first tax bill for me. the I.N. owe me.

jamie


----------



## a_lopa

isnt there a smaller version of the mog???i think ive seen one here


----------



## Big A

Having worked with Eastwoods Mog set-up one point that imo needs thinking of is the visibility aspect when operating the crane, on the rear of the mog you lose a lot of sight-line and it is easy to swing the boom across the controls, I saw this happen once and the mog nearly ended up in a lake. Depends if youre thinking of feeding the chipper with it or just using it for lifting timber. Then are you thinkng of front or rear mounted chipper, I know that on our little lanes front mounted seems to stick out way too far! But rear mounted you have to watch out for the sway on the three-point linkage. Imo I prefer the set-up that Elite use over Eastwoods. Idont know if you have seen both, Rolla? As for the Agricultural tractor thing I think they are still in that class, but isn't ther a limit on mileage for that category, plus it must not be used for hire or reward, ie not delivering logs or chip to another client. This also affects whether or not you can run on red or white diesel too. As we used the mog about 70% of the time on the highway, it was fitted with NATO lorry wheels and tyres which were cheaper and more durable than Ag tyres.


----------



## teressa green

think the days of unimogs running on cherry are numbered,who will check the tractor from home milage ? imo mogs are limited in their abilities ,can fill a mog chip box in no time at all ,then all chipping stops while mog tips off ,imo tractor set up would be the way to go ,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

hummm some interesting reading about mogs, thanks guys


----------



## teressa green

rolla ,did you check out the one i mentioned complete with bullet hole,?up and out early 2 big ones to come down in leeds thank god theres no snow yet,


----------



## jamie

*some thinking*

another company round here has a front mounted chipper and it adds a lot of weight to the nose, ive been told that mogs a set up with a 40 - 60 front to back suspension (i may have the terms wrong) so that when they are loaded they a level, to me a front mounted chipper would mess that weigt distribution up, and the ability to turn tightly. 

sticking a winch up front (even under a chipper if you could, but that may require 2 front PTOs, i think), we have been bogged in a few times in teh woods, a sling round the nearest tree and winch and track away and out you come.

while i was driving the other day the best feature on our new mog is the half gear pre-select as opposed to another lever. a small feature but i like it a lot.

a tractor and trailer. can everyone on the squad reverse a large trailer in tight spaces?

another option but adding to the price would be your u1200 a crane with winch up front and a huge chip trialer with 10"drawbar chipper.

our old mog only had 3 heating options, hot hotter and really hot which was a killer in the summer.

jamie


----------



## teressa green

reverse a tractor and trailer ,,,,,,yeah no probs,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

looks like us guys on the east coast are in for a bit of snow for the next few day's..i noticed none of you guy's were on here this 'arfo' where you all at the PUB???????...anyway if we do get some ice and snow take it easy on the roads guy's


----------



## teressa green

4 wheel drive rolla a god send ,its the office wallahs who ????e them selves with a light dusting you gotta watch for ,wrap up lads ,winters here ,back to normal by tuesday night,,,,


----------



## blue

but rolla this country is so prepared for snow i can't see ther being a problem in the morning ooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhh nnnnnoooooooooooooo


----------



## teressa green

Mums On The School Run In X5 S And Shoguns ,god Help Us


----------



## iain

i`m on the n east coast no snow so far this morning


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

how does the weather centre [met office ] keep in business..again the forecast is wrong ,yesterday they predicted some heavey falls for the East coast ,what did we get a slight sprinkeling ,do you think they get there funding from the tax payer ..hummmm i wonder


----------



## Ross Turner

More than likely.They always get things wrong ie the storms of 87 & 89 which gave alot of folk work.lol


----------



## iain

still no snow here yet just wet & bleed`n cold


----------



## blue

is anyone using the new SIP lightweight allround protection trousers.i'd never even heard of them till today when the boss brought a pair.very nice light,hard wearing bits on the knee's and but,look ok and most important alot cheaper than the stetch air's.£125 he paid only £5 more than the old style SIP's.think i may have to get a pair


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

yo i have a pair ,black ones sip freedom's the name...there so thin i wonder if the protection work's,


----------



## teressa green

ROLLA ,go on do a test ,log in the leg and go for it ,you can afford it ,and it will benefit the lads here ,,,,,,,,go on ,go on ,i dare ya ,,,,,,,,,,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

err how about go away in short jerky movements ie f**k **f


----------



## teressa green

ha ha ,dont forget to use a sharp saw,,,,,,,,,,if thas got one ,,,,,,,,,,


----------



## jamie

*rolla and mogs*

we have a few comapnies up here with front mounted chippers and the consensus in our company seems to be why bother with front mounts, as they poke out the front and weigh the nose down. as for cranes, im assuming its a grab not a hook and chains set up. a grab is a one man job a hook becomes a 2 man job and ackward.

as for the testing of trousers...on ya go. im meant to be getting new boots and trews so i'll test year old sthil boots and husky trews when i do.

go on you know you want to, they cant stay new forever

jamie


----------



## Big A

on the topic of the SIP Freedom trousers, I bought a pair at the Arb show, I thought they were marvellous, real lightweight and cool in the summer (summer??) then I bought some stretch-airs, wow 100% better. and how hard-wearing. They are sort of water-resistant, stretchy and seem rip-proof, having got tangled up in barbed wire and not torn them to shreds like the old style ones. Plenty of crotch room and give which ever way you need to move. lovely! Imo worth the little extra that they cost over any others at the mo.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

jamie said:


> we have a few comapnies up here with front mounted chippers and the consensus in our company seems to be why bother with front mounts, as they poke out the front and weigh the nose down. as for cranes, im assuming its a grab not a hook and chains set up. a grab is a one man job a hook becomes a 2 man job and ackward.
> 
> as for the testing of trousers...on ya go. im meant to be getting new boots and trews so i'll test year old sthil boots and husky trews when i do.
> 
> go on you know you want to, they cant stay new forever
> 
> jamie




to be honest jamie i was thinking on the lines of a hook crane , why is a hook an ackward problem ??,i would like to use a crane for trunk removel ,snatching lump's off etc


----------



## iain

ROLLACOSTA said:


> thanks IAN but when/if i buy a mog i shall buy it from a dealer from the UK or europe,that way if it gives me probs he'll have to fix it [i'll only buy one with at least 3 months warenty] ...guys i should say i would/will get a mog if the wife lets me she's a bit pi*t off with me wanting one at the moment,as ive just bought a new isuzu nkr and nissan navarra..litteraly 4 weeks ago...realy i could do with a new 352 [deisel] vermeer stump grinder
> god i love the toy's in this game....i might take tgreens advice and go with a tractor,all i know is i need something that can get 10 ton away in one go ,plus power a 10 inch chipper time is money !!



hi ya rolla have u priced a 352 yet i might be able to help


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

iain said:


> hi ya rolla have u priced a 352 yet i might be able to help



yes mate i have priced up a 352 from B-TRACK...do you know where they can be bought cheaper ??????


----------



## iain

that depends on what they want ?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

£12,500+vat new 352


----------



## jamie

*why hooks akward*

if loading into a trailer / boogie you need someone to chain up and unchain. if the chain isn't in the right place it would be more hassle to shift the chain position. a grab is a one man job (when i use the wee crane it may as well be hand loaded by blind one handed monkeys  ) wrong position shift the grab. once again maybe i am spoilt with machinery, but i think a forwarder style timber grab is more effiecient than a chain and hook, as we have spoke about in the past we do a lot of site clearance with timber removal.

jamie


----------



## teressa green

tractor with front loading forks,timber trailer ,job done,one man operation with control and safety,cut timber to allow for weight restrictions on hydraulics,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

teressa green said:


> cut timber to allow for weight restrictions on hydraulics,




can you elaborate i don't know what you mean ??? thanks


----------



## jamie

*abuse*

im assuming he means what the rams can cope with, to heavy and they wont work or you blow a hose.

my problem with the sleugh hoses on grabs are that i whack them off things from time to time, whoops.

edinburgh council use a tractor with front grab, but they also section the tree and drop wood onto the brash (while 4 groundies watch) and then move in with the tractor...hashy ba****ds

a front grab has to be tackled on at right(ish) angles a crane from what ever angle, over walls etc.....a hook would then be more feisible then.

here is our big mog its a u1650.

that is my experience of all the mogs in our area with cranes.


jamie


----------



## teressa green

yeah ,rolla just cut the trunk in to managable lengths and load onto trailer ,jamie if bits need to come over wall fence ,then why not use slings and clip onto front forks ,fell trunk onto lengths of timber for easy access with either forks or slings ,rolla a tractor ,trailer and chipper set up would be imo better than an over priced high maintenance germany military veihcle,i work with set ups like this weekly and they work ,no one up here worries about milage restrictions or cherry diesel,


----------



## jamie

*good point*

you got me there teresa....

if you were splashing out a timber boogie with crane could be used from said tractor.


hope noone looks at out mileage, drove to dundee and back on red.....oh and i may have slipped up the motorway for a couple of junctions...by accident of course...whoops

jamie


----------



## blue

*job of the week*

heres some pics of an iffy cedar we did on wed/thurs.
pic 1. shows the decay
pic 2.the crack in the timber at 90 degrees to to left of the decay there was another simalar one at 90 degrees to the right as well
pic3.the tree just after starting it
pic4.end of day1
pic5.nice gaff

we went to look at it on tues afternoon and were asked if we could do it this week.after initial inspection we could not quite work out how it was still standing as the crown had moved by about 15-20 degrees.we started on weds.i decided that it would be safer to set an anchor in the next tree and work from that as i could not be sure if the tree would start to move as we took it apart.so i set my line and got into the iffy cedar,did all the brush with minimal use of a strop round it and made suer if it did go then i had a clear swing back to my anchor tree.all went ok with no major probs apart from one f the last top branches got hung up on a lower snag.still no big problemo just drop down and cut snag off.

a few day 2 pics in next post


----------



## blue

*day 2*

more pics

pic1.loggin it down
pic2.nice silouette
pic3.the butt after we felled it in a short enough section so as not to cause any damage
pic4.new toy


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

YOU SURE THAT'S A CEDRUS??..still good pic's of a nasty job ,couldn't you get a platform in????


----------



## teressa green

would have used ratchet straps on the thing ,how long ? and how much ,,,,,go on ,tell,


----------



## blue

teressa,
ratchet straps would have been pointless,how much,1k,how long 2 days for 2 of us.


----------



## teressa green

put them round the split area for added security ,piece of mind,do it regular ,just down to personal choice ,


----------



## a_lopa

bit of height there blue


----------



## blue

*moday's job*

we're starting this little beuty on monday 

pic1.the tree to come down
pic2.one of the many reasons.the cavity extends up for at least 10' maybe more


----------



## blue

c'mon some of you other brits must take a digi camera to work with you.
POST SOME PICS

i'll have some more good 'uns next week


----------



## Big A

ROLLACOSTA said:


> YOU SURE THAT'S A CEDRUS??..still good pic's of a nasty job ,couldn't you get a platform in????


Looks like Cedrus atlantica glauca to me?? Agree with the ratchet straps too!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

the bark look's to flakey to me..'to be a atlantic blue ceder' but then the folige does look like cedrus atlantica glauca...


----------



## jamie

*cedrus*

i reckon it looks like an atlantic blue, for some reason ive been working on a few recently, not a tree we normally see a lot.

jamie


----------



## teressa green

blue ,you want to be starting and finishing monday ,down the drive with the cheque /cash in ya bin ,cash i love it ,,,,,,,,


----------



## jamie

*good good*

cash is always good

jamie


----------



## blue

no chance of gettin it done in a ady,way to much wood to shift


----------



## teressa green

i use local farmers ,offer to log it for them ans help them load up ,might be worth a try ,also with the rise in log burners plenty of firewood suppliers popping up all over have a ring round yellow pages ,etc ,one up here even pays 15 quid a tonne and picks up ,just a thought mate ,


----------



## iain

ROLLACOSTA said:


> £12,500+vat new 352



how mkuch bleedin el i is on da case


----------



## iain

blue said:


> c'mon some of you other brits must take a digi camera to work with you.
> POST SOME PICS
> 
> i'll have some more good 'uns next week





hi ya blue how do i add pics please, im a bit thick when computers are involved


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

boy's if i were you i would take JIM up on his offer regarding him sending us UK boys a free Arborists magazine check out the thread 'NEW MAGAZINE' by 'JIM'.....imo the only way to keep ahead in this competetive market is to keep up with modern practice,learn better faster techniques and add new services ,the ARBORISTS in the STATES are the leaders in this game IMO,i will be takeing him up on his offer i hope you do to


----------



## blue

iain.
to post pics click the go advanced box to reply then scroll down past the text box and you'll see a little box titled 'manage attatchments' click that and go from there.it's easy it must be i can do it


----------



## blue

some pics from today,

pic1.the tree appeared healthy from the size of the conker husks
pic2.after doin a bit
pic3.another small gaff
pic4.the boss can work

donkey **** boss is goin to take a lesson in photography first thing in the mornin so may have some better pics tommorow.battery went kaput before we finnished so i'll fire some off first thing to show how we left it


----------



## teressa green

is your gaffer wearing the new husqvarna limited edition see thru helmet avaliable from all good chainsaw stockists,the pratt,would tell him to get a lid on some lumps lying about ,why hasnt he chipped the brash as soon as it hits the deck ,one movement to the chipper then forgot about,just checked again ,you aint got a lid on neither ,seems pretty lax your end blue mate ,


----------



## iain

blue said:


> iain.
> to post pics click the go advanced box to reply then scroll down past the text box and you'll see a little box titled 'manage attatchments' click that and go from there.it's easy it must be i can do it




thanks i`ve tried it but couldn`t be bothered to wait for the upload takes ages, i`m not on broadband yet so i`ll have to post some photos when i get that sorted
+
thanks for the advice any hoo


----------



## blue

teressa,
the husky helmets you refer to come free from our supplier.are you tellin me that you never do anything wrong?that you follow every Hse guideline?i don't want to get into a slangin match.
why didn't he chip it as it came down?answer there is only 2 of us at the mo and i was raining branches out then he would spend 10 mins sortin it out,the picture was taken by me a couple of mins after i hit the floor then give him a hand to clear up.thats how we work.
as for not wearing a helmet in a tree i never have unless i think it would be prudent to do so.thtas just me,i hate the feckin things when climbing.
perhaps i shouldn't post anymore pics??

but i will


----------



## blue

iain,
i'm not on broadband either,just resize your pics to small it doesn't take that long to upload them then


----------



## blue

got some more pics (mayoffend some)

pic1.how we left it yesterday
pic2.up we go
pic3.doin a bit
pic4.doin abit more
pic5.gettin there


----------



## blue

a few more

pic1.hello all you AS'ers
pic2.how we left it for tommorow(weds)

went a bit slower than planned today because we under-estimated the amount of wood but no biggie.go back and fell/ring the butt tommorow.will try to get some more pics tommorow


----------



## teressa green

????ing hell mate ,wont be long til your laid up with a serious injury the way things appear ,as for helmets always wear mine ,cos the ????ing things got ear defenders and a face guard ,


----------



## iain

ROLLACOSTA said:


> yes mate i have priced up a 352 from B-TRACK...do you know where they can be bought cheaper ??????




usual 13.5k 1k discount if you want new of that make n model then i`d bust open the piggy bank mind you thats a serious amount of turnover ( especially stump work) ,in order to recoupe 12.5k and a wage for your operator + costs 
personally not me however its your money


----------



## iain

teressa green said:


> ????ing hell mate ,wont be long til your laid up with a serious injury the way things appear ,as for helmets always wear mine ,cos the ????ing things got ear defenders and a face guard ,



i have got to agree teressa 
i was dismantling a snapped out syc which was over n 11century church last week as i was climbing a 1.5` * 8" lump of torn timber from about 15` above me decided it was a good time to leave the tree via my face  , i always were my helmet. my face visor saved my front teeth, i got one hell of a thick lip mind, still we finished the job though !


----------



## teressa green

with the way things are going with regards to tree work ,we all have to do our bit to put across a professional image ,company logo,a uniform ,same pants lids etc ,the only way to bring tree work out of the dark ages and into the 21 century is to let people ,ie the public know that we are not all cowboys with white tranny vans,imo this should be at the fore front of the public education excerise ,ppe is there to be worn for a reason ,i always work with ppe due to the good image ,professional image that it brought across,not having a go blue ,just trying to get my point across,if its there mate then wear it ,comfort ,personal choice shouldnt come into it ,but common sence should ,work safe and go home ,,,,,every day ,


----------



## iain

yes i agree we (arborists ) can and should upgrade our profile, however the public still allow the gyp`s to con them. 
the gyp`s have no exp, no ins, no ppe, no idea, no conscience, 
there should be a government led agency better placed than the h&s exec and trade standards to call on when these hack n slash merchants are seen
i saw the typical 3 man white van jeans n rigger boot outfit working on a school grounds the other day ( a publicly funded organisation ) if they won`t support the proffessionals then god help us ! 
coz we the legal co`s keep getting shafted with more and more bright bloody
ideas from the ones who should help we pay tax pikies don`t


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

got to admit Blue i think you definatly should wear a helmet 1 chip in the eye could blind you and 15 years from now when your deaf you might have wished you had wore ear defenders..ian i think the time saved and feul savings make the 352 a great buy ,im out 2-3 day's a week grinding stumps..anyone want to buy my 252 410 hours £5000 ovno +vat


----------



## teressa green

is the vat vanishable?


----------



## blue

pic1.gob it out
pic2.it's on the move
pic3.bossman can work
pic4.never ending slice and dice
pic5.nearly done


----------



## teressa green

rolla ,can you send me the specs on the stumper,cheers ,steve ,blue ,hope that gaffer of yours has something easy for you today ,


----------



## a_lopa

nice work blue


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

aint got the grinder yet AUSSIE but i'm working on her [the wife ] but here are a few pic's of my latest toy's


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

nissan and isuzu


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

isuzu


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

new makita 7900 well tried her out today no kidding imo way better and faster cut than either stihl or husky 79cc 18'' bar £470 with the vat feeking bargain if you ask me,just hope she holds out well ,though i'm off to buy a dc5000 tommorow again fast ask **** £369 with the vat both saws are makita/dolma fully proffesional saws..i got massive discount's..i'll let you all no where from once i have bought a few more saws


----------



## teressa green

rolla do you do any work? or just shop ? you won the lottery? are you an arb association hit man ,nice looking truck the nissan ,you got it muddy yet ,got the mitsubishi l200 4 work myself 2 yr old 75 k never skipped a beat,japanesse is the way to go ,what are the bits like for the makitas,long wait ,dont look robust enough for my liking ,keep me informed on how they re going,might go spending myself,,,,,,,,how does 4 k cash for the stumper sound ?????


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

ok now for a few pic's of me old stumper


----------



## teressa green

happy days,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

have you had a good look at makita saws ,yes there is plenty of plastic on emm but no more than stihl or husky..they feel pretty robust to me..seriosly i would give makita a look before i next bought a saw..ohh yeh the nissan has been to work ,i'd never buy 4X4 unless she was needed ,she don't tow like a td 5 landrover defender though  ohh sat nav pic


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

dim witts like me need sat nav..teresssa do you run your own buisness or work for someone ?? whatever the answer is look's like your doing the rite thing [either working for a pro firm or running one] nice kit 'image is every thing these day's work wise..my trucks going in for Lettering next friday ,we have our own logo etc ,matches the website and our letter heads etc


----------



## teressa green

work for myself ,have a few top secret contracts for some big outfits,got it sewn up ,image is everything,,company logo on vehicles ,best 100 quid i spent was on polo shirts and sweatshirts,won a lot of jobs by being presented well,a good job for a good price ,really like the big stuff that other firms shy away from ,cant complain ,phones always ringing ,downside is finding good lads ,not just like clearance muppets ,got 2 good lads now tho ,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

we do the logo clothing thing again image ,we also keep all or kit clean that makes a differance imo ,i have a few good lads and hope to make a lot more use of Steve Bullman as soon as the rite work comes in , like you we have a few contracts etc up our sleeves


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

teressa green said:


> how does 4 k cash for the stumper sound ??
> 
> haha just read that bit steve how does the word bollox sound


----------



## a_lopa

nice rigs rolla


----------



## SteveBullman

ROLLACOSTA said:


> hope to make a lot more use of Steve Bullman as soon as the rite work comes in , like you we have a few contracts etc up our sleeves




Look forward to it
had a good day with big A today. speedlined a big oak tree over chicken sheds. too bad we didnt have a 3rd person there to take a video


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

aussie check out my thread on chainsaws ,i honestly think there a very very underated saw,once you get one you'll be shocked just how good they are..if you do shop around for makita saws make sure you get the new looking model like the ones in my pic..but then dunno if the engine would be any better or worse..you must have a mikita australia..unless they go under dolma brand in OZ


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

just read your post again Aussie..so you do have makita


----------



## TREETX

Rolla, that Nissan a diesel?? 

BTW, my English coworker isn't coming back to Krautland this season so that means there is another good (yet old school) climber on your island.


----------



## teressa green

rolla ,worth a cheeky punt ,will let you know how i get on with the one up here and get back to you ,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

yeh diesel mate ,probably like the Krauts we don't go much on gas motors overhere,about your climber pal ,pleased another climber is on his way back, we have lost to many good climbers to the Germans in the last 10 years

p.s heard the german economy has took another turn for the worst ,ie record unemployment ,highest rate since 1933..hope your keeping busy sounds as though you are  whats the weather like in Bavaria today ??


----------



## Big A

stephenbullman said:


> Look forward to it
> had a good day with big A today. speedlined a big oak tree over chicken sheds. too bad we didnt have a 3rd person there to take a video


Yeah next time Blue Peter are doing a feature on Arb work and speed-lining with us on tricky take-downs with bog roll tubes baler twine, oh and sticky back plastic, then Steve can have his Bue Peter badge!! Dont know wherre people get the time to take all these photies, my hands are either full of rope or saw!!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

BIGA your just too tight to spend £50 quid on a digi camera..  you'd rather spend your dosh on champagne errr hummm


----------



## TREETX

Loads of those 2.5L turdo diesel Nissans here. I love em. They don't exist in the States. I want one if I move back to Texas.

Snow like a mutha here. I'm not working until March. Going to Viet Nam next week 

There are quite a few English and Scottish tree surgeons here. My coworker said that things have really picked up in the UK for tree surgeons compared to 10 years ago. Or at least that he could make the same money there.

A lot of Germany is tanking but Bavaria is a rich state and I expect it will stay that way......

ok, now back to Brits talking 'boot Brit stuff.......sorry for the interruption.


----------



## blue

c'mon girls postsome pics


----------



## teressa green

this do you lads ,uk weather ,????e ,,,,,


----------



## blue

not quite what i had in mind terresa


----------



## teressa green

really,,,,,was a lovely day ,the dog loved it ,afterwards we had ice cream


----------



## a_lopa




----------



## Big A

ROLLACOSTA said:


> BIGA your just too tight to spend £50 quid on a digi camera..  you'd rather spend your dosh on champagne errr hummm


Whats wrong wiv meold instamatic? Too new to this gizmo to suss out the photo side of things, will when I get some spare time,lol!!!


----------



## blue

big a,
go on splash out on a digi cam.if you can use a 'puter then you can take and post pics.DO IT


----------



## Big A

Help!! Somebody please explain to this thick-as-???? Neanderthal peasant how to transfer pics to this site, in monosyllabics if poss as I'm just totally thick with this poxy machine!


----------



## teressa green

click on post reply under your name ,then wait til new page loads ,read page til you find manage attatchments ,click browse and select a pic ,alternativly ask any 10 yr old kid ,


----------



## Big A

http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=20791&stc=1
Hope its worked


----------



## Big A

Meant to apologize for the quality but its off my mobile phone


----------



## jamie

*mobiles*

the pictures of the mogs i have submitted came off of my phone

jamie


----------



## blue

big a,
your gettin the hang of it.you said the pic was taken in wimbish.is that the wimbish near saffron walden?


----------



## SteveBullman

I cant view the pic, which tree was it?


----------



## teressa green

me neither


----------



## Big A

blue said:


> big a,
> your gettin the hang of it.you said the pic was taken in wimbish.is that the wimbish near saffron walden?


Yeah at the army base there. Did the pic come out or not?


----------



## Big A

This SHOULD be Steve again,


----------



## Big A

stephenbullman said:


> I cant view the pic, which tree was it?


Dont get it, I can bring it up ok, it was one of the poplars near the road. The one we had to rope off.


----------



## blue

big a,
yeah piccy came out all you need to do now is buy a decent camera.where are you based?


----------



## Big A

Cheers Blue, We're based nr Stowmarket, Suffolk. Been to Dagenham today, for 3 little conifers to come out. 3 hours wall-to-wall traffic all the way there, 10 mile detour when we got there cos the road was closed. Travelling home get a blow-out on the lorry so have to wait for the Ferrarri pit crew to do a tyre change, then still get back by 4.30pm. What a day!!


----------



## blue

big a,
me thinks you do a fair bit of travelling.who do you work for??


----------



## Big A

Yeah we do a fair bit of mileage, Monday to Wednesday I sub to MB trees, (Steves brother) then rest of the week I do my own work. Seems to work out nicely most of the time. a lot iof the travelling is for contract work so we go wherever it takes us, most of the time we stick to East Anglia.


----------



## blue

big a,
was the work at wimbish part of a MOD contract??we've worked ata few base's around cambs but it's allways been through a contractor who has the contract for all GM work within the base.


----------



## Big A

I believe that the work all comes thru a main contractor who passes the Arb work down to us, Steve may know different.


----------



## SteveBullman

Big A said:


> I believe that the work all comes thru a main contractor who passes the Arb work down to us, Steve may know different.



serco are the people at the top. turfsol had all the treework and landscaping work on the married quarters of the bases, the treework of which they subbed out to us.


----------



## SteveBullman

im not sure if serco have anything to do with the technical sites, i dont think they do, they seemed to work mostly in conjunction and with approval from the DHE


----------



## Big A

Evening mate thanx for that, good day at the office?


----------



## SteveBullman

yeah it was a good day actually, had a tallish chestnut to take down and a lime tree.

picked up my brand new spanking clean ms200t this morning, fresh out the box, never had a drop of petrol in it, so anyway i go to open the oil cap and the thing pings open and falls apart!


----------



## SteveBullman

ending up using waynes 335


----------



## blue

turfsol. thats the name i was trying to think of


----------



## Big A

stephenbullman said:


> yeah it was a good day actually, had a tallish chestnut to take down and a lime tree.
> 
> picked up my brand new spanking clean ms200t this morning, fresh out the box, never had a drop of petrol in it, so anyway i go to open the oil cap and the thing pings open and falls apart!


Hate them!! Hate them!! They are a pain in the a$$! I'll reply to your pm later as Aol crashed while I was replying.


----------



## SteveBullman

not working today dude?


----------



## Big A

stephenbullman said:


> not working today dude?


MB slack so not for him 2day, just working up the road, so popped home for lunch. That's the life!


----------



## Tom D. Wilson

got my nptc chainsaw assement on thursday, still havn't practiced a split level cut and cant get a tree hung up for Sh*T. Every time i try the top of the tree either snaps off or crashes through the tree i'm trying to hang it up in. still theres one day left......................


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

split level cut ,do you mean step cut???..anyway best of luck Tom for thursday


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

what i cant work out with that MOD job the basterds told me all the sites [the whole job] had to be done within 45 days lmfao ,and at the colchester barrack's all the stumps had to be ground out,plus there was a lot of umming and arring about ,if they had enough in the budget to do all the work ,i dealt directly with serco ,i had no dealing's with turfsol ,i learned a good lesson whilst pricing and getting that job ,never ever have a partner [my partner for that job turned out to be a f*cking idiot] thanks to the twat we grossly under priced the job and had to pull off


----------



## Big A

Tell me about the pricing there at Colchester, had to run round like blue-a$$ed fly at the end to try and make a decent day rate! And wasn't the site plans absolutely ????e?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

haha bigA when i get bored and want a laugh a dig out the plans and take a look,oh can't tell you too much about the pricing for individuals camps we priced for the whole thing ,wimbish,woodbridege ,colchester,wattisham and more ,they [serco] wanted all the sites finnished in 45 day's

bigA what's happening to the big cherry stumps at colchester ,we had to include stumpgrinding ,clear chips replace with top soil


----------



## blue

big a,
saw a mb tree's truck travelling along the A505 this afternoon between royston and duxford,was it you??


----------



## Big A

blue said:


> big a,
> saw a mb tree's truck travelling along the A505 this afternoon between royston and duxford,was it you??


Yeah, on the way back from Welwyn Gdn City. Another good day, pruned 5 beech, forgot to photo them! DOH!


----------



## SteveBullman

marcus got some work come in then?


----------



## Big A

ROLLACOSTA said:


> haha bigA when i get bored and want a laugh a dig out the plans and take a look,oh can't tell you too much about the pricing for individuals camps we priced for the whole thing ,wimbish,woodbridege ,colchester,wattisham and more ,they [serco] wanted all the sites finnished in 45 day's
> 
> bigA what's happening to the big cherry stumps at colchester ,we had to include stumpgrinding ,clear chips replace with top soil


I think the stump-gtrinding is down as an extra, not 100% sure, I think it depends on funds available.


----------



## Big A

stephenbullman said:


> marcus got some work come in then?


Yeah, only worked yesterday and Monday. Yesterday was meant to be 2 days work but we didnt want to drive back there again, Double Bubble on that beaut.Hee-hee


----------



## Tom Dunlap

*Surfing up-river*

It feels a bit odd making the 601st post in a thread for Brits talking about Brit stuff. Maybe you'll accept my paternal heritage having it's roots in Dunlop Scotland as my ticket in the door 

This morning I found this link on the Patrick O'Brian discussion forum. It shows when and where the tidal bore flows up the Severn River or do you say River Severn?

http://www.severn-bore.co.uk/


----------



## MasterBlaster

That's pretty dang neat, surfing a river!


----------



## Ross Turner

Its the River Severn,I live about 5 minutes away from it but alot further upstream in Shropshire.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

ROSS i have relatives in shrewsbury ,welsh people ,a beutifull part of the world


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

TOM how did you go from Dunlop to Dunlap ??...were you folk's poor illiterate peasant's like my Irish relations that now live in the USA


----------



## Ross Turner

Rolla,I live in Telford which aint far from shrewsbury,Still no luck with work but am still looking.


----------



## Tom Dunlap

From what I gather, it was a way to "start over" in the new country. Smythe/Smith you know...

There are more 'lap's here than 'lop's so there must be some truth in the story. 

When I was over for the ISA conference I went up to Scotland and spent a nice day in Dunlop. No one in the family has done the geneolgy to track back the bloodlines. This is an odd, American thing, to look back to where "we're from"  Actually, I don't consider myself anything but a midwestern American.


----------



## Big A

I'm sure there was a different thread for this but Rolla how are you getting on with your sat/nav system and which did you buy?


----------



## glens

Tom, I just noticed you were a lap and not a lop!&nbsp; In any case it sounds the same, right?

A lot of family names got changed by the workers at Ellis Island filling out the forms, or so I've heard...

Glen


----------



## Tom Dunlap

glens said:


> Tom, I just noticed you were a lap and not a lop!&nbsp; In any case it sounds the same, right?
> 
> A lot of family names got changed by the workers at Ellis Island filling out the forms, or so I've heard...
> 
> Glen



No, it doesn't sound the same to me 

That's an old myth that has never been substantiated. On the Ellis Island page you can search through copies of the ship's passenger manifests. I found the page of my Mom's Dad and his brother. They emigrated from what is now Poland when they were 9 and 10. When I was on Ellis Island I got to stand in the room that all emigrants passed through. It was a wonderful feeling to know that my Grandfather had been there around 90 years before. I was there with Paolo Baveresco and he found that his uncle, and namesake, had donated to the restoration of Ellis Island. That was a fun day for both of us. Having the connection to our families at the same time.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Tom i have seen PAOLO ,in British arb mags i thought he lived in Britain and was a Brit ???


----------



## Ross Turner

He is a Brit & lives here,i saw him at the ISA thing back in 1990 at Moulton college when Ken Palmer was there.He was also attached to Garden of Eden Tree care as their Trainer,Not sure if he still is.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

BIGA i bought a NAVMAN 510 from pc world,it cost £400 it's simple to use ,imo it's the best value tool i have bought for years [value for money]it work's realy well

SO guy's what we all been upto ????..i had a trip upto the HOSPITAL [around about beer o'clock  ] saturday blackthorn in the eye not very nice ,but my eye has healed ok

TOM i thought he was a Brit


----------



## blue

rolla,
hope your eye is ok.guy i worked with a few years ago got his eye punctured bu a hawthorn.had to have 2 ops and his eyesight was damaged in that eye.


----------



## jamie

*ouch*

get well soon

jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

Rolla you are meant to drink blackthorn(cider) not get it in your eye,lol

Its a pain,hope it gets well.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

well this old thread has been a bit quiet lately ,where you all hiding or hanging out ??


----------



## Tom Dunlap

Paolo is English/Italian if you split your heritage like we do over here 

He's living in Gwynedd now. Doing training and assessment.


----------



## eleath

Evenin' all

Just discoverd yon soit so oiv a bit a catchn' ap to do.

Dispite all appearances I am an ex Norfolk farmer...................................... I have to say that the language is naffink like English round where I live now and the woodborers is blinkin' enormouse!!

Don't let on that we are coming back, 'one imigrant at a time'


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Tom Dunlap said:


> Paolo is English/Italian if you split your heritage like we do over here
> 
> He's living in Gwynedd now. Doing training and assessment.



with treevolution ??


----------



## Big A

ROLLACOSTA said:


> well this old thread has been a bit quiet lately ,where you all hiding or hanging out ??


'Tis hedge coppicing season, too knackered to bother to get on here. Second the sympathy on the thorn in the eye, what a pain in the butt. :Eye: . Just got Palm one with the sat/nav. took a while for my primitive brain to suss it out but got there now, well chuffed.. Did a course with Paolo few years back, nice fella.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

eleath said:


> Evenin' all
> 
> Just discoverd yon soit so oiv a bit a catchn' ap to do.
> 
> Dispite all appearances I am an ex Norfolk farmer...................................... I have to say that the language is naffink like English round where I live now and the woodborers is blinkin' enormouse!!
> 
> Don't let on that we are coming back, 'one imigrant at a time'



ok ba i be in suffick boy..you out yonder for Good..and is the in the tree game??...welcome to our thread and site


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

bigA we have a 'CANARY' on this here thread :Eye:


----------



## Big A

ROLLACOSTA said:


> bigA we have a 'CANARY' on this here thread :Eye:


Yeah we get to work with one, down here we call 'em "Booties" (turkey?) Hi to yer bor! Yew orroight?


----------



## Tom Dunlap

Paolo's working for a really mean and nasty boss now. Hard to get along with and expects a lot but pays little. Actually, he's self-employed 

If you want his email, drop me a line off-forum.


----------



## PRUNER 1

*hello there*

i have my own computer now in my own house so will be here more often. still busy with storm damage in sunny darlo, will be for forseeable future!


----------



## SteveBullman

does paolo do much arb work, i got the impression he mostly did training


----------



## Tom Dunlap

When I was over in spring '03 we did a little work. Right now I think Paolo does only training.


----------



## Big A

Heavy Snow tomorrow, whoo-hoo. And bitter cold easterly wind. My idea of fun. Bet it doesn't even get here.


----------



## SteveBullman

well if it does im staying in my bed


----------



## Big A

Beds for Pu$$ie$, lol.


----------



## SteveBullman

sure is, my ????? will be right beside me haha


----------



## eleath

Big A said:


> Heavy Snow tomorrow, whoo-hoo. And bitter cold easterly wind. My idea of fun. Bet it doesn't even get here.




Heavy snow? England? I remember the A14 in early 2003........... why was I the only crazy person who got home that nigth??

When England has heavy snow nothing moves for a week....lol.... Worked in Rochester NY last year up by the lake...(snowplowing)... Regularly drove to work (in a little Nissan) through an overnight fall of 6 - 9 inches..... and minus 10f (-20 c ?)So remind me..... What do Brits call heavy snow these days?

When I lived in Nuneaton I remember loosing the Volvo in the front driveway. That was heavy........


----------



## Ny finest

Haha you like that rochester snow?IT was a short but wild winter


----------



## jamie

*heavy snow*

in england heavy snow is a hard frost.

we have a dusting, the ground has a skim of snow this morning. it will melt by lunchtime

jamie


----------



## iain

we had a coulpe of inches yesterday managed to build a snowman with my kids most of the ground cover has gone this morning work work work


----------



## PRUNER 1

we had about 3 inches in manky darlo, today, at work maintaining saws and doing loler checks. made a monster snowman in the work carpark!! still, platform work 2mora takin a big ash down with the big lowering kit!! good stuff.


----------



## PRUNER 1

we apppear to have a blizzard outside!


----------



## iain

yeah we`ve had a good amount ,coz were nearer the coast & ici nothing last`s long


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

well at long last my new trainee arborist has arrived he turned up late though  ,on saturday afternoon 1pm ,here he is with his older also trainee arborist brother


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

here he is with aunt uncle cousin etc...his mum is internet shy  ohh and a bro and sisters


----------



## MasterBlaster

Again, congratulations Rolla!


----------



## iain

congrats on the new guy 
avoid the nappy changing stuff  man thats scary !!!!


----------



## blue

congrats rolla,bubs looks a bit big must take after you


----------



## SteveBullman

good on ya big fella....prehaps i'll get to meet the little guy saturday assuming we're still on


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

sat is still on old chap...cheer's blue and ian


----------



## Ross Turner

Congrats Rolla,I know the joys of new baby.Mine is a big lad for his age of 5 months.


----------



## jamie

*congrats*

congratulations there rolla,

my girlfriend and i have a dog and even thats hard work at times, 

jamie


----------



## Big A

Congratulations on the new rug-rat Rolla, Once again the hype over the weather exceeds the reality. What happened to a foot of frost in the ground and deep, deep snow? I dont think my kids have even seen a real winter and the oldest is now 17, but the public services wil probably grind to a halt this week and the country will be gripped in an "Arctic freeze"! Next week will probably be tropical and wet again. Those of you with a real winter must really take the pi$$ out of the British mentality.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

haha bigA ,the big freeze what a joke..........like your kid's my oldest is 12 they have never ever seen real snow..remember the day's when piled up snow and drift's were as high as the hedge's ,and took week's to melt away..bigA A FEW YEARS AGO THE WEATHER PEOPLE WOULD NEVER HAVE MADE SUCH A FUSS ABOUT THIS LITTLE BIT OF SLEET..now the weather tart's have to wiggle there asse's and bull chit us all to keep us interested


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

NPTC new's.... ok i got this from the horse's mouth so to speak. The new's might affect all of us.I was told confidentially that NPTC has made all the course's harder because there has been to many passing  .I wondered why so many newb's seemed to be failing.  

secondly the gaffer's at NPTC are trying to make it mandatory that we all get re-assest after 5 year's or our tickets will become invalid 

NPTC also want to get all company's to take there new health and safety course in order for us to get insurance ,they have been having meeting's with insurers to get this unit/course mandatory

they also have other silly courses in the pipeline i.e inspection course [climbing gear] even though you will still have to get your kit inspected by a Loler reg inspector every 6 month's  

I have recently noticed that when bidding/tendering for council work ,they do not thoroughly check to see if 'ALL' contractors carry out risk assessment's or have a health and safety policy or have first aid certificate's amongst a whole lot of other stuff including qualification's relating to a biological knowledge of tree growth [seem's nptc will do for everything],so around here for certain it is highly un-likely you will be bidding against another company on a like for like basis 

I'm happy to comply with new reg's but if HSE don't prosecute the cowboy's and the playing field keeps on getting less even i might quit this industry.how much more expense and bureaucracy can this industry take and still let the hack's and cowboy's ply there shambolic trade ??


----------



## eleath

1947
1963
1981/2 Snow on plumstead common????????? and it was there for a day or two?
Now thems was winters when I actually remember snow....lol

Hey Rolla... Al the best with the new trainee


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

81/82 was a bad winter.........don't know much about 47 or 63 though ,but i heard they were bad winters ...eleath what are the winters like in florida unbearable i bet lol


----------



## iain

ROLLACOSTA said:


> NPTC new's.... ok i got this from the horse's mouth so to speak. The new's might affect all of us.I was told confidentially that NPTC has made all the course's harder because there has been to many passing  .I wondered why so many newb's seemed to be failing.
> 
> secondly the gaffer's at NPTC are trying to make it mandatory that we all get re-assest after 5 year's or our tickets will become invalid
> 
> NPTC also want to get all company's to take there new health and safety course in order for us to get insurance ,they have been having meeting's with insurers to get this unit/course mandatory
> 
> they also have other silly courses in the pipeline i.e inspection course [climbing gear] even though you will still have to get your kit inspected by a Loler reg inspector every 6 month's
> 
> I have recently noticed that when bidding/tendering for council work ,they do not thoroughly check to see if 'ALL' contractors carry out risk assessment's or have a health and safety policy or have first aid certificate's amongst a whole lot of other stuff including qualification's relating to a biological knowledge of tree growth [seem's nptc will do for everything],so around here for certain it is highly un-likely you will be bidding against another company on a like for like basis
> 
> I'm happy to comply with new reg's but if HSE don't prosecute the cowboy's and the playing field keeps on getting less even i might quit this industry.how much more expense and bureaucracy can this industry take and still let the hack's and cowboy's ply there shambolic trade ??




i agree they should stop the bullsh!t
stop screwing the proffesionals (wrapping us up in red tape )
we have the new ec working at height regs to deal with among loads more
they should make the sale of all chainsaws illegal to none qualified people 
how they can say after passing your ticket then working in the industry for 5 yrs therefore becoming more capable and experienced that you need someone to tell you you can still do it 
( they daren`t do it for vehicle driving license`s so why pick on us )
at the end of the day, this will heep more expence on company`s who will have to put up prices to cover the costs of the exam the lost wages etc etc 
and lets face it could the nptc cope with a max influx of re-exams cos i should be re-tested now 5 years up along with thousands of other people you will also have multiple quals 
lots of business`s folding and people getting p45`s 
straw and camels back springs to mind 
what will happen when the high hedge bill comes in if professional private sector business are stiffled to death councils won`t cope 
answer the pikeys win trees lose l
rolla tell the horse`s mouth what he can go do to him self


----------



## PRUNER 1

aw no, more bull to wade through, ime gonna get me some waders!!!


----------



## PRUNER 1

might get a nose peg as well cos the chit stinks!


----------



## PRUNER 1

*this weekends job out at langthwaite!*

big syccie to get on the ground and leave. weathers goin to be mingin


----------



## Big A

I know of someone who competes on large contract work around Bury St Eds who carries out work for the RSPB and others whose idea of a risk assessment is a scribble on the back of an envelope, the site manager was also a chainsaw assessor, yet didnt even understand slightly more complex felling techniques. The above "someone" also recently won the Rookery Crossing felling contract on the A14, under-priced everyone to get the work by doing the work for the timber!!! The local council is up in arms as a couple of veteran oak pollards were removed, but they moved too slowly (surprise, surprise!!) and didnt place any felling restrictions on the site. As long as this is what we're up against,I dont honestly think they have the right to preach us.  Interestingly enough I changed my Public Liability company recently, and instead of a phone quote, I had to fill in about 10 A4 pages about qualifications, experience, H&S policy and a sample of my risk assessments and method statements. Didn't mind that, but Mr Pikey won't have cover, qualifications etc. etc. and be able to shaft us on pricing. Bo**ox!!


----------



## PRUNER 1

supposed to be a photo with that it wont do it, aw well its a biggy anyhoos


----------



## jamie

*more tickets*

haqve heard about potential saw on stick / powerpruner use tickets, heard they will be NPTC CS3126 after completeting units CS 126 through to CS 3125. 

its shocking the fact we (the company) has more hoops than a hoopla display team yet the tinks get away scot free. 

i agree with the having a ticket to buy a saw, even an electric saw in the wrong hands is an accident waiting to happen, i know a gardener who wont stick the saw in teh ground as he heard when it hits soil it kicks back.....  

jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

What is this industry comming too?,As already been said the pikies/tinks should be hammered by both the HSE & the local authorities should insist on having a portfolio from a company containing,Method Statements, Qualifications,H&S policy & Insurance & if possible proof of jobs they have carried out supplied with references.
I know this would increase our paperwork but it should stop those twats getting our work.

When i first started on the NPTC route,I was informed that you would not be able to carry out any work for councils etc without the certificates.


----------



## Big A

Sow? What snow? Overkill on the forecast again! Just another cold, wet day in England


----------



## blue

rolla,
you are the bearer of $h1t news.worked out last year how much it would cost me to get all my nptc tickets now as opposed to in 97 when the council paid for them.it came to about 3.5-4k.the only thing i aint got is windblown,as well as the cost of courses it would take about 8 weeks in time.so if what you saycame true would i have to be re-assesed for each unit?if so then they can poke it as i couldn't afford to do it.

who think's they could pass all their tickets again without a refresher course?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i'm not defending traveller's here ,but the cowboy's out there don't all live in caravan's.......just check out the gardening section or landscaping section in any yellow page's ,i see lots of adds saying tree felling or 'LOPPING and TOPPING' 'MOST TRAVELLER'S DO NOT ADVERTISE IN THE YP' most are too scared to advertiser due to the possibility of getting caught by the tax man !!!

I was once in ROUSE'S [local chainsaw shop] when a bloke came over to me and asked me every possible question there is about a certain brand of saw ,which is the best ,how long a 'blade' should i buy etc etc ,i asked him if he was cutting a lot of tree's down at home ,oh no he said i work for 'MOREVEND' during the week but want to earn some extra cash on the weekend's 

Plus don't think all the saws that are sold by DIY shop's end up being solely used in the owner's own garden !! ..No imo the cowboy's range from young whipper snipper's out for beer money through to yes travellers rite up to old retired twat's with a ton of dosh in the bank but still want 
more 


i recently went to a hire shop and saw on the floor a range saws way to big to be used by a domestic ,i inquired to who they belonged to oh the chap said they are in for sharpening they belong to *ffordable g*rden's another local cowboy do it all gardener  


just lately i have been wondering how big DIY stores can sell saws but get away with not selling the PPE ??? anyone got the answer???


----------



## Ross Turner

Good point Rolla,If they sell saws they should also sell PPE & they should also ask for evidence that the person buying a saw or even hiring a saw has had some sort of reconised instruction.


----------



## Big A

At the weekend I'm going to supply vending machines,lol. Local farmer started selling firewood, so I put up a sign selling milk. He didnt like it. I told him tough. He has me cut up his trees now. Lifes a hoot!


----------



## Big A

Ross Turner said:


> Good point Rolla,If they sell saws they should also sell PPE & they should also ask for evidence that the person buying a saw or even hiring a saw has had some sort of reconised instruction.


I'm not sure but I think they are supposed to ensure that purchaser/hirer has received training. However, if they have had a lean time on the sales how many have the scruples not to take a chance to make the quick buck? They are only human after all withe the vices that go with it. If Joe Public wants a saw he is going to buy it, if the local saw shop make it too much hassle he can always get one from the Littlewoods catalogue, or Argos with no checks whatsoever.


----------



## eleath

ROLLACOSTA said:


> 81/82 was a bad winter.........don't know much about 47 or 63 though ,but i heard they were bad winters ...eleath what are the winters like in florida unbearable i bet lol




Totaly unbearable today....... 80 in old money and dropping down to 73 or so mayarna..... 

View from back window attatched.... (maybe)


----------



## eleath

Tool Hire????

I used to work for a company in Downham Market and often had to hire in odd bis of bigger kit............... never once did anyone ask if I could drive it.......... I just thought I looked old and wise...lol

Could they work on the theory of..."if you know what its called you probably know how it limbs people" ??????

Now there is this feller called Nat Smith......................................... white transit dropside.......... mobile phone........


----------



## jamie

*never mind saws*

above and beyond saws, to hire a platform we have to provide our IPAF tickets, for me to hire a platform to clean my gutters nowt. 

i hired a floor sander and some guy was getting a quick 5 min run down on a saw, they offer PPE but it costs extra, what is Joe Public gonna do, do it cheap and leave the PPE otherwise they would hire a pro

so jeans are blade resistant yeah.

jamie


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

eleath said:


> Totaly unbearable today....... 80 in old money and dropping down to 73 or so mayarna.....
> 
> View from back window attatched.... (maybe)




that's nice mate you rub it in why don't ya  ..all we get is less rain/sleet/snow or more snow/sleet/rain and a balmy 2-5 degree's c


----------



## eleath

Just to even things up, the downside of paradice is also the weather. Today we had rain and a tornado. Took down several homes and hurt a lot of people. That was 10 minutes drive South of us......................... 

Give me temperate maritine weather any day.


----------



## jockie

anyone out there been using a Timberwolf 190? Had a demo today and its the muttsnuts. Gotta Premier 220 and the Timberwolf knocked spots off it!


----------



## SteveBullman

you're having a laugh right.....ive used both, no way in hell any entec can beat a premier. in fact i'd say the 200 outperforms the 190 anyday


----------



## PRUNER 1

weve had a 190 for about a six weeks now. we had another one last year on long term hire. it still is the mutts nutts!! we have a kwik chip 9 inch which is off the road at tmo and the 190 is almost as hungry. if the 190 were a 9 inch then it would win hands down. on conifers and willows/pops, we find it hard to keep up with feeding it. very easy to maintain aswell and chips always go all the way to the back of the van. we also have a landforce 6 inch which is not worth a minute of any bodys time absolutely pants  weve had it back two burnt out starter motors with flames!  the whole body work shook itself to pieces and broke loads of welds, the throttle control has snapped twice and the qr shoot weld sheared as well. we are stuck with it tho. it wont even shoot chip to the back of the van. if we stick 6 inch logs through it dumps the chips on the ground coz it doesnt have the power to blow them into the van!  steer clear!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i think the new timberwolf chipper's are definatly up there with premier...steve timberwolf did a lot of changes this year or last to there design


----------



## SteveBullman

i have used the 190 rolla. entec are getting there slowly but the overall build quality is still way off premier


----------



## timberwolf150

Rollas right. Loads of improvements lately. The 190 is awesome. I'd bet on the TW in a straigh out chip off. Alot faster on bigger wood and far easier to maintain. Blade change one of the easiest I've ever seen with no blade to anvil set up required.


----------



## timberwolf150

Stephen next time you need a chipper phone the factory. They'll lend you a 190. You won't be disapointed!!


----------



## SteveBullman

i might take you up on that offer timber, should i ask for you if i call?


----------



## timberwolf150

just speak to sales!!


----------



## iain

PRUNER 1 said:


> weve had a 190 for about a six weeks now. we had another one last year on long term hire. it still is the mutts nutts!! we have a kwik chip 9 inch which is off the road at tmo and the 190 is almost as hungry. if the 190 were a 9 inch then it would win hands down. on conifers and willows/pops, we find it hard to keep up with feeding it. very easy to maintain aswell and chips always go all the way to the back of the van. we also have a landforce 6 inch which is not worth a minute of any bodys time absolutely pants  weve had it back two burnt out starter motors with flames!  the whole body work shook itself to pieces and broke loads of welds, the throttle control has snapped twice and the qr shoot weld sheared as well. we are stuck with it tho. it wont even shoot chip to the back of the van. if we stick 6 inch logs through it dumps the chips on the ground coz it doesnt have the power to blow them into the van!  steer clear!


nothing i know of beats a premier true quality  
i`ve bought a 6 " l/force haven`t had anything split open yet! had it since sept 04, but we got them to put a smaller flywheel pulley on, coz it was dropping chip like you say on the floor, at the end of the revs 
the new flywheel pulley has solved the chip distance, even just before the stress limiter cuts in its reaching a good 3 ft on the van 
when it came back they`d done some mods to mine as well as the flywheel pulley, was that because of your complaints i wonder ! if so i`d see about getting a smaller pulley, from them especially if your stuck with it 
it has made a big difference


----------



## blue

pruner1,
we've got a landforce chippa and it sounds a whole lot better than yours.ours was brought as a 6" ex demo but we think someone fecked up as it is a 9".has no probs firing chips up to the front of the lorry.is yours the new streamlined style?the only crap thing about them is the cheap $hit electrics  has had so many mods now that even the landforce fitter can't work it out


----------



## PRUNER 1

the chippa is the streamlined one and i couldnt give it to a gypo! we should have let the bugga burn! iain you are correct, the mods are because of our machine. it must have been the first friday afternoon chipper!
blue, a friend of ours has the bigger lforce i think its the 9 and its great, we also had one when ours was last buggered and it was quite good.


----------



## iain

pruner 

would that be norman from all seasons you refer to


----------



## PRUNER 1

yes it would, a thoroughly nice bloke and has helped me out of a few underpriced fiddle jobs!


----------



## iain

PRUNER 1 said:


> yes it would, a thoroughly nice bloke and has helped me out of a few underpriced fiddle jobs!




yeah nice bloke i met him at houghall on a course, a couple of years ago, we did a deal with l/force when i bought mine, (it was the larger machine to the one i`ve now got) a bit on the big side, not a bad bit of kit , probably the same one, blue has,
don`t let the streamlined one fool you, with a new pulley it is much improved it has exactly the same engine as normans 40hp it is more than enough power, not as rugged though

get it altered it is definatley better, it ups the fly wheel speed ,
because the flywheel is a direct drive off the engine, it use to drag the engine revs down when we put cap` stuff though it, thats when it spat the chip on the floor.  , now it`s better !  

does your jockey wheel catch on some speed ramps ?  
the old one worked well, the new one looks--- new needs some changes :Eye:


----------



## PRUNER 1

no we fitted our own smaller jockey wheel coz the old one was killed on a speed hump


----------



## Big A

jockie said:


> anyone out there been using a Timberwolf 190? Had a demo today and its the muttsnuts. Gotta Premier 220 and the Timberwolf knocked spots off it!


How long before the welds fail? The fans shatter? They've got to go some to have got rid of the old gremlins, still will try one when I get the chance, proof's in the pudding and all that.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

bigA several hundred hour's on my timberwolf 150 none of the above problem's ..70 % breakdowns are due to idiot operaters imo..weve all seen the way some twats treat kit


----------



## Big A

Agree with ythat Rolla, but I've seen the welds on the Entecs a few years back just fracture from the vibration. as I said proof is in the pud, got the 190 on hire tomorrow so I'll see for myself then I may be a convert. Ill let you know what I think.


----------



## timberwolf150

Big A. The faults you list were on older 150's not the 190. Those faults disapeared years ago. Get whoever brings you machine to show you the rotor in the 190. You might be surprised. 600 x 30mm with huge bearings. Big double sided blades and loads of blow. Rollers have over double crushing capability of 150. Spoke to a very happy guy today who has put 1500 hrs on one in 18 mths. Wanted to know if this was excessive? Glad i'm not feedin it!!!


----------



## Big A

Grant you that T/Wolf, trouble is with any product, once you see the faults you steer clear in favour of something more reliable. It takes a long time for people to lose the image. It only takes 1 bad apple to spoil the box full. I'll see tomorrow, got a stack of nice wet conifer up to about 7 inch diameter for starters.


----------



## Big A

As promised, MY opinion on the Timberwolf 190.
1. Good discharge of material, including wet, snow covered conifer. Blew it about 40 feet at one point.
2. No clogging up of the discharge spout, an old bug bear of previous models.
3. Higher capacity fuel tank, should get 8 hrs use from that tank. (the 150 tank was far too small)
4. At no point did the branches snag the bar and continuosly stop the in feed.
5. I DID LIKE IT!!

However, I still prefer the Premier 200/220's over this, simply because of the little bar over the rollers, when feeding in a large armful of hazel several pieces went over the bar and consequently wouldn't get pulled in which meant that when returning with another armful you got to mess about with whats left from before. The infeed is still too acute just before the rollers, which would be a pain with hawthorn/blackthorn/large rose etc.

A better chipper than the Jensen but imo still a little behind the Premiers,
8/10 I think.


----------



## timberwolf150

Good right up Big A. The two points you didn't like are currently being looked at. TW are trying some various 2 stage funnels and the gap above the rollers is under discussion. Next time you try one it may get 9 or 10/10. TW thanks you for your opinion and will let you know the outcome.


----------



## timberwolf150

Oh and by the way that's a 12 gallon fuel tank. Thats a good 10-12 hrs chipping.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

but what's the differance in price between a premier and timberwolf like for like £2000+ if not more ,i have to speak from my exspirience I LIKE TIMBERWOLF....i will have another Timberwolf anyday..and imo there pretty good on part's and sevice/breakdown's though i have only had 1 breakdown...i have thought about trying others so far i'm pleased i haven't....one other thing i bet a premier like for like is much heavier than the timber wolf


----------



## timberwolf150

TW190DH 1020kgs full fuel / oil etc Prem 220 approx 1250kgs. Price difference approx £2k in TW Favour. Thers a thought!! How good would it be with £2k's worth of improvments? Just think Turbo Engine? Trick feed rollers with auto reverse. Hell you could even have twin chrome exhausts and still have money left for a couple of saws!!


----------



## Big A

Two things: Timberwolf 150. If the 190 is so cool why are you 150?
Rolla: I'm not slagging off the Timberwolf chippers per se, I would really like and be proud if a British company is to be a success. Success is built upon constructive criticism and feedback. I'm only one user, but what if 1000 have the same grumbles and say nothing? I like any piece of kit that makes my life easier. Yes, pound for pound the 190 is probably excellent value, but seeing as I've never bought a chipper in my life (to date) that's not an issue for me, my issue to carry out my job as efficiently as possible with minimum down-time.


----------



## timberwolf150

Big A. Ive tried to change my name. Easier to do it in real life than on here i reckon. Happy to know if anyone knows how to do it. Seriously though all your points are taken on board and TW always take customer comments very seriously. Your comments will be submitted to the R&D Dept first thing. Again thanks for your truthful assesment.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

oh i agree BIGA ,there must be criticism [constructive]..


----------



## Big A

Cheers for that T/wolf, I suppose that you got a smaller tank then!  Did Entec ever follow up that big chipper that Alistair had on the Fastrac, she was some beast, I filled up a 8 ton grain trailer in about 15 mins with that beaut, then another then another. Now that beat the ass of a 440 premier on a mog.


----------



## timberwolf150

Sold now as the PTO300. 12" Capacity. On about 140hp it will chip 12" at about 1 foot a second. Had it at the APF this year. Everyone wanted to see it. Trouble is for someone more use to being behind a desk these days those 10ft 12" logs get heavier and heavier. By the time you've done a few ton of them you start looking around for someone with a grab loader!!


----------



## SteveBullman

ive wondered about the gap above the roller before....seems to me if the infeed is going to be rectangular in shape it should be the other way about like the premier. one thing i will say about the entecs over the premiers is how easily the feed rollers grab bigger pieces.


----------



## iain

here`s another kick in the ass for the pro`s 
i posted the other day about the ease with which the untrained masses can buy a chainsaw !!!
well now ALDI of all people are flogging a petrol chainsaw for £89.99 

who`s next the news agent or local chippy 

this country is a farce


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

yep selling saws and not selling ppe pissers me off..............PS who lost a day today due to the 3 hour's or so of very heavey snow ????


----------



## SteveBullman

me!! in fact so far this week for one reason or another ive managed to do a total of 2 days work!


----------



## iain

no snow today but lost wednesday


----------



## Big A

We did a large lime in Colchester today, bit slippy but prefer that to the rain any day. By the way, dont Essex C.C. have any standards re: tree work. Some of the work about there is atrocious. Saw a large Douglas fir that was left with a couple of limbs on one side, top hacked out!  A Beech that looked as if it was brought home from the Somme in WW1. Ooh and my personal favourite was a reduced cherry completely painted BRIGHT IN YER F
ACE PINK!!! ALDI is opening in Stowmarket soon if you need a cheap saw 
Oh and all those companies with employees who dont want to work in crappy weather, it was the subbies who brought home the bacon this week while the employees whinge and moan and want to go home, then moan cos they're not getting paid!!


----------



## jockie

jockie said:


> anyone out there been using a Timberwolf 190? Had a demo today and its the muttsnuts. Gotta Premier 220 and the Timberwolf knocked spots off it!


 grateful to see all the comments. from those who were fairly down on them steve/big a
look like cld now be pretty impressed with the machines now. timberwolf must have put in loads of work to bring them on. i'm trying to see if i can get hold of s/h 190 but they seem to be as rare as rocking horse sh!t! i'd def rather buy british with timberwolf than take the hardsell jensen been trying on what i think are inferior imports. just cos its german doesnt make it a bmw or a merc fellas! i agree with big a that constructive opinion is worth loads


----------



## Big A

Jockie, imo I would avoid the Jensen. We've had so many irritating problems with our tracked model it makes you wanna scream. Frequently snapping drive cables, a failed hydraulic pump, drive shaft gear slipping off and snafu-ing other parts. At first the back-up service was ok but now they are a pain in the butt! German quality that one aint, get a premier for pure German excellence, or spend the money on that 190, it did seem rather good.


----------



## jockie

yr the 3rd person that i've heard this week alone thats had trouble with their jensen, especially with backup. seems they really hipe it up when selling then disappear quick! no use when the poor guy thats bought it is losing money. one guy told me they play real hardball over warranty too. timberwolf have dealers all over the country so backup shld be good?? spoke to a manchester bloke whose got a 190 tracked machine that had a hydraulic pump go down and they collected his machine within 2 hours, left him a loan chipper to get on with and brought his own back to him next morning, all sorted and all in warranty, no hassle. i'm fairly sold on the timberwolf and i'm going to call them on monday to see whats about from the factory. tks for the views and input big a/rolla/steve. i'll post how i get on when i speak to them. do i get fiver if i spot timberwolf150??!!


----------



## jamie

*snow*

we have only lost 2 days to the snow, had to drag the pickup round the yard with the mog, to knock up a load of firewood. the roads were fine but the folk on the roads are another topic altogether.

jamie


----------



## SteveBullman

Big A said:


> Oh and all those companies with employees who dont want to work in crappy weather, it was the subbies who brought home the bacon this week while the employees whinge and moan and want to go home, then moan cos they're not getting paid!!



the particular employees you are referring to big A would be whinging and moaning whatever the weather


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## ROLLACOSTA

NO EXCUSE'S ! NO EXCUSE'S!
Well the weather forcast look's ok for next week ,i have a ton of work to do,my truck has it's body finnished [though she has to go back to isuzu due to feul/power problem] ,i have a new work amigo,the baby has arrived,spring is in the air so i'ts go go go do$h all the way finger's crossed  

i think it's time boy's me included for us all to get stuck in regardless of the weather !! let's take a leaf out of the BIGA handbook  and get err done


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

how is work around the country ?? busy? quiet?...east anglia is moderate to steady so i havebeen told...where's old TERRESSA GREEN ????

blue your joke's get worse


----------



## blue

rolla,
didn't mean to send you the joke just hit the wrong name and sent it to quick to change it.if you liked it i've got loads more mate


----------



## jamie

*unrelenting*

work around the country. its unrelenting as usual up here, pulling the second full week of cutting, contracts that need to be gotten out of the way. hopefully we will be production cutting and crow poking next week.

jamie


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

blue said:


> rolla,
> didn't mean to send you the joke just hit the wrong name and sent it to quick to change it.if you liked it i've got loads more mate




Bring umm on !!!


----------



## teressa green

still alive rolla ,whats all the whinging about weather ,i climb in all weathers ,or have done these last two weeks,got a weeks work near gatwick starting tuesday,,lack of southern lads to do it ,well over the odds on the price but thats life ,congrats on the new kid rolla ,whats the prob with the truck ? and hows the makitas holding up ?


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## Big A

Dont Know how many of you Brits read the EssentialArb mag, but read article where man was injured working for the Environmental Agency, cutting back the trees on the river bank. The E/A were fined £16000 and the HSE said "we will not tolerate employers exposing their employees to unacceptable risks at work" !!!! Where does this leave a company when the weather turns foul? I've always work in the worst our weather can throw at me, actually enjoying the challenge of getting it done, showing that even when its rough the job can still be carried out in a safe and professional manner. BUT!! What if turns pear-shaped one day and one of the crew pick up at least a severe injury or get killed? Should you have (with hindsight) pulled off the job? Lose money and credibility when you've done similar jobs a hundred times before incident-free. We all tick the boxes on the risk assessments, and surely only proceed if deemed safe to do so. I now have a nagging doubt going through mhy mind of the What If syndrome. 
As an experienced operative I always like to talk through the job with my colleagues as to the safest way to proceed so we all know what is happening.
Is "unacceptable risk" climbing in the snow/rain/hot sunshine? It is a high risk trade by nature of the work, as reflected in our insurance premiums that we pay year on year and I accept those risks as and when they arise, but WHAT IF?!!!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

teressa green said:


> still alive rolla ,whats all the whinging about weather ,i climb in all weathers ,or have done these last two weeks,got a weeks work near gatwick starting tuesday,,lack of southern lads to do it ,well over the odds on the price but thats life ,congrats on the new kid rolla ,whats the prob with the truck ? and hows the makitas holding up ?



Truck problem ,lack of power in 1st,2nd,3rd..then big power surge in 4th-5th..might be me just imagineing it ,she's only done 2,000 miles..still she'sback of to ISUZU just to be sure,apart from that she's a good truck ,i would love the 7.5 ton version with a little crane..Now the makita the little i have used it has worked/cut very well a dam good buy imo

come on BIGA it's all weather's from now on,you cant back track now ?? what if indeed


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## ROLLACOSTA

humm..just been to see who's online and noticed we have 4 lurker's [Guests] veiwing :Eye: :Eye: this thread...come out ,join up we won't bite


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## Acer

Big A said:


> BUT!! What if turns pear-shaped one day and one of the crew pick up at least a severe injury or get killed? Should you have (with hindsight) pulled off the job?



I think, in Britain, you're in the sh1t if the worst happens, whatever way you look at it. If you haven't done a risk assessment you get done. If you have done a RA and the risk's not on there, you haven't done the RA properly..you get done. If you have done the RA and the risk is on there, then you haven't got the proper control measures in place..you get done! As if the experience of being involved in a serious accident or fatality wouldn't be enough. Some things don't bear thinking about..


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## teressa green

can add anything to a risk assesment on the way to the hospital ,if we all worried about the risks nowt would get done we might aswell pack up and be florists,how many experienced tree surgeons are injured ,compared to relative beginners,lifes a ????? ,you just have to get on with it ,earn the money and come home safe


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## Big A

come on BIGA it's all weather's from now on,you cant back track now ?? what if indeed [/QUOTE]
I dont worry about the weather myself, if rain is forecast then I get wet, all I got to thinking about was more if I make the wrong call and put someone else in danger. Experience so far has helped me make the right calls, but I'd hate to get it wrong just the once and have someone get hurt. Hopefully as I get older I'll get wiser!!! Not Back-trackin' this way, not in my work ethic to slope off when the going gets tough.


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## Tom D. Wilson

i thought you only had to do risk assesments if you have 5 or more employee's?

on another note got my first climbing gear sorted out yesterday  - a nice weaver 38 harness. (hand crafted by the aumish people of bible belt america no less) and 35m of yale xct plus,split tail, safety strop with a prusik to adjust it, a fist full of biners, throwline and bag!   
still not climbed in it yet - got to find some one whose gonna keep an eye on me - collage policy and all that. clare reckons i need help coz she walked in on me strutting around in my new harness playing with my ropes. - they just dont understand do they.


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## treebusta

Hi everyone. I'm one of those lurkers Rollacosta mentioned. Have only been in the tree game a couple of years, Now i'm going on my own. Need to purchase chipper and maybe a stump grinder. Having only used other peoples kit and not too worried because i didn't have to pay for it. i now have to make a decision what to buy.
Any advice? I don't have bottomless pockets so want to make sure i get value for money.


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## PRUNER 1

welcome welcome welcome fellow englishman


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## treebusta

Thanx for the welcome.


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## ROLLACOSTA

hi TREEBUSTA welcome ,i knew i would fish someone out of the lurk pond. this is a great site i hope you enjoy this thread and all the other ones on this forum ,theres a wealth of knowledge to be tapped into on this web-site..most new guys start a little thread up introducing themselve's [ON THE MAIN CLIMBING PAGE]...p.s where is Hailsham??


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## iain

treebusta said:


> Hi everyone. I'm one of those lurkers Rollacosta mentioned. Have only been in the tree game a couple of years, Now i'm going on my own. Need to purchase chipper and maybe a stump grinder. Having only used other peoples kit and not too worried because i didn't have to pay for it. i now have to make a decision what to buy.
> Any advice? I don't have bottomless pockets so want to make sure i get value for money.




all newbys r v,welcome the right time of year to be start up 

personally i didn`t bother with a stump grinder to start with, you`ll be looking at 2k+ for a half decent 2nd hand push along lots of layout. n it i`ll take a long time to pay you back

chippers you must have one 
get a 6" with twin roller feed 4" too small 8" too much dosh 
i first bought a gravely bottom of the range along with camon imo`
all the rest are okay they all have faults 
every machine has + - points it will depend on who you talk to
one mans fav is another`s nightmare
wish list machine, premier (dogs doodars) imo
depends on what you can afford + what deal you do, if you r buying new get lots and lots of demo`s there free !! (finance can be scary if not on contract work)


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## jamie

*welcome*

as you will find out i will constantly remind you that what you need is a unimog.

as for kit, just get a 3 way ladder and a big saw, you can get it all from homebase, thats all you need to top em all

jamie


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## Ross Turner

Coppicing:: Has anyone on here done any or have been asked to do it,Only asking as i have started a accredited coppicing course today to add another qualification to my Cv.
There is a lot of work around here for it so thought it would be usefull & it opens other employment possiabilties.


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## Ross Turner

treebusta said:


> Hi everyone. I'm one of those lurkers Rollacosta mentioned. Have only been in the tree game a couple of years, Now i'm going on my own. Need to purchase chipper and maybe a stump grinder. Having only used other peoples kit and not too worried because i didn't have to pay for it. i now have to make a decision what to buy.
> Any advice? I don't have bottomless pockets so want to make sure i get value for money.




You can always look in the classifieds section of this site aswell as others which i cant mention,Have a look on the isa uk chapter site or even Ebay.


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## Big A

Ross Turner said:


> Coppicing:: Has anyone on here done any or have been asked to do it,Only asking as i have started a accredited coppicing course today to add another qualification to my Cv.
> There is a lot of work around here for it so thought it would be usefull & it opens other employment possiabilties.



Hi Ross, Coppicing has always been my winter back-up plan when the Arb side seems a little slack. Cant beat bit of coppicing. Ancient woodland craft with modern tools. If you've got a hazel understorey harvest it for your local thatchers, I get about £15 a bundle of rods, tho' some deviants tried it on and offered me £7 for the same bundles. It may seem time consuming to sort them but believe me it can earn some decent toot over a hectare plot. If your going to harvest the coppice for firewood remember that winter falling cannot (usually) be extracted until the wood has dried out, as landowners can make you responsible for re-instatement. Check on burning restrictions, all ssites I've worked on allow 5 fires per hectare. Hope this of use to you.
HI Treebusta! welcome to this great site. Enjoy.


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## eleath

Good to hear the old skills are still alive and well....... (when i were a lad...)
Wonder how well it works on Palms.......hahahahahahah

Had to try to riase a smile..

I did wonder about copicing when I had the farm but never got round to it.


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## Ross Turner

A local lad who does it when hes back from forestry college earns about £100 a day when coppicing.


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## treebusta

Rolla. Sorry i broke with tradition and introduced myself on this post. Read some of your stuff. If you put Hailsham into your sat nav it wll take you down to the south coast just east of Brighton. What chipper do you run. You mention Timberwolf but which one.


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## ROLLACOSTA

hi treebusta i run a tw150 ... 35hp diesel chipper, and vermeer 252 stump grinder and a rayco 13 grinder......


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## SteveBullman

so hows the new boy going rolla


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## jamie

*bowlines*

rolla, have you taught him to tie a bowline yet?

you have had a while

jamie


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## jockie

called the timberwolf factory in suffolk on monday and spoke to their sales office about what i need and the trouble i was having finding a s/h 190. they thought that a 150 (the 6") might suit me and maybe(?) easier to get a s/h machine. they offered me a factory visit where they'd give me a demo of the 190 and 150, even though they know that i'm not in the market for a new machine. i'm visiting friends in newmarket at the weekend so i've arranged to go to timberwolf on monday morning. didnt suss timberwolf150 (yet)! anyone been to their factory?


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## Acer

Ross Turner said:


> Coppicing:: Has anyone on here done any or have been asked to do it,Only asking as i have started a accredited coppicing course today to add another qualification to my Cv.
> There is a lot of work around here for it so thought it would be usefull & it opens other employment possiabilties.



Hi Ross. I coppice as well, mainly for materials for my own use, mainly on Wildlife Trust sites. I'm not sure how much I make on it as pure profit, but I'm charging £11 for 20 hedgelaying binders, and the same for a similar number of stakes. Hazel's the best for both, and the stakes are a lot better than the equivalent sawn variety when they're in the hedge.


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## Tom D. Wilson

were on with coppicing at the mo at collage, been weaving baskets and obelisks to flog at the garden center.


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## teressa green

collage ,a woven collage ,would like to see that ,its spelt college you ,basket case ,,,,


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## Ross Turner

Tom,Are you using chainsaws or billhooks.I am being taught to use billhooks & other traditional handtools.Over the next few weeks i will be harvesting the coppice & sorting through it to get the best produce out,i.e binders etc.
I am being taught through the Greenwood Trust & can gain level 1 & 2 OCN accredited qualification.


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## Big A

Ross Turner said:


> Tom,Are you using chainsaws or billhooks.I am being taught to use billhooks & other traditional handtools.


If you are using bills etc are you using the new crap tools that are being churned out? If so get around a few car boot sales and look out for the old "Hedgehog" bills, They sharpen up far better and hold the edge far longer due to higher quality steel. Plus I find they have a better balance, whick makes them less tiring.


----------



## Ross Turner

Big A said:


> If you are using bills etc are you using the new crap tools that are being churned out? If so get around a few car boot sales and look out for the old "Hedgehog" bills, They sharpen up far better and hold the edge far longer due to higher quality steel. Plus I find they have a better balance, whick makes them less tiring.



I have seen a few old billhooks of which i am hoping to buy one of the Newtown styles which is printed in an old & i mean old tool catalogue,was also looking at the fiskars clearing axe/knife for smaller stuff.


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## Big A

Also use a 10" jungle knife (ex-Army) made by Alligator, its MEAN but the handle needed taping to reduce the slippage from my grip! its also good for splitting thatching brauches and the like, not that I do many nowadays.


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## Tom D. Wilson

we'v been experimenting - useing brush cutters with maxi blades is quick but makes a mess of the stool - chainsaws simmilar, got my own billhook - it was my grandads and its solid as a rock. found that secaters are good for 1 and 2 year old stuff and means you dont have to go back and tidy the stool up.


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## Acer

Big A said:


> If you are using bills etc are you using the new crap tools that are being churned out? If so get around a few car boot sales and look out for the old "Hedgehog" bills, They sharpen up far better and hold the edge far longer due to higher quality steel. Plus I find they have a better balance, whick makes them less tiring.



Agree. Never buy bulldog billhooks. I don't think they're even forged, they're just stamped out of mild steel plate by the looks of it. If you see an old billhook with "Elwell" stamped on it, then buy it! They're the best. You can get some decent new ones, and I'd suggest one from Alec Morris & Sons in Devon. I find my Yorkshire from there holds an edge quite well.


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## PRUNER 1

ime goin to take down a big syccie now, see yall later hopefully with some piccies


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## clearance

Brits-I was born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire but I have lived in Canada since I was 4. I have a Brit passport and was last there in 99. I'm a utility arborist by trade, I climb with spurs mostly around powerlines. I do best on removals and land clearing, also have juvenile spacing experience. Not a prima donna, not scared to drag brush or muscle wood. Would any one there hire a guy like me or would I be shunned for being a hack? Here to log, not fek the dog kind of guy.


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## Ross Turner

Clearance,The way you describe your climbing method is what fountain forestry expect from there guys,I know as i used to be a team leader for them.My last job was utility but i only used spikes(spurs) on whole tree removals.So the answer to your question is yes there are a few companies whole employ your type.


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## PRUNER 1

*heres some pics of th syccie td*

stoopid thing won let me upload a file


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## Big A

Clearance, I dont believe that you are a hack, as you asked the question shows that you care. I believe that each person has different merits and attributes that can be used to enhance a company. No two people are the same, as long as they're willing to listen and learn that's all that matters.


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## clearance

Big A thanks for that. Hack is a word of abuse that I have chosen to own. Kind of like black men calling each other the n word as a greeting.


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## iain

i use spikes on dismantles / take downs, in fact did a 60 ft co dom syc in a place called guisborough on thursday they make the work much safer especially on smooth bark`d trees
don`t use them on pruning / reduction jobs as they damage the tree too much 
you don`t sound like a hack -- hack`s are scruffy, little rigger booted blokes, in transit vans who use 12 yr old kids as groundy`s


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## ROLLACOSTA

hi clearance ,if you have good climbing skill's then there is no reason why you could not become a decent climbing arborist,it's not rocket sicence correct prunning is pretty simple ,half a dozen job's with me would soon put you on the rite path...another thing hack's don't hang out on AS....There usualy down the pub or racing stock car's that kind of thing  ....why don't you buy a cheap book by alex shigo according to STEPHENBULLMAN .there a great little book for begginer arborist's anther good book is the tree climbers companion...


----------



## Big A

Best pull out of the of the pub carpark and go banger racing b4 I come on here again. Anyone know where I can get a new pair of rigger boots as the sole fell of mine today changing the white transit tyre. Anyone got any tips on how to wear spikes over riggers as the baler twine I tie them on with keeps snapping! Shigo cuts? Bo**ox to that! Can't beat flush cuts as it's so much quicker to spike back down the tree without those horrible bits sticking out in the way of me strop!


----------



## Ross Turner

Clearance,As a utility arborist are you expected to cut so much per day to make your wage?as most companies over here get paid £££ per k of overhead lines & expect their employees to cut as much as possible without a thought about the health of the tree.
As Rolla said have a look at a few books from the likes of Dr A Shigo,N.D james & even some of the ISA books.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

iain said:


> don`t use them on pruning / reduction jobs as they damage the tree too much



Even though i dont use spike's whilst prunning i'm not so sure that using spike's 'SPAREINGLY' on prunning job's is any more harmfull than the 'DOZENS' of prunning cut's we inflict on the tree


----------



## iain

ROLLACOSTA said:


> Even though i dont use spike's whilst prunning i'm not so sure that using spike's 'SPAREINGLY' on prunning job's is any more harmfull than the 'DOZENS' of prunning cut's we inflict on the tree




horse`s for course`s m8 a pruning cut done correctly will barrier up, a spike thro the outer bark into cambium won`t 

if folks use m on tpo or amenity trees n the local arb off might have kittens


----------



## Big A

Ross Turner said:


> Clearance,As a utility arborist are you expected to cut so much per day to make your wage?as most companies over here get paid £££ per k of overhead lines & expect their employees to cut as much as possible without a thought about the health of the tree.
> As Rolla said have a look at a few books from the likes of Dr A Shigo,N.D james & even some of the ISA books.


Even though the line clearance is paid on £££'s per K according to the small print in the contracts, all pruning should be carried out to BS3998 leaving trees in best possible form. This was the instruction from Electric Board to all private contractors. Trouble is their line managers dont even know what BS3998 involves! How long does it take to do a good pruning cut over a bead one? Sorry but no excuses for bad craftmanship, and yes I've done line clearance in the past and would have been sacked if carried out work in the manner that I see nowadays.


----------



## Ross Turner

Big A said:


> Even though the line clearance is paid on £££'s per K according to the small print in the contracts, all pruning should be carried out to BS3998 leaving trees in best possible form. This was the instruction from Electric Board to all private contractors. Trouble is their line managers dont even know what BS3998 involves! How long does it take to do a good pruning cut over a bead one? Sorry but no excuses for bad craftmanship, and yes I've done line clearance in the past and would have been sacked if carried out work in the manner that I see nowadays.



Big A i agree with you,I will only use spikes on takedowns.Some people will say its ok to climb with spikes if its deemed unsafe to do so,ie in the wet or if the tree is covered in ivy just to get the job done.
As for BS3998 its not the line managers at fault but the climbers who do the job,as if they have been trained they will be aware of them.


----------



## Big A

i know that's true and its probably just down to laziness, There are circumstances where it may be needed to where spikes such as emergency work in storms etc. Take-downs are adifferent ball game as the tree will be gone anyway so you may as well wear them as not to improve efficiency.


----------



## SteveBullman

Ross Turner said:


> As for BS3998 its not the line managers at fault but the climbers who do the job,as if they have been trained they will be aware of them.



its the line managers fault if he doesnt address the issue after the first occasion ie. sack the climber


----------



## Ross Turner

stephenbullman said:


> its the line managers fault if he doesnt address the issue after the first occasion ie. sack the climber




Abit harsh,Maybe a formal warning.I no a few line managers who would turn a blind eye just so the work gets done.
I think the Recs Tree auditors should carry out more suprise audits to catch this type of climber & not letting the main contractor know that they will be auditing that area so the climbers are unaware when they turn up.


----------



## SteveBullman

still, some people will never learn and the best way to set an example is to make one.
ive been round enough half ar*ed f'wits to know that some people are never going to buck their ideas up


----------



## SteveBullman

i've watched companies slide right downhill because the bosses couldn't bring themselves to fire hopeless cases
no place for leniancy(sp?) when it comes to maintaining high standards


----------



## jockie

have to agree with ross _and_ steve! if high standards arnt to slide the hopeless cases have to be dealt with, but sack them after first occasion and you'll be spending days preparing for and then appearing at the Industrial Tribunal! you can still make an example by giving verbal, written and final warning. the real f'wits will get all 3 and the sack in the same day! i've dropped myself in the sh1t before by going head on at performance issues, now i play straight down the line with that and h&s - harder at the time but better in the longrun. its just the blame and claim culture we live in!


----------



## SteveBullman

stephenbullman said:


> its the line managers fault if he doesnt address the issue after the first occasion ie. sack the climber



i wasnt suggesting immediate dismissal......but dismissal after the climber or groundsman has already been told.
imo theres no need to have to tell anyone anything twice.


----------



## Ross Turner

Why dont you get in touch with Greenmech or timberwolf & see if you can have one on demo for the day.Its got to be worth a try.


----------



## jockie

hi R! - timberwolf have a dealers all over uk and think they hire

i'm actually visiting their factory tmrw, i'll get them to call you if you like?


----------



## Big A

stephenbullman said:


> i've watched companies slide right downhill because the bosses couldn't bring themselves to fire hopeless cases
> no place for leniancy(sp?) when it comes to maintaining high standards


Alternatively you could promote the worst case to foreman, give him more money, then sit back and watch him do even less!!!!


----------



## Big A

Seriously, if you do nothing you end up losing business and reputation, then you may as well quit!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

iain said:


> horse`s for course`s m8 a pruning cut done correctly will barrier up, a spike thro the outer bark into cambium won`t
> 
> if folks use m on tpo or amenity trees n the local arb off might have kittens



a tree will CODIT whether its a pruning cut or a spike wound !.All i'm saying is a few spike wound's are no more detrimental to the tree than a whole load of pruning cut's it's all bad new's for the tree.Whilst were on the subject i'd go as far to say 90% of tree pruning is detrimental to the health of a tree and i'd even say most pruning work is totally unnecessary


----------



## Acer

jockie said:


> have to agree with ross _and_ steve! if high standards arnt to slide the hopeless cases have to be dealt with, but sack them after first occasion and you'll be spending days preparing for and then appearing at the Industrial Tribunal! you can still make an example by giving verbal, written and final warning. the real f'wits will get all 3 and the sack in the same day! i've dropped myself in the sh1t before by going head on at performance issues, now i play straight down the line with that and h&s - harder at the time but better in the longrun. its just the blame and claim culture we live in!



Got to agree with this. Even for small employers, It's worth sitting down and writing out contracts of employment and grievance procedures, so everyone knows where they are. If you make it up as you go along, you get saddled with these hopeless cases - from experience. As the employer, you're on the back foot if you haven't got some written agreement, and it only takes one tosser to drag the lot down, and sour the attitude of the good people you've got.


----------



## jockie

jockie said:


> called the timberwolf factory in suffolk on monday and spoke to their sales office about what i need and the trouble i was having finding a s/h 190. they thought that a 150 (the 6") might suit me and maybe(?) easier to get a s/h machine. they offered me a factory visit where they'd give me a demo of the 190 and 150, even though they know that i'm not in the market for a new machine. i'm visiting friends in newmarket at the weekend so i've arranged to go to timberwolf on monday morning. didnt suss timberwolf150 (yet)! anyone been to their factory?



Spent over 2 hours at timberwolf today - made really welcome. they've got quite a set up, brand new factory etc. lots of stuff going through their
r and d dept and they took me through all the changes/improvements to different models over the last 2 years that have dealt with a fair few problems. they opened up their warranty records to me to show that the improvements have brought overall warranty claims to bugger all, so guess it must be working! while i was in the service dept, the engineer took a call from a user and talked him through a problem live on the phone - the bloke kept working! also saw the new timberwolf 150 tracked chipper - not their ajustible track machine, but new fixed width on much bigger, more powwerfull tracks. theyre launching the machine soon. machine looks great as if it cld go anywhere. they tracked it around up and down ridiculous slopes on site no problem. still got trouble finding a s/h 190, although they have put me in touch with one of their dealers who might have an ex demo machine. tempted to go for that new tracked 150 now though! no-one coughed to being 'timberwolf150'!!


----------



## iain

hi rolla
i appreciate where your coming from, re the codit model sorry barrier was a poor choice of word, however spikes cause undue injury, this is why the tree will compartmentalise the damaged area to reduce decay and the invasion by the nasties, 
however, the point i was mereley trying to make was this, the use of spikes can be seen as willful and the wilfull damage of trees ( tpo etc), is what gets lads in the sh1t, 
i choose not to use spike`s unless the tree is being removed, so as not to slip up one day and end up facing prosecution. 

pruning can be a drag and some may well be unneccessary, that maybe , due to a lack of knowledge on the part of the client, who could be guided by reputable co`s, however, some simply won`t pay for proffesional rates, unfortunatley people often take advice from those, who are on the face of it cheapest, usually resulting in poor advice and service
in my experience most people don`t want to pay for, what doesn`t want doing, and rightly so !, although sometimes the old phrase `bullsh1t baffles brains` applys
we do more take downs than pruning for the private sector, mainly because the the trees have been neglected / or hacked to save money, in-life you get what you pay for ! false economy really, 
any hoo hows the new dude doing


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

iain said:


> hi rolla
> 
> we do more take downs than pruning for the private sector, mainly because the the trees have been neglected / or hacked to save money, in-life you get what you pay for ! false economy really,
> any hoo hows the new dude doing




I recently noticed in my area that there has not been any reduction in the amount of poor work since i started out almost 20 years ago ,In stead of going through a battle [education seminar with customer who says i want the tree topped whatever ]with home owner's i would rather sell a takedown ,P.S i never have and never will use spikes whilst pruning  

FELLOW BRITS!! how is work ?,for me i can't plan bugger all were either flatout or at a near standstill never in-between..how the **** can you plan a business in this senario ,lot's of other firm's tell me they are also in the same perdicament..I wouldn't like to be a new kid on the block with the last few years being stop start stop start ,if i were new in business i would have packed up by now


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

ian the new dudes are doing fine thank's ,


----------



## jockie

Rolla

youre right you know! i'm lucky enough to have contract clearance and maintenance work for 'leckie company and for the m o d (couple of bases) and both of these were thru who i knew and not what!(like to think i keep the work be cause of what though!) without this i'd be soiling my panties as work came that i had to turn away cos too busy at that time and had disappeared when i had the space. feast or famine springs to mind and even my contract biz is seasonal and under attack from the 'biggies' who do a sh1te job for low cost. depressed now. can i afford the new chipper!!!!!!!!!???
do i invest or not? standstill and die or take a punt????? HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP


----------



## treebusta

Hi again guys. Did what most of you suggested and got some companies to give me a demo on new machines. Have so far seen
Greenmech - 6 inch machine with a 26hp engine. Had a wide feed mouth but struggled on the bigger wood. Stalled it once, but they did say they would beat anyones price. Overall not that impressed. Looked quite complicated and had round blades. Has anyone used these. They say they could last upto 1500 hours. 
Timberwolf 150dh. This chipped everything i could get in it. Got a good discount but not as cheap as Greenmech. Demo bloke said he could give me a list of at least 20 users in my area if i needed some independant advice. Looked really simple to work on and the dealer is only 3 miles away. Going to get the list and call some people.
Jensen 530. This like the Timberwolf chipped everything that went in. Guy was very forceful and slagged the others. Promised lots of aftersales, but think he was just after me to say yes there and then. Looked quite complcated. Had 2 feed rollers but only one motor and shafts and gears. Does anyone know of any problems with these. Lots of greasing needed each day or so. 

Overall for my 10 - 11k i think TW150 might be best bet but will wait until spoken to a few people. Does anyone know a good s/h chipper dealer.


----------



## jockie

treebusta - greenmech arf arf arf lol - if u want a money burning party i'll give you my address!!(my humble opinion only). jensen - germans who think they can trade off the german label and that we brits are sucker enough to believe that just cos its german it must be good - its not! i've been told by several that their after sales and warranty AND spares supply/cost SUCK. 2B avoided!!! timberwolf - went to the factory yesterday and impressed. they didnnt slagoff others, just showed me their own performance - pretty dam good. if you want a cheap s/h machine though you'll end up with jensen or greenmech cos the trade in and s/h values are CR*P. try getting a tw s/h for a snip - you cant! that just about says it all.


----------



## timberwolf150

Jockie. Didn't spot me heh. Guess you wont be getting your fiver off anyone then!!!! Glad you enjoyed the visit though. Would invite anyone who wanted to come. Good for users to see all the work that goes into making a chipper. Not as easy as it looks.


----------



## jockie

were you the girl with the nice legs and big chest that made me coffee??


----------



## treebusta

jockie - thanx for that. thinking along the same lines as me. Timberwolf impressed with knowledge and knowhow Jensen bloke just not very nice. Got impression just wanted my money. Go t news for him though. He's not gonna get it. Gonna speak to some Timberwolf users but think minds already made up.


----------



## timberwolf150

Jockie - that would be telling. Keep guessing
Treebusta - Glad u liked the 150. How did u come up wit your name. Did you know TW used to make a machine called that.


----------



## treebusta

1st guy I worked for had one. Quite old but good little machine. Never forgot the name. It was yellow though, Thought timberwolfs were orange. Were you the guy showing me the chipper? If it was you did a good job.


----------



## timberwolf150

Treebusta.Timberwolf chippers are made be Entec Industries. The old chippers were yellow. Changed completely to Orange in 2001. Wasn't me who did demo but know who it was. Will tell him You said hello.


----------



## Ross Turner

Treebuster,Try Masons they advertise in forestry & british timber or you can look through the links page of www.eagleasset.co.uk who offer finance,but its a good way of looking whats available.


----------



## iain

tree buster 2nd hand try www.masonwoodchippers.co.uk i`ve had two from them, be very thorough when you look over the machine`s
in life you get what you pay for !


----------



## PRUNER 1

*at last pics from syccie removal*

doh, files were too large to upload so resized them to 35% of original


----------



## Ross Turner

Looked like a nice job,Where abouts was it? & what happened to the timber?.Also did i see 2 climbers in the first pic?.


----------



## PRUNER 1

yes 2 climbers, it was a big awkward sod of a tree which was bigger than when we 1st looked at it. job was in the dales at langthwaite and all arisings were to be burnt by some poor sod!!! not enough height on tree to drop big lumps so lots of end work pulling up and over. good fun but hard work


----------



## jamie

*work*

we have been production felling for the past 2 weeks, great fun, going through 5 nearly 6 fills a day, hard as **** knocking them down into the wind (as there are houses behind). there are 3 of us on it 2 felling and the boss in the forwarder. 

my forearms are burning from melting highlifters into the back of every tree. Andy (the other feller) has the skidder to pull over the roadsiders and im having fun trying to outsmart the wind, hit the wedges when the wind drops then rest when it blows again.

what really bugged me was when some guy appeared behind me while i was belting the wedges in then he pipes up with "you nearly there, just a few more hits, oh almost nearly just a few more, oh, oh, oh there it goes. that looks like hard work".

jamie


----------



## Acer

iain said:


> tree buster 2nd hand try www.masonwoodchippers.co.uk i`ve had two from them, be very thorough when you look over the machine`s
> in life you get what you pay for !



I got my tw150 from mason's. 4 months after buying it I was having the rotor rebuilt - plus the roller motor splines were worn out. Bill to put it all right = £2000.


----------



## blue

pruner1,
nice pics.looked like a big sycamore i wouldn't want to be the sap that has to clear it up


----------



## Big A

Had a cushy day coppicing, banging down 60foot sycs all day GREAT FUN!!!  i dont think anything was over 8in diameter whippy as hell.


----------



## Jumper

Didja hear about the new Chuck and Camilla stamp....?

They put the glue on the front.


----------



## iain

Acer said:


> I got my tw150 from mason's. 4 months after buying it I was having the rotor rebuilt - plus the roller motor splines were worn out. Bill to put it all right = £2000.




i`ve had two from mason 
i have had problem`s with both, even had the road wheel and brake drum fall off   i won`t be doing it again 

be carefull


----------



## Acer

iain said:


> i`ve had two from mason
> i have had problem`s with both, even had the road wheel and brake drum fall off   i won`t be doing it again
> 
> be carefull



You as well! I was hoping to get a few people together to see if we could get to trading standards or even HSE. If he's fiddling about with them but doesn't know what he's doing, surely that's illegal under PUWER? Trouble is, I'm up to my eyeballs in work right now, and I've no time to fight this sort of stuff. Plus, I don't think I'll get anywhere. I bought it, the warranty's up, my tough luck. I should have looked at it more carefully.  

The local timberwolf dealer did a great job putting it right, dropped everything and turned it round in 2 days (My wallet's still hurting though). I did find something out..I was told that Mason touts around for all the old part-ex nails and buys them up for around £2500 or so, then bangs em out with a new coat of paint on for £7500.. He had done stuff to mine, and the bearings were new, he just hadn't put it back together properly or done the other stuff that needed doing and should have been done.


----------



## jockie

checked out masons website. their timberwolf ref m98 - the spec doesn't fit the photo - be careful!!

also their ref m108 - a 2001 tracked 150. the timberwolf factory didn't make a tracked 150 in 2001. this is a *Arborplant conversion * of a timberwolf roadtow machine - (Arborplant are the guys that also make that wonderful(hahahahahaha) Predator stump grinder and I hear that timberwolf sacked them as dealers last year and wont have anything to do with them) - double be careful!!!


----------



## jockie

Hi Peter

I'm between Shrewsbury and Telford, so s/coldfield a fair drag for me. i know a couple of guys that direction so I'll have a word and come back to you. 

How did you get on with the timberwolf tracked machine??


----------



## Ross Turner

Jockie,Its a small world,I live in Telford,Looking for some work if you know anyone.


----------



## Big A

Ross, head over to the East, plenty of work for the right people at the moment.


----------



## Big A

anyone in the UK know what the old clear treeguards with the square mesh are made from? dont think they're biodegradable.


----------



## Ross Turner

Big A,I used to live in St Neots,Cambs & worked for Tower forestry on behalf of Eastern Electric when they lost the contract gained employment with Fountains on NGC contract got fed up & left.
Who is looking over your way?.Would prefer to get back into normal arb & stay out of Utility but beggars cant be choosers.


----------



## Big A

Dont know off the top of my head who wants what, sorry, but seems a market shortage of good climbers as all the self-employed ones around here seem to be in demand. Just ask Stephen Bullman, left the company earlier in the year to go s/e and hasn't looked back since. I know of a few others like him and they're all busy.


----------



## jockie

hi ross. i'll def ask around.


----------



## Ross Turner

Thanks Jockie,What name do you trade under?.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

been a bit quiet on here lately boy's i take it your all working hard ?? and can't get the time to post ,I know AS is acting a bit strange at the moment with constant bickering etc but let's try and keep our Brit thread going for our sake !!

so what you all been up to are any ofyou guy's getting a change from winter to summer work yet ? ie bloody hedge's !!..

does anyone know of any shows coming up soon where we might all be able to meet up?? Blue when is Caple Manor's festival of tree's day on ?? we could possibly all meet up there


----------



## timberwolf150

Capel Manor Show Fri & Sat 22 / 23 April.
AA Show. Bathurst Estate Cirencester. Fri & Sat 24 / 25 June

Everyone is of course welcome on the TW stand for a cold beer. Good timbersports and climbing events at capel all weekend.


----------



## treebusta

was at Capel last year. Did some of my training there. One of the instructors, Nick is one of the axemen. Good fun watching those guys. Watching two of them crosscut a log quicker than a chainsaw. I had to see it to believe it.
Timberwolf - Chipper delivered by Greenshields on Monday. Been using it hard all week chipping all the brash we've been piling up. Absolutley great. We all love it. See you at both shows to take you up on that drink.


----------



## timberwolf150

No problem. I'll put a reserved for arborist site members only on one of the tables.

Glad you like the chipper treebusta. We aim to please. please keep telling everyone on here all the good and bad things. Criticism is more important sometimes. Without it we can't put the bad things right.


----------



## blue

rolla,
i should be going to capel on the friday.we'll have to meet up again,lets just hope it's better weather than the last show.i hope tw150 realizes how much me and frank can drink

as far as work goes we're pretty busy(no hedges yet(thankfully)).we have had an arb student on work experience for the last 2 weeks,an extra pair of hands is nice when all jobs have long dragouts.he's pretty keen and willing to learn.i've told him about AS as he is looking to travel and get more experience when he finnish's college as he may be able to hook up with a member over the pond.
i've got 4 days off now,hows about anyone else?


----------



## SteveBullman

working tomorrow. nice easy day though, smallish ash tree to reduce. saturday sunday off, might go do a few hours yard work on the monday
me and big A are going to capel, havent decided what day on yet though


----------



## blue

friday friday friday friday friday friday friday friday friday friday friday


----------



## Big A

ROLLACOSTA said:


> so what you all been up to are any ofyou guy's getting a change from winter to summer work yet ? ie bloody hedge's !!..


Wish I was hedging, busy on bloody roadside today clearing for a new slip road. Lovely job!!! Then to cap it all the biggest chipper in the universe turns up to clear up for a different company around the corner. a Volvo BM unit pulling it. THe chipper will produce 180 cu/metres per day. 4 feet in feed, 44in discharge spout, 575hp engine fed with a grab. Totally awesome, made the 8in Timberwolf look like a kids toy, took about 10 secs to eat 2 / 50 foot poplars, together. Company comes from Slough I think.


----------



## jamie

*on the chipper front*

keep harassing the boss to pto chipper with grab, a farmi thingy. either that or a 17 inch forwarder conversion, charge round town with the diffs in and band tracks, yeee haw. 

we have now finished our production felling, not a big job, reckon i got through 300 trees in a week and a half. got a huge compliment on my speed, cutting and increased confidence felling in tight spaces, oh and extra wages for workin so ???? hard. was getting halfway through my 6th fill on the really good days.

jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

Any one after a lockjack,Have a look here great bloke to deal with as this is the person i bought mine off last year.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4367079081&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

dont you have to change the cam on lock jack's every 6 months


----------



## Ross Turner

I dont see why,I think you only need to change it once it starts to effect its ability to hold the rope.


----------



## unimog

Hi all, just joined this site. Good to see poeple talking the job and being honest.

Just in the middle of a big contract which includes dismantling 7 x 130 foot Wellingtonia Pines, rest is "remedial pruning". Just found a really good self employed climber,has a lot of balls and works like a horse,hard to find these days.

Use a Unimog 1000 with 10" farmi chipper, Looks great when we turn up in the middle of town to reduce a couple of conifers for £60.

Love the site and looking forward to a lot more chat, but kids and hoildays = quality time ie, going to the coast and shopping etc, would rather drag brash anyday.LOL


----------



## teressa green

where in yorks are you mog man ?


----------



## Ross Turner

Unimog,Welcome to the site.Jamie will give you a warm welcome,He loves Mogs.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

hi unimog welcome to our thread and site


----------



## jamie

*mogs*

Welcome unimog.

love our mogs but not our MBtrac 800 with the timber boogie.

driving home at a nice steady 20 mph, hit falkirk and have to stop (after 1 1/2 hours in one gear) hit the brakes, foot sinks, almost went up the arse of a shiny new car, cant mind the make. had to mount the kerb and slam on the handbrake to just miss em.....scary stuff. topped up the resivior and called the boss. his response, 'you still have a handbrake' lucky i have a sense of humour....i had another 1 1/2 hour drive ahead of me.... 

been getting pis sed with the 4/1 distel tied with tenex on arbormaster and xtc when it gets wet. sticks loads hard to advance when wet or loaded. needs a lot of maintenance. thinking of trying new cord.....not a happy bunny with it just now.

jamie


----------



## Big A

Does anyone remember a company called Sylvan Arborist Supplies, bought some gear from them 5 or 6 years ago at Merrist Wood Open Day and haven't heard from them lately, wondered if they are still in business? Happy Easter!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

heard of them but not lately..


----------



## ccooperabbs

Sylvan arborist supplies are the equipment supply side of Oakwood Tree Services based at Banstead, Surrey. Pro. is a gent by the name of Nick Beardmore a yell.com search should bring them up. 

Chris
www.theabsolutearbcompany.com


----------



## iain

nose back to the grindstone


----------



## wilcowilson

Hi All,

Just found this site and this thread, such a good idea, has already provided me with loads of good tips and advice!


----------



## jamie

*hi*

hi there wilcowilson.

i'll be the first to ask the question where about in scotland are you from?

good to hear you have already learnt something, i find its an almost daily occurance.

jamie


----------



## billywhizz

wilcowilson said:


> Hi All,
> 
> Just found this site and this thread, such a good idea, has already provided me with loads of good tips and advice!



Ive been watching since signing up cos im a newbie in the trade and scared to show it! In with both feet - im gonna suck up whatever tips and advise I can get too. Just got some cas work in devon for a couple of weeks and spent all day on a chipper. Dont think itll last (the work or the chipper) - not at all experienced other than what I lernt at Capel Manor, but it seemed like lots of brakedown and downtime to me. Hard as hell to use too.


----------



## Big A

ccooperabbs said:


> Sylvan arborist supplies are the equipment supply side of Oakwood Tree Services based at Banstead, Surrey. Pro. is a gent by the name of Nick Beardmore a yell.com search should bring them up.
> 
> Chris
> www.theabsolutearbcompany.com


Cheers for that, I'll give them a try.


----------



## jamie

*hi*

hey ho billy 

if it lasts (the chipper and the chipping) there will be a lot more chipping.......loads more.

good luck whatever happens, stick at it. we all started somewhere, i did my degree in countryside management and never thought twice about a saw until i graduated then worked up from there, rarely use any of my degree on a day to day basis. i jumped in both feet first, made a big splash and only just made it to the surface, im swimming now though.

jamie


----------



## billywhizz

thanks so much for that jamie. Im def going to get stuck in and do my best with whatever comes my way. Going to get as much casual work under my belt as I can so I can show some practical experience to win a steady job. Thanks again

Billy


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

welcome new GUY'S it's all good on this thread and site


----------



## wilcowilson

jamie said:


> hi there wilcowilson.
> 
> i'll be the first to ask the question where about in scotland are you from?
> 
> good to hear you have already learnt something, i find its an almost daily occurance.
> 
> jamie



Hi Jamie,

I'm from East Lothian which I absolutely love, great scenery and amazing people! Working for a small company which only started at the beginning of the year! Looks like it might have good prospects though!

Still bouncing between Newcastle and East Lothian at the moment as I’m doing an ND Arboriculture at a college there! I also coincidently did my Degree in Countryside Management!

Wilco


----------



## Ross Turner

Wilco,Are you doing the course at Kirkley Hall at Ponteland or is it Houghall at Durham?.

These Countryside management Quals are they any use as i know a few people who have them & they cant find any work what so ever.Has anyone heard the latest at Newton Rigg anyone doing a ND in forestry will no longer be taught how to use the saw within the course syllabus but will have to do it as another unit or so i have been told.


----------



## iain

hi ya everyone, another week over, so is winter, well officially anyway!!

anyone got the low down on the work at height regs ?


----------



## Lobo

Well, has Charlie apologized yet!


----------



## blue

Lobo said:


> Well, has Charlie apologized yet!




don't know don't care


----------



## jamie

*Cm*

these countryside management degrees are useful if you want to become a ranger and thats really it. you dont do enough of one subject to really get to grips with it well except interpretation (making those nice interpretation boards you see everywhere). 4 years of lots of subjects that paddle round the deeper stuff.

i spent my first year applying for seasonal ranger jobs, i applied for one where i did my dissertation. got a 2:1 for it and the head ranger was well chuffed, it was used in their 10 year management plan. i was there everyweekend and when not surveying was helping with the ranger team. i was applicant no 174 for 4 posts not even an interview......

i'll give it a miss if its all the same.

wish i had done forestry / arb now. get a more useful degree long ago.

they are good if you want to be a ranger, i came out thinking something practical or science and im not trained for either, bugger. there goes more money and more courses.

jamie


----------



## Big A

Any of you self-employed Brits carry a CIS card? I spoke to the Tax Office and they said I didnt need one, but some companies say its necessary? I understand that if they are doing hard landscaping they come under construction industry regs, but Arb and forestry are under Horticulture and farming. Any points of view?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

NO NOT NECESSERY! DEFINATLY NOT NEEDED!been through this with some big construction firm's and SERCO etc


----------



## PRUNER 1

hey jamie, i got an across the board distinction for my thesis and rjb mining wanted to use but not pay me. i told them to stick it! 6 months hard graft for nowt, dont think so. i studied at houghall 5 years ago and got my hnd arb with no background wotsoeva. i nearly quit to do the nc but glad i didnt. still dont use it tho!!! will eventually!!! i hope!!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

iain said:


> hi ya everyone, another week over, so is winter, well officially anyway!!
> 
> anyone got the low down on the work at height regs ?



just dont have an accident  ,this is a grey area i have been in touch with HSE OVER THIS ISSUE.They reccomend we should all use cherry picker's when possible according to them but like i said nothing is set in stone YET over this issue  ,


----------



## jamie

*awards*

got the award for outstanding work in an ecological field for my thesis, what does that mean outside uni...nowt. no one cared. found a nationally rare beetle, in large enough numbers and spread over a wide enough area to indicate a sustainable population, did that bother anyone....well apart from the reserve manager noone cared again....i lie my mum was proud. :jester: 

jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

For more info on the Work at Height Regs get intouch with Liam at Treevolution as he was on the board that sorted out the regs that would effect our working.They are being included in the Good tree climbing guide produced by the AA later thuis year so i hear.


----------



## iain

Big A said:


> Any of you self-employed Brits carry a CIS card? I spoke to the Tax Office and they said I didnt need one, but some companies say its necessary? I understand that if they are doing hard landscaping they come under construction industry regs, but Arb and forestry are under Horticulture and farming. Any points of view?




we work for a co that insist on cis, as a matter of course its the way they work
this is what i was told by the tax office
cis req`d for site preperation works, if the whole scheme is related in some way to constuction, however if you are carring out remedial works, even take downs on a site because of an, arb issue or maintenance(pruning etc) 
basically because of tree management then, it doesn`t apply 

that was 18 months or so ago , i find that when talking to government bods, the story is never the same from person to person, they get confused when dealing with tree issues (not just trees)
i tried to Get it in Writing from them, hope you have better luck


----------



## iain

Ross Turner said:


> For more info on the Work at Height Regs get intouch with Liam at Treevolution as he was on the board that sorted out the regs that would effect our working.They are being included in the Good tree climbing guide produced by the AA later thuis year so i hear.


 
cheers Ross


----------



## Ross Turner

No probs Iain


----------



## Lobo

blue said:


> don't know don't care



Interesting, we always thought you brits were really in to this King and Queen stuff.


----------



## Ross Turner

Who`s We?


----------



## Lobo

North Americans such as Canadians and Americans.


----------



## blue

Lobo said:


> Interesting, we always thought you brits were really in to this King and Queen stuff.



all the royal family are is a source of story's for the tabloid press which most people take no notice of whatsoever


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

we most certainly do not need a CIS card for tree work ,but what about site clearence ???

Lobo when we become a Communist country we will execute the royal parasite's !!


----------



## iain

ROLLACOSTA said:


> we most certainly do not need a CIS card for tree work ,but what about site clearence ???
> 
> Lobo when we become a Communist country we will execute the royal parasite's !!




Rolla 
i was told by the tax office that, if the work we carry out is a prelude to a larger scheme, which involve`s the consruction on, or a permanant development of a site then, cis applys

they grey area is when does a new build site stop being new ! , ie

1 if you carry out clearance, in order for works to commence ,then are called back to prune the remaining trees, for asthetics, so that the site is more appealing to prospective buyers.

2 if you carry out clearance, in order for works to commence ,then are called back to prune the remaining trees, for asthetics, after the site has been sold on.

as i understand it all of option 1 applys, whereas only the site clearance of option 2 is subject to cis 


what do you think !!


----------



## Acer

iain said:


> we work for a co that insist on cis, as a matter of course its the way they work
> this is what i was told by the tax office
> cis req`d for site preperation works, if the whole scheme is related in some way to constuction, however if you are carring out remedial works, even take downs on a site because of an, arb issue or maintenance(pruning etc)
> basically because of tree management then, it doesn`t apply



That's what I understood. 

If you contract, some local authorities want you to have one.I think they're paranoid about unwittingly taking on contractors who aren't properly registered with the IR. I had to get one, then turn up in person at their finance office with it..this was for sycamore clearance on a grassland site, nothing to do with construction. They still insisted on the card, but paid me the full whack without withholding any tax.


----------



## Big A

Contacted the Tax Office again about the CIS to try to clear up the "grey area", the reply was in a nutshell "we dont do grey areas, its all black and white! You arent Construction Industry so dont bother!" So as someone advises above, if they ask for it, I'll avoid the work. As also stated before, it seems to depend on who you talk to at the Tax Office, and how each one interprets the rules.


----------



## jamie

*black and white*

i suppose if we were in construction we would be sectionally assembling trees?

we were asked if we were part of the CSCS scheme. the boss phoned the building comapny and asked what it was.....so no we wern't

jamie


----------



## iain

yeah i agree we arn`t "constructors" but then if the work, we are employed to carry out, is part of a constuction plan-scheme, then the leaches want there blood

any how, fight the fight, the money is more important to our bank balance, than the treasury, gordon brown is loaded


----------



## jamie

*Mewps*

anyone have experience with a lot of MEWPS

my boss is adament on getting a Ranger despite the fact we (a colleague and myself) have been trying one for a few days. there are a few niggeling points we have with it, but nothing that wont correct itself with use and practice.

we have also had some scan lifts and genies, both have their pluses and minuses...

any views

jamie


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

I'm doing my CS 38 at Caple mannor collage next week. Going to be hard work but should be a lot of fun too.


----------



## blue

where abouts in herts are ya brushcutter?


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

blue said:


> where abouts in herts are ya brushcutter?


St. Albans


----------



## blue

who's going to capel manor then?what day?we need to sort out an action plan of where to meet.the timberwolf stand seems a good place as their providing free beer  .i'm going on the friday who else or will i be nobby no-mates???


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Look's like it's only me and you Blue for CAPEL TREE DAY and on here for that matter


----------



## teressa green

might join you boys if i can find out where the chuffing place is ,did some one say free beer,,,,,,,,,timberwolf tent at 1 pm will be wearing my trilby and a copy of the daily sport,,,,,under the old arm ,think this has been done before,,,,,,,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

capel manor college ,near Enfeild N London ,give it a google you'll soon find the college ,it's just off the m25


----------



## blue

terresa,
thats gonna be a fair old trek from yorkshire hpoe ya make it though


----------



## teressa green

gonna try my best boys,


----------



## SteveBullman

me and big A are going on friday


----------



## jamie

*sounding stupid*

whats going on then?

there is no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid people and im one of them (well in this instance)

jamie


----------



## Big A

Cant get on here so much at the moment as Mrs Big A snapped her leg and I got to help with the house and stuff, plus work is hotting up fairly now, loads of paperwork, and the old tax return crashed through the letterbox today  looking forward to the Capel Manor do, and I think I saw Timberwolf150 yesterday, perhaps if youre on here you can confirm if you went to Colchester to see Urban Forestry and their T/Wolf 190 on tracks?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

so whos going friday and whos going saturday..i'm flexible i'll go with the majority !..at the moment it look's like i'll be going friday


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

get well soon Mrs bigA


----------



## Big A

Cheers for that Rolla, didnt realise till today how much of a pain in the butt wheelchair access is, but thats a different story, roll on Capel Manor. Anyone know if there are going to be many or what trade stuff will be there?


----------



## timberwolf150

Sorry BigA it wasn't me. All the usual suspects at Capel. All the chippers, grinders etc. A&F Warehouse and new Arb Essentials and others prob all trying to sell you the same thing cheaper. Axemen great to watch. My missus not too good at the moment either. Cooking / ironing etc. They deserve a medal!!


----------



## SteveBullman

cool, if a&f are there they should have some arborwear gear.


----------



## Ross Turner

Got interveiw tommorrow(tuesday),of what i know the company do line clearance but its a job.Fingers crossed.


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

timberwolf150 said:


> Sorry BigA it wasn't me. All the usual suspects at Capel. All the chippers, grinders etc. A&F Warehouse and new Arb Essentials and others prob all trying to sell you the same thing cheaper. Axemen great to watch. My missus not too good at the moment either. Cooking / ironing etc. They deserve a medal!!




The Friday is training day for the axe men and saturday is compertion day. The guy who teaches all the CS courses (Nick) will be taking part in the axe race i think he is european champion.

You can get some great deals there because everyone is trying to sell you the same thing. We got a Husky 323R brushcutter for 400 quid last year 200 quid of f list price.


----------



## PRUNER 1

had a good day saturday. 200 squid for taking the top off a big maple. 2.5 hours and no tidy up, all lowered and no damage. weather held up nicely, bosch. some local guy took the job on but couldnt actually do it so i nailed him for it. some tidy up hes got though! my groundie got 100 aswell.


----------



## Ross Turner

Yipee,Just got back from interveiw,Got a job to start in a few weeks no bad pay.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

well done ROSS now go and make some £££££££££££sssss ,good luck in your new job


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

Hi

Looking into getting my first set up just done the NPTC course and really need to get into practcing to build up strengh confidence and ability. I'm gunna see if any local tree guys i know are selling off any kit that on the verge of retering but i've put together a list of parts for a new kit. Hows it seem everything there all ok? Would i need anything more?

Willans T22 wide back padded half harness

ISC locksafe 3way mongoose 3 way karabiners 2-blue and silver 2 black and purple

personal first aid kit

Rope either Yale XTC soft eye 148' or Marlow Gecko Spliced eye 

Work positioning laynard @2m

Split tail

3 Prussic loops 

Arborists lid


----------



## Big A

Well done Ross, Lush day, well planned removal in no space, no damage and in a couple of hours! Used a 70 tonne container lift to elevate about 6 ton of rotten Oak clear of Portacabins and fencing. SWL of lift is 32 tonne with a vertical lift of about 40 feet. Butt roped to eliminate side swing, what a cool day! Only had to write out 5 pages of risk assessment and planning to keep everyone happy. Cool!  Hard to find a cheesy grin smiley with a big enough cheesy grin to describe today. Couldn't take any photies as I was too busy cheking and double-checking everything. Oh and driving the 3120 through the butt!


----------



## Ross Turner

Thanks lads,Its back doing line clearance but at least i wont have to stay out for days on end like the last job.Wages arnt to bad £1500 a month for about a 40 hour week,So yes Rolla i can start earning some good money again.


----------



## timberwolf150

Just to let you all know i've spent all day getting ready for Capel Manor Show. Had to leave behind a couple of machines behind so we could fit all the extra beer on! Look for the table with reserved for ArboristSite members only on it. All welcome, see you there.


----------



## blue

poke the chippa's just bring beer


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Blue i thought you said ,you and Frank are very very keen on buying a new tracked 9'' chipper..and you said i thought ,if old timberwolf150 could sharpen his pencil and come up with a good price you'd probably sign up for one on the day


----------



## Big A

Back to earth with a jolt today after a cool day yesterday, if it could break down it did. 4 little conifer stumps to grind out this afternoon, would the grinder run properly, would it hell. Turned out to be water in the fuel tank and filter, took ages to drain out. Then me Husky decided not to run 1 day after coming out of the saw shop! Much tinkering later thats fixed. Then half-way thru a juniper hit an iron stake. Ho-hum, win some lose some. Then there was the funeral across the way so we had to take an un-scheduled break while that took place. Roll on tomorrow.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

ooh i hit a steel bar the other day  ,you know a 'tree stake'  the other day with a new chain on


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Big A said:


> Back to earth with a jolt today after a cool day yesterday, if it could break down it did. 4 little conifer stumps to grind out this afternoon, would the grinder run properly, would it hell. Turned out to be water in the fuel tank and filter, took ages to drain out. Then me Husky decided not to run 1 day after coming out of the saw shop! Much tinkering later thats fixed. Then half-way thru a juniper hit an iron stake. Ho-hum, win some lose some. Then there was the funeral across the way so we had to take an un-scheduled break while that took place. Roll on tomorrow.



was this your own work or for MB ???


----------



## jamie

ROLLACOSTA said:


> with a new chain on




i feel your pain. 

i picked up a 357xpg another guy was using tried to fell some wee sticks not going, no where, had to take the rakers down 3 rubs. he had been felling with it, i felt for the poor wee thing, getting forced through all those cuts.

jamie


----------



## unimog

Big A...Know the feeling. Stump grinder electro clutch stuffed.£600 +vat.

Unimog clutch fluid pipe burst. £80 sorted....wrong, 2 weeks, 3 fitters and f**k knows how many calls to Merc HQ later back on the road. If any body thinks bleeding the clutch fluid is easy...think again. Todays top tip, buy new mog, cheaper. Serious if anybody has same problem. undo bleed screw on server, put airline into reserviour full of fluid and bleed using air pressure from top down.

and to top it all, best mate who's worked with me for 6 years jacks it in. Can't blame him really. New job for life sat on tractor with flail mower, £400 aweek + all the o/t he wants +pension and 4 weeks paid hols.

Sh*t happens


----------



## teressa green

mog ,where in yorks are you based ?


----------



## iain

sounds like it's not just me who's had a naff week ! 
dropped a boll*ck on a job at the start of the week under priced it ! d'oh ,
then on wednesday some theiving tw*t knicked over a grands worth of gear off a job, while me and the lads were busy. 
and to end the week i had to finish our new groundi 
beers all round me think's


----------



## teressa green

happy st georges day lads ,and bollox to political correctness


----------



## unimog

Teressa....in York. 25 years in the business and still trying to make a living...lol

Mainly consulting and machine sales now but still like to keep me little private jobs and the few long term sites that will actually pay to have their trees maintained. Had my fill of building site,line clearance and railway work.

Talking of building sites and CIS. Best way is to get yourself down as a supplier and not a service supplier. Only used my card once and that was with another tree firm that sent their accounts guy on a course provided to the building industry by the Inland revenue. Of course they were saying eveyone had to have a card and could not be paid without one(meaning builders and their subbies) this prat took them at their word and would only pay less tax, for crown cleaning street trees.


----------



## teressa green

york ,eh posh end ,same down here 22 yrs and still struggling,,,,


----------



## jamie

*mogs...pah*

we are having problems with our wee mog (monica, yes yes i named her). power keeps dying when hiting hills. none of us can figure it out, had an agri engineer in, he cant figure it out. 

had to get rescued the other day on the way home when the mog broke down on me, had to wait for 3 hours so the boss paid me overtime, great i thought, nope the police pulled me over, routine checks, asked if i could show my screenwash resivior had any water, nah it ran out this morning i said, ok we will let you off lightly, here is your £30 fine they said. what the ****......£30 for no screenwash....hardend criminal me, gonna take up a life of crack dealing less chance of prosecution no doubt....

jamie


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

same down here 15 years and still trying to make profit ......i think i know you UNIMOG do you sell chippers???..big green ones built like a tank ??


----------



## Ross Turner

I knew a couple of lads from York,One was Peter Gray who worked at Castle machinery & was also a NPTC assesor cant remember his business partners name it could of been Tony castle,Do you know them Unimog.


----------



## unimog

Ross. You are going back a while, 94 when I left Castle machinery. Peter carried on for a while and I think he is still trading as a contractor somewhere. I Stopped doing NPTC tests in 2000.

Still selling a few chippers,stump grinders etc but have spent the last year working with a chipper manufacturer developing machines. 

Arb Consulting still pays well and am very happy to still be in the game working and dealing with many long term customers who have become good mates.

Tony


----------



## Ross Turner

I met you at the great york show 1993 & peter (not sure if you)came to Newton Aycliffe in the august to do my units 20,21,22 assesment one day when it was pouring down.
Small world.


----------



## Big A

Great day out at Capel Manor on Friday, met up with a few of you. Cheers to t/wolf150 for the beers etc on his stand. I think C/M was more user-friendly than the bigger shows. Plenty of time to discuss (or slag off) various products, see and try out new ideas and have a good laugh as well. oh well back to the grind-stone again tomorrow.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

slagging off who did any of that ?? lol sorry mr husqvarna lol


----------



## Big A

Poor old boy didnt stand a chance, letting off both barrels at the same time. Tee-hee.


----------



## Ross Turner

Got a start date,3rd may back cutting on the powerlines & looking forward to it.The company is supplying all my kit so i dont have to use any of mine or buy new kit which is a bonus.


----------



## iain

congrats ross


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

Just passed my CS38 today!

So close to failing it was untrue. Had no prior experence just did the 5 day course and then the exam 2 weeks later. I'm safe to climb though got to get some kit and start practicing to build up more confidence.


----------



## iain

well done Mr B get stuck up there ! 

my rec is , don`t do what you feel comfortable with all the time push yourself the confidence with the harness n rig will come 
don't worry about your arse nipping on a job, that happens we all get that!!
regardless of the no of hours spent in a tree TECHNIQUE improves SENSE remains!!!


----------



## Ross Turner

When you are trying new techniques etc always do them low & slow,As Iain says everything will come with practice & time.
Congrates


----------



## jamie

*well done*

well done Mr B.

slow and low, if it feels better and safer do it that way, dont rush around, more haste less speed (or vice versa)

jamie


----------



## Thor's Hammer

hey guys, just found arborist site and signed up - spent 3 hours last night reading peoples posts - the wife cant believe theres a whole website devoted to us nutters...


----------



## Ross Turner

Welcome to the Forum,Where are you based in Wales?


----------



## teressa green

no rugby comments please ,,,,,,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

welcome THOR....


----------



## wilcowilson

Hello All,

Can anyone recomend a good CHEEP place in scotland to get climbing gear from? is the safety standards of stuff you buy on the net from the US recognised over here?

Wilco


----------



## iain

wilco sorry i don`t know of suppliers north of the border, but im pretty sure that most of the usual eng based co's will supply and might discount the del costs if your order is big enough


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

No USA Standard's are not properly recognised overhere ,BUTif they have a serial number and swl on them ,you can get a loler test certifacte for the peice of kit ,ie my block is is all stamped up to US standards but i still got a test certificate for it ,like a great many thing's in this industry there are a lot's of grey areas ,just use your commen sence


----------



## Ross Turner

Wilco,Try Fujikaura there prices arnt bad & you can usually get great discount if you order is large enough.


----------



## wilcowilson

Cheers for the info guys! Just dismantled a huge oak today, seriously great fun! Clean up was an absolute pain though!

Wilco


----------



## jamie

*supplier in scotland*

the only one i know of is hamilton brothers i would say that they are anything but cheap.


jamie


----------



## Big A

wilcowilson said:


> Hello All,
> 
> is the safety standards of stuff you buy on the net from the US recognised over here?
> 
> Wilco


In a nutshell wilco if it aint CE it shouldn't be used in this country or Europe, speak to Penny at A&F about this, or your local H&S office should advise on this. By the time you've imported stuff paid duty and Import taxes I doubt the savings would be that good anyway! I know a while back there was a bit of fuss over people importing Weaver harnesses without CE approval, but full ANSI, and these goods were seized and destroyed! Sorry to put a dampener on it! Good luck tomorrow Ross, and well done Mr B on getting your ticket, now you can start learning! Enjoy!!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

hi guys, based on isle of anglesey in north wales. their not known for their rugby skills up here - its more of a south thing.
Wilcowilson - ordering off the www is always a good way to get gear- try proclimbers webste. however we have bought lots of gear from the US, its the same gear that several companys sell over here. it depends on what your doing with it...
if you give it to staff without a ce stamp and they fall out of a tree for any reason, the HSE will not be to happy. however if its for your own use, dont worry about it. In case you think im pulling plonkers, we have been involved with HSE writng standards in the past, so its not just hawspoo ;-)


----------



## Ross Turner

Hi Thor,Do you carry out utility work on the Isle for Scottish power?.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Ross Turner said:


> Hi Thor,Do you carry out utility work on the Isle for Scottish power?.


not any more... and not if we can help it.
we used to have a big contract with sp for gwynedd and anglesey - but now i tend to try and contracts with machine power over vast gangs of men- plus dealing with any rec leaves you feeling a bit soiled


----------



## Ross Turner

What is your company called?,Did you carry ouy work back in august/september 2004 on a rebuild?.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

WELL GUY'S i'll just say this once I have recently had all my kit tested by a LOLER inspector HE the EXPERT told ME THAT climbing gear need's a CE stamp [unless your the boss and your useing the kit then you can use what the hell you like] rigging gear DOE'S not need to be CE marked but like i said in my previous post it must be TRACEABLE ie it must have a serial number and a SWL stamped on it be it a yank serial number or whatever ,


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Ross Turner said:


> What is your company called?,Did you carry ouy work back in august/september 2004 on a rebuild?.


Hi ross, no it wasent us - The last work i did for sp was a quality audit on all contractors about 18 months ago -
What rebuild were you thinking of?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> WELL GUY'S i'll just say this once I have recently had all my kit tested by a LOLER inspector HE the EXPERT told ME THAT climbing gear need's a CE stamp [unless your the boss and your useing the kit then you can use what the hell you like] rigging gear DOE'S not need to be CE marked but like i said in my previous post it must be TRACEABLE ie it must have a serial number and a SWL stamped on it be it a yank serial number or whatever ,



succinctly put.
my father takes care of that side of the business, he's a loler inspector and has advised the HSE in the past (he co-wrote the arbelectric certs) and he says if your a subbie or a boss you can use what the hell you like. However, there is the point, and the HSE wont give a definite answer - if you buy a none ce stamped harness from the US, but its proven to be identical to a CE stamped harness, and its loler inspected then they cant tell you not to use it. it also depends who you speak to at HSE, as there are no real hard and fast rules  
its just another example af nanny state gone mad...


----------



## puwer

Thors' hammer,

In regard to subbies, no doubt you will access to the PPE regs ACOP (Approved Code of Practice), you may wish to cast an eye over regualtion 4 on this matter. Puwer 98 Regulation 10 will also be of interest. You will find that regualtions are still applicable to the self employed. 

So far as LOLER is concerned you must remember that if the equipment has no CE mark a thorough examination would be required before the equipment is put into service. And i would question if the equipment has no CE mark how did it get through a LOLER inspection? Fit for purpose would not be a defence that i would want to try and maintain. Precedent in case law shows this. 

Your point so far as the HSE is concerned is a perfectly valid one, and CE marking is primarily a DTI one (case example Beal Regate Rope) but the use of non CE marked equipment is a contravention of basic legislation and in the event of an accident, of course you may have to prove your defence.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i bet a good 'expert witness' would soon kick into touch any prosecution soliciter/hse /official..if the chit hit the fan and it all went to court,as long as you used fit for purpose /serial numbered reputable kit,no dout about it !!!!!...at the end of the day this industry is a big ******* GREY AREA period !!!!


----------



## Ross Turner

Hi Thor,Cant remember the rebuild name or the area all i remember was that it was on Anglesey,Is it Kings that have the contract on there at the moment for SP.I was authorised to work on SP network with my last boss but got sick of staying out.


----------



## Tom D. Wilson

ROLLACOSTA said:


> WELL GUY'S i'll just say this once I have recently had all my kit tested by a LOLER inspector HE the EXPERT told ME THAT climbing gear need's a CE stamp [unless your the boss and your useing the kit then you can use what the hell you like] rigging gear DOE'S not need to be CE marked but like i said in my previous post it must be TRACEABLE ie it must have a serial number and a SWL stamped on it be it a yank serial number or whatever ,



so what if after i finish at college i decide to become a self employed climber working for other companies with my own gear?


----------



## rubberducky

Their should be no if just do it.


----------



## Ross Turner

Get intouch with Liam at Treevolution he should be able to advise on this.


----------



## puwer

Tom,

All kit will need to LOLER compilant including ID marks and SWL where required, along with records of thorough examination (electronic or hard copy). You should be able to produce this information when working on any clients behalf:

The info accompanying the equipment needs to include:
The name and address of the duty holder for whom the thorough examiantion was made.
The address of the premises at the the TE was made
Sufficient infoamtion to ident the equipment
Date of last TE
Date of next due TE
SWL of equipment, or where SWL depends on the configuration of the equipment the SWL of each item.

And yes it should all be CE marked.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> i bet a good 'expert witness' would soon kick into touch any prosecution soliciter/hse /official..if the chit hit the fan and it all went to court,as long as you used fit for purpose /serial numbered reputable kit,no dout about it !!!!!...at the end of the day this industry is a big ******* GREY AREA period !!!!


I fully agree rollacosta, any decent soliciter would have no bother dealing with hse.
In fact i never realised before now how difficult it is for the HSE to prosicute anybody, even with the most ????ing of cases. to illustrate, we recently did a very large 'site clearance' job in Stirling, Scotland. without naming any names, A.N. Other tree contractor on a connected site up the road utilised a forwarder to lift a fitter over the security fence. unfortunatly, he crushed the fitters hand badly, breaking several bones. the HSE swooped onto site, and stopped the whole job for 4 days while they 'investigated' the incident. i was told by the main contractor (edmund nuttals) that there was no FMOC, no safety records, test certificate or maintanence sheets for the machine in question. However the investigating hse guy told me it wasent worth prosicuting as its not worth the bother to get the small guys. he told their only really interested in the large organisations.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Going by the few dealing's i have had with HSE there a big waste of time ! ,they haven't got any clout at all, again imo ,if they did why are there so many un-insured and un-quailfied cowboy's out there ,sucking the gut's out of the few firm's that are trying to do as much by the book as they can

Every time i have had to speak to them about various issue's it's alway's a grey area ,or theres not much we can do etc etc


----------



## Thor's Hammer

what you have to remember is that the HSE provides a lot of pen pushing jobs. i think HSE staff's main task is to justify there own exsistence...
As a comparison, the french have a thriving tree care and forestry industry, but no such thing as a HSE.
Iwould love to know there accident statistics, as im sure there no worse than ours.
the great thing about french contractors is they take things a lot easier on the job. They can afford to do this because their not constantly fighting an expensive battle with a huge nanny state trying to legislate them out of exsistence


----------



## Big A

Just got feedback from Husky after my 372 blew! "Warranty invalidated due to either
1) Blunt chain (?)
2) Blocked air intake (new saw)
3) incorrectly mixed fuel ( mixed to specs as for all other saws I ran on same day)
4) Incorrect adjustments on carb screws ( set by factory)
5) Stale petrol in saw (?? freshly filled for work that day)

Not a happy bunny, my dealer is doing his best to get this sorted out, as he said "if I thought it was your fault for one minute I wouldnt have tried to claim on the warranty". Is it my imagination or are Husky's not the saws they used to be. Any one else been in a similar situation? Seems to me that they are just trying to get out of the warranty, rather than admit a problem with their products.


----------



## Ross Turner

I dont rate any of the new Husky saws,I prefer the old saw like the 254xp & 266xp these saws are the cutters choice.


----------



## jamie

*oh ay*

our 357s aint as good as the 254s...

wonder why, 

jamie


----------



## Big A

Trouble was I wanted to replace my tired old saws with some new blood, glad I kept my old 254xp tho'! Just bloody annoying to have unnecessary hassle!


----------



## Big A

One thing that my dealer did say was that for emmission regs the saws are now set to run a lot leaner, than the old days. That cant be good for the engine in the long run either.


----------



## SteveBullman

switch to stihl big fella

im gonna go the 260 and 360 route next


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Thank goodness its not just me - 
we have been faithfull buyers of husky for 25 years - and when our 242s 254s died after several years of hard graft, we had to get 346's (not a patch on 242, 3 fell apart after 6 months) and 357's (nice to use and powerfull, but 2 blown pistons on saws under 1 year old?) to replace them. my first 371 still goes strong after 7 years (looks a tad ropey now) but the 372 i bought 18 months ago has had 2 ignition packs and recently blew its piston. 
IT GETS ME REALLY ANGRY!!!
it was a sad day 2 months ago when i bought a stihl 260 and a 346 - as a die hard husky fanatic i have to admit that modern stihls are far better built than huskys...


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Big A said:


> Just got feedback from Husky after my 372 blew! "Warranty invalidated due to either
> 1) Blunt chain (?)
> 2) Blocked air intake (new saw)
> 3) incorrectly mixed fuel ( mixed to specs as for all other saws I ran on same day)
> 4) Incorrect adjustments on carb screws ( set by factory)
> 5) Stale petrol in saw (?? freshly filled for work that day)
> 
> Not a happy bunny, my dealer is doing his best to get this sorted out, as he said "if I thought it was your fault for one minute I wouldnt have tried to claim on the warranty". Is it my imagination or are Husky's not the saws they used to be. Any one else been in a similar situation? Seems to me that they are just trying to get out of the warranty, rather than admit a problem with their products.  :



THE OLD BOY ON THE HUSKY STAND ,SHOULD BE COUNTING HIS LUCKY STARS THAT THIS FRIDAY ISN'T THE CAPEL SHOW...


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

boy's i keep banging on about MAKITA saws imo there fantastic my 7900 has plenty of grunt ,she cut's lovely ,and the price is even better...no more Husky's for me after i bough a peice of cr*p new 3120 ...ahhh never again


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> boy's i keep banging on about MAKITA saws imo there fantastic my 7900 has plenty of grunt ,she cut's lovely ,and the price is even better...no more Husky's for me after i bough a peice of cr*p new 3120 ...ahhh never again


interesting point -
All makita did was buy out sachs-dolmar and rebrand their range of chainsaws - although i suspect they spent some on quality control aswell..

Also the echo chainsaw (254 equivalent i think) got a very good review in fmj - 

one of my earliest memories of tree work is Dad topping out a 130'' Wellingtonia (dead top) and his little echo packing up for the hundredth time halfway through the backcut - I was only 7 at the time but still laugh when i close my eyes and see that little echo dissapear into a thousand fragments as it arced out the tree and hit the customers patio...


----------



## clearance

Yeah guys, Jim from Yorkshire here, the old Husky saws are the cats ass. The 266xp, 288xp etc. I use a 288xp at work, my favorite saw ever. Use 372s all the time, have used 357s, fast powerfull saws, but kind of frail and cheap. I always use high-octane gas (petrol) in my own saws, Husky mix at a little less than 50-1.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

The trouble on all new huskys is their completely manufactured from plastic- crankcases and all. so you get a saw thats light and powerfull, but only lasts 2 mins at work. on the 2 stihls i recently bought, most stuff is made in aluminium casting. The local husky dealer told me that stihl went through the plastic stage some years ago, and had the same problems. now they've gone back to aluminium.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Tell me People....

Im thinking of selling chippers, and i want to get some feed back from all you guys about what the users want.

Ive spoken to a few manufacturers, and have few ideas up my sleeve.
what i want to know is

How Big / Small do you want them?

Tracked or towed?

Turntable?

Would you be willing to sacrifice wieght for quality? (and ability)

How much do you want to pay?

How important is warranty and backup?

Personally, i think the uk market could do with a chipper with 45hp min, 8 x 14'' feed, and taking no more space than tracked jensen or timberwolf.

give me your thoughts


----------



## unimog

Thor, Chipper wish list.

Min 10" Hyd feed

Wheels that turn into tracks at the flick of a switch

Fitted 360 turntable

German build quality but less than 750KG to pull behind 71/2 Tonner

15 years warranty and parts delivered/fitted within 2 hours

willing to pay £5000 cash/pound notes (no vat) with £1000 cash back,to keep wife happy.

and 300 gallon of red diesel thrown in.


Have been selling chippers for 20 years and still can't find one like that. LOL


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Har very bloody Har...
Selling chippers?


----------



## Acer

Thor's Hammer said:


> .. the investigating hse guy told me it wasent worth prosicuting as its not worth the bother to get the small guys. he told their only really interested in the large organisations.



I'm surprised to read that. It's the larger organisations that can afford to defend themselves. Just done a single windblow assessment. The assessor was saying how he was standing on the wrong side of a branch under tension when he cut into it. When it released, it broke his leg. The HSE found out and actually visited him in hospital to tell him that they intended to prosecute him! They're like vultures, ready to pounce once the accident's happened. If they wanted to improve safety, they'd put more resources into pre emptive inspection, rather than drafting endless legislation.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Acer said:


> I'm surprised to read that.
> Not as surprised as I was at the time, but there you go. He told me that its easy for a small business to liquidate and start again, whereas big companies and corporations cant do that.
> I get the impression that drafting endless legislation keeps them in jobs


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

The other bunch of useless twat's are trading standard's...now they are a complete f-ing joke


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

followed by most local authority's and of course the enviroment agency...in fact most thing's governmant run


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> followed by most local authority's and of course the enviroment agency...in fact most thing's governmant run


To be Honest, any agency that doesent actually do anything. They dont want to sweat for a living, so all they do is constantly justify there jobs by hassling hard working guys like ourselves.
someone wrote on here (very truthfully IMO) that most tree officers are failed climbers.


----------



## NickfromWI

I know I don't belong here- but is this the MOST popular thread EVER?

love
nick


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Hey nick, 
who says you dont belong here?
its a popular thread though 'cause us brits have a lot to complain about.
if you read the last few pages on the legislation we face...
in an industry that atracts mavericks and headcases like flies to poop, you'll see why we complain
must give you yanks a right laugh reading our stuff


----------



## Acer

Thor's Hammer said:


> As a comparison, the french have a thriving tree care and forestry industry, but no such thing as a HSE.



Thor, have you worked in forestry over there? Are there any opportunities? I'd love to get into woodland managenet or forestry a bit more, but the industry's on the bones of it's arse over here - it certainly is near me, anyway. You really do have to scrape and scratch for a living.

By the way, about the chippers..

In the 6" class, the best ones I've used are still Timberwolf 35/150s. That's all I need - anything more than 6" I can use as cordwood. For me, it's important that the chipper will pull stuff in, as I deal with thorn more often than not. Effective feed rollers are essential - the last thing you want is a chipper that nibbles the end of the branch off but won't pull the twigs through. I find the Timberwolf great in this respect - I just wish the blades were easier to change. 15 minutes my arse!  

I also like the weight. At 750 kg, It's not too hard to push around on your own. I can't work out why a similar Greenmech, for example, should be half a ton heavier.

Probably top of the list is backup. If the dealer's attitude is poor, you're shafted when things go wrong (you can be buried in brash inside a day on some jobs). I've seen this a lot with imported stuff in particular. Once the cheque's in the bank, some dealers don't want to know. In fact, this is why I swapped to Huskys - our local stihl dealers don't seem to be interested in anything but the big company or council accounts.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Hi Acer,
French forestry-
I looked at a lot of harvesting work in the big windblow, but eventually decided not to bother. the reason being that a few large scottish management companys had cornered the ONF (french forestry commision) and organized the harvesting. Result? ONF were paying every 2 weeks, management co. paying every 4 months... if at all for some guys. lot of contractors lost their shirts  

However, a few reasons why the french forestry industry is so dependable and steady is

1/ no imports of cheap timber

2/ superb long term management of forest resources

3/ NO HSE!!!

4/ Bad payers are practicly unheard of

5/ sawmill in every town and village

6/ massive firewood industry

7/ NO HSE!!

the few meetings i had with ONF guys, world of difference to UK forest officers, very willing to help contractors, and quite happy to have little 2 man outfits skidding with an old cat d2 as opposed to expecting you to turn up with a fleet of 1/4 million pound harvesters. (although if thats what you've got their still quite happy). one site i visited, a contractor had lost his forwarder operator for a few weeks. so while he was harvesting (valmet 921) his 10 year old son was forwarding with valmet 860! The ONF guy never even batted an eyelid. also heard of french pulp hauliers regularly leaving site weighing 75 - 80 tonnes gross - and the gendarmes dont give a toss.
IMO its this healthy disregard for rules that enables them to get on with it stress free (and have 2 hour lunchbreaks at home)

if you wanted to get into it you would need to head over there and have a chat with the local ONF dude.

Alternatively, my idea was to advertise in 'rich wankers french holliday property magazine' as so many rich brits have bought large propertys with acre's of woodland without knowing how to ask the locals to do the work that your bound to get lots of work - but dont tell anybody my idea  

ED
www.thormech.com
www.thormantreespecialists.co.uk


----------



## Thor's Hammer

On chippers-
my idea is that a 6" chipper should have a 8" x 14" opening to easily swallow gorse, hawthorn, brambles, dog rose, leylandii etc. etc.
also 45hp so that when you shove a 'fluffy' piece of 5" x 10' leylandii top in, it can eat it without dying
Keep up the feedback guys


----------



## Ross Turner

Thor,You dont happen to have any relations living in Whittington,Oswestry by any chance?.


----------



## Acer

Thor's Hammer said:


> Alternatively, my idea was to advertise in 'rich wankers french holliday property magazine' as so many rich brits have bought large propertys with acre's of woodland without knowing how to ask the locals to do the work that your bound to get lots of work - but dont tell anybody my idea
> 
> ED
> www.thormech.com
> www.thormantreespecialists.co.uk



I was wondering about that. Much as I hate these people, they haven't got a clue about anything, really, and I don't see how anyone could feel guilty about fleecing them!. I was hoping to check out the possibilities for hedgelaying and coppicing. I'm not sure whether the French have much in the way of hedges, and if they do, how do they manage them? I like the idea of everything else you said about their industry. Much as I like woodland work, if you work for a lot of people over here, it just balls out to the point where it stops being enjoyable - and there's nomoney in it. A few years ago, I knew a cutter who reckons he was making £20 / day when he took his tools and travelling into account properly, including all the depreciation - that's here in Notts.

That bit about the windblow and the management companies is absolutely typical of Britain these days. The greed of some of these bigger companies is a bit hard to stomach.


----------



## jamie

*lucky me*

im pretty lucky i just turn up to work and cut. dont have to get involved in the nasty side of it all. hear all the nasty stuff off of teh boss but well i can do without it just now.

luckily i have the weekend off this weekend.

jamie


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Hello Ross,
Yup, thats The FATHER...


----------



## Ross Turner

He assesed me on my unit Ae2a,2b,5. Is he still assessing for the NPTC?


----------



## Big A

Hey Thors' Doo-dah for Gods sake dont stock the Jensens, company I help just bought a second one and it sheds bolts quicker than I can do 'em up! Brand new, out of the box went round checked bolts were tight, went down the road, did half hours chipping, found an allen bolt laying on the road. Looked around the machine to see where it came from. Rang Jensen, it had fallen out of the top roller shaft. Spent 20 mins 3 times in a day checking and re-checking bolts. German quality or is it assembled badly over here? The other problem I found is that the jockey wheel fully raised is FOUR inches above the road surface, fine until you forget about speed ramps and bend the ????ed thing first day out, bugger! have to raise the tow hitch I suppose. Chips nicely though, but it was only on Alder.


----------



## SteveBullman

shame to hear that about the new jensen......i was hopinh it would prove a worthwhile machine


----------



## teressa green

had the same problem ,terrible .sick of the sight of the fitter,shook itself to bits in no time ,


----------



## SteveBullman

so do you think its a problem with the chipper itself or the shoddy lazy arsed english fitters who assemble them?
i just find it strange for a german machine to be so crap.....cos lets face it....theres nothing that can match it for chipping efficiency


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Thanks Guys, getting good feedback.
No we wont be stocking jensens, kwikchips or premiers. We ran small tracked timberwolfs and jensens on railwork for a while. Quite frankly the quality of these machines is awfull. I think they were between 3 - 4 years old, it doesent take long for them to wear out. have demoed both as new machines and thought they were very neatly packaged. But at £20,000, its a lot of dosh for a 6" chipper thats shagged in 4 years


----------



## Thor's Hammer

stephenbullman said:


> so do you think its a problem with the chipper itself or the shoddy lazy arsed english fitters who assemble them?
> i just find it strange for a german machine to be so crap.....cos lets face it....theres nothing that can match it for chipping efficiency


Could you quantify what you mean by efficiency?

most efficient chipper i've seen is the morbark m30 - 880hp, 600m3 per hour, fills a 40" curtainsider in 12 mins.


----------



## SteveBullman

not seen the morbark thor.....and perhaps saying its the most efficient might be unfair beings as i havent used every chipper.
but anyway by efficiency i mean how well it chips for its size. ive only used the 6 inch machine but the say it pulls in bushy hawthorn and the likes is better than any other machine of the same size.
you mentioned not stocking the premiers....is that because you dont like them or because of the price?
i personally can find little fault with them after using them for about 4 years


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Premiers (or shleising) are excellent chippers, used to be built at the kwickchipp/ts factory. premier split away, and i think they are a better quality machine...
BUT...
They are stupidly expensive for what you get - and its not a case of you get what you pay for either - its just to much cash for the amount of metal and parts.
plus, put a 10" premier (550Z i think) next to a bandit/ morbar/ woodsman 9" machine, and the premier will be gasping in its wake.
a lot of it is down to feed aperture size, and feed roller capacity. the feed roller motors on our bandit 250xp pto machine are 32cubic inch capacity. thats a third bigger than the motors on the 18" capacity 880Z premier. the rollers are 24" wide.

I agree about the jensen pulling in and chipping well, but i know the 4 year old one we had was crap because the lovely solid steel milled rollers had worn out. if they had the welded paddles, you could weld in new ones instead of having to pay £1200 pounds for new rollers.

What i dont want to do is slag off any other mfr's chippers cos' if you guys are happy with them thats great.
I've just been lucky to use a lot of different chippers over the years, and i think i can do better (and cheaper!)

P.S. - picture of my latest chipper - 630hp


----------



## jamie

*nice,*

thats one nice chipper, we are trying to get the boss o get a crane fed chipper, based around a forwarder if possible, (with bands for those tight city streets)

jamie


----------



## blue

thor,
that looks like an impressive bit of kit in your pic.is it on an artic??


----------



## Thor's Hammer

It was on a scania 142 rigid, but im just in the process of putting it on a volvo fl10 and relocating the crane. also putting the cab on the side of the crane aswell
Jamie - got a forwarder one aswell*. but a truck mounted one needs no lowloader and sets up in mins. Tell your boss we are quite happy to sub-contract in scotland...(see my snowy scotland pics in picture forum) 
*heres a pic of its twin (brken my camera so no pics yet)

Hemek td81 14 tonner with bruks + chip bin


----------



## Thor's Hammer

hemek bruks


----------



## Ross Turner

Nice equipment Thor,


----------



## Thor's Hammer

There not all mine, its only the one on the right, the other two are erjofant chipper harvesters


----------



## jamie

*wow*

i want one.

i want a shot of a harvester, just so i can say i have had a shot. but thats slong the same lines as saying i want a shot of a space shuttle

jamie


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Heres another one...


----------



## jamie

*drool*

there is a pool off drool on my comp desk now.

jamie


----------



## Thor's Hammer

If you want more detail check this out- hope you have broadband, check out the sexy bird operator...

http://www.eta-energieberatung.de/biomasse-e/C_hacker/C_hacker.html


----------



## PRUNER 1

todays job that i buggered up the pricing on and one of those that was bigger than when i priced it!  on a sunday aswell!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

in most cases it isn't the chipper that's the problem it's the operator ,though not in the jenson's case


----------



## Thor's Hammer

What I did today...
Completley shagged beech tree to dismantle


----------



## MasterBlaster

You shagged that shagging tree, eh? Good job!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

s'funny thing, the bleep machine does'nt notice brit swear words


----------



## MasterBlaster

It's all shagged up!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

its bollocks'ed


----------



## Thor's Hammer

its wankered!!!
ahem 
sorry guys, lowering the tone a bit here...


----------



## PRUNER 1

i love takin big tops off!


----------



## jamie

*tone lowered*

the tone may be lowered but it was all in good taste.

jamie


----------



## Caledonian

Hi Folks,

Newbie here!!

Hope you don't, mind the interuption.

I have a question for Thor, about one of his links. Are Biomass boilers available for the domestic market in UK? Did try 'Google' listed industrial units. If they are, will the chips produced by the members on this site during their daily business be suitable to run them?
Grateful for any advice.
John.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

yes they are caledonian ,try osbourne's...welcome to the site i'll get a link for you or telephone number ..i saw one of there bio-boiler's at the AA show..but i think you need good chip's for them no green leave's etc


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

PRUNER 1 said:


> todays job that i buggered up the pricing on and one of those that was bigger than when i priced it!  on a sunday aswell!



why all the rigging ?..you got a nice lawn or patio underneath ya ?


----------



## Big A

Thors Hammer, Now thats a chipper!!! reminds of the day I was struggling along with a tracked Timberwolf and a f***-off great Bruks turns up on the next site and totally depressed me! Loved the link to see that machine working. Used the Jensen today and finally didnt lose a single nut, bolt, screw or washer. must check it before I go out with it next time and make sure everythings tight still. Also sussed out that if you remove the jockey wheel every time you hitch it on it wont get bent, how tiresome. Why did the company buy it, cos its on 0% finance, pure & simple.


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

I've just written 25 risk assesments!

only 5 more generic ones to do. Then 2 site specific ones.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i have one generic risk assesment 10 page's long it does for all our tree work, i now have a tick box in-house form for on-site risk assesment's...


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Hi caledonian, the woodfuel industry is going to be huge over the next couple of years.
I may start a new thread to share the knowledge. meantime, i will post a load of links for you guys re: small boilers cause there is a lot out there.
Big A - the bruks probably belonged to mike edwards i think - their a pretty rare sight - was it recently?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

woodfuel:
small chippers will produce a surprisingly good quality fuel, BUT...
The knives must be razor sharp. that means a change every 8 - 10 hours. On our big chipper, I've known us change knives every 4 hours.
Leaf content is important because it will cause fresh chip to compost. if you want to burn it, it has to be dried.
however, with skyrocketing oil prices, stockpiling and processing chip is going to be like having your own oilwell.
I'm investing a lot of £££ into this venture, so i'm taking it pretty seriously-
if anybody wants to know more, drop me an email through my website


----------



## PRUNER 1

rolla, all the rigging was cos there was only a 3ft gap around the bottom of the tree in a raised plant bed. then there was only a standard garden path then the gable end of the house. tree was only 6ft from house and on the other side was a fence 1ft from the base. that was the last chunk i could lower. after that it was 6 inch rings to the base! me feet were killing when i got down off the spikes. the stem was absoluteluy buggered with prob only an inch of sound wood around the base. its been a while since i did one like that. enjoyed it tho, evrything was rigged out.


----------



## teressa green

could you not remove the fence panel?


----------



## PRUNER 1

na it would have ment taking about 6 panels out and there was another fence 2ft behind that one anyway from another garden. access was crap.


----------



## teressa green

if in doubt over price,,,,,,


----------



## alanarbor

Ok, Heres one for you guys. I encountered a British fellow visiting a friend of his here in the states. He's north of Manchester, and looking for an Arborist that can deliver top notch timely service. PM me with your contact info, I told him I'd ask about and find someone to refer him to. Any takers?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Any more details? We cover the Northwest area for a few contract clients.


----------



## jamie

*wood fuel*

been told a story of some agency who promote wood fuel and they were promoting the use of demolition waste and pallets, the gaffer got on and told them what about us local forestry / arb contractors we produce a lot of wood, not enough they said, he stated that we frequently burn around 50 tonne a week on the bonfire, easily wood / brash / chips the works. i think that week he had teh conversation he was burning 250, i think, it was a lot and a big fire, the digger / crane / dozer to tuck it in load it

sorry thats a bit of a second hand story that one, like most....


jamie


----------



## Caledonian

Thanks for replying. 
Rollacosta - Can't find anything on Osbourne's on Goggle, unless you mean 'Ossy'... ...don't think so?!
Thor's Hammer - Like to take up your offer, and email your website.

If demand became great enough, there must be opportunity for Pro. Arborists to sell the chips they produce every day???

Also, not got my head around all this yet, is this type of post OK, on this thread??
I am a believer in constructive criticism!!! (fire away).

John.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

jamie said:


> been told a story of some agency who promote wood fuel and they were promoting the use of demolition waste and pallets, the gaffer got on and told them what about us local forestry / arb contractors we produce a lot of wood, not enough they said, he stated that we frequently burn around 50 tonne a week on the bonfire, easily wood / brash / chips the works. i think that week he had teh conversation he was burning 250, i think, it was a lot and a big fire, the digger / crane / dozer to tuck it in load it
> 
> sorry thats a bit of a second hand story that one, like most....
> 
> 
> jamie



tell him to start stockpiling Jamie, cause in time its going to be worth $$$
shotton papermill are going to start taking in biofuel for thier massive steam plant - They'll need 300,000 tonnes per year.
agency promoting burning demo. timber and palletwood are talking out their arse as you need an incineration licence to burn that stuff (boilers have to run permenantly at 1200 degrees c. to ensure toxins combust)
Caledonian no prbs i can see


----------



## Thor's Hammer

notice arse doesent get bleeped?


----------



## jamie

*stock pilling*

he has been stocki piling for ages some bigggggg sticks and lots of wee ones. you can hide tractors behind some of the piles....

really glad i got into this company as opposed to the ones who ask us to get their sticks / get the jobs they dont have the kit for.

boss turned down a job in a river, either side of the tree was a 20 ft cliff and a larger cliff the other side, no access on the side with the small face, bosses idea was to park the skidder at the top of the larger cliff and winch the tree out the river basin, then drag it and chip it up there.....pity we are having manpowr problems.....sounded fun.

jamie


----------



## Big A

Thor's Hammer said:


> Hi caledonian, the woodfuel industry is going to be huge over the next couple of years.
> I may start a new thread to share the knowledge. meantime, i will post a load of links for you guys re: small boilers cause there is a lot out there.
> Big A - the bruks probably belonged to mike edwards i think - their a pretty rare sight - was it recently?


Not sure who the company was, came up fom Slough I think. Absolutely awesome piece of kit to watch, I wandered back to the old Timberwolf snivelling about how unfair life is!!!  I understand that the govt is to encourage the use of woodfuel as a sustainable product, mind you that was pre-election, so they'll probably change their mind now!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Manpower problems? We have work shortage problems,  thats why we ended up site clearing in stirling...


----------



## jamie

*stirling eh*

where about in stirling?

big a. its fun on the other side of teh fence, watched some small outfil cutting down a stump with a blunt saw, heard the rasp of metal a few times but he soildered on.....took him an age.... slowly cutting away saw screaming.... then watching them feed a 3" shreder....all piece time then all lunch time.....for about 30 mins work with our chipper

its fun being the big boys

jamie


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Stirling to kincardine rail link project, asked to help out by fountains


----------



## Big A

jamie said:


> where about in stirling?
> 
> big a. its fun on the other side of teh fence, watched some small outfil cutting down a stump with a blunt saw, heard the rasp of metal a few times but he soildered on.....took him an age.... slowly cutting away saw screaming.... then watching them feed a 3" shreder....all piece time then all lunch time.....for about 30 mins work with our chipper
> 
> its fun being the big boys
> 
> jamie


Ha bleedin' ha, the Bruks operator even wiped an imaginary bead of sweat from his brow when he saw the envy in my eyes!!!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

it gets very tiring pushing those minilevers you know...


----------



## Big A

mind you dont get repetitive strain injury, that can be painful you know!!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Most machine operators have well built wrists anyway


----------



## Big A

Must be all the excersise they get from playing with their knobs!!!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

At Osborne 02380 814340 for wood chip central heating boiler's and forestry equipment


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

being a nosey bugger Thor how much dosh do you reckon you have tied up in all that kit ??


----------



## jamie

*its hard*

on the other end of the stick our mulcher operator complains of a hard day, pulling levers.....its soo hard, like production felling is a piece of piss.....

Thor, what mulcher heads is it you are selling / have on your mech site? 

jamie


----------



## Thor's Hammer

The mulcher does'ent belong to me its a mates, Fendt 320 with Plesiance head. to be honest I can't stand mulchers for most work as i hate to see stuff go to waste. The stuff he does for me would involve shoulder high brambles, gorse and scrub type sites. For that kind of thing their unbeatable. He paid a hundred grand for it.

my chipper cost me about 75 large ones and would be 240k new, but I tend to do a lot of stuff myself. the thing I hate is that your kit is so dear to buy but worth bugger all if you want to sell it or trade up.
Best buy? wagons - lot of metal for your money


----------



## kf_tree

ok ......you over the pond people  .....from alot of the pics i've seen posted you guy's and gal's seem to run around in vans, where in the state's we use pick up trucks. what do you do about the gas fumes in a van? while my pickup was being repaired a while back i rented a van to haul my gear and saw's but after a week the fumes were killing me. how do you ventalate the van? or am i wrong about hauling saw's and gas cans in a van?


----------



## MasterBlaster

Good point.


----------



## kf_tree

MasterBlaster said:


> Good point.









ok yea like that means alot comeing from you............ok i'll admit it i've been tipping the bottle tonite  mb i respect you as one of the few true climbers posting here. the guys that took me under their wings are still climbing on a tautline.  it isn't ofgten when i watch someone else climb, but when i watch the 2 guys that learned me it's nice to watch them and say WOW their good.

mb i kind of view you like the guys that took me under their wings....... with that being said.......i guess their is no higher respect i could pay you.
thank you for making arborist site fun.


----------



## MasterBlaster

Dam bro, thanks. And I've got a buzz, too!


----------



## iain

woodfuel and biomass is definatley on its way the government are pushing for mthe recycle quantitys to be increased and this is a very green form of heat / energy production watch for power station' s they will be altering we have one close by at the mo its burning talo from the bse crisis, however rumour control has it, that it will be also going to biomass, as for gov assist ,with stuff ,northwoods r a gov funded org northwoods.org.uk these cover ne england check there site you may find links to a local scheme


----------



## a_lopa

kf_tree said:


> ok ......you over the pond people  .....from alot of the pics i've seen posted you guy's and gal's seem to run around in vans, where in the state's we use pick up trucks. what do you do about the gas fumes in a van? while my pickup was being repaired a while back i rented a van to haul my gear and saw's but after a week the fumes were killing me. how do you ventalate the van? or am i wrong about hauling saw's and gas cans in a van?



run a venting hose into your wheel arch


----------



## Thor's Hammer

*stinky van*

Back of our van is sealed off. 5 seats in front, all the kit in the back. I have a pickup aswell, but in porr old Blighty, if it aint nailed down, it walks off


----------



## a_lopa

id love a van like that with a rayco50 in the back


----------



## a_lopa

Thor's Hammer said:


> Back of our van is sealed off. 5 seats in front, all the kit in the back. I have a pickup aswell, but in porr old Blighty, if it aint nailed down, it walks off



plenty an eager eye for an earn here to old mate LOL


----------



## Thor's Hammer

dont think you'd fit a rayco in the back, but its perfect for towing the old 1635 rayco


----------



## a_lopa

Thor's Hammer said:


> dont think you'd fit a rayco in the back, but its perfect for towing the old 1635 rayco




i had a chap look thru my stump grinding trailer while i was grinding recently my offsider sprung him and he said he was wondering if we knew anything about x-box as hes excuse LOL.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Caught some tealeafs pinching my 2100 out of the van couple of years ago while i was working in Liverpool, I hopped out to see what was going on and got hit with a piece of 3x2 for my pleasure. They were only about 16 -17 so i gave them a good kicking - bad idea, barely got away without getting charged for gbh, and while i was fighting some other little twat nicked the 2100. Bloody scousers!!


----------



## jamie

*mulchers*

thor its a shame to see good stuff go to waste. not too sure what the market is like up here, last i heard we had to pay a company (woodwaste) to remove wood. we run 2 mulchers and they are working on these bloddy wind farms that are popping up everywhere. mulching crimbo trees and post harvesting brass. 

heard of a few guys running those frenchy heads and having nowt but bother. we run 2 ahwis one a tracked carrier and one a volvo excavator conversion. watching what they 'waste' is impressive

jamie


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## Thor's Hammer

Jamie, I agree the ahwi is a better tool. We had Sharps in to do our mulching in alloa, same head as your tracked ahwi. Good tool.
I'll tell you now though that within 18 months all wind farm clearence will be done with chippers. mulched? or £20 tonne for chips... They'll curse having mulched so much material that could have been recovered.
To be honest, once a mulcher starts hitting trees over 10 inches dbh it slows them right down (dont get me wrong, its not that they wont do it). if your clearing wind farm stuff over 10" a shear buncher and a large chipper would be faster anyway
If your boss wants to get rid of wood in the future, tell him to give me a call...


----------



## jamie

*windys*

the gaffer is after big chipper just waiting for the time to strike. from what ive gathered the market aint quite here yet......but thats second hand info again. 

we have mulched some massive sticks. slow but it got there.

the volvo is great watching it knock the top off and then mulch the stick. very impressive, bit of a waste however.

is there more to your mech site or just the one window?

jamie


----------



## Thor's Hammer

New Site Coming Sooooon! Watch This Space!!
The market is here - I have some good contacts in Scotland


----------



## SteveBullman

i was quite interested in a german machine i was looking at at the recent capel manor show. i think it was made by jmb?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

ahh the trouble with mulch is you bio boy's don't /won't take chip with leaf or conifer or so i read in a flyer someone sent me out last week,all they wanted was good clean hardwood chip ,buggerd if i'm going to screen all my chip


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## ROLLACOSTA

kf tree i run a pick-up ,but van's with a segregated area for feul cans ain't so bad


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## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> ahh the trouble with mulch is you bio boy's don't /won't take chip with leaf or conifer or so i read in a flyer someone sent me out last week,all they wanted was good clean hardwood chip ,buggerd if i'm going to screen all my chip


Not True!
The big stations, like slough or aberthaw will take anything, doesent matter. the only thing with alot of leaf is it will make your chip compost if it gets wet.
the small biolers, yes they are more fussy about the chip they take but tough on them I say...


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## Thor's Hammer

Put it this way Rolla, would you screen your chip if you were getting £50 a tonne for it?  
Anyway I thought you had a landy not a pickup!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Stephen Bullman, the chippers you saw were made by a company called vandeale, very good quality, but only a tree surgery chipper still


----------



## skyhightree

HI ALL...Newby here. Have finally given up on old fashioned ways and missus is now givin me computer lessons. Not learn't alot since finding this site. Spent 3 nights just reading.
It appears I,ve a bit of catching up to do.
Run medium size t/s mainly domestic company. Been going about 10 yrs. 3 gangs perm staff and run occasional 4th.
Dedicated stihl user - always given me good service.
Chippers x 3: Prem 220, Twolf 190 and Jensen 530
Stumpy : Arborplant Predator 26.
Vans: LDV why? alot cheaper than equiv transit and lads treat like a skip so why spoil them.
Couldn,t agree more with latest Jensen comments. 2 biggest mistakes lately are Jensen chipper and Predator stump grinder. Both a complete nightmare. Not usually a sucker when it comes to buying things but fell hook line and sinker for that salesmans promises. Bad news when no one wants to assist when things break.


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## Ross Turner

Welcome to the site skyhightree.


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## iain

welcome skyhightree the more the merrier


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## Acer

Thor's Hammer said:


> Not True!
> The big stations, like slough or aberthaw will take anything, doesent matter. the only thing with alot of leaf is it will make your chip compost if it gets wet.
> the small biolers, yes they are more fussy about the chip they take but tough on them I say...



Do you know of anything in the East Midlands? I haven't been able to find anything. There are a few farmers who are composting, but you pay a gate fee. One greedy bugger wants £30/tonne (cash!). 

Notts CC have committed to CHP for 5 or so schools. I've been trying to get hold of the relevant council bod to ask, but he's never at his desk and never returns his calls! Typical council. At the moment, I can only see that a few big farmers round here will gain from biomass. They're sitting on acres of biomass willow that would have gone to Eggborough. They got paid to set it, and they've got the space and collateral to invest in the plant to harvest, chip and dry it once an outlet is found.


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## SteveBullman

hi skyhigh. 
ive used that predator stump grinder.....total pants. the only good thing about it is the speed you can track along on it....still not much good if it wont steer though.
sounds like you have a pretty decent set up going there though. nice stock of premiers.
as for those ldv's....ive got one too. cant knock them in my opinion, they have the most spacious cab interior out of any of the vans, and they also never look overloaded. ok so they look crap but who cares


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Thor's Hammer said:


> Put it this way Rolla, would you screen your chip if you were getting £50 a tonne for it?
> Anyway I thought you had a landy not a pickup!



i did have a Landy but didn't like it that much ,bought myself a new nissan navara for xmas lol...humm £50 a ton for chip then i would/might screen it but we will never get that price for it imo  i'd love to be proved wrong though


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

stephenbullman said:


> hi skyhigh.
> ive used that predator stump grinder.....total pants. the only good thing about it is the speed you can track along on it....still not much good if it wont steer though.
> sounds like you have a pretty decent set up going there though. nice stock of premiers.
> as for those ldv's....ive got one too. cant knock them in my opinion, they have the most spacious cab interior out of any of the vans, and they also never look overloaded. ok so they look crap but who cares



your LDV might look a lot better with a wash down once and a while..and it would look a lot better with 'HIGH ALUMINIUM SIDE'S'


----------



## Ross Turner

If it was a Transit people may think its pikies do the rounds lol


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Yo Rolla, I have the nissan twincab, but with 190hp - Vroom! Vroom!!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Sorry Skyhightree, forgeting my manners welcome. I'm a newbie too, did i see you in fbt a few years back?
ACER - yep i can sell your chip in midlands no probs... and dont worry about farmers, those oversubsidised cretins will soon find their DTi funded willow is ????e for anything but powerstations. Plus its a bugger to harvest


----------



## skyhightree

Sorry Thor not me. A comp up north somewhere with same name. Always get asked that one. S Bullman. You must have read wrong or i didnt write clear enough. 3 chippers in total 1 x prem 1x tw and that Jensen! Your right about predator though. Truly bad. Good for about 6 weeks now breaks at least once a week. 8 months old but looks 10 years and I think i look after my stuff as good as anyone. Stuck with it now. Will have to run it into ground as can,t find anyone to buy it.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

High skyhightree welcome to the site and thread


----------



## jamie

*new forum*

you know i reckon with this many posts we could almost require a seperate forum?

welcome skyhightree

jamie


----------



## Thor's Hammer

S'funny thing, nobody has a good word yet about jensen. And yet they are everywhere, very popular despite the fact that their not cheap,(£20,000ish for 6" tracked) and you lot say they fall apart quickly. very odd. must start selling chippers soon. seems you can sell loads of crap chippers easy peasy


----------



## Thor's Hammer

jamie said:


> you know i reckon with this many posts we could almost require a seperate forum?
> 
> welcome skyhightree
> 
> jamie


Nah, I reckon the yanks love our posts, and have you seen how slow the proclimber forum is?


----------



## Ross Turner

Thor,Proclimbers forum is only a side line for Andrew & Caroline as the shop side is there main interest.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

shall i ask Darin if we can have our own forum ?? got to admit the posts are getting a bit blurred on here


----------



## SteveBullman

i check in the proclimber forum everyday, shame theres not more activity there


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Don't get me wrong, Andy and Caroline are top people, love dealing with them. (the tirol fighter boots she sold me are the dogs bollocks) Forum just seemed a little slow.


----------



## Ross Turner

I agree it is slow but it will only get fast if more people use it.


----------



## skyhightree

Thor. Talking to other people who had had similar probs with Jensen. All been made same promises when buying. Next day parts / backup on the spot advice. Loan machines if yours breaksdown. I've had none of this. Biggest thing that pi**ed me off was the price. Paid £12500 on intrest free. Told best deal you could get as should be £15k. Have been told since company close to me paid £11000 because did't want finance. Phoned comp I bought off and pretended to be new customer. Got it down to just under £11k. Price only £12500 if you have finance. Thats not intrest free. Once you get used to machine you learn just how bad it is. Not proper metal. Tin is the best description. Never again. Both Prem and TW have double the hours of the Jensen and have spent less running the pair!!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

But Marge! the jensen looks so nice and shiny - Doh!
What do you think of Bandit & Morbark et al?


----------



## Ross Turner

Never have used a Jensen & reading these posts i dont want to.I have used various chippers over the years like Bandit,Arbor eaters,Entecs,Timberwolfs,Greenmech & Premier & Kwick chips.
I would recomend Timberwolf & Greenmechs both are great machines to operate.


----------



## skyhightree

Trouble is with Bandit & Morbark is too big for domestic work.Couple of comps near rum Bandit and vermeer big chippers. Seen them carting brash couple of hundred feet because they can't get chipper and truck close enough. Wood cut so small so they could drag it. 6 or 7" chipper right on site job would have taken a good couple of hours less.


----------



## skyhightree

Ross I nearly agree. Had a previous bad exp with Greenmech. Premier is v good but TW is so easy to use and better on bigger stuff. Both v reliable. TW wins by a whisker because of price.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

so a compact machine is important to you?


----------



## jamie

*chippers*

i have limited experience with ranges of chippers only some farmi and an old tp. all pto driven, work a treat get the tractor as close as possible. i rate the farmi well. but like i said i only use one type of chipper.

as for proclimber the forum is getting busier. more hits more often

jamie


----------



## SteveBullman

skyhigh....try loosening the spring tension on the premier rollers if you're struggling to get it to take big stuff in.


----------



## blue

any one use or used a Vermeer bc1000.looked at one at capel manor.rep said 20k but could probably get 1-2k off that.boss man is showing some interest and we're arranging a demo soon on a big old cedar take down to really test it


----------



## Big A

JENSEN GRRRRRR!!! Sorry another day spent f***ing around on the side of the A14 trying to fix the bleeder. End up getting home at 8pm and only done half a days work for crying out loud. Then we forgot and turned off the ignition with the whirlies going and flattened the battery. Then got stuck in the french drain when we tried to pull off. Where's the application form for Tesco's gone!!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

blue said:


> any one use or used a Vermeer bc1000.looked at one at capel manor.rep said 20k but could probably get 1-2k off that.boss man is showing some interest and we're arranging a demo soon on a big old cedar take down to really test it


Thats a good price Blue, Though I've heard they shake themselves to bits...
post a thread as the yanks use a lot of them...


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i'll ask again !,shall i ask Darin for our own forum on this site ?? are there a enough of us to warrent our own forum ? ,i say forget pro-climber imo this is where it's all at !


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Hey Rolla its your call, I'm a newbie... though i guess you shouldwin a prize for having the most popular thread ever


----------



## MasterBlaster

Why do you need a special forum? Will there be a Canadian forum next? An Australian forum? When does it stop?


----------



## MasterBlaster

Thor's Hammer said:


> Hey Rolla its your call, I'm a newbie... though i guess you shouldwin a prize for having the most popular thread ever




I don't think so!


----------



## vharrison2

Besides that isn't this already your forum? It is the busiest thread I see

oops, my bad: The Masters Party wins hands down


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

vharrison2 said:


> Besides that isn't this already your forum? It is the busiest thread I see
> 
> oops, my bad: The Masters Party wins hands down



i think post's from posters to poster's are all getting jumbled up ,there are people jumping in on all topics and i think if there are more Brits who join this thread/site it might get even more confusing or harder to read/decipher


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## Thor's Hammer

MasterBlaster said:


> I don't think so!


Humble apologies master,
its a close second...


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

actualy i think master has another thread that pushe's this thread into a poor third place lol


----------



## iain

i've seen 'brand new' top handle pro saws available to all on ebay 'buy now' not a mention of cs certs so much for the rule that they're for only competent proffessionals

makes a f*cking mockery of us all, greedy ******* dealers !!!
i sent an email to the manufacturer, just to see whay happens


----------



## Thor's Hammer

iain said:


> i've seen 'brand new' top handle pro saws available to all on ebay 'buy now' not a mention of cs certs so much for the rule that they're for only competent proffessionals
> 
> makes a f*cking mockery of us all, greedy ******* dealers !!!
> i sent an email to the manufacturer, just to see whay happens


it's all a mockery anyway. walk into ANY dealers with cash and they will sell you an 020 if you want one without showing your ticket - and why not? if people want to chop themselves up with pro kit, let'em


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

iain said:


> i've seen 'brand new' top handle pro saws available to all on ebay 'buy now' not a mention of cs certs so much for the rule that they're for only competent proffessionals
> 
> makes a f*cking mockery of us all, greedy ******* dealers !!!
> i sent an email to the manufacturer, just to see whay happens



Greedy dealer's or waste of time HSE and TRADING STANDARDS  my guess the last two 

you should send an e-mail to trading standards


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Whut Whut!? waste of time? I'll have you know HSE provides countless important jobs for otherwise useless tosspots...


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i would do it but iv'e done my quota of grassing up this year LOL


----------



## teressa green

fair point rolla


----------



## Caledonian

*Edinburgh Treefest, Woodworkers Wanted.*

I found this, anyone interested?

Edinburgh Treefest, Sat + Sun 11th/12th June, Located across from the Botanic Gardens.

Looking for 'Woodworkers', for Exhibiting & Demonstration.

Contact Carole Fraser on 0131 332 2229 or [email protected]

Anyway, if you want to show of your skills, the 'cut off' date for entries is 25th May.

If you go, let us know. I'll come watch you!

John.


----------



## Caledonian

Thank you to all who posted info. on the Biomass/Woodchip question. I'll be it touch.
John.


----------



## vharrison2

So I sometimes feel like an invader on this thread cause I am no brit just a cracker from down south, USA!!!!!!!!


----------



## skyhightree

stephenbullman said:


> skyhigh....try loosening the spring tension on the premier rollers if you're struggling to get it to take big stuff in.



Its not thats its a struggle to get the wood in the TW is just quicker on the big stuff. The no stress is better. Sometimes the premier seems to get confused and nearly stalls.


----------



## timberwolf150

Hello all. It seems ages since I looked at the site. Lifes been really busy.

BIG A!! Saw you on A14 couple of times yesterday. If I knew you were stuck I'd had given you a pull.

Nice to see all your comments good and bad. Glad I'm not Jensen guy at the mo.

Skyhigh. I remember doing the demo for you that 190. You should have said you were looking for another chipper I would have made sure you a good deal from the dealer. Nice to hear it's going well.

Devon, North Wales and Cornwall next on the show list before the AA show. Got something extra special on show at North Wales and AA Show in June.


----------



## skyhightree

Timberwolf150. I remember it well. I went for the Jensen because we needed a chipper under 750kg. Had demo at the time of your 6 inch model but thought Jensen looked better choice. Maybe next time I'll know better. 
The 190 is great and the lads love it. Everything you said was spot on. One of the lads has got hold of one of your t shirts from a show. Would like one if possible. Not to wear but to send to Jensen. They should make one saying "more bollocks less balls". Give me a call if you like.


----------



## SteveBullman

skyhightree said:


> Its not thats its a struggle to get the wood in the TW is just quicker on the big stuff. The no stress is better. Sometimes the premier seems to get confused and nearly stalls.



i'd get that looked at then if i were you cos it certainly doesnt sound like the performance im used to getting from a 220


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## ROLLACOSTA

WELL FOLK'S WE NOW HAVE OUR OWN FORUM....ON MASTER BLASTER'S WEBSITE !!!!
there are two threads going on at the moment......  


all you got to do is register and use


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## vharrison2

Tell em Rollacosta!!!!!!!!!!!


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## ROLLACOSTA

variety is the spice of life imo ,both sites infact all the arb sites i know of complement each other


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## Thor's Hammer

WooHoooooo! mastablasta rules!!
Ahem.
Sorry, brief burst of unbritlike enthusiasm there....


----------



## Big A

Cheers Timberwolf150, If I'd had a T/Wolf I expect you'd have bought us a MaccyD as well!! The track tensioner on the Jensen gave us some headaches as its not as simple as the T/W. Release the nut to allow out the grease, slide in the ram, replace the track and pump up with grease. PAH!! Ram was seized in the out position. Did the same thing on a Timberwolf couple of years ago at SP, took about 15mins to do. This thing took bloody hours. Not a good day, all in all. Still Friday 13th was clear of glitches after that.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

my rg 13 [with under 20 hour's on her ] fell apart today all the guarding just fell of ,this sort of thing is just unacceptable imo


----------



## teressa green

loctite is a blessing,holds my ktm together a treat ,,,,


----------



## unimog

Thor.. You seem to have done/doing alot of research on your chippers. Like I said before have been selling chippers for the last 20 years. Interesting how many post about buying this machine or that machine thinking it is the right one,only to regret their purchase shortly after.

I have used most chippers over the years and certainly my best sales were acheived in the late 90's with the TP 760 and 960 range together with the Vermeer 620/625. The Entec and Greenmech machines soon took over. First Greenmech became the Uk leader but soon lost that spot to Entec,( now Timberwolf).

It's very interesting the way Jensen are suddenly shooting up the sales leader board, especially given the comments of some users on this thread. It seems clear that independant dealers/salesmen have a big influence to play on the chipper market.

For example at the last APF I had a hire company who were looking to break into the chipper hire and sales market they wanted to buy 2 x 6" and 2 x 9" mobile machines and had a set budget. After I did the rounds at the show getting some quotes the first importer who quoted me a dealer price realised that he would not get the order. He came back and offered an extra £8000 discount just to get the deal.

It just shows how much profit there is in chippers and how manufacture's and importers can adjust their prices to get sales No's up if they want.

Most of the tree guy's I know have now wised up to salesmen and which machines are good or bad, but at the end of the day they all like to try something new. You don't find many salesmen that will knock others machines,Why, it's simple in a couple of months time they might be selling that machine.

The chipper that you have a demo with and buy,is in the buyer's opinion the best for the money at that time. True until it breaks down or the parts back up is non existent. Best of all when you come to trade it in. We've all heard it, It's a bit tatty,you've not looked after it, nobody wants to buy a 4 yr old 2nd hand machine,The new ones we now sell have this or that fitted etc etc. Load of balls. Look at the number of machines that Mr Mason turns over.

I am moaning and feel it's about time a lot more people did. The chipper market is small in terms of annual sales units and there around 36 importers/manufacture's chasing that market. They are the ones making all the big money yet rely on a small minority to make that money. It's about time they realised that the small guy's are paying around the same amout of money for a new chipper as what they would for, lets say a decent car, mid range BMW,Merc etc yet the service and products and quality they offer bear little resemblence to that of the car. Until they get their acts together it never will.

It's time that sombody listened to the tree guy's and realised that they are business men too and not just country boys with a chainsaw or two. Until somebody does we will just have to take pot luck and believe the salesmen when they say "trust me" and " I'm not just saying this because I have a morgage to pay and really need the commission"

We should make a list of what we want and they should make sure that we get it. But buying a chipper is like voting for an MP. They will tell you what you want to hear, get the vote and you won't see them again until the next election.

Happy chipping


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Unimog -
A very eloquent and succinct view of the UK chipper market. You have perfectly articulated my own disjointed thoughts on the matter.
Being contractors ourselves, we have come up against all the points you mention. having also worked around the world, I know how much other guys pay for their machines, and we pay far too much for our tiny poorly built machines.
We are set for a bit of a change though, with the chipfuel market coming on line, bigger chippers to chip all that cordwood will be sought after, and the chipper salesmen are rubbing their hands with thought of selling £40,000 - £50,00chippers
so enoughs enough. I am going to change this situation, and if i piss off other chipper co's tough, they've had it to good for to long, and us contractos have to stick together. the only thing i'd dissagree with you over is salesmens views of other chippers. without fail, every chipper salesman I know has made a point of slagging off his competitors machines, even though you know they've never used a chipper in anger, never mind any competitors machines...

PS what was the hire companys budget~?


----------



## iain

when i started out as a contractor i bought 2nd hand chippers,coz that was all i could sensibly afford, without taking a large debt/risk without much in the way of guarunteed work, however some are drawn by the supposedly interest free offers given by some manufacturers ( but as my grandad say's now't is for now't ) 
work slowly improved enabling me to get newer machine 's, as i progressed i sold my machines on to other lads who were starting up or, up grading themselves, 
which has led me to now, i buy and sell a few both new and used machines and as a consquence, any machines that we need for our contracting, come to us with a bit better discount
I agree whole heartedly, that the after care and parts back-up offered in general 
by manufacturers is no where near good enough ! the sentiment and evidence of this is clear if they choose to look !!!
i don't know any company that can afford the additional cost's incurred because a team of workmen can't work productively all because they don't have a 15k + peice of kit (purely because someone at a factory can't be arsed to take its customers seriously ) 
the conseption that arboricultural company's are any less than real bussiness's, with serious overheads and running cost's needs smashing !!!!! 
and i genuinely hope that these tosser's, lose custom they should be boycotted imo, they will take notice when the money slow's down because of their appathy


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i got thinking about operators licences today [i'd love a newish 7.5 tonner]..and i started to think about how many people i know who run lorrys with out one [an o licence],what the hell are the HSE ,DOT and TRADING STANDARD'S doing id like to know !


----------



## Thor's Hammer

VOSA are getting a very hot on O licencing, I know that much. Gotta admit I ran a 6.5 tonner for 18 months with no O licence,(oops) if its got a bonnet (ie merc 711 dodge 50) you can still get away with it if the truck looks tidy.
Why bother with a 7.5 tonner though rolla? to small for me, heres a picture of my new (to me) chip truck


----------



## unimog

Thor...Going to a power plant on Wenesday. Local comany up near York are supplying woodchip, They harvest wood into 5/6" billetts and stock pile. They have looked at several chippers so far. Tests have been done with one of the big Heizhack chippers (53K).Looking for a m/c that can chip 20 tonne per hour. Will be interesting to see what,if anyting comes out of this.

Ros...Managed to use 7.5 tonner for 6 years with out licence. If you only carry your own waste(chip) then you don't need one. How ever when you get pulled carrying a load of blocks for a drive you can only blagg once and I agreed to get a licence...LOL

Ag, Forestry and Hort are exemt under EC law from Taco graph regs. If you have one in and use it they can do you if you have been speeding etc. SO DON'T USE ONE.
Thats why I now have Mogs,It's a tractor ....honest.lol


----------



## iain

raining again oh ain't britains weather great


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Blue sky's up here mate


----------



## iain

nar grey one's here, just what you need when clearing hawthorn hedges from the side of a d/ carriageway frigin drenched !!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

3.30 and the rain is floodin down... but ah dont care cos i'm finished for the day


----------



## teressa green

best get your post count up .......


----------



## Thor's Hammer

You finished early aswell Mr Green?


----------



## teressa green

try to beat the rain ,could see it coming in ,always spurs me on a bit ,warm house and a warm beer ,priceless,


----------



## iain

warm house n cold beer mmmmmmmm


----------



## Big A

unimog said:


> Ros...Managed to use 7.5 tonner for 6 years with out licence. If you only carry your own waste(chip) then you don't need one. How ever when you get pulled carrying a load of blocks for a drive you can only blagg once and I agreed to get a licence...LOL
> 
> Ag, Forestry and Hort are exemt under EC law from Taco graph regs. If you have one in and use it they can do you if you have been speeding etc. SO DON'T USE ONE.
> Thats why I now have Mogs,It's a tractor ....honest.lol


Am I right in thinking that to be exempt from tachos the truck should not be used for "hire or reward" ie chip must go only to your yard from site, cant be sold on to a client. I heard also the other day that the Ministry are really clamping down on the use of red diesel fuel in the Mogs on road useage (and Fastracs etc) as this doesnt earn them the revenue. How does that die remover work? Any one tried it yet? :Eye: :Eye:


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

me i got a cold house and no beer


----------



## MasterBlaster

Well git sum beer, damit!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Do you know were experiencing well below average temprature's tonight it's predicted to fall below zero [global warming my ass]


----------



## Thor's Hammer

OK, heres the deal.
the atlantic gulf stream keeps britain and Ireland in a temparate climate despite us being in the same latitude as siberia. the warm water from the south atlantic rushes north, warms dear old blighty and as it hits super dense cold water coming from greenland ice shelfs, dives to the floor of the ocean and retuns to south america to be warmed again. They call it the conveyor. up till now they Know that there are 12 precise locations where the conveyor dives, cold water sink spots they call them.
Bad news is, cause of global warming, extra ice melting etc, these sinks or giant pumps have been slowing down. Bad news but it wont happen in my lifetime blah blah. Wrong. a scientific team working on an american sub have just returned and reported that 10 of the sinks are dead, and the flow from the other 2 is minimal. this is going to soon stop the atlantic gulf stream very quickly. in the next 5 years britain will see dramatic weather changes with siberian / alaskan type winters.
So thats why yer bleedin 'ouse is cold Rolla! Now go get some beers in  
http://www.climateark.org/articles/2000/4th/cmayswof.htm


----------



## teressa green

well said thor ,rolla do you need an emergency red cross parcel sending stella and orangeboom,or do we need to do a whip round for lifes neccesary,


----------



## unimog

Big A...Does not matter what you do with your truck as long as ag/forestry or fishing.
All exempt from Tacho regs under EC law. Most police and ministry men don't understand and quote only UK regs. We carry a laminated copy of the regs in the cab.
Great when you get a multi agency stop. Let them go through all the garb and when they have wrote out the ticket, pull out the copy. It does their head in when the police then start asking the ministry men waht the fu*k to do.lol. We also carry a letter from Customs re a tribunal ruling that states Mogs are Ag and can use red juice.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

unimog said:


> Big A...Does not matter what you do with your truck as long as ag/forestry or fishing.
> All exempt from Tacho regs under EC law. Most police and ministry men don't understand and quote only UK regs. We carry a laminated copy of the regs in the cab.
> Great when you get a multi agency stop. Let them go through all the garb and when they have wrote out the ticket, pull out the copy. It does their head in when the police then start asking the ministry men waht the fu*k to do.lol. We also carry a letter from Customs re a tribunal ruling that states Mogs are Ag and can use red juice.


Nice one 'Mog,I run 3 HGVs I'd love to get a copy of that, is it available anywhere?


----------



## Ross Turner

Tony,As Thor said is there anywhere we can get a copy of the EC Regs?,My boss is getting a mog to use on powerline clearance running a pto chipper so the info would be useful.


----------



## teressa green

what about GEORGE GALLOWAY ,ha ha ,made watching the news fun ,be interesting to see what our cousins over the water think ,personally think the man is a breath of fresh air in a world of ????es ,


----------



## unimog

I will post some links later re Tacho regs.


----------



## Acer

teressa green said:


> what about GEORGE GALLOWAY ,ha ha ,made watching the news fun ,be interesting to see what our cousins over the water think ,personally think the man is a breath of fresh air in a world of ????es ,



Those senators obviously didn't do their homework on him. Giving him a platform like that, I bet old George couldn't believe his luck! What were they thinking?! He's obviously been stitched up. Whatever you think of him, I'm sure he'd never be stupid enough to get involved in corruption, knowing that the CIA and MI5 are probably watching his every move, waiting for him to slip up.

Anyone interested, you can see it here


----------



## Thor's Hammer

*Gulf stream news*

From last weeks Times newspaper...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,2-523-1602579,00.html


----------



## Big A

*Husky Problem, the saga continues*

finally Husqvarna have conceded that my saw had a manufacturers fault, and replacing parts under warranty. I threatened them with posting bad press about their service on here and other sites, with F&BT and EssentialArb and informed them that several others werent happy with their saws either. Ended up speaking to the organ grinder at their head office after being passed from pillar to post for a couple of weeks.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

what's happend to HIGHPOINT UTD he hasn't been aboutfor a while


----------



## teressa green

might have got a proper job


----------



## Ross Turner

Anyone going to the AA trade fair next month,The boss is thinking of taking us for the day out,not sure what day yet.


----------



## unimog

Ross...I'll be there both days. Will get some copies of the Tacho regs and HM customs letter re mogs and diesel. Will arrange to meet up nearer time.


----------



## highpoint-utd

*re- me*

im here rolla just been lurkin and workin ,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

highpoint-utd said:


> im here rolla just been lurkin and workin ,



nice to hear from you old boy


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

teressa green said:


> might have got a proper job



please tell us more


----------



## timberwolf150

As usual all welcome on the TW stand at AA Show for a beer. Got something on show that might just grab the headlines, but you'll have to come to the show to see it!!


----------



## teressa green

was refering to highpoint,with the proper job,,,,,,im too daft to go get a proper job ,i love getting wet ,cold,miserable up some miserable gits trees for little benefit,,,,,,,sod it think im gonna get beered up tonight ,,,,,,,,,,,proper pissed ,,,,,,,,


----------



## Liston

*Welcome as well*

Once you have drunk all the beer @ TW then stumble over to the Liston Stand and see whats new . "No your not seeing Double it realy is working its self". :alien:


----------



## iain

mr green i reccommend orangeboom reaches the aches faster than your average lager


----------



## teressa green

ooh my bloody head,never again ,or at least until the match this afternoon, work beckons,,,,,


----------



## highpoint-utd

*fa cup*

hmm who you supportin teresa ,hope its us reds and not whingers gooners.
on a sad note one of my mates from telford was attacked last sunday at southhampton and battered with an iron bar ,(on the critical list in southampton genral  ) so a word to the wise if your from that town full of seamen  stay away from burnley or crewe next year coz i dont think youve heard the last of this one


----------



## Ross Turner

Highpoint,I have not seen anything in the local papers about your mate as i live in telford,I hope he recovers soon & the twats who did it get whats comming to them


----------



## teressa green

yeah gonna support the red debters


----------



## highpoint-utd

ross cheers ,his name is jamie turner . he was walking through the estate at the side of st marys ground before the match with his son and another couple of lads .they ran but jamie was to slow (hes 40 odd) so they caught him and leathered him apparently the police have 3 lads for it attempted murder . and thats before our firm have caught up with them .sad really i was there at the fa cup match not one ounce of trouble we sat with some southhampton lads in the pub?????????crazy


----------



## Ross Turner

http://www.shropshirestar.co.uk/show_article.php?aID=33242 this is a link to a news paper article.


----------



## highpoint-utd

cheers for that ross ,it only ocurred to me while i was havin a shave that he has the same surname as you hope he aint a relation , and as for the cowardly scum that did him well ,i was talkin to some of our top boys the other day and lets just say that crewe aint to far away


----------



## highpoint-utd

another sad note ross that picture in the news article was taken about a month ago at pikey phils wedding in wrexham (another big red gathering) probably the last time jamie will be pictured in full health ,sad for the sake of watching a match .weird really coz we have travelled to rum places like scouseland and leeds(bellend rd)and never had any trouble .he goes to southhampton and gets nearly killed and wasnt even wearing a united shirt


----------



## timberwolf150

Dave (Liston) You could always sit in your chair and just send the stumpy over to collect a cold one. The AA HSE boffs would love that one!!!


----------



## Ross Turner

No relation.


----------



## highpoint-utd

we were robbed!!!!!!!!!!! the most systematic fouling in a match i have ever seen the referee was a complete waste of time . ah well


----------



## Ross Turner

At least they got to the final,not like some other teams.


----------



## Liston

LOL, Thought we would put large teddy on top with hat and gloves and send it across.
Should make the trade press next month if nothing else..


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Could we put a claymore mine on it and send it into the bandit stand?


----------



## iain

don't suppose miles would enjoy that


----------



## Thor's Hammer

oh dear. poor myles. how sad. might stop him talking for 10 minuites


----------



## iain

i doubt it maybe for 8 mins or so, just while he works out how the insurance claim is going to sound


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Actually, Myles could probably talk a claymore out of exploding and sell it a chipper...


----------



## iain

yeah if they've just won the lottery vvvv expensive


----------



## Thor's Hammer

What did you price up from him?


----------



## iain

did n't as such asked me at the apf if i'd like to be a dealer selling bandit equip


----------



## Thor's Hammer

yeah had that one aswell...
I think hes pricing an 80hp model 90 at £22,000


----------



## iain

heart breaking aint it 
i know that there aren't that many people who want to invest that sort of dosh 
few and far between imo still the whole market is over priced 
but i have to admit bandit is good kit even if it is american


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Check out Rolla's post on chinese kit... highly entertaining. Can't deny the yank kit is very well built though. i reckon the 90 should cost around £18000 all in.


----------



## Liston

If you can find the stand. Oh forgot you can probely smell it, it's the one with all the Ball ****t.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

ha i got em going ,regarding my thread on chinky chippers lol


----------



## Liston

One of the best I've seen yet or is it Yen LOL


----------



## iain

rolla 
r you stirring it ?


----------



## Big A

Rolla... Stir.... NEVER!!!... I still got a mental picture of poor oold Mr Husqvarna at Capel. He was punch-drunk and reeling from Rolla before I even started.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

god old Huskey earened his money that day lol..we tag teamed him lol..funny thing is my 3120 has run perfect ever since lol...

IAN i was being serious ,i do think the chinks will end up makeing cheaper and possibly better chippers ,than we have now,I'd love to see the japs make a chipper


----------



## Liston

*Jap chips*

The Japs already make chippers but don't export much yet to the west.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

given their technology when it comes to sharp edges and diesel engines i would think its probably pretty special...
have seen a jap chipper in thailand, it was built into the chassis of the truck and sat under the chip box, very neat


----------



## iain

Rolla 

i agree lets get together, spec the machine, and import our own AS machines for dist in the ec


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Give me a spec Iain, what are you looking for?


----------



## iain

i'm not looking for me however who knows what the future will bring 
a new reliable affordable and supported range wouldn't be a bad thing 
lets face it a chipper don't cost to make what they are being sold for ( okay there are development costs to a certain extent put together a power unit two rollers +hyd motors and a flywheel and frame and guess what its a chipper !!!!

there could be more of the margin allocated to after sales support and parts back up
so if some enterprising individuals with experience at the sharp end of the bussiness were to sieze on that !!!! who knows !
just a thought


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Crap aftersale support is'nt restricted to chippers though - ii've had a terrible time dealing with nissan over a warrenty issue, and ask Rolla about Isuzu's aftersales support. Also decent aftersales backup costs the dealer big£. I would be happy to have a dealer who knew what he was talking about, and parts that don't cost a small mortgage...


----------



## iain

as i say the right people,,, how many salesmen no or care about the complexititys involved in running an arb co they'll be your best friend right up untill the cheque clears just the same as if they were selling cars or double glazing

a chipper that is broken is and inveitable thing,
however when you've spent more on it than some people work a whole year for, and its still sat there looking at you everyday as you set off and when you return having stacked brash ( well watch the lads stack brash ) and then have to unload and deal with the brash later on !
then to capp it all , a numpty says happily informs you it'll be three weeks for the part to come in ''really doesn't help''

i v'e had machines break on people you v'e bought through me, if it can't be fixed with a couple of days, i have loaned them one of my own contracting machines i know what its like to be up ???? creek without a paddle its not funny in the slightest


----------



## iain

rolla big a 
any more of the double act in store for cirencester i could do with a laugh


----------



## Thor's Hammer

My sentiments exactly. A chipper dealer who knows chippers/contracting would know to stock certain parts - and plenty of them. (I have had parts sent over from the US faster and cheaper than the UK dealer could get them to me). a chipper salesman who was selling diggers 6 months previously, and a parts/stores manager whos barely ever seen a chipper adds up to trouble, and makes for extreme frustration for the contractor. Iwould like to start selling chippers, purely because I have seen so many contractors like myself get ripped off, BUT...I don't want to get it wrong, so I'm trying to find out exactly what the contractors want and need.
maybe its not worth the bother, but from the feedback i'm getting theres a lot of pissed off contractors/buyers out there.


----------



## iain

oh i think it will be worth it

its time for the dog to wag the tail for a change


----------



## Big A

Personally I hope that Jensen are there as I should like to point out a few of the intricacies of building something with a view to it staying together for 5 mins. Got a bottle of Loctite to give them for starters. might even chuck in some spanners as well!! How about you Rolla? Fancy a bout with Husky or shal we find a new un-suspecting victim to bounce around the ring.


----------



## iain

big a i think i'll be there both days so far any way


----------



## a_lopa

Liston said:


> The Japs already make chippers but don't export much yet to the west.




got a name or a link,be interesting


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Big A said:


> Personally I hope that Jensen are there as I should like to point out a few of the intricacies of building something with a view to it staying together for 5 mins. Got a bottle of Loctite to give them for starters. might even chuck in some spanners as well!! How about you Rolla? Fancy a bout with Husky or shal we find a new un-suspecting victim to bounce around the ring.




HUMM i could start on one or two dealers regarding DEMOing machines [or lack off]


----------



## iain

bet you daren't


----------



## SteveBullman

i bet he doth


----------



## iain

oh goodi


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

just spent nearly 2 hour's putting dead end quotes in writing [well i dictated wifey typed]  

had a laugh tonight whent to see a customer ,who rang in the week with 1 6ft stump and 1 9ft stump wow i thought ,saw him tonight turns out he measured them via the circumferance


----------



## SteveBullman

anyone know who has the council contracts in central london?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

I DO! BUT FIRST WHY DO YA WANNA KNOW ???....yes i'm a nosey Bstard :Eye:


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Gristwood and Toms?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Are we talking Royal Parks or city of Westminster ??


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> just spent nearly 2 hour's putting dead end quotes in writing [well i dictated wifey typed]
> 
> had a laugh tonight whent to see a customer ,who rang in the week with 1 6ft stump and 1 9ft stump wow i thought ,saw him tonight turns out he measured them via the circumferance



Why do you think their dead end?


----------



## SteveBullman

both


----------



## iain

stephen r u looking to compete or punting for a job


----------



## iain

stephen r u looking to compete or punting for a job


----------



## SteveBullman

neither......i was there yesterday and what i saw in the way of tree work got me wondering who the contractors are


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

city suburban tree services ,M and L contractores ,Gristwood and Toms ,Bartletts,The Tree Company,Gifford, Connick Treecare..theres a lot of em doing Westminster and the Royal parks


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Thor's Hammer said:


> Why do you think their dead end?



I JUST HAVE THAT FEELING ..well one said i'm way more expensive to start,and the others don't look as though they have a pot to P*ss in ,we need the cheapset option all that crap..


----------



## Thor's Hammer

if he reckons your to expensive, why bother quoting? bloody timewasters  
People with no cash are always difficult, sometimes I'll offer to put the stuff on the floor cheap for them, let them clear up. (although its quite funny the look on their faces when it all does hit the floor  ' it looks bigger now youve cut it down  )


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Thor's Hammer said:


> if he reckons your to expensive, why bother quoting? bloody timewasters
> 
> they asked me to put the quote in writing ,sometimes the general public speak with 'FORKED TONGUE'..oh and i did give the skin flints the option of cut and drop no clear up..sometimes when the potential client has mulled over my charming character ,proffesional speel etc, i occasionaly spin them around to my way of thinking and price


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Guess they don't know about your online alter ego...


----------



## iain

well b/hol here again no doubt it'll piss it down 

one of our local arb officers is leaving soon wonder who we'll get

option one ,newby out of college
option two ,x climber with vertigo
option three ,a real pukka tree dude 
option four , as the wife says an eco tree hugga 

god i hope its 3 but i doubt it


have a good one lads , turn the phone off !!!!!!!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

never come across no.3 yet


----------



## iain

no they're running their own outfits, council expect that 24k is enough to give up being your own boss likelllly NOT!!!!!


----------



## iain

Rolla 

have you approached / e mailed haymarket publications they do the horticulture week, to see if they support an arb mag , as most of the classifieds in the back are arb officers or for tree gangs members for the authorities around the uk


----------



## Thor's Hammer

right now I would'nt mind 24k a year, specially working for a local Authority, flexi time do bugger all drink tea etc.
then I could do a couple of private jobs for cash at the weekends and evenings, sorted.
Incidently, local arb officer gets about 15k max.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

teressa green said:


> chomping at the bit here,van cleaned ,serviced,tools checked sharpened ,fuelled,ropes etc ready ,ppe sat next to back door ready for 6 am up and at em boys,gonna be a good year 2005,i can feel it in my bones ,


 Hahaha just found this one, what a laugh


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

HOW MANY OF YOU GUYS ARE FINDING WORK A BIT SLACK ?...down here it's not very good at all 

Are any of you noticing that a lot of work you have priced up is simply not getting done ??..I thought i was loosing work to competitors until i took a drive out to have a look.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

dead quiet, councils not spending at all up here...


----------



## Ross Turner

Plenty of work for me,but thats utility for you.


----------



## teressa green

thor ,what do you mean a good laugh ,exp;ain mate bit confused here ?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

teressa green said:


> thor ,what do you mean a good laugh ,exp;ain mate bit confused here ?


Sorry mate, Its turned into a seriously crap year for some of us...
Funny really, january was dead, feb and march I did £82k, then nothing again  Whats going on?


----------



## teressa green

every thing is peachy up here ,mind you i do travel and have a few fingers in pies,the post you were refering to was a comment about the storms ,as it is they didnt keep me too busy ,but im careful not to price my self out of work ,decent rate for a decent job ,i also specialise in the tricky stuff that most gucci ale house tree surgeons swerve.wasnt having a pop thor just got me all muddled up ,


----------



## iain

private inquirys are down in volume , saying that i've trimmed our ad's , 
however, talking to other firms around my area, they aren't as busy as in other year's , the traditional easter glut hasn't happened this year. 
there was a lot of deadwooding and felling carried out this year by the winter storms .
we may see an up turn now the sun is showing itself


----------



## Thor's Hammer

teressa green said:


> every thing is peachy up here ,mind you i do travel and have a few fingers in pies,the post you were refering to was a comment about the storms ,as it is they didnt keep me too busy ,but im careful not to price my self out of work ,decent rate for a decent job ,i also specialise in the tricky stuff that most gucci ale house tree surgeons swerve.wasnt having a pop thor just got me all muddled up ,



Hey Mate no worries, dont take me wrong I was just 'avin a giraffe.
Dont know about difficult stuff, never turned away a job yet. sometimes I think thats all I get. Do you get gucci proclimbers who walk away (shock!)?

Iain - we travel as far as south highlands in scotland and newmarket in surrey, but work has still gone ????e.
Its not a matter of pricing ourselves out of the market either, its actuall inquirys have tailed off to nothing...


----------



## Thor's Hammer

*some pics.*

thought it time we had some more tree cuttin' pics


----------



## MasterBlaster

That's the spirit!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

can anyone tell me the dates for the AA show ????


----------



## SteveBullman

24th and 25th i think


----------



## Ross Turner

thats the date LW put up on proclimber.


----------



## iain

yep fri 24 sat 25 of june


----------



## jamie

*going*

i am still toying with going, leaving on the friday after work and turning up for the sat in my cutting gear and sawdust on the glasses..

jamie


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

Hi

The place where i'm working at the moment is thinking of expanding into doing extra tree work. We are currently insured for the use of chainsaws for pruning and cutting hedges. Problem is we are not insured for lopping and felling even if everything is rigged. So are there any insurance companies that specialise in tree work that i can ring up for a quote?


----------



## iain

Mr_Brushcutter said:


> Hi
> 
> The place where i'm working at the moment is thinking of expanding into doing extra tree work. We are currently insured for the use of chainsaws for pruning and cutting hedges. Problem is we are not insured for lopping and felling even if everything is rigged. So are there any insurance companies that specialise in tree work that i can ring up for a quote?




Algarve 01483 489291 or Trust 01604 492644 rgds iain

ps make sure your sat down when you get the quote back Ouch !!! 
no BIG OUCH !!!!!!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

lopping !!!!!!!! whats that????????????????????????????????????? ARE YOU WORKING IN FORESTRY ???????????


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Haha! I lopped some stinky hawthorn today, serve them right for spiking me all over


----------



## jamie

*forestry,*

lopping in forestry?

got my first big scare the other day, at about 60ft, rigging down blocks, the half hitch jumped off of the peg that was holding it and slid, as it slid it caught my scare strap (i had flicked it over the front of the rigging line) and it pulled me out the tree, slid 10 foot down the stem......learnt one very good lesson off of it.

that and i spent my moring chunking down a stem today with a 92 link bar on a 288 at 10 meters i stopped and it was felled, oh and i only have my basic climbing a chainsaw tickets...oops

jamie


----------



## MasterBlaster

Yikes!!!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

jamie said:


> lopping in forestry
> 
> jamie



Another word for snedding  nothing at all to do with Arboriculture 

A word very often wrongly used to mean removal of limb/limbs on a standing tree


----------



## Thor's Hammer

or common term for arborist in aussie...


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

iain said:


> Algarve 01483 489291 or Trust 01604 492644 rgds iain
> 
> ps make sure your sat down when you get the quote back Ouch !!!
> no BIG OUCH !!!!!!




how much is a big ouch? 3000, 5000, 10,000 ?


----------



## iain

depends how many men / teamsyou got min £2.5K


----------



## iain

jamie glad to hear u r ok wounded pride ? 

those valuable lesson's are in my experience what change a qualified climber, into a wise climber, they just can't teach you the feeling you get when you think your going to really get messed up

me i 'think twice ' cut once ' n just before i cut a quick look @ rigging n lines


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

iain said:


> depends how many men / teamsyou got min £2.5K



Intresting. It would only be one team of up to 5 people. Only two of which would hold NPTCs the others would be there for work experence / clearing up.


----------



## iain

mmm i'd still sit down gaining exp = untrained could mean unaware !!! 
chance for insurance blahp still means ' its going to cost ya !!!


----------



## jamie

*lessons learnt*

pride wasnt bashed too badly....woke me up quick smart... had a bit of a laugh about it, arms a bit ragged after hugging the stem on the way down, got the rest of the week down so far with no excitement

jamie


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Jamie, have a look at this.
is it as good as the ahwi on a 360 you have?

http://www.slashbuster.com/images/Tree-shredding.wmv


----------



## iain

rest, heal, n then go out n kill some trees 'set the score straight'

revenge !!!!!!


----------



## iain

Thor's Hammer said:


> Jamie, have a look at this.
> is it as good as the ahwi on a 360 you have?
> 
> http://www.slashbuster.com/images/Tree-shredding.wmv





AWESOME


----------



## jamie

*hmm*

nah, not as good the volvo mount is, in my opinion better, that looks like it makes a bit of a mess....the ahwi head seems just better, reckon, down side is it needs a donky engine...

jamie


----------



## Thor's Hammer

OK....
I've seen both, and I have my own opinion.
Now tell me if the ahwi will do this - 
http://www.slashbuster.com/images/automobile-shredder.wmv


----------



## Ross Turner

Mental,Would that not damage the teeth?.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

they did that to show how tough the teeth are. if you look closely, youl see it actually mulches the engine and gearbox too. the last shot shows the teeth untouched....


----------



## timberwolf150

*New Toy*

1st unit just been delivered. Had to show this to you all. Without fail this thing puts a smile on your face. 

Big A - You'll never get stuck in a french drain with this!!!


----------



## iain

just got a new 066 + 36" bar last week 
stihl fitted an 8 segment replaceable sprocket on to it, so that means standard 114 d/link won't fit, clowns !!! , ????'d inconvenient wot, the replacement 7 segment sprocket arrived in the post this morning, 
is it too much to ask, get it right !!!!


----------



## teressa green

is that a military b v machine as used by royal marines?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

timberwolf150 said:


> 1st unit just been delivered. Had to show this to you all. Without fail this thing puts a smile on your face.
> 
> Big A - You'll never get stuck in a french drain with this!!!



good idea, shame its such a tiddly chipper...


----------



## timberwolf150

teressa green said:


> is that a military b v machine as used by royal marines?



Yes this ones ex Swedish Military V6 Ford petrol but you can have a 5cyl Merc TDI


----------



## timberwolf150

Thor. You fit what the customer wants.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Was it a special build for a customer?


----------



## Big A

Bet that got a few looks going down Stow High street!!! Bit of a pose machine innit! See ATS featured in F&BT with the Bruks Now thats a chipper!! What size is the chipper on the Hagglund T/Wolf? Are you taking it to the Arb Show?


----------



## timberwolf150

Big A said:


> Bet that got a few looks going down Stow High street!!! Bit of a pose machine innit! See ATS featured in F&BT with the Bruks Now thats a chipper!! What size is the chipper on the Hagglund T/Wolf? Are you taking it to the Arb Show?



Fitted with a TW190 7.5" Chipper. Yes it will be at the AA show.


----------



## timberwolf150

Thor's Hammer said:


> Was it a special build for a customer?



Built to customers spec for assesment. The BV that is not the chipper. Customer has plenty of those already.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

The customer spec'ed a 7 inch chipper on something that will carry nearly 3 tonnes? hmmmmnnnn.... seems a little kind of overkill


----------



## timberwolf150

Thor's Hammer said:


> The customer spec'ed a 7 inch chipper on something that will carry nearly 3 tonnes? hmmmmnnnn.... seems a little kind of overkill



why put £20 -£30k worth of chipper on the back if its not required. With this project it was more about access and transport. The weight was also an issue because the customer has limitations on ground pressure.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

sorry guys, not having a pop, it's always different looking from the outside in. what sort of job's it going to be doing?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

heres a pic of countywide tree companys latest toy ,after demo number 2 i liked it a lot more so i bought one ,its a sc 352 diesel stump grinder 3cyl dihatsu engine, belt and shft driven cutter wheel...my next purchase will be the VERMEER 150 CHIPPER ,this chipper looks likeits built like a tank 500kg heavier than a Timberwolf


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i have posted some pics over on large equipment forum ,i'll post some on here tommorow 8' oak stump


----------



## skyhightree

ROLLACOSTA said:


> heres a pic of countywide tree companys latest toy ,after demo number 2 i liked it a lot more so i bought one ,its a sc 352 diesel stump grinder 3cyl dihatsu engine, belt and shft driven cutter wheel...my next purchase will be the VERMEER 150 CHIPPER ,this chipper looks likeits built like a tank 500kg heavier than a Timberwolf



Rolla agree with you on the stumper but don't go near that chipper. Electric drive / clutch aaagghhhhhh!!!! My machine lasted 6 months. In fact Iwould buy another Jensen rather than one of them, and you know how much i like that thing. If it stops with as much as a twig in the rollers the sensors won't let you restart engine. You have to strip the lot down, engine covers, springs, jack up the rollers etc. NIGHTMARE!! Oh yeah and the little clip screws that hold the covers on. £15 each and you break them every other time you move them. When it was 6 weeks old rotor bearings broke and took out rotor and fan sections. B-Trac told me it was because blades were sharpened at the wrong angle. They took blades away and i never did get them back. W*****S. cost me £3000 quid that day. Been trying ever since to get money back but without blades don't stand a chance.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

The 2005 Sherrill catalog is available from B-trac VERMEER UK...they are sherrill dealers [unfortunately no price list]


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i wonder how much is 'ce' marked ???


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> i wonder how much is 'ce' marked ???


who gives a toss?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Shame vermeer did'nt just improve the old 620, that was a nice simple machine


----------



## billywhizz

ROLLACOSTA said:


> heres a pic of countywide tree companys latest toy ,after demo number 2 i liked it a lot more so i bought one ,its a sc 352 diesel stump grinder 3cyl dihatsu engine, belt and shft driven cutter wheel...my next purchase will be the VERMEER 150 CHIPPER ,this chipper looks likeits built like a tank 500kg heavier than a Timberwolf




why not the timberwolf? thought this was the #1 brand and british too?!! guy i'm jobbing for at the moment runs 3 of them and they just go and go, so much that were all nackered trying to keep them fed!!)


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

The vermeer looks good on paper


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Timberwolf's are built out of chocolate and plasticene...


----------



## billywhizz

Thor's Hammer said:


> Timberwolf's are built out of chocolate and plasticene...



mmmmm. somthing to eat and play with during breaks then..........? is that a genuine opinion from recent experience, cos thats def not what i've been working with - theyre tough as hell. the other guys on the team did say that timberwolfs used to be weak a few years ago, but that theyve been improved loads. when did you last try them ?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

your probably right, the one I (briefly) had was about 3 years old.


----------



## skyhightree

Thor's Hammer said:


> Shame vermeer did'nt just improve the old 620, that was a nice simple machine



Heard Vermeer were trying to bring some into UK because still made in America. Most UK Vermeer apparently made in Holland or Belgium now I think.
Technology now in chippers way ahead of what it was 3-4 years ago. IMO Vermeer were too experimental with BC150. Most lads I know with one have lots of electrical and overheating probs.


----------



## skyhightree

ROLLACOSTA said:


> The vermeer looks good on paper



The Jensen 530 looked good on paper and on promises. Living with it proved completely different. TW190 still best 6-7" chipper IMO. Reliable as a Premier but cheaper. Just what we all wanted.


----------



## SteveBullman

billywhizz said:


> why not the timberwolf? thought this was the #1 brand and british too?!! guy i'm jobbing for at the moment runs 3 of them and they just go and go, so much that were all nackered trying to keep them fed!!)



have you used anything other than a timberwolf??

in my experience everyone thinks the timberwolfs the dogs bollocks till they try something else


----------



## Thor's Hammer

its all down to the amount of steel that goes into its manufacture. the less steel, the shorter the lifespan. imo, making a chipper that wieghs 750kgs is just asking for trouble.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

stephenbullman said:


> have you used anything other than a timberwolf??
> 
> in my experience everyone thinks the timberwolfs the dogs bollocks till they try something else


or till they use one older than 3 years


----------



## SteveBullman

yep! its ok saying the new 190 is as reliable as a premier but the machines still new. 3 years time a premier will still be running as well as it was from new


----------



## SteveBullman

i hope it does turn out to be as reliable, time will tell.


----------



## skyhightree

stephenbullman said:


> yep! its ok saying the new 190 is as reliable as a premier but the machines still new. 3 years time a premier will still be running as well as it was from new



Stephen you forget I run both. Yes Premier is 8 months older than TW but my records will show the Premier has cost more to run in the last year. Both machines have not let me down its just the Prem has a higher maintainance schedule than TW and service bits cost twice as much. When you are having to account for every penny you spend its things like that which count.


----------



## jockie

stephenbullman said:


> have you used anything other than a timberwolf??
> 
> in my experience everyone thinks the timberwolfs the dogs bollocks till they try something else



Hi - mainly timberwolf but also had a few days working with a jensen (everyone hated that), and a greenmec that wouldnt even start! 

i'm really new to actually working after finishing college, so i'm just after advise on what the best value machines are. everyone seems to go on about the german machines - are german arb workers standards and skills higher than ours? is that why we need german equipment? (genuine questions). i'm a bit p1ssed off cos got a HUGE boll1kking today for my harness not being on properly - thats german too, i think!!!

my current boss is made up with the timberwolfs cos of reliability and good service and spares backup. asked him about the wieght of the 150 and he said taht with the 750 kg even I can tow it!!! (i'm 22) and for the heavier jobs he sends his 190. he sez this gives him loads of flexability on who can do what as machines over 750 kg give driving license restrictions.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

I think the whole idea of 750kg chippers is a backwards idea. far better to run bigger chippers and put lads through their hgv licence.


----------



## SteveBullman

i dont know......for most residential work a small machine is more than ample


----------



## iain

on a licence post 1997 you can tow a trailer over 750kg ,
however the combination must not exceed the gvw of the towing vehicle ,
so basically you can only transport the chipper , if you load it you must empty it to below the limit before you re tow !

or sit a test at your local ministry centre costs £85 ish!!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

ahh bollox to 750kg rules etc ,when they crack down on people running 7.5 tonners without operators licences i might consider worring about towing a ton or two to much


----------



## iain

rolla u must have past pre 97


----------



## billywhizz

ROLLACOSTA said:


> ahh bollox to 750kg rules etc ,when they crack down on people running 7.5 tonners without operators licences i might consider worring about towing a ton or two to much



isnt that like saying when they crack down on burglers youll stop speeding? they wont crack down on burglers but they will do you for speeding!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

no way too young lol...what i was refering to in my previous post is the fact if you tow over 750kg then you must have a taco fitted to your truck


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> no way too young lol...what i was refering to in my previous post is the fact if you tow over 750kg then you must have a taco fitted to your truck



Forestry work is exempt from this rule, I have been stopped and weigh'd, but let off because my vehicle signwork has forestry services on it.
does'nt help with licencing, but class 2 drivers are often only on 6-8 quid an hour, so hiring a groundsman/driver is a possible solution.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

billywhizz said:


> isnt that like saying when they crack down on burglers youll stop speeding? they wont crack down on burglers but they will do you for speeding!



No not at all ,when you have been out in the real world for as long as a few of us on here have been you will realize the working world is full of double standards and hypocrisy ,at the moment i guess you might be in college/ health and safety rules and regs mode.. i was the same many years ago ,imo if you run a biz 80% to the book your doing a bloody good job. 90% of tree firms are complete shambles no insurance the lot..no firm can work to every rule and regulation in the land its totally impossible ,the reason is we are over regulated..

by the way im not having a go at ya


----------



## iain

tom ur right yep forestry is exempt


forestry is tree work carried out on an estate !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it dont say council or private but estate


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

THOR A twat around here was going to tow a trailer with his landrover and tow his chipper off of the trailer ie three thing in a row lol [he was going to get a tow bar fitted to a ifor tipping trailer] he told me this was all legal and above board because he is registerd as a forester


----------



## Thor's Hammer

twat.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

but how many of us on here are foresters ,we are arborists now thats differant where the ministry is concerned right ????


----------



## Thor's Hammer

I suppose he'd be upset when his gearbox gave up.
I think the only people allowed 3 trains are showmen.
I have seen a tipping chipbox trailer with a small timberwolf fitted on the drawbar, it was a real neat little setup, and could legaly carry 8 cube of chips. (3.5t trailer)


----------



## iain

pruner 1 


u out there got ur machine grafting yet


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Thor's Hammer said:


> twat.



must admit i have seen showmen [fair ground people] tow two bits of kit at once ,was the twat rite or wrong thats what im wondering ??


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> but how many of us on here are foresters ,we are arborists now thats differant where the ministry is concerned right ????


 nope. i you have forestry services on your truck/business cards etc thats fine. we do a lot of forestry aswell, so its not a problem.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> must admit i have seen showmen [fair ground people] tow two bits of kit at once ,was the twat rite or wrong thats what im wondering ??


He was wrong, ONLY showmen have that dispensation.


----------



## iain

i can just see the add now 'tree surgeons roll up roll up see the attraction'


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Bloody showmen get away with quite a bit from what i have seen ,do they need to have a HGV licence or are they exempt ???


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Well there are similarities... guys swinging on ropes, daring do etc.
clowns (groundies) running around in baggy trousers bumping into each other, tripping over, dropping things on each others heads....


----------



## iain

thor you've been watching my crews


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> Bloody showmen get away with quite a bit from what i have seen ,do they need to have a HGV licence or are they exempt ???



the only real thing there exempt from is an O licence. otherwise they need everything we do.
I've noticed cowboys seem to be exempt from a lot of regs


----------



## Thor's Hammer

iain said:


> thor you've been watching my crews


no just my own. ever want to give up in dispair?


----------



## iain

yeh'p, fly tipping, running vans on red diesel, pay tax , having insurance, paying for stuff by cheque, getting payed by cheque ,,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Don't forget about the clairvoyants who well tell folk that unless they get your trees topped they will fall over and hurt someone or do lots of damage


----------



## iain

Thor's Hammer said:


> no just my own. ever want to give up in dispair?




never i sometimes wish that crucifixion was ok when carried out on nugget's


----------



## iain

or the oak (conifer) that they can do a real good job on really cheap!!!!


----------



## iain

night dudes the beers calling


----------



## Thor's Hammer

iain said:


> yeh'p, fly tipping, running vans on red diesel, pay tax , having insurance, paying for stuff by cheque, getting payed by cheque ,,


buying equipment other than transit/chainsaw/hedgetrimmer, competency certs, training staff, doing tidy work, adhering to 3998 etc etc


----------



## Thor's Hammer

I see you skyhigh...


----------



## jamie

*over regulated*

its not that we are over regulated, its that everysingle one of us is just not working / trying hard enough. there are 24 hours in the day to comply with the regs....

com' on lads pick up the pace.

jamie


----------



## skyhightree

Let me tell you a story about why I now have a chipper under 750kgs.
One cold / wet Friday evening 3rd gang gets pulled over. Ldv loaded to the limit. Vermeer BC150 Chipper. The lad driving was 23 and had worked for me since he was a kid. Once the copper new his age and asked questions that was it.The van and chipper was impounded and I didn't get it back until the following Tuesday. I had to pick the lads and all the kit up from the station after every item had its serial number checked and logged. Basically we were treated like rapists. Carl got 6 points and £500 quid fine. I was hit with fines totalling nearly two grand for various vehicle safety offences. (it had just been MOT'd 2 weeks earlier). 

Why was he pulled over? 

Faulty light on chipper. 

The most expensive bulb I've ever had to buy. My vehicles and chippers have been run by the book ever since.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Bloody hell skyhigh, thats friggin' terrible. My Lawyer has told me to phone him immediatly if that happens, he reckons a lot of the stuff they come up with is bollocks. trouble with this country is youd have had better treatment if you had been a rapist. the motorist is being turned into a criminal, cause the police are to corrupt to go after real criminals.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

loading to the limit is the reason I run 7 1/2 tonner as smallest truck. with 10 cube chip box (closed top) its very unlikely to be over loaded.


----------



## skyhightree

afterwards had all the backs on LDV'S changed loaded up chip from the yard and kept visiting local weighbridge till we got it right. Quite a site watching lads watering load of conifer chip on back of van.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

This is pretty hard to overload on treework...


----------



## Thor's Hammer

skyhightree said:


> afterwards had all the backs on LDV'S changed loaded up chip from the yard and kept visiting local weighbridge till we got it right. Quite a site watching lads watering load of conifer chip on back of van.


how big is the back on the ldv now? or how many cube can you carry safely? :Eye:


----------



## skyhightree

we can legally load about 1100kg of chip on back of crew cab ldv with 3 lads and all kit. Boards only now 3/4 high on buck. Would love a 7 1/2 ton truck but too much hassell to run one. Lads licences etc.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

skyhightree said:


> we can legally load about 1100kg of chip on back of crew cab ldv with 3 lads and all kit. Boards only now 3/4 high on buck. Would love a 7 1/2 ton truck but too much hassell to run one. Lads licences etc.


1100kgs? ouch, thats about 5 cube max fresh chip?
running a 7.5 tonner is no harder than running 3.5 tonner surely? apart from the O licence.


----------



## vharrison2

Thor's Hammer said:


> cause the police are to corrupt to go after real criminals.



Hummmmmmm, does that happen in America? Let me just check.


----------



## skyhightree

4 x driving tests, O licence, 12 weekly ministry checks, planning to keep 3 on estate, (is this needed for 7 1/2 tonne?). All of the above probably a 3 yr plan. Have considered buying 1 just haven't made mind up yet. Thought we could just use it as chip wagon and not tow.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

skyhightree said:


> 4 x driving tests, O licence, 12 weekly ministry checks, planning to keep 3 on estate, (is this needed for 7 1/2 tonne?). All of the above probably a 3 yr plan. Have considered buying 1 just haven't made mind up yet. Thought we could just use it as chip wagon and not tow.



it is easier for me, I have a farm and yard with workshop facility's, and ministry allow us to do our own checks (they will allow anyone to do this if you ask after 6 months). all my guys have pre 97 licences. one idea is to use the ex military 1300L unimogs, as they are in like new condition often, can be picked up for about 10k, and make a ???? good little 4x4 7.5t truck. you could then tow a much bigger chipper, or a crane trailer.


----------



## billywhizz

ROLLACOSTA said:


> No not at all ,when you have been out in the real world for as long as a few of us on here have been you will realize the working world is full of double standards and hypocrisy ,at the moment i guess you might be in college/ health and safety rules and regs mode.. i was the same many years ago ,imo if you run a biz 80% to the book your doing a bloody good job. 90% of tree firms are complete shambles no insurance the lot..no firm can work to every rule and regulation in the land its totally impossible ,the reason is we are over regulated..
> 
> by the way im not having a go at ya



know where u r coming from rolla. def had the regs and h&s crammed into us at skool!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

the only mogs ive seen are top $$$ for a heap of chit ,thor where would i find a mog like your describing for that price ???...because i will have one like that next week if there available !! ..guy around here bought a 80s model u1600 cost 30k before he got started


----------



## billywhizz

enniwai..............

why does everyone drool over the german chippers as opposed to the good ol' brit kit???


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Here you go. I've had mogs, never again. (this is just my opinion of course, I know lots of you love mogs. after all they look the bollocks)

dont bother with ag spec mog. forget putting a pto chipper on the back, forget pulling giant silage trailers, been there done that its crap. use it as a small truck, where its very usefull. they have a 3m body on, converts to tipper easy. (done it).

http://www.witham-sv.com/infopage.php?ID=8&Overide=1


----------



## Big A

Evenin' All. Back on Mogs again (sigh), seems a lifetime ago since I used one of those beasties! Jensen didnt fall apart today, sunny weather, large pops to pollard = cool day.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

billywhizz said:


> enniwai..............
> 
> why does everyone drool over the german chippers as opposed to the good ol' brit kit???



I dont drool over german chippers. mind you would you rather a rover or a bmw?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Big A said:


> Evenin' All. Back on Mogs again (sigh), seems a lifetime ago since I used one of those beasties! Jensen didnt fall apart today, sunny weather, large pops to pollard = cool day.


Pops to pollard. sigh. good old days


----------



## billywhizz

Thor's Hammer said:


> I dont drool over german chippers. mind you would you rather a rover or a bmw?



what about rover vs wartburg or trabant? not everything from germany is a beamer or a merc methinks!


----------



## Big A

Personally the ???? things should have been totally removed, wrong trees in the wrong place. Still get another bite of the cherry in a few years time.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Big A said:


> Personally the ???? things should have been totally removed, wrong trees in the wrong place. Still get another bite of the cherry in a few years time.


to right. and about 20' of coppice growth to remove too.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

billywhizz said:


> what about rover vs wartburg or trabant? not everything from germany is a beamer or a merc methinks!


 
both east german, now defunct, you could almost say they were soviet. what about audi, merc, bmw, porsche?


----------



## Big A

And our Great British car industry?? Oh thats defunct too now! Unless we can count Nissan & Co.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

not that I love german chippers give me yank engineering+steel any day. anybody want to buy one of these?


----------



## jamie

*on the police topic*

i was pulled over by the police, for a routine check,

car was fine, everyhting dandy, they asked me if i had any screenwash....checked it nope it was dry (ran out that morning  ) of course. got hit with a £30 fine.....what.....i was told they had to get 20 folk that day for motoring offences......glad the streets are safer...you know hardened crims like me punished....

income generation not better policing.....

wankers

jamie


----------



## billywhizz

Thor's Hammer said:


> both east german, now defunct, you could almost say they were soviet. what about audi, merc, bmw, porsche?



nope, all german, now absorbed, including the factories and the workers! when the germans want ++ quality they come to brits for rolls royce, bentley, aston martin. no coincidence that bmw retained the mini as a sure bet when they dumped the rest. i just cant get my head round the myth that 'german' is a byword for quality. some of it is, but lots isnt. whatabout jensen? 

still hacked off about the boll1kking for the german harness!!!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Jamie, they should have locked you up you scumbag. people like you should be strung up!


----------



## billywhizz

hangings too good for screenwash evaders!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

except they couldent get another 30 quid off you in 3 months time then....


----------



## jamie

*sorry*

really sorry i now realise the error of my ways.....im off to top some ancient trees to recorrect my ways

jamie


----------



## Big A

Thor, now thats what I call a chipper. Wouldnt fancy pulling that round the narrow country lanes about here tho'! How much do they weigh? Could see a few block paved drives buckling up under those, lol.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

paff! (clip round lug'ole) let that be a lesson to you sonny, dont do it again!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Big A said:


> Thor, now thats what I call a chipper. Wouldnt fancy pulling that round the narrow country lanes about here tho'! How much do they weigh? Could see a few block paved drives buckling up under those, lol.


nah, big fat tyres, no worse than a wagon. country lanes? its no wider than a 7.5 tonner or big tractor, 300hp model weighs about 6 tonnes, 22" x 33" infeed....


----------



## Big A

jamie said:


> income generation not better policing.....
> 
> wankers
> 
> jamie



Crime doesnt pay mate, motorists do!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

well folks it looks like it's not just JENSON equipmant that needs to be put together properly and supplied with a socket set ,my new vermeer 's exhaust was about to fall off ,luckely i noticed the nuts coming loose just in time [2 turns of thread and it would have been off ]...who puts this stuff together monkeys


----------



## Liston

*Tut tut*

Can't say I did't tell you so, its the vibration up the drive shaft from the cutter disk, should have had a belt.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

yeah but if i'd had one of your machines id still be there now ,this machines pisses over a 4012 i know i have seen both in action


----------



## teressa green

when buying new ,i check and tighten all accesible bolts, even on my saws,never have a problem ,try loctite,works a treat,


----------



## Big A

2 whole days solid graft on the Jensen and still holding together, think I've found all the nuts and bolts that fall off now and got them tight. routine maintenance is now paying off. Trouble is if I'm not in, it dont get done, so when I am it needs twice as much tlc.  When its fine its a good LITTLE chipper, really.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

I think the weather for the time of year is utter chit ,Sunday the highest temp is predicted to be 16 c around here in East Anglia...JULY AUGUST heat wave bullchit


----------



## jamie

*16*

i'd be happy if the temp was to stay as is, cant stand the heat....its comfortable just now.....get out in a T, sleep over lunch. gets too hot i get real narky, gets to cold....well it cant get too cold

jamie


----------



## jamie

*woo hoo*

just had another payrise....not a lot but enough to warrent a celebratory beer.

groundie on teh job lost it today, i'll set the scene. im up the tree, he (andy)is on the ropes, newstart (alan) is down with him and the boss is on the crane craning the brash over one garden and down into the street where he was cutting it and chipping it. Alan cannae use a saw yet so he was just dragging and stacking for teh crane, andy was roping sorting the limb then untieing and cutting. i thought i'd help and as he was wrestling with it i would pulll the rope and help it down, he went mad and told me he was there to make my life easier so i wasnt to touch the rope, otherwise he would be better not being there and letting me rope it all myself....after that i smiled and let him do it all, turn the saw off and kick back and relax. if he wants to bust a gut some more i'll just let him. 

ha ha ha ha...there was little me trying to be helpful

jamie


----------



## jamie

*woo hoo*

just had another payrise....not a lot but enough to warrent a celebratory beer.

groundie on teh job lost it today, i'll set the scene. im up the tree, he (andy)is on the ropes, newstart (alan) is down with him and the boss is on the crane craning the brash over one garden and down into the street where he was cutting it and chipping it. Alan cannae use a saw yet so he was just dragging and stacking for teh crane, andy was roping sorting the limb then untieing and cutting. i thought i'd help and as he was wrestling with it i would pulll the rope and help it down, he went mad and told me he was there to make my life easier so i wasnt to touch the rope, otherwise he would be better not being there and letting me rope it all myself....after that i smiled and let him do it all, turn the saw off and kick back and relax. if he wants to bust a gut some more i'll just let him. 

ha ha ha ha...there was little me trying to be helpful

oh and the gaffa mentioned about putting me thru my aerial use of saws ticket again.....

jamie


----------



## Liston

*Idear !!!!*

Hey gives me idear, New Brit Sport ,
NATIONAL STUMP GRINDING CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Any of you guys up for it ????????.


----------



## blue

no


----------



## teressa green

ditto,


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Jamie - sounds like he needs to kickback and relax, could do with a better attitude too...

Stumpgrinding championships? Justin Kingwell would blow everyone else out the water - end of story...


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Thor's Hammer said:


> Jamie - sounds like he needs to kickback and relax, could do with a better attitude too...
> 
> Stumpgrinding championships? Justin Kingwell would blow everyone else out the water - end of story...



HE'S JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM ME...thats a big beast he has ,heard they blew an engine or 2 developing it?? i heard he had the machine up for sale ??


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i used my new machine today for a solid 3 hours nuts didn't budge a mil now after i tightend them up ,couldn't find a loose bold or nut anywhere else so ,the exhaust ''fitter onner'' must of just been just having an off day


----------



## Thor's Hammer

I think theres all sorts of storys about that machine going around, I think its a white elephant, we just rip the stumps out ith a 360 and dump them through a tubgrinder.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

is town and country tree services (james crook) based near you rolla?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

is town and country a small firm ,if so i think they are in Colchester


----------



## Thor's Hammer

yeah small outfit... met them through working on rail job for fountains, he bought a big pto chipper from me


----------



## Ross Turner

So whos going to the Arb fair?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

me ,.....what day you going BigA AND StephenBullman ?????????????????? and the rest of you of course.  I WILL BE EASILY IDENTIFIABLE AS I WILL BE IN A ''EMU'' OUTFIT..


----------



## teressa green

this season i will mostly be wearing a THONG,,,,,


----------



## Big A

ROLLACOSTA said:


> me ,.....what day you going BigA AND StephenBullman ?????????????????? and the rest of you of course.  I WILL BE EASILY IDENTIFIABLE AS I WILL BE IN A ''EMU'' OUTFIT..


Hi Rolla, we're planning on going on the Friday, I'll be in the Chewbacca gear.


----------



## Big A

Had to re-shape an avenue of malus, prunus etc the other day that our local line-clearance guys had mutilated, they had cut a huge square out of the trees, left hangers all over the place over the highway and footpaths, slash-cut the stubs. Is anyone else picking up this kind of work in East Anglia area, or are these standards now common practise? The Council dude was well p***ed off with them as it was a nice avenue (once)!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

You wont see me as i will be mostly wearing my invisibility suit


----------



## Ross Turner

Big A,Has BTS been informed about the standard of work?,as they are the main contractors.
All Utility tree work should be done to BS3998 as you would expect & no work should be carried out without the consent of the owners of the trees.I use to cut on 24/7 network back in 1998/99 when i worked for Tower Forestry until they got kicked off the contract for not getting enough Km cut.


----------



## iain

Liston said:


> Hey gives me idear, New Brit Sport ,
> NATIONAL STUMP GRINDING CHAMPIONSHIPS.
> 
> Any of you guys up for it ????????.



get real


how about pushy machinery salemen's tree climbing competition !!!!

r u up to it ???


----------



## blue

iain said:


> get real
> 
> 
> how about pushy machinery salemen's tree climbing competition !!!!
> 
> r u up to it ???




now that sounds like fun to watch


----------



## iain

oh i reacon so especially if they got to drag a stumper up there n start from the top on down (oops lost it for a mo there).

either way i think that to understand 'tree workers' 
you've gotta understand 'tree work'


----------



## iain

Rolla

who've you got in the cross hairs for this show??


----------



## Big A

Ross Turner said:


> Big A,Has BTS been informed about the standard of work?,as they are the main contractors.
> All Utility tree work should be done to BS3998 as you would expect & no work should be carried out without the consent of the owners of the trees.I use to cut on 24/7 network back in 1998/99 when i worked for Tower Forestry until they got kicked off the contract for not getting enough Km cut.


I get the impression that they probably dont even care as long as the clearance is done, I did about 18 months line clearance 96/97 and we were expected to always get permission, always carry out pruning to 3998 and it was routinely inspected by our boss and then by 24/7 line manager. I think that the bigger the company the harder it seems for them to chase it up. I do know from this instance that BTS were informed by the local council of the condition of the work, and a couple of their linesmen were on site when we turned up to sort the mess, and even they commented on the fact that the lads "arent really tree surgeons like you chaps". But why shouldn't they take pride in doing their job properly?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

iain said:


> Rolla
> 
> who've you got in the cross hairs for this show??


#

I'm working on it..  ...infact there are too many to choose from this time...


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> #
> 
> I'm working on it..  ...infact there are too many to choose from this time...


 HSE stand would be a good start


----------



## teressa green

keep away from those parasites,


----------



## Ross Turner

I agree with what you are saying Big A,That is why the Utility Arb sector has a bad name in the industry.There are lots of jobs available in Utility tree work but because the bad press about it not many people want to do it,thats why big companies like Fountains,Tillhill & BTS take on Trainees(Ex Mcdonald employees,lol) & train them just to get a clearance & never mind the trees health etc.
When working on SP & Central networks systems you have to gain permission before you can cut,as if you dont have the permission form,risk assesment etc you do not get paid for the job.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Problem as I see it is the pay is barley better than Mcdonalds....


----------



## iain

Thor's Hammer said:


> HSE stand would be a good start


++


would the question go anything like
'why r nt they crawlin all over pikey's' 
n do they have a phone line to report cowboys too


----------



## teressa green

pikeys dont care about the hse,tree officers ,police,trading standards,householders etc you would be wasting your breath ,how many hse officers would walk on to a gypsy site and start preaching ,as for cowboys ,you get cowboys in all trades ,i leave the daft sods to it and concentrate on doing a good job for a good price,then i go home ,drink beer ,


----------



## iain

amen to the beer idea


they should go onto site's n confisgate stuff, they wouldn't blink if any one of us on AS screwed up they'd fall on us like a tonne of ???? 

the law should'nt be afraid of a bunch of caravaner's or is that an exeptable excuse ??????????????????


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

Hi

What NPTCs do you need to by a top handeled chainsaw? I've got CS 30,31,38. Is that enough or do i need CS39 as well? Because i'd really like to get some experence of using one, climbing with a saw befor i do CS39


----------



## iain

cs 39 or cash at some dealers


----------



## skyhightree

Mr Brushcutter go and see Hempstead Plant. They'll do anything for cash!!!!


----------



## iain

this job is full of admin ????e why can't good tradesmen trade 
lets cut the crap , or emigrate , i'm frigin sick of it,
this nanny state is going down hill at brake neck speed !!!!


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

skyhightree said:


> Mr Brushcutter go and see Hempstead Plant. They'll do anything for cash!!!!



I got an work account there. Never been, always been a bit expensive compared to buxtons & Stanton Hope when i've rung them. Hopefuly taking a day off to go and buy a Brushcutter in a few weeks so i'll ask em then.


----------



## iain

Mr_Brushcutter said:


> I got an work account there. Never been, always been a bit expensive compared to buxtons & Stanton Hope when i've rung them. Hopefuly taking a day off to go and buy a Brushcutter in a few weeks so i'll ask em then.




personally i'd wait in your case
go too the arb fair and see dougie from Tavistock chainsaws he won't do illegal but he will support your business mail order, v.competitve and very very reilable which more than makes up for a few quids discount, a phone call made day 1 means delivery day 2, they dont fill you with BS and tell you what you want to here, imho


----------



## teressa green

confiscate a gypos gear ,get real,


----------



## iain

teressa green said:


> confiscate a gypos gear ,get real,





okay lets give up let them have free hand


they arent all they profess to be boooooo ooh lets jump 

the law appiles to you me and EVERY OTHER citizen tax payer 'or not' 

the cops have guns too


----------



## Big A

iain said:


> okay lets give up let them have free hand
> 
> 
> they arent all they profess to be boooooo ooh lets jump
> 
> the law appiles to you me and EVERY OTHER citizen tax payer 'or not'



As you rightly said iain the law applies to all tax payers, but what about those outside the law/taxes? If they dont "exist" they cant be traced. I know of people who never paid taxes/NI etc, aint on the electoral roll,so dont pay business tax or council tax, and if the law gets too close they "vanish". Oh and all their money they earn is theirs, not handed over to be wasted by faceless beurocrats. 
We all hate thieving scum-bags, but they exist across the spectrum of humanity, not just one way of life so dont tar all with the same brush, Hitler did that!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

iain said:


> okay lets give up let them have free hand
> 
> 
> they arent all they profess to be boooooo ooh lets jump
> 
> the law appiles to you me and EVERY OTHER citizen tax payer 'or not'
> 
> the cops have guns too


The truth? 

the cops are terrified of the gypos. theres no way on earth the cops let alone HSE would go up against the gypos. at the end of the day you have to admire the fact that they've stuck two fingers up at the establishment in general and refuse to conform to the nanny state. and the worst/best thing? its worked. nobody bothers the gypos.


----------



## teressa green

and never will ,just keep youer head down work hard earn a good living and chill, nothing can be done about the cowboys,its all been tried before ,leave the silly sods to it ,i dont like conifer hedges anyway,


----------



## Thor's Hammer

they dont take work from me, I suppose its worse in urban areas.


----------



## iain

okay points taken cowboy's dont affect my business either , however it still gets my goat,


----------



## iain

thor 

what will be your point with the hse ???


----------



## teressa green

wheres rolla ,,,done one to sunny climbs ,,,,?


----------



## Jumper

*Not a brit, but involves one.....*

The following letter was sent to the Canadian Minister of National Defence today....what do you guys think of HRH The Duke of Wessex??? I never have seen him in a UK Forces uniform of any sorts since he washed out of Royal Marine training, yet some Regiment here decides to make him thier Colonel-In-Chief?




Dear Minister Graham,

Notwithstanding the continued quaint but outdated
appointments of members of the British Royal Family to
Colonel's in Chief positions of Regiments, I was
appalled in a recent photo, to see Prince Edward
decked out in the regalia of an Ontario based reserve
Regiment, I assume, during his recent visit to Canada.


Was this not the man that washed out of and quit Royal
Marine training in 1986? I have no problem with
someone deciding military life is not for them, but I
do have a problem with the uniform worn proudly by
members of the Canadian Army being worn by someone who
has not served in any capacity, let alone in their own
country. Ditto for Canadian proficiency badges being
assigned to individuals who have not completed the
required training, as I witnessed Prince Andrew
wearing both Canadian pilot's and parachutist's wings
a few years ago. 

I am sure Mister Edward Windsor is a fine public
relations and media specialist in his native country, 
but he has no business wearing any uniform of the
Canadian Forces. The Regiment involved should be
ashamed for even suggesting he would make an
appropriate Colonel in Chief. Why was not a suitable
Canadian nomination put forth??

I welcome your comments in your capacity as Minister
of National Defence.

Mitchell MacLeod, CD
Captain(Retired)
Brighton, Ontario


----------



## Caledonian

None of the Regiments over here would want him, maybe thinks the Canukes have short memories.  

The potential recruits course should have weeded him out, the staff might have thought they were onto a good thing


----------



## Thor's Hammer

iain said:


> okay points taken cowboy's dont affect my business either , however it still gets my goat,


I have to say I grudgingly admire them.
The HSE however, are just the spearhead of the ever cloying wrap em up in cotton wool nanny state. and more often than not its jobs for the boys.
its not just Hse, its the whole culture of fear of risk thats choking the life out of business in the UK.
We've been in business 28 years now, and seen one or two accidents and injury's, but hey, its a dangerous job- nobody ever said it was safe. and bringing in a whole barrage of so called 'safety' regulations will never stop accidents happening.
the trouble with the HSE, is they've never had to work at the sharp end, and will never understand our job.


----------



## Tom D. Wilson

good point thor, its like a car designer who's never driven, its these types of pasty gray looking office types that want to be all wrapped up in cotton wool, thats how they can stand doing such a boring job, personaly its the slight element of risk that is part of my job which i enjoy, id miss the adrenaline other wise.


----------



## teressa green

no female has passed p company or marine training in the uk ,last one who tried a lt got shin splints and compound fractures very early on in the course,


----------



## jamie

*dangerous*

i wouldn't say its a dangerous job. i'd say its an inherantly dangerous job.

there is always the potential for any job to turn sour. 

that guy in the HSE office could get so happy that he just shafted another tree guy cos he never had his telescopic chainsaw ticket that he may just not notice his laces are untied and trip and break his legs as he fell down the stairs (heres hoping)... all cos his mind was off walking and preoccupied with shafting Mr Wood.

sorry a bit of a rant. this job can be dangerous, sit back and use your head, dont get carried away and dont take risks.

jamie


----------



## iain

in a nut shell to understand modern tree work, be a modern tree worker 

the problem as i see it, is these gov orgs get latched onto by the AA and they fill them with s*ite that creates havoc and jobs for the AA boys 
great these boys used to be on tools many years ago but the nearest most of them get to timber is in pulp form as it gets shufflied from 'in tray' across to the 'out tray' imo


----------



## iain

Thor's Hammer said:


> I have to say I grudgingly admire them.
> The HSE however, are just the spearhead of the ever cloying wrap em up in cotton wool nanny state. and more often than not its jobs for the boys.
> its not just Hse, its the whole culture of fear of risk thats choking the life out of business in the UK.
> We've been in business 28 years now, and seen one or two accidents and injury's, but hey, its a dangerous job- nobody ever said it was safe. and bringing in a whole barrage of so called 'safety' regulations will never stop accidents happening.
> the trouble with the HSE, is they've never had to work at the sharp end, and will never understand our job.




is your admiration inspired by the not paying of tax !!! We Wish !
coz there aint much else to vwrite home about


----------



## Thor's Hammer

We dont pay tax if we have a good accountant, they just cut out the middleman so to speak  
the way I see it, instead of moaning about the legislation in the industry, and the price of overheads and insurance, they just ignore it all. ever seen them looking stressed? and is a representative of the HSE going to bother stopping and trying to prosicute jippos? no chance. why? it aint worth the bother.
Dont get me wrong, I bloody hate their thieving dirty stinking ways, but ask yourself this - if every single tree surgeon in the country decided to boycott the HSE crowd tomorrow, what could they do about it? nothing. we forget that in this country, its policing by consent. expand that thought, if every truck in the country decided to fill and runn on red derv, what could the cops do? sure theyd start impounding vehicles, but theyd soon give up as they ran out of space to impound them. in short, as a country we've become like sheep, always so quick to obey.
A couple of years ago OSHA, the Yank HSE tried to insist on climbers wearing steel toe boots. there was outcry in all the trade mags, and osha was firmly put in its place. Yank climbers being told what they should wear? the cheek of it!

sorry guys will now get off me soapbox


----------



## texasnative

We the sheeple of the United States


----------



## clearance

Guys, things are getting way out of hand here (B.C. Canada) as well, after work I met with the young guys who are taking the first year course to become certified utility arborists. The first year course used to be four weeks long, two weeks in the classroom being trained about electricity safety practices and the next two weeks outside climbing. Now it is two weeks for everthing with a few hours spent listening to a psychiatrist telling them how to deal with "problem" customers. The guys told me this head-shrinking moron asked them if they were bed-wetters as children and that they are to never argue with people who are verbally abusing them and to run away if they are physically attacked. You are supposed to take it because the customer blah, blah, blah......What is wrong with saying "Sir, this is a work zone, move away, phone the power company rep. if you have a problem....Sir take another step towards me and I'll drop you like a bad habit" The people that have never done the work should hit the road and fek off. No respect for the working man (or woman) disgracefull, wasn't like this before the war was it?


----------



## jamie

its all to PC, some PC is good but its overly PC.....beeatch

jamie


----------



## Thor's Hammer

texasnative said:


> We the sheeple of the United States


----------



## Jumper

clearance said:


> and that they are to never argue with people who are verbally abusing them and to run away if they are physically attacked. You are supposed to take it because the customer blah, blah, blah......What is wrong with saying "Sir, this is a work zone, move away, phone the power company rep. if you have a problem....Sir take another step towards me and I'll drop you like a bad habit" The people that have never done the work should hit the road and fek off. No respect for the working man (or woman) disgracefull, wasn't like this before the war was it?




This is the Canadian way....if you dropped the S*O*B it would be you who ends up being charged with assault. So you had better have a very good story like "he came at me with a knife" for the cops (and a knife with no prints on it as evidence).

I agree with the lack of respect....I have run into more arrogant snotty verbally abusive people while tugging brush than is necessary. I usually just put them on ignore if at all possible.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

trust me guys, its worse over here.


----------



## iain

i'll second that


----------



## iain

some photos from work the dates are screwed up for got to reset it


----------



## iain

heres a few more


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Thats a nice looking outfit you have there Iain, do you do a lot of landscaping too?


----------



## Ross Turner

Iain, the 1st photo can you tell me where it is as it looks familiar.


----------



## iain

middlesbrough 6th form college in acklam v,mature purple beech riddled with ganoderma applanatum


----------



## iain

Thor's Hammer said:


> Thats a nice looking outfit you have there Iain, do you do a lot of landscaping too?




we use to when i first started, however not at the mo too busy on trees


----------



## a_lopa

that one of those green mech chippers?


----------



## iain

a_lopa said:


> that one of those green mech chippers?



nah a uk company called landforce for both


----------



## Ross Turner

Did that use to be Kings manor,It has woodland to the sides & rear,Across the road you have a long avenue of Limes,next to the school where the girl was stabbed in the class room.


----------



## iain

its on the left hand side down hall drive in acklam just opposite is an avenue of limes leading between st davids catholic school and another which i believe is kings academy don't know about the stabbing though.


----------



## Ross Turner

Thought so,I did a lot of work back in 1993/94 for Cleveland CC & involed working on those sites,Did alot of dead wooding & felling in the woods around what is now the 6th form college,The old avenue of limes was felled so the new planting could take place as they had decay,cavities & old cable braces in.


----------



## Ross Turner

As for the Stabbing if you look back to the same time you will find that some nutter entered the school & lined up all the children in a class room & started attacking them,resulting in the death of a young school girl.


----------



## iain

ross thats cool nice to know 
on the sixth form site i was origanally called to prune the cedars at the rear where i noticed the fungii on the p/beech then another beech (ganoderma) fell into the pond nearest the road, at that point they decided to take the recommendation of a survey on the remaining trees health (however only a limited survey not all trees to be surveyed ) ' Typical nee jerk reaction' shame it took that to jolt them into action had the tree gone the other way !!!! who' knows how many could have been killed ' , two more mature beech had to come down both with ganoderma and one also had meripulus , one of these was on the far side of the pond and because of tpos on the surrounding trees and the boggy ground surrounding the pond i had to use an 80' tonne crane with and extended jib to dismantle it the other was set in the centre of the approach road up to the school (BIG Beech's )

its was a crying shame, as there has been no replacement planting on this site for many decades, so now there is a major void, as there aren't any u/mature specimens to take over the character of the site as yet !!!!!

early this year we carried out further works due to storm damage in the woodland to the lefthand of the college (as you look from the road) oak, beech, scots pines. 
goes to show that a partial survey is just false economy 

did you fell the cable braced or did you have to dismantle them ?


----------



## iain

i only moved here 7 years ago


----------



## Ross Turner

We felled every one of them into the center of the avenue with the help of a skidder,A timber merchant had all the timber so the only clean up we had was to chip & get the stumps ground out.
The council could not wait for us to finnish so they JCB all the brash in to piles so they could replant,The timber contractor did us a favor & moved all the brash to the lefthand side of the school(around back)where we got on with chipping it.
Took ages & Cleveland CC had loads of chip to use.


----------



## Ross Turner

Iain,You say no replacement planting has been carried out which is strange as i know that we planted Ash,Beech & Oaks back in 1994.

When we carried out the works all we could do was what was written on the job spec as all the trees had been surveyed & number discs attached.


----------



## Ross Turner

Just remembered about the cavities some had concrete in & others had mesh & drainage pipe inserted,That & the old braces played havoc with the chains.
Got some nice Burrs off them.


----------



## iain

ross 
i appolgise, dont doubt what you say i take it the planting was in the woodland areas as opposed to the more open spaces in saying that the little darlin's around there would think nothing of destroying your work 
mmm concreted trees one imparticular snapped out in the feb storms 
i know what you mean its very frustrating when the limit of the spec stops work that jumps out and screams to be done , however its the guys with a hold on the purse strings that seem to shout the loudest imo, the best you can do is outline any concerns in writing to cover your back.


----------



## Ross Turner

It didn`t bother me as i was freelance to the contractor who had the contract,but i belive he did mention it at the time.
Yes the planting was in the woodland areas.


----------



## wilcowilson

Hi All,

Am trying to find a good manual forestry winch with a good length of cable but having no joy so far! Can anyone suggest a web site or catalouge?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Hi mate welcome... Try Andrew Holmes forestry machinery for a taijfun winch, very good value. Or JPWilson (any relation?) for an Igland (better but more expensive)


----------



## Ross Turner

Hi Mate,You could also try Corwen Forestry,AT Osborne for other makes.


----------



## iain

whos going to 7th arb fair ?


----------



## SteveBullman

me!


----------



## Ross Turner

Should be there on Friday with lads from work.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Not me. Too busy with bollocks.


----------



## iain

jus me n u then ross


----------



## Ross Turner

No,stephen is going aswell.Will find out thursday what time we are setting off friday morning.
Looking forward to putting faces to names,Unless we get a emergency


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ARRRRRGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! blown engine in forwarder today


----------



## Ross Turner

Costly


----------



## iain

ouch !!!!!!!!!!
i'm going travelling down there tomorrow, workin' fri n sat on a stand


----------



## SteveBullman

which stand


----------



## Big A

Cool Iain, another beer stop!! Anyone got any ideas what to do with some f***off bits of Poplar? Hopefully the pixies will nick it tonight!!


----------



## Ross Turner

Big A,Have you thought about Pallet wood?.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Big A, Poplar? Chip it!


----------



## SteveBullman

carve it into a phallic shape and leave it at the roadside


----------



## teressa green

tip it over the entrance to local pikey campsite at 4 am ,,,,,,


----------



## Thor's Hammer

teressa green said:


> tip it over the entrance to local pikey campsite at 4 am ,,,,,,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

teressa green said:


> tip it over the entrance to local pikey campsite at 4 am ,,,,,,



Tip it near my local pikey camp site and you'll find a pack of dogs hanging of your ass and a probably a 12 bore in the earhole ..if your so brave tip it during the daylight hours


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Thor's Hammer said:


>



priced up a new engine for your forwarder yet ???..i hope you got it moved from wherever she conked ,as you never now whos about ,i hear big deisel lunps working or not still make good money exported


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Bought a very low hours engine last year at a sale. Also got a nice loglift 70 double extender crane to go on too. might do it all at once. its the down time thats a pain in the arse. Got 5 hectares of rhododendron to burn off, and 600 tonnes of sycamore to fall and extract. The things we do when it goes quiet...

havent seen you much lately, stumper been very busy?...


----------



## Ross Turner

Just got back from show,Had a great day out shame about the weather.
Was nice to put names to faces.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Are many of you on here feeling a big slow down in the medium -large tree work department...we haven't priced a big tree for several weeks now..bit scary recession ?? i wonder.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Thor's Hammer said:


> havent seen you much lately, stumper been very busy?...



I'm only busy doing cr*p work ie conifers etc thing are not good around this area work wise


----------



## jamie

nor here roly....boss only got one domestic call last week.

jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

people are saving there money for the Holidays i reckon.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Eeek! from all the posts i'm reading, i'm getting bloody worried about a recession. we all know tree work is the first thing people stop spending on...
We're main contractors for 2 county councils, nothing coming from them either...


----------



## teressa green

recession my arse ,


----------



## Thor's Hammer

teressa green said:


> recession my arse ,



You busy then?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

UK's national debt recently exceeded 1.5_trillion_pounds. That is not a good sign. work has decreased drasticly in the public and private sectors over the last 6 months. Also not a good sign.


----------



## eleath

Blame the Chineese.............. . or someone else over there for doing the job too cheep...???????? 

Come to think of it..... I know you send truck loads of underwear from B'ham to Poland to get it stitched and the bring it back to get m"made in England" sewn in the back...... But... I don't think you can send your trees away to be topped.... can you.... Or did the Irishman next door not send his lawn away to be cut?... 

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.. ????????????????zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


----------



## eleath

Got to smile...


----------



## teressa green

eddjiit, thor ,yeah busy here,


----------



## skyhightree

Busy here too. Still got at least 9 weeks good work for 3 gangs in the books before I have to start on the minor crap.


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

Doing my CS31 this week. Clearing loads of Hornbeam and Silver birch. Good fun been doing it too days, only felled 5 trees. Got 2 hung up, one good and proper.


----------



## iain

just had one of my lads complete his basic ground saw stuff he's  passed


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Dos anyone know where i can buy a large 'site safe' or 'site box' call em what you like,i need one over 4'x2'x2' thanks


----------



## Thor's Hammer

here ya go mate

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=18307&item=4558256471&rd=1


----------



## Ross Turner

Rolla,There used to be a company called Cleveland site safe based up in the cleveland area,They have standard sizes along with made to measure ones.Im sure if you do a google it will turn something up.


----------



## timberwolf150

Rolla 
www.lincmaster.co.uk. 01522 544848 full catalogue on website.


----------



## iain

rolla ross is right cleveland site safe were based at park farm, dunsdale, nr redcar


----------



## Big A

At last found time to get on here! Had a great time at the Arb Show, put some faces to names, learned some new stuff that should come in handy sometime, and spent some cash to boot! Great! Poplar season seems to be over (for the time being) Thank God, now its conifer trim time again. on a down note my niece passed away this morning from kidney failure at the tender age of 20 so we've had a lot of heart-ache this week so reality check time next time I whinge about having a hard day!


----------



## Chris J.

Cheers! Nice to see that this thread is thriving. We recently had some in-laws over from Sunderland, England, & Falkirk & Helensborough, Scotland. It was good to see them. Well, most of them  .

I don't mean to derail the thread, but I had an interesting convesation with Phil, one of my B-I-Ls who is a site manager for a company that has a contract to refurbish/rebuild council housing. He told me about some of the guidelines & laws that they have to follow. I know that regulations in Britain, & elsewhere, had came up many times in this thread.

The company no longer allows the use of chainsaws, petrol or elec, because of the regulations involved. Also they can't (at least aren't supposed to) do any work from a ladder, must use a proper scaffold for any work being done off the ground. Hand-held power tool useage is regulated (can only use certain tools for certain lengths of time). Phil says they (I've forgotten the names of the regulatory agencies) measured the vibration of the tools, & calculated how long it could be used; seems they're concerned about white knuckle disease. He said the company employs people to go to the sites, & view them as though they were agency inspectors, & this' done at two levels.
My question to Phil was, with all of the rules & regulations  , how do you get any actual work done?

I've prattled on enough.


----------



## timberwolf150

Big A. Sorry to hear about niece. Your right we don't really have hard days. Sort of puts life into perspective something like that. Missed you at the show but we were fairly busy.


----------



## Ross Turner

Big A,Condolences to your family & your nieces.As Timberwolf said it puts your own life into perspective.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Sorry to hear the sad news Andy,news like this should make us all think how insignificant our silly work problems are


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Knot whole ,the trouble is most employers spend more time with health and safety regulations than actual work ,the agency you are talking about is called the HEALTH AND SAFETY EXECUTIVE..regulations overhere have gone too far IMO..the disease you mention caused by excessive vibration is called 'white finger'


----------



## Thor's Hammer

my sympathies Big A, thinking of ya


----------



## MasterBlaster

20 years old is a crying shame.


----------



## teressa green

condolences mate,


----------



## Caledonian

Big A,

very sorry to read of your loss.

teressa green,

Thanks for the correction. 
I come out '93, memory was of a lot of media attention around 1995, two Lts. back to back courses. I did confirm with both establishments prior to writing this, I have now edited my original post, did not intend to confuse.  
Cheers.


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

Anybody here doing anything about the control of vibration at work regs? I'm not quite sure how to go about it. You take a chainsaw for example it has different vibration levels for the front and back handle. Do you average the levels or use the highest vibration level? 

Does anybody have any vibration related injuries? HAVS, White finger, the wrist one?


----------



## iain

Big A sorry for your familys loss, a real shame M8 

work stuff 
has anyone got any thoughts on the AA and membership 
personally i see them as been too up themselves for my liking, however i may be missing something , they are tryng very hard to become an integeral part of all our business's, i hate being told what too do at the best of time's
, now the Isa(uk) and AA they are merging i can see trouble brewing, i understand from one of their staff, that they are trying to encourage local authoritys to adopt a AA app'd contractor only, stance for there contract work (smacks of jobs for the boys)
as well as being totally wrong ( best value and all )
Who made them the boss


----------



## Ross Turner

I used to work for a few companies,one had a parent AA approved company,whos staff was unable to carry out the jobs that they had to ask the utility arborists to do jobs that their men could not manage.
My understanding to the AA approved contractors is they should follow industry best guidelines & all the regs that qovern the industry,just a shame not all companies do that.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Heres My reasons for hating the AA.

back in 1983 my father attained AA approved contractor status for the business. We were approved contractors for 13 years, no problem. then My father gains AA approved consultant status, and I assumed control of the contracting side of the business.
At this point, the top brass at the AA tell us that we cant be approved contractors and consultants, as there would be in their words 'a conflict of interests'.

My father naturally wanted to take approved consultant status, so we decided that we would split the business, He consulting, Me continueing the contracting. I assumed that we could then keep the approved contractors status with maybe a checkup. No Chance. We were told that we would have to completely reapply as a new business, and go through all that rigmarole. This dispite (or because?) my father sitting on the AA contractors assesment panel. This caused a small falling out between me and father but a large falling out with AA. 
Yes it is Jobs for the boys. I still have arguments with my father over the whole AA thing.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

the only other AA aproved contractor round here climbs everything with spikes. also does dreadfull topping.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

The AA didn't do much a few years ago when our insurance premiums went up by 400%..i doubt the poor buggers who couldn't afford the insurance and ceased trading have much good to say about the AA.I can't see councils only accepting AA approved contractors,the way i see it is if you for fill your insurance company's criteria then this should be good enough and IMO council contractors should have formal qualifications ie in tree biology, any twat can climb about in a tree and hack off branches IMO nptc tickets are ok but not good enough ,a proper arborist should be qualified in tree biology


----------



## iain

i'm glad its not just me ,


----------



## Ross Turner

Rolla,thats why i call myself a climber "lol"
Still thinking which qual to go for RFS or ISA.


----------



## iain

rfs, i did mine on home study though the hort correspondence college


----------



## Thor's Hammer

I did the RFS, its quite in depth when it comes to tree biology, P+D etc. My only small gripe is that its not a recognized qualification Outside the industry.


----------



## Big A

Thor's Hammer said:


> I did the RFS, its quite in depth when it comes to tree biology, P+D etc. My only small gripe is that its not a recognized qualification Outside the industry.


We were discussing this very subject at work today, the person I was with did the RFS ticket last year, when looking out for work even the employers (Arb) dont want to know about qualifications, sowhat does that say for the future of this industry? IMO I think that most employers just want numpties who will work for as little as possible, to increase the profit margin. I am so disenchanted with the standards in this industry, ( that I have witnessed) and the general attitudes I have seen in both workers and employers alike. How much effort does it take for someone to listen, then carry out a task properly? In F&BT and essentialArb we keep reading about being accepted as "professionals" in our trade. I think some have got one hell of a long way to go before they are truly "professional". After all its a state of mind.
Thanks for all the messages of condolence, very much appreciated.


----------



## teressa green

whinging wont get you no where,all i do is price right and do the job.AA can go bollox as can f&bt, qualifications dont mean anything ability and experience ,and good customer relations ,good work and honour your word as i do ,goes a long way ,stop whinging and if necessary work cheaper and faster than the next man ,am booked up for months ,why? cos i dont whinge just get up and go to work without over educating myself and baffling potential customers,regulations ,qualifications ,bollox ,i want the cash i go get it ,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

I worry about people who say there is nothing to worry about with this industry! i would say this proffesion is near on it's arse,and i think a lot of other people would agree with me..for example i heard the other day from a bricklayer friend that brickies on a certain site around here are on £140 a day and labourers are on £75-80 there arent many emplyed [paye] climbers and grounds men on that kind of money.

As for qualifacations i think the higher education the better ie ''the pen is mightier than the sword'' i'm expecting a info pack from the AA tommorow i'm looking into becoming AA aproved or ISA certificated..ROSS city and guilds is a good qualifacation to start with 'its only one day a week ,you'd p*ss the climbing and cutting ,but the theory [bioligy] stuff is quite good


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

ANOTHER EXAMPLE RGARDING THIS INDUSTRY i bought a big sling for my block at the AA show from 'TREES UNLIMITED' i asked if it came with a certificate of conformity the guy looked at me with a blank face and said theres some info on the sling its self ,i checked it out today no serial number etc on it ,what the heck are these people on....these people sell kit but haven't they ever heard of LOLA


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Im pretty sure trees unlimited are loler inspectors - I could be wrong?


----------



## teressa green

they are loler testers,


----------



## Jim1NZ

Hey, how do ya like the Lions tour of NZ so far...


----------



## puwer

Sorry Rolla, but i seem to have missed your point? The supplier is under no obligation to supply the end user with a certifcate/decleration/evidence of conformity, as it will fall under the PPE Directive. Having no cert of conf doesn't alter your obligiations under LOLER it just means the item must undergo a thorough examination prior to use, which you could have got done at the AA trade show no doubt by TreesUnlimited.


----------



## Ross Turner

I thought that when you bought any kit that came under Loler that you had to have a Cert of comformity when you buy it.

Rolla,I started doing the C&G years ago but was lossing to much money by taking the time off work,so had to stop it.Need to find a cousre that i could do on a night at a college,but cant seem to find one local.


----------



## iain

to cut to the quick, far too much retoric is spouted by many, giving many different ideas , some of which hold water, however the more this government stiffles business with paperwork & regulation the more it will cost to police = the tax payer gets shafted, and direct cost burden on business = the client will foot the bill and business's will fail and go under = unemployment
so long as bs3998 bs5837 criteria (where applicable) the client cant be forced to use anyone so the AA &isa are urinating in the breeze 
in principle i agree with an industry standards but there are too many variables at the moment for it to work , lets face it joe bloggs can walk into B&Q and by a chainsaw and they cannot purchase ppe at the ponit of sale and are not adequatley advised of the risk WHAT a Jolk HSE B**llocks 

unfortunatley we wont change anything regardless of our best intention 
i fully accept it, however i do object to unlevel playing and organisations proporting to 
work for the industry who are really working for there own interests
one interesting observation from a recent show, did anyone notice the dead tree left standing to the rear left of one of the stands high wind n lightning ( Risk assesment bah)


----------



## puwer

Ross,

Have you tried Dave Dowson at Treelifetraining.co.uk he can advise on courses RFS/ISA Cert Arb/AA Tech/Pro Dip, places to study, distance learning etc. Probably one of the best in the business, when it comes to academic training and more importantly results!

Certificate/Deceleration/Evidence of conformity it all gets a little confusing.

The EC Decelration of conformity is the porcedure whereby the MANUFACTURER or his authorised rep draws up a deceleration certifying that the PPE placed on the market are in conformity with the provisons of the Directive

The Directive being the PPE Directive 89/686/EEC fromn which our PPE at Work Regs 1992 are drawn up. 

Under the directive (at this time) there is no requirement for the supplier to issue EVIDENCE of conformity to the end user when it comes to PPE.

LOLER inspectors should know Reg 9 of the LOLER Regs detailing equipment which is shown without a DoC needs a thorough exam before put into service.

However, back to reality, if i am inspecting a piece of kit i need traceability, who made it, when, how, what EN does it conform to? Was it part of a reel of rope, is it CE marked? All of this info is on the DoC and can make my life 100% easier.If it does not affect my judgement to make a thorough examination of the item of equipment i do not need to see DoC or evidence of conformity. 

It is worth pointing out, winches, blocks, and machinery in general obviously come under the machinery directive which ARE required to be issued with a DoC and an enforcing authority has the right to ask an employer for evidence of conformity. 

At the end of the day if suppliers issued evidence of conformity (get the terminology right in the first place) it would make everyones life easier, climbers would know what they are getting, that it conforms, that it satisfies LOLER and they have traceability, from a supplier point of view when the industry best practice says climbing kit must be sold with EoC then it would make there life easier so climbers aren't constantly asking for it.

There is mass confusion in our industry over this and we have one supplier saying one thing, and another saying soemthing else. If they are selling the stuff then why don't they educate themselves.

Rant over.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

puwer said:


> Sorry Rolla, but i seem to have missed your point? The supplier is under no obligation to supply the end user with a certifcate/decleration/evidence of conformity, as it will fall under the PPE Directive. Having no cert of conf doesn't alter your obligiations under LOLER it just means the item must undergo a thorough examination prior to use, which you could have got done at the AA trade show no doubt by TreesUnlimited.



Not what i was told by my loler inspecter,he told me everything i buy should come with A, a certificate of some description ,and B,the item should also have a tag with ie serial number and swl etc on it..  oh and a CE mark on it somewhere


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

PUWER ..the sling i bought will be used for rigging it isn't part of my PPE


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Gray areas, gray areas, dum de dum....


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

ROLLACOSTA said:


> PUWER ..the sling i bought will be used for rigging it isn't part of my PPE


..puwer i just read through your last post ,to be honest i simply give up ,i'm trying to run a small business ,imo If kit is not traceable or doesn't have a CE mark or serial number it shouldn't be sold !!,it shouldn't be down to contractors to double check then check again everything we do ,no wonder few firms bother getting kit inspected,it seems to me like were always up against a brick wall


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

I take my kit to a local loler inspector every 6 months i plonk the lot down ,he can check what the **** he wants or doesn't want i don't give a chit..has anyone seen the pathetic hand written serial numbers on most strops ,they usualy rub off after a few weeks ,whats he going to do when hew cant reed it ,bloody joke this proffesion

Thor my loler guy is also using the terminology 'GREY AREA ' he said tree kit is a grey area ,i said its no ******* help to me ,last time i took kit in he could only give a written report on half the kit the rest was a GREY AREA as it comes from the states and has no CE mark etc


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Trouble is, have an accident and its you as the contractor that will catch the flying brown stuff.
I'll ask the Father, he's a loler inspector.


----------



## darkstar

*Uhh So Old*

A NEW THREAD PLEAS :blob5:


----------



## MasterBlaster

darkstar said:


> A NEW THREAD PLEAS :blob5:




I didn't know you were British! Brits generally spell better. :Eye:


----------



## darkstar

good one ... your roght


----------



## puwer

Rolla,

Your main concern when buying the kit apart from making sure that it is fit for use, it that it has a CE mark, to ensure complinace with the PPE regs and Management of Health and Safety at Work (MHSWR).

The text below is an extract from the factsheet i provide for my clients in regard to LOLER and CE marking:

PPE Regs - Regulation 4 (3) deals with suitability & states that PPE shall not be suitable unless - (e) " it complies with any enactment which implements in Great Britain any provision on design or manufacture with respect to health or safety in any relevant Community Directive ..... which is applicable to that item of personal protective equipment."

Regulation 4 ACOP - "The PPE (EC Directive) Regulations will require that almost all PPE supplied for use at work to be type examined by a body which is Approved and notified to the European Commission for that purpose." (Simple types of PPE protecting against low risk e.g. gardening gloves can be self certified).
"The manufacturer or importer is then able to display a CE mark on the product. From the 1 July 1995 it will be illegal for manufacturers and importers to supply or sell PPE unless it meets these requirements and displays a CE mark."

Employers can continue to use PPE that was legally supplied to them (prior to 1 JULY 1995), provided that it continues to be suitable for the use to which it is put. Any harnesses or ropes still in service are arguably no longer suitable for use.

Employees or sub contractors using their own personally imported items that do not carry CE markings will be breaching Regulation 4 as they are considered to be the supplier (no money needs to have changed hands) and are therefore responsible for ensuring items are properly type examined & CE marked. 

PUWER 98 - Regulation 10 - "Every employer shall ensure that an item of work equipment has been designed and constructed in compliance with any essential requirements ... (which give effect to Community directives concerning the safety of products)". The same applies to self-employed persons.

Regulation 10 ACOP states - "Products should carry a CE marking and be accompanied by relevant certificates or declarations".


The concept that non-CE marked PPE that meet standards outside the UK (such as USA) could be used if the risk assessment suggested that it was ‘fit for purpose’ is incorrect. It would clearly be a breach if it was sold in Europe and may be subject to prosecution by Trading Standards in the UK. 

Although it may be the case that the standard of equipment available from countries not undertaking the CE marking process may be suitable, it is clear that to use and provide goods to employees which are not CE marked is in contravention of the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations.

Regulation 4(3)(e) of the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations requires, through Schedule 1, that all new PPE provided for use at work after 1 January 1993 should comply with the PPE (EC Directive) Regulations 1992 and bear CE marking. That Schedule 1, is amended also by Regulation 2(2) of the Personal Protective Equipment (EC Directive) (Amendment) Regulations 1993, to take account of the new transitional provisions contained therein.

Furthermore this issue is not only about PPE legislation. PUWER also comes into play. A work-positioning harness is not only PPE, but also lifting equipment and work equipment. Reg 10 (1) PUWER also requires that equipment is in conformity with community requirements.

The debate about ‘fit for purpose’ would, in the worst case scenario, have to be challenged in a court of law. For example one case against a Fire Authority where an employee suffered from burns to the hands, the case detail identifies the supply of non-CE marked fire-fighting gloves, which were found to be inadequate. The Fire Authority were subsequently prosecuted and fined £1500.00. The detail of the case can be debated, what cannot be debated is the provision of information to trainees and others that meets the best practice we all strive to achieve.

Where equipment is identified that may have an application in the UK it is in the interest of the manufacturer and supplier to ensure that the CE marking process is fully met before the item is imported. 

Because the ACOP says it is illegal for manufacturers or importers to supply or sell there seems to be an assumption that it is not illegal to actually use non CE marked equipment. This ignores the fact that the definition of importer is anyone who brings the equipment into the UK not just retail businesses.

Your LOLER inspector can certify non CE marked kit, but again it comes down there own knowledge of the equipment. Most choose not to due to the reasons outlined above.

It would help our industry a great deal if suppliers did issue equipment with I.D marks and SWL on yet the simple fact is that most don't. Your LOLER inspector can't expect suppliers to issue SWL of kit or tell you that when you buy it it must have one on, or you'd never buy anything! Karabiners don't carry SWL, Harnesses, Ropes etc, as they don't know what safety factor/co-efficient you will be using. 

So far as the markings on ropes and strops are concerned in most cases they are crap, get your inspector to re-mark the kit, it can be easily done and most arbs know what works and what doesn't.

Grey areas is a great excuse if you don't want to educate yourself, as a LOLER inspector i have chosen to do that myself, so when my clients call me in i can inform and educate them, funk me why would you pay some-one who doesn't even know what they are looking at, how it should be sold or how to mark it!


----------



## teressa green

red tape gone mad, ha ha does anyone read this drivel let alone take it in ,


----------



## iain

why should we if the regulators don't understand or can't be arsed too, i don't mind disregarding it


----------



## iain

Ross

did you get the track'd machine going ????


----------



## jamie

ahhhhhhhhh me hed is gonna explode.....gonnae no dae that

jamie


----------



## darkstar

are youuu annn auussiee ... jaamie ?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

teressa green said:


> red tape gone mad, ha ha does anyone read this drivel let alone take it in ,


not me, its all bollocks...


----------



## darkstar

ahats fouuoking riieeght maytt bouoggers...... fouuoking yanke!!!s


----------



## Ross Turner

Iain,Just got in from being on a fault.Multi stemed willow with a snapped top across all three phases bring the center phase down.Had to climb in very high blustery winds & got battered in the ribs & gut for it so going to quacks in the morning to get checked out.
The chipper we just managed to get in to the trailer(man handling it),boss says he thinks he knows whats up but it aint the hydraulics.


----------



## teressa green

you blagged a day off ross ,lightweight ?


----------



## Ross Turner

Yes i have got the day off to go to the quacks,The boss wants me in even if i cant do any thing so he can claim a days wages but he would still expect the same amount of work as three men would be on site.
My health comes before £££££££ as my family would suffer in the long run.


----------



## Acer

*ISA vs RFS*

I did the ISA cert arb at home with the workbook and got through ok. The problem is, it only lasts 3 years, unless you get enough points in that period. You get points by passing tests in the ISA mag, but to get enough, you'd have to attend various seminars etc. which cost. Lots. OK, having cert.arb shows you're being updated regularly, but the costs add up. Personally, I couldn't justify the costs, so I let it lapse. The RFS cert is a one off for life. They cover about the same amount of stuff.


----------



## treeseer

Acer said:


> I did the ISA cert arb at home with the workbook and got through ok. The problem is, it only lasts 3 years, unless you get enough points in that period. You get points by passing tests in the ISA mag, but to get enough, you'd have to attend various seminars etc. which cost.


NOt that much. ISA has test sheets for almost all its books--you read the book, take the test, get the ceu's. much better info for less money than seminars, and the book lasts forever, and you can share it.

I let my cert lapse out of carelessness once; cost is not a genuine issue if you look at the big picture.


----------



## iain

ross ?????ing ouch !!!! still what don't kill ya ,makes ya stronger


----------



## darkstar

Wankers


----------



## Thor's Hammer

darkstar said:


> Wankers



Huh?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Hope your feeling better Ross, had that myself before, got a battering in the kidneys once. take it easy mate.


----------



## Lifesabeach

*God speed to all in the U.K.*

For the fallen men and women in London today may you go with God. For those left behind my sincere regrets and condolences.

I've visited your city once before. Everone was helpful and friendly, I'm sorry you are having to endure this.

Mark

_(Come to Hawaii. Nobody bothers us anymore.)_


----------



## Ross Turner

Thanks guys,just got out of a night stay in hospital,still got pains in gut & Drs dont know whats causing it.


----------



## jamie

take ya guts out and they wont hurt anymore

jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

lmfao


----------



## jamie

*bad week*

before i start the story i aint no aussie.

here is my bad bad week.

left dorset on sunday (weekend away) and got home at 5am, up at 6.30 to go to work, worked fine alday not tired in the slightest.

tuesday driving home in the mog, nodded off and woke up as i ploughed over a bollard, the butt plate pushing it over. snapped the next 3 clean off and smashed both headlights in the process....whoops 220 quid for replacements.

wednesday managed to fu*k the saw on a stick (polesaw) boss reckons another 200, the saw shop is closed at the mo.

friday the battery in the mog went as well. 

all in not a good week....sh!t happens though.

having said that the bosses 13 year old son is working with us over the summer. he keeps getting chucked out of school, we are all having great fun shouting at him and giving him grief, making sure he realises how easy school is compared to the real world. he was giving the boss (his dad) grief on monday so the boss told him 

'at home i will disipline you like a son, on the job site i will treat you like an employee so get back to work or fu*k off. if you dont do as i say you can find your own way home'

that was 40 miles away from home and he didnt know where he was.

jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

Jamie,It sounds to me like you worked the week for nothing by the time you have paid for the repairs.


----------



## jamie

*yep*

yep, it was a bit of a ????e week....bollocks.

not too sure what the boss is really thinking, i know he is pissd but he seems in not too bad a fettle.... keeps reminding me though.....

jamie


----------



## Thor's Hammer

imagine if youd been in a transit instead of the mog...
That would have been a lot more expensive...


----------



## Ross Turner

one of our lads lost a set of Keys & the boss just took £100 out of his pay without asking,which is illeagal.


----------



## jamie

*ouch*

boss paid me, he realised it was a bad bad bad week. not yet beaten scot (another of our guys) who wrecked a trator...he managed to salvage a wing mirror though :angel: 

jamie


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Ross Turner said:


> one of our lads lost a set of Keys & the boss just took £100 out of his pay without asking,which is illeagal.


Especially as a set of keys usually costs 35 quid thereabouts....


----------



## Ross Turner

The keys where for anti theft locks on the trailer.


----------



## Ross Turner

wheel clamp & hitch lock.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

who do you work for Ross? I'm getting the feeling I know this guy...


----------



## Ross Turner

Special Arboricultural Services based Nr High Ercall,Telford


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Whats your bosses name? care to divulge? The Father did safety audids on loads of contractors in that area, I remember some horror stories...


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Is your boss into the great outdoors, mountain rescue type of thing? also a retained firefighter?


----------



## Ross Turner

he is into mountain biking,His name is Kier Dady used to work for Mudway as a sub contractor under the name AA Forestrees & also for Dave Cound of Aerial.He works on behalf of West Coast Energy Networks on the Central network contract.
By the way how is your Dad,as i said he tested me for units AE2a,2b & AE5.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Ha haha... it all comes back to me now. Trust me, if he's working for westcoast he'll be on a good screw.
Dad's fine, he had a little stroke recently that lost him his licence, so he has to have a driver now. Hes knocked the NPTC lark on the head though, said the whole thing had got out of hand. He's still chief consultant to the DTi/Defra/Doe whatever its new name is...


----------



## Ross Turner

Where you on about Ellis how lives in shrewsbury,he is an outdoor type who likes Carp fishing & also is a trained fire fighter?.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Yeah, I know ellis too. I think he looked at buying a truck off me a few years ago. Then his climber Stuart Fill (calls himself the branch manager) set up on his own and bought the truck and chipper off me...


----------



## Ross Turner

Thor,i passed your dads details on to my boss as our climbing kit needs to be Loler checked as you said that he did it.


----------



## iain

its gone very quite on here ???? watz up


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Thanks Ross, He'll appreciate that.


----------



## Ross Turner

Iain,It was the key on the cog wheel that was nackered on the chipper,All working fine now.


----------



## Ross Turner

What is the decibel level of a pto driven chipper?attached to a Unimog.


----------



## Ross Turner

I have passed my driving test today,Should of done it years ago.


----------



## Liston

*CE approved or not*

Well done Ross with the test pass.

Question for all you guys & girls using or buying kit,

Would you use or purchase a machine or piece of kit, if it did not have a CE conformaty cert or making ?

and also what is the arb industries understanding of the CE marking in the Uk and Europe.


----------



## iain

i dont know have you rung frank atkinson he should


----------



## iain

dave personally i would regonise the british standard sooner than the Clown of Europe mark those guys worry about the correct % bend n length of bananas ( very dodgey)


----------



## iain

well done Ross something else for you to bust rive on


----------



## puwer

Liston,

Scroll back a few pages for recent discussion and info on CE marking and Decs of conformity.


----------



## jamie

*well done*

the decibel of a mog driven chipper...loud, wear ya defenders and all is good.

well done on the driving test

sorry a short post, still trying to calm my nerves after climbing some bone dead hollow elms.....yuch

jamie


----------



## Thor's Hammer

It'll make a man of ya Jamie...  Notice how sharp and itchy the sawdust is? I cut my teeth on dead elms.
Liston - The Clown of europe  (nice one iain) mark can kiss my arse. you know how I feel about the tsunami of paperwork and legislation thats drowning our industry


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Liston said:


> Well done Ross with the test pass.
> 
> Question for all you guys & girls using or buying kit,
> 
> Would you use or purchase a machine or piece of kit, if it did not have a CE conformaty cert or making ?
> 
> and also what is the arb industries understanding of the CE marking in the Uk and Europe.



It wouldn't bother me if i was the user of the peice of kit,but if staff were useing it then it would have to have CE mark ,just for my peice of mind and insurance purposes..Arb industry understanding of CE marks err don't really have too much of a clue other than i think everything 'SHOULD' have a CE mark. 

Well done Ross  

I haven't been around lately because i have been in Ireland for a few days ,looks to me like the Irish have done very nicely out of being EU members ..new Mercs, VW passats ,Landcruisers ,merc and Bmw 4x4s everywhere AND I MEAN EVERYWHERE!..as for houses looks to me like everyone in Donegal at least owns a four bed bungalow set in half an acre...looks a bit tight for tree work though ,nearly every tree i saw could be got at with a cherry picker and there are lots of cherry pickers out there for hire..I also noted that nearly everyman owned a digger 3.5 ton and up..  most imo had the knicked look about them ie lots were painted in strange colors....


----------



## jamie

*make a man out of me*

so if the noise will make a man out of me, will i get to stop wearing the bikini top then one day?

jamie


----------



## Big A

*Legislation----- Aaaah!!!!*

On monday I fell foul of the new Work at Height legislation. Working off an A-frame ladder to raise canopy over a footpath, mate footing base of ladder, along came H&S officer and told me I was in contravention of Work at height rules 2005. Also lad raking up was in shorts due to the heat (wrong) and the climber in the tree didnt have on a High-Vis. I explained that when climbing clothing should be snag-free and that he would wear one when he descended to the ground. He saw the sense of that one thank goodness, but as the other rules had to be obeyed or he would stop the works. Oh well, never mind.


----------



## Ross Turner

I thought you only wore Hi Viz when working near roads etc.


----------



## Liston

*Ce*

Thanks for some of the replys

My reason for posting the CE issue thing is that It may apply to insurance and finance companies, that if a piece of kit has no cert of compliance or tec file they will probely not pay out on any insurance claims and finace companys will not finance the kit.
owners need to check they are compliant, as insurance companies are good at finding ways of reducing claims or not paying out.


----------



## Ross Turner

As anyone done the loler inspectors course as i am thinking of doing it later this year.


----------



## Ross Turner

Tony,still waiting for that info you said that you would send me when i saw you at the show.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Sad news about TREEMACHINE boys !!.... pushing that extra bit ain't worth it on a friday evening [not say he was pushing] etc etc , i have been taking it a little easier in the hot weather i hope you guys are aswell

BigA you naughty boy ,now i thought you ran a tighter ship than that no ******* HI-VIZ and working off a ladder..your a bloody disgrace to the proffesion


----------



## Big A

Ship's bleedin' sinking, rats abandoning & hit a sand-bank!! I think the way he came across was to inform rather than dictate, but in retrospect that same day window-cleaners were working off ladders (shock! horror!!) I wonder if they were told not to? I had a hi-vis on, climber in tree did not! And yes we were road-side, tho' if a car hit him about 40 feet up it'd be a bloody miracle!! Good job all the risk assessments ( site specific) were in order, I usually fill them in when I get time, but for a change i had done the paperwork before the jobs. And he checked! same number of hours in the day, more work to fit in. (whinge,moan)


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

theres a guest reading the Brit thread come out and join us who ever you are ..we don't bite


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Hows work around the country ?? it's gone a bit quiet again around here again .Blue you picked up yet ??


----------



## SteveBullman

you're not alone mr rolla. most people i climb for are quiet, only ones who are busy are those with county and highways work etc. 
the private markets dead


----------



## jamie

*picking up*

we had a quiet phase its apprently picking up again.

ive just been enlisted into mulcher driving......dont reckon im cut out to be a machine man, my head is killing me after only a day and a half.....today was 11 hours in it though...maybe a long first real day?

jamie


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Can't work out why it's quite!! then again i recently saw the BTS wankers doing some moon lighting up near Framlingham they were useing all BTS kit again !!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

I heard Eastwood is down to 3 or 4 men he's scaled right down apparently


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Heyhey! Im back on AS again (got banned). I was probably the guest you saw rolla..
As regards work in your area, heard recently your power company cut several million from its tree cutting program, thats why youve got BTS guys scrabbling round for any work they can get.


----------



## SteveBullman

i heard a vicious rumour the other day and while it may be just that, there normally turns out to be some truth in em.
involves a fairly large company around these parts, not naming any names. but apparently they have sold up for 5 mill.
now the only other tree company round these parts who i figure could have that kinda money is bts. which would make sense if they are losing electricity work like thor says it would give them a whole new book of contracts.

but like i said, i dont know if theres any truth in it or not.


----------



## iain

the private work enquirys have picked up over the last three weeks 1/2 doz+ a day , not the usual 12+ though 
i'm glad we don't need to rely on them at the mo


----------



## iain

hello guest


----------



## Ross Turner

Sounds bad if BTS lose the tree cutting work for EDF.


----------



## SteveBullman

lets hope they do


----------



## blue

work's pickin up a little,maybe 2-3 enquiries aday.looked at a 80' lombardi the other day to come out.should be fun if we get it


----------



## vharrison2

Welcome back Thor


----------



## jamie

why the ban?

jamie


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Still dont know...
posted a pic of a burger, and got banned for a week
?????


----------



## S_T_S

The 'guest' finally rears his head.

Hello to all the British (and international) Tree workers. I have been dropping in every now and again for a read and a nosey around since I was given the URL while looking at chippers at the AA show at the back end of June. Now it is time to register and hopefully start to contribute.

At the moment I am watching, reading and learning so keep up the banter.

Kev


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Hi there STS welcome to our thread and forum ,there are a few boys on here from your neck of the woods


----------



## Ross Turner

Welcome STS.


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Hi all, i'm new here, gladly i've finally found an active aborist forum !!

I trust you'll make me feel welcome lol  

Matt.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

hi Buzz ,HEY NEW GUYS FEEL FREE TO POST A SUBJECT


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Errrmmmm, Have to think of something intelligent 1st lol )


----------



## Big A

Thor's Hammer said:


> Still dont know...
> posted a pic of a burger, and got banned for a week
> ?????


Musta been a MaccyD!! Hi new bods, dont worry about intelligent posts, no-one else does!!


----------



## unimog

Recently took council to appeal over TPO decision. Small line (copse) between two streets. Arb officer walked around with me and we agreed a plan. Submitted application and due to 35 complaints, Councillors were not happy chappies and Arb officer told to change her recommendation to committee.

( this may have had something to do with a few months earlier when I instigated the felling of two very large Beech. Headlines in paper "Battle of the trees, two held by police over vigil protest", front page picture shows 3 coppers carrying a women in a wheel chair off site,with another two dragging the arrested local green party councillor off to the van.)

Back to the appeal. I decided to make five appeals,one for each house, that way the council would have 5 times the work and costs...he he.

Just had the letter back from Mr Prescotts office. The secretary of states upholds your appeal etc. All but one tree,reduce not fell, which I don't mind because, in the original application I allowed for 20% more than I thought they would allow anyway. Inspector recommends that all trees could be felled and replanted, Sh*t would it the fan and all conditions removed

A good result all round for me and my clients. Not so good for the council who will end up paying for 5 lots of internal costs. The Arb officer is now eating humble pie and suffering from sore's on the slapped wrists because all the councillors are denying that they put any pressure on her to change her report in the first place.

Another point to the contractors.


----------



## Ross Turner

Great result Tony.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

unimog said:


> Recently took council to appeal over TPO decision. Small line (copse) between two streets. Arb officer walked around with me and we agreed a plan. Submitted application and due to 35 complaints, Councillors were not happy chappies and Arb officer told to change her recommendation to committee.
> 
> ( this may have had something to do with a few months earlier when I instigated the felling of two very large Beech. Headlines in paper "Battle of the trees, two held by police over vigil protest", front page picture shows 3 coppers carrying a women in a wheel chair off site,with another two dragging the arrested local green party councillor off to the van.)
> 
> Back to the appeal. I decided to make five appeals,one for each house, that way the council would have 5 times the work and costs...he he.
> 
> Just had the letter back from Mr Prescotts office. The secretary of states upholds your appeal etc. All but one tree,reduce not fell, which I don't mind because, in the original application I allowed for 20% more than I thought they would allow anyway. Inspector recommends that all trees could be felled and replanted, Sh*t would it the fan and all conditions removed
> 
> A good result all round for me and my clients. Not so good for the council who will end up paying for 5 lots of internal costs. The Arb officer is now eating humble pie and suffering from sore's on the slapped wrists because all the councillors are denying that they put any pressure on her to change her report in the first place.
> 
> Another point to the contractors.




Haha...
My Father handled that appeal (chief arb consultant to the deputy PM's office). I'll tell him he had a nice pile of work out of it. keep em coming....


----------



## clearance

S T S- how the hell are ya buddy, Clearance here, I was born in Uddersfield in '68 lived in Canader since '72. Nice to see someone from there, makes me wonder how I would have turned out if I had been raised in the old country. Gone native here, one handing, clearcutting powerline hack I am. You ever drink beer and have fun with birds in Beamont Park? Think thats how you spell it, close to me grans house.


----------



## S_T_S

Clearance,

I looked at a house in Beaumont Park before moving to my current property about 5 miles from there (Meltham). Huddersfield will not have changed since you left (same sh1t different year and all that). Where abouts did you live for your short time here?

Kev


----------



## Ross Turner

looking to get a new helmet to climb in,any recomendations?,i am using a linesman helmet with a balance assembly on it.
Thanks.


----------



## SteveBullman

i just bought the black diamond half dome, im well pleased with it.


----------



## Big A

Got a Petzl Vertex........v.neat...and cooool!!


----------



## Ross Turner

what defenders & visor have you got on it steve?.


----------



## Ross Turner

Was looking at the Vertex any good.


----------



## SteveBullman

none, im using plugs and glasses...much cooler to work in


----------



## iain

S_T_S said:


> The 'guest' finally rears his head.
> 
> Hello to all the British (and international) Tree workers. I have been dropping in every now and again for a read and a nosey around since I was given the URL while looking at chippers at the AA show at the back end of June. Now it is time to register and hopefully start to contribute.
> 
> At the moment I am watching, reading and learning so keep up the banter.
> 
> Kev




did those chippers look like this one by any chance


----------



## Ross Turner

what glasses and what plugs? steve


----------



## SteveBullman

bolle silium glasses, and plugs im still expermenting with at the mo, using b&q disposables just now.
you can pick bolle siliums up on ebay real cheap, about £6. you'll pay about £15 at arb suppliers


----------



## Thor's Hammer

stephenbullman said:


> i just bought the black diamond half dome, im well pleased with it.



any pics?


----------



## SteveBullman

http://www.needlesports.com/acatalog/Mail_Order_Helmets_17.html


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

I think your helmet /plugs/glasses is a grey area insurance wise,because what happens if you injure your face?? or rip an ear off ? ,ear protecters offer protection against hearing problems and they protect your ears against knocks and bangs.

I expect someone on here will be able to tell me/us how insurance companys will veiw this type of head protection


----------



## clearance

S T S - can't remember, just a wee lad when we left, probably on the wrong side of the tracks somewhere. When I was back in '99, my gran was showing me the place, going on about how much it had been cleaned up. I though you must be feckin joking but I kept quite. Parts of that town are really nice, especially on the outskirts. I always wear proper forestry equipment- hardhat with the earmuffs and the metal face screen. It is good safe setup.


----------



## SteveBullman

to be honest rolla, what isnt a grey area these days. you can be sure if there is a way to avoid paying up the insurance co will find it.
for a start my typeA chainsaw trousers are illegal for climbing but i sure aint gonna start wearing type c anytime soon


----------



## S_T_S

Iain

Suprisingly enough yes they looked just like that. Still considering buying one and might be contacting landforce (?) shortly with regards to potentially trialling one.

Any other recommendations for 'my first(TM)' chipper? Potentially considering a 4" to save some initial outlay but I know it will hamper my working day. I am only working part time (~60%)at the moment to pay for all my gear and NPTC licenses, then looking at a house move and going full time at year end or early next year.

Kev


----------



## unimog

Just picked up a leaflet from our councils tree warden group. I Quote " Advice on hiring an arborist. Check in the Yellow pages and look for the ISA logo"

Better still look on Birmingham councils web site, "approved contractors" Direct link to the AA approved list.

Just spoke to AA. Normal crap " we are the best etc and we are now in touch with the average contractor". Now have around 150 approved contractors.Thats a real good % when there are at last count 16000 contractors out there in the UK.

I have been an approved contractor and sat on the Northern Branch committee. Soon realised it was a waste of time and money. Who police's these so called expert Associations, No one apart from the top industry pro's, who also happen to sit on the committee's.

About time we started our own Association. How about the BACA, British Arborist Contracting Ass. All we need do is register as a charity, get 10 people to form a commitee and bingo. 

PS. I have already spoken to two Manufacturer's that would help with real money. Why? because they feel that none of the trade magazines do any real on trial tests. (except woodwise,FBT). Think of the extra deals we could negotiate and the buying power....... Worth thinking about

Anyone interested?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Count me in.


----------



## Ross Turner

Sounds a good idea,about time.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

count me in also but lets think of a better name hey ! 

ANYONE KNOW OF A KUBOTA TRACTOR DEALER [SECONDHAND COMPACT]???


----------



## iain

S_T_S said:


> Iain
> 
> Suprisingly enough yes they looked just like that. Still considering buying one and might be contacting landforce (?) shortly with regards to potentially trialling one.
> 
> Any other recommendations for 'my first(TM)' chipper? Potentially considering a 4" to save some initial outlay but I know it will hamper my working day. I am only working part time (~60%)at the moment to pay for all my gear and NPTC licenses, then looking at a house move and going full time at year end or early next year.
> 
> Kev



Kev 
urgh chippers they are much the same who ever you buy from, brash goes in one end chip leave's out the other end .
the main issue from your mine and every other guy on here is what the company does to bail you out of the sh1t, when it goes tits up, coz they all do
2nd hand been there done that, got my fingers burnt had road wheels fall off the full monti 
i wouldn't go for 4" what you will save in money now you will lose in lost turnover , you'll get sick of the extra snedding and brashing out and will also have a mountain of logwood a pro machine is imo no less than 6" twin roller min 27hp when did you pass you're drivnig licence ? re weight restrictions!!

as i said at the show if this machine doesnt do what i say then tell every one on here i', full of it ! however you could ask Blue using a 9" landforce and also pruner1 they've got a 8" landforce

if you want to see the l'force working ring me you can come up and watch my team put it though its paces or i'll bring one down too you ,only problem is when you see it work you'll want one ( which ain't a problem really honest it can be sorted)
if you want i'll send you my phone number via a private message 
rgds iain


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Iain... My idea of pro is no less than 12 x 20" and 100hp...hehehe


----------



## iain

unimog said:


> Just picked up a leaflet from our councils tree warden group. I Quote " Advice on hiring an arborist. Check in the Yellow pages and look for the ISA logo"
> 
> Better still look on Birmingham councils web site, "approved contractors" Direct link to the AA approved list.
> 
> Just spoke to AA. Normal crap " we are the best etc and we are now in touch with the average contractor". Now have around 150 approved contractors.Thats a real good % when there are at last count 16000 contractors out there in the UK.
> 
> I have been an approved contractor and sat on the Northern Branch committee. Soon realised it was a waste of time and money. Who police's these so called expert Associations, No one apart from the top industry pro's, who also happen to sit on the committee's.
> 
> About time we started our own Association. How about the BACA, British Arborist Contracting Ass. All we need do is register as a charity, get 10 people to form a commitee and bingo.
> 
> PS. I have already spoken to two Manufacturer's that would help with real money. Why? because they feel that none of the trade magazines do any real on trial tests. (except woodwise,FBT). Think of the extra deals we could negotiate and the buying power....... Worth thinking about
> 
> Anyone interested?


tony 
you know i'm up for this as we discussed , i'm sick of the self importance of an organisation who proport to represent the arboricultural industry but only have a membership numbering hundreds from a potential of i believe 16,000 arb company's uk wide ( i wonder why ? they must be held in such esteem by their piers !! ) or not 
i've recently read and complained to the publishers of horticulture week re work @ height regs, in which 2 aa directors seem to blow sunshine up themselves, however only one was portraid in his aa role the other was disguised as an independant company director running a large organisation recommending the implementation of the new aa guide etc ,etc . what a crok 
this is the real world gentlemen !!! welcome too it


----------



## iain

Thor's Hammer said:


> Iain... My idea of pro is no less than 12 x 20" and 100hp...hehehe




yeah fair comment mate this lads just starting out 
would you agree that a 4" chipper is a wate of his money
regardless of who he buys from or indeed what he buys, i would hate the bloke to waste his hard earned money


----------



## Thor's Hammer

sorry bud I'm only teasing. horses for courses and all that, wish i'd stuck to a small chipper and transit...


----------



## Thor's Hammer

and yes 4" chipper = waste of money. go for as big an infeed throat as possible on a small machine, thats my thoughts


----------



## S_T_S

Iain

Thanks for the reply, PM your number and I will get in touch in the next week or so. Weight restrictions not an issue, I have been driving 10 years now.

Everyone, Thanks for the feedback, it is what I honestly believed but findin £1-2K for a baby towalong is easy, finding 10k could scupper some house moving plans. I need to do the maths as working parttime, 10k takes a while to pay off unless I start working for someone as a groundie/climber on flexible days (unlikely anyone will want one) to earn some of the cash first

Kev


----------



## Big A

Ross, the Vertex seems really neat, down-side already typical Petzl defender assembly falls apart if a fly farts within a mile. Plus side, lighter, more comfy and a natty sweatband with channels to cool your forehead. As far as climbing goes I think ear protection should be around SNR29 for saw use, regardless of style of protection, and eye protection is recommended beneath a visor anyway. Talking of protection, today I was wearing chainsaw ppe, a flash retardent boiler suit over that, then full hi-vis regalia. All I need now is a parachute, airbags and aqua-lung and I should be covered for all emergency situations!! Thats after filling in umpteen risk ass. forms. Bugger me H&S gone stoooopid!


----------



## SteveBullman

i feel for ya big A.
1. for having to go through all that
2. for having to work on such a wet day.......bummer


----------



## iain

Big A said:


> Ross, the Vertex seems really neat, down-side already typical Petzl defender assembly falls apart if a fly farts within a mile. Plus side, lighter, more comfy and a natty sweatband with channels to cool your forehead. As far as climbing goes I think ear protection should be around SNR29 for saw use, regardless of style of protection, and eye protection is recommended beneath a visor anyway. Talking of protection, today I was wearing chainsaw ppe, a flash retardent boiler suit over that, then full hi-vis regalia. All I need now is a parachute, airbags and aqua-lung and I should be covered for all emergency situations!! Thats after filling in umpteen risk ass. forms. Bugger me H&S gone stoooopid!



not wanting to pick, but you could get your warnin signs under the left arm ,barrier tape under ur right arm ,n loler inspector stuck up ur jacksy


----------



## unimog

How about PACT Proffessional Arborists Caring for Trees. Any other ideas?

Confirms what I have felt for a while,the majority of contractors seem to feel they are not fully represented, I'll make some enquiries and see what the legal implications are about getting something set up. Reckon we could easily get a few more suppliers on board.

After all, most turn out with stands at Cirencester for a couple of thousand visitors (the minority )think what they might do to get through to the majority.


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Unimog, Thor etc. starting a proper contractors association sounds like an excellent idea......go for it


----------



## Thor's Hammer

How about National TreeWorkers Union? or something... NFU always works well


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

I thought NATIONAL GUILD OF TREE WORKERS NGTW or the association of tree workers

I too hate the AA i think there a bunch of jumped up pri*ks, the certainly do not speak for me 150 aacontractors this is almost laughable..

To become a member of a new organization ,i think all members [contractors] should simply show proof of insurance and show relative qualifactions for the work they carry out ,pure and simple

Ask some of the local guys to me bigA and stephenbullman ,i was thinking about starting some kind of organization many months ago,seems as though weve all been thinking on the same lines


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

IMO the AA is all about keeping a few big headed power crazy people in a job ,lets face it i have never seen any of them [the commitee] on any forum anywhere


----------



## Thor's Hammer

HA! my old man used to be on the commitee... and he can't stand it. Got shat on a few times...


----------



## iain

we can have different levels for different skill base
1 ground staff basic chainsaw tickets chipper op etc
2 large tree tickets - Harvesters etc for our forestry brothers
3 climbers with obviously their climbing tickets
4 arborist /consultant with experience + tickets + formal academic quals 
British Arborists Assosiation ( BAA )


----------



## unimog

Iain....Ticket for this ticket for that...Bet the AA could come up with a great name for us....Tree workers and ticket show..ers TW*TS...hehe


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Hmmm. What about the AA then? I'm sure I've heard that elsewhere...
on a technical note, would you operate an approved / tested contractor scheme?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

iain said:


> we can have different levels for different skill base
> 1 ground staff basic chainsaw tickets chipper op etc
> 2 large tree tickets - Harvesters etc for our forestry brothers
> 3 climbers with obviously their climbing tickets
> 4 arborist /consultant with experience + tickets + formal academic quals
> British Arborists Assosiation ( BAA )




NA getting involved in certification isn't a good idea IMO ,but recognizing other quals apart from nptc might be a good idea


----------



## iain

sorry rolla i didn't clarify that very well i didn't mean certifiing guys 
woz suggesting that 
their could be different scales of membership and that the production of any varifiable
qualifictions would therefore suggest that one or another level would best suit that member
ie someone with just cs 30 31 etc is not immediately, an obvouis candicate for Consultant grade however they should auto qual for groundsmans status 
by showing a qualification over and above that of the general public 
its all open to suggestions not like the aa , jump though 20 hoops, n still end up getting f*cked about
iain


----------



## highpoint-utd

interesting idea this arb union thing, but what about coppice workers they only have ground units but aint groundies ? its about time we did somethin AA and isa are far to money and clique for my liking


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i personaly think this [if it gets off the ground] new organization ,should really be for company's ,contract climbers ,selfmployed groundsmen only..i think it would be a waste of time to invite all to join like the AA do


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> WELL FOLK'S WE NOW HAVE OUR OWN FORUM....ON MASTER BLASTER'S WEBSITE !!!!
> there are two threads going on at the moment......
> 
> 
> all you got to do is register and use



just reposting this for any newbies


----------



## Ross Turner

what is masterblasters website?.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

weather forecast for east anglia ,totally wrong again ,**** me if i got my tree reports wrong as many times as the met office gets the weather forecast totally wrong i'd be out of business or most likely in court !!!

The forecast for today was torrential rain to hit east anglia 10am ,i'm still waiting for it to start drizzling   i sent the boys home


----------



## iain

Ross Turner said:


> what is masterblasters website?.




http://***************/treehouse/index.php


----------



## Ross Turner

thanks Iain.
How do i register??


----------



## Big A

ROLLACOSTA said:


> weather forecast for east anglia ,totally wrong again ,**** me if i got my tree reports wrong as many times as the met office gets the weather forecast totally wrong i'd be out of business or most likely in court !!!
> 
> The forecast for today was torrential rain to hit east anglia 10am ,i'm still waiting for it to start drizzling   i sent the boys home


had a lovely day fixing and repairing kit ready for when all that work floods in(ho-ho). Four hedgecutters with knackered recoils, Y dont people get them sorted when they bring em in? Anyhoo Rolla you should know better than listen to the weather for this area. Dont you guys carry water-proofs?
On the subject of a membership for tree-workers, I personally wouldn't want to see such a formal outfit as the AA, want to avoid that up-their-own-arse cliquey sh!t. Surely a friendly, non-elitist set-up would be more acceptable to all? Plus aint it a little confusing for clients when they see AA Approved, Isa qualified, TCIA Corporate Member, RFS Dip dop, etc etc. Dont get me wrong their tickets mean a lot to those who've earned them, but sod all to Joe Public who only want their trees pruned/felled/whatever for the lowest price.


----------



## Ross Turner

Is see that Pruner 1`s employers(Darlington Borough Council)are looking for a Arb officer.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Big A said:


> had a lovely day fixing and repairing kit ready for when all that work floods in(ho-ho). Four hedgecutters with knackered recoils, Y dont people get them sorted when they bring em in? Anyhoo Rolla you should know better than listen to the weather for this area. Dont you guys carry water-proofs?
> On the subject of a membership for tree-workers, I personally wouldn't want to see such a formal outfit as the AA, want to avoid that up-their-own-arse cliquey sh!t. Surely a friendly, non-elitist set-up would be more acceptable to all? Plus aint it a little confusing for clients when they see AA Approved, Isa qualified, TCIA Corporate Member, RFS Dip dop, etc etc. Dont get me wrong their tickets mean a lot to those who've earned them, but sod all to Joe Public who only want their trees pruned/felled/whatever for the lowest price.



Ha! you got it there! lowest bid always wins round here... unless your in the masons  joe public doesent give a hoot about qualifications. nor insurance... I got asked to prove my insurance for the first time in 6 years yesterday. I know some contractors who pay the first months premium to get the certificate and then cancel the direct debit


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Funny you should talk about insurance THOR ,it was only yesterday that my wife commented on how long it has been since any client domestic or commercial asked to see proof of my insurance


----------



## iain

Ross Turner said:


> Is see that Pruner 1`s employers(Darlington Borough Council)are looking for a Arb officer.



ross we got darlo's arb officer now in, redcar N cleveland been here about 4 weeks ish , darlo's loss our gain. sorry pruner1.


----------



## iain

ross 
see you've sorted the registration out


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> Funny you should talk about insurance THOR ,it was only yesterday that my wife commented on how long it has been since any client domestic or commercial asked to see proof of my insurance



26 years with algarve, and no claims... 
Makes me wonder if its worth it.  
I certainly dont get any NCD


----------



## Ross Turner

Iain,does he happen to be called Phil by any chance?.


----------



## iain

nop hes called peter
he seems to know what hes talking about and actually appears to care about the job hes doing,
so far so good !!!

do you know pruner1 then ross ?


----------



## iain

S.T.S 

kev re vehicles 
this is an example of a transit with expanded metal sides mounted on a metal angle frame + micro meshing for the small stuff as you can see the load capacity won't be reached because of the vehicle weight restrictions that are in place,
4*4 pickup certainly have there role however you are definatley restricted by 
volume capacity
look at n0 22
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?p=293182#post293182


----------



## unimog

Spoke to solicitor today re : Contractors Ass.

If a group of people want to set up, there is nothing legally required to do so. What he advised was.

A committee. This is usually formed by the founder members and would normally stay in place for the first 2 years. By this time member No's may have grown and a vote would take place. (depends on rules of Association )

A set of rules are put in place and agreed by founder members together with a name.

A bank account. 2 committee to sign.

There must be at least two officers (secretary not a committee member) who are willing to act as secretary and treasurer.

A chairman is not required, although it would make sense to elect 1 at the first committee meeting. He would then take the chair and control future meetings.

It would make sense to have a solicitor retained to give advice as things progressed. This would cost very little in the early stages.( let him know when we've done it and he would charge a few quid just to cross the T's and make sure no one gets set up).

So get your thinking caps on. I agree with those that want to keep things simple. IE all contractors that can prove they have some basic idea.


----------



## iain

tony and me have comeup with a name how about ' Tree workers guild '
it says what we are about without sounding too stuck up 
what do you guys think


----------



## Thor's Hammer

sounds good to me. simple.


----------



## iain

thanks for the iq check buddy !!!!


----------



## unimog

Have just spoken with company that is willing to help us set up a web site with a "LIVE chat room. Don't want to say to much on here, Some other Association might want to jump in and take our sponsor's...LOL


----------



## iain

i've spoken to an equipment dealer (user kit type) who is provisionaly prepared to offer a group discount to members


----------



## PRUNER 1

hi guys, been a long time but ime back. yeh pete sherry left a few weeks ago, so ive applied for the job myself. not expecting anything but, they can only say no ey. need a change from the tools, my hearts not really in it of late due to personal cicumstance, so need a mentally stimulating change. it might just be bloody epicormic removal tho!!!!!


----------



## Ross Turner

Good luck on your application Pruner1


----------



## Thor's Hammer

iain said:


> i've spoken to an equipment dealer (user kit type) who is provisionaly prepared to offer a group discount to members



User Kit type?


----------



## iain

not just machinery dealer 
also tools, climbing gear, ppe etc


----------



## iain

best of luck Pruner1

nothing is a waste of time, even if you don't succeed, although it maybe frustrating it is all valueable experience. go for it!!! more authoritys should require practical as well as theoretical knowledge from their arb officers imo


----------



## Big A

Like the name "Treeworkers Guild" does what it says on the tin! No-one seems to understand what an "arborist" is or does in this neck of the woods, or even cares. Most employers spout on about "qualified" personell, but want to employ as many muppets as possible to maximise profits. can you imagine a trade such as electricians or gas heating engineers doing that! Then you read F&BT and EssentialArb and contributors rant on and on about us being taken as seriously as lawyers and solicitors. Fat Chance!! We're a horticultural/agricultural based industry and thats that! No-one will pay an arborist the same rates as a solicitor, and I dont think our colleagues in forestry will be treated any better.
On the topic of Public Liability, I let mine lapse for a couple of years and never got asked for it once, took it up again this year and got asked for it about six times on the trot, then no more. Thor, if the insurance companies get wind of that little ruse, then no-one will be able to get direct debit anymore, then only the big companies will have cover, and the little man gets pushed out again. Really professional.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

It happens Big A trust me. I think the insurance companies know as well. When I work for corporations and Big outfits now, my insurers have to write back to the client to confirm cover.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Also, the big outfits like Fountains etc now deduct a 2% charge off all invoices for insurance cover, whether your insured or not. They automaticaly assume your not insured.


----------



## Big A

Pruner 1 good luck, hope they pay better in your area, financially you'd be better off doing the tree work i expect. Also I understand it can be a very frustrating job as your hands can be tied up in red tape. But saying that its probably a very rewarding job too.


----------



## PRUNER 1

if nowt else it would be a step up the ladder and more for my cv!


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

This week has been hard on the machines for me. Doing a clearance of scrub at a schools environmental centre. Doing a quote for the tree work sepreatly but we're currently doing clearance.

Hedgecutter had a tantrum- half hour in the workshop fixed that. First broken Husky of the week
Tuesday - 365 recoil starter broke. Spring riped out the little peg that the end of the spring sits on. Needs a new side plate now.
Thursday the 323R brushcutters carb went again. 
Friday the 345RX brushcutter on off switch broke. Its only been used Twice . Its only 2 weeks old too.

After 4 husky machines having tantrums and breaking i'm still a Husky person. Need a top handle for an upcomming job, anybody got one for sale?


----------



## iain

working at height regs

i was doing some dismantle's over a cemetry on friday and watched a team of cavity insulation fitters working on some close by house's , each man did one house at a time using extention ladders on concrete and tarmac surfacing 20-30 feet up with no stabilsers or anyone footing them,no tie-in or scaffolding and holding on to the ladders with one arm and reaching out using a h'duty hammerdrill with the other arm,
god knows what would happen if the drill stuck and kicked out at them 
never a hse inspector around to see that sort of stuff is there


----------



## Ross Turner

Same goes for window cleaners,Is the sponser the same one you mentioned at the Arb fair?.


----------



## iain

quite probably, they can't abied the snooty attitude displayed by ?? 

i agree its a daft regulation and i can't see it being fully implemented 
can you imagine getting the bill from a window cleaner, if he has to bring a mewp
or scaffolding to do the job a £2.50 job becomes £150 is a non runner imo


no doubt their motives are well intentioned, however i think it will prove to be a waste of tax payers money
politics gone ga - ga suits trying to tell workers how to work ! 
wheres the common sense ??


----------



## Bermie

PRUNER 1 said:


> hi guys, been a long time but ime back. yeh pete sherry left a few weeks ago, so ive applied for the job myself. not expecting anything but, they can only say no ey. need a change from the tools, my hearts not really in it of late due to personal cicumstance, so need a mentally stimulating change. it might just be bloody epicormic removal tho!!!!!



Did that Pete Sherry go to Merrist Wood in 1986/7?


----------



## PRUNER 1

i dont know, he may have done.


----------



## Ross Turner

Any news about the job Pruner1?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

any gossip boys ?? i read Dudley council have an arb contract on offer,thing is its only open to AA approved contractors ,i will be on the blower to them next week and i shall be asking why ??? i shall also point out that they are spending rate payers money!!!!


----------



## iain

ROLLACOSTA said:


> any gossip boys ?? i read Dudley council have an arb contract on offer,thing is its only open to AA approved contractors ,i will be on the blower to them next week and i shall be asking why ??? i shall also point out that they are spending rate payers money!!!!




what a surprise the aa jobs for the boys scheme in full operation 

totally out of order the council can NOT do it ' Best value ' applys to public bodys

all they can specify is what where when how 'not who'

birmingham council are also treading on slush they are out and out endorsing the direct use of aa contractors not only for themselves but also to the general public
the fair trade laws makes it illegal


doesn't it make yer blood boil !!!!!!!!!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

hi ian ,imo if your suitebly qualified and insured then thats all that should matter when bidding for a tender ,when there spending council tax money like you say it should be all about 'value for money' imo the AA contractors scheme is bordering on the fringes of being a 'cartel' which i'm certain is illegal !! like i said i shall be on the telephone to Dudley council early next week !!!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

I think we need to get an organization up and running soon !!!


----------



## iain

ROLLACOSTA said:


> I think we need to get an organization up and running soon !!!



behind the scenes stuff is going on, more later 



if your call to the council falls on deaf ears, the councils own chief executive( is the individual held accountable/answerable in law) you may tell he/she something new :Eye: 
, alternativly a phone call to the office of the deputy prime minister or the home secretary's office may get more action :angel: 

good on ya


----------



## Ross Turner

This is an employment vacancy for Dudley,
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council 

Description: 
Directorate of The Urban 
Environment 
GREEN CARE 
Chargehand Arborist 
£230.48 per week + £93.51 weekly bonus (37 hours weekly - bonus under
review) 

You should have at least 12 months' experience of commercial or local
authority practical arboricultural work with 6 months' supervisory
experience. You must hold NPTC Certification in the use of chainsaws,
climbing, felling and dismantling and aerial rescue. 

ISA Certified Arborist or equivalent would be preferred. However a
commitment to undertake training and successfully complete the ISA Certified
Arborist Course would be required, within 6 months. 

In addition a full driving licence is required, you should have passed your
test prior to 31 December 1996 or have C1 + E entitlement or be willing to
undertake training and successfully complete C1 + E entitlement within 6
months. 

You must have the ability to communicate at all levels, work to deadlines
and targets, interpret work schedules and follow contract documentation. You
will be expected to supervise a team of 2 or 3 tree surgeons. 

Informal enquiries to Matt Vaughan on 01384 815524. 





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


----------



## Ross Turner

they dont give you long to gain the ISA cert arb do they.
Iain,im up in county durham(Spennymoor & Darlington) this weekend seeing family.


----------



## iain

nice one ross have a good weekend pruners from darlo' im in cleveland nearer to the coast


----------



## Thor's Hammer

The pay on that jobs a bit crap is'nt it? is that take home or before tax?


----------



## blue

i'd say it's before deductions,i'd have to be pretty desperate to go for that job.and if thats what a chargehand earns what is the pay for climbers?


----------



## Ross Turner

Iain,I know pruner1 is from Darlo,i know a couple of the lads he works with as i worked with them back in 89 when i first started out on a YT but due to injury was kicked off the scheme.
The wages for the charge hands job is crap but you tell me a council that pays good money.
If anyone is looking for work in the Bucks or Beds area i believe Frosts are advertising for climbers etc,The Arb manager is ok i have worked for him before.


----------



## iain

ross
i wasn't sure if you knew pruner or not , do you know if he got the job he ws after ?


----------



## PRUNER 1

hello, no news yet as the posting date wa sonly wednesday so itll be a while yet. ross, wots it like to be bak in the good old north east? not too grim eh! not. that council in dudley seems to be goin rate. as a chargehand this week i took home 240! its only a tenner a week more for a chargehand than a climber. its about 30 quid a week more than a private company i worked for as a chargehand take home. less hours too! and no travelling!


----------



## Ross Turner

Pruner,Weather not too bad up to now,Nice to be back after a 2 years but glad its only a weekend.We have a lad working with us & he only has CS 30,31 & hes on £50 a day,Im on £75 which i think is crap for the work we do(utility) but at least its a job,would love to get back into normal arb.


----------



## PRUNER 1

ule have tax to take off that aswell tho eh? any one know how to get on the isa website ime havin trouble with it. i want to get the climbing comp reg off it cos ime thinkin about doin a few comps. any ideas?


----------



## Ross Turner

Yeh worst luck but still clear £1,200 per month if not more.
Had a great time in the Good old north east,Darlo is looking a bit grimy these days i think(lol).


----------



## Liston

*umm tenders*

Reading your posts on tenders and the tender for AA approved contractors only.
I've had a lot of experance with tenders and have found the you should still apply for the tender even if you don't meet the given spec on the ad or paper work.
If you can service the tender then put infor it. I have seen many tenders for chippers ,grinders etc been won from machines that are not to the sec of the writen tender  .
what is needed is for the applicant is to show that your service or product is best value if not to the tender ad.
I can't tell you how many hours i've spent filling in paper work for tenders only to be beaten by lesser machines for more money   So pitch your stall out and read between the lines I have also seen tenders rewitten to another spec or service which they are allowed to do and with draw the old tender.

Good luck.


----------



## iain

Liston said:


> Reading your posts on tenders and the tender for AA approved contractors only.
> I've had a lot of experance with tenders and have found the you should still apply for the tender even if you don't meet the given spec on the ad or paper work.
> If you can service the tender then put infor it. I have seen many tenders for chippers ,grinders etc been won from machines that are not to the sec of the writen tender  .
> what is needed is for the applicant is to show that your service or product is best value if not to the tender ad.
> I can't tell you how many hours i've spent filling in paper work for tenders only to be beaten by lesser machines for more money   So pitch your stall out and read between the lines I have also seen tenders rewitten to another spec or service which they are allowed to do and with draw the old tender.
> 
> Good luck.



Dave 

i feel that most of the guys already appreicate the point that you make the point i and rolla were making is that a government department should know better than too *discriminate * in the first place
regards
iain


----------



## jamie

*pay*

ok dont seemt aht im as badly payed as i once thought. getting 250 before deductions. i applied for a job as a trainnee arboprist with edinburgh council £130 a week, they were looking for no exp but i couldnt live on that wage. the council arb squads hate chippers. as chippers mean they have to be outside all day where as loading it into the back of a tranny means they have to drive away earlier to top....more time on asses...

jamie


----------



## Liston

*tenders*

Thanks Iain

The problem I found is that a lot of tenders are writen by persons not up to the job and take copy from other tenders around the country So they think that AA certed must be the way to go as the other tender had it in it  or they just read about it in so council publication   .
Tenders it seams are not written from scratch and not always by poeple who know what they are talking about.

Like you say 
Jobs for the boys.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

very true Liston [above post]


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Liston said:


> Thanks Iain
> 
> The problem I found is that a lot of tenders are writen by persons not up to the job and take copy from other tenders around the country So they think that AA certed must be the way to go as the other tender had it in it  or they just read about it in so council publication   .
> Tenders it seams are not written from scratch and not always by poeple who know what they are talking about.
> 
> Like you say
> Jobs for the boys.



A lot of tender request are generic, with a lot of useless blurb shoved in to cover any eventuality. I have been asked to give copies of streetworks/signing license for woodland work, spraying certs on felling work, felling certs on strimming work etc. etc.


----------



## Liston

*New mag*

Good news for the UK arborist. A new mag just for you guys and girls is going to be launched this September. I think you will b eable to air some of the points you have made in this forum.
I'll keep you posted.


----------



## iain

new mag 
lets hope it doesnt get hijacked by the usual cronies
same old people spouting the same opinion from the same perspective, 
lets hope we have guys talking from the independants point of view, equipment trailing / testing done by the right kind of outfit . not some suit who can't remember the last time he got his chainsaw gear on n got sweaty.


----------



## iain

back to work= have you guys n girls had any enquires re the new hedge height legislation ??

i have a copy of the cosultation document however now that it is law i have attempted to obtain a copy to better deal with definition's and peramiters 
guess what it ain't published yet !! 
however i can pre-order it, they just dont know when it will be released

typical arse up !


----------



## PRUNER 1

found out today that ime not even getting an interview for the arb officer job cos i forgot to mention in my personal statement that ime computer literate!!!!! doh! slightly pissed off!


----------



## PRUNER 1

oh yeh any one seen the new double redirect pulley i think isc have made without the middle sheave. looks like the little gold one but dual. need to get me one but not sure who makes it. any ideas?


----------



## Ross Turner

Iain,if you have a look at the Good tree climbing practice what you need to know is covered in there in laymens terms.Did you not get a chance to go to the lecture at the Arb show about it.


----------



## Ross Turner

Pruner1,A bit of a bummer if you ask me,they should still give you an interveiw in my opinion.


----------



## puwer

Pruner,

The double swing side sheave pulley is made by ISC the most recent ones being red in colour, CMI, Petzl also do them but with the ISC pulley each of the two pulleys moves independantly of each other rather than one fixed unit, much easier for re-directs. 

Pick up from most suppliers www.treeworker.co.uk 

High hedges, little bit of hype and a little consulting from it, primary reference made back to the BRE high hedges and light loss calcualtions.

You won't find any high hedge stuff in the GTGCP. (Produced by your "job for boys")


----------



## iain

ross 
no i didn't go to the lecture at the show, mmmm who was running it ? 
i always prefer a government produced document / booklet, anything else is short of the mark, when dealing with legislation, so i shall have to wait to see exact definitions 
and calculation guides, i understand that there are many factors within the guide to establish the level of nuisance (when its published )


----------



## Ross Turner

Treevolution & someone from the HSE did it.


----------



## iain

Ross Turner said:


> Treevolution & someone from the HSE did it.




what the hse did " high hedges "


----------



## Big A

Just caught up on the last few pages, shocked at the pay rate "up North" is that the going rate up there? How do the bosses expect people to live on that sort of income, its an insult to good, honest hard workers. Liston - who's doing the Arb Mag? Pruner1 sorry to hear it didn't work out this time.


----------



## PRUNER 1

cheers big a, got something else in the pipeline anyway so keepin fingers xed and wait n see. cant say too much tho;-)


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Ross Turner said:


> Treevolution & someone from the HSE did it.



Oh how surprising  Jobs for the boys again eh?


----------



## puwer

Me thinks we've got two different topics going on here ....

Pruner one asked about High Hedges Legislation, which was not covered at the AA Trade Show or in the GTGCP, you might want to download the BRE High Hedge and Light Loss calcualtions from the ODPM site. Or ask your friendly tree officer for the guidance notes issued to them by the ODPM.

The Working at Height Regulations was covered at the Trade Show (Treevolution and Francis Hirst HSE Inspector Arb) and is included in the GTGCP. 

Ross, you mentioned LOLER inspectors course, www.theabsolutearbcompany.com are running some before the end of the year.


----------



## Big A

interesting point at the end of the HSE guidance on Working at Height Regs. "Following the guidance is not compulsory and you are free to take other action. But if you follow the guidance you will normally be doing enough to comply with the law.H&S inspectors seek to secure compliance with the law and may refer to this guidance as illustrating good practice." Oh and Regulation 4(3,4) Weather, "You must ensure that the work is postponed while weather conditions endanger health and safety" this is Gt Britain for God's sake, it gusts and blows and rains nearly every day WTF are you supposed to do, take the trees indoors?


----------



## iain

cry: puwer 
i was asking re 'high hedges' n ross mistuck my meaning for 'workin @ height'
i look on the odpm site last week but only saw the consultancy document could you post the url link as i explained the tso states the document is still awaiting publication

thanks
iain

big a hahaaaaa hahaaaaa


----------



## timberwolf150

Big A. I suppose if you took the tree indoors you could use the stairs to get the high bits. Would they have to be puwer / loler / hse / AA approved?


----------



## iain

your getting the idea now mike 


heres a link for a printable version of the ' high hedge n light loss ' http://www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/gro...documents/downloadable/odpm_urbpol_607970.pdf

i hope this clears the fog!!! i've not had time to read it all yet myself


----------



## Big A

Timberwolf, you can only use stairs if a guard rail is fitted, a net suspended beneath the well and air bags on the floor. having read and re-read thru' the regs, covering all the relevant points on the job today, I realised there was no way to carry out the task without breaking just about every rule, so I did the job any way. I know it sounds ridiculous to even think about it but having been pulled up the other week by H&S officer I wanted to at least try and comply.


----------



## jockie

hello to all. don't s'pose anyone can remember me as I've been quiet since spring. depressed actually, as i've not been able to work after an accident when i've ended up with with partial sight in one eye after i copped for flying debris when a cheap 'copy' blade i'd put in the chipper shattered cos it wasnt up to the job. i'm a contractor and as i couldn't work i lost most of the regular biz. insurance covered my living, but it hasn't covered the years of building my business that i've got to start over. counterfit blade maker who told me it was as good as the genuine thing when he flogged me 2 sets is denying i even exist and hse REALLY SLOW in actually doing anything but speak to them - HOWSABOUT PROSECUTING PLEASE - THE BASTARD COULD HAVE KILLED ME. cheap blade my a8rse! sorry guys, feeling a tad sorry for myself. docs told me today i can get back to work, cos pressure testing shows i can bend over without undoing all the repair work to the eye. yippee. tell that to the 2 blokes i had to let go while i was laid up. first job to get the chipper repaired from where the rest of the shattered blade knacked the internals. now i know what buy cheap pay dear means! ho hum, such is life?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Wow Jockie, Big mojo your way. sounds like you've had a crap time of it. Do us all a favour and name the knife manufacturer, and the make of chipper.
Shows me how poor the HSE really are at actually prosicuting. Hope things will improve for you mate


----------



## Ross Turner

Sad to hear it Jockie,Did you get an invoice for the chipper blades?,if so the blade maker cant deny it if you have.
Hope you get back up & running soon.


----------



## jockie

thanks loads thor and ross. cos of the legal situ i've been warned off naming names by my brief.

the chippers no problem at all and has always been gr8 and i cant wait to get using it again - i just wish i'd kept to the manufacturers genuine parts like they recommend, i will be from now on!


----------



## iain

major respect mate ! 
don't let the b**tards grind you down, running a business isn't easy, but you've done it once, so you CAN do it again ! 
what did the blade shatter on ? was it just the wood or did it contact something else it can happen if your main flywheel bearing collapses and then the flywheel is then rotating off centre, it can smash on the anvil
do you know what kind of metal the blade was made of or was it cast

name n shame 

fight on !!!!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

NAME AND SHAME!
I have heard of knives shattering before, and once saw an exenco drum throw a badly fitted knife. that broke into about 20 pieces when it worked loose and hit the anvil.
Knife metalurgy is always a balance between hardness and ductability. you want a hard knife to retain its edge, but not so hard that it shatters. I think some manufacturers tried D2 tool steel knives once, but found they were to hard and broke up after a few weeks. I know some of the Yank manufacturers have very advanced knives now, with hard edge inserts on a softer base. 
BUT NAME AND SHAME! I have found that following the legal route often gets you nowhere....


----------



## timberwolf150

I have an easy answer when it comes to blades. Whatever the make of chipper buy only genuine blades. 
WHY??
We have a brutal but very simple test we put random samples of each batch of blades we make through. When testing some of the pattern blades with the same process the results are horrendous. I have seen blades not just break but shatter into many pieces. Just like bullets from a gun. Some have broken in such a way we have not been able to retrieve all the bits. 
Just recently a customers machine came in with pattern blades. We showed him a genuine blade being tested and then with a fraction of the test force broke one of his pattern ones.It shattered like glass. He was horrified by the results and all 5 sets he had purchased went straight in the bin. The supplying company had even told them they were genuine blades and again his complaints fell on deaf ears.
I'm not saying TW or any other manufacturers blades won't break.The correct fitting and foreign objects going through the chipper can play a major part in the blades ability to remain intact. 
I can however assure you that if genuine blades were fitted, TW wouldn't be leaving any customer hanging out to dry like Jockie is at the mo. I would like to think any manufacturer of chippers would have the same response.
Remember these companies selling pattern blades only exist because YOU buy their blades. Legally it is hard to stop them. HSE have better things to do like making sure you have the correct colour underpants on to even worry about someones life!!!!!


----------



## PRUNER 1

hi guys this was yesterdays job. 4 lines under crown so all lowered. last lumper off stem i pushed onto one of the wires and brought it down. last cut! ide even sent the saw down! gutted and the boss had just turned up as i pushed it!   sorry to here about your accident jockie.


----------



## jockie

thanks iain and pruner too. the supports really great and it means alot. 

timberwolf 150 - a hard message but i spose you come across this all the time and your completely right. lesson learnt here, and i'm not looking forward to chipper repair either. 

name and shame? - everyones right of course and i should, but i've just had so much to deal with the last few mths that i'm a jelly in the corner. a few beers and i'll feel braver to go against lawyers advise!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

jokie you must get the ball moving sue the company that sold the blades !! glad to here your well enough to get back to work


----------



## jamie

****, good to hear that you are on the mend, good luck with it all.

jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

Jockie,What is your company called again?.If you need a hand let me know & i will see if i can help as just in Telford.


----------



## iain

jockie 
if you don't want to be implicated merely mentioning a suppliers name,
hypothetically if you were to send a pm, to any one of the more active members on here, you couldn't be held responsible for there actions !!!!! just a thought
after all this is a discussion forum for the proffession, we are free to openly discuss our thoughts right across the range, from work to kit. (for the moment at least unless uncle tony's brigade has reformed that too )


----------



## jockie

Ross Turner said:


> Jockie,What is your company called again?.If you need a hand let me know & i will see if i can help as just in Telford.



thanks alot for that ross. i closed the biz after the accident cos i knew i couldnt work for a long while. sold most kit so i cld give my 2 guys a bit of a pay off and clear everything outstanding. ended up with £103 credit in the biz account! we sold up and moved in with wifes parents in lincs while i got better (got bugga all cos we'de bought at top of market). ive toyed with the idea of trying somthing else but sodit, this is all i know!

Ed - tks for the pm. i'll see you over there tmrw - gonna crash now.

tks again everyone, up and at em!!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

iain said:


> jockie
> if you don't want to be implicated merely mentioning a suppliers name,
> hypothetically if you were to send a pm, to any one of the more active members on here, you couldn't be held responsible for there actions !!!!! just a thought
> after all this is a discussion forum for the proffession, we are free to openly discuss our thoughts right across the range, from work to kit. (for the moment at least unless uncle tony's brigade has reformed that too )


uncle tony is cool! he told me so!


----------



## Ross Turner

Jockie,Where abouts in Lincs,Used to live over there before i moved to telford.


----------



## jockie

Ross Turner said:


> Jockie,Where abouts in Lincs,Used to live over there before i moved to telford.



hi ross, lodging just outside holbeach. almost def gonna have to move on as not much work in this patch. reckon this year'll be a complete right off by the time i'm sorted and going properly agn.


----------



## blue

work may be slow round these parts but we still pick up some good jobs like this one


----------



## blue

more


----------



## blue

didn't get any pics of blockin the rest down today as it pi$$wd it down all day.got soaked thru but got it finnished


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Nice one Blue. Love doing lombardy pops, nice and easy to rope. works still slow, but just had an enquiry about felling 128 pops like that


----------



## blue

holy poop thor,128 the same size as that!!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

I think... about 500mm dbh. was that one bigger? lombardy's always have big buttress roots. I'm hoping to flop them and stick them straight through the chipper


----------



## blue

that tree was about 80-90' and 1300mm x 75mm at a foot off the floor,was an odd shape stump if you know what i mean


----------



## Acer

blue said:


> that tree was about 80-90' and 1300mm x 75mm at a foot off the floor,was an odd shape stump if you know what i mean



Do you not mean 750 mm? Otherwise it's 4 foot wide by 3 inches thick - that would be an odd shape!


----------



## blue

well spotted acer


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

works picked up for me i have just landed a 2 week job felling Beech ,i was starting to get a bit worried


----------



## teressa green

rolla,make sure ya gears in good order ,beech can be a ????? on machinery,not to mention the men ,work slow darn sarf then ,,,,,,,?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

work has been a bit slow ,your rite beech can be hard on kit as usual we will be fully prepared ,with sharp grinder teeth and sharp chipper blades etc etc and i always have a stock of chains and bars etc fingers crossed we will be like a military operation, knowing my luck though it will pee down all week and we'll have gale force winds ohh and something i havent gota spare for is bound to break LOL


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Is it a lot of beech trees Rolla?


----------



## jpbeaver

*hi everybody*

hi everyone im new here been visiting here for a while and thought its about time i join.


----------



## SteveBullman

ROLLACOSTA said:


> works picked up for me i have just landed a 2 week job felling Beech ,i was starting to get a bit worried



cool got any wood for me rolla?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

hi jpbeaver welcome to the gang


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

yes beech trees thor and alot of them..yeah i might have some wood for you steve


----------



## SteveBullman

cool, just let me know matey


----------



## jamie

on the stock of chain, we ran out of a reel of 3/8ths and noone mentioned it so by the time we ordered it in we had no spare chain, i ran a 357 with a split tie strap throughout its life, think its still going strong.

jamie


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Hey Rolla if you get stuck give me a bell Lol ;o) Onto my last week of work tomorrow; waiting to hear on 500mtrs of deer fencing though not that i really want it !


----------



## Big A

Steve, was it sycamore on the truck? Jockie good to hear you're on the mend, hope the legal eagles get you sorted out, there's enough cr*p to deal with in life without having those added hassles. Ishould think that if the blades dont comply with Construction and Use regs you should be on fairly safe ground, but I aint no expert.


----------



## SteveBullman

yep it was big A, nice stuff too!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

poplar any good for you steve?


----------



## SteveBullman

fraid not thor.....i only sell hardwood.
i am thinking about getting into the kindling market though if i could fine a regular outlet for it.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

poplar is hardwood  
just wet hardwood... makes good matches...


----------



## Big A

Steve, the kindling market seems pretty much in control of Big K, dont know how competitive you'd be. However, if you wanted you could hire in the machine for a couple of days and then you'd have enough for the whole winter. A local firewood merchant does that and he supplies locally in direct competition with Big K successfully at garages etc.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

my mates got a kindling machine, does 750 bags a day with it!


----------



## SteveBullman

thats the thing big fella.
if i was going to do it i think it would need to be on a big scale to be worth doing. cant be arsed with just doing a few hundred bags or so.
perhaps i'll just stick to me logs. you never know what offers round the corner though huh


----------



## Thor's Hammer

going into it large means VAT, tax etc.....
always liked the tax free side of logs;-)


----------



## Buzzlightyear

I like the tax free side of anything lol


----------



## Big A

You could always look at it as pArt of the service, why sell 'em logs and let 'em go elsewhere for sticks. I know people will buy sticks cos they want life as easy as posible. Look at any kindling outlet, see what they charge for it, then think of that massive mark-up, get my drift.


----------



## SteveBullman

Thor's Hammer said:


> always liked the tax free side of logs;-)




i dont know what you're talking about


----------



## SteveBullman

so who hires a kindla then big Arse


----------



## Big A

And the other thing is you can use pine larch poplar whatever to make it pay, heads you win, tails you win.


----------



## Big A

Blimey, you want me to wipe your backside as well?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

nobody I know. biggest problem is the high price. 6 grand is just way to much for what they are.


----------



## Big A

Howzabout getting a demo on site? Could try asking David Davison who he hires from, But he probably wont tell.


----------



## SteveBullman

unlikely big A


----------



## iain

stephen
phone fuelwood warwick ask re ex demo kindlet etc


----------



## Thor's Hammer

£5k for a usd one. I asked them a month ago, as I'm interested in the same thing.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Anybody know where to find the relevant HSE standards on logsplitters? I want to start importing a very highspec machine from the US, but I need to see the regs. Particularly the stupid rule that says you have to use 2 hands to make it work. the machine I'm going to import has a 'cycle' feature, so you can set it splitting while you pick up the next log.


----------



## SteveBullman

i think you'll fine every machine will have a stupid safety feature such as that thor.
ths trick is to find the machine which is the easiest to disable.
if i ran my processor with all the safety features on it it would be twice as slow.
the best safety precaution is common sense


----------



## PRUNER 1

dismantled two yarkin copper beech at the weekend n kicked the arse out of them. headstones everywhere. beech does take it out of kit. we had to get a new deadeye sling for the pulley block and a new whoopie sling today. my groundie said the capstan was pretty much glowing chunking timber down. we had a badger jcb lifting timber that wed lowered today over the headstones and some of the bits it couldnt lift. all ???? good fun!!! no pics cos too busy.


----------



## Buzzlightyear

stephenbullman said:


> i think you'll fine every machine will have a stupid safety feature such as that thor.
> ths trick is to find the machine which is the easiest to disable.
> if i ran my processor with all the safety features on it it would be twice as slow.
> the best safety precaution is common sense




Common sense Stephen ?? Are we allowed to have such a thing these days, you can't go presuming people have common sense now lol


----------



## iain

thor this may help
http://www.hsebooks.com/Books/produ..._name=HSEBooks&category_name=&product_id=2022

Agricultural Safety Advisory Group (ASAG) (formerly Agricultural Machinery Advisory Group (AMAG
Contact: Chairman - Linda Williams, Health and Safety Executive, The McLaren Building, 35 Dale End, Birmingham B4 7NP


----------



## Thor's Hammer

iain said:


> thor this may help
> http://www.hsebooks.com/Books/produ..._name=HSEBooks&category_name=&product_id=2022
> 
> Agricultural Safety Advisory Group (ASAG) (formerly Agricultural Machinery Advisory Group (AMAG
> Contact: Chairman - Linda Williams, Health and Safety Executive, The McLaren Building, 35 Dale End, Birmingham B4 7NP


Great. I have to actually pay just to find out what stupid regulations they want to enforce.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

thanks iain, appreciate the help.
I just want to know if its actually law to have these stupid 'safety' features on logsplitters.
Trouble with most people who sell them and/or build them is they do'nt have to use them in the real world. That means as soon as their sold, the new owner disables all the safety devices...


----------



## iain

mmm sorry m8 its all i could find with a quick search


----------



## iain

thor have you phoned the hse they love the sound our their own voice maybe they could post you one of there lovely leaflets


----------



## Thor's Hammer

I mean its the same with chippers...
They make you fit all these poxy bars and cutouts, make the stupid little hoppers even smaller and stupider, make it bloody impossible to actually feed the brash in, but it still does'ent stop some thick twat pushing the brash in with his foot.  

for you guys that have only ever used a little brit or european chipper, you would not believe how easy it is to work with a nice big low infeed like the Yank chippers have.


----------



## iain

Thor's Hammer said:


> does'ent stop some thick twat pushing the brash in with his foot.
> 
> like you've never done it


----------



## blue

Thor's Hammer said:


> poplar is hardwood
> just wet hardwood... makes good matches...




we told a local landscraper poplar was good wood for logs  so he took all of it from the tree in the pictures i posted


----------



## Ross Turner

It is when its been dried out for years,lol


----------



## Thor's Hammer

iain said:


> Thor's Hammer said:
> 
> 
> 
> does'ent stop some thick twat pushing the brash in with his foot.
> 
> like you've never done it
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Got a 250 xp bandit. dont need to
Click to expand...


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Nah crane feed it with a forwarder ;o)


----------



## Thor's Hammer

first time we had it i fed it with the timber crane on the wagon...
here it is brand new


----------



## Thor's Hammer

yeah, the XP version really rocks. Great product,crap company


----------



## Acer

Just a few thouhts on machinery safety.

Here is a link to the HSE site on supply of machinery regulations. One of the requirements for a supplier is that you have to put a CE mark and various other things on the machine once they are satisfied it is safe and suitable for work. That probably includes fitting all the guards and interlocks you wee talking about. If the machinery is imported, the importer is legally responsible for complying with supply of machinery regulations, including making sure it's safe and that there's a CE mark on it. 

So, most machinery sold in the UK should have a CE mark on it

Now, here's the best bit for anyone buying such machinery, abd I quote...

"15 Can I regard CE marking as a guarantee of safety?

No. CE marking is not a quality mark and affixing it on machinery is only one of the several requirements that the manufacturer has to meet. By affixing CE marking to machinery, the manufacturer is claiming that all relevant legal requirements have been met, but you must still make sure as far as you can that the machinery is safe."

I thought the whole point of the CE mark was to help us choose kit that is safe..yet if anything goes wrong and it's deemed that we haven't checked properly, we'll getdone for it. 7 or 8 years ago I'd have been astounded by that..now, as far as safety and other beaurocracy goes, nothing surprises me.


----------



## teressa green

dont let it bog you down,i dont,do the job get paid and go home,hse etc will send you insane,so my policy is if i think something unsafe then bin it dont use it ,then sell it to a pikey,


----------



## jpbeaver

*bigger chippers*

thor that chipper looks gooood. makes me feel very inadequate with my ????ty 5" entec with only one feed roller  . If only i had more money.


----------



## iain

jpbeaver 

we all have too start somewhere or if you've got a shed load of work get finance
n cash in the old one


----------



## jamie

we have a 10" farmi, we have crane fed that a few times, huge long poles dissapear, saves time cutting them, 

i was watching another company today leave the poky wee chipper on the roadside and cut everything in the back of the pickup with a wee 141, i really felt for them.....maybe i have been blessed to land on my feet with a boss who likes to buy big bits of kit to save our backs

jamie


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Thor's Hammer said:


> first time we had it i fed it with the timber crane on the wagon...
> here it is brand new



I'll give you 5 grand for that little set-up


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Ca$h !!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

I used to have 2 10 inch farmi's, for what you pay they are a fantastic chipper, much better than most others. not a patch on the bandit though  

Hey rolla, your a real funny guy


----------



## jpbeaver

"we all have too start somewhere or if you've got a shed load of work get finance
n cash in the old one" 
shed load of work? chance would be a fine thing. got 7 days this week 2 next and then thats it.


----------



## puwer

jpbeaver,

Where you based in lancashire?


----------



## iain

jp 
your not on your own this year things is quieter than last year maybe there be an upturn when the kids go back to school


----------



## teressa green

ha ha ,is this the look what ive got site ,no good having the gear if you aint got the work ,see ya boys ,


----------



## jpbeaver

i'm right at the top of lancashire, nearly in cumbria on the west coast. near a small town called carnforth or lancaster


----------



## Big A

Too Slack round here at the mo, boss is flogging off truck and chipper. Dunno the prices yet, not a good sign especially as the truck has a hiab on, which saves work, now we got sod all work to save!!!!


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Thor, nice County have you still got it ?? I've a 9" TP250 on my Mog which is an awesome chipper for the money, brilliant for domestic arb work and excellent crane fed on heathland clearance work. I'd recommend them...from Osbourne's though not 'cough' Atkinson.

Just need a Botex forwarding trailer and crane now, if work ever picks up enough


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Big A said:


> Too Slack round here at the mo, boss is flogging off truck and chipper. Dunno the prices yet, not a good sign especially as the truck has a hiab on, which saves work, now we got sod all work to save!!!!



i'll be VERY interested in that lorry BIGA..got any idea on price ???? pm me with a price would ya or is it worth me contacting Marcus direct ??? T reg aint it???


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Buzzlightyear said:


> Thor, nice County have you still got it ?? I've a 9" TP250 on my Mog which is an awesome chipper for the money, brilliant for domestic arb work and excellent crane fed on heathland clearance work. I'd recommend them...from Osbourne's though not 'cough' Atkinson.
> 
> Just need a Botex forwarding trailer and crane now, if work ever picks up enough



unfortunately I had to sell the county. sold it with a timberliner 12 tonne drive trailer.
mind it does'nt compare to my purpose built machine... 
I wouldent touch a botex though; heard of too many breaking under the strain.


----------



## SteveBullman

i think somewhere in the region of £16,000 rolla


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Ed, really, i thought botex where the dogs round things ?? oh well back to plan A. It's impossible to find a used timber trailer round here (


----------



## Big A

ROLLACOSTA said:


> i'll be VERY interested in that lorry BIGA..got any idea on price ???? pm me with a price would ya or is it worth me contacting Marcus direct ??? T reg aint it???


Sorry mate dunno the price, talk direct to the main man and yeah its T plate.


----------



## Big A

by the way Steve watch out for something very hard on that sycamore you had last night, on the butt theres a fork you'll see where I started cutting, till it peeled the teeth off the chain in a hurry. Look in Employment thread, Hobbit emigrating!!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Dos anyone know of a course that teaches a student how to plot trees on a map ??dos anyone know how to plot trees on a survey [map] using sat nav /global positioning ??


----------



## Big A

Y, you got work??


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

No just curios


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Buzzlightyear said:


> Ed, really, i thought botex where the dogs round things ?? oh well back to plan A. It's impossible to find a used timber trailer round here (



trust me on the botex thing. I sold my timberliner for 1500 quid. bargain .
I can point you in the right direction, but it depends what your doing. I think having a wagon and crane is essential, and cheaper to boot


----------



## SteveBullman

Big A said:


> by the way Steve watch out for something very hard on that sycamore you had last night, on the butt theres a fork you'll see where I started cutting, till it peeled the teeth off the chain in a hurry. Look in Employment thread, Hobbit emigrating!!



cheers for the heads up.........oh and i read the employment forum.
how much did he pay for you tospin that bullcrap!?!?!?!?!?!


----------



## Big A

If it helps him to depart to sunnier climes on the other side of the world who am I to stop him!! No doubt he'll get a glowing reference as well! And to a continent previously inhabited by our unwanted seems appropriate. (No offence meant to anyone at all, anywhere)


----------



## SteveBullman

good point!!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

stephenbullman said:


> i think somewhere in the region of £16,000 rolla



He'll never sell it for that price,even if the grab is new..you can get a 52 plate with crane for that price..


----------



## SteveBullman

yeah, it sounded steep to me but i didnt know what the going rate was
anyway, i used it the other day. most the levers are all bent now, things cracked here and there...hardly new anymore


----------



## Big A

*Dodgy geezers ripping off oldies!!*

 Had some fun this afternoon sorting out some pikie-type low-life scumbags who have made a point of preying on elderly folk in sheltered housing. Got a call this a.m. from an old lady to say that they'd knocked door to door asking if the trees needed cutting. They (stupidly) said yes. One was ripped for £80 for trimming a small hazel, next door was stitched for £180 for trimming a couple of low twigs and cutting down a 5 foot conifer, and the third wa robbed £180 for "crown lifting" an oak. The work was carried out in 2 hours , not a bad return!! The quality was diabolical to say the least. I went around this p.m. to assess the damage, and called the rozzers out as the lads had come back and in an intimidating manner asked for their money. The advice was not to pay up if they weren't satisfied with the job, and if they cause trouble, call 999. Mmmmmm bet they felt safer with that knowledge under their belts. 
When will folks learn to call up people to do a proper job instead of using these sharks, (no offence to sharks)


----------



## Big A

i think he had it valued and it was lower than 16k


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Big A it makes my blood boil as well, looked at a stump job last year. They'd had the pikey's in to take the conifer down 'because they were the cheapest' ( and they priced the job by the foot apparently lmao !!


----------



## Big A

What really F**** me off is the fact they were picking on little old ladies in a sheltered housing area, who were scared sh!tless in case they came back and robbed them, (again). And the police say that they have committed no offence. The irony is that one of the old folk is a true Romany, god help them, what with family ties and all that. Here, Rolla she aint your grandma is she?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

No she isn't my Granny but i'm certain i know who she is..and i'll guess i know the scum that did it !!!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

The trouble is lonely old people are very trusting ,they are easy pickings for 'certain' travellers, granny bashing smack heads and so called good willed neighbours etc etc


----------



## Big A

I get the feeling word is gonna get around real quick on this and someone could get their comeuppance, and wish they had picked on someone else. :Eye: :Eye:


----------



## Thor's Hammer

here you go Rolla, 6.5 tonne chip truck allready sorted..
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/IVECO-REFUSE-...71583955QQcategoryZ108851QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


----------



## Big A

*Suppliers of Tirfor spares (UK)*

Where do any of you get tirfor spares in the UK. Need spare 3ton shear pins for my T35


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

tirfor bits and bobs www.stantonhope.co.uk


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

a bit too small for me thor i'm after cargo size 7.5 ton


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> a bit too small for me thor i'm after cargo size 7.5 ton



trust me on this, that 6.5 tonner will have a greater payload than a 7.5 tonner. thats because all 7.5 tonners are in fact downplated 10 tonners, with the heavier chassis, axles, brakes etc.

I had one of the new 65.15 crewcab ivecos, and with a hookloader body and steel chip box, I could still carry 4.1 tonnes legaly.

However if you really want a 7.5 tonner, go that little bit further and get a 13 tonner. there not much bigger physically, usually cheaper to buy, and you have the chasiss to put a proper crane on.

speakin' of which, I have a HMF folding Z crane going very very cheap if anyone wants it....


----------



## Big A

cheers for that link Rolla, stantonhope were even cheaper on parts than Tirfors own site! How hot and sweaty today?


----------



## Ross Turner

My boss has asked me to find him a few more staff,He is looking for a groundsperson with chainsaw & arieal rescue & a climber with nptc tickets if they had Ae1 & Ae2a or Ae2b that would be a bonus.
The firms great to work for & offers 21 paid holiday a year plus bank holidays & the money aint bad either.
The down side is the people would need to live in the Telford/Shrewsbury area of shropshire or in traveling distance of High Ercall


----------



## diltree

I Live in Shrewsbury.....MA, USA


----------



## Thor's Hammer

hey greg, are you working for dillons tree service now?...


----------



## Thor's Hammer

and you two seem to get on so well


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

GICON said:


> I am also from Shrewsbury. USA, not UK




I have cousins in Shrewsbury UK


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

who's off to SALTEX then?????..I will be going on thursday hopefully


----------



## SteveBullman

me and big A are going on thursday


----------



## iain

nah not this time


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Rolla, Stephen, I'm off on Thursday as well PM me if you fancy meeting up for a pint


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Ok 'i'll See You All On Thursday


----------



## Ross Turner

Too much work on to get time off.


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Lucky you  Ross !


----------



## Big A

Never too busy for a pint!!!!


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Glad to hear it !


----------



## Big A

Where is everyone? Surely they aint quoting at this time of night?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

At the treehouse or in hells kitchen.


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Nah working through the borough council lists looking for contract oportunities !! A thrilling night back from holiday


----------



## Big A

ok then, might see some of you tomorrow at Saltex. Lush days felling today, forgot how good it feels banging down trees instead of trimming conifers morning noon and night!!


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Me and one of my groundies will be there from 9ish hanging around arb kit


----------



## Big A

me and Steve should be down by about 11ish, traffic permitting. I are mostly looking at arb gear too!!


----------



## SteveBullman

so...had a great day today at ?????tex....who else went?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Not me, I'm over in Michigan, in the States, looking at some PROPER chippers....


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Yes i was there, not to bad a day....not quite the APF though is it lol I thought the aboricultural demos from BASE were interesting....6.10 for a cheeseburger was taking the f***ing p**s though


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Seen anything good yet Thor ??


----------



## SteveBullman

it wasnt the apf, you're right.......but then when do you see the quality of beaver that was there today at any arb show


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

I went yesterday ,new kit on the way ,wife hates me going to trade shows lol


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Stephen, you're right there was some quality items knocking about


----------



## Buzzlightyear

What did you buy Rolla ??


----------



## Big A

Must concur with Mr Bullman on an excellent array of ladies on display there, and some very good deals to be found. Bought my new lowering kit up there and still had some change!! Prices on the food were astronomical but its a very wealthy area. (Mental note: avoid Rake-man in future!!!!) Got me free samurai saw with sub to Total Arb Magazine, all you Brits support this independant mag, its for us!! 
Anyone got any ideas for carrying loppers when hedging so you dont drop/leave them behind. Cant get on with them hanging from the harness!


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Morbark chippers------- Are they used much in the UK they look awesome but i've never come across one ! Is there a market for them over here ??


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Buzzlightyear said:


> Seen anything good yet Thor ??



HA! wait till i get back, I'll post all the picks. But I'm telling you, I wish i could have had one of these machines at saltex. I'd have sold a boatload...


----------



## unimog

Went to Saltex. Spoke with guys from BASE and Total Arb mag (looks like we have some other people that are thinking like us lot (hate jobs for the boys etc). They are very interested in getting involved with Tree workers guild idea.

Dan from earborist.com has very kindly spent a great deal of time looking into the pro's and con's of a TWG web site with a live chat room etc.He has also agreed some ads on the site. FOC. Thanks Dan

Steve from Total Arb mag is prepared to run as much info etc in the mag as possible to help us get going.

It looks like we are going to need about £2,000 to get things up and running and ten people to start with,who are prepared to form the guild.( sec,treasure etc).

I'm quiet happy to start the ball rolling with £100 donation and Landforce £200. If we really are serious lets have some more idea's help,cash and get your names put forward.


----------



## Buzzlightyear

I'll help in anyway i can, it would be good to get a press release together for interested parties. Bullet pointed prehaps with things we would need to do and postions that would need filling to get off the ground ??


----------



## PRUNER 1

ime in if i can help.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

unimog said:


> Went to Saltex. Spoke with guys from BASE and Total Arb mag (looks like we have some other people that are thinking like us lot (hate jobs for the boys etc). They are very interested in getting involved with Tree workers guild idea.
> 
> Dan from earborist.com has very kindly spent a great deal of time looking into the pro's and con's of a TWG web site with a live chat room etc.He has also agreed some ads on the site. FOC. Thanks Dan
> 
> Steve from Total Arb mag is prepared to run as much info etc in the mag as possible to help us get going.
> 
> It looks like we are going to need about £2,000 to get things up and running and ten people to start with,who are prepared to form the guild.( sec,treasure etc)
> 
> I'm quiet happy to start the ball rolling with £100 donation and Landforce £200. If we really are serious lets have some more idea's help,cash and get your names put forward.



I'm willing to help get the ball rolling,i'm prepared to join the committee,and i'm willing to donate £100...I also know a guy who could design a logo etc,I think we should get our heads together UNIMOG....I will PM you my home telephone number


----------



## teressa green

what you going to achieve with this new set up ? totally baffled ,free advertising ,etc ,whos going to join ,seems a bit futile a bunch of tree wallahs bigging each other up ,just get ya heads down ,do the job and go home ,you realy wont change anything ,re ,arb assoc,gypos,just stress ya nappers ,i really cant get a grip on the point ,,,,,,,,,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Well I and few of us do see the point of forming a new trade association !!Teresa arn't you sick of seeing local authority's insisting on contractors being AA approved ,I and others are SATISFYING our insurers requirements and most of US are fully qualified to carry out the work we do,so why should we spend yet more time and lots of £££ to become AA approved when we are totally suitable to tender for council contracts,in the first place , and one other thing, I hear many councils are only giving out telephone numbers of AA approved contractors when they are asked by the general public for a recommended tree company,thats not on IMO


----------



## SteveBullman

so what about people who dont join this new association either?? when the councils are only giving out members of the associations telephone numbers whose going to be feeling left out then? point is, isnt this just replacing one association with another?


----------



## teressa green

its a futile excersise to try and get busy ,arb assoc ,and councils ,what bollox ,i keep away from both ,who wants to bid low to win some poxy london plane job from the council ,sod em they can have it ,ill do my own thing and the only person responsible for keeping me busy is me ,i fully fulfil my insurance requirments and keep all kit up to date ,so rolla if that was a pop it was wasted ,another trade assoc ,to achieve what ? what exp ,qualifications do you have to compete with arb assoc ,sounds like a trade union to me ,if you dont fit in ,will you be accepted ,what requirments would be needed to be a member ,really boys ,seems you d be better off concentrating on the job in hand ,in my opinion ,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

The point of the TWG [tree workers guild ] is simple , members i suggest, simply need proof of insurance and relavent quals for the work they carry out PLAIN and SIMPLE...To become AA approved you need go through a whole load of irelavent BULLCHIT ie they will check your office system ,look through your books all this chit costs time and money[takes upto a year and several GRAND].If you don't like the idea boys of a new low cost ,helpfull , trade association then dont complain about the better jobs/contracts etc going to AA contractors and don't join !!! don't complain about the industry period!!


----------



## SteveBullman

i dont have insurance so i guess i shant be joining!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

You might not have insurance !! but wouldn't it be nice for you and your familys sake to know that because the company you are working for is a TWG approved firm they will have been checked to see if they carry employers insurance ?????


----------



## teressa green

i for one dont complain ,i simply dont want/need council or arb assoc jobs ,they can keep em ,what about boys joining your merry band who get ins then cancel their direct debit,i dont whinge and whine ,if i see pikeys on a job its good fun parking up and watching ,better than the 3 stooges,as for council work ,people who want it can have it ,in my exp it aint the arb assoc but the local tree officer who will give you the nod and wink ,rolla it wont work mate ,youll have every pikey in the country using the TWG logo within the year, if not sooner,ill keep doing what i do ,seems to work ,,,,


----------



## Acer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> so why should we spend yet more time and lots of £££ to become AA approved when we are totally suitable to tender for council contracts,in the first place , and one other thing, I hear many councils are only giving out telephone numbers of AA approved contractors when they are asked by the general public for a recommended tree company,thats not on IMO



Why should we indeed? How much is it now? Last time I looked it was about £200 per year. Don't know if it's changed, but the whole approval system wasn't much different from ISO9000. It's only to show that you've got a "quality" system in place ie a paperwork system covering quote to job instructions. Getting ISO9000 would be a better achievement.

Talking about councils, one of my contacts, who gives me a lot of work, was saying his department is under more and more pressure to give their gangs first shout on work. Not that they've got the skills or attitude to do a lot of this stuff. He reckons there might come a day when everything has to be put to the council gangs, so no outside contracts and back to the days before Thatcher and CCT. His is not the only council who rig things in their favour. Another contact, in another local authority, is obliged to put a fixed percentage of work he contracts to internal labour, whether their rates are competitive or not (which they're not - 2 men and a chipper, nothing else, £500 / day, and that was last year)


----------



## teressa green

ill stay the way i am thankyou ,a good days work for a good price ,responsible for myself and answerable to no one,council work is rubbish ,who needs it ,get the adverts going ,do a good ,fast ,well priced job ,get recommended again and again ,its easy ,why get involved with iso,arb ,assoc,theres plenty of work out there youve just got to go find it ,as for tree officers ,i have a good working relatinship with most ,i never ask them for work ,but i seem to get it ,i really fail to see what the attraction to council contracts is ,


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Acer said:


> Why should we indeed? How much is it now? Last time I looked it was about £200 per year. Don't know if it's changed, but the whole approval system wasn't much different from ISO9000. It's only to show that you've got a "quality" system in place ie a paperwork system covering quote to job instructions. Getting ISO9000 would be a better achievement.
> 
> Talking about councils, one of my contacts, who gives me a lot of work, was saying his department is under more and more pressure to give their gangs first shout on work. Not that they've got the skills or attitude to do a lot of this stuff. He reckons there might come a day when everything has to be put to the council gangs, so no outside contracts and back to the days before Thatcher and CCT. His is not the only council who rig things in their favour. Another contact, in another local authority, is obliged to put a fixed percentage of work he contracts to internal labour, whether their rates are competitive or not (which they're not - 2 men and a chipper, nothing else, £500 / day, and that was last year)



I used to do about 40k per year on highways work alone. then the Direct services gangs were reunited with the council. overnight we lost a all that work to a bunch of tossers who couldent find there arse with both hands. Then when they had a really big roadside cutting job they wanted doing, the knobheads phoned up the nearest Fountains depot, 50 miles away... Oh yes no tenders involved, like I used to do for every job over 500 quid, Fountains just gave them a huge day rate and did the lot.   
The other local Authority I work for, have virtually no budget left for treeworks. But they seem to have budget for a 4th, yes 4th Arb Officer.. thats 4 arb officers, with NO budget.   
Quite Frankly, I've had a bellyfull of local government.
I'm now setting up my equipment sales business, and looking after my existing small arb client base.


----------



## teressa green

exactly ,Thor ,let the muppets have it ,do what you do best ,council work ,rubbish i say rubbish,"hint of fred elliott",,,,


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Thor's Hammer said:


> I used to do about 40k per year on highways work alone. then the Direct services gangs were reunited with the council. overnight we lost a all that work to a bunch of tossers who couldent find there arse with both hands. Then when they had a really big roadside cutting job they wanted doing, the knobheads phoned up the nearest Fountains depot, 50 miles away... Oh yes no tenders involved, like I used to do for every job over 500 quid, Fountains just gave them a huge day rate and did the lot.
> The other local Authority I work for, have virtually no budget left for treeworks. But they seem to have budget for a 4th, yes 4th Arb Officer.. thats 4 arb officers, with NO budget.
> Quite Frankly, I've had a bellyfull of local government.
> I'm now setting up my equipment sales business, and looking after my existing small arb client base.



Ah The wonderful Fountains Lol; Defense Estates found an awful lot of money to spend on heathland regeneration last winter, they had four or five quality contractors my firm included doing work for them on the same site at the same time, were we asked oh no work went straight to fountains who sub contracted everything to blokes from all over the country. They had at least 6 21 tonne 360's from HE services with demo grabs and toy fowarders running to FIRES no chipping for 4 weeks on Ash Ranges in Hampshire, you could see the fires for twenty miles !!

They cleared about 100ha using chainsaw teams, the price was allegedly over 5,000 a hectare


----------



## iain

TG 
i think the point that was being made re the councils, was not completely about who they choose to use themselves, but more of as you intermated re their 'arb officers' 
if the councils are seen to be only giving details of arb ass contractors as been fit to carry out any tpo or conservation area works out to the general public etc , then thats what is out of order, wayyyyyyyyyyyy out of order 
given the potential for punters to get ripped off then who can blame them, if they look for some kind of accredition for tradesmen 
the AA and the ISA are merging so there is not a viable alterative trade body, for the likes of you and i and the guys on this tread to belong to n lets face it our proffesion could do with any positive PR .
+ it may show that a trade body can be more representitive of the industry ,the aa are getting involved in all kinds of government think tank type stuff (just look at the [email protected] regs) these policys do and will cause us further untold levels of grief and they (AA) do not have the level of members to justify being so high n bloody mighty 
imo
still as you say proof is in the pudding and actions bring in the money not talking


----------



## Yellow Fox

Perhaps what tree care professionals across the whole spectrum of tree care, ( as opposed to forestry or tree harvesting), need is an organaisation that represents in the same way as a Trades Union! The current associations only represent their members and don't have much clout. With more than 18,000 people working with trees in some capacity or another you'd think we could move away from the mutual backslapping of the AA etc.and have an organisation which represented tree workers and strove to get its members the respect it deserves!


----------



## teressa green

if i want respect i go get it myself ,am not concerned about the arb assoc ,in my opinion arb assoc membership is overated ,as for a trade union ,what they gonna do for me when a gypo underbids me or steals my gear ,nowt ,thats what ,banding together wont achieve anything except some mega piss ups at the annual meeting,tree men are a solitary,and suspicious breed ,,how many of you tell the full story when speaking to another tree man ,im alright jack ,is the only way to be in blairs dictatorship,


----------



## iain

tg
each to there own, your points are valid
nobody is going to attempt to drag you along its yr life 

yes we are very suspicious that is business, the unscupulous teach us to be that way 
however it doesn't mean we are always right to be so.

divide and conquer


----------



## teressa green

and the tree workers guild will achieve the sum total of what ,its benefits of membership will be ? who will police the police,its pie in the sky ,your efforts would be better placed constructing a solid reliable ,well thought of business,the people who worry about the new legislation ,work at height regs ,insurance,loler,nptc,tree officers obviously arnt busy enough ,no one sticks to the letter of the law 100.% and in my opinion anyone who does is lying,i shall continue the way i am and your tree guild of happy clappers can do as it undoubtedly will and fall flat on its arse,


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Well..
The mega piss up sounds good!
I feel that what TG says is exactly what it will be. I would love it to be otherwise, but I've been in this game a long time now. Anyone remember all the promises of the UK ISA chapter? now where are they? 
In this country we are always going to suffer the bane of massive costs and high overheads, and the strangulation of way to much legislation. I would put Thousands into a TWG that would abolish Loler, Puwer, Risk assesment, method statements, work at height regs, blah blah blah.
but its never going to happen. read TCI mag, and you'll see they have a member in congress that actively fights treeworker legislation. think we'll ever see that?
I dont want to piss on any fires, and i think its very commendable, but what TG says is the reality.


----------



## iain

r well thats it then, back to reality


----------



## Thor's Hammer

if you really want to change things, get everyone to cancell their insurance tomorrow. that will get the underwriters attention really quickly....
its all a scam anyway. in 26 years we've had no claims....


----------



## iain

tom 

i'm not on a crusade m8 

somethings wind me up mainly when the boffin brigade, try to tell me what when and how to do stuff, i didn't much care for it when i was in the forces,
now i just  n do my own thing 
i'd luv to see one of the brain boxes get their fat arse 80' up a tree on a rope
then i may take a bit more notice of them
r well the kettle has just boiled so ta ta


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Oh dear oh dear what a bunch of cynical ,skeptical,misery guts we have on here !!!!..Fu ck me good job you lot weren't about during the peasants revolt or during the 2 world wars, you lot would have given up in an instance !!!  

My dear men i don't think you get the point regarding the TWG we are all about an association that simply vets members to see if they have insurance and the quals to carry out the work they do nothing more nothing less!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..and then we promote the TWG to councils ,developers in fact the whole commercial and domestic world !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!..WE ARE SAYING THERE ARE CONTRACTORS OUT THERE WHO ARE INSURED AND MORE THAN CAPABLE OF CARRYING OUT VARIOUS CONTRACTS...WHO ARE NOT AA APPROVED


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Just one other thing wouldn't you skeptics rather belonng to an organization whose commitee members [who ever gets elected ] have actualy worked on the tools ,and haven't simply gone to uni and piss*d around in the tree game for a few years and then joined the AA etc ?????????????????????????????


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> Oh dear oh dear what a bunch of cynical ,skeptical,misery guts we have on here !!!!..Fu ck me good job you lot weren't about during the peasants revolt or during the 2 world wars, you lot would have given up in an instance !!!



during the peasants revolt or the world wars, you did'nt need a certificate in scythe wielding, or insurance on your sopwith camel.  
you just had to get out there and do it.
At the end of the day, unless you spend Thousands of £ on marketing, the TWG will not get the exposure it needs. 
the problem with business in this country is far to much legislation. it is slowly strangleing all small busineses, and no TWG will change that.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> Just one other thing wouldn't you skeptics rather belonng to an organization whose commitee members [who ever gets elected ] have actualy worked on the tools ,and haven't simply gone to uni and piss*d around in the tree game for a few years and then joined the AA etc ?????????????????????????????



I'd have to disagree with you. I know a lot of the 'Old Boys' in the AA, and they all served their time on the tools. My father was still climbing till he was 60. A lot of these guys worked hard to change the image of the 'tree surgeon' with the general public.
What you describe sounds more like most Arb Officers to me


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Well no ones going to force you to join !!!!..i don't have that much of a problem with legislation to be perfectly honest ,i would say im 90% on top of it all ,i really dont find it much of a problem and i'm only a small 3 man band.


Marketing isn't that much of a problem ,if you know how,you target the people you need to target ,you add a small link to your website ,a mail shot here and there ,you attend relavent and often inexpensive trade shows [CAPEL MANOR FESTIVAL OF TREES ,WOOD FAIRS ,LARGE PLANT SALES ,GARDEN CENTRES etc etc ],you talk to people like yellow fox,a little logo on your trucks with a web address ,a logo and web address on your YP AD no rocket science or mega £££s there THOR


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Hey dont take me the wrong way, I feel its great what your doing. yes, you will get exposure the way you say, but it will take a long time.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

A lot of these guys worked hard to change the image of the 'tree surgeon' with the general public.
What you describe sounds more like most Arb Officers to me :rolleyes:[/QUOTE said:


> No disrespect to your father THOR but all they did was make a club for the good ole boys...they have done FA for me and others, exexpt belittle me/us week in week out with there silly snippits in HORT WEEK etc ect about there approved contactors scheme ie unless your AA approved your a cowboy


----------



## blue

anyone know of any MEWP hire websites??need a self propelled 12-16' one for a few weeks maybe


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> No disrespect to your father THOR but all they did was make a club for the good ole boys...they have done FA for me and others, exexpt belittle me/us week in week out with there silly snippits in HORT WEEK etc ect about there approved contactors scheme ie unless your AA approved your a cowboy



I hear you there. It IS an old boy network. I hate them as much as you do.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

blue said:


> anyone know of any MEWP hire websites??need a self propelled 12-16' one for a few weeks maybe




www.skyhighaccess.co.uk


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Blue tell um you know me ,there a good firm and very reasonable rates ,ask to speak to Steve or misery guts Chris lol [Steves the better one to deal with] they have Genie booms 36' working height ..got your text Blue very funny lol


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Thor's Hammer said:


> I hear you there. It IS an old boy network. I hate them as much as you do.



Well get in touch with UNIMOG or Ian etc etc we could do with a guy like you onboard,ohh and a ££ one'err  .....**** me anything would be better than the AA......


----------



## iain

thor they list at £15530 if you phone me i can talk you through it honestly :angel:


----------



## blue

opps ment tp put 12-16m on last post not feet.checked out rollas link,looks like they maybe have one of the type we need.problem is 75% of the job would be off level tarmac just the last 25% would be working on a grassy uneven slope.would the ones on wheels like yyou see on building sites work on this type of terrain??


----------



## teressa green

packed in during the war/peasants result ,im not the one whinging about the arb asssociation/councils etc ,i batten my head down ,do the job,get paid and go home ,rolla get real ,twg will fall flat on its arse ,it wont get you work or get you council contracts whose going to vote for board members out of a bunch of hairy arsed tree wallahs,as for quitting ,its something i never do ,7 days a week im out there promoting my self ,grabbing the dollar,quitting ,maybe your too pricey ,or setting your sights too high ,go cut trees ,and make some money,am not having a go just telling it as i see it ,and believe me i wont be wasting money or time joining,would rather spend the money advertising,hope it works out for you ,and if it does ,ill show my arse in woolworths window,


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Thor's Hammer said:


> if you really want to change things, get everyone to cancell their insurance tomorrow. that will get the underwriters attention really quickly....
> its all a scam anyway. in 26 years we've had no claims....




Spot on Thor, and if you let it lapse Algarve won't insure you......they make it sound like THEIR doing US a favour


----------



## iain

i don't mind having to pay insurance 
what i do mind is having to pay through the nose because 
the figures our insurers use to decide our premiums are compiled from all chainsaw related accidents including foestry + the daft sod's who go to B&Q etc, n buy a saw with no knowledge or ppe
and promptly cut off body parts :angry2:


----------



## Buzzlightyear

I wonder if builders premiums are as high as ours, i'm paying 600.00 a month for a 3 man team. 

Your spot on Iain


----------



## rangitata

*Looking for Alex Cork*

I worked with Alex in Brisbane, Australia 1999-2000. I was hoping some of the british arborists would know him and could get him to contact me to catch up and say gidday.


Cheers Mike


----------



## PRUNER 1

gents, i need some help. can anyone in the know, clarify the need for loler checks. guideline or legislation? this must be absolutely definitive answer! also, is the need for the checks a 'grey area'?


----------



## Ross Turner

To my knowledge you are required to have your kit loler inspected every 6 months & if you lok on the HSE website you will find info on LOLER.

Im suprised that Phil or Richard dont know about this.


----------



## iain

i believe that so long a the person making the inspection of the kit is a competent operator then you aren't forced to use a loler reg inspector
ie a climber can inspect karabiners etc

however i'm sure that puwer has the gen verbatem


----------



## Ross Turner

Iain,All climbers should check his kit daily & weekly & record the check,then every 6 months they have to be inspected by a competent person for inspecting arb equipment(Loler inspector).

I see Tillhill are advertising up in Stocton for people to work on local authority contracts as well as vegetation management.


----------



## iain

yes the person checking should be competent and also independant but not neccesarily a
loler reg inspector

tillhill took over the stockton on tees council work from glendale 18mths or so ago


----------



## PRUNER 1

i used to work on that contract for glendale many moons ago. we used to have quite a good laugh climbing dumbass big poplars all the time. used to look forward to working there cos the trees were bigger than south tyneside and we were well out of the way of the bosses. phil and rich do know about the loler stuff, i was just checking for my own interest.


----------



## iain

Wet Rainy Sh1ty Day


----------



## Ross Turner

Pruner1.out of interest who checks your kit?.Have you thought about doing the course so you can inspect kit.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

iain said:


> Wet Rainy Sh1ty Day


 Well I sat in the office all day


----------



## iain

yeah me too


----------



## PRUNER 1

zurich inspect the kit but i think that might be changin dont know yet though. i had thought about doin it but cant afford it yet. ide like to get into loler inspecting and nptc assessing in the future as it really interests me.


----------



## Ross Turner

it dont cost too much for the loler course,contact Treevolution & i think you may will be suprised at the cost.Ask the council if they will pay towards it & they would only have to pay for a yearly kit check as you would be doing the 6 month one.
Just an idea.


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Thor's Hammer said:


> Well I sat in the office all day



And i finished reducing a crappy conifer hedge IN the rain


----------



## iain

Buzzlightyear said:


> And i finished reducing a crappy conifer hedge IN the rain



buzz :angel: thats commitment, i'd rather wait take the day off and work over the weekend

oooh conifer' s in the rain, frigin hell, i hate that  
ripped n scratched to death on the dead brittle wood then slippin around and soaked to boot  

beauty job Notttttttt


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Sadly not possible Iain the missus works the weekends and i look after the kids unless i have a desperate job on ! Plus i need the ££'s in quick at the moment works quiet around these parts


----------



## blue

why don't people work in the rain?after all skins waterproof 'aint it!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Ross Turner said:


> Iain,All climbers should check his kit daily & weekly & record the check,then every 6 months they have to be inspected by a competent person for inspecting arb equipment(Loler inspector).



Your spot on ROSS


----------



## iain

has anyone used or trialed the laserace 'hypsometer' height measurement device


----------



## Ross Turner

I have used something simlar while working at Fountains on the National Grid contract,The laser i used would give you the height by using the following method.
distance to tree at eye level,angle & distance to top of tree & angle & distance to base of tree.This would them be calculated to give you the tree height.

We used them to measure the height of the conductors as well.


----------



## iain

thx ross 
i'm interested in them for two reasons : surveys other re hedge height n light loss calculatation saw the ad for these in fbt and was wondering if anyone was using them

Pruner what do your arb officers use for the hedge calc's ?


----------



## iain

tw150

i've just received Sept FBT and seen the TW supplementary are the blades in it te ones you were talking about

iain


----------



## PRUNER 1

iain, no idea, nowt to do with me. dont really do a lot of hedges.


----------



## iain

fair do's hows the chipper machine i brought over doing ? m-better i hope


----------



## iain

*i f orgot about these*

oops forgot i'd taken these of clear'in out a smallish plantation still it was weeks work


----------



## Ross Turner

Sad Note

My partner has miscarried our child,We where both looking forward to the baby as it would of been our last.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Ross-
My heartfelt condolances. This is a terrible thing to happen to any couple, and i hope you will both be able to get through. I will keep you in our prayers.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Sorry to hear that sad news Ross


----------



## PRUNER 1

sorry ross, iain, chipper is fine, struggles a bit but way better than last one.


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Ross, sad news best wishes to you and you partner.

Matt.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

PRUNER 1 said:


> sorry ross, iain, chipper is fine, struggles a bit but way better than last one.



Struggles a bit?


----------



## unimog

Ross, Sorry to hear, something like that puts everything into perspective. Work to live never live for work.


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Unimog, what unimog do you have then ??


----------



## Ross Turner

Thanks guys the missus & i are fine considering.
The boss has even giving me the day off.


----------



## PRUNER 1

hi guys, who does your loler inspections and roughly how much per kit do they charge? is it a day rate or dependent on how much kit you have? also are any of you guys nptc assessors and if so do you get steady work from it?


----------



## Ross Turner

Looking for a new harness,Needs to have floating d`s any recomendations.
Thanks.


----------



## SteveBullman

i have the butterfly 2.
no real complaints with it except it doesnt seem to be wearing as well as my previous butterfly1, although i am climbing a whole lot more these days.
i loved the tree magic and might consider getting the new toughened version, its a slick harness.
if you're doing line clearance ross i'd say the tree magic would be a good harness because you wont be doing much big removal work right?


----------



## Ross Turner

Hi Steve,I have looked at the Tree Magic & am not sure about the bridge for the sliding D.
We still do large Take downs even on line clearance.lol


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

so what have you guys been up to ?


----------



## Buzzlightyear

ROLLACOSTA said:


> so what have you guys been up to ?




Not a great deal really !! Starting a 3 day take down tomorrow and looking at scrub clearance all day Friday, fingers crossed !!


----------



## Ross Turner

Plenty of work over here on the Lines,that good the boss has just put a deposit down on another Mog.
He is still looking for more staff.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Ross Turner said:


> Plenty of work over here on the Lines,that good the boss has just put a deposit down on another Mog.
> He is still looking for more staff.


Must be busy! I heard Brian Owen (access Hire) was trying to take over the MEB contract. Is Kier working direct?


----------



## Ross Turner

Thor,he works on behalf of Westcoast,Where did you here about Access trying to take over??
Most of there guys are sub contractors running in access colours so i believe.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Ross will the boss be buying a brand new mog???


----------



## Buzzlightyear

surely not !! i'm not that keen on the new ones.


----------



## Ross Turner

No its an Ex Grid one.


----------



## Big A

i bin mostly hedgin, pricin & graftin, i av!


----------



## jamie

*split*

oh well after 5 1/2 years together, my girlfriend and i have called it a day, we were growing apart and having the same arguments time and time again. we figured that being single, happy and friends was better than trying to stick it out, and ending up unhappy and hating each other.

so we now have to stick it out for a while, live together and get used to not being a couple until we can sell the house and go our seperate ways.....makes tree work seem easy and un stressful

cheers

jamie


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

jamie said:


> oh well after 5 1/2 years together, my girlfriend and i have called it a day, we were growing apart and having the same arguments time and time again. we figured that being single, happy and friends was better than trying to stick it out, and ending up unhappy and hating each other.
> 
> so we now have to stick it out for a while, live together and get used to not being a couple until we can sell the house and go our seperate ways.....makes tree work seem easy and un stressful
> 
> cheers
> 
> jamie



ARRRR patch it up man ,to many couples quit relationships these days when the going gets a bit hard..iv'e been with my wife for 18 years weve had good times and bad ,but you get through it all if you want too !!!!!!....if you break up now Jamie what a waste of time the last 5 1/2 years were!!!!!


----------



## PRUNER 1

man thats bad, exactly the same happened to me in april. after 7 years she went off with a bloke from work. wede only bought a house 3 months earlier and now its on the market still and were still living together in the house in seperate rooms. its like having a lodger. i put everything into it and all for nowt, i reckon final debt to me is about 7k!!! lost my savings and lost on house aswell. ???? em and get on with life!!! go out and enjoy urself and do the things u didnt do with her!!! yes ime bitter but ive now got alloopecia through stress from it all and ime still having sleepless nights!!    ive got to live at my folks while i pay off the debt for the next 3 years so ive still got nowt to look forward to!


----------



## jamie

*rolla*

its been bad for about a year and a half she has felt trapped and was beginning to resent our relationship. neither of us were happy, this maybe what we need time out, sort our heads, it may work out for us, but i dont think it will. i have always wanted to go do a season with my snowboard so plans for next winter are to do that (not this year, dont want to drop the boss in the ????, thats my problem though i think about others too much  )

pruner i too have to move back in with me mum, thats gonna be odd and it takes longer to get to work. lorna isnt sure what she is doing, maybe a move to london.

plus point is that i bought this house off of my great uncle 20K under valuation so we should get a bit off cash back, and i can clear my debts....something i have tried to do but couldn't with the pressure of the house.

i will miss her and the house dearly, its been 3 years of waking up beside her almost every day....had our first night in seperate beds (she was night shift all this week) last night and it felt bizzare.

i dont feel the 5 years have been wasted they have been good, good learning experience, and a lot of love, lorna got sick of tree talk though...

anyway the futures bright so they say....

jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

Sad to hear it Jamie,been there dont it,but i was married.
I lived a single mans life for about 6 years then met my present partner who i`ve been with for nearly 5 years who i have 3 lovely children with.As you say its a learning experiance that you can look back on & it will help you later in life.


----------



## Ross Turner

Pruner1,i know how you must feel,My first wife played around my back & ended up with my sisters boyfriend(nephews dad),this started while i was working away working up in Kielder forest.
I only found this out after we had split.
Hope you get over the stress & you will need a few private jobs to sort your finances out.


----------



## PRUNER 1

hey ???? happens, ime over it, got a beaut new bird and things are lookin up apart from the debts. offer agreed on house so fingers crossed. thinking about doing loler assessment and nptc assessors course. i can get a new mountain bike wen the house is sold cos its all going on a bank loan!! bikes, debts, courses and a holiday with the new bird, mint.!!!


----------



## Ross Turner

Glad to here it.


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Jamie, that's bad news. Things may seem weird intially but that's because your in your comfort zone. We soon adapt to changes in cirumstances no matter how much it hurts 

I've had my fair share of ????e with my missus as well, there was even another bloke involved. It is possible to patch things up and move on..........


----------



## jamie

*possible*

it is possible but im not holding out much hope,

ive been preparing myself for this for a while, its only been 3 days but we are trying to look forward to the future, new opportunities and all that. the hard bit is the habits we have, cant walk into (what is now) her room (i moved to the spare room) without checking she isn't naked and the force of habit comments.... 

i'm sure i will live and besides i have trees to prune / kill

jamie


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Buzzlightyear said:


> there was even another bloke involved. It is possible to patch things up and move on..........




$HIT i didn't have you down as GAY...  :


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Lol !


----------



## teressa green

bloody hell ,i come here for tree work news etc ,ideas ,and end up reading a bloody mills and boon novel,get a grip ,theres places for this soppy chat and an arborist site aint it ,the yanks must be pissing themselves at you soppy set of sods ,go to the pub and tell ya mates ,see how lomg they put up with it ,give em 5 mins,chuffing hell ,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

teressa green said:


> bloody hell ,i come here for tree work news etc ,
> 
> Teressa have you got any news you care to share with us ....


----------



## Thor's Hammer

What kind of name is teressa then? Bloke or Bird?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Well i last week bought a new tractor with loader and flail mower and a new ifor williams beaver tail trailer [errr bloody thing wouldn't fit on any of my other trailers]

I intend to use the tractor for log splitting,loading chip,grapple work and flail mowing and anything else that might come in etc etc


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> Well i last week bought a new tractor with loader and flail mower and a new ifor williams beaver tail trailer [errr bloody thing wouldn't fit on any of my other trailers]
> 
> I intend to use the tractor for log splitting,loading chip,grapple work and flail mowing and anything else that might come in etc etc


 You won the lottery then?


----------



## PRUNER 1

i went to a wedding do last nite and met up with loads of lads i used to work with, that was cool.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

I got 15K's worth of work in, should keep me out of chismief for a week or two
Got all these Poplars to crown raise on the site side. got to fell 10 of the bigger Blacks the middle -


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

pics...bollox can't get pics up for some reason


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

well anyway i bought one of these www.kioti.com a model ck30 hst


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Thor's Hammer said:


> You won the lottery then?



No but wish i had.....then i wouldn't need a tractor or poxy trailer...


----------



## blue

thor,
from the pics only looks like about 3 days work for 2 men, am i missing something or is that the best bit of pricing ever?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

blue said:


> thor,
> from the pics only looks like about 3 days work for 2 men, am i missing something or is that the best bit of pricing ever?




Iwas thinking the exact same thing.... :blob5:


----------



## Ross Turner

come one lads remember the post by Thor about going to the pub if it starts rainning,if it rains all week the job will last longer.


----------



## Ross Turner

Thor's Hammer said:


> What kind of name is teressa then? Bloke or Bird?



His real name is Steve,(if i remember correctly,he was meant to be selling me a ms200t that needed new piston rings fitted & reasembiling so i went out & bought the workshop manual while i was unemployed so i could get a few private jobs to help me out & am still waiting for him to post the saw,Payment was cash on delivery.
Good job i found one on ebay.


----------



## teressa green

ross ,decided to keep the saw for bits,think i mailed you accordingly,as for news rolla ,not really got any news except that im busy busy busy,thor ,teressa green ,,you got it yet mate ,got a bit depressed reading all the jerry springer sob stories ,seems that the uk tree lads are keeping busy ,


----------



## Ross Turner

Sorry TG but never received any email stating that you where keeping the saw for spares but never mind.


----------



## teressa green

maybe you were out job hunting ,i did send mail or rang you ,dont know what your implying ross,think the decision to keep the saw was mine to make ,do you want me to mail you the couple of quid for the manual ,? will do with pleasure ,


----------



## Ross Turner

Sorry but i check my emails every day & never received one or a phone call.Not implying anything & yes the decision was yours to keep the saw but im just saying i never had any comunication stating that.You can keep the few quid that you kept your head down & worked for.


----------



## Buzzlightyear

blue said:


> thor,
> from the pics only looks like about 3 days work for 2 men, am i missing something or is that the best bit of pricing ever?



Yeah me to lol, come on Ed spill the beans !!


----------



## Buzzlightyear

I picked up £8ks worth of scrub clearance on Friday but it's all pissy small stuff though, mainly clearing saw work  On the plus side all the waste can be left on site !!


----------



## teressa green

ross ,i think you were implying that somehow i am un trust worthy,if i had have sold you the knackered saw you would have just moaned about it ,as i said before i did ring or mail you ,as for the manual will gladly send you the few quid you paid for it .as for keeping my head down ,thats what i do ,its what pays the mortgage ,and to be honest ross im glad i kept the thing ,think its still in the garage ,,,,,,,,doesnt your new gaffer supply the saws?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

its a unit price. so much for a crown raise, so much for a fell. the trees are about 400-600mm dbh, about 20m high. The crown raise involves taking approx 3 large limbs off each tree. the fells can be straight flops (I have a big winch)  
How would you guys charge per tree?
We'll see how different the pricing is.


----------



## Ross Turner

TG,I was not implying that you are un trust worthy at all & if you buy a saw thats in bits you expect to have a few problems with it so i would not of been complaining.As for the few quid buy yourself a pint or two & leave it at that.


----------



## iain

hi ya dudes 
back from my hols now whats happening ??


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Ross and TG are having a cyber punch up, and | have a guess the price competition going.


----------



## iain

oh its like that eh 
good on you tom if you can do what some r unwilling too ,then you charge as much as u can m8
are you going to need road closure ?
i presume the spoil is to go off site


----------



## teressa green

cyber punch up ,never up here its called banter,i hope ,,,,,,,,is he a big lad this ross?


----------



## jamie

*dilema*

im having a bit of a dilema, splitting up, but seeing the bright side, told the boss on sunday that i'm away off next winter...defo to do a season on my snowboard, always wanted to but the lady don't like the cold as much as i do.....thinking of buying a van and dissapearing round europe next summer as well.

told the gaffer and he could see it coming, i would either work my ass off for him or i would ???? off and make the best of the oppertunity...have every intention of coming back though....maybe i like my job.

got a winter of 7 day weeks now.....come rain or shine

jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

TG only Iain,Unimog,Timberwolf & liston have met me,Big i dont think so,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

I have spoken to Ross on the ''dog n bone'' he seems like a good old boyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! as we say down here in Suffolk


----------



## Ross Turner

Has any of you guys in east anglia come across a bloke called Steve Morgan who trained at Houghall College,Durham.
Last time i heard he was working for a firm arond cottenham.


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Thor, fair enough charge what you can get ! I still don't see the 15k though lol Still it's hard to tell from a picture


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

ROSS did you say have i seen a Morgan driven by a guy from Cottenham called Steve ,who once lived in East Anglia but was last seen working in Durhum ???


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Not often seen on ebay !!!  

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7551071318&fromMakeTrack=true


----------



## blue

thor,
from the pics(hard to tell of size's) i'd bid it at 2.5k ish which would be good money if i was right on the 2 blokes 3 day's work


----------



## Thor's Hammer

c'mon guys - price per tree!....


----------



## blue

can't give a price per tree as i can't see indvidual tree's


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

has anyone used or got an opinion on these logsplitters www.hydrocut.co.uk ,i need a splitter can anyone recommend one


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Ok, so there's 10 to fell and how many to crown raise ?


----------



## Buzzlightyear

3-400 per tree to fell and extract so that's 4k for me........


----------



## teressa green

Thor is that english pounds or welsh pounds ,,,,,,,,,,,, looks like a baaaaaaaaaaagain,


----------



## stumpy66

man, as a new boy on the block......you fella's are intense..... just remember that when the job is done..it takes a stumper to finish it...lol..


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> has anyone used or got an opinion on these logsplitters www.hydrocut.co.uk ,i need a splitter can anyone recommend one



Very tough very simple... very crude. great for your own use, not so hot for production. I grew up using one for splitting dead elm.

Here's the only splitter I would want now, watch the video.

http://www.timberwolfcorp.com/splitters/tw7/tw7.htm

For best value, speak to andrew holmes forest machinery on 01824 750 487. He supplies a very good range of splitters


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Buzzlightyear said:


> Ok, so there's 10 to fell and how many to crown raise ?



67 trees to crown raise.

Theres £10700 on the whole job.


----------



## Buzzlightyear

ROLLACOSTA said:


> has anyone used or got an opinion on these logsplitters www.hydrocut.co.uk ,i need a splitter can anyone recommend one



I can see why you need to move house...........all this new kit your buying up


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Buzzlightyear said:


> Not often seen on ebay !!!
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7551071318&fromMakeTrack=true



thats a bargain if it goes under £5K. Nice bit of kit


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Ahhh


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Thor's Hammer said:


> thats a bargain if it goes under £5K. Nice bit of kit



I know, i'm watching it


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Very good tool for heathland work. also extracting whole trees for chipping for fuel.


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Thor's Hammer said:


> Very good tool for heathland work. also extracting whole trees for chipping for fuel.



You've got me sussed lol, hence the reason i'm still up at this stupid hour


----------



## Ross Turner

Rolla,ILMAO The log splitter you are on about are ok but you have to start splitting the rings around the edges cause if you go straight in you sometimes clog it up & have to cut the log out with a saw.Apart from that they do a great job used one on some farmers land for a firewood merchant.


----------



## iain

rolla try woodline-srl.com then ring me to get a price !!


----------



## wurzel

*log splitter*

rolla have a look www.kingmachinery.co.uk
i have one of his splitters and find it very good and hes a easy man to deal with hope this is of some use


----------



## Ross Turner

anyone heard anymore about refresher training the HSE want to bring in?,How many companies could afford to put there staff through it?.


----------



## iain

Ross Turner said:


> anyone heard anymore about refresher training the HSE want to bring in?,How many companies could afford to put there staff through it?.




rolla ????


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

iain said:


> rolla ????



Yet another load of crap for us all


----------



## jamie

as we all know, just cos we carry a saw around all day and climb trees all day doesnt mean we know what we are doing.....just admit it everyone every day we learn something new, today i learnt how to cut down elder....wow

jamie


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Ian my PM box has been emptied !!!!!!!!!!


----------



## teressa green

just found out today that one of my old muckers is working for the gyppos,rang him last nite and had a major blow out,the pillock,going door to door ,why do we bother ,,,,i ask you ,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i've been working for a Gypo for years.....


----------



## Thor's Hammer

I'm a wannabe Gypo...


----------



## blue

he is


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Right I have a friend www.prhoades.co.uk who is looking for a reliable dedicated full time climber with relevant qualifications living local to Woking, Surrey. Contact him through his website. Cheers. Matt.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

I got another 10k job today  Plus an option to do about the same worth of fencing


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Things are looking up then Ed ?? !


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ha! if only I could have every month the same...


----------



## Buzzlightyear

So who's busy then ?? I'm solid till mid-November ish


----------



## Ross Turner

tam said:


> hey. i'm needing climbing work in the uk. i'd like to be climbing full time if possible. i've got my climbing and chipper and stumpgrinder tickets and that. i've been involved in garden maintenance and tree care for over two years now. i was previously a window cleaner. i've also got my own gear and saws. i love climbing but have been unable to find full time work locally. i've got a clean driving license and vehicle. if anyone can give me a hand, would you please contact me at [email protected]
> cheers.



Our company has the pleasure to have this young lad to work with us for a few days so the boss can see what he`s like & for him to check out company,if everything is ok he should get a start,Will keep you informed.


----------



## Ross Turner

on the way to work this morning the cambelt went on the car,i was doing 60mph at the time so am expecting a very costly repair,so no work until we get the use of a car from the garage.


----------



## teressa green

ross ,what car is it mate?


----------



## Ross Turner

T reg Vauxhall astra est 1.4 16v,been told its starting at £500 up too ??????? depending how much damage has been done.


----------



## PRUNER 1

???? astra estates. ive got an s reg 1.6 estate n its as flat as a fart!!! its only got 55000 on the clock too. handles well tho n only mine too worry about for 4 more days before the ex takes it with her!!! its fooked 2, hee hee!!! ???? good car when right tho, loves motorways.


----------



## Ross Turner

Pruner1,have you found out anymore about the loler course you where looking at?.


----------



## iain

Ross Turner said:


> Pruner1,have you found out anymore about the loler course you where looking at?.




pruner 

have you spoken to neil harrison from northwoods re loler
they are running arbnorth an arb specific day at houghall college on the 4th of nov 

iain


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Not calling a certain 'secondhand woodchipper/stump grinder dealer based in the north east' bullchiters but some of the kit they sell looks 'clocked' to me some of the kit looks a bit to used and abused to have the hours they claim are on the clock,what ya all reckon ??


----------



## Thor's Hammer

I reckon unless you know for sure, I would be very dubious about putting that down in a public forum...
Although theres nothing wrong with me saying they are very expensive...


----------



## Buzzlightyear

A friend of mine has had alot of kit of him in the past with NO problems....he fills a void in the market i guess ?


----------



## iain

yeah be carefull unless you've had poor service or a bad experience 
everyone is entitled to their opinion
not so much filling a gap as it is they dont have much serious competition

i could tell you about two poor machines i bought but thats not productive
u live n learn eh!


----------



## PRUNER 1

iain, unfortunately due to house selling and cash flow cos of the ex, i am not able to do any courses yet until the house is completed and ive got the loan from the bank to cover the losses. i am getting extra money to cover courses but until then i cant even afford to chit!!! cheers for the info and i will get it all done hopefully soon.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Nice job today hey boys [Steve bullman bigA]??


----------



## Big A

All went as smooth as a babies' bum!! Spoiled with perfect winds and acres of space to get it down in. Cheers for the work, Im really desperate and glad of every penny I can get. Can we have a tricky one next time please? Nice to work somewhere where everyone is working in perfect harmony!!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Yeh you need the money like i need a hole in the head....still i'll see if i can get another tricky one for you bigA


----------



## Big A

Hmmm!! Hole in the head? There's a thought!!! Lol! Did an Ash today with even less space and it was as dead as F***!! Seriously, good to work with ya mate!!


----------



## PRUNER 1

well i had a fight with a lamppost whilst ridin home from work on my mtb 2nite and came off worst, no broken bones but bad tendon and ligament damage to the left shoulder. out for a while. looks like my 1st disciplinary for sickness iss is inevitable! also our agency lad took a blunt silky to his left thumb palm muscley bit this morning on his second cut of the day so we all had our silkys confiscated cos of 2 many accidents. dont know what the overall outcome will be? hey ho! house is sold and completing in 2 weeks so things are lookin up. might get those courses done sooner than i thought.


----------



## Big A

*!t*



PRUNER 1 said:


> well i had a fight with a lamppost whilst ridin home from work on my mtb 2nite and came off worst, no broken bones but bad tendon and ligament damage to the left shoulder. out for a while. looks like my 1st disciplinary for sickness iss is inevitable! also our agency lad took a blunt silky to his left thumb palm muscley bit this morning on his second cut of the day so we all had our silkys confiscated cos of 2 many accidents. dont know what the overall outcome will be? hey ho! house is sold and completing in 2 weeks so things are lookin up. might get those courses done sooner than i thought.


hell man!! You working for the nanny state or summat, warnings for this sh!t and confiscating tools for that sh!t!! Tell 'em to shove it !!


----------



## Ross Turner

Who confiscated the Silkys?.What do they expect you to use up a tree an "Axe"?.
What does the generic risk assesment say about the use of a silky in the tree?.

Just remind them that under the industry best practice(the risk hirechy)it is recommeded that you use a handsaw if your ropes are to close to where you are cutting with a power saw.


----------



## PRUNER 1

not my desicion folks,


----------



## blue

PRUNER 1 said:


> not my desicion folks,



whose was it then?my guess would be some twat sat in an office who doesn't have a clue about tree work  i worked for a council for 9 years and it was full of nob ends like this,so glad i left


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

anyone rained off today ?? i was..i hate mondays anyway


----------



## iain

rain ! oh yes we had some of that today all day !


----------



## iain

s.t.s are you there kev ?

where at the harrogate show ground this sat n sun at he yorkshire woodfair, if you want to come and have a look at these machines, 
vemeer and timberwolf are there too

rgds
iain


----------



## Ross Turner

busy working in Cannock Chase clearing the lines,Have got it quite easy as we have a Valmet 911 harvester on site doing the bulk of the work & all we have to do is the side prunes & dismantles.


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Nah cracked on and was done by 1pm ! result... It was raining at 8am this AM and it's still raining now down here  Got to catch up this week anyway as i was rained off on Friday.....


----------



## blue

rained off pah no way mate .had to get a 60' leylandii down.poured with rain but just had to get it on the floor,we're not clearing it up thank god.what a feckin mess i made on the floor.loads of brush followed by a poop load of wood with another load of criss crossed brush then i blew a 20' top onto that then about 30' of wood again leaving it 10' high for the guy whose clearing it to finnish off.arn't i nice,done by 11.30


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Lol Blue wouldn't want to clear that mess up !!


----------



## TimberMcPherson

Hey guys, I read an article in week magazine that was about a year old about londons city council or whoever was going to remove a huge amount of lime trees arount the scene, some planted as far back as 1870. Apparantly it was costing them 69,000 pounds a year in liability when people slipped on the aphid crap. Did anything come about from it, were the trees removed? And if so from what area?


----------



## puwer

TP,

Ealing made some noises approx twelve months ago, it could have been there.

Council promises to consult residents on Lime trees

PR 443 



Ealing Council has pledged to consult widely with residents over the future of the borough's 4,500 Lime trees.



Opponents of the council claim there are 'secret' plans to cut down the trees without first seeking the views of residents.



However, the claim is untrue, and the council is making it clear that no Lime trees will be removed without proper consultation.



Each year the council spends around £400,000 maintaining the trees, repairing damage the trees have caused to highways, as well as paying out on compensation claims to residents whose properties have been damaged by the trees' roots.



The council also receives several hundred complaints each year from angry residents who say pavements outside their homes are damaged by the trees, making them unsafe, plus sap from the trees is damaging their cars and making pavements slippery. Some of the trees' roots are also so strong they damage the borough's roads. 



At present a detailed business case is being drawn up by the council's tree and finance experts to ensure council taxpayers' money is spent correctly when determining the long term future of the trees. This will be finished in around two weeks time.



If the business case is not proven then no action will be taken and no trees will be removed. The council would however continue to carry out routine inspections and maintenance work on these trees.



If the business case is proven, a report will then be presented to a future Cabinet meeting - the council's decision making body - with a recommendation to either proceed or not. The council's scrutiny committee will also ensure the process is carried out properly.



If the decision is to proceed, the report will go to the council's seven area committees and full consultation with residents and organisations, such as the National Urban Forestry Unit, Arboricultural Advisory Information Service and Trees for London, will begin. 



Depending on the outcome of this consultation, it could mean no trees or only those trees which are causing damage are removed.



A council spokesperson said: "There is no secret plan to remove the trees and no decision has been made. Anyone who says differently is talking nonsense. However we do have to look at the long term future of the Lime trees and the effect some of them are having on our residents.



"We also have to look at the best way of spending our taxpayers' money and this is why we have to look at the financial aspects.



"What is clear is that no Lime trees will be removed without full consultation with residents."


----------



## jamie

*rain*

i judge the weather by what time my pants get wet, monday was a 9.30am day, started at 8.30....pah, that was with a jacket... and my cutting trews hadnt dried completely by this morning yuch

jamie


----------



## Thor's Hammer

jamie said:


> i judge the weather by what time my pants get wet, monday was a 9.30am day, started at 8.30....pah, that was with a jacket... and my cutting trews hadnt dried completely by this morning yuch
> 
> jamie




After 15 years of it, I have decided I no longer work in the rain. Its great.


----------



## Ross Turner

Thor you must be loaded,


----------



## TimberMcPherson

Hey thanks for that puwer, my climbing partner is from ealing and was a little worried when I told him about the article, that will make him sleep better!


----------



## S_T_S

Iain,

I am still here, lurking more than anything. I might be popping up to Harrogate on Sunday, if I do I will call by for a chat.

Kev


----------



## iain

okay kev 
no probs m8 i'll see if i see you 

ross 
i agree with thor
i dont think its so much being rich, as wise, one slip in the wet (saw involved or not) can lay you up for days , especially for those of us who are carrying war wounds as it were!


----------



## timberwolf150

Hi all. 
Its been a while. 
Things all a little bit different now as I no longer work for TW. I am now in partnership with TW's ex service manager Steve (Reg) Johnson running a company called Prochip. We have secured dealerships for TW chippers, Carlton Stump Grinders and Lionlift Access Platforms covering all of East Anglia. We offer sales, service and hire on all the above and service and parts for any arb machinery. Very busy times and respect to all of you running your own business. Where does all that paperwork come from!!!!


----------



## Buzzlightyear

timberwolf150 said:


> Hi all.
> Its been a while.
> Things all a little bit different now as I no longer work for TW. I am now in partnership with TW's ex service manager Steve (Reg) Johnson running a company called Prochip. We have secured dealerships for TW chippers, Carlton Stump Grinders and Lionlift Access Platforms covering all of East Anglia. We offer sales, service and hire on all the above and service and parts for any arb machinery. Very busy times and respect to all of you running your own business. Where does all that paperwork come from!!!!



The paperwork ? Thaty'll be petty european and cntral goverment bollox then...good on you i hope it all works out for you.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Nice one mr TW.Respect to anyone going on there own. Do you want to sell some better chippers?


----------



## Big A

Good luck t/Wolf, hope it goes well for ya, as you said the other day, this is a hi-density area for arb firms so I think you'll do well.


----------



## iain

TW150
hse, hm customs, hse again, inland revenue, tonys & gordons fantasy world, brussells, or was that a retorical question mike !!
good luck ! 
why the departure from T'W ? politics ? BS ? personalitys ?


----------



## timberwolf150

iain said:


> TW150
> hse, hm customs, hse again, inland revenue, tonys & gordons fantasy world, brussells, or was that a retorical question mike !!
> good luck !
> why the departure from T'W ? politics ? BS ? personalitys ?




Iain.

Just a good oppertunity. I found it hard to accept that an area I had built up over the years, one of the last not covered by a TW dealer was going to be taken over by someone who would be a total stranger to most of the customers. I am enjoying it though. Its like going back a few years when TW had more direct contact with customers. Thanks everyone for your comments. They are appreciated.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

BIGA has anything happend to you this week ,that you might like to share with us all ???????????? LOL


----------



## iain

tw 
smaller companys do seem to offer customers, more than just a product for a price, going the extra step is a valuable trait, however when a company becomes a victim of its own sucess then the balance sheet, becomes the benchmark as the beast just chews up its next meal. a sad but often to common situation
all i can add is 'try to keep your feet on the ground' and remember that all customer's loyalty is dependant on the treatment they recieve from us.
good luck


----------



## Buzzlightyear

ROLLACOSTA said:


> BIGA has anything happend to you this week ,that you might like to share with us all ???????????? LOL



oh oh gossip lol


----------



## SteveBullman

so timberwolf....how much would you charge me by the hour to come and service my firewood processor on site?


----------



## timberwolf150

ROLLACOSTA said:


> BIGA has anything happend to you this week ,that you might like to share with us all ???????????? LOL



Ask him if it was LUCKY!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Yellow Fox

timberwolf150 said:


> Iain.
> 
> Just a good oppertunity. I found it hard to accept that an area I had built up over the years, one of the last not covered by a TW dealer was going to be taken over by someone who would be a total stranger to most of the customers. I am enjoying it though. Its like going back a few years when TW had more direct contact with customers. Thanks everyone for your comments. They are appreciated.




Very good TW very diplomatic!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Hey Yellow Fox, still not had my copy... Not that I'm too worried, cause I havent had an invoice either....
But I will want the back page on the next issue...


----------



## Big A

OK,OK, Enuff already!! So I broke the bloody stump grinder, hit a "lucky" horseshoe in the middle of a viburnum stump. Locked the flywheel and snapped the retainers clean off. I was just glad that it didnt fly out and do some damage elsewhere. Cant keep anything secret around here. :Eye: :Eye:


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Jesus that's not good ! Glad your ok !


----------



## Big A

More pi$$ed off than anything, I pride myself in being as careful as poss with othedr peoples kit. I'd raked the area to be ground, picked up various metal articles such as discarded mower blades and a 3 foot long metal spike as I didnt fancy them flying around, ground down about 6 inches and BANG!! I bet old T/Wolf is rubbing his hands together counting the £££'s, lol


----------



## PRUNER 1

still on the sick and bored as fook!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

pruner1 why are you on the sick ??


----------



## jamie

*bugger*

big a, a stump grinder broken, beat this.

driving home in our merc MB trac 1500 (its our skidder, 2 11 ton winches and jumbo linkage butt plate on the back).

came round a corner too fast (for the wet) lost the back end as it spun out, over compensated my steering and cut across the road through a post and wire fence and through some trees (only small things, standard sized). i missed a 3 foot diam beech by a foot, and bounced a wheel over a 2 foot high stump. dented the rim so the wheel wont hold any air, bosses big fear is that i've knocked the prop shaft through the gear box. 

he is willing to be annoyed and stump up the costs if i put in the labour for anything that needs done, so far ive removed the wheel just need to get it to the tyre folks, so they can assess the damage.

oh and the new guy giuded the boss back in the pick up over a 254 a few days previously......not a good week.

anyway its saturday night, im young (ish) free and recentyl single so i'm away out on the pull, enjoy your night everyone.

jamie


----------



## Big A

Jeez thats made me feel a whole lot better, Still next week can only get better! At least no-one got hurt, thats the main thing. Off for a few bevvies down my local later, stagger home and forget about all the $hit that happens day to day!!


----------



## jamie

ach hes talking to me again, he only spoke to tell me what needed done for a few days, stropy git. 

jamie


----------



## Big A

S'pose you're lucky to still have a job, I reckon most bosses get wound up by damaged kit as it not only takes the profit off one job, but the down-time and so on can knock on for days til its sorted. Sure he'll come around soone r or later, and MAYBE even laugh it off and put it down to experience. Good Luck!!


----------



## Ross Turner

Jamie he could always deduct the repair costs out of your wages,lol


----------



## PRUNER 1

i hit a lamppoost on me bike at speed and bust me shoulder. not broken just muscle damage but quite bad.


----------



## jamie

*ok, take it from me*

he could take it out of my wages, down point is there are only 5 of us, 2 are in mulchers full time, the boss me and the new guy, if i go, boss is up sh!t creek without a boat, never mind a paddle. not that i'm bigging myself up or anything.


jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

so you have him by his balls,nice one.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

[QUOTE=jamie if i go, boss is up sh!t creek without a boat, never mind a paddle. 

Don't be so sure !!!!!


----------



## jamie

*aye*

sorry you're right on that one, now i have sobbered up a bit....

life would get very hard for him though, im not planning on going anywhere at the moment


jamie


----------



## Buzzlightyear

No luck down the pub last night then Jamie ;o) ??


----------



## jamie

*down the pub*

went out with a mate and her little sister, last time her sister was well, eh, illegal, this time 19 and i could see her a$$ below the skirt line.......anyway i got bored of crap pubs and clubs, met some mates and went out to some Dn'B clubs....good night.....walking round town topless in october cos i was still to hot after 4 hours of dancing, being single again is great.

anyway back to the question, no luck.  

jamie


----------



## Thor's Hammer

haha, disco biscuits rule. sounds like a good night out Jamie. We got stuck in that ????hole Alloa in feb, with no idea of where to go for a night out...


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Ohh great yet another lovely Monday rained off ,it's absolutely pouring down here and it isn't expected to stop until late this afternoon.....


----------



## SteveBullman

im off under my nice dry barn to log for the day


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Blazing sunshine and bright blue skies here ;-)


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Peeing down this morning but lovely this afternoon....started the scrub clearance today....
You should see prac browns chip pile Ed !!!


----------



## jamie

nice day sat out for piece and lunch breaks, rolla you are starting to sound like thor, rained off pah.

as for alloa, never been, doubt i will.

got on site in glasgow, the guy showed us the site, reckoned we couldnt do it in a day. he saw us work then reckoned we could be done by 2 at the earliest, we were done by 12.30....

yee haa

anyway, im off out to climb and see if i can pursuade this tasty lassie that i'm not mental

jamie


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

What a day i had ,went and priced up some work on a construction site,you know the sort of work they wanted done last week blah blah blah.Well it turns out i was going to be working through 5 contractor's lol .Bearing in mind it was pising down they tried to insist we start today 10.30 am ,we would of had to have an induction meeting [health and safety [email protected]] first this lasts for 2 hours LOL.

The main contractor's were a french crowd,the workers came from Angola ,Portugal,Russia and god knows were else,put it like this no bugger could speak English.

We were also asked to bring a cat scanner and gennie along..  i thought this is strange we hadn't agreed on a price for works or anything,turns out they had some landscapers on site digging planting pits [holes for trees] and there was a gas main running under the planting area,they wanted muggins here to scan there holes,i told them i'm not a utility's engineer and why hasn't the planting gang got there own gennie and cat , turns out none of them are certificated to use a cat ,i smelled a rat! i think if they hit a gas main it would be blamed on my my cat scanning..all in all it turned out to be a wasted journey **** i don't work for a shower of chit like this ,what makes me laugh is they only called me Friday.  

I SOMETIMES WONDER WHAT THE HECK THE WORLD HAS COME TOO !!!

WHAT MAKES IT WORSE, ON THE PHONE I WAS ALWAYS DEALING WITH A OBNOXIOUS 20 YEAR OLD GIRL,WHO DIDN'T KNOW HER ASS HOLE FROM BREAKFAST TIME !!


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Hah Rolla, sounds like my week last week. Spent the whole day last Tuesday looking at scrub clearance work for a conservation organistaion. Looked at everything in detail only to be told at the end of the day they only needed a couple of rough quotes to APPLY for funding. This i could have done over the phone  what a bunch or merchant bankers. But it's ok though because IF they get the funding they want the work done before March 06 LMAO.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Buzz it's amazing how many big firms/organizations out there operate like complete amateurs


----------



## Thor's Hammer

jamie said:


> nice day sat out for piece and lunch breaks, rolla you are starting to sound like thor, rained off pah.
> 
> jamie



haha, Jamie, when you've been in the game as long as I have, and worked as many rainy days as I have, you might feel a little different


----------



## Thor's Hammer

ROLLACOSTA said:


> Buzz it's amazing how many big firms/organizations out there operate like complete amateurs


 I couldent agree more. You think these big firms are the dogs bollocks until you see them from the inside. Then you have to wonder how anything ever gets done.


----------



## Caledonian

jamie said:


> anyway, im off out to climb and see if i can pursuade this tasty lassie that i'm not mental
> 
> jamie




You going tell me which 'tastie lassie' your chasing  

Never know, i might be able to put in a good word for you  LOL

Is it Claire?  

Or maybe the blonde at reception?


----------



## Big A

That were'nt rain it were heavy drizzle you pussies!! Bullman in his cosy little barn, pah!! Rolla in his shiny fair-weather truck!! Pah!! Get out there and get on with it, its lovely and mild, not even cold rain yet. Bleeding lightweight fair-weather arty-farty tree-huggin' types. In my day...... blah..blah...blah!! Lol!


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Blaha blah blah blah, here I am sat in my cosy warm office while it rains down...
Hope your not getting too wet and uncumfortable yet Big A


----------



## Big A

Beautiful day, rain washing the sweat from my brow, pushing it soothingly down my neck, down to my ar$e, only to form rivulets down my legs and into my boots! Aah, even my feet dont sweat in this weather, Sheer Bliss!!!


----------



## blue

what is people's problem with a bit of rain.don't really bother me.the way i see it is no work=no money.


----------



## Buzzlightyear

hear hear blue only lost 2 days work in the last 18 months due to rain lol !!


----------



## jamie

*bits n bobs*

well, 

the rain dont bother me, ive had no sick days off in 2 1/2 years and the new guy only worked monday last week, in bed the rest, we have been called off 3 times due to the weather, once i called it as the lightning was striking down the road (it came in real quick) and i was 20 meter up in a platform......  

oh and cally, she has red hair (not ginger i hasten to add) and works in the arena

oh and she wasnae there tonight...????  

jamie


----------



## Caledonian

jamie said:


> oh and cally, she has red hair (not ginger i hasten to add) and works in the arena
> 
> oh and she wasnae there tonight...????
> 
> jamie



An instructor?  

Probably, as fit as a fiddle and playing hard to get  

You really have, got your hands full


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

who's quiet on the work front? we haven't had a call in a week!!


----------



## iain

our private jobs are also on a downer at this time of the year
its lets save for chrimbo time


----------



## jamie

playing hard to get, she redefines the term. nice lassie though and considering i'm still livin with my ex (she plans to leave in a month after she has worked her notice and move to kent) im happy to go slow......none of those ackward silences  

jamie


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Rolla, private work quite but tied up on scrub work untill December anyway...


----------



## jamie

*hmm*

dont know about private work but we are ok with everything else. working off a platform today and tomorrow, residents in edinburgh centre have expensive lights up them (10K for around 10 trees) the lights have been wrapped around the stems, climbing would be a sure fire way to destroy every bulb. dont know why they were not deadwooded before the lights ent up....lots of pegs (about an inch long) as i cant get to the collars for the ******* bulbs

jamie


----------



## PRUNER 1

well, still on sick with me shoulder but back to work on monday. ime bored stiff. apparently the lads still aint got their silkies back.


----------



## Ross Turner

If you lot noticed my post on the injury thread about my cornea abrasion,The boss called me in the office today so he could have a little word.It turns out he has never had an injury(any injury) put in the accident book & does not want any even if it requires consulting any of the medical proffession.
Has anyone else come across this or is it just a one off.No accident report no claim sort of thinking.????????????


----------



## iain

i've had tree bits in my eyes before, twice infact both required a visit to the a&e
scratching the white of my eyes and i still get discomfort in one of them four years on 

i find it odd that your boss should ask you to forget about it , he and you have an obligation to record injurys at work although i doubt it if riddor is applicable in this instance 
( covering his arse against a potential future claim me thinks !!!!


----------



## Janner

You got it buddy by the sounds of it your boss is trying to make sure you haven't got a leg to stand on if you ever do want to claim. If you were in a work related incident and this incident was recorded in your med docs and you also had 3 days or more of work, the health and safety folks would be round and i imagine that would really ruin your bosses day/ month. So thats probably another reason why he doesnt want you to fill the form in.

Just spoken to my Mother who is a ' specialist practicioner in occupational health' (i.e health and safety guru) basically if you've seen the doc/ med professionals and its in your records that its a work related injury then you should be able to claim if you ever wanted todo so. But obviously if you did fill in the accident book it would make it allot easier to prove that it was a work related injury.

If you want confidential advice on where you stand contact the Health and Safety Executive or via the website www.hse.gov.uk


----------



## Big A

Dont know about the law on this one but I understand that any accident/incident should be in the accident book. what if a week down the line your eye became infected and you lose the sight in that eye? No proof that it had happened at work, where would you be then? IMO he's wrong.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Yeah, He's completely in the wrong. ANY injury should go in the book. I have to admit that I have'nt put a few in, mainly through bad memory. In those instances, the lads concerned werent bothered. (bumped knee, cut finger, that sort of thing)But to actually try to hide it.....(sharply indrawn breath)
Very naughty. Possibly you could tell him your going to put it in WestCoasts accident book? that will gee him along...


----------



## iain

thor are you on rome total war a lot 

re 'cry havoc' blah blah


----------



## Thor's Hammer

sorry iain, i'm a bit of a luddite when it comes to games. Its just a Shakespear quotation I like


----------



## iain

soz m8 i'm not the worlds authority when it comes to the bard


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Well I'm with Ed now regarding working in the rain. Have been felling and snedding BIG Scots Pine all day today to prepare for chipping tomorrow. It's been howling today with gusts upto 60mph and driving rain.

On the last tree i turned off my saw, told one of my lads to pick up an errant log that had rolled onto a bridle way and promptly slipped on my arse ! My left forearm which was holding the chainsaw landed across the bar which ripped through my favourite Husqy jacket and took a lump out of my forearm and that's with the chainsaw switched off !! 4 stitches alot of superglue and a cup of tea later and i'm regretting working in the rain today lol


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

bollox to working in the wind and rain !!!!!


----------



## jamie

pussies

jamie


----------



## jamie

sorry, if we didnt work in the rain we wouldn't work.....

how much rain are you lot talking about....forcast for the day or if it rains work stops?

jamie


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Jamie, i'm only kidding i'm back to it tomorrow rain or not !! Got to get the chipping done so i can get the kit off to the next scrub job next week. The forecast ain't clever though ! Hope my stitches don't burst ! One scots i was felling today sat back and pinched the saw then the wind gusted snapped the hitch and blew it 4' from the stump !!


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Rolla i like your website BTW ;o)


----------



## PRUNER 1

well people ive bitten the bullet and ime off to wales at the end of the month to do my loler course. should be a fun jolly. had to pay for it myself tho!


----------



## Ross Turner

Nice one Prunner1,let us know how you get on,was going to do it myself but cant get the time off work.


----------



## iain

pruner how much is the course ? is it through treevolution ?


----------



## PRUNER 1

course including assessment is 275 quid! hey ho, i hope i can use it enough to make some money on the side. i looked into professional indemnity insurance and that was to the tune of 1mil cover at 465 quid a year. who do you all get kit checked by and whats the average cost. ime lookin to become an nptc assessor in the new year. oh yeah, its with treevolution. does anyone reckon this could be a good little on the side earner if run legit? i need to keep me 9-5 but ive got expensive tastes and me 9-5 dont cover them!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

2 Bags Of Kit Climbing And Rigging Chit £65 + Vat


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Basicly guy charges £32.50+ vat per hour


----------



## PRUNER 1

ive had to book hols ross, not many left now n got till april to go!


----------



## Ross Turner

cant book any hols as the boss is going to New Zealand next week for a few months so we are going to be half a man down,lol


----------



## Acer

Talking about wind and rain..just got back from 2 weeks felling to waste Lodgepole Pine in bleakest Derbyshire. Christ, the wind and rain up there is mental. It comes down like stair rods - except horizontal. A few trees, I haven't been able to finish my back cut, the wind's been so strong. I've got half way round and the roots have lifted before I could finish. Thursday was unbelievable, it was like working in a Typhoon, but worked in my favour. All the edge trees I was on, some around 20" dbh, all with crowns on one side and leaning the wrong way, were going over the opposite way with wind assistance. We'd have had to winch a lot of them over otherwise.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Looks like my local town council has money to burn ,today i watched 5 men,1 unimog with 10'' chipper , a gennie mewp,pi$$ around with a 35'-40' max London plane ,what a joke !!!!


----------



## Ross Turner

Sounds like normal council procedure to me,lol


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Ross Turner said:


> Sounds like normal council procedure to me,lol



Yep same here, i'm suprised they didn't make it last a week lol !


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

It was a firm doing the work ,not the council arb team


----------



## PRUNER 1

hey bhey hey ime a very concientious arborist with a very good work ethic( unfortunately prob not as recognised as it should be) n ime a council worker and i work to my utmost ability, the highest standard and with health and safety foremost. there are some out there that give a toss, the silent few. i know at darlington we (the tree eam) are very focused and we all strive to work to the highest standard cos we all believe in what we are trying to achieve. rant over, dont tar all with the same brush


----------



## jamie

a council squad up our way had no work plan, the climber would drop everything into a tangelled mess, then the tractor drove over it carried out the timber then they would drag the brash out and hack it up in the back of the pickup, as opposed to chipping it (chipper on site) as if they have to tip more often they get to sit down more often..

another squad (another council) had in a month, a guy knocked out by a bit of wood swinging around in the chipper, a guy get to the top of a tree and feint, and a guy trying a lockjack and plummetting 2o ft.....

not all council workers are the same.....im sure of it


----------



## PRUNER 1

yeh, were all fully qualifullyfied, and have a very rare work ethic. were all from private backgrounds, so we know the meaning of work. i guess ive sold out but it pays the bills that ive incurred in house purchasing!!!! still its not too bad and the hours are good and we get wot we want mostly. winter hours from next week. yay!!!


----------



## PRUNER 1

i worked for cardiff council and they were the most miserable people ive ever worked with, not interseted and seeing out their pensions. fcuk it, if the truth hurts but they were either gung ho or too fat and lazy. i could only put up with 2.5 months before i made my excuses and left, fcukin dire state of affairs.


----------



## jamie

i applied for a job as a trainee arborist with the council, never went to the interview, was more than qualified but they were offering 136 a week

jamie


----------



## PRUNER 1

fcuk thats low, what council was that?


----------



## Ross Turner

most councils offer minimum wage & thats it.


----------



## PRUNER 1

ime afraid i wouldnt work for any less than ime getting now


----------



## Liston

*JD deep stumper.*

New JD tractor mounted stump grinder for those deep down stumps.
with grass reseed ready attachment tow behind. 

Thought you guys would like this one


----------



## Buzzlightyear

WTF happened there !!! ??


----------



## Buzzlightyear

BTW i'm ex-council teams as well, i'm glad i got out when i did. They were good blokes but lazy as arse.........


----------



## jamie

wont mention the name of the council, but our capital has the same name, thats all im sayin

jamie


----------



## blue

i also worked for a council.about 10 years in total,but we were never lazy because we were on a limitless bonus system.for the first 2 years the times on jobs were amazing.something like 14 man hours to remove a 10m tree,as we only worked 6 hr days in the winter a 3man team only needed 18 man hours before yo started earning bonus.paid at basic+33% a hour.
we used to book at least 36m/h a day.was fanfeckintastic,i was 20years old and taking home between £400-£600 a week,the record was £750 take home one week.this lasted nearly 2 years before the time were cut but we just worked a bit harder.everyone hated us as they didn't have work or were just to lazy to earn the money.then they started to cut the times even more so we just played the system to our advantage for a while untill the manager got the right arse and had it in for us but we still managed to earn good money.
i left for a year then went back.what a differance,hard as you like to clear even £300 a week so i jumped ship from the arb gang onto the woodland team,back to the easy life,don't do much but earn pretty good money.left again3 1/2 years ago.my mate was still there untill 6 months ago.he had worked there nearly 20 years but had had enough.they scrapped the bonus system and all he took home was £195!!glad i left when i did


----------



## Buzzlightyear

I was on 10k a year on the teams 8 years ago BUT i got a 3 bed tied house gratis which was worth at least 10k a year in surrey !!


----------



## PRUNER 1

i earn just over 16k, but the pension is good and theres normally o/t and fiddle work floatin about. been on light duties this week cos of me shoulder but next week its back to normal, hooray, ile get back in me bf11 again and be happy


----------



## blue

picked up my new car today


----------



## Buzzlightyear

blue said:


> picked up my new car today



That's a funny looking Land Rover


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Does anybody know anyone who has a cheap timber trailer for sale ?? I don't need one with a crane on....

Cheers !


----------



## blue

Buzzlightyear said:


> That's a funny looking Land Rover


i'd never buy a landie with my own money.agricultural piles of ????e


----------



## Buzzlightyear

blue said:


> i'd never buy a landie with my own money.agricultural piles of ????e



Just winding you up ! It looks really smart, V6 I take it ??


----------



## unimog

Had a run in with the HSE yesterday. Left the Mog on site over night and the local yobs decided to have a play. Have a metal PTO guard which some how disappeared.

Had pollarded a Lime and brash was blocking a disabled access before we realised guard was missing. Had to clear brash so did less than 5 mins chipping, just as we were finishing a lovely young lady came by on her bike, been the reasonable chaps we are, we stopped to let her past, she in return politely pulled out her business card,HM inspector for HSE. GULP!

She had been past the site earlier in the day and was amazed at all our cones,signs,tape and it was great to see the guys in all the PPC. On her return she thought she would stop to give us some praise,instead she saw the turning PTO shaft.

I must say she accepted our explanation and my risk assesment that the disabled path had to be cleared, plus the fact that I openly admitted to been in the wrong but at least we all new the guard was missing. If I had said when asked, that I could see nothing wrong with the Mog, she did state she would have served a stop notice.

We went on to have a good chat about ARB and the HSE and I did mention some of the comments made on here. All in all she was only doing her job and turnred out to be quite resonable, I suppose she could have decided to go through us with a fine tooth comb. She did say the letter would be in the post,and the incident will be recorded, just in case.

By chance on Tuesday this week I had been talking to her boss in Leeds about some problem trees at a business premise. Another really decent guy (or seems to be on the surface. LOL). Knows quite a lot about the Arb world and is willing and would like to help with any short commings we all have. I told him to have a look at this site and read some of the comments, perhaps then he might get an insight in to what we feel and why we try to avoid the HSE like the plauge. Anyone want his tel No. LOL


----------



## nohope

I'll tell the young lady that you thought she was lovely . 
Inspectors are human too, (no really, we are) and those of us that do deal with the arb sector try to be practical about the work you do. At the end of the day we do all want the same thing, for you lot to be able to go to work again tomorrow.


----------



## blue

Buzzlightyear said:


> Just winding you up ! It looks really smart, V6 I take it ??



yes mate it's a 3.5 24v


----------



## iain

i went to the arbnorth day at houghall (durham) college last friday and hse among many more were there giving there talk on our industry and the problems as they saw it :Eye: 
too there credit, they appeared to take a lot of notice of how we ( arborist see it )

1 we the traceable are an easy target for procecution 
today went past one of the great mobile numbered tree bloke types using a large saw by the side of a footpath in a garden using a large saw to carve up a butt 
( n guess what not a sign of PPE, barrier tape signs, didderly squat )  

2 the uneducated members of the public need to appreciate that employing the services of a contractor because they have a nice looking leafet to drop through doorways MAY NOT be a good choice, was talk made of TV Ads !!!!!
( infact i've priced a job today for an elderly lady to carryout some redial work after a bodger has been in !!! our price was half of that charged by the leaflet man, who as is always the case, needed CASH )

3 that the large diy stores , supermarkets should do more to educate / inform customers buying chainsaws RE HSE And PPE ** OFFER PPE at the point of sale**

4 that window cleaners and contruction workers (stood balanced on one leg on a Ladder holding on with one hand & Hilti drill in the other ) also need to sort out work at height
** a comment was made by hse that because a window cleaner although working at height is only in a postion for a few moments that it would'nt apply *so i ask if a climber was working in a hedge line and was therefore also moving etc etc ????** MMMMMMM i take your point was the reply !!

it was nice to feel as though they were listening a least !!! breath & holding springs to mind


pruner when you doing ur loler course??


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Guy's has anybody got any experience of County tractors ?? Things to look out for etc. I'm looking at a crane tractor with a jones crane on top on Sunday. I have plenty of experience of tractors but none of County's.

Cheers.


----------



## jamie

sorry to bring this up, if we (as professional users) have to be ticketed to use a saw how come homeowners can buy and use a saw with no idea of how it works. i know this all sounds a bit big bother ish but it gets to me somewhat, having said that a drill is dangerous in the wrong hands as well......i.e mine

jamie


----------



## iain

jamie said:


> sorry to bring this up, if we (as professional users) have to be ticketed to use a saw how come homeowners can buy and use a saw with no idea of how it works. i know this all sounds a bit big bother ish but it gets to me somewhat, having said that a drill is dangerous in the wrong hands as well......i.e mine
> 
> jamie



jamie i agree with you, in a scale, a saw is much more dangerous than most other power tools, lets face it hollywood aint going to make 
a film titled 'Texas powerdrill massacre'
i'm in no way trivialising accident's, however, when was the last time a diy'er slipped and powerdril'd a loved one to death ?l


----------



## Ross Turner

you never see Drill protection clothing for sale in B&Q do you,lol


----------



## nohope

Iain, Work At Height (WAH regs) (new in April) do apply to any work at height, including window cleaners, thats one of the reasons that around towns now you will see more contract cleaners using the long poles and cleaning from the ground.
General comments 
WAH regs, translated 
Work at Height, 1, Don't do it. 2, If you have to do it don't fall off, 3, If you do fall don't fall very far. 
Only new bits really are consider inclement weather in risk assessment, and plan for the worst, ie emergency rescue. In effect if someone is up a tree then there should be a groundsman with at least CS38 to bring them down. The other thing that I like to see is an 'emergency details' bit on the paper work accessible at the site. This doesn't need to have the address of the local A&E as i see so many times, if you need the A&E the ambulance will know where to go, what they need to know is where you are and how to get there. You would be surprised the number of times that this information is not around.


----------



## tam

i seen this dog licking it's arse and i thot to myself ' wow i bet that comes in handy', so i says to the owner 'i wish i could do that'. he told me if i gave it a biscuit it might let me.


----------



## Ross Turner

nohope,my employer wont allow accidents to be recorded in the accident book as in all the time he has been running the company he has not had a accident recorded,what can i do & also the safety bar on the PTO chipper is not working as it should,he is aware of this & has done nothing to sort it.


----------



## nohope

And another thing, Domestic users/clients........  
Unfortunately HSE enforce the 'Health and Safety *AT WORK* Act 1974 and associated regulations.
We are bound by the legal framework, if we want more control for domestic use then we have to get MP's to change the law.
I have the same sort of discussions with farmers about helmets on quad bikes.
Until there are powers for us to force domestic clients to consider health and safety when they take on contractors inspectors like myself are going to really on people in the trade to let us know when and where the cowboys are working so that we can catch up with the 'less visible end of the sector'


----------



## nohope

Ross Turner said:


> nohope,my employer wont allow accidents to be recorded in the accident book as in all the time he has been running the company he has not had a accident recorded,what can i do & also the safety bar on the PTO chipper is not working as it should,he is aware of this & has done nothing to sort it.



Ouch, I don't need to tell you that there is a legal duty to record accidents and to report some to us (HSE) probably the only thing that you can do (apart from politely pointing out the error of his ways) would be to make a complaint to us, if you do that then you will be asked 2 questions at least, one is 'Is the complaint disclosable?' if you don't want your boss to know a complaint has been made then as long as we have enough detail to catch up with him then it will be done as a standard spot check. The second is 'Do you wish to remain anon? If you do then you will, it makes our job harder but hey that goes with the job.
Of course the drastic action (that you are legally allowed to take) would be to refuse to use the chipper until its fixed, if he tries to take action against you for this then you have grounds to consult legal advise about an employment tribunal, H&S concerns are covered by the Public Information Disclosure or 'whistle blowers' Act.


----------



## iain

Tam awesome m8 keep taking the tablets

no hope 
(what does the name imply) the feeling of pushing a snowball up a volcano 

i take your points re the legislation that is provided for you to act upon,
however there should be a duty of disclosure / information re health risk potentials and the ability to purchase safety equipment at the same place as the chainsaw imo
Tv Ads perhaps, 1 death stopped must be worth the cost surely !!!

although u and i both know that, even given the info, some will look at the bank statement and not buy any En compliant equip ie: helmet with visor and ear protection or the gloves, trousers and boots,
I know you can't force a horse to drink if it ain't thirsty, but dehydration takes days to kill you, a chainsaw can do it in the blink of an eye!!!!!!

location maps and means of communication are an obvious advantage should things go wrong, 
however re your statement on min of cs38 this is an external verification, not having it does not detract or stop a persons having the required ability to carry out a task if instructed and supplied with the correct equipment


----------



## iain

Ross Turner said:


> you never see Drill protection clothing for sale in B&Q do you,lol




ross you never see chainsaw ppe at B&Q either m8 , its a bloody disgrace


----------



## PRUNER 1

iain, ime down wales on the 28-29 nov to do the loler course


----------



## Ross Turner

iain said:


> Tam awesome m8 keep taking the tablets
> 
> Iain,Tam`s name is Tom & he works with me,he is young but comes out with some funny stuff.
> Hes been with the company for about a month now & is fitting in great & is a team player which is good.


----------



## teressa green

im outa here ,,,,,,,,,,,,rapidly,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,hse,my arse


----------



## iain

the argy's lost 

T G they're everyway anyhow, why worry be happy  

it least no hope has come out of the shadows

pruner good luck on the course

ross
its well nice, when you can have a laugh at work, as well as doing a job u luv


----------



## Ross Turner

I bet its fun in my mates house,Hes ex Guards & his misses is an Argy & they normally watch the matches wether in this country or there.


----------



## iain

Ross Turner said:


> I bet its fun in my mates house,Hes ex Guards & his misses is an Argy & they normally watch the matches wether in this country or there.




fly on the wall,, time


----------



## Caledonian

iain said:


> jamie i agree with you, in a scale, a saw is much more dangerous than most other power tools, lets face it hollywood aint going to make
> a film titled 'Texas powerdrill massacre'
> i'm in no way trivialising accident's, however, when was the last time a diy'er slipped and powerdril'd a loved one to death ?l




What about 'Driller-Killer', B&Q started selling thick gloves after that film...


Didn't they


----------



## teressa green

maybe we should all wear crash helmets while driving our vans,fireproof overalls,and full racing harnesses,imo hse are removing our common sence and replacing it with regulations,keep up with it all ? i dont bother anymore,just going out on the bike ,and i will be careful ,,,,,honest ,


----------



## jamie

i agree its getting a tad over legislated, but some folks need protection from themselves, they have no common sense

jamie


----------



## teressa green

then thats their fault,22yrs up trees never needed anyone to tell me what i can and cant do ,the jobs going to the dogs ,imo ,too many wanna be gucci public house tree surgeons about ,who dont know their arses from their elbows ,these pillocks get us all tarred with the same brush,well sod em ,,,,,,,,


----------



## Big A

teressa green said:


> then thats their fault,22yrs up trees never needed anyone to tell me what i can and cant do ,the jobs going to the dogs ,imo ,too many wanna be gucci public house tree surgeons about ,who dont know their arses from their elbows ,these pillocks get us all tarred with the same brush,well sod em ,,,,,,,,


WTF are you on TG? The new lads coming into this trade/profession have all the H&S drummed into them at college, every worksite you go on now spends at least an hour covering H&S procedures before you can even fill your saw. As for "gucci public house tree surgeons" are you referring to the new protective gear thats available, if so what are you wearing? A pair of 22 year old "clown" trousers? I've only been in the trade for the last ten years full time, butbeen involved one way or another most of my life, and I prefer the "new" way, mainly because its easier safer and even quieter than it used to be. Ok there's $hit loads of red-tape now, which is a PITA, but I like me and my mates to go home in the same condition that I left in the morning, in one piece!!


----------



## Ross Turner

Well said Big A,But some companies still dont comply with HSE regs.


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## Big A

I dont think any comply 100%, I dont 100%. Most only comply when it suits them, (like when dishing out official warnings to staff) but if it costs too much then they suddenly go a bit deaf. Years ago when I worked in a warehouse it was a verbal warning for not reporting all accidents/near misses, but when space was short for stock it was ok to overstack pallets and block fire exits and extinguishers. if I made a fuss (which I did) it was classed as stirring trouble. Eventually they said "if you see it move it" which inevitably then pi$$ed off the chargehands who were trying to squeeze a quart into a pint pot. I spoke to a H&S officer one day about enforcement and they are so under-staffed that most of the time they are chasing serious accidents, rather than enforcing rules.


----------



## teressa green

am fully aware of the hse ,breifings .risk assesments but some lads in this profession are ????e would be better off employed in mc donalds ,big a 10 yrs on the ground mate ,i do wear the latest gear but i unlike most am able to do my job and go home in the same condition i went in ,just watching a programme called ,all the gear no idea,in my experience most lads cant do the job and as for collage ,what experience of the real world do the trainers /examiners have ,,,,,,reckon they could make a living in the real world ,this industry is full of tossers who would ???? themselves up a 90 ft beech,just listen to the idiots down the pub ,i quote against these people all the time ,wonder why i get most of the work ????? the minority mess it up for the rest of us ,big time ,


----------



## Big A

Hear you loud and clear,TG. There's those that talk the talk, and those who walk the walk! Seen too many of the first type and not many of the second. Trouble is the bosses keep employing the crap ones because they're cheaper labour, then when the $hit hits the fan they cry!! might have got the wrong end of the stick with your last post, but unfortuately seems that things are only goingto get tighter and tighter on the regs front.


----------



## teressa green

i know mate ,wasnt having a pop ,bad day shopping with the missus and a six yr old in tow,i just find it infuriating sometimes,if im not happy doing something then i dont do it or price accordingly,ie ,cherry picker /crane ,i object to hse etc taking away my right to think for myself,the jobs hard enough without reams of paper work ,regulations ,etc ,i could happily put up with all the dross if it got rid of the cowboys .pikeys etc but it just creates oportunities for them ,we cannot compete price wise,most housholders dont care about ,nptc,bs3998 ,insurance etc ,etc ,how many times you been asked to produce said items ,to a house holder its all down to cost ,,,,,


----------



## iain

t g 

you've hit the nail on the head , at least, with some of the customers the right price gets the job! , and that tends to be the crap end of the industry 'bodge it n scarper'
, you no what i mean, you've seen it a thousand times
we cannot change mrs smith at no 54 mind, cos, she needs to save a few quid as moneys tight, & who can blame them, we're all 'taxed to death in this country'
i even saw a school employing one 'thats public money going in someones back pocket'
no ppe other than rigger boots 
i agree some of the training providers are churning out verbal diarhorea, but by no means all of them 
yes some of the new gucci brigade are a joke, more kit than A&f have 'back to the Trainers influence', but anyone who has the balls too try this job 'Arborist' , deserves a chance imho 
and the fanny's, will end up, bottling it, or failing somehow, eventually, 
again your right a level playing field is ideal, where we all face the same B.S 
its due to start the day after, hell freezes over, 
i don't take bodgers as long term competition, in business, competition is a fact of life, its never easy, if it was easy everybody would be doing it,

the only way to get rid, is if the're dob'd in by there customers, for the terrible service they provide ( hse & Tstnds, aren't able do it on there own, mainly because they are well under staff'd, just proving that these people/traders even exist takes, a lot of time & money and resource, not very likely too happen is it, when they're already stretch'd 
we have little choice but to rap ourselves in red tape, all decent teams care about they're work, and everybody wants to go home in one piece 'Teaching grandma to suck eggs' however no one man knows everything!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

I know lets all do a mass suicide !!!!!!!!!!!!! that'll show ummm !!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## teressa green

up here am seriously thinking of packing in ,and doing ,block paving,turfing,fencing,decking ,little outlay ,little hazard ,big money ,take on a couple of lads who know the game ,get em a van and a good wage ,might be the way to go ,me thinks ,,,,,,dont need a chipper ,training etc ,,,,,sounds easy ,,,,


----------



## jamie

sounds easy TG, but is it as much fun?

jamie


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

teressa green said:


> up here am seriously thinking of packing in ,and doing ,block paving,turfing,fencing,decking ,little outlay ,little hazard ,big money ,take on a couple of lads who know the game ,get em a van and a good wage ,might be the way to go ,me thinks ,,,,,,dont need a chipper ,training etc ,,,,,sounds easy ,,,,




Iv'e been thinking the same thing for a few years now ,i just find it hard to breakaway from this poxy business..


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

jamie said:


> sounds easy TG, but is it as much fun?
> 
> jamie



Jamie dealing with chit day in day out ,takes the fun out of this job ,but much worse than that, i hate the way we as an proffesion aren't taken seriously... but yes i know what you mean...


----------



## jamie

aye, speaking to folk in 'conventional' jobs, they ask you what you do, you reply with tree surgery, they come out with, "hmmm that sounds really interesting", when in reality they think you couldnt cut it in their super fancy super intellectual call centre, calling folk and trying to get them to buy life insurance. having said that i know what i'd rather be doing, all my mates who work in offices are busy putting on weight and getting steadily unfitter, i'm only getting better with time. 

i can see the employers side, i'm just happy working just now.


jamie


----------



## teressa green

agree rola bullchit daily,the fun is rapidly disappearing ,,,,,,


----------



## a_lopa

add me to the list of over it


----------



## iain

have any of you used the new marlow 'gecko' rope ? the t16 was v, bad


----------



## PRUNER 1

i think a few of our lads use that at the mo. it seems ok, that other stuff is awful. i dont like marlow. yale xtc all the way


----------



## Ross Turner

New England Hi Vee or Yale XTC for me.The T16 needs milking to much & is IMHO only worth using for a tying down rope.


----------



## Ross Turner

tam said:


> i seen this dog licking it's arse and i thot to myself ' wow i bet that comes in handy', so i says to the owner 'i wish i could do that'. he told me if i gave it a biscuit it might let me.




Talking to tom(tam) today at work about this post above,He said it was no joke & its as he tells it.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

iain said:


> have any of you used the new marlow 'gecko' rope ? the t16 was v, bad



I have it, it milked badly at first 1.5 m of milk on a 45m length ,i still use it i'll get around to buying a new rope someday..


----------



## nohope

Well, that was a couple of pages of ..... feelings stirred up, should I just run away now?
A few points. 
1 don't go leaving on my account please, the chances of you running into a real life inspector are very slim, Nationally there are fewer inspectors actually out in the field inspecting ALL BUSINESS'S in the uk than there are MP's
There are criteria for selecting which accidents actually get investigated that are handed down from our top management and they ensure that I think the figure is about 10% of all accidents actually get investigated. 90% of 'complaints' are supposed to be responded to, but of those around 70 - 80% are supposed to be dealt with by admin support staff not inspectors.
2. competence and the law, I know dodgy ground here. The law just says that you have to 'have received adequate training for the purposes of health and safety.' thats it, the devil is in what is adequate? and that is for you to convince an inspector or in the worst case a court. There is an approved code of practice which states that for chainsaw use on or in a tree a person should have obtained a relevant certificate of competence. The legal standing of this is that if you do not hold a relevant certificate of competence (ie CS38 for rescue) then you actually have to prove to a court that what you did acheives the same level of health and safety.
3. legislation nowadays is 'goal setting' not prescriptive this means that rather than setting a firm restrictive set of thou shalls and thou shall nots a goal is set (as in the training example above, it has to be adequate) then it is up to you to sort out how you fulfil that. I expect more common sense and experience from people I inspect than in the past when we just had a tick sheet. It is down to you to be able to convince someone that what you do is ok.
4. Paperwork. I hate the stuff, if companies have a lot of it I have to read it, and to be honest most of it is a waste of time. If places put the effort into managing their problems rather than producing paper then they would be a lot better off. I talk about risk assessment and paperwork whereever I go and certainly in arb firms normally end up discussing how they build risk assessment information and records into their existing quoting and billing paperwork.
Right I'll put my tin hat back on now and duck. Please do not confuse me or HSE with the scare mongers that want us all to live in cotton wool. Health and Safety Inspectors have been around since about 1850 or so in one form or another, we have a pretty good idea about real life, all we ask is that people think about what they do, actually use their common sense and control the risks as far as they can.
You can do what you want in your spare time, hey I juggle knives and fire, and stilt walk when I'm not at work.


----------



## iain

Ross Turner said:


> Talking to tom(tam) today at work about this post above,He said it was no joke & its as he tells it.




ross keep an eye out, 
if he nips off to the corner shop, :Eye: or applys for a job with fox's


----------



## iain

its, us who feel like legging it,
a hard job made harder, for the legitimate ones anyway,
with little visable punishment, for the unscrupulous.
As you indicate that the hse are reactive than proactive, due to staff issues,
is it therefore, that investigation are mainly after an incident has happened, where us guys are there with their head on the chopping block and nowhere to runaway too even if we wanted too, whilst the bodgers just change their mobile phones
iv'e heard the horror storys ie: of a 'white van ' firm who dropped a tree through an old dears bungalow, then promptly did a bunk 
**no insurance for the old girl, **no punishment for the cash in hand brigade
'nowt' !! 
sorry but your lot should be able to get a grip of these firms, we as an industry have come a long way in the last 10-20 yrs 

overheads are crippling small-medium firms,
all our emp insurance as gone up by 300%
stiffled with more and more rules and regs to meet / abide by
these courses you mention cost £350- 400 each per person + they're wage whilst on them + the loss to company income while on the courses, which are typically a week long
the list goes on and on and on 
and after all that expence, the lad can up and leave to work overseas for more money or goes to work for another firm, not much of an incentive is it !!!
especially when mr & mrs blogs dont give you there job, because you have to charge so much (To cover overheads to =profit )compared to those who dont do as they should
and you're surprised at the response level mmmmmmmmmmm


----------



## jamie

*see the problem*

i find it good to hear the other side of the story, i hear all the chit all the time about hse this that and the other, its good to hear from the other side of the fence, its proactive them coming here as opposed to us going looking for them for info. i'd say stay and answer all our queries

jamie


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

nohope said:


> Well, that was a couple of pages of ..... feelings stirred up, should I just run away now?
> A few points.
> 1 don't go leaving on my account please, the chances of you running into a real life inspector are very slim,




Tell that to ME when i have to spend huge amounts of time on h&s BS paper work etc etc,when pricing up work for large/national company's,not forgetting also spending copious amounts of money and time on silly bloody courses,that lets face it most course bullchit usually goes in one ear and out the other ,just give us the paper/certificate.Another thing It looks to me that main contractors are doing the HSEs job ie over seeing and implementing health and safety good i hear you say, the problem is it doesn't matter who you work for no body/client clearly understands the regulations,they usually mis vital stuff out and dwell on the minor aspects of health and safety!! 

What the HSE should be doing is stamping out the cowboys,not sit about waiting for firms like us on here to make a slip up..The biggest proportion of our work IS made up with domestic work the area HSE mostly under-look

Ian sounds like to me you haven't sent a guy on a course for a while £350-£400 haha more like £700..

THE FUNNY THING IS EUROPE COULDN'T GIVE A TOSS ABOUT REGS FROM BRUSSELS..we silly buggers follow every paragraph.


----------



## jamie

*courses*

not been sent on any courses in a while, climb and cut, fell big wood with a basic saw ticket, our company does a lot of large stuff, we have the experience, another company round our way (the gaffer is high in the AA) are apprently crap at cutting, more shiny metal things and bits of paper than they know what to do with, but at cant cut. been told of ten minute walk back to the van to get a saw in a vice to sharpen it! pah.

most of my working knowledge comes from understanding what is going on, whats going to happen and how and why it will happen. think

oh and i get the fun job of typing up all the crap we deal with, boss cant use a computer...  

jamie


----------



## iain

rolla 
not sure were your sendin ur blokes, i've got a lad going on cs38 next week £350.00
granted that doesnt include his wage costs and travel so yeah £700 
b**locks aint it


----------



## iain

any one from europe watching ? is the edelrid x-perience arb rope any good ?


----------



## Ross Turner

Get in touch with Nod,i think he has used it.


----------



## iain

who


----------



## puwer

Iain,

The Edelrid X-perience range of ropes personally i think are great, i work on the rainbow which is a little heavier than the likes of the N.E Blaze or Poison Ivy but a durable rope with a good diameter and captive eye splice.

I also have the Timbergreen which i work with a lockjack and again have no complaints with this rope either. 

Noddy Knott - www.treeworker.co.uk


----------



## PRUNER 1

i had a look and our lads are on salamander?, marlow. got a big beech to td tomorrow, nice n easy, mostly drop but may lower the chunks to save the grass. cant wait, we fought for this one!!!


----------



## puwer

Never quite worked that one out? With the industry slating that the T16 got, Marlow released the Gecko and Salamander why wouldn't you realise it under another name rather than Marlow? Not a fan of either but they work for some.


----------



## iain

thxs puwer


----------



## nohope

Lets through another log on the fire and keep this going, Thanks for not just descending into a 'take pot shots at hse and the inspector', thats not why I am here, nobody likes being a target for too long. I like to think that I have a bit of knowledge of the industry, I would like to know more, being a better inspector is not about throwing enforcement about it is about understanding the industries you inspect and being able to work with them try and help to make sure that the accidents don't happen as often.
Did I anywhere say that I was surprised by the response?
Did I anywhere say that I didn't know how much courses cost?
Did I anywhere say that I put peoples heads on the block?
Believe it or not I too would love to be able to get at the white vans, unfortunately I do not have the time to find out where they are working unless someone tells me (us, hse) but you would be amazed at the number of people that complain about us only visiting after the event, or only contacting the legit' but who will not tell us where the cowboys are. You know the jobs you have been undercut on by cowboys,tell us. If youre not prepared to tell us then please don't complain to me that we are not reaching the parts other laws have difficulty with.
I'm a bit confused, you don't want to see us before the accident when things are going ok, you don't want to see us after the accident and yet you still want us out catching 'the others'.... hmmm which is it to be? If we are out trying to catch the others then you never know we may well find you. In which case it will turn into the sort of visit that frankly I am getting bored of-
Morning
Morning I'm an inspector....
Oh chit, what are you picking on me for?
Chat, chat chat, risk assessment, :¬( Oh ok, actually thats not so bad, even makes sense really.
chat
Right, you're ok, can you let me know who I really ought to be inspecting?
Oh no I couldn't bubble/dob in/grass on/ anyone else
ok bye.
Complaints that I have to deal with from the public I spend more time, after checking them out, telling the public where to go.
Several accidents I have investigated have gone no further than initial investigation as I have found that the risks had been controlled as far as reasonably practicable and hey you guys work in the most dangerous industry in the country bar none. Classics are 'anchor point gave way after tree had been assessed by 3 competent climbers' 'climber attached karabiner to wrong loop of bowline' (der that called for a heavy dose of sarcasm)
We do not go around prosecuting everything, you know I said I hate paperwork, you would not believe the paperwork and hoops we have to jump through to bring a prosecution, it is not something that any inspector enters into lightly.


----------



## iain

hey don't take it to heart


nohope said:


> Well, that was a couple of pages of ..... feelings stirred up, should I just run away now?
> 
> i don't know your level of knowledge,so i was putting things down that most other uk arborists, will be thinking, to put our perspetive across.


----------



## iain

any recommendations for a good fungii indent book


----------



## PRUNER 1

fungal decay strategies in wood (ithink) is rather good. covers all the big hitters. collins are usually ok. got the beech down in quick time. start at 845, on the ground and tidied up by 1, with a 30min break in between. sent 2 back to fell the stem thisavo and load up with the tractor. one tranny full of chip, 1 grain trailer of chip and 2 grain trailers of timber, bosch.


----------



## puwer

Manual of Wood Decays in Trees
Claus Mattheck & Karlheinz Weber 

Arb Assoc or Treesource


----------



## iain

cheers


----------



## Big A

Just finished reading thru' the posts of the last few days, and I cant believe that no-one has (as yet) mentioned HM Tax Inspectors. Now, they are a fun bunch to deal with. (I got pulled in for a "random" check) Two sessions of three hours accounting for my whereabouts and movements financially on a three year period from 2003 backwards. $hit I cant remember what socks I'm wearing. What I did learn from this is make sure you dot every i and cross every t, TWICE!! Dont believe advice that people give you, it'll be wrong. Do believe that your books have got to be polished and shine, cos every penny you earn must be traceable. And, believe me, they follow a "paper-chain" from one source to the next. They have no sympathy for "life's problems". 2003 was the year my dad died, and I think I made accounting errors at that time, small mis-claims, rather than fraudulent claims. and small mistakes, (accidentally including a pack of Rizlas with my petrol expense) Honest!! And he picked it out!!


----------



## SteveBullman

Big A said:


> including a pack of Rizlas with my petrol expense



you're out of line man


----------



## Big A

Could be the dearest [email protected]!*ing Rizlas I've ever bought!!


----------



## Buzzlightyear

A mate had exactly the same thing, it seems they know that things are often overlooked in error on fuel reciepts and look closely at them. For him it was a packet of fags...


----------



## Acer

iain said:


> any recommendations for a good fungii indent book



Roger Phillips "Mushrooms and other fungi of Great Britain & Europe" is quite broad, with very good photos, but David Lonsdale, "Principles of tree Hazard Assessment and Management" cuts straight to the chase. Although not specifically a fungus ID book like Phillips, there's a chapter on principal decay fungi, with photos and description and significance of each decay fungi. The rest of the book is useful, too.


----------



## Acer

nohope said:


> I'm a bit confused, you don't want to see us before the accident when things are going ok, you don't want to see us after the accident and yet you still want us out catching 'the others'.... hmmm which is it to be?



Hi nohope, and belated welcome. Thanks for your input.

Personally, I'd much rather have an inspector visit when things are going well, rather than finding out what I should have been doing once something has happened. The problem is, inspectors are pretty thin on the ground. In a previous career in the early 90s, I was involved in laying on training courses for HSE inspectors, and one of the biggest gripes we would hear at tea breaks was how thinly everyone was stretched, and how resources for inspectors were constantly being squeezed. 

One of the problems with applying health & safety and other legislation in this country is perception of how far we have to go to comply with the law. Most people running small arb businesses really don't know how far we have to go in applying some of this stuff. It might be partly due to sections of our media, which delight in feeding us doom and gloom nanny state bureaucracy-gone-mad stories, but a problem with a lot of this legislation is no-one really knows the fine details until a case has gone to court and precedent has been set. Until then, we rely on little snippets we pick up here and there. For example, _is_ it totally illegal to use a top handled saw on the ground, regardless of whether it's used correctly or not? If I was caught using such a saw on the ground, would my NPTC qualifications be revoked? Am I still allowed to do arb work from a rope and harness on a tree where MEWP access is feasible? I gained CS 38 and 39 in 1997, and that was enough to do any arb work - do I now need to go out and get CS 40 and 41 before I dismantle or prune my next tree?

The other problem that comes to mind for the small business owner is the one-size-fits-all nature of legislation, and that size suits larger companies, where responsibilities do need to be pinned on specific people, and some sort of written system would be needed to keep track of it all. But, in a company of 1 boss and a couple of employees, applying the letter of the law becomes ridiculous. Take LOLER, which was the final nail in the coffin for me as far as climbing goes. I didn't object to inspecting my gear on a regular basis, I used to do that anyway. I didn't even object to paying to go on a course to become a "competent person" so I could inspect my gear. But, had I done all that, I still would not have satisfied LOLER , because any inspections I'd have done on my own gear wouldn't have been independant. In general, most of this legislation doesn't seem to give any concessions to the smaller operator. A big company like Fountains and the like can afford to pay people to sit at desks and deal with this stuff-for a small operator, getting to and from the job and doing the work that actually brings in money can eat 10-12 hours per day during the week. The h&s paperwork has to be done during that thing some people call the "weekend" - whateverthat is.. 

None of which is the fault of individual inspectors, of course. However, my personal feeling, sometimes, is that it's all gone too far, and the web of legislation is more to do with identifying who to blame once something has gone wrong rather than preventing things from going wrong in the first place. I felt I did a good job of complying with everything 5 or 6 years ago. I'm doing the same things, but feel I fall short now that things have moved on, and I wonder whether it's worth making that extra effort to catch up..even if I knew how far I had to go. If something drastic happened on one of my jobs, I feel I'd be hammered simply because I'm responsible.

By the way, do HSE monitor the effects of new legislation on accident rates? Can they point to any reductions in accidents due to specific changes/increases in legislation?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Acer, possibly one of the best posts on H+S i've read. perfectly sums up my feelings.


----------



## teressa green

agree ,just about sums it all up ,


----------



## iain

acer
i attended a recent seminar, the newest regs, due out is with regard to vibration tolerance and exposure limits as you say big company's admin potential is greater than that of smaller companys, one boss outfits :
Does The pricing, , Hse, Loler, puwer,invoicing accounts etc etc + actually try to carryout some work usually the Climbing all within the working time directive

i feel that the current trend of legislation, will ultimatly lead to one conclusion 
the black market trader and huge companys and thats it,
bye bye ' small operator ' due the burden placed on them
who was it, who was looking to do more landscaping !!!! Rolla


----------



## Thor's Hammer

I would be much better off financially if I were to cancel my insurance etc. and go to cash only.


----------



## teressa green

cash is king ,,,,,


----------



## blue

big a'
did you have your accountant with you at the meeting with the taxman??


----------



## jamie

*single*

i am now officially single, she moved out this morning, and i helped new boyfriend pack the van, never made eye contact with him, he is now known as fcuker, why just cos. i now have a very empty house. celebrated by calling my 14 yearold stepsister and going snowboarding, something i didnt do often enough when with my ex (snowboarding, not socialising with 14 year olds)

single and happy, just the house is a bit empty


jamie


----------



## teressa green

helped him load van ,should have kicked him in the spuds,all a single bloke needs is ,work ,afridge ,stella, tv,and stereo,chin up mate ,been there ,


----------



## Buzzlightyear

jamie said:


> i am now officially single, she moved out this morning, and i helped new boyfriend pack the van, never made eye contact with him, he is now known as fcuker, why just cos. i now have a very empty house. celebrated by calling my 14 yearold stepsister and going snowboarding, something i didnt do often enough when with my ex (snowboarding, not socialising with 14 year olds)
> 
> single and happy, just the house is a bit empty
> 
> 
> jamie



That sucks


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Moved house last week ,what a PITA moving home is...decorating ,carpets,you name it needs doing at this place,you guys won't see much of me on here for the next few decades.


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## Thor's Hammer

got room to keep the fleet now mate?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

More room thats for sure ,it's amazing the crap you collect over the years.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

WHATS WORK LIKE UP AND DOWN THE COUNTRY ,it's gone very very quiet around here


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Couple of really big jobs come in here, Also been offered a three month cutting + clearing contract 'darn sarf'.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Mind, nothing at all on my own doorstep


----------



## iain

works quiet up here, but we keep getting some nice phonecalls ie an estate of 9k acres to look after 

how big have you bought lee


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

iain said:


> works quiet up here, but we keep getting some nice phonecalls ie an estate of 9k acres to look after
> 
> how big have you bought lee



4 bed semi


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Thor's Hammer said:


> Couple of really big jobs come in here, Also been offered a three month cutting + clearing contract 'darn sarf'.



Here your not setting foot in my territory are you now lol

We are busy on scrub and forestry work till the end of January and a couple of domestic jobs thrown in here and there for good measure aka Christmas fund  

+ I'm spending a small fortune on a Valmet 8000 with a Botex 560TL on the roof and steerable forwarding trailer. So if anyone local wants some timber shifted give me a bell lol  

Glad to hear the move went well Rolla, i'm still sorting my place out and we moved in 3 years ago !!


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## Caledonian

Glad to hear the move went well Rolla, i'm still sorting my place out and we moved in 3 years ago !![/QUOTE]

Try nearly 10 years, we bought a croft (small holding) said it would never happen to me, i'd be all organised, yea, yea, yea,  

Rolla, i wish you health, wealth and happiness in your new home


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## ROLLACOSTA

Thanks Caledonian,i'm giving myself 2 years to get the place ship shape


----------



## Big A

blue said:


> big a'
> did you have your accountant with you at the meeting with the taxman??


Alas, blue, I thought I was clever enough to sort my own affairs. Lesson no. 143: I'm not!!
I was stitched up like a kipper, worse thing was I even did the stitching for him!! I made the errors in the accounting, no one else. But hey-ho at least I'm in good company wit Lester Piggot, Ken Dodd and those other rascals.Lol.


----------



## jamie

*helping,*

ok so im in an empty house, i'm happy now one to rush home to, no dog to have to look after, ok the house is empty, got a fridge, bed, stereo and my computer (oh and snowboards and mountainboards and my rock gear, all i need). got the aerial for my new dab radio (it never came with it) so i'm even happier.

helped her out as she broke a rib mountainboarding the day before, just cos i helped him never meant i did it well, he had a wardrobe and i pushed him up the steps out of the garden, ???? it he tripped.....whoops, stuggling to get things in the van....???? i've got to get back in teh house. dont hate him for going out with lorna, she is my ex, hate him for 'grooming' her over the summer.

she now lives in kent, about as far away as she could get

my house is now a bachelor pad....just a very empty pad.
for the past 2 months i've slept on a futon, i was being chiverlous(sp) and gave her the bed...fool that i am

jamie


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Her loss Jamie. You sound like a decent bloke.


----------



## jamie

nah just a fool

onwards and upwards, i reckon when she gets used to kent she will be in the same bored situation she was in up here. but thats not my problem. still working on the climbing instructor


jamie


----------



## Buzzlightyear

'grooming her over the summer' while you were out working long hours i bet wnaker !

Oh well time to move on now, sdo them !


----------



## blue

big a,
lesson 135,get an accountant


----------



## Thor's Hammer

I've had some really bad accountants though, so choose carefully. My current accountant is the dogs bollocks. He's quite happy to tell the Taxman to ***off, is well used to the dificulties of tree companies, and is a great bloke to have a pint with. Anyone in need of a good accountant PM me. I've learned the hard way...


----------



## jamie

groomed over the summer, when we were away together, we mountainboard and mountainboard events are big campsites, everyone gets hammered all weekend and well, my body clock says 3am is time for bed.....hers doesnt, but she does get up later than i do.....

life is too short for grudges....

as for accountants, my mates girlfriend helps me out.

jamie


----------



## Buzzlightyear

'my mates girlfriend helps me out' Uh oh lol


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Well what have we all been upto today then ?? I've been stuck in the office all PM paying suppliers (


----------



## teressa green

training course for last 3 days ,head battered


----------



## Buzzlightyear

teressa green said:


> training course for last 3 days ,head battered


You managed to stay awake then or was it all outside ??

If i have to sit still indoors these days i feel knackered by the evening


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

teressa green said:


> training course for last 3 days ,head battered



What was your course about then mate ??


----------



## blue

been doing a40% reduction of a big poplar over 3 gardens.foookin slippy all day.only 2 of us aswell,great fun for my groundsman trying to keep up


----------



## iain

pricing up , then dragged around the shops for chrimy stuff then quotes n letters 
and smiling at the weather through the window mmmmmmm warmmmmmm


----------



## Big A

Been planting up specimen trees in the gardens of a large house, really cool job as the client had no real idea as to what he needed, so had carte blanche to spend someone elses money on really nice trees. Nothing over-large, but nice all the same. only downer was there was only about twoo inches of decent top soil then rock hard below that, so much excavating, moving in topsoil, mixing in TPMC then planting. Then the perimeter needed hedging putting in, miles of it. What started outas a 2 day job has now extended to 2 weeks, all with his consent of course. As he is so impressed with the quality of work, he's asked us to carry out all the tree work for his large building company ( subject to price). Result!!


----------



## Caledonian

Big A said:


> As he is so impressed with the quality of work



= a 'Big A'  

(Arboculturist = StephenBullman)

Didn't want you feeling left out buddy. LOL :angel:


----------



## Big A

Aww Shucks!! I aint in Stephens league, lol, but cheers all the same.


----------



## teressa green

bloody railway track safety course ,very hard one to stay awake on ,agreed to do some takedowns for a company up here ,but have stipulated no saturday nights ,


----------



## Ross Turner

TG so you have got your PTS now,good luck working at night up trees aint fun


----------



## highpoint-utd

certainly aint,make sure you get the best petzel head torch you can get then buy another one!and get one of those 5 million candle power shooting lanterns and survey each tree before you climb.dont want you tying into deadwood !(this can and has happened)


----------



## Ross Turner

The company i work for are doing work for Balfour Beatys & have been asked to apply for a CIS card,I thought our industry did not need one,only construction.
Did anyone find out if this was black & white or still Grey.


----------



## iain

its mainly down to who you are contracting too, if they are in the construction industry their accounts are geared to cis so they expect everyone to join in,
idleitus
however i was told that if your task is not construction related ie site clearance for a development, then that is maintenance and thats not part of the cis scheme
the pure facts are, if you want the work you got to tow the corporate line !!


----------



## Ross Turner

I thought as much,the company have applied for CIS but they want the work.


----------



## digga

hi guys not sure this is posted in the right place but sure u will tell me if not I have recently brought a 8wheel forwarder and am wondering what rates I should be charging some customers want a price per ton to extract others want a day rate ? Mainly work in the south east uk 
One of the main reasons for buying the forwarder was that I do a lot of cutting but never had the means to extract the timber. so had to get someone in which worked ok till they started pinching my customers and undercutting so I took the risk brought it so I can offer the complete service cutting and extraction just have to add what a awesome site this is loads of helpful advice


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Ross Turner said:


> The company i work for are doing work for Balfour Beatys & have been asked to apply for a CIS card,I thought our industry did not need one,only construction.
> Did anyone find out if this was black & white or still Grey.




Been through this before ,Arbs don't need a CIS card this is 100%..


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

High digga welcome to our thread ,don't know much about forwarder rates but one or 2 on here do,there sure to pipe up soon.


----------



## teressa green

been down the night climbing road before ,took on the contract but stipulated no nights ,,,,,,,up here saturday nights are for drinking ,and prepping the bikes for sunday ,,,,


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Digga you have mail !


----------



## digga

hi guys thanks for the warm welcome just replyed to your mail buzz


----------



## Buzzlightyear

digga said:


> hi guys thanks for the warm welcome just replyed to your mail buzz



Not a problem ! Their quite friendly here lol


----------



## Acer

digga said:


> hi guys not sure this is posted in the right place but sure u will tell me if not I have recently brought a 8wheel forwarder and am wondering what rates I should be charging some customers want a price per ton to extract others want a day rate ? Mainly work in the south east uk
> One of the main reasons for buying the forwarder was that I do a lot of cutting but never had the means to extract the timber. so had to get someone in which worked ok till they started pinching my customers and undercutting so I took the risk brought it so I can offer the complete service cutting and extraction just have to add what a awesome site this is loads of helpful advice



If you find out, let us all know! One chap near me runs a mini forwarder, low output but very low ground pressure. He works for £150/day, which seems a bit cheap. He can only move 10 tons or so, but it is a specialist m/c for fragile sites. The book Practical Forestry by Cyril Hart has a lot of prices in it, but these would be c. 1990. I'm not sure how these have changed. UK inflation has been around 2% p.a., but I know my inflation is more like 10%! A rough guide round here seems to be £5-10/cu. m., and a cu. m is normally araound a ton when green.


----------



## tam

yeah man working with rossburger's great. 
that chipper sure is very dodgy. if you got your glove (or ear) caught on a branch you'd never stop the beast in time to save your glove (or ear). then youd only be able to hear out of one side or your head. i mean, imagine if there was this low flying aeroplane coming at you from your earless side, and you didn't hear it in time and it flew over you and you pood your pants. that would be awful.

yip, i'm still taking the tablets...


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Acer said:


> If you find out, let us all know! One chap near me runs a mini forwarder, low output but very low ground pressure. He works for £150/day, which seems a bit cheap. He can only move 10 tons or so, but it is a specialist m/c for fragile sites. The book Practical Forestry by Cyril Hart has a lot of prices in it, but these would be c. 1990. I'm not sure how these have changed. UK inflation has been around 2% p.a., but I know my inflation is more like 10%! A rough guide round here seems to be £5-10/cu. m., and a cu. m is normally araound a ton when green.



£150 a day is way to cheap....the least i've ever paid for a forwarder is £250 per day ....

Where's Thor when you need him ?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

I'm back. After taking 35 whopping great poplars down next to a national grid 400,000KV substation in 2 1/2 days, I to tired to be posting much. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz


----------



## Thor's Hammer

tam said:


> yeah man working with rossburger's great.
> that chipper sure is very dodgy. if you got your glove (or ear) caught on a branch you'd never stop the beast in time to save your glove (or ear). then youd only be able to hear out of one side or your head. i mean, imagine if there was this low flying aeroplane coming at you from your earless side, and you didn't hear it in time and it flew over you and you pood your pants. that would be awful.
> 
> yip, i'm still taking the tablets...



I once had my ear torn off and had to sew my glove on the side of my head as a substitute. It worked quite well. I dont think you could use your ear as a glove if you lost it though.
Hahahahahha they'll have to force the tablets down MY throat. thats if they catch me


----------



## Thor's Hammer

did you hear about the man with 5 dicks?





His underpants fitted like a glove..................


----------



## Ross Turner

What sub was it Thor? & what fountains office where you working out of?.


----------



## Acer

Buzzlightyear said:


> £150 a day is way to cheap....the least i've ever paid for a forwarder is £250 per day ....



This is Lincolnshire, though. Prices are pretty low out here, although £150 is still a bit cheap in my opinion. Can't complain if you're buying.  

Like I said, it is a specialist machine, and can work on sensitive sites that normal machinery would trash, but he can't extract much - typically 10 cu m. That still makes it an expensive rate per cu. m.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Ross Turner said:


> What sub was it Thor? & what fountains office where you working out of?.



Lower Penn sub, down the A454 from shifnal. Its not handled by a local office, The Grid contract is all handled from Beedale.


----------



## Ross Turner

Bedale office is where Andrew Clarke used to be based,When i was on grid the local business units handled day to day running & it was over seen by Sparford in somerset.A lot has changed since then.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

I've only done 3 jobs for them. Lower penn was a biggie though. Got to go back to take out another 30 on a shutdown.
They want us down in north london for 3 months too, must have made a good impression.


----------



## Ross Turner

Where abouts in North London,Elstree is the largest sub down that area.
At one time only direct staff could work on the Grid contract & even then at least one person had to hold NPTC Ae5 & the EAKing card befors being aloud on site.


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Thor's Hammer said:


> I've only done 3 jobs for them. Lower penn was a biggie though. Got to go back to take out another 30 on a shutdown.
> They want us down in north london for 3 months too, must have made a good impression.



I'll put the kettle on then lol


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Ross Turner said:


> Where abouts in North London,Elstree is the largest sub down that area.
> At one time only direct staff could work on the Grid contract & even then at least one person had to hold NPTC Ae5 & the EAKing card befors being aloud on site.



That's still correct. I think I have the only Grid subcontract team. I started by forwarding and chipping on some of their bigger and heavier spans, and this was the first cutting job we did. Was quite pleased, we had a 3 hour H+S audit, passed with flying colours


----------



## digga

Hi, thanks for the advice Acer will try get my hands on a copy of the book Practical Forestry by Cyril Hart and have a read .got a meeting with a forestry consultant tomorrow for one of my customers. He has got the consultant involved as its grant work they are on about cutting some sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa ) but not as u would normally coppice it they want to leave one or two trees on each stub. Just can not see what they are hoping to achieve by this he has also told my customer that they will only have to cut off the new springs once and then they wont regrow again (look out for the flying pigs on this job I think lol). They also cant see why I said I will have to charge them more per acre to cut it this way than to clear fell .They seem to think less trees to cut down less work but you guys know as well as I do means more hassle as there will be not much room to drop the trees


----------



## Ross Turner

Digga it sounds like your customer is wanting maiden trees left on the stools(hoping they turn into a good quality timber trees)
If you look on ebay you can normally find that book on there.


----------



## digga

hi Ross i was thinking they was probably after maiden trees the bit that im not sure about when they say you only have to cut the new shoots off the stub for the first year and they wont grow again?. from my experience of coppicing chestnut its far from true and that you will have to keep on cutting off the new shoots if you are wanting to leave a good looking lot of maidens?


----------



## puwer

Moving from the threads started, been looking at next years calendar and the trade shows we have been asked to attend, would be interested to know what sort of thing would the uk arb market would like to see demonstrated, is there particular info that would be good to cover or provide, any particular technical seminars?

What would grab your attention if you walked around a uk trade show, or more importantly what would like to see or would like to have at the show that you might benefit the most from?

Any ideas welcome? 

The tight lycra clad ladies some-one has already covered!


----------



## PRUNER 1

i am now a competent person in the eyes of loler, yey. i passed with flying colours first time. now what to do with it?


----------



## iain

well done p1


----------



## Ross Turner

Well,you start loler testing peoples kit & makeing loads of £££

Well done.


----------



## nohope

Congratulations P1
I have had a few people ask me about CIS and CITB cards 'cos construction companies know FA. After talking with colleagues who inspect construction I found out that there is a 'basic site safety' unit of the CIS scheme. It wouldn't be unreasonable for a principal contractor that runs the CIS scheme to ask for this unit. (I know, more cash/time, I'll duck again) though they can take a running jump for any more and they can come and ask us if they don't believe that nptc cards are nationally recognised certificates of competance, that were around before construction thought about such things.
Does anyone care what i've been doing? Meetings with a council about their policies, meetings with 2 large organisations about work related stress, in court with 2 farmers that I spotted working on a barn one in a grain bucket on a telehandler one on the cement sheet roof walking the purlins. (Their access ladder actually blew over after I had got them down and was writing out the prohibition notice) and attending a 'pesticide liason inspectors conference' Am now working from home as my son has tonsilitus.
Please, someone let me out of the office to actually go and inspect something outside.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Good to get a view from the other side nohope, keep it up


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Construction? your right about them knowing SFA. I have a situation right now, I cant get on a site to do my works, because the main contractor (demolition) cant produce a decent method statement. I'm working for the main contractor, not the demolition contractor, but they seemingly have to have site control. This dispite not being able to draw up a method statement. So we (whose method statement, risk assesment etc. is perfect) have to work under some demolition twat who has'nt a clue.
This is not a HSE problem, its a interpretation of the rules problem. I think that treework firms in general have a very good handle on H+S.


----------



## PRUNER 1

i couldnt believe some of the buggered kit that was on show on the loler course. it made me think how many idiots are out there that have no safe rgard for themselves or others and obviosly havent recieved enough training in the use of the kit there using. i also knew one of the guys thats accident was shown in the hse treework accidents booklet! there were some very dodgy sounding accidents, again made me wonder who the hell these people are and whats wrong with their brains. as if the job aint dangerous enough!


----------



## PRUNER 1

this is what weve been takin down today, look closer!!!!!!!


----------



## Buzzlightyear

PRUNER 1 said:


> this is what weve been takin down today, look closer!!!!!!!


Quality ! I did one just like that yesterday......


----------



## Bermie

Hey Pruner, were you shown the video clip of the guy falling out of the tree, helmet coming off? I did that Loler course too, very useful. Did you get to go to the DMM factory?


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Bermie said:


> Hey Pruner, were you shown the video clip of the guy falling out of the tree, helmet coming off? I did that Loler course too, very useful. Did you get to go to the DMM factory?



The DMM factory ?? What the one in Llanberis N Wales  Awesome place, there is a Mammut outlet store there as well for those of us that indulge in mountaineering and want cheap kit


----------



## puwer

Factory would have been ISC, Denny Moorhouse place (Denny Moorhouse Mountaineering = DMM, his old place!) 

I persume the video was the wall rigging vid, climber on a twin leader getting spat around!


----------



## nohope

Pruner, do you mind if I use those pics when I give talks, 1st one is a great example of how you can never be certain what you will find once you start working on a tree.


----------



## tam

i hate cherry trees. stupid things that they are.


----------



## Ross Turner

Tom(tam) is only saying that as he had a crown reduction to do on one yesterday,No one on the ground to help with the shaping(i was at hospital with partner having a reassurance scan 9+4 weeks due july).
When i got back i went up & finnished the job explaining what & why i was doing it.
Hes going to see the Cheeky Girls tonight.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

I read our helpfull friends at the HSE are pushing to get NPTC tickets to expire after 5 years and then we would have to go on an assesment again.. :angry2:


----------



## puwer

Rolla,

I'd be interested to haer where you read that info? The issue of re-certification is one that has been visited many times by both NPTC and the HSE many times, but so far has been rejected by all involved, primarily as the industry would not accept this. NPTC have made it clear that to attempt to do this at this time would be a logistical nightmare and if they had maybe done this from the start in time of the development of the certs of comp then this wouldn't be an issue! Literature produced and guidance sought from the HSE does reccommended professional users undergo refresher training every five years and the discussion has been had as to whether this refresher training could be added to an NPTC i.d card, this also presents problems and is unlikely at this time to happen. Certs of comp and evidence of update training will provide a portfolio for the end user that meets the requirments under the PUWER regulations. 

This issue is slightly different for those assessors working on behalf of NPTC as they must complete a technical competence test every five years covering the applicable Cs, AO or AE units they hold.


----------



## Ross Turner

I think many small companies would go under if that was the case,It costs alot to train in the first place & some companies cant afford to refresher training never mind re-certification.
The only ones that will win are people like Tilhill & Fountains.


----------



## Ross Turner

Why is it that employers in Scotland & Wales get help/funding for trainning but not in Britain.????????


----------



## iain

Ross Turner said:


> Why is it that employers in Scotland & Wales get help/funding for trainning but not in Britain.????????



thats not strictly acurate Ross
funds can be sourced 'Business link' is a good first point of call ,although the funds are small and go quickly + a mountain of form filling


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

puwer said:


> Rolla,
> 
> I'd be interested to haer where you read that info? The issue of re-certification is one that has been visited many times by both NPTC and the HSE many times, but so far has been rejected by all involved, primarily as the industry would not accept this. NPTC have made it clear that to attempt to do this at this time would be a logistical nightmare and if they had maybe done this from the start in time of the development of the certs of comp then this wouldn't be an issue! Literature produced and guidance sought from the HSE does reccommended professional users undergo refresher training every five years and the discussion has been had as to whether this refresher training could be added to an NPTC i.d card, this also presents problems and is unlikely at this time to happen. Certs of comp and evidence of update training will provide a portfolio for the end user that meets the requirments under the PUWER regulations.
> 
> This issue is slightly different for those assessors working on behalf of NPTC as they must complete a technical competence test every five years covering the applicable Cs, AO or AE units they hold.



I got the info from 'THIS WEEKS HORTICULURE WEEK'...page23 article called 'Gaining Training' this is what the paragraph reads.

As present, NPTC certification is for life, but the HSE would like an expiry date on these, after which candidates must be re-assessed. It has recommended a validity period of five years. An alternative proposal would be to oblige certificate holders to take periodic refresher courses to bring them up to date with changes in legislation and best practice.


----------



## jamie

we all develop bad habits, but its the part time users who are most at risk, if you use a saw day in day out, chances are that you will become canny, get the idea or what not to do and why, someone picked up with my boss the fact his card was more than 5 years old, he laughed. its the part timers who get a ticket and use it twice a year, hammering the saw and not understanding why and how the saw works properly that are most at risk i would say.

jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

iain said:


> thats not strictly acurate Ross
> funds can be sourced 'Business link' is a good first point of call ,although the funds are small and go quickly + a mountain of form filling



Where can you find this info out at??.
Thanks Iain.


----------



## Ross Turner

Has the HSE said anything about all personel who use chippers to hold a cert of competence yet?.


----------



## puwer

Rolla,

Thanks for the reference i will take look, who wrote the article? 

Funding is available through business link via the european social fund the problem is this funding is available in different amounts, and different times of the year depending on where you are located. The major factor is this funding cannot be used for qualifications required by law. 

Colleges can draw funding via the learning and skills council (LSC) but the course must be accrediated via QCA, therefore the suite of NPTC Cs units apply, this is why colleges can afford to offer courses that bit cheaper. Independant training providers stuggle to access this but it isn't impossible. Look for a college with COVE (centre of vocational excellence) you will find the subject area with COVE status offers cheap training, this may only continue untill June/July 06. 

Welsh employers and employees may be able to gain funding via ELWA (Education Learning Welsh Assembly - i think!), a good internet search should bring them up. 

The issue of refresher training and occasional users is a concern and that is why reccommendations are set at 3 years for these users, professional users do develop bad habits that is a non starter, anpother major reason for update training are the changes in techniques, whether it be legislation, best practice or ground based/aerial techniques. 

Jamie you have a perfectly valid point over "saw time" those professional users who do use the saw every day do become more user friendly, maybe they do not work in line with best prective every day but there techniques generally are very good and safe within reason. I think this saw time issue does raise concern as in cases with the NPTC Cs30 Maintain and operate the chainsaw unit, the unit requires a minimum of ten cuts which several must display tension and compression and that's it!

Machinery use all comes down to looking at the risk level and should be assessed in each given situation, so far as chippers are concerned the general provisons of the PUWER regs need to be adhered to as in instruction, training and supervison. To keep it simple there is no requirement to hold an NPTC cert of comp for this area, a LANTRA ITA course would surfice or even in house training, this does in itself carry issues and i would reccommended anyone contemplating this have a read over AFAG 805 Training and certification guide. If still in doubt ask your training provider if they are open about these issues, or come back to me.

I cannot speak on behalf of the HSE but for all the discussions i have had with them, accrediated training whether it be in case run in accordance with current thinking, NPTC cert of comp or Lantra ITA courses are all a very large step in the right direction. And to actively insist that NPTC certs of comp must be achieved in this area i feel would be wrong and i doubt the HSE would do such a thing. (My opinion)


----------



## PRUNER 1

no hope, yeah you can use them feel free!!! didnt get to go to dmm factory unfortunately. or isc. bit miffed but ne'er mind. didnt see the vid but did see one of an old guy spiking an old growth redwood and dropping the top off. awesome.


----------



## teressa green

PUWER,are you a member of any other professional forums ,such as ,window cleaners,bricklayers,plumbers,scaffolders,mechanics are any other industry seriously affected by hse,or do you just have a keen interest in tree surgeons,?


----------



## puwer

Teressa,

Arb is my business, yet do keep my eyes and ears open within other industry sectors IRATA, BMC etc. 

I'll help if i can.


----------



## puwer

Pruner,

The film "spar tree" you saw is available from the ISA UK&I Chapter: 01215568302


----------



## PRUNER 1

back to the grind tomora boys!!!


----------



## Ross Turner

My boss wants me to train the employees of the company for the Utility Arboricultural qualifications so all he needs to do is put them in for assessment.Going to get paid overtime but nothing else.It sucks what do you think?.


----------



## iain

i think you dont need us to tell you , you've sussed it for yr self


----------



## puwer

Got to agree with Iain on that one, even a unit one is a head banger at the best of times for trainees.

Is he expecting you to teach both the arb and electrical element or will he bring in a linesman for that? 

Plenty of work out there for AE trainers/assessors!


----------



## Ross Turner

They want me to train up for all of unit 1,My boss is in NZ at the mo & his dad is running the company so im the only fully qualified member of staff they have got,only one other has unit 1 & he is a waste of space,so thats 3 of the staff untrained & yet they are working next to lines.


----------



## Ross Turner

I also have to train one of the lads up ready so he can sit his chainsaw units 30 & 31,He can fell trees but has been taught different methods & has picked up bad habits, so have got to help him.
He is good at his job & i will help anyone who needs help but i just think im taken for granted.


----------



## puwer

Ross,

If you PM your address i'll put one of our Cs30/31 training packs in the post that will help you along the way. Any queries give us a shout.


----------



## PRUNER 1

what will i need insurance wise in order to carry out tree inspections and loler kit inspections, small business wise? any good advice much appreciated! also best ways of advertising? cheers


----------



## iain

PRUNER 1 said:


> what will i need insurance wise in order to carry out tree inspections and loler kit inspections, small business wise? any good advice much appreciated! also best ways of advertising? cheers



professional indemnity ins 

trust ins 0870 4444344
algarve 01483 489291
insurance co + wallet =ouch


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

iain said:


> professional indemnity ins
> 
> trust ins 0870 4444344
> algarve 01483 489291
> insurance co + wallet =ouch



Minimum cost for professional imdemnity ins [for tree reports] will be £1500 and they will want to see a few of your reports and surveys etc


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Ian any development on the ''TWG'' i'm happy to give more time to it if needed. I'd really like to see this up and running and prove to a few people that together we can make a difference..


----------



## puwer

Most of the insuers will want to see your terms and conditions in regard to LOLER, let me know if you need a hand there they are pretty basic points which should be included. Advertising with LOLER generally comes through word of mouth, all our clients are personal reccommendations. Try speaking to your local trainers if they are not inspectors they may be able to pass your name on to their clients, local colleges, students need kit doing and if they have an arb unit they may consider sub contracting the work. Advertise at your local chainsaw dealers. 

Take the time to create a good workable recording system (computer programme works for me), along with adequate ways to mark equipment that will last inspection durations. The amount of crap i wade through with inspections is untrue, bits of A4 paper with little knowledge of the difference between MBS and SWL, kit not marked, no inspection sheets provided. All in all when it comes to inspections out there the standard is pretty low. 

Set your stall out well, we charge for our inspections and we charge what i believe is a fair price for the level of service you get, i no longer bother defending a price you get what you pay for and our service allows us to educate your workforce and take the onus away from the employer - you don't pay a consultant to create more problems, or when they have left your kit in a huge pile to be left with having to create weekly check sheets, well i don't think it should be like that!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

puwer I know of 2 loler inspecters in my area and it seems that me and one other firm are the only ones getting our kit checked ,I worked for a council a month ago and the Arb foreman aregued till he was blue in the face that his weekly inspections were all thats needed I told he needed to get kit checked every 6 months by a loler inspector,i left him to it as i need his work lol

IMO loler should send out flyers to all involved in arb work,because from where i'm standing it looks like most aren't getting kit checked


----------



## iain

Rolla 
TWG
sorry mate i haven't been envolved recently, the business has taken over, contact yellow fox or unimog they may know more !


----------



## puwer

Rolla,

I think we all know that a good 70% of our industry don't comply with LOLER, whether it be the inspection regimes or the standards laid out within the regualtions. We also know that a good % of the industry have no idea of risk assessment, COSHH, RIDDOR or the PPE regs, it makes me chuckle when i get asked to advise on the working at height regs, i fully applaude anyone making the effort to adhere to these regs but what we all know that give it ten years and i'll be asked "I've heard about some working at height regs are they relevant to me?"

The AA health and safety package was a step in the right direction to address some of the legislation issues and also provide info for people on compliance, it is by no means perfect but it is bloody good start.

LAs' are great, numerous times i have been called in by management to undertake an inspection, before i do i provide the employees with a five minute presentation on what there responsibilites are, we generally hit a wall when we discuss daily checks and competence to do those. "What do you mean my units 10,11,12 etc aren't particularly relevant any more, hey there only ten years old!"

What might be nice is if the health and safety package created by the AA is turned into a one day workshop, covering how to turn the theortical knowledge into practical and how to make H&S systems work and benefit you as an employer. 

We ran a one day free workshop in south wales earlier this year entitled "arb awareness" 35 contractors truned up and we spent the morning going through legislation, best practice and qualifications, we then moved onto modern equipment in tree climbing and the pros and cons, the afternoon session covered use of MEWPS and tree climbing demos - all in all it was a good day and i feel those who attended benefited even if all they took away was FSC guides no longer exist. 

Mass education sessions like this are cheap to run, you can relatively large numbers of people exchanging a huge wealth of knowledge, i'm hoping the next one in 2006 will cover aerial rescue techniques.


----------



## PRUNER 1

cheers for the info guys. much appreciated. thinkin of goin part time in the new year and setting summat up myself aswell. need to wait on another job first. want to see how that pans out first cos the moneys daft.


----------



## Ross Turner

So will darlo be looking for another climber?


----------



## PRUNER 1

ross, yeah. they are advertising for a foreman and chargehand aswell since rich went in the office. weve got a man on long term sick and dont know if hes cumin back. there will be a few posts open soon. keep an eye out in northern echo, the la jobs on the darlo website and poss hort week.


----------



## nohope

Been away for a while, first son with tonsilitus, then a weeks training course.
So....
1. certificates and chippers, PUWER summed it up, all operators who use work equipment have to have received adequate training for purposes of health and safety. There is no legal requirement for certificates of competance. It all comes down to how do you prove that the training provided is adequate?
2. LOLER and councils, please let us know about these, by now we should be past big organisations like councils not complying.
3. Time limited certificates of competance... I have heard nothing beyond reccomending to people that refresher training is advisable. 5 years is in line with reccomendations for refresher training for forklift truck drivers. 
Good luck with the training Ross, if you would like I have got general info on the stages and elements of any training programme that we would expect to see PM if you are interested.


----------



## iain

ross p1 
midd are going to need an arb officer as well


----------



## PRUNER 1

oh really???????????!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## iain

really


----------



## tam

hey jamie, your picture thing is off the buxtons catalogue right? hey hey you should see the stihl catalogue ross has got...


----------



## Ross Turner

tam said:


> hey jamie, your picture thing is off the buxtons catalogue right? hey hey you should see the stihl catalogue ross has got...



Its not the catalogue i have its the 2006 calendar,Not even looked at myself yet as the lads at work has all ready in the unit for the 1st Jan.

Spoiled myself yesterday & bought an Art positioner


----------



## jamie

any link to the calendar? the pic came from the buxtons catalogue....

2 best things in life, girls and chainsaws.....eh i mean trees

jamie


----------



## puwer

Positioner, with or without the swivel arm?


----------



## Ross Turner

what do you mean?,its the one with the solid arm like the one you find on the lockjack sports.


----------



## Ross Turner

jamie said:


> any link to the calendar? the pic came from the buxtons catalogue....
> 
> 2 best things in life, girls and chainsaws.....eh i mean trees
> 
> jamie




Sorry jamie but aint got any links,if i find any i will post.


----------



## SteveBullman

puwer, i think youre thinking about the new rope guide with swivel


----------



## puwer

Positioner as used for a side lanyard is available in two styles, the arm that attatches the positioner to your harness can either be fixed or you can buy an arm that rotates 360 degress just as the Petzl Swivel does so it never gets tangled.


----------



## puwer

If you look at the positioner on www.treeworker.co.uk the positioner in that diagram does not have the swivel arm.


----------



## puwer

Sorry about this, but if you go to www.freeworker.de and click on ART on the left hand menu the positioner in the diagram has the swivel in the top section of the arm, compare the pics.


----------



## jamie

off topic, just had the ex's parents up to get all the stuff she forgot....i'm nice (read a fool) and kept it. got a text message told them that it was from new love interest then to top it all off they gave me a birthday card with £30. productive day i think. and they told me she is having a hard time in her new life i couldnt help but then boast that i was having the time of my life and everything was good.

just had to share my news.

back on topic, where can you get the sthil calendar?

jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

puwer said:


> Positioner as used for a side lanyard is available in two styles, the arm that attatches the positioner to your harness can either be fixed or you can buy an arm that rotates 360 degress just as the Petzl Swivel does so it never gets tangled.




Where can you get these parts from & any others for the ART products.


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## Ross Turner

Jamie try your local stihl dealer


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## SteveBullman

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/STIHL-2006-CA...729842559QQcategoryZ20538QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

here ya go jamie


----------



## jamie

there is a guy in one of the pics, whats all that about

jamie


----------



## highpoint-utd

politicaly correct shi te
thats what all thats about


----------



## puwer

Ross,

Go to Noddy Knot at treeworker.co.uk his details are on the web site. Direct importer for ART products.


----------



## jamie

bought one

might even have a new avatar

jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

puwer said:


> Ross,
> 
> Go to Noddy Knot at treeworker.co.uk his details are on the web site. Direct importer for ART products.



I though Nod`s name would pop up.


----------



## Ross Turner

Prunner1,was the Loler course easy??? & was the B&B expensive?


----------



## PRUNER 1

ross, the course is quite easy if your already clued up and know what your lookin at.its a good idea to read the assessment schedule before hand which is available from the nptc website. also if you read the hse loler booklet its a good idea. the thing that got me was not being too cautious with kit. its too easy to fail kit just to put your mind at ease. its like, do i fail it or dont i. bit of a mind game really. very informative though. its all based on knowledge of the gear we use on a daily basis. the more knowledge of working conditions for kit and intended uses etc the better. ime waitin till new year to do something with it.


----------



## puwer

Pruner is pot on anyone interested in doing the LOLER ticket should take the time to look over the current industry literature; AIS 30, ACOP for LOLER, AFAG 401, NPTC Schedule, Simple Guide to the LOLER.

Looking through this info prior to the course will put you streets ahead of other candidates, most poeple fail due to lack of under pinning knowledge with either the kit or the legislation.


----------



## Ross Turner

PRUNER 1 said:


> ross, the course is quite easy if your already clued up and know what your lookin at.its a good idea to read the assessment schedule before hand which is available from the nptc website. also if you read the hse loler booklet its a good idea. the thing that got me was not being too cautious with kit. its too easy to fail kit just to put your mind at ease. its like, do i fail it or dont i. bit of a mind game really. very informative though. its all based on knowledge of the gear we use on a daily basis. the more knowledge of working conditions for kit and intended uses etc the better. ime waitin till new year to do something with it.




Thanks for that,what about the digs you stayed at??


----------



## tam

woops i meant catalogue. btw if anybody fancies making someone happy at christmas, you can get me a lockjack.

...hint hint


----------



## tam

hey man that german art site kicks ass. i like the wee 'video' thing of the lockjack.


----------



## Ross Turner

Tam keep dreaming.


----------



## Ross Turner

I have a Samurai S-300LH pruning saw brand new still in packageing & surplus to requirements it is looking for a new home £25 delivered.


----------



## PRUNER 1

ross i stayed at plas tan y graint or sumat, 35squid for a double room. shud o been 50. ok but dont get the cooked brekkie. the woman christened me bacon!


----------



## Ross Turner

or was it cremated.


----------



## SteveBullman

Ross Turner said:


> I have a Samurai S-300LH pruning saw brand new still in packageing & surplus to requirements it is looking for a new home £25 delivered.



freebie with total arb??
its pants, mine didnt last 5 minutes.


----------



## Ross Turner

stephenbullman said:


> freebie with total arb??
> its pants, mine didnt last 5 minutes.



that good????????


----------



## SteveBullman

yep. first the blade bent, then the holster clip snapped, in actual fact it lasted about 2 weeks


----------



## unimog

Went for a paper this am and was very entertained watching a gang of 3 working in a front garden prunning rowan and cherry trees.

1. Park van on grass verge and start spinning. Rip grass to shreads and turn into mud bath.

2. Get gear ready.1 chain saw with what looked like a 20" bar. Run hire chipper out of pick up down 2 scaffold planks...whoops ...bang.. wallop...Park chipper on it's side with one wheel in the air and fall to ground clutching leg while shouting corrective instruction to rest of crew...."why the **** didn't you hold the fu*king thing, mi legs killing and I think it's broke.

3. Start saw and carry around in one hand while trying to put 24 foot double extension ladder in to a 20 foot high cherry with other. Ask other crew member to help, he is unavailable because matey is still on ground wriggling in pain and needs help to stand.

4. The main man with the bad leg decides the young rooky climber needs some on the job training and sends him up the ladder to do the Cherry(not prune lol). PPe consists of , jeans, fluffy Hoody jacket and rigger boots certainly looks better than the usual yellow lumo and shiny shoes.

5. I did'nt see the job spec, so not exactly sure how to decribe the finished job. sort of a heavy reduction (cut where I can reach) with some selective thinning (on the side nearest the chipper) but leaving pegs to make the climbing easier next time around.

6. Prunning done,time to start the chipper(well a wheel barrow look alike that might take a 1 inch piece of dead straight Poplar with no side branches). Best place to chip, right in the middle of the front manicured lawn. Seeing a second truck pull up I thought this was a big co (watch out Fountains) I soon realised that matey with the bad leg and decided to cash in on the chipper by letting his mates bring their brash to chip on this site.

What a shower and to be honest I don't feel one bit for the people that employed them. Any one with a brain cell could see they were the boys for the job.

I did call Mr No Hopes office just to let them in on the fun,but unfortunately nobody was available to come and play.

Anyway back to our pretend world where all is checked ,tagged,recorded and paid for and if it isn't, I'll see you in court.


----------



## SteveBullman

you stalking me or summit unimog


----------



## iain

i tried calling the hse 'once' , i got much the same responce, uur what chainsaw's ermm sorry no one's available
if you leave the 'site address' i'll try and get someone to visit 

bolt,horse and door springs to mind !!!

my overriding feeling was that lady fully expected this to be on a formal building / construction site and anything outside of the normal, was over and above their capabilitys to react
yippeee


----------



## Big A

What's wrong with fluffy hoodies anyway????? Apart from it's too warm too wear one at the mo! I agree with the riggers tho', they're soooo 2004!! It doesn't matter what we say, do or think, I don't think the general public will ever care as long as the job gets done, and they dont feel ripped off! If anything they seem to think that a legitimate company is stitching them up,as they have to charge more to cover all their overheads. :bang: Case in point, today I had to pollard a willow that we originally had to reduce by 30%, the reason was given that they wanted to see more for their money, so we did it, then charged them more for their money, and they were well chuffed. I bl**dy well give up sometimes.


----------



## jamie

we have some council trees to do, they are totally land locked and have to be extracted up 4 flights of stairs. they were previously 'pollarded' and are in the back garden of a nursary. when we turned up to start the job, all sh!t kicked off with the locals, they got a consultant in who recomended a 30% reduction, they are big poplar one was pollarded at 40 foot and then spreads horizontal for 20 foot before going back up. the council dont have the balls to stand up to these residents (who have no say in the trees, but are doctors and laywers etc) so 2 of them are getting pollarded and one is getting removed.....to top it all off the council will only give us dispensation (to park on the single yellows)for an hour and the begining and end of the day to load and off load tools, gaffa reckons its a week long job.

its shaping up to be a fun fun job, with more fun encounters than anything else. boss told the council noone is climbing them if there is even a breeze as they are a bit sh!tty....read jamie aint climbing them in a breeze.

jamie


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Arrrr stop all your whinning ,you lot a raking it in !! tree surgeons doesn't that mean folk who have a license to print money ???

Seriously I had a customer today who looked extremely pi$$ed off when I ground out a 2' oak stump out in under 15 mins .Seems like they wan't the job done but don't want too pay..

Customers that employ cowboys because there cheap desrve a [email protected] job imo !!


----------



## teressa green

got a widow maker of a copper bech to do today ,dropped 3 x large limbs in last 3 mth will post pics later ,going to be a devil of a job,


----------



## teressa green

as promised what a sod of a job


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

Pollarded some crack willows a few weeks back in a community nature reserve. Was not happy the pole saw didn't work so i had to do it on ropes. Not high trees but rotten as anything as you'd expect with old crack willow. The bigest tree was so rotten it was untrue.

Of course now the customer is having a paddy about paying for the job. They thought they could have done it quicker with voluteer group. I wish i hadn't burnt the rubbish or i'd have taken it back and stuck all the branches back on.


----------



## PRUNER 1

i had a ball ache of a turkey oak to deadwood today. frictions saver, redirects, strops the lot. sick as fook. all tip work too. soooooooo glad when finished. not a tall tree but broad as hell with all the crown around the top  nice when theyr big and open like climbin frames but this one were just plain crap! did an easy syccie after that. startin to enjoy it again lately cos weve got lots of big stuff in. mojos up a bit hhigher than was!


----------



## jamie

TG so what was the problem with the tree?

jamie


----------



## highpoint-utd

theiving fookin scrotes have robbed my whacker plate cement mixer and all my saws .came home today to find shed had been busted into and all equipment gone in the middle of the twatin day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! whacker plate was brand new £800 down the pan .anyone got a bit of rope i need to hang meself arggggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh


----------



## SteveBullman

feel for ya mate, its happened to me before


----------



## teressa green

was cavity filled 20 yrs ago with concorete,massive cavities and rot, a real sod of a job


----------



## iain

high guys 
i'm moving house tomorrow wacfu , nightmare ! running the job / packin the house / dealing with numptys at solicitors, then my computer did one on me iv'e spent the last eight hours formatting it and reloading the f 'in thing. full of cold n feel 5hite merry xmas and a prosperous new year  to all


----------



## Ross Turner

Moving anywhere nice Iain?.


----------



## iain

between where we are at the mo and whitby a small village called easington


----------



## Ross Turner

Just been told today that if we sit a NPTC test & fail it we have to pay for the resit.
What do you lot think?


----------



## iain

Ross Turner said:


> Just been told today that if we sit a NPTC test & fail it we have to pay for the resit.
> What do you lot think?




Don't Fail It !!!!


----------



## Ross Turner

its not me it the other lads.


----------



## iain

tell them not to fail it
lets face it i costs a boat load to nptc a crew and they can, f off at the first wind change, without so much as, a kiss my butt
i know it seems harsh and personally i dont put forward anyone, who i dont think is very close too standard , i dont ask them to contribute to costs, but i can see where yr gaffer is coming from, the pot is only so deep
and we ' The legit firms ' are getting squezed from every possible direction lately something has got to give !!!


----------



## Ross Turner

None of them is qualified full stop.


----------



## highpoint-utd

erm bolloxs ,is not the nptc test a required training sylabus for puwer and hse compliance .id say the resit fee would be down to the firm.then again they might just be trying to scare the lads into passing.(an old glendales trick)which they still do .especially since chris trivvet left em and went on his own .


----------



## highpoint-utd

how about using a disclaimer for training costs like the army do .you leave and have to pay for x amount of the training costs .fair to both parties then.
thats how i got me hgv through the army but was before everyone was signing on for 3 years and getting it .then again never used it ,aint much call for hgvs in an infantry regiment lol.


----------



## puwer

You fail your driving test so you pay for a re-sit, exactly the same way that NPTC works, administration costs have to be covered along with the assessors fee for that day, none of us would work for free so a re-sit fee is perfectly logical. 

Highpoint - "is not the nptc test a required training sylabus for puwer and hse compliance" the NPTC scheme would (*without getting complicated ) demonstrate competence but is not the only option and and is "not required" by law.

Disclaimers - a whole new world and an option that many employees try to move towards, the idea of trying to make an employee pay for training, instruction and supervision is a non starter and this is the most basic aspect of H&S legislation. 

I will quite happily stand corrected but i would be surprised to know of any arboricultural employer that redemmed costs for training from an employee.


----------



## highpoint-utd

what i was trying to get across puwer ,was this . a written agreement that if employee x leaves within say 6 months of receiving his expensive training then they become liable for a percentage of the cost,as the employee has benefited the most from doing his nptcs and has them for life (for now).obviously the employer has to ensure his staff are trained but i was refering to the small buisness .ive worked for a firm where you were payed per nptc unit on your salary ,so that was a base of £8000.00 plus one thou for each nptc unit  didnt stay to long after he tried telling me that pollarding horsechestnuts was comon practice in france and we dont do it over here enough he was quite mad actually.
oh yeah puwer i was saying also that the lads shouldnt have to pay the resit fee ,not that it shouldnt be charged .


----------



## teressa green

dont read the thread then ,can america take anymore isolation ,,,,,,,,,


----------



## Ross Turner

Shaun Bowler said:


> I think it is long over due that the Brits get thier own web site.
> I would like to never see their special status on this site to continue any more.
> Lets have a poll!
> Or, lets break up into nationalities, sex and race.



Get a life & as TG said dont read the thread"Brits talking about Brit stuff"


----------



## Ross Turner

The staff dont know anything yet about this so it should be fun,All staff on the central network contract(WCE) has till april to gain all relevant quals if they doint they are off the job & it looks like our company is going to be looking for more staff in the new year,Good luck to them if they keep going(i have been asked to sit in on interveiw).


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

I know a lot of guys this way pay for their own training. As for paying for re-assessment i think it is fair to pay its a pain and its IS expensive but there is an admin cost and training cost involved and thats got to be picked up by someone.

I've got to redo my CS31 because i went on the course never having felled before and it was a lot to master in a week. I also got picked up on standing in a danger zone when doing a letter box cut, depsite thats were my instructor showed me to stand. So I failed the NPTC which my company paid for so personly i have no problem paying to rectfy my mestake (see how many 21 year olds will give you that answer  )

I've just been talking to my uni and i get to fell trees in their woodland to remove the trees that shouldn't be there. They get it free i get the practice everybody is happy.

Do you guys train your people with no CS AO units and then just send them off for assessment, are you qualified trainers or do you just do it? On my CS38 it seems i was the only one who had never been near a tree on a rope there companies had all sent them up and about in the crown, some with chainsaws!


----------



## puwer

Of course it is difficult for small businesses to stump up the cost of a whole suite of NPTC units for an empolyee and potentailly watch them walk away after only six months with you. A lot of firms will therefore limit the training the workforce recieves or only train them up in certain areas ie. ground work only. We then enter a vicious circle of poorly trained, unexperienced staff, who are generally on low wages working in a labour intensive industry, I think that circle already exists!

How about some ideas then, many of us feel that the colleges aren't doing the job properly, climbers with a whole rack of NPTC tickets generally have no experience yet want the money of an experienced arborist. NPTC units are a health and safety qualification and that's it, they only demonstrate part of what is legally competent. Little training is given on tree health care and management, along side staff having little educational development. Risk assessment may be undertaken through neccessaity (ie the contract your on) not choice along with LOLER, PUWER, Working at Height Regs etc.

So how do we break this cycle, how can we create an educated, practical and academic workforce that have the ability to gain hands on saw/tree time?

I have some ideas, most of us are employers and we all know what the problems are and what we want so what should be done?

Brushcutter, many poeple are caught out with danger zones when cutting out the letter box ( i presume this is for hung up tree?) Just a little tip, if you are looking at the back of the tree you should be stood on the left creating the letterbox with a pulling chain, if you put your felling lever about 2 ft away from the back of the tree and slightly towards you this will give you a physical barrier and a bit of a memory jog not to step beyond the lever. If you need to move to the other side of the tree to make the final sever cut then walk round the back of the lever this also shows that you have an awareness of the danger zone and aren't tempted to stand over the back end of the tree. As you start the letterbox and the saw moves towards you alot of people will step forward to square up the 10% of hinge you are leaving nearest to you, keep the feet still and just move the saw square with your right hand, the saw can enter the danger zone not you!

Hope this helps.


----------



## highpoint-utd

hmm a bit of nastiness coming from mr bowler there boys .ah well i think we will weather it,after all they won both world wars for us and invented everything humanly possible eh???????shame theres a rotten apple in the barrel most of the yanks seem allright on here


----------



## highpoint-utd

hmm to answer you question puwer look in this months arb mag.mr trivett and his gang have said exactly the same thing.nice guy though chris is worked with him in manchester and liverpool for glendales


----------



## PRUNER 1

highpoint, i too worked with mr trivett, but in birmingham. he was contract manager there. i was working for north east at the time and we had to go down and help with the backlog of work after some storms. about 2001 i think. thoroughly nice bloke. sorted us out with loads of cash and overtime and took us alll out in broad street a couple of times after a good curry. he even gave us his car for a weekend so a few of us could go home to see our other halfs. i even managed to claim back petrol money that turned out to be 4x the amount it actually cost and we got money to go home that weekend bonus!!!!!!!


----------



## highpoint-utd

pruner do you know my old mate peter bolton? he was contracts manager for manchester and liverpool.if you was around in 2000/2001 did you know of the area manager for n/w dave peake .what an arse


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Shaun Bowler said:


> I think it is long over due that the Brits get thier own web site.
> I would like to never see their special status on this site to continue any more.
> Lets have a poll!
> Or, lets break up into nationalities, sex and race.



PI$$ OFF IDIOT !!!!


----------



## Ross Turner

Well said Rolla.


----------



## nohope

Unimog, Just logged on and caught up with the postings. If you will try ringing in on the day when the Agricultural group is out for its christmas do what do you expect!!! You don't expect every inspector to be able to cope with arb work do you. Next time see ir you can ask the idiots to wait a day, I was working in York last Wednesday

Training, like PPE should be supplied by the employer, it is their responsibilty to train and to supply PPE. The law states that the cost of H&S measures cannot be passed onto the employee. To charge employees would be like charging employees the admin time to work out their own tax & NI, its just one of the many costs of running a legit business. 
I do however know of companies that have contracts with employees that state if they leave then they have to pay back some of the cost of PPE. It is a standard thing to do for driver training. I know big bus companies pay for PCV license but if you leave within a certain time (until they think they have a return on the investment) you pay some or all of the cost.


----------



## teressa green

what are you on you ,div,why butt in to a thread with snidey remarks about our country,are our boys not dying in iraq with yours ,dont we speak the same language ,sort off,go away you silly little man and do some growing up ,ps,do you have firearms at home ? i hope so ,put one in the chamber and do your self a favour ,daddy usa ,you daft sod ,


----------



## a_lopa

what the hell does this have to do with trees:censored:


----------



## highpoint-utd

and you didnt throw us out ,you snidley attacked us on christmas day when we was all pissed ,learn your history not what hollywood tells you .anyhow we was back during the civil war selling both sides weapons and had men fighting on both sides dumbass.and the confederates navy flagship was british built and crewed.one word ----------tosser


----------



## highpoint-utd

Shaun Bowler said:


> Face the truth... When we kicked you out of this country, you had no where else to go but an island.
> oh so we didnt have the commonwealth then ?????????plus we were busy kicking the frenchies arses and couldnt be bothered kicking your arses .


----------



## SteveBullman

fact is, almost any american you meet who has ventured outside the US has a vastly different aspect on life than those who havent been out of state......my guess is mr bowler falls into the latter, red neck category


----------



## SteveBullman

highpoint-utd said:


> Shaun Bowler said:
> 
> 
> 
> Face the truth... When we kicked you out of this country, you had no where else to go but an island.
> oh so we didnt have the commonwealth then ?????????plus we were busy kicking the frenchies arses and couldnt be bothered kicking your arses .
> 
> 
> 
> 
> my wife just confirmed that fact, and thats what she learnt studying american history at penn state
> mr bowler is just an ignoramarse
Click to expand...


----------



## tam

Ross Turner said:


> None of them is qualified full stop.


hey come on


----------



## Acer

puwer said:


> Of course it is difficult for small businesses to stump up the cost of a whole suite of NPTC units for an empolyee and potentailly watch them walk away after only six months with you. A lot of firms will therefore limit the training the workforce recieves or only train them up in certain areas ie. ground work only. We then enter a vicious circle of poorly trained, unexperienced staff, who are generally on low wages working in a labour intensive industry, I think that circle already exists!
> 
> How about some ideas then, many of us feel that the colleges aren't doing the job properly, climbers with a whole rack of NPTC tickets generally have no experience yet want the money of an experienced arborist. NPTC units are a health and safety qualification and that's it, they only demonstrate part of what is legally competent. Little training is given on tree health care and management, along side staff having little educational development. Risk assessment may be undertaken through neccessaity (ie the contract your on) not choice along with LOLER, PUWER, Working at Height Regs etc.
> 
> So how do we break this cycle, how can we create an educated, practical and academic workforce that have the ability to gain hands on saw/tree time?
> 
> I have some ideas, most of us are employers and we all know what the problems are and what we want so what should be done?



Good points..I've always taken on people with the relevant qualifications. Of the people I've employed in the past, there are those that are well meaning but just cannot work at a commercial pace, and others who expect more than I can give, and stay until they think they know enough and move on (usually to start up by them selves). I've never paid for anyone to do NPTC units because I think the money will be wasted as far as I am concerned. It would help close the circle you describe, but I'm afraid I cannot be that altruistic when I'm making enough to pay all the bills, buy food and not much else. Generally, people bugg'r off once I've taught them the basics of hedgelaying (thinking they know the lot). To me, that involves paying someone who is, understandably, not doing enough work to cover their wages, as they learn to pick up speed, plus me working at reduced output as I take frequent breaks from my stretch of hedge to supervise. I get the feeling that younger people are more likely to focus on themselves to the exclusion of everything else, and be quicker to forget (or not even realise in the first place!) any favours you may have given them whilst employing them. I know I was more like that in my 20s, so perhaps it's karma!

Perhaps a training and development contract would help, as someone else mentioned. Get it in writing that, in exchange for the training and units, the employee serves a certain period, or forfeits part or all of the final pay packet if they break the agreement. It'd be interesting to see if anyone here does have some sort of contract like that in place. As for me, I've never tried this out, and don't intend to for the foreseeable future. My last helper left to set up on his own about a month ago. and I'm planning to subbie and do what I can do on my own, and get in other subbies when I have to have help.


----------



## Ross Turner

tam said:


> hey come on



Yes tom you are for climbing & chainsaw in a tree,but none of the electrical units.


----------



## Ross Turner

Acer,i belive fountains operate a policy that if an employee leaves after trainning they have to pay a % back


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## Thor's Hammer

I lost a lot of staff to fountains when they decided to move into north wales and took over all utility work. Because I'd paid for all my lads to do their NPTC arb and electric tickets, Fountains poached them first. such is life.


----------



## blue

gotta admit when the council i worked for at the time put all of us thru our NPTC's we could have left at anytime but none of us did.a few years later they wanted to put me thru a trainer and assesor's course.but if i accepted i wouldn't be able to leave for 2 years without having to pay for the courses,fock that as the only reson they wanted me to do it was because so many of people they sent to be assesed failed.mmmmm i wonder why they wanted an in house assesor


----------



## teressa green

yep ,get the git binned ,saddo ,merry crimbo to arborists world wide ,wether ,white,black,yellow ,blue ,brown ,have a safe and prosperous new year all of you ,with one exception ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,have a good one boys and girls ,,,,,


----------



## Thor's Hammer

I just passed an arsehole detector over Mr Bowler's post's and the needle went off the scale. Methinks a troll is fishing...


----------



## puwer

Highpoint, yes I know both Peter and Dave.


----------



## Ross Turner

Thor's Hammer said:


> I lost a lot of staff to fountains when they decided to move into north wales and took over all utility work. Because I'd paid for all my lads to do their NPTC arb and electric tickets, Fountains poached them first. such is life.



Just a shame they lost the contract


----------



## highpoint-utd

sorry puwer but i was asking pruner not yourself ,anyhow how do you know them ,have you worked for glendales in the past?pete is a great lad the other fella well lets just say we have had a difference of opinon.he started of being alright then went power crazy


----------



## Ross Turner

I did a few days for glendale in the early 90`s on the Bristol contract,They had just won it & wanted someone fast,i was willing to go down at short notice but in the end went down after the new year.
I was told that they would sort my accomodation out,which when i got down there on the sunday night i was taken to the yard at St Georges & shown my digs,A steel porta cabin that was used as an office & canteen,so i did 1.5 days & was home by tuesday night.
The bloke who interveiwed me was Brian Higginson(i think) & when he found out how i was treat he wern`t happy.
Great guys who was with me,they where based on the solihull contract.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Bowler is a troll ,better to just ignore the creature...


----------



## puwer

H'point - sorry I must have misread the puwer/pruner! Peter i know through assocaitions with Myerscough College and Dave with the ISA UK&I Chapter. 

Ross, Brian is now programme leader at Warwickshire College, Moreton Morell campus.


----------



## highpoint-utd

worked with pete for a few years got to be good mates .was him that taught me to climb,as i was a groundie first off.dave became unrealistic and forgot what it was like to be a working man but i wont go into that ,lets just say me and my groundie/nephew scared the bejesus out of him and got sacked on a friday by countryside and retaken on by grounds maintenance on the monday .was out of work for a weekend didnt go down to well with dave  ah well all in the past i suppose.
what happened to the certified tree worker thingy that mr peake was so keen on getting going(he wanted everyone at glendales to do it )


----------



## PRUNER 1

highpoint, i do know of pete, pony tail n all, but i didnt know him as such. i met him at the northwest climbin comp in leyland a few years ago. to be honest i wouldnt mind going back to glendale. at least i was there to work. we all got a bollocking today for working too fast. again. 5 lads, no work, the 2 agency lads were threatened with being laid off if we dont slow down.  apparetly the work is there but we aint got it yet. i wish the could just give us it and let us get down to work.


----------



## Ross Turner

I thought darlo had the contract or do they have to bid for each job?.
I see some agency is advertising for a labourer to work in darlo in the forestry section of the jobcentre


----------



## highpoint-utd

pruner i was there too,was with pete and jock from myerscough ,it was 2000.
that was the weekend i mentioned in my above post lol.


----------



## PRUNER 1

hp, jock was or still is working for north east i think. office stuff i think tho.
ross, we do have the contract, but they subbied out the street tree survey and theyre just waiting for confirmation of works or summat. the work will be nice wen we get it. i think were gona have a lot of big fells cumin in!


----------



## Ross Turner

Just bought a green laser pointer off ebay,still waiting for it to turn up so i can have some fun at work.


----------



## Janner

Hello all, just a quick question im on a ten week course at merrist wood and ive just starting applying for jobs at the moment. I was wondering how big the difference is pay wise between utility work and the private side of the industry. As i rang up one of the bigger companys in my area who cater for both sides of the industry and they asked which side i would like to apply for. They informed me that the utility work will pay better and bonuses are available but i think id rather do the private side of things for the minute. Become a competent climber and learn the ropes and then as my production and output rate improves possibly look at the utility work.

Thanks in advance.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

You'll get far more oportunities for climbing on the utilities side, but you'll need the prerequisite NPTC units.


----------



## Janner

I should have NPTC units 30,31,38 and 39 by the end of the course i take it these are the right units or do i need different ones?


----------



## Thor's Hammer

youll also need NPTC AE1, AE2a and AE2b if you want to do utility work.


----------



## Ross Turner

You will need NPTC units UA1,2.1,2.2,2.3 for utility arb,I assume you are talking about Pro Tree based in Exeter?.
I have worked on site with John Fuller & he is ok but i know from first hand experience that they take the easy jobs & palm the sub contractors off with the hard & pain in the ar$e jobs.


----------



## Janner

No the company i was talking about is called Silvanus, i live in Plymouth.
www.silvanus-services.co.uk
www.silvanus.org.uk


----------



## Ross Turner

Thor's Hammer said:


> youll also need NPTC AE1, AE2a and AE2b if you want to do utility work.




Thor the units have been renamed


----------



## Janner

Any of you guys heard of Silvanus?


----------



## Ross Turner

Janner,Once you get into utility work its hard to find anyone who will offer you a normal arb job later in your career as the arb world look at utility work as butchery.
Thats from personal experience,I work in utility & work to BS3998 & have the relevant UA(AE) units.


----------



## Ross Turner

Had heard of them,but dont know anything about them.You say they offer bonuses,in what way?.


----------



## Ross Turner

Thor do you know anyone called Graham Taylor who audits for the power companies,We are meant to be having a supprise audit tommorrow but was told on monday about about it.
The company if crapping it but im looking forward as it may just help the work forces case for better kit & training etc.


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Ross Turner said:


> Thor the units have been renamed



how typical.

Heard the name, but to be honest there are a lot of H+S types out there doing auditing who have never lifted a chainsaw in anger. I suppose its an easier option.

I did a huge quality/safety audit for scottish power a few years back, the findings would shock you. SP were so upset by it, it was binned...


----------



## PRUNER 1

janner, i did my hnd with a lad called dave chudleigh. he worked for silvanus for a long time. that would have been pree 1998 tho. he used to enjoy it but he did the domestic side. paid quite from what i could make out. he was a ???? hot climber tho.


----------



## puwer

Janner,

A friend of mine takes care of all there H&S side of the business and by all reports they seem to be a relatively sound company.


----------



## Dom

Sorry to interrupt - Quick question:
My guv'nor apparently pays extra for an insurance company that doesnt ask to see LOLER records. So as far as i can tell, there is no specific system for checking kit, neither weekly, daily nor twice yearly. Not too chuffed about it, but our kit is well looked after really. I assume LOLER is a legal requirement?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Hi Dom welcome to AS and our Brit thread ,yes loler inspections are a legal requirement.


----------



## Ross Turner

Hi Dom,As rolla stated it is a legal requirement & if you where to have an accident & it wasn`t inspected the HSE could come down on the company like a brick.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i'd go as far too say is the company actualy insured??


----------



## Big A

From what I see I dont think many companies, (in my experience) work to the letter of the law, but they have the relevant insurance policies, although I'm sure they would be invalidated in the course of a claim as they would be deeemed to have been negligent if the paperwork is not in order! Hi to the newbies on here and Merry Xmas to one and all!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

you got much work on BigA I for one only have 2 weeks at most


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

ohh and merry xmas folks


----------



## Ross Turner

Season greetings to you all


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Bah Humbug.


----------



## jamie

*thor*

i'm with thor on this one, bah ******* humbug, need to go and buy some cards. maybe get a dead spruce for the front garden and hang a bauble on it

jamie


----------



## PRUNER 1

merry christmas and humbug


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Jamie - We used to have a rather mad glaswegian who worked for us, every christmas he would put a large dead spruce in his front garden and decorate it with sheeps skulls, rabbit bones, dead ivy etc etc. we used to pi$$ ourselves laughing in the morning picking him up for work...


----------



## jamie

ha ha ha, my bosses sugestion was a skeleton of a giant hogweed with some tinsel....

**** this christmas spirit

at least i get monday off

jamie


----------



## highpoint-utd

emr torn betwwen the two here hate christmas but put on a smile for kids an missus.merry xmas boys


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

ahhh whats the matter with you bunch of misery guts,SEASONS GREETINGS..I love old chrimbo and the new year etc


----------



## Big A

ROLLACOSTA said:


> you got much work on BigA I for one only have 2 weeks at most


MERRY XMAS ALL YOU GRINCHES OUT THERE!! For once I'm actualy looking forward to this Xmas as I've taken the time to wind down this year, stress made me ill last year and I aint going thru' that again. Work-wise I got work lined up for the New Year, nothing great but it keeps me ticking over, a nice little job for me and Steve to do out Woodbridge way. I think its been rather quiet for the larger companies sa the sort of work I go for doesnt seem to interest them. Some seem to forget that you need bread and butter before you can have jam!! Any way 2 weeks work is more than some I know of.


----------



## SteveBullman

hehe


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Hohoho!


----------



## jamie

*forward*

well christmas is upon us, but whats everyones plans for hogmanay?

on the 30th i'm off to Poland to see my new Lassie (she is home for christmas) then back to work on the 3rd, then finishing on the 14th for a holiday until te 22nd....the boss is loving me.

nver been to Poland before and just booked some flights and a car. now i need a map, bugger and some practice on the right side of the road, i'll go driving at night  

jamie


----------



## Ross Turner

Didn`t take you long to get another partner,Good on you,enjoy urself at least you have experiance being in a left had vehicle since driving on the right.


----------



## teressa green

merry crimbo lads ,heres to a prosperous and safe new year ,got some real plans for next year,keeping em quiet for now ,met up with some lads yesterday afternoon got hammered ,was a blinder ,sniff sniff,ho ho ho ,cheers boys ,,,,,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

jamie said:


> well christmas is upon us, but whats everyones plans for hogmanay?
> 
> on the 30th i'm off to Poland to see my new Lassie (she is home for christmas) then back to work on the 3rd, then finishing on the 14th for a holiday until te 22nd....the boss is loving me.
> 
> nver been to Poland before and just booked some flights and a car. now i need a map, bugger and some practice on the right side of the road, i'll go driving at night
> 
> jamie



Nice one Jamie have a good time ,and drive safe might be a bit snowy and icey out there in Poland..


----------



## jamie

it is snowy and icey i've been told, i'm try to resist taking my snowboard.........its hard.

have some mates who think blowing £600 on a weekend is a bit excesive but i may never get another chance to spend hogmanay on the Polish Russian border, so fu*k it

jamie


----------



## Caledonian

Hi Jamie,

When it comes...

Hollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ur! (Scots Gaelic)

Thought this might be handy...

Szczesliwego Nowego Goku (Polish).

Watch out for some of the Polish vodka, you might be able to run your saws on them, ha ha. Enjoy


----------



## tam

och aye the guid auld gaelic


----------



## Ross Turner

I hope everyone had a great chrimbo,MY kids loved it even though i`ve been ill since xmas eve & only got to see a doc yesterday(very bad chest infection) so no drinking until the new year for me.
Have a great new year.


----------



## tam

you too, dude. 
man, i've filled up about 3 bog rolls with snot today.. cough cough.


----------



## Bermie

That must be an evil british cold bug, I brought it all the way to Australia, snot for DAYS!!! Just lovely as everyone is tucking into their turkey. A month and the greenies are just going away.


----------



## tam

ooh sounds nice... cough cough

i think i've caught this disease off ross..


----------



## Ross Turner

tam said:


> ooh sounds nice... cough cough
> 
> i think i've caught this disease off ross..




Just wait till you get back to work,i will find you the worst job for you to do.:censored:


----------



## tam

harharhar..i had to clean the toilets on friday. man that sucks.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Oh well boys its off to work proper tommorow the holidays over,what you all got lined up me i'm a tractor driver for the day..


----------



## Buzzlightyear

forwarding and chipping for me yipee, and the forecast is rain (


----------



## blue

ha ha needed that link to find some pics but to late now.never mind.
sorry i missed ya ed but i got distracted and forgot you were in my neck of the woods,maybe catch ya another time.
as far as back to work i'm dreading it.i havn't done anything really for over 2 weeks so tomorrow will prob nearly kill me


----------



## teressa green

righto lads ,,,back to the grindstone today ,am totally knackered ,couple of beers then bed ,gonna take at least two weeks to get match fit again ,got a real good feeling about this new year,good luck and profits to all of you brit boys on here ,,,cheers ,steve ,


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Yep match fit for me too ,i'm quitting the 3 pints a night and i'm eating leaner this year, got to go down to 14st current weight ahh not telling ahh bullax 16st put I on 1/2 stone over xmas..


----------



## SteveBullman

ha, i lost best part of half a stone over christmas


----------



## blue

at least i got a nice easy job to go back to 
biggest holme oak i've ever seen to come down followed by a big lime,a 50' lime and a beech to reduce a limb on,good thing is there isn't to much below any of 'em
maybe get some pics tomorrow


----------



## PRUNER 1

took a big hollow beech down yesterday with a hangover! i felt it too. then back on deadwooding today. i hate limes! early night tonight and hopefully feel better tomora. getting a bit sick of climbing. losing my mojo again. i hate deadwooding, a lot of graft for not much show. :bang:


----------



## iain

p1 

works work somes good , some sh1te i think of it like this 
c,reduction/cleaning deadwooding etc means the tree is hopefully much better looking healther and overall more pleasing, less wind resistance
blah blah blah 
result we will still be in a job GOOD!!!
if lots of trees come out then that reduces the need to employ treeworkers 
so we'll be out of a job BAD !!!
hope the mojo isn't lost, we all feel worse when the weather is naf
don't let it grind u down


----------



## PRUNER 1

just bought a new car today so feeling a bit better! going to try and go in on monday with a clear head and sort mesel oot like! the weather sucks and ime not gettin out on my bike much so thats got me down a bit. bring on the sunshine  goin to dublin next weekend so a bit of fun shud sort me out.


----------



## Buzzlightyear

Heh guys where have all the Brits gone, this thread has died lately ?


----------



## Ross Turner

My comp is crashing all the time so cant really be bothered getting on line at mo.


----------



## begleytree

Highpoint, if something bothers you about a post, simply click the red triangle in that post. As said before, there's been nothing reported in this thread for a good while. Since you raised a fuss, and was asked for a link, or post numbers, you disappear. Be one thing if a man had to go to bed, but to run on another lesser site, and make threats about members here, shows a lack of dignity and respect. Not to mention backbone.
The moderators work for the site owner, not for you. If you require assistance, ask. Don't demand.
-Ralph


----------



## highpoint-utd

ok then ralph here goes ,1. I dint go running to another inferior site ,its quiet possible to have both up at the same time .this is the same inferior site that your a member of i take it ?
2.I voiced my concerns to the powers that be a couple of weeks ago and never heard anything about it .i was not the only brit to be offended by the guys posts . in fact go to the treehouse a view a thread called brit role call .i stated i was upset about this last friday .I have not' just' decided to raise a fuss as you so politely put it .
3 .backbone ???? my god man i served my country for 7 years in some of the worlds most hostile places ,i have more backbone than most let me tell you .
I did not threaten any a/s members i threatened one particular self-opinionated rodent (who was due it anyway).
4 numbers from bowlers posts? surely if somone reports a post you read a little into the thread to see why this has happened??or are you perhaps to busy your emminence .
my last post was at around 1 o clock ish and yep i went to bed .


----------



## highpoint-utd

5. numbers as requested ,and original posts .#2452 
Shaun Bowler 
Member


Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: CA.
Posts: 97 
Sick of Brits? 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I think it is long over due that the Brits get thier own web site.
I would like to never see their special status on this site to continue any more. 
Lets have a poll!
Or, lets break up into nationalities, sex and race.


----------



## highpoint-utd

second one within a page of the first one. #2465 
Shaun Bowler 
Member


Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: CA.
Posts: 97 
Drivel 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Looking through the "community posts', I feel slighted by the comments of isolationist.
You folk are the members who declare their "page " at this site.
How about Asians talking about Asian stuff. (This can be extrapolated.)
I believe the diretion of this site should be craftmenship.
Talk about isolationship, what about the Brits not joining the EU.
Face the truth... When we kicked you out of this country, you had no where else to go but an island.
Britian will do what ever ( DADDY-USA) say.


----------



## highpoint-utd

the third one and most antagonising one seems to have been deleted how strange .As a group we contributed a lot this site and not only in the brit thread but else where too.there has never been an argument involving any british member of a/s .why because we are all here to learn and communicate.
dignity and respect ?our dignity and respect was damaged when mr bowler was allowed to slight our national pride with his small view of the world .
we were a multi-cultural society years before your young country was even formed .I didnt organise the mass brit exodus to the treehouse ,people saw was what happening voiced there own opinions and left .view the threads mr fellow treehouser.so now you have been put straight about this trivial little incident you can return to polishing your little tin badge sheriff .and i will return to the treehouse .
best regards disgruntled from manchester :bang:
oh and as for the moderators working for darin well that maybe so ,without members though this site wouldnt be here .dont forget that ever ,as your sponsors need members to buy there goods .


----------



## begleytree

1. no I don't read much of this thread. it's so slanged up I don't understand much of it.
2. the posts you refer to were deleted long ago. Those posts were wrong, and don't belong here. thats was about 2 weeks ago.
3. the almost as assine replys to said post were left intact for whatever reason.
4. this happened weeks ago. why all of the sudden is it cause for this show?
5. you were posting about this when you were asked for more info. to which you disappeared. Hard to help you if you don't want helped.
6. rude comments and vulgar connontations towards the site owner is off the mark. IMO, thats grounds to ban you outright and forget about all of this. This is the lack of respect I was talking about. darin pays for this playground you use, and this is how you repay him?
7. threats against another member is bad show. no matter where you run off to post them. Can also be considered a crime.
8. seems like you had this planned for a while, and are making an excuse to justify your actions to yourself.
9. no, I am not a member at your other site. I have strong disagreements with the site, it's operation, and management. therefore, I'm not associated with it.

I'll leave your user status unchanged for now, in the hopes of working this out.
Thats more than I'd do for most anyone else here.
-Ralph


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Come on guys cool it, I agree with Highpiont though we can do without certain AS members coming on here and insulting us Brits..


I personaly enjoy all the tree forums on the net,IMO theres enough room for everyone and everything..


----------



## highpoint-utd

for the good of everyone ,i will agree that this topic has ended ,no more to be said really.
sorry if i came over a bit strong towards you ralph ,but im a patriot .


----------



## tawilson

You owe a small tree dwelling creature an apology also. And a big hug wouldn't hurt either.


----------



## Big A

Bloody good job we're allies.eh chaps? Looking forward to hearing the friendly banter on here again, nuff whingers at work!!!


----------



## Dan Forsh

Sorry to turn the course of the conversation (whatever it was) I don't visit this thread often enought to keep up. UK based members are any of you in the used parts business? I would really like to hook up with a few UK based contacts who I can buy used parts from. I mainly deal with Husqvarna and Stihl chainsaws and Stihl TS concrete saws. I'm hobby only so don't foresee a great deal of transactions, but I'm always in need of bits for something. It would be great to start dealing with someone a bit more 'local'.

Cheers,

Dan


----------



## Ross Turner

the lad i was training up for saw has passed his assesment today of which im glad.


----------



## Darin

Highpoint, I did recieve your message, but I want to lay it down here. Begley is dead on with what he says. All of his points are valid. I was the one that deleted the post you refer to a couple weeks ago. Why? Because it was wrong. Lack of action, I don't know. I erased it. As Begley said, don't know why subsequent posts were not erased, maybe they were made based on the email that was sent out and I didn't see them at the time. Couldn't tell you. To be against you would be against AS. What I am against is the guys who com on here and put masterliar.Kom in there posts. Costa is right, there is plenty of room on the net. If you don't like me or my rules the door is open. Just don't come accuse me of not doing anything when I did (maybe not all you wanted) and when your buddies break the rules don't defend them. I see we have suttled down a bit but I wanted to lay my feelings straight. I see there is a whole string of posts deleted. Somebody is doing something. Sorry I have been in Mexico and didn't find out about this until today. Tawlison, I don't know who you need an appology from and why but I will appologize, I am just not a man hugger!


----------



## tawilson

Darin, no apology required. I get along with everyone. I was talking about something else that Begley has already addressed.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Ross Turner said:


> the lad i was training up for saw has passed his assesment today of which im glad.



Nice one Ross maybe a career in training is ahead for you..


----------



## tam

i reckon it is.
hmm.. man i would love to be a climbing instructor someday. that would be awesome. so anyway, back to the main big important subject.. 

is anyone giving away any lockjacks?


you know what? i'm gonna make that my signature.


----------



## Ross Turner

ROLLACOSTA said:


> Nice one Ross maybe a career in training is ahead for you..




I dont have the quals to do it,though it would be a nice number,Looking for work as i think im getting my P45 as i have opened a can worms on safety issues when cutting next to overhead lines.
The book says that if branches are overhanging the conductors than its a shut down & we are getting asked to do it live which breaks the HSW act.
Im the only qualified person in the company with the electrical qualifications & have others working with me that have small tree felling & another with climbing & chainsaw in the tree & they are being asked to work next to the lines.
So if anyone has any ideas let me know.
Thanks.


----------



## Big A

From what I remember of line clearance, bosses always want you to push the boundaries, but its your neck on the line. you know the regulations, and within a little, your own abilities. IMO if it requires a shut-down, then your good judgement should be enough, if not ...... walk, plenty of demand out there for skilled arborists.


----------



## Ross Turner

Big A said:


> From what I remember of line clearance, bosses always want you to push the boundaries, but its your neck on the line. you know the regulations, and within a little, your own abilities. IMO if it requires a shut-down, then your good judgement should be enough, if not ...... walk, plenty of demand out there for skilled arborists.



Thanks Big A,but i need job before i can walk.


----------



## clearance

Ross, Big A- what are the qualifications to do line clearance work over there? Here utility arborist remove overhang all the time with the power on, planned outages are very rare, only under grave circumstances. I climb in the bush now, no chance of getting zapped, sometimes I miss the rush though.


----------



## Ross Turner

clearance said:


> Ross, Big A- what are the qualifications to do line clearance work over there? Here utility arborist remove overhang all the time with the power on, planned outages are very rare, only under grave circumstances. I climb in the bush now, no chance of getting zapped, sometimes I miss the rush though.



Clearance,you have to hold a NPTC certificate of competence in electrical arboriculture
Utility Arboriculture 
Utility Arboriculture unit 1.pdf 
Utility Arboriculture unit 2.1.pdf 
Utility Arboriculture unit 2.2.pdf 
Utility Arboriculture unit 2.3.pdf 
Utility Arboriculture unit 3.pdf 
Utility Arboriculture unit 4.pdf 
Utility Arboriculture unit 5.pdf 

Have a look at this link for the above to see what we need to know.
http://www.nptc.org.uk/Schedules/default.aspxnits 

To my knowledge over there you use bucket trucks alot but we are limited to when we are allowed to use them,the company i work for dont own one.


----------



## clearance

Ross- cool you have a 266, I used to have a couple of them, tough, great little saw. I couldn't get the link you supplied to work. We have buckets but you can't use them everywhere. Utility work can be a real blast, bouncing branches of the line and fast cutting tops so they drop straight down and don't waste the line. It's fun wedging over big trees (big for the U.K.) beside the line too, especially when you know regs. say you must have a rope in it. Never thought that I would miss it, don't miss all the wankers whinging about trees getting removed though. I was born over there, Uddersfield, Yorkshire, but I lived here since I was a little kid so I talk normal. What does Rollacosta mean by "lets be chavin it"? Does he mean shaved beaver or what? Cheers.


----------



## Ross Turner

Not sure what rolla is on about,try using this web address & go to the assesment schedules for utility arboriculture.
www.nptc.co.uk

we also need authorisation from the electricity company whose network we are working on & have to follow there safety rules.


----------



## clearance

Ross-they look o.k., established outfit, 9001 certified. The training here is like 1200 hours of supervised work close to power, 6 weeks in school over two years and a final test. Anyone is allowed to climb if it doesn't involve powerlines. Utility guys are thought as second class climbers here though by residential climbers, especially if they are I.S.A.. The public generally don't like us either, except during stormwork when the powerline is ripped down and the trees are blocking the road. Then we are heroes. In small communities people like us, old people usually like us too. There are definite rules to obey from the power co. and the compensation board. One handing saws is verboten but done all the time, cause you have to do it, realistically. Treework is just more fun when you are close to big power.


----------



## Ross Turner

Aint looking forward to going into work in the morning,have to sign contract that i dont agree with.Need to find work to tide me offer till West Coast offer me a start date before i can walk.


----------



## Big A

clearance. Treework is just more fun when you are close to big power.[/QUOTE said:


> Used to get a "buzz" from it, get my kicks other ways nowadays,lol!!!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

any Brits still floating around these parts,if so what you up to, and hows work..


----------



## Big A

been "super-sub" again today, feling siccies and elums in St Ives for jacksons along a river bank so they can build up flood defences, thought I was in for a crappy day, pleasantly surprised. nice job yesterday take-down Robinia in a small garden with Mr Bullman.


----------



## Ross Turner

Still working my notice,the job at west coast looks like its a none starter as my boss has ****** things up.
My partner whom i love deeply told me last monday that she had feelings for another man,but were living individaul lives when she told me but i have to get on with my life & let her go,just got the family home to sort out & tell the kids.
You may think im sad but i have been mailing a 34 women from the Ukraine who is drop dead georgous,nowt will happen(wish it would) but its keeping me going & building my confidence up again.


----------



## tam

good old russianbrides.com

i wonder if my signature is working...


----------



## Ross Turner

tam said:


> good old russianbrides.com
> 
> i wonder if my signature is working...



Tam,thats not the site i use,have a look here
http://bride.ru/ph/htcgi/ladies/in-gold/index1.html


----------



## Ross Turner

Just been out & bought myself a laptop so i wont miss much on the net.


----------



## jamie

*promo*

just been given a promotion, i'm foreman now, after a year of doing it anyway my boss bit the bullet and gave me the title and a pay rise to boot. unfortunalty Jamie the treesurgeon isnt as profitable as he should be, keeps buying stuff so the tax man is due me money again, damn shame.   

party on people

jamie


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Well done Jamie on the promo...ha I knew you'd get a tax rebate, your a bloody Scotsman thats why


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Ross Turner said:


> Just been out & bought myself a laptop so i wont miss much on the net.



You still spliting with the missus,Ross dam shame if you are..


----------



## jamie

now its official i'm letting the newstart know his mistakes more often, i keep having to shout at him after warning him that i'm cutting, shout below, he looks up (while directly below me) and watches, i've dropped a few twigs on him. i would love to say that even a 10watt bulb was on but there is nothing, and after 6 weeks im getting sick of seeing him eat only crisps and sweets at lunchtime, how old? 23 and still cant look after himself.  

jamie


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

HAHAHA i had a nugget last summer who would only eat prawn cocktail crisps,he'd also only drink lucozade...:bang:


----------



## jamie

after standing by a bin for 10 mins the gaffa went over to see him and told him to at least look interested in the job (not actually be interested).

jamie


----------



## nohope

Its been a while I know, January was mad for me, didn't get a single full day in the office so I've only just had a chance to try and catch up.
Ross, sorry to hear about your news, both personal and work but congrats on getting trainee through cert. You are right to start making a fuss about working without clearance of live lines, utilities are ok about shutting down (at least from what I hear!!!) especially if they have had fatalities!! and ended up in court. OUtage is a lot cheaper. Try going for the training thing, its a much easier life!!
ANyone doing anything interesting?


----------



## Big A

on jamies note, today we were working on a building site for a major contractor. The signs were well posted, ie hard hats hi-viz, and safetyn boots. This lad was mooching around the site all day as gopher, walkman on hoodie up, in and around 360 excavators and teleporters, oblivious to the outside world. The 360 driver was hooting at him, then shouting at him, to no avail. he wandered straight in front of the tracks at one point, unaware of the danger he was in. Ok, in this instance he was fine, due to the observancy of those around him, but he's got to be on borrowed time. MY point is that these hoods block out peripheral vision and sound, 2 of our best senses. However cold it may be, its got to be better cold than dead!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

BigA get the digger driver to dig a big hole and put the twat in it..the likes of him we can do without in the gene pool.........


----------



## Big A

LOL!!! Its scary what you see in everyday life. Hmmm bit nippy today, -.7 today in BSE, frosted me visor up.


----------



## iain

hi ya guys
i've been droppin in lately but not had much to say
Ross sorry to here your news mate
especially the missus
if training is your thing, u could contact your nptc regional branch and ask about assesor+trainer opportunities, i'm doing my assesors package at the mo'
i rang the hse the other day as i saw top handles on sale on ebay AGAIN
n guess what Blah Blah er um sorry erm its the operator not the purchaser that needs to be qualified ( however thats not what i understood it to be ):bang: :bang: pisses me right off 
P1 all the best on the new job


----------



## Ross Turner

Thanks guys,She has found someone else already & is seeing him even though we are still living in the same house but leading seperate lives.
I came home from the pub early last week & caught them,he crapped himself .
I didn`t touch him but told him not to come between the kids & their mother & what we have left.
On the work front West coast has not bothered getting back to me but i know some crap has been stired by the company im working for at mo,May have a start with a member who is banned on here,Also have a telephone interview on tuesday with a company in Cork,Ireland,Been submitted for a job in jersey so things look ok.
Will keep you all in formed.


----------



## Ross Turner

Phoned that Ukraine lass,she spoke quite good english,when i can afford it im going to meet her & who knows?.


----------



## clearance

Hiya fellow limeys. More fish in the sea. Rolla-Your signature saying "lets be chavin it" Do you really mean shaving it, like how I like my women?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

No Bro definatly 'LETS BE CHAVIN IT' more limey slang and humour i'm affraid mate


----------



## mike385

Brit slang is the greatest, I mean what the heck are you saying? I love it.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

i'm a Chav and proud of it www.chavscum.co.uk www.chavworld.co.uk

'lets be chaving it' 'Lets be having it'............

I am a somwhat older chav an original chav you might say....I bet after checking out the above links we'll find a few more chavs on here,I bet a few of you didn't even know you were a chav until now!!

Highpoint-UTD is a chav i'm certain...and I bet Ross is if he tells the truth


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Never confuse a 'wigger' with a 'chav' cheers.....


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

I'm proud to say I married a chavette and bred 4 chavies 2 chavs and 2 chavettes,I also come from chav centrel 'ESSEX'


----------



## highpoint-utd

i aint a chav roller, im a manc ,sean rider and the stone roses brother ,these chavs do my head in .with there burberry and crap .first target for the men in black at a footie ground is some oik wearing burberry or prada .iwear rockport and timberland and dont go for the sports casual look at all.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

same old chav just differant name mate...

I bet you like the old chelsea chavs the best...LOL


----------



## clearance

The bullbucker had the hammer down in the crummy, lost er on the checkerboard, tits up in the rhubarb. Hitched to the block with the hooker, talked to the r.p.f. that was mewing 'bout the merch in the S4, helped the rigging slinger string some straw line and pulled the pin. Yarded the crummy out with the cat and headed back to the big smoke for his squeeze. Translate that one, Limeys.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

clearance said:


> The bullbucker had the hammer down in the crummy, lost er on the checkerboard, tits up in the rhubarb. Hitched to the block with the hooker, talked to the r.p.f. that was mewing 'bout the merch in the S4, helped the rigging slinger string some straw line and pulled the pin. Yarded the crummy out with the cat and headed back to the big smoke for his squeeze. Translate that one, Limeys.



EASY!!...you got a machine stuck,but got it out and whent home...


----------



## blue

the only thing i have to say about this topic is

:censored: 'AV IT


----------



## jamie

oi mista can i have a shot o ya chainsa.....

can you :censored:. 

sorry i'm a personal chav / ned what ever hater, its either that or getting asked if i sell sweeties/pills all the time. 

jamie


----------



## nohope

For anyone who is interested attached is a copy of 'arbnews' the hse's newsletter for the arb industry.

View attachment 31121


Iain, its not actually possible for hse to sort out people selling top handled saws on ebay. (Much as I would like to) we have to be able to prove a work activity when it is _used_, thats the law we have to stick to when enforcing. Also, As far as I am aware, the matter of needing certification to buy one is enforced by trading standards officers from the local authority not us.
There is a duty to check that the purchaser holds certification, however in my experience that has meant in the past that someone holding CS31 has been sold a top handle :bang: :censored:  Because someone didn't realise that appropriate certification means CS39, and that was from a dealer :angry2: 

I know that this doesn't help, but it may explain why you got no joy when you rang us, sorry.


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

Thanks for the arb news. I've been convised i've had a problem with wood chip for a while now but it doesn't seem to bother anybody else. Not as bad as that but i've had the chest tightness.

Its quite scary the amount of stuff you can get on the bay. Harnesses rope spikes and chainsaws all you need really. I imagin that a lot of the top handle buyers are home owners thinking that there small and light weight and great for getting into the lorals. 

Can the HSE do anything about home owners with top handled saws? Surely there need to be some system on Ebay to stop these things getting into the hands of untrained people. I saw an oxy-acseltine welding set on the bay as much as i'd love to get into gas welding i'd never get one without training to scared of blowing myself up. Surely Ebay must have some rules agaist selling controled products.


----------



## Buzzlightyear

nohope said:


> For anyone who is interested attached is a copy of 'arbnews' the hse's newsletter for the arb industry.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 3 People died in 04/05 one untrained pikey (no offence Lee), one idiot and one unlucky chap who slipped up !! If that's it then why has MY insurance gone up by 800% in 4 years :bang: :censored:
Click to expand...


----------



## iain

No Hope 

the profile promotion is very commendable if not slightly flawed

*Dictionary of life* 
look up 

customer = money talks (*white van or not*)
qualfications = customer thinks Ha! what for a tree
insurance = customer thinks Ha! chancing their arm to put up prices

Arborist = Hands bound in red tape 
stressed = arborist  

i imagin if you poled most of the uk lads on here how many times they've been ask by customer 
for proof of :- (nptc certs, insurance, first aid certs, risk assesment,formal qualifications, references etc ) 
OR Can't you do it any cheaper ???
pushing a snowball up an erupting volcano is 'only slightly' more frustrating :bang: 

i am sure that the lads here, feel responsible and law abiding, but lets face it
there is so much to do and act on, i doubt it if we conform completley,
although the afag leaflets are very good, however given the complexities of our industry, we Need HELP to implement, not more study groups with people who are on tree.org, big business ruling the majority of the tradesmen with a minority backing 

Whinge over !


----------



## Buzzlightyear

iain said:


> No Hope
> 
> the profile promotion is very commendable if not slightly flawed
> 
> *Dictionary of life*
> look up
> 
> customer = money talks (*white van or not*)
> qualfications = customer thinks Ha! what for a tree
> insurance = customer thinks Ha! chancing their arm to put up prices
> 
> Arborist = Hands bound in red tape
> stressed = arborist
> 
> i imagin if you poled most of the uk lads on here how many times they've been ask by customer
> for proof of :- (nptc certs, insurance, first aid certs, risk assesment,formal qualifications, references etc )
> OR Can't you do it any cheaper ???
> pushing a snowball up an erupting volcano is 'only slightly' more frustrating :bang:
> 
> i am sure that the lads here, feel responsible and law abiding, but lets face it
> there is so much to do and act on, i doubt it if we conform completley,
> although the afag leaflets are very good, however given the complexities of our industry, we Need HELP to implement, not more study groups with people who are on tree.org, big business ruling the majority of the tradesmen with a minority backing
> 
> Whinge over !



Iain your my new hero that is absoloutly spot on


----------



## clearance

Mr. Brushcutter-You said it is quite scary the stuff you can get on the bay. Really, common sense is just not common I guess. In America you can go to a store, garage sale, put down your money and walk out with all kinds of firearms, ammunition. Used to be that way here as well, now it can take a while, 30 years ago you could buy dynamite and blasting caps at a supply store. Ebay sells things, they are not a nanny service, c'mon do you need your hand held all the time? And Buzz, your insurance went up 800% in 4 years, that is just totally insane. I know that the rate did not go up more than 50% in the logging industry here, even with 43 deaths in one year. You guys have way too many chiefs and not enough Indians, whats next, a license to go to the bog?


----------



## iain

*tree stumps*

hi ya guys

i've got a *lot* of stumps to treat (kill) any suggestions
urea ?


----------



## Buzzlightyear

clearance said:


> Mr. Brushcutter-You said it is quite scary the stuff you can get on the bay. Really, common sense is just not common I guess. In America you can go to a store, garage sale, put down your money and walk out with all kinds of firearms, ammunition. Used to be that way here as well, now it can take a while, 30 years ago you could buy dynamite and blasting caps at a supply store. Ebay sells things, they are not a nanny service, c'mon do you need your hand held all the time? And Buzz, your insurance went up 800% in 4 years, that is just totally insane. I know that the rate did not go up more than 50% in the logging industry here, even with 43 deaths in one year. You guys have way too many chiefs and not enough Indians, whats next, a license to go to the bog?



When i started officially 4 years ago my insurance was £300.00 per annum it's now circa £7,000 for exactly the same cover, same broker etc. I'm lying about by climbing turnover next year as it's getting stupid. BTW staff levels are the same if not lower as well :bang:


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

High Pete Mctree ,nice to see another Brit here..


----------



## jamie

clearance said:


> You guys have way too many chiefs and not enough Indians, whats next, a license to go to the bog?



nah just a license to use a brush and shovel

jamie


----------



## Acer

nohope said:


> Also, As far as I am aware, the matter of needing certification to buy one is enforced by trading standards officers from the local authority not us.
> There is a duty to check that the purchaser holds certification, however in my experience that has meant in the past that someone holding CS31 has been sold a top handle : Because someone didn't realise that appropriate certification means CS39, and that was from a dealer :angry2:
> 
> I know that this doesn't help, but it may explain why you got no joy when you rang us, sorry.



I have a top handled saw and cs39, but I no longer climb. As I understand it, it would be illegal for me to use it on the ground, even though it would make my hedge laying work a lot easier. The last operation I have to do is to saw the tops of the stakes off at the same level. They're in every 18" or so, and need to be sawn at around chest height. on a typical job, there might be 2-300 or so (ie lots!) to do. A 200T would be the ideal saw for this job, but I'm not allowed to use one. For the sake of my safety, I have to use a heavier rear handled saw, which is less accurate and a lot more painful (see how long you can hold such a saw out at chest height and almost arms length).:bang:


----------



## jamie

*on the ground*

my personal hate when using 020s on the ground is that i listen for the 020 sounds to get a vague idea of what the climber is doing. have an 020 on the ground and i get real confused.  

i know we are not meant to use them but they sure are handy, i'm sure we should not onehand them often either.

jamie


----------



## Acer

iain said:


> hi ya guys
> 
> i've got a *lot* of stumps to treat (kill) any suggestions
> urea ?



Don't think urea does anything except prevent infection from fungus, notably Heterobasidiun annosum (I think). Glyphosate (eg Roundup) at 20% will work, but becomes less effective from March onwards. Ammonium sulphamate (eg rootout) is an alternative for spring and summer. 2,4 D/dicamba/triclopyr (eg Nushot) is ok for any time of year, but is less environmentally and operator friendly, and expensive.


----------



## teressa green

how much is this garlon 4 ? any ideas ,,,,,?


----------



## iain

cheers Acer




only another 6-7 weeks


----------



## teressa green

pete ,what part of west yorks you from ,barnsley myself,good to have a fellow yorkie here ,hows the rest of the cyber surgeons uk wide ,? keeping busy i hope ,,,,


----------



## teressa green

had one or two ,but havent noticed this phenomonen,seems to be new companys springing up all over huddersfield,was up there a few days ago visited the new arb supplier on vine street ,seem like good lads,,,,whats the problem with the chestnuts,??


----------



## teressa green

cheers for that,seems the same round here ,everyone with a tranny van and b&q chainsaw setting up ,as you said the quality suffers as prices plummet,only good news is that the wanna be tree surgeons only pick on the small easy stuff,leaving the big trees to the real tree boys, my local paper is flooded with them ,mobile numbers everywhere,so much so have packed in advertising with them ,sick of putting a fair price onto something to be beaten comprehensively by a white van driving scroat,,,,,,,,,,,,,,mustnt grumble tho ,,,,,eh ,,,,


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## ROLLACOSTA

pete mctree said:


> The bark cracks n peels leaving a serious hazard to climb if u are not carefull! u cannot trust the dead leaders!



Bugger that we don't climb dead trees down here,we use platforms for dead tree removals..HSE would go nuts if an accident happend whilst climbing a dead tree..


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## ROLLACOSTA

Same things happening down here Teressa every man and his dog is a tree surgeon or thinks they are,the wankers have ruined the small job market..

Now what I do is not trying to sound mega rich or a smart arse is I give a client/job a price that is proffitable for me,they take it or leave it I can sit at home and earn FA i'm certainly not going to work and loose money...

You still thinking about going into hard landscaping ??


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## teressa green

given up on the idea ,same problem as tree work too many cats chasing to little work,i have the same mentality now give the price and go home ,best bit is getting underbid by some pillock ,who then is unable to do the job ,makes for an interesting conversation usually ending in the words **** off,for years now the small jobs have been my own personal cash machine,,,,,but its getting harder mate ,really feel like selling up and moving on but what does a 40 yr old tree wallah do ,when he hasnt done anything except tree work ? personally its all down to educating the householder in my opinon ,but money talks,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,


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## teressa green

sundays are for drinking and chilling,you money grasping sod,,,,,,,,,,,,typical yorkshireman,,,,,,,,


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## ROLLACOSTA

pete mctree said:


> using a platform is fine but i have yet to find a customer willing to pay for a crane to lift the platform over the house and into the back garden!!!!! (touchy subject have just priced another one this aft!!)



Tracked platforms that will go up 18 metres and will fit through a 36'' gate are only £170 a day or £500 for the week..There available from www.lionlift.co.uk there only down the M1 Northampton


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## jamie

*moving*

whoops

jamie


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## jamie

*moving*

just moved house again, in with my mate now, worst part is i'm now in a single bed :jawdrop:, need more space. that and i've been shopping for some new toys, digi cameras, tons of overly priced clothes, some arb stuff and i'm off to blow a ton on arb books and a new bike.  

welcome pete. i've asked this on the proclimber forum anyone know of any postgrad courses? got an hons degree in countryside management and my RFS cert arb (the theory side) but i'm looking for further education, i feel my mind is getting a bit soft.

jamie :greenchainsaw:


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## blue

anyone here from cumbria or know any tree co's in the area as i'm lookin at movin up that way


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## teressa green

try do a search on yell.com should think rural location would be poor wages ,agricultural wages ,,,,,:monkey:


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## nohope

Well I'm glad arbnews got a reaction, to be honest I would have been more worried if there had been nothing coming back from you guys.
Domestic users, nope sorry cannot do a thing, we enforce the health and safety _AT WORK act 1974  
Top handles yes if you get caught using them on the ground then we will slap you for it. I've heard all the arguments and whatever the competance of people in here there are too many cowboys out there who don't know what they are doing, and we have a history of people taking their own arms off. HSE policy is as stated - top handle in the tree only. Stihl at least do a rear handle the same size and weight that I know a few people use.
Pete, though I appear to take the rap for HSE nationally in here I am based in West Yorkshire and take the lead on arb around here. The only way HSE can do anything about the white vans is if we get to here about them. Can't always promise to get out, but if it is humanly possible I will. Beats sitting at this desk, and is better than office visits._


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## iain

*top handles*

Pete 

i agree entirley ,but the up shot is they can't do anything with regards to the purchase its a trading standards job

i quote from an email from hse 

Principal Inspector. 
As suspected we cannot
do anything about E bay selling this equipment. *The legislation states the
user, when in a work situation, must be competent to use the equipment *and
*not the purchaser*. I do understand your frustration. Perhaps it may be
worth contacting trading standards to see if they can do anything

too many Gov't department and not one of them can sort out this loop hole

the hse can do anyone caught using one in a work situation without cs39
which aint very likely 
as everytime i've phoned them about a rogue, its the same answer SORRY NOone's available

maybe im just sceptical but i beleive that the rogues are indirectly 
protected because the arent easily traced 'bodge it ripoff n scarper'  
moral of the story is one step forward for a 'kick in the head' then two steps back so : ditch any sign righting an yell ads employ twelve year olds to flyer for you and make a mint !!!! oh n don't pay any tax !!!


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## clearance

Guys, why all the whining about top handled saws, using them on the ground, being sold to the "wrong" people, etc.? Do you not have to much government control as it is, you want more? I climb trees in the bush (Yes the mighty forests of British Columbia), we all use ms200 or 020 saws, our groundsman uses one too. We climb, he uses his to get branches that have fallen into creeks, it is also our spare saw. We often walk a 1/4 to 1/2 mile over logging slash or through the bush, many times we are cutting a trail. Look, no one is going to buy a tophandled saw to use much on the ground, I would rather be making a trail with a 372xp but I have to carry my gear, that with my ms200 is enough. You guys phone in people who are using 020s on the ground, tsk,tsk. Mind your own business, surely there must be more important issues to concern yourselves with. Cheers.


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## clearance

Pete, o.k., I see what is getting you, unfair competition. I have worked and work now for a company that is legit, all treeguys do foriegners (Isn't that the term?) or buzz jobs as we call them on the side. What you are talking about is someone running an actual business, pretending to be on the up and up on a full time basis. I understand your frustration, paying liability and employee ins., bookkeeping, taxes etc. right of the top. The way the law is setup, if only the qualified could buy 020s then they would have to climb with something else. If the laws were enforced only those with proper training could then climb. The huge majority of people here get an absolute minimal lack of training to run a saw. You kind of figure it out and watch others. By doing everything right you are protecting yourself, when your nieghbor takes out a powerline, damages a house or someone gets killed, he is up the creek, maybe without a paddle. My main point is that experienced treeguys should be able (like here) to use 020s wherever they want. I use mine on the ground, in a tree, with one hand sometimes, no big deal.


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## clearance

Pete, how close is Huddersfield to you? I was born there but have lived in Canada since I was 4 (1972). Yeah, those little saws are nasty if they get away on you, I really try hard never to be where a kickback will get me, some people here do not understand this concept. They talk about safety chain, smaller saws etc., missing the point that anything will kick. You are right, it isn't a very forgiving job. When I come over there to visit the relis I should bring my belt and spurs and go on a clearcutting,hammer down, big removal job for someone. Probably horrify you guys.


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## clearance

That is too funny. Can't remember where I lived, I was just a pup. My grandparents live real close to Beamont Park, nice place, my dad used to work for David Brown, my grandpa at ICI. At least everything there is built out of stone or brick. A stone wall that has stood for hundreds of years can take a little branch hit. I was back in 99, my dad and uncle live in Kendal now. And your buddy got 60 stitches from an 020, wow, I didn't get that many from a 266xp, but it took years to get the power and feeling back in my arm. Cheers mate, me name is Jim


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## clearance

That park is very cool, our parks won't look like that for a long time. I will ask about that name. When I am there people always think I'm American, sometimes I would put on a real accent and pull thier leg. Y'all talk kinda funny in this little town, y'all ken hardly speak English.


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## nohope

Iain, I'm sorry that you have got that response from us in the past, though to be honest I am not that surprised. Please don't give up though, there are some of us in HSE that take arb work seriously. 
To all of you in the UK as I have said before I quite honestly get sick of visits to decent outfits that are easy to find, the reason I do this job, and take an interest in arb, is because I want to sort out those who are, well less considered in their approach to the work. This is not easy and either relies on me driving round on the off chance of catching someone at work or getting a bit of help about where it may be profitable to drive past. It does make life easier to have a bit of notice and it does make life easier to have contact details for the outfit (where possible, I know). The thing to remember when reporting anything is to make it clear that you are concerned about a _work at height_ issue and give your details and ask to be kept informed about what happens.


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## iain

*rogues*

Nohope 

not trying to tell you how to suck eggs but--
i'd try an ad in the local free paper asking for the public to grass em up 
or ask 'help the aged' to collect flyers from there members or look in the newspaper for the words *'discounts for oap's'*

these parasites target the oldies because in the main they are, to polite to complain about a ????e job, usually pay in cash and are out of touch with what should go on in the work place. 

also may i suggest the hse consider issuing a template risk assesment(idiots guide) to incorporate the reems of rules, for us guys to get to grips with ?


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## wradman

*toppin*

here's one you might like if i can get this pic to work i'm new to this site


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## Acer

> Top handles yes if you get caught using them on the ground then we will slap you for it. I've heard all the arguments and whatever the competance of people in here there are too many cowboys out there who don't know what they are doing, and we have a history of people taking their own arms off. HSE policy is as stated - top handle in the tree only. Stihl at least do a rear handle the same size and weight that I know a few people use.



This is what annoys me, people who have got half a brain and who use the equipment properly suffering because of the actions of those who haven't got a clue. The people most likely to injure themselves with top handled saws on the ground are those who use them one handed, especially the idiots who saw with one hand and hold the material with the other. They probably don't know that they're banned on the ground, and probably wouldn't care anyway. They probably don't know who or what the HSE are.

For the job I had in mind, trimming stake tops on my hedges, a risk assessment would show that my 020T is the most suitable tool for this job. This particular situation has a low risk of kickback, and of all the tools I own, the lightest power saw I have would carry the lowest risk of musculoskeletal discomfort/injury. On this last point, I suspect that a top handled saw would be better than a rear handled one of equivalent weight in this particular situation - I do have an MSc. in Ergonomics, so I know what I'm talking about! Yet, because of this blanket ban, we aren't allowed to apply our experience/intelligence/qualifications to assess the situation and select the best tool for the job. 

Sorry to sound like a Daily Mail reader, but I really do think that health & safety legislation and regulation has got out of hand.


----------



## clearance

Acer- I one hand a 020 constantly, in or out of the tree, they are made for one handing. I once one handed a 288xp with a 32" bar over my head as high as I could reach to trim the side of a laurel hedge. Took me about 5 minutes, no big deal, wasn't working for a landscaping outfit, didn't have a hedge trimmer. I guess that would take the cake for "idiot" huh? Like people have said here if you make something idiot proof they will just make a better idiot.


----------



## Acer

clearance said:


> Acer- I one hand a 020 constantly, in or out of the tree, they are made for one handing. .



I re-read my post above. I know some people are more comfortable about using these saws one handed than others. The area of one handed use that makes me wince every time I see it is when people cut with one hand and hold with the other, so I've changed my post a bit to reflect this. OK, if people do dangerous things, they may or may not get hurt, and it would have been their chioce. Unfortunately, in the UK at the moment, other folks' less sensible choices affect us all, as the people churning out the legislation and guidelines react to injuries statistics that arise as a consequence. The upshot is that we all get swamped by the red tape as safety officials and the like try to micromanage our jobs from behind their desks.


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## puwer

Acer,

Have you written a risk assessment looking at the use of a top handled saw for the operation you intend? 

The PUWER regs are some of your red tape in this case, REG 4 suitability of work equipment does state that employers shall ensure that work equipment is used only for operations for which, and under conditions for which, it is suitable. 

In this regulation "suitable" means suitable in any respect which it is resonably foreseeable will affect the health or safety of any person.

If you belive that the top handled saw is the best equipment to use then you will obviously have to put the work in to prove this, personally i think you would struggle even with a very indepth RA and supporting safe system of work, i can already begin to think of the counter arguements against it. Especially when you look at suitable control measures for a highlighted hazard and the risk level. 

Section 2 (2) (a) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires the provision and maintenance of safe systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe without risks to health.
Where a Risk Assessment has identified that certain hazards cannot be eliminated and risk factors remain during the task, a safe system of work will be required. 
Safe Method of Work Statements (Method Statements), are one way in which Safe Systems of Work can be formally defined and recorded, enabling the employer to fulfil his legal obligations through providing information and instruction to his employees whilst keeping a formal record of Company Safety Management.
Method Statements provide a sequence for carrying out an identified task safely and they usually contain more detail than Risk Assessments.


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## clearance

Cut and hold, cut and chuck, cut and push tops, no big deal. Acer, if you want to trim this hedge with your 020, just do it. Have a rear handle saw on scene just in case you cut yourself, then lie and say you were using it. This over regulation about saws and the over regulation everwhere saddens me. Enough already, when does it end?, these people will keep making more rules up just so they have a job. Anything but the work, most of these jokers wouldn't know what hard work was if it bit them on the ass. "An expert is a man who needs a map to push a wheelbarrow around a corner" Gordon Gibson


----------



## Acer

puwer said:


> Acer,
> 
> Have you written a risk assessment looking at the use of a top handled saw for the operation you intend?
> 
> The PUWER regs are some of your red tape in this case, REG 4 suitability of work equipment does state that employers shall ensure that work equipment is used only for operations for which, and under conditions for which, it is suitable.
> 
> In this regulation "suitable" means suitable in any respect which it is resonably foreseeable will affect the health or safety of any person.
> 
> If you belive that the top handled saw is the best equipment to use then you will obviously have to put the work in to prove this, personally i think you would struggle even with a very indepth RA and supporting safe system of work, i can already begin to think of the counter arguements against it. Especially when you look at suitable control measures for a highlighted hazard and the risk level.



I'm sure I could make a good case for using a top handled saw over a rear handled one of the same weight (If just weight were the issue, I'm sure the H&S solution would be to run out and spend another £500 on a rear handled version of the 020, even though I have a perfectly good 020T sitting in my workshop!). In fact, I believe that this very specific job would be safer when using a top handled saw - my issue is that I would still be hammered regardless, whatever risk assessment I had done (see nohope's comments previously). For this job, I am forced to use a tool that is less safe by legislation that is supposed to protect my safety! . The discussion is below, so if anyone is bored with this already, then stop reading now!

The issue with top handled saws is less ability to maintain control in the event of a kickback cf, a rear handled saw, even if the saw is being held with both hands (although I would like to know how many people injure themselves with a top handled saw when holding them properly with two hands cf. one hand only). In the situation I'm thinking of, the kickback risk is low - and lower if I were using a top handled saw compared to a rear handled saw of similar weight. At the level I am cutting at, the only things to kick back from would be stake tops spaced at 18". Kickback would occur if I hit one of those stakes or another part of the hedge with the kickback zone of the bar nose, and this would probably happened if I stumbled during the operation, if I lost concentration and misjudged the position of the bar, or if my control was reduced through, say, fatigue. The first two would be equally likely whatever saw I was using, the last would be more likely with a rear handled saw. In the position I am using the saw, at around chest height, arm fatigue sets in quickly, especially the left arm. A light saw reduces this problem, but a light top handled design is even better, because the design of the top handle allows the right hand to make more of a contribution to supporting the weight of the saw. Try holding a 020T in your right hand at chest height with the top handle, then try it again with an 020 (rear handled version of 020T), holding the saw with the rear handle, right hand only. Which is easier? Not that you'd use it like this, I'm just saying that you can support the weight of the top handled saw with both hands rather than mainly with the left hand, so the saw is more comfortable to use in this situation. Also, you can stand a little closer to the work when using a top handled design, as there is no rear handle in the way. The saw is nearer to the body, reducing arm fatigue and also reducing lower back stress (and, incidentally, improving chances of controlling a kickback). Because of these factors, the risk of kickback through reduced control due to fatigue is lower. So, even if the consequences of a kickback with a top handled saw were more severe, the chance of the kickback happening in the first place would be lower than with a similar rear handled saw. 

Then, we can consider the control measures; safety devices fitted to the saw (ie inertia activated chain brake), and positioning of body parts out of the path of a kickback - it would be hard to do this particular job standing in the kickback danger area. If we did have a kickback, it is very likely that the chain would be stopped, providing that the inertia chain brake were functioning properly, and that the chain would not make contact with body parts anyway.

Kickback aside, there are other health hazards involved here, and I've explained about arm fatigue. Pain & discomfort in the arms and hands are precursors to more long term work related upper limb disorders. I can recover from pain by stopping work for a bit and changing my posture, but a condition such as tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome is more permanent. Although more long term and less dramatic than a kickback cut or amputation, it is still a risk that needs to be assessed and controlled, and here I believe the top handled saw wins out.

Finally, there is always the possibility of using a manual tool, such as a silky saw. If I did this, I would need to support the stake or top of the hedge to stop it moving, so I am putting my left hand into the danger area straight 
away. A cut from a silky can be quite severe - not as severe as a chainsaw cut could be, but, in this situation, a lot more likely. When we assess risk, we often regard it as the chance of something happening X severity of consequences. Using a hand saw here, I'd say the chance of a cut is a lot higher than when using a chainsaw (both hands on the chainsaw, of course!), but the consequences are less severe, assuming no life threatening infection follows. With the chainsaw, lower likelihood X greater severity. So which is riskiest? Myself, I'd say risk is lower with the chainsaw; after each day's chainsaw use, I have, so far remained unscathed, but I have cut myself several times when using a pruning saw (I'm not the only one - there's a whole thread dedicated to this somewhere) But again, this judgement is subjective.

Mind you, perhaps, using the hand tool is the way forward. If I used hand tools, everything would take 10 times as long, and I would eventually go out of business. If I'm out of work, I cannot have an accident at work. Mission accomplished, HSE!!


----------



## Nickrosis

*No plane ticket yet...*

But I'll be in the UK around October.


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## clearance

Acer-no comment on my post? Argueing, rationalizing, reasoning, why? Just do it, for christs sake, no wonder Britain lost its way, wankers in meetings, talking endlessly about crap instead of doing the work, they produce nothing, help no one. Don't worry about it, its happening here as well, guys in white hardhats, walking around jobs looking like twats while the men are doing the work. C'mon son, live a little.


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## Buzzlightyear

clearance said:


> Acer-no comment on my post? Argueing, rationalizing, reasoning, why? Just do it, for christs sake, no wonder Britain lost its way, wankers in meetings, talking endlessly about crap instead of doing the work, they produce nothing, help no one. Don't worry about it, its happening here as well, guys in white hardhats, walking around jobs looking like twats while the men are doing the work. C'mon son, live a little.



I think he's playing devils advocate mate. I'm sure he probably does use his 020 on the ground I know i do. cspecially for fence posts.

+ your right this country is screwed. Mainly by crap legislation from the europe which they ignore prefering common sense but we blindly follow at great expense. This is mainly due to the fact that we have an HSE and most european countries don't !:censored:


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## nohope

Acer

Wow, well done, some very good arguments. I did quote what HSE's line was on top handles on the ground. The only place any of us get to find out what the law actually means in practice is in court. Believe it or not we do try to apply the law that is made by ministers in a reasonably sensible way (I wasn't going to rise to the jibe about me wanting to put you out of business) but at the end of the day the HSE line on this, as anything is always open to challenge in the courts.
THe health arguments appear to make sense in this case. Problems really start if you get employees to work in this way. The safe use of the saw relies on the safe system of work and the further that gets from you the harder it is to prove that people are working the way that you expected them to.
Nope, can't stop myself... I took this job to keep people in work, to try and do something about people getting injured/ made unhealthy. It is the 21st century and everybody should be able to go home with all the body parts that they went to work with, and an expectation that their health will not be put at risk by working. I take an interest in arb because I realise that it is a very specialised industry and does take some specific knowledge that not all inspectors have at their finger tips (we are expected to be jacks of all trades and to be able to go into ANY workplace) and hey of those I have met I actually like and seem to get on with you guys and aim on the whole to try an clear/ explain some of the red tape. There are some issues that HSE centrally has come up with a line on, those issues I have to state what the line is. If nothing else you know where you stand and its increased the debate and with any luck got some people thinking. I am not in the business of trying to tie people up with tape and stop them from working.

OK rant over, I feel better for that, Pint anyone?


----------



## iain

*aa latest gaff*

i had to laugh when i saw this weeks hort week 
the AA must have run out of meeting to go too, so have joined someonelses (bali)
*how to operate by the road side* fukcme when was the last time u saw a boardroom table on a footpath(I can see it now 
teatrolley n all )

+the insert piccy shows two guys using a premier with cones set up on a footpath
nohope puwer do you get this publication ? spot whats missing !


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## Buzzlightyear

pete mctree said:


> Getting the job done and doing the job right are becoming separate pages in the same book. Young climbers especially those taught in further education are often bewildered and shocked at the day to day reality of contract work. If the current trends continue to constrict us in our work, then our conformity to "best working practice" with regards to climbing techniques, saw use etc is going to become an exersize in paper work only. Thus leaving us all open to prosecution on a daily basis. I would not be surprised to see a polarisation of the industry with regards to the new work at height regulations involving mewps. I know of three other climbers like myself who regard them as a tool to be used when climbing is not an option.I wonder what they have in store for us next? Our mothers having to hold our hands at all times? Common sense is needed, but even that seems to be in short supply!



Pete I agree mate......either that or you will end up with no small tree firms because of the legislation. It'll be all big firms paper shuffling using subbies for the real work lol :greenchainsaw:


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## clearance

Buzz, I checked out your site very cool. Those Range Rovers are only driven by yuppie women here, nice to see someone really use one. Hey, if you are a tree surgeon and you kill your patients are you struck off the list?


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## Buzzlightyear

clearance said:


> Buzz, I checked out your site very cool. Those Range Rovers are only driven by yuppie women here, nice to see someone really use one. Hey, if you are a tree surgeon and you kill your patients are you struck off the list?



Lol, that's a Land Rover Defender rather than a Land Rover Range Rover if that makes sense. The Defender is /was traddtionally a farmers vehicle but has been pushed up market and is over priced as a works vehicle now, trouble is nothing quite cuts it in the rough stuff like a Defender.

They stopped exporting them to the states in '94 i believe due to your health and safety standards. Defender is a 50's design and doesn't lend itself to modern upgrades, it's going to be phased out soon  

You can get Range Rovers, Discovery's (LR3 to you yanks) and Freelander in the States but that's it I believe ???

They tend to be rich mum's SUV of choice over here as well, usually found mounting the kerb on the school run rather than working for a living.

Glad you liked the site


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## ROLLACOSTA

Been on a pesticide course this week boom spraying pa1 pa2a ,talk about legislation,you need to fill in/construct/draw/list 5 differant peices of paper before you even think about going out to earn a crust, environtle risk assesment,job specific risk assesment,chemical assesment blah blah blah..

Anyway after a rant hows work up and down the country ,bloody [email protected] around here,thats 2 months nearly over this year ,christ how long does it take for work to pick up,ohh and of course all or most local authoritys have spent there budget already


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## Mr_Brushcutter

ROLLACOSTA said:


> Been on a pesticide course this week boom spraying pa1 pa2a ,talk about legislation,you need to fill in/construct/draw/list 5 differant peices of paper before you even think about going out to earn a crust, environtle risk assesment,job specific risk assesment,chemical assesment blah blah blah..
> 
> Anyway after a rant hows work up and down the country ,bloody [email protected] around here,thats 2 months nearly over this year ,christ how long does it take for work to pick up,ohh and of course all or most local authoritys have spent there budget already



Friend of mine did Pa1 and Pa6a end of last year he showed me all the stuff you needed to know. Countryside code all these risk assessment forms made me glad i'd done CS38 rather than Pa1.

Is Pestercides cert. worth having for working in arb? Its not something i really want to do but its required to get the full ABC cert. Why did you choose boom sprayers rather than hand held?


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## teressa green

rolla ,terrible up here too ,giving serious thought to re training ,,,,,just gotta work out what i want to do,,,,any idaes lads ,,,,


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## teressa green

what about a hand car wash ,fill it with immigrants on minimum wage or less ,sit in a deck chair all day and count my money


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## iain

rolla ,terrible up here too ,giving serious thought to re training ,,,,,just gotta work out what i want to do,,,,any idaes lads 


mmi've i have given it some thought and i think baliff's are going to be busy if a recestion bites hard


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## Big A

Iain, why not re-train as a bailiff then. If things are gonna be that bad, you'll be in full time work! I think you need a license from your local authority nowadays though. I think it'll soon pick up again, trees keep on growing!


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## iain

Big A said:


> Iain, why not re-train as a bailiff then. If things are gonna be that bad, you'll be in full time work! I think you need a license from your local authority nowadays though. I think it'll soon pick up again, trees keep on growing!




i was responding to Tg's request for ideas. i always keep my options open! not too sure i could do that job
i agree its always tough at this time of year roll on easter


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## blue

things are slowish round here but slowly pickin up.had to go in cheap on alot of jobs as a local landscraper has started doing tree work himself.he always used to put the our way but brought a chipper and now thinks he's a tree surgeon.trouble is he can't price a job to save his life.goes in at half our's and other tree co's rates


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## Big A

pete mctree said:


> ps the top of the hedge now looks like a roller-coaster!



Not THAT bad, I hope (sorry Rolla) tee-hee


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## clearance

Pete, one time we did a massive cedar hedge using a laser level, straight as a rifle barrel.


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## iain

blue said:


> things are slowish round here but slowly pickin up.had to go in cheap on alot of jobs as a local landscraper has started doing tree work himself.he always used to put the our way but brought a chipper and now thinks he's a tree surgeon.trouble is he can't price a job to save his life.goes in at half our's and other tree co's rates




does carry any tree liab insurance's ?


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## ROLLACOSTA

Mr_Brushcutter said:


> Friend of mine did Pa1 and Pa6a end of last year he showed me all the stuff you needed to know. Countryside code all these risk assessment forms made me glad i'd done CS38 rather than Pa1.
> 
> Is Pestercides cert. worth having for working in arb? Its not something i really want to do but its required to get the full ABC cert. Why did you choose boom sprayers rather than hand held?




Waste of time for tree work mate.The reason I choose boom spraying is because I do a bit or will of boom spraying [agricultural]...No big earner but another string to the bow...

Not got my 20k investment back yet though..


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

iain said:


> does carry any tree liab insurance's ?



yeh I bet his kit is loler tested,and he all nptc'ed up to the hilt..


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## stumpy66

the thing is about these chancers or whatever else you might call them, they do get the work, their direct baffling charm seems to get the work tied up....even if sometimes they only stay for half the money....perhaps tree folk need to try them at there own game.....to make you feel better, its always fun sending them to look at a job some distance away that isnt actually there......(just make sure you withhold your number).


----------



## blue

heard a rumor today that the landscaper/tree surgeon in question may be in deep financial poop.just hope it's true :greenchainsaw: to the wonka


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## mike385

Hey there,
This has absolutely nothing to do with trees. What the hell is a pikey?


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## Buzzlightyear

mike385 said:


> Hey there,
> This has absolutely nothing to do with trees. What the hell is a pikey?



Uh oh, here we go again......lol


----------



## mike385

if it is that bad you can IM me. lol


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## mike385

I know it is weak, but I was watching that movie "snatch". and all the brits kept talking about is how they didn't like the "pikey". That is why I wanted to know.
thanks
mike


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## mike385

Gotcha!! Thanks I did gather that from the movie, but just wanted to be sure.
thanks again
mike


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## teressa green

i heard that a version of snatch is avaliable in the us with sub titles,is this correct,as for pikeys ,we have hundreds round here ,even employing decent tree surgeons now ,a mate of mine subs to them the pillock ,even has to write the reciept for them ,,,,,it stinks i can tell you ,horrible sods the lot of em ,,,,,,


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## SteveBullman

ha, well i too sub for one....rollacoasta in fact, and i can honestly say he is as or more professional than 90% of companies i come across.

gotta be careful about stereotyping every single one of em, even though 9 times out of 10 you'll probably be right


----------



## tam

Ross Turner said:


> Tam,thats not the site i use,have a look here
> http://bride.ru/ph/htcgi/ladies/in-gold/index1.html




not in the library, big man
:greenchainsaw:


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

stephenbullman said:


> ha, well i too sub for one....rollacoasta in fact, and i can honestly say he is as or more professional than 90% of companies i come across.
> 
> gotta be careful about stereotyping every single one of em, even though 9 times out of 10 you'll probably be right




Also half the London underground [tree's on the above ground lines] are worked/pruned or felled on by Gypsy run sub contract companys..

But yes there are a few rogues in my community,no more than any other ethnic group though ,you guys just here about the bad apples...beleive me there are plenty of hard working, honest,tax paying pikeys out there ..


I often spot lots of them at the big arb shows [saltex apf even caple manor festival of tree] buying serious amounts of kit..


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

I know loads of travellers from yorkshire ,to be honest there Irish most of them and there not a very nice 'vitsa' FAMILY/CLAN


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## Big A

Better watch ourselves pointing fingers nowadays, the tides turning, soon we'll be an ethnic minority group and people will look at us and call us "dirty white trash". Oh, they already do on national TV!! The only time I was worried about "pikies" was when I was working alongside one of their sites and the local council and plod had been routinely raiding them for months. Then we were told not to continue with the work as it was too dangerous without police escort. I chose not to heed their advice as I thought it might inflame the situation. They were more than hospitable, making cups of tea all day and even offering to BUY our saws. I told them we were subbies and it was our own kit and they apologised and left us to it. I can only speak as I find about any group of fellow humans, chav, pikey, black, indian or whatever. I think most people are scared of the unknown, or those who choose to lead a different lifestyle. If I could get away with paying taxes, then I blooming well would.


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## clearance

Thats right apologize, before you are brought up on hate speech charges, or you get beheaded!


----------



## clearance

I apologize


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## Mijolnir

Eh up!


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## clearance

Rollacosta, mainly, I took some tests over the net when I looked up chav. One test said I was 24% chav, but I guessed on questions I didn't get, the other said I was 90% rocker. Chavs seem to match the American term "wigger" in many ways, no offence, just seem to share a lot, tacky, flashy "bling", sullen, bad attittude, ignorant by choice and so on. So glad I am 90% rocker, turn down the suck-turn up the cool! If its to loud -your too old. Party on -cheers.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

clearance said:


> Rollacosta, mainly, I took some tests over the net when I looked up chav. One test said I was 24% chav, but I guessed on questions I didn't get, the other said I was 90% rocker. Chavs seem to match the American term "wigger" in many ways, no offence, just seem to share a lot, tacky, flashy "bling", sullen, bad attittude, ignorant by choice and so on. So glad I am 90% rocker, turn down the suck-turn up the cool! If its to loud -your too old. Party on -cheers.



Beleive me your a CHAV,judging by your posts..


----------



## Ryan Gossen

*In Texas*

Here in Texas we call them Mexicans. Being here illegally to begin with, they are not bound by regulations; safety, tax or otherwise. They form the overwhelming majority of the tree-trimming workforce here, and they work cheap. For a full year, I worked on an otherwise all-Mexican crew. Some of the most talented and hardest working tree-men I know are Mexican, also some careless, ignorant and lazy individuals. The big problem is the effect they have had on the market. I have to compete with someone who shares a one bedroom apartment with three guys on the East side, sends money home, and is willing to risk his life without PPE or any sort of jobsite insurance. This makes the market value of my own life lower. The problem is that working people are all in the same boat. When an arborist in the nation next door is getting screwed, I will get screwed too. This is what happens when corporations organize internationally and workers do not. 

I have read allot of posts here in the Brit thread about how debilitating your regulations can be on your work. Be aware, there is a dark side to de-regulation. Cheers,


----------



## Big A

*NPTC/CSCS alliance coming?*

Just when I thought I could keep my head down and earn a living, I was told yesterday that the Uk's NPTC and the CSCS people are going to amalgamate to push for even stricter safety measures. The chainsaw ticket will soon be re-assessable every 3 years under the new rules. I hope the safety officer was wrong about this but I dont think so. The way he spoke it will apply across the board to any skills certificates. How much is this gonna cost companies? Dont get me wrong, I'm in favour of educating people the safe way to do their trade, but I think its getting a bit too picky now. I think this is going to hit the smaller companies very hard in their pocket, and what with prices constantly being hammered back by those of lower esteem, profit margins (what's one of those) are going to suffer.


----------



## stumpy66

What does my head in is the fact that these tickets which are not cheap....mean absolutely nothing in the real world. 
Is it illegal to employ "untrained" tree cutters to take your domestic tree down?..of course not, 
is it possible to buy a chainsaw without a ticket?...of course it is....

once again the only people who benefit finanicially from this are the training companies and the paper pushers, the governments cost go up by trying to implement the new rules. 

realistically training tickets are only really asked for by those already in the loop, ie the construction industry and the public sectors. How many smaller tree companies have contracts with those and how many actually make a load of money from them now....to make money you need the through put and that mean you need to be a big company to make the percentage profit work.

The small tree company or non arborists can still get out there and do a job cos they dont care about the training but just want a quick buck.

If the government want a workable system, training has to be affordable and relevent. i don't mind taking any training or retests as long as it is worth my while interlectually or financially. The outlay has to be justified. At the minute tree training in the UK has its head up its ass...like most everything the government has its hands on it gets complicated and ineffective...not to mention expensive both in taxes and direct cost....get shafted both ways.....

But training, education and retests....i like it.....but make the playing field level and affordable. 

Thats better.................and relax!!!!


----------



## clearance

Rolla, I am 24% chav, really hoping that is all, do you really think so, oh no.


----------



## Yellow Fox

Regulation is a form of taxation anyway that you look at it. Just think where a fair proportion of the fees that are paid end up! And thats after various parties have had their cut - often all within the public sector loop. Anything to do with H+S is an easy target. Just wait for the arguments - if it save just one life its worth it - maybe, but the cost implications of 3 yr refresher courses is huge. What follows? A yearly refresher? Anybody want to estimate the costs of putting all their staff through through refresher courses for every module that they have completed. Of course, this type of thing can only be applied to legitimate companies, because the grinning clots at the HSE can only track THEM down. Looks like the Dodge City brigade are free and clear again!!


----------



## nohope

you don't have to get personal Yellow Fox, It may not be easy for us to catch up with the dodge city brigade in amongst the rest of our work (there are fewer field operational inspectors in the country than MP's and we have to cover every industrial and agricultural premises) but that does not mean that some of us do not try. I do resent being refered to as a 'grinning clot' 

Debate about whether refresher training is a good or bad thing, and whether that should need 're-certification' is the sort of debate I came in here for. I know I will get some flack but it doesn't have to be personal.


----------



## stumpy66

why do not HSE stop it at source....(taking the devils advacate view) say that only people with training can, 
a) purchase chainsaws
b) perform tree work with, and only with the relevent license...or ticket...

simple....like tpo's fine the person performing the work....

if you have not the ticket, cannot be employed....

this will not work of course.....goverment not interested...tree work undervalued...

so we kick the ass of tree workers...but do not realise that most of the people in the stats as injured are not qualified anyway.....

i am happy to work within the law as long as it works for everyone....(i do work with in the law anyway)......but competing (not so much as the tree folk) with other with less overheads...ie less training/legislation overheads..


----------



## blue

oh whoopee do more money to spend on re-assesment if this becomes law.i'm self employed and i know there is no way i could afford to do this.
i worked out last year how much to do all the NPTC's i have.from memory it was over £5k in course's and nearly the same in lost wages.
my guess for re-assesment for me would about £1k and 2 weeks lost pay.
if this happens then :censored: it i'll buy a caravan and transit and off i go a travelin'


----------



## stumpy66

why not, if you cannot bet them....join em....


----------



## highpoint-utd

well now the way things are going it seems that the arb industry is doomed to over regulation and they wont be happy till there aint no decent tree lads left,so when an unsafe tree hits some lovely passerby on the head who they gonna call not us :monkey:


----------



## highpoint-utd

while were at it ,why dont the bulding firms get mithered to death by the hse theres more lunatics than you can shake a stick at in the building game .stihl grinders for instance ? no chain brake ,so aint gonna stop quickly in the event of an accident .and the amount of brickies ive seen cutting bricks with apair of trainers on with the brick under there shoe is unreal .no nptc for them i see .i suggest someone gives puwer a shout and lets see what he has to say .nptc's aint the only training route to go from my conversations with puwer .


----------



## Mijolnir

Well here's one for the HSE - Any idea how many roadworkers are killed each year....
And yet are reported as RTA's, not industrial deaths?
HSE are going to get a real shock when they work that one out...


----------



## stumpy66

hey, guys...steady now...with a socialist government (tax collecting cooperative...whatever) someone will suggest next that we have a properly representative council.......or union......hang on...some one check that we havent already!!!


----------



## Yellow Fox

The use of statistics ti reinforce and justify new regs should always be treated with suspicion. All to often they are highly selective and taken with a skewed approach - usually to fit the already decided conclusion. Any impartial examination of these 'facts' could only conclude that far too much new and reviewed regulation is part of a process of obsfucation designed to provide the continuance of cosy pensionable positions and an ever increasing income stream.

No Hope; I am sorry that you take my comments personally, they were meant generally. But as my mother said, " If the cap fits...................."


----------



## puwer

Big A - this is an extract from a post i posted in Oct 2005

"The issue of re-certification is one that has been visited many times by both NPTC and the HSE many times, but so far has been rejected by all involved, primarily as the industry would not accept this. NPTC have made it clear that to attempt to do this at this time would be a logistical nightmare and if they had maybe done this from the start in time of the development of the certs of comp then this wouldn't be an issue! Literature produced and guidance sought from the HSE does reccommended professional users undergo refresher training every five years and the discussion has been had as to whether this refresher training could be added to an NPTC i.d card, this also presents problems and is unlikely at this time to happen. Certs of comp and evidence of update training will provide a portfolio for the end user that meets the requirments under the PUWER regulations."

However they may well have moved the goalposts, the system is changing in regard to how technical standards are maintained so you never know. I've asked a few questions to the poeple i know i will get a straight answer from, so if i hear anything i will let you know.


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## Big A

The way I was told was that re-assessment every three years is definitely on the way, if you dont do them then you dont work for the main contractors, sure you'd be ok on the private work. HOWEVER, if you do happen to have PLI, then you'd have to disclose proof of training for cover, fair enough, but thats how they'll get you via the back-door. Of course, could always let the tickets lapse, drop the PLI and say PooH! to authority and work for cash. Once again the little man pays through the teeth.


----------



## Acer

Big A said:


> ... re-assessment every three years ...



Where are they going to find all the trees to be assessed on? If everyone's going to have to go through every unit again every 3 years, there won't be a tree left standing in the whole country. I suppose that's the idea, turn the country into a treeless desert, and watch the tree work accident stats fall.:bang: 

You couldn't make this stuff up


----------



## MEDGE1

*hi guys, am new to site*

Only found this site a couple of days ago, just like to say hi and how useful the info has been. Have been cutting for 10 years and climbing for 5, mostly utility stuff (lines and rail), just blew a knee ligament and landed behind a desk temporarily with the job of sorting my firms training- dont know whats scarier, desk work or trying to work out the nest that is NPTC/LANTRA/HSE/insurancce demands! Keep climbing, keep smilin!


----------



## Acer

nohope said:


> Acer
> 
> Wow, well done, some very good arguments. I did quote what HSE's line was on top handles on the ground. The only place any of us get to find out what the law actually means in practice is in court. Believe it or not we do try to apply the law that is made by ministers in a reasonably sensible way (I wasn't going to rise to the jibe about me wanting to put you out of business) but at the end of the day the HSE line on this, as anything is always open to challenge in the courts.
> THe health arguments appear to make sense in this case. Problems really start if you get employees to work in this way. The safe use of the saw relies on the safe system of work and the further that gets from you the harder it is to prove that people are working the way that you expected them to.
> :



Thanks for the reply nohope.

I take the point on safe systems of work. When I did have employees, I always had difficulty trusting them to work safely on their own, and I can see how dangerous practices can creep in in larger firms with more people with no policy or guidance on how to go about things. 

So, having done the risk assessment as in the previous post, and you or another inspector came across me using my 020T (with both hands, as I described) for the specific task of cutting off stake tops, what would you do?


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## puwer

Personally I would want to look over your safe system of work or method statement for the operation being undertaken, justifcation for the operation of such machinery on a risk assessments merits only would mean a very detailed RA to be produced.

So info ..... Method Statements:
Section 2 (2) (a) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires the provision and maintenance of safe systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe without risks to health.
Where a Risk Assessment has identified that certain hazards cannot be eliminated and risk factors remain during the task, a safe system of work will be required. 
Safe Method of Work Statements (Method Statements), are one way in which Safe Systems of Work can be formally defined and recorded, enabling the employer to fulfil his legal obligations through providing information and instruction to his employees whilst keeping a formal record of Company Safety Management.
Method Statements provide a sequence for carrying out an identified task safely and they usually contain more detail than Risk Assessments.

Contractors should be required to define the way in which they intend to execute tasks which have inherent safety, health or environmental risks attached to them. This is best done by producing a Method Statement. Generalized Method Statements are sometimes submitted during the bid stage of a contract. These often prove to be of little use when it comes to carrying out the work, and job specific Method Statements should always be provided where the hazards warrant a statement being produced at all.
Key features of competent Method Statements include:
1. Identification of the individual(s) who are responsible for ensuring compliance with the Method Statement, including deputising arrangements.
2. The qualifications/training/experience of those permitted to carry out the type of work and any special training for the specific job.
3. Specification of the personal protective equipment and safety equipment to be used.
4. Definition of the safe means of access to and from the work location, including permanent platforms, scaffolds (hand rails, toe boards, etc.), mobile towers. Requirements for barriers and notices to limit access to safe areas also need to be spelled out.
5. Identification of the safe access routes for plant and equipment, especially in congested areas and taking into account the need to maintain emergency access routes.
6. Locations for equipment and material storage and handling and security arrangements.
7. Equipment required to carry out the work, how it will be provided and what inspections need to be identified, including cranes, slings, etc.
8. Definition of the sequence by which the work will be carrried out and any limitations to part completed work, e.g. need for temporary guys.
9. The need for any temporary works to be provided and the responsibility for their competent design.
10. Consideration of the impact of weather and limitations to working in adverse conditions.
11. The Method Statement should generally indicate how risks are to be avoided, including those to other workers and the public at large, and to this end, it is useful if it prohibits bad practices, which are known to exist in the industry or can be anticipated on this particular job.
12. It is important to ensure that acceptance of the Method Statement by NERC does not detract from the contractors responsibility for his own Health & Safety performance.


----------



## Big A

*Working at height (again) Regs*

Picture this, large conifer hedge,( about forty feet tall) river on one side, and excavation spoil on the other to reduce to about 8 metres and side up. Kit available, climbing gear, saws and long reach hedgecutters and A-frame ladders. Uneven ground along the entire length of the hedge,( once I'd had the spoil removed). I feel that the safest way to do the job is to hire in a cherry picker. The company I worked for cant afford it on the price, the company who subbed out the work couldnt afford it on their price, although my feeling is that it would take far lees time with the c/p than climbing etc. The site manager, (for a large building contractor) says go by the method statement as he wasnt even sure of the safety aspects for arb work. Re-read method statement, doesnt actually describe how the job should be carried out. Im just a temp subbie, given the kit for the job and the relevant paperwork and sent on the job with no prior site visits to check it for myself. Legally, where would I stand if the fan gets a dusting of the brown stuff, surely others are in this scenario. Opinions please.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

I would say Andy if it went TIPS-UP you would be PART responsible no one put a gun to your head and said reduce the hedge with rope and harness..

My god talk about regulation /legislation gone absolutely mad,I don't even understand half of it and i'm a company owner..

Its as though a new load of BS is made up on a weekly basis..


----------



## Buzzlightyear

pete mctree said:


> I agree roller, if you make the decision to do the job especially if you are not the climber then you must take a proportion of the blame.
> If they want to put us small scale contractors out of business they are doing a good job. What i find most frustrating is the fact that you have to go looking for all this stuff, and we all know that ignorance is not a viable defense when the fan blows large chunk all over your face!



EXACTLY that's what really pisses me off  We spend 10-12hr days running our company and instead of down time in the evening we are obligated to spend hours trying to find out what new bollox laws we are breaking !! This is why I alone do all our climbing, if i kill myself there's only me to blame :biggrinbounce2:


----------



## nohope

Lots of stuff to get back on.

1. Yellow Fox, I don't think that the cap fits.

2. Big A you're right should things go wrong the proverbial should not just land on you. The job is part of the building contractors undertaking, they have a responsibility to ensure that it is done safely. Ask to speak to the planning supervisor, they are the person who under the Consutruction, (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 (CDM) who is in charge of putting together the site safety plan, appointing a competent principal contractor and then making sure that they appoint competent contractors. Most importantly try to get things in writing, put down your concerns, write your favoured method date it and then give it to them (with witnesses) try to get them to sign for receiving it (maybe post by registered post). I do realise that this will mark you out as a trouble maker, but may scare them into spending the money to do the job right in the first place. And if all else fails shop them to the local HSE office quoting suspected breaches of Work At Height regs and possibly CDM.

3. Acer, My first question would be 'Can you cut the stakes to a better length before you put them in the ground using a rear handled saw?' When you no doubt give me sensible reasons why that isn't possible I would have to serve a Prohibition Notice prohibiting the use of the 020T on the ground. There are some things that HSE centrally has a fixed policy on and this is one, as such I would have to stick to that policy. I would also give you an appeal form telling you that if you think I am wrong then you can appeal to a tribunal where the evidence would be heard and a ruling made. It is the only way to actually challenge and test such a national policy line.

4. Mijolnir HSE does know how many RTA's there are, which is why it has produced information and guidance for employers on management of work related car use. HSE still maintains though that in the majority of cases the police have the more appropriate experience to investigate and The Road Traffic Act is the most appropriate legistation, though they may and can consult us on management systems and issues.

5. Highpoint construction does get inspected, more than you do. Every HSE office has a team of inspectors who only do construction. (Mind you that still doesn't amount to much, in my office we have 6 construction inspectors for the whole of West and North Yorkshire). Interventions by construction inspectors with the large principal contractors are the reason that now on big jobs contractors are asked for proof of competance (ie CSCS or NPTC cards). Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.

6. Stumpy66 We can't insist on tickets to buy rear handle chainsaws as the law we enforce is health and safety AT WORK and there are a lot of domestic users out there. Purchasers are supposed to provide a ticket before they can buy top handled saws as this is counted as a proffesional use only saw. THe law Does say that only people with suitable training can work on or in a tree with a chainsaw. One way of proving this is to have your NPTC ticket. As an inspector that is what I and my colleagues work to, if someone is not competant they shouldn't be doing the job. THe only way to catch up with more of those that are not competant is to have more inspectors and tell them to focus on arb work (inspector numbers and what we concentrate on are policy decisions made by the politicians and the Health and Safety Commision).

I think that will do for now, I'll now wait for more flack.


----------



## Ross Turner

*pastures new*

Hi i know i havnt been on here for a while as i have been busy sorting my life out,as some of you know from other sites me & my partner of 5 years split up just after new year.
I have left SAS & am starting a new job & life in jersey moving there on friday 10th march.
Will b able to keep intouch as now own a lap top.


----------



## Big A

Sooo! I make a report out, mark myself as a trouble-maker, get a bad name as someone who can't be trusted and end up having to change trades as no-one in my vicinity will want to use me. Or I comply with the company's wishes, get caught out sooner or later, they need a scape-goat for the sake of "compliance" make an example of me. I dont get to work no more. Seems like heads they win, tails I lose! Or I could leave the company, get in with someone else, till the next time. Glad your getting sorted, R/T.


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

I was wondering about the use of quick draw karabiners in an areial resuce. They're two snap gate biners locked together with webbing sling. I thought these would make a very quick and simple way of connecting to someone in a rescue. However the lack of a locking mechanism worrys me about using them, but its hardly a life load bearing a bit of equipment. There only about a tenner all CE marked and i've found they speed up process.

Thoughts on this?


----------



## highpoint-utd

Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.

eh ???????? what did i wish for ??:monkey:


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Whats work like up and down the country ,bloody slow down here........


----------



## stumpy66

work.....remind me.....oh yer...a bit of it about......and Rolla...it's up here...not down.....i'm down here, you are up there....its in the detail....


----------



## Big A

I thought you were "over there" !! Bloomin' wet today eh Rolla, I suppose you had your feet up in front of the fire!!!!


----------



## puwer

B/c

I think you may have almost answered your own question.

Quote: "However the lack of a locking mechanism worrys me about using them"

Don't use them if you have concerns, try double locking snaps or conventional three ways.

If i remember you have recently done your Cs38? You will have been taught two points of attatchment to the casualty, whether coming down on single or double line, keep an open mind as to what might actually happen during a rescue and how critical speed may well become, those two attatchment points if any at all may pale into slight insignificance. 

A quick draw sling with two three way biners on your harness should take care of 99.9% of situations, if the casualtys' line is ok, clip them to you if required and out of the tree, if there line is cut/snagged/not long enough, clip them to you and cut them away from there system.

There are many ways to undertake rescues and Cs38 only generally covers two or three and it still surprises me the amount of trainers who don't teach spike/pole rescue! The rescues taught serve a purpose, but they are not the best.

Emeregency procedures and planning and dealing with these situtaions is addressed directly in the working at height regs 2005 - have a read.


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

puwer said:


> B/c
> 
> I think you may have almost answered your own question.
> 
> Quote: "However the lack of a locking mechanism worrys me about using them"
> 
> Don't use them if you have concerns, try double locking snaps or conventional three ways.
> 
> If i remember you have recently done your Cs38? You will have been taught two points of attatchment to the casualty, whether coming down on single or double line, keep an open mind as to what might actually happen during a rescue and how critical speed may well become, those two attatchment points if any at all may pale into slight insignificance.
> 
> A quick draw sling with two three way biners on your harness should take care of 99.9% of situations, if the casualtys' line is ok, clip them to you if required and out of the tree, if there line is cut/snagged/not long enough, clip them to you and cut them away from there system.
> 
> There are many ways to undertake rescues and Cs38 only generally covers two or three and it still surprises me the amount of trainers who don't teach spike/pole rescue! The rescues taught serve a purpose, but they are not the best.
> 
> Emeregency procedures and planning and dealing with these situtaions is addressed directly in the working at height regs 2005 - have a read.




Did my 38 nearly a year ago now i think i'll use double locking snaps, i was wondering more from a best practice kind of view. If i did one using non locking snaps would i get bined for it? On my course at Caple Mannor we did 4 rescue methods including spikes/pole rescue.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Big A said:


> I thought you were "over there" !! Bloomin' wet today eh Rolla, I suppose you had your feet up in front of the fire!!!!




Sure did lol


----------



## puwer

From a best practice point of view then yes they should be three way action biners, the double attatchment to the casualty came from NPTC insurers, they got very twitchy during training when candidates using live casualties would unclip someone completely from there system, so we began to utilise double attatchment in case of failure. 

Not sure what you mean when you say if i did one, would i get bined for it?

I presume if it was capel a year or so ago, then Nick Oburn probably trained you and maybe even Alex Laver assessed you. Nick is a good trainer and knows what shoudl be taught and when.

Good trainers, who maintain the standards yet also understand the constraints and pressures of commercial contracting are hard come by.


----------



## Acer

nohope said:


> 3. Acer, My first question would be 'Can you cut the stakes to a better length before you put them in the ground using a rear handled saw?'



They are cut to a sensible length of 5 ft with a rear handled saw before use. How far I can drive them into the ground depends on what's in the ground - roots, rubble etc. The main issue is that, as part of the style, stakes tops are normally cut to match the angles of the pleachers, at around 30 degrees. If I cut the stake ends at 30 degrees and then tried to hit them in, that would be very difficult and a lot more dangerous, as the maul is more likely to take a deflection and hit me somehow (or just a mis???? can hurt sometimes). To hit a stake into the ground, it is best that the end is sawn square. We've discussed what sort of saw would be best to trim them with.

Are there any costs involved in appealing against a prohibition notice- eg do I have to pay HSE's costs or something like that if I lose, appeal fees, or gawd knows what else?)


----------



## tam

hey there rossburger! hows jersey then? since you left i've been promoted to 'ross'..... the beer gut has already started.


----------



## Ross Turner

The girls are stunning,just a shame carlie wants me back & is on about moving over here.As for the beer gut remark you cheeky welsh scotchman living in england,all that means is you arnt working hard enough.lol

If me & carlie do give it another go & she dont like overhere i will be moving back to the mainland as i miss her & the kids.But thats life.


----------



## stumpy66

beer guts and girls are ok...but money is another......anyone here about to purchase a 352 from b trac...secondhand....
let me know what you pay cos they just bought one at auction for about £7500..2004 model 230 hours.....i was (kind of) gutted.....what would i do with two.....there is only one of me!! (mines is all paid for, but that really was was cheap.....)


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

That was cheap ,stumpy66 how did you find out about that machine going for so cheap??..


----------



## Ross Turner

Update,She has got back with him so i wont be getting back with her at all,yippee cant wait for the summer as the boss says its full of lovely babes on the beachs & bars etc.
Nearly finnished my first week & have really enjoyed it,Looking forward to settling down on the island as i really like it here & every body is so friendly.
Been talking to a few stunners & am waiting to see how it goes.
Will keep updated.


----------



## stumpy66

ROLLACOSTA said:


> That was cheap ,stumpy66 how did you find out about that machine going for so cheap??..



ever heard of three counties tree care....the owner dropped a tree on himself......his widow autioned all the stuff off at the weekend.....sad really.....but not for b trac, gareth was there and snapped it up..he already had it sold....nice few quid profit..fair play.....


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

stumpy66 said:


> ever heard of three counties tree care....the owner dropped a tree on himself......his widow autioned all the stuff off at the weekend.....sad really.....but not for b trac, gareth was there and snapped it up..he already had it sold....nice few quid profit..fair play.....




Man thats a real shame about the tree service owner,sad also the widow never got the fair price she deserved..


----------



## unimog

New Mag out Euroarb. Same editor and staff that started Totalarb,seems they had a fall out with one of the financial backers.

Like the new one.Some really good features

Tree protection - time for change

Learn to love the MEWP

Recreational Tree Climbing- arborists may see an opening here for a little diversity

Regulation as a tax. well worth a read

Mark Kneller (arborist) writes a short note in each issue on things that young or new climbers should look out for in their pre climbing inspection.This issue he describes Chicken of the woods fungi.

loads more and only £25 a year. 01379 608528 to get a copy


----------



## iain

*euro arb*

http://www.euroarb.eu.com/

looks goods i've just spoke to steve who isin charge and he really is interested in our industry and not for just the money he can get out of it!
they seem open to ideas / suggestions


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

What you been up to Ian,you got plenty on up there in Yorkshire ?? the domestic market is DEAD down here..


----------



## iain

*upto*

hi ya lee

ive just finished a 29000m2 site job up in sunderland 6 weeks right on the riverside in a park area thats been neglected for years 'ferkin freezin', selective fells and clearance inc undergrowth 
im also going through my ntpc assessors course, still doing a bit on machines tools equipment and ppe sales,
all this whilst trying to settle in our new house,
yeah i'd agree privates are low but the weather is to blame for some of that

roll on the spring weather

have you got settled in your house? hows the family?

rgds iain

ps just bought a golden labrador puppy my wife n kids v.happy


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Yes mate all settled in familys fine thanks for asking,will you be at Caple Manor college festival of trees??..


Sounds like youv'e had been busy.I wondered why you hadn't been about for a few weeks..


----------



## iain

*capel manor*

lee i've never been to that one b4 whats the crack


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Ian small show run by college CAPEL MANOR ,Enfeild North London,TIMBERWOLF,LISTON,and lots of others will be there, its a very good small show for exhibitors and the Arb community...

Straight down the M1 for you mate..


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

iain said:


> lee i've never been to that one b4 whats the crack



Its at Capel Mannor in Enfield i went last year just after i did CS38 lot of stalls to pick up slightly cheaper than usual gear. Got lots of guys trying to sell MEWPS, chippers etc. Got the Lumberjack sports there too, tree climbing, chainsaw carving countryside crafts etc etc.

Theres a beer tent, you get free access to the gardens the students do demos of various things.

go to www.capel.ac.uk and request your free ticket, you can go on either the friday or saturday.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Mr_Brushcutter said:


> Its at Capel Mannor in Enfield i went last year just after i did CS38 lot of stalls to pick up slightly cheaper than usual gear. Got lots of guys trying to sell MEWPS, chippers etc. Got the Lumberjack sports there too, tree climbing, chainsaw carving countryside crafts etc etc.
> 
> Theres a beer tent, you get free access to the gardens the students do demos of various things.
> 
> go to www.capel.ac.uk and request your free ticket, you can go on either the friday or saturday.



Will you be there Mr_Brushcutter ?? I will be there both days


----------



## Mr_Brushcutter

ROLLACOSTA said:


> Will you be there Mr_Brushcutter ?? I will be there both days


Not sure yet but i'm more than likely going to go, depends on when my finals at uni start and if i can afford to by more gear.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Anyone else going to Capel ????


----------



## Big A

ROLLACOSTA said:


> Will you be there Mr_Brushcutter ?? I will be there both days


hmmm. Have a cunning plan to scrounge a beerof you Lee.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

HAHAHA...I might have one or 2 kicking about in the cab..


----------



## stumpy66

ROLLACOSTA said:


> HAHAHA...I might have one or 2 kicking about in the cab..



Lee, best make that 4-5, i just ordered my tickets.
Be a good excuse to meet up.
and Brit stumpgrinders, honest feedback is required on 
www.nationwide-stump-removal.co.uk.


----------



## stump stomper

*bravo stumpy 66*

congratulations on your website have save it to favorites.
I am new to stump grinding but have been reading the post on this site for couple of months now and remember reading a post where you suggested such a web page i am in the republic of Ireland and would be happy to sign up if it get u any near to your 10 members well done again and i know i shall be a frequent visitor to you site to keep up to date with whats happening in the stump grinding world.

regards
SS


----------



## iain

stumpy66 said:


> Lee, best make that 4-5, i just ordered my tickets.
> Be a good excuse to meet up.
> and Brit stumpgrinders, honest feedback is required on
> www.nationwide-stump-removal.co.uk.



Rob 
have seen the Euroarb mag ?
it may be worth your while phoning steve and see what they can do re punting the coop

rgds
iain


----------



## stumpy66

i have heard of it, i don't want to push it until it has some weight being the idea...if you get me....but i am confident it will come.......people will be causious til they know what the £'s will be like....i will be happier when i work it out....it will be a winner i know....if nothing pysical comes out of it, a lot of indepentant stump grinders will get to know each other....which is kind of the idea....


----------



## waldini

hi to all this is my first post.just wanted to say what a top post.dam good reading.


----------



## teressa green

welcome waldini ,hows the boys doing ,rolla ,thor etc ,busy busy busy i hope ,,,?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Where you been, what you been upto TG ? i'm fairly busy at the moment ,though the domestic market is very quiet down here,will you be at any shows this year??


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Welcome stump stomper and waldini..


----------



## teressa green

dunno rolla ,whats happening,if i can find the time to go viewing machines i cannot afford then maybe ,glad your doing ok mate,,,,good post ,,,,


----------



## stump stomper

*Thanks Rollacosta*
For the official welcome.see it was your self that started this tread some 
185 pages ago must be some kind record???haven't read all the posts yet but ill get threw it eventual


----------



## charlieallen78

*morning all*

hi, I am new to the world of arboriculture and have found a lot of good advice in your thread. I hope one day to start my own business and would certainly be happy to see some more competition in the stumpgrinding market. For someone just starting out a stumpgrinder is a huge investment and will probably spend more time sitting idle than earning. That makes the idea of being able to call someone in to do the stumps (sub-contract??) very appealing. I would be interested to know how your network is getting on and if there is anyone in gloucestershire you would reccommend. cheers, charlie


----------



## stumpy66

You happen to have the top stumper on your doorstep.
www.stumpgrinding.eu.com

Rob of ROBERTS The Tree Stump Specialist.

based down Bristol way...

I must confess to a little bias cos i am he!! 

nice to met you.


----------



## stump stomper

ROLLACOSTA*
I am new to this but seem to me that brits talking about brits stuff with 2700+ posts and over 50,000 viewings, should it not be made in to a forum. 
what do other people think????can this be done?just a taught*


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

stump stomper said:


> ROLLACOSTA*
> I am new to this but seem to me that brits talking about brits stuff with 2700+ posts and over 50,000 viewings, should it not be made in to a forum.
> what do other people think????can this be done?just a taught*



Well they've never offered us Brits our own forum..


----------



## stumpy66

i think you keep getting us mixed up with folk that give a sh!t......
thats the trouble with yankee's......

Nice one pete....


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

TreeCo said:


> I keep getting mixed with : :



:deadhorse:


----------



## Nickrosis

It is kinda confusing for me. Wales/England/Britain/UK/Scotland/Ireland/? all getting thrown around. Well, not Ireland and Scotland so much, but they do get used interchangeably with UK. I trip up sometimes telling people that I'm going to England/Britain/the UK. Which is best? I haven't a clue.


----------



## Nickrosis

Oh, plus the British Isles. What does that cover?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Nickrosis said:


> It is kinda confusing for me. Wales/England/Britain/UK/Scotland/Ireland/? all getting thrown around. Well, not Ireland and Scotland so much, but they do get used interchangeably with UK. I trip up sometimes telling people that I'm going to England/Britain/the UK. Which is best? I haven't a clue.



Great Britain ,will do..........:biggrinbounce2:


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Yes old Treeco has a lot ,yet very little to say...:taped:


----------



## Acer

Nickrosis said:


> It is kinda confusing for me. Wales/England/Britain/UK/Scotland/Ireland/? all getting thrown around. Well, not Ireland and Scotland so much, but they do get used interchangeably with UK. I trip up sometimes telling people that I'm going to England/Britain/the UK. Which is best? I haven't a clue.



Great Britain = England, Scotland and Wales
UK= United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Ireland on its own means the 26 southern counties, or Eire, which is a separate country.


----------



## iain

TreeCo said:


> I keep getting you guys mixed up with France:hmm3grin2orange:



let me clarify 'agincourt' england 1 france 0

also when marauding armies invade we are the ones who 'fight back'


----------



## charlieallen78

*France!!!!*

Even our friends across the pond must realise that the french are a nation of cheese eating, yellow- bellied, surrender monkeys!!!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

They do cook some lovely food though..


----------



## charlieallen78

*brilliant!!*

That is some seriously funny sh*t!! there is something to unite all englishmen (and possibly sons of Uncle Sam) The overwhelming urge to take the p*ss out of the French!!


----------



## rich_h

Hey at least they had the good sense to cement the gun turrets in place on the Maginot Line. That way when the Germans skirted through Belgium and took the thing over they could not turn the guns around and use em on the French. Good thinking there.


----------



## iain

not really !!!! forgetting to watching your flanks' very smart :bang: must be why they keep losing
anyway someone who takes molluscs, amphibians and other pests out of their veg patch and kills em fair enough!!
these looneys eat them bargghff :blob6:


----------



## stump stomper

*Thank you Acer*



Acer said:


> Great Britain = England, Scotland and Wales
> UK= United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Ireland on its own means the 26 southern counties, or Eire, which is a separate country.


Acer explained it perfectly I am in Dublin which is the capital of the republic,I just stick my self in under the UK because safety laws,equipment,insurance,fuel prices operational costs would all be very smiler, that and I think i am the only paddy here?? maybe i can start a tread (Irish talking about Irish stuff)but then that would be just me talking crap.


----------



## stumpy66

stump stomper have we chatted about the uk independant stump grinders coooperative. i think we have....we have a thread on the business forum...check it out, there are few of us there for chats..always good to have friends in the specialist industries.....Rob

www.nationwide-stump-removal.co.uk


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

stump stomper said:


> that and I think i am the only paddy here?? maybe i can start a tread (Irish talking about Irish stuff)but then that would be just me talking crap.



petemctree is a paddy ,i'm a half breed plastic paddy,with family up in Derry and Donegal does that count stomper??


----------



## Mijolnir

Born in Belfast, brought up in Armagh till I was 5. then moved to North Wales, but we still do a bit of work in Dublin now and again. That count for anything?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Mijolnir said:


> Born in Belfast, brought up in Armagh till I was 5. then moved to North Wales, but we still do a bit of work in Dublin now and again. That count for anything?



No that just makes you a 'sheepshagga' I know of another north Wales 'sheepshagga' but he don't come here anymore,he was a nice bloke though!!!..opcorn:


----------



## stump stomper

*Irish any body ???*

so I see the Irish heritage starting ti emerge and all this time you have been calling your selfs British.!!!perhaps we should close the subject? I have a funny feeling that the yanks might hijack this thread and we'll have millions of great great granny story's


----------



## Big A

Isnt it said that theres more "irish" around the world than in Ireland? Bit like Man U fans, I s'pose


----------



## Ross Turner

*Work in Jersey*

Hi,just been out for a drink with my boss here in Jersey & he has asked if i know anyone who is looking for work,i told him i would post to find out,Ideally you should have electrical units as well as normal arb experiance,if interested drop me your contact details & i will pass them on to my boss


----------



## Nickrosis

Acer said:


> Great Britain = England, Scotland and Wales
> UK= United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Ireland on its own means the 26 southern counties, or Eire, which is a separate country.


Thank you. =)


----------



## Nickrosis

*Is there Internet Access in the UK?*

Riddle me this...



Durham University Graduate School said:


> Thank you for your enquiry; every e-mail is important to us and we will endeavour to respond to you as soon as possible and within 5 to 10 working days. In the meantime, you can discover a wealth of information about the University from our web-site. Please use the following links:
> 
> Durham University Homepage
> 
> Graduate School


Are you kidding me??? Does it take that long for e-mails to cross the Atlantic? My advisor e-mails me back by 10am the next day if I send an e-mail at night. If I e-mail him during the day, chances are he'll get back to me within minutes!

My girlfriend is going to Durham, and she gets this crap for a response! I feel bad for her - she sent an e-mail to her advisor two weeks ago and still hasn't gotten a response. They keep promising to mail her hard copies of things, too...but she hasn't seen them in months. Is this to be expected? Is the phone a much better method?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Hows work guy's pretty dead around here,hardly any domestic work at all ringing in..


----------



## stumpy66

hey Lee, been flat out here...mainly domestic but done some for construction companies via tree folk....it is good here...perhaps you would benefit by being part of a nationwide advertising scheme...(i had to mention it...sorry).
How was your huge stump with no access? get it done...bet your tea spoon was bend by the end of it!!??


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

stumpy66 said:


> hey Lee, been flat out here...mainly domestic but done some for construction companies via tree folk....it is good here...perhaps you would benefit by being part of a nationwide advertising scheme...(i had to mention it...sorry).
> How was your huge stump with no access? get it done...bet your tea spoon was bend by the end of it!!??



Round 2 next week,new carbide chain for the saw,that stumpo is costing the owner 2 full days !!


----------



## stumpy66

is the carbide chain worth using...i have heard that it is like using using a blunt chain but it stays 'sharp' for longer.....whats your experience Rolla? 
we need to know!! is it a thing worth buying..?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

stumpy66 said:


> is the carbide chain worth using...i have heard that it is like using using a blunt chain but it stays 'sharp' for longer.....whats your experience Rolla?
> we need to know!! is it a thing worth buying..?




I'll let you know in a week or so,I haven't ever used it before..:jawdrop:


----------



## Jack Green

Greetings rollacoaster Just changing the subject breifely congratultions on the totals for your u.k. stuff thread you rock !


----------



## Ross Turner

So no uk climbers looking for work in the sunny channel islands?,great weather laid back life style & loads of lovely females.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Jack Green said:


> Greetings rollacoaster Just changing the subject breifely congratultions on the totals for your u.k. stuff thread you rock !



Thanks..


----------



## blue

Ross Turner said:


> So no uk climbers looking for work in the sunny channel islands?,great weather laid back life style & loads of lovely females.



what's the money like?house prices renting/buying?what sort of work??


----------



## Ross Turner

blue said:


> what's the money like?house prices renting/buying?what sort of work??



It works out about £11 per hour but have chance of overtime, house prices to rent depends but my employer supplies mine @£60 per week for a 20`x10` sittingroom /kitchen & a 20`x10` bedroom,you can buy over here but cant live in the property for 13 years i think due to the stupid laws over here.

The work is both utility & domestic & its so laid back,no week in hand,not mot & no car tax or council tax.
Im paying 6% social & 13% tax which aint bad.
I would recomend it to anyone even if its just for the short term as the life style is so laid back.


----------



## tam

hey there rossburger! i know this great guy called steve dady who i'm sure would like a job climbing.
anything to get him out of our way!


----------



## Ross Turner

Nah dont want that waste of space over here,you can keep him in the office looking at ebay when he is meant to be doing work for the company,Whats his job again??????


----------



## wilcowilson

Hi Guys, been a while!

I'm currently thinking about investing in a fastrack with a pto mounted chipper, however i am finding it quite difficult to find out about sources of information on regulations like running it on red diesel, tacographs etc.

Also whether if i was hiring it out, would it fall under different rules and regs? Can anyone please help!


----------



## unimog

No probs what so ever with fasttrac and chipper. I run Mog,chipper and trailer.Went to tribunal over use of cherryade.

1. Register as Ag tractor, No road tax or Test

2. Ok to us heavy oil if fitted with PTO,Hydraulics and 3 point linkage.

3. No operators license required

4. Tacho required under UK regs,BUT exempt under EU reg for use in forestry,Agri or fishery. EU regs superseeds UK regs, becareful and stand your ground alot of the old bill have trouble in understanding this law.

If you have any probs I will give you a hard copy of the letter I have from customs.

Happy chipping
Mog


----------



## wilcowilson

that would be fantastic if i could grab that off you! I was also thinking about a mog but if i went for a Fastrac i could also rent it to the surrounding farms around me if work was ever slow!

How are all you guys for work? Been slow for months here but about to have a busy spell!

How come Thor got banned?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Come on lets have the gossip ,whats been happening :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## stumpy66

Hey, Rolla, you still slow (work that is) or has it picked up..did you see anyone from bristol while you were at capel manor? 

work seems to have slowed abit down here.....might get some time to get working on the stumpgrinding cooperative again...www.nationwide-stump-removal.co.uk.

Hows the 253....?


----------



## tam

:spam: i like mogs:spam:


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

stumpy66 said:


> Hey, Rolla, you still slow (work that is) or has it picked up..did you see anyone from bristol while you were at capel manor?
> 
> work seems to have slowed abit down here.....might get some time to get working on the stumpgrinding cooperative again...www.nationwide-stump-removal.co.uk.
> 
> Hows the 253....?



Nope no west country/Bristol boys at Capel,works picked up around here a little..

You off to Cirencester?


----------



## stumpy66

yes, its a good show, i hope i will see you there......
We should share a beer. infact lets have one each...or two each....
glad work has picked up for you...


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

I used carbide chain today on a very nasty stump ,now i'm not saying it was great but it did out last ordinary chain by 4-1,not bad imo.

What a lot of people fail to remember is carbide chain is still chainsaw chain at the end of the day.

I would recommend anyone going to buy carbide chain to buy two loops,on a dirty stone infested big stump like I had today, the chain lasted about an hour cutting,now it would have made my life a lot easier if I had another loop IE one more hour of cutting thats all I needed to get the big bugger down to size and start grinding,unfortunatly I had to re-sharpen some regular chain 4 times  ..

I'm also pretty certain i'll invest in a proper cutting wheel for sharpening this chain,i'm not paying £25 a pop for sharpening..


----------



## iain

lee 
ive had a bloke interested in your chipper give me a call


----------



## stumpy66

Lee, what did you pay for your carbide chain, was it four times as much? is it harder to sharpen? we need to know......was it worth your while????


----------



## stumpy66

This thread has gone a bit quiet of late...i am damned if i am gonna be the last post (no pun) on the biggest, longest thread in history.....i need to know about carbide chain...is it worth it? has anyone used the chainsaws and chain that they use to cut concrete...?
:deadhorse:


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Carbide chain is worth the money ,£70 for a 20'' chain ,if cutting dirty soiled gritty ,sandy wood then this chain is the tool ,it will last about 4 time a conventional chain on dirty wood.

Forgot to mention this chain is great on multi stemmed stumps you know the type that bring up huge bits of flint etc,you have to use it carefully don't fly in with it, cut around the edges until you meet the stones then pry them out.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

any new Brits about if so hi !! welcome to the site


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Carbide chain needs to be sent away to be sharpened,thats its real down fall


----------



## BruceL

*Carbide Chain*

What size chain are you using?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

20'' stihl carbide chain,i'm running it on an old Husky 288,it works for me


----------



## Big A

how ya doin Rolla, good weekend?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

not bad amigo still got a hangover ,so it must have been a good one lol


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

not bad amigo still got a hangover ,so it must have been a good one lol :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## mop

Yo Rolla-
 newbie online,


> So no uk climbers looking for work in the sunny channel islands?,great weather laid back life style & loads of lovely females.


anyone know of any climbing jobs anywhere? Been climin 18mths, lead was out of action for half that so i got some gd experience, done crane work, plenty lowerin/reductions etc. Ross u still lookin, that sounds kooshti-apart from the line work, we all gotta do our time i guess. Lookin south really-reckon i'd be eaten alive-heard stories bout them northern lasses!


----------



## xtremetrees

thought id boost this thread


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

mop said:


> Yo Rolla-
> newbie online,
> 
> anyone know of any climbing jobs anywhere? Been climin 18mths, lead was out of action for half that so i got some gd experience, done crane work, plenty lowerin/reductions etc. Ross u still lookin, that sounds kooshti-apart from the line work, we all gotta do our time i guess. Lookin south really-reckon i'd be eaten alive-heard stories bout them northern lasses!




Hi mop ,put an add on here employment section,if I was single and younger I think I too would be out there with ROSS


----------



## waldini

you dont get much more south than jersey. any luck wi job yet mop


----------



## BlueSquirrell

*Europe Vacancies*

Hi
I've just finished at Houghall College with an NC Arboriculture. I have NPTCs 30 + 38, will be doing 31 very soon. I've also been working 2 days a week for a reputable tree firm as a groundsman and have climbed and worked in the tree several times. I'm looking to work in Europe for a couple of years and would love any advice or if anyone has any vacancies to get in touch. I can relocate quickly.
Cheers
Justin


----------



## bobby big wood

ROLLACOSTA said:


> i shall kick the thread off ..today after waiting for 2 months to get the go ahead to start a job section felling two horse chestnuts ,it all nearly goes all very very wrong now customer told me he had put in an application for the work and would show me the letter of consent when we turned up to do the work..well todays arrived i'm at the customers door and i ask can i see the letter ..anyway long story short ,client never got permission or even applied for permission
> 
> he told me they thought they could just get away with it ,anyway we leave the job site very unhappy..but it could have been worse as maximum fine for felling these 2 trees without consent could have been £20,000 each..the stupid thing is the tree's have basal rot and would have been given the thumbs up for felling anyway



don't need permission to fell dead, dying, or dangerous trees, they advise you to give them 5 days notice, however this in not obligatory, just advisable.


----------



## matty f

Say they are full of bleeding canker and you burnt all the wood as recomened by the forestry comision to prevent further infection...soon i reckon almost half the chesnuts round my way will be felled due to this.........as the man said dieing dead or dangerous!


----------



## bobby big wood

*reality bites.*

If cankors are small, it may be possible to excise the infection by cutting out all the dead and necrotic bark. All excised bark should be collected and burnt. If the infection is so virile so the whole trunk is girdled, then the tree is effectively ring barked, and should be felled. Don't take it personally, unless of course you are suffering from the same condition..


----------



## matty f

bobby big wood said:


> If cankors are small, it may be possible to excise the infection by cutting out all the dead and necrotic bark. All excised bark should be collected and burnt. If the infection is so virile so the whole trunk is girdled, then the tree is effectively ring barked, and should be felled. Don't take it personally, unless of course you are suffering from the same condition..



I have tryed pruning out some of the canker infected branch tips and re pollarded some tree's before the infection has gone to the girdled trunk or advanced stage,the pruned trees seem fine and the pollards wich i thought would be there last rotation have come back lush green and fine and show no sighns of die back in the bushy leaves at all.

Have you tried cutting out bark has this worked?ive got a big old chesnut to look at this morning but i think evan though it has not girdled yet if i chisseled out all the infect bark i would be practactly ring barking....i have seen one or two recover with out any treatment,my feeling is by the time i am seeing the bleeding at the base of trunk and a few dead branches the tree will have phytothera any way so its F~~Ked.
I did say to one customer who has an avenue of them to leave his as there was hardly any die back but the trunk was girdled right to the top of the crown..big mistake as the tree snapped in half in a bit of wind...any girdling im now felling straight away interstingly the same customer has another totaly dead tree to fell two dieing back.

I think the forestry comission should of done a lot more research on this but they seem to be more concerned with sudden oak death and i think there's only been about 5 reported cases of that...


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Hi there long time since i've seen this thread ,are there any more new Brits on the site?

And how are all you regular AS Brits doing?? call me vain but i'm not about to let this thread die..:biggrinbounce2: :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## Bermie

What's to see at Saltex?
I have to go for a BAGMA/Lantra/NPTC technical update, where is all the cool climbing stuff so I can shoot off after the seminar?


----------



## bowline

I always meet up with tree officer when it comes to TPO,s.otherwise you have council letter saying one thing and a customer saying another.


----------



## bowline

OH and hello to all the other BRITS on the site.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Hi I see your not that far from me,what do you do Bowline??


----------



## SteveBullman

you over in this country are ya bermie?

saltex is a good day out, chance to meet up with like minded people, more devoted to landscaping than tree work but there are some tree climbing demos and i believe pole climbing competitions.
most of us who are going are heading over on the thursday


----------



## bowline

saltex where is this?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

windsor racecourse


----------



## bowline

Cheers.have to see if i can make some time.


----------



## bowline

So Have We Got Any More Guys In East Anglia?


----------



## Bermie

stephenbullman said:


> you over in this country are ya bermie?
> 
> saltex is a good day out, chance to meet up with like minded people, more devoted to landscaping than tree work but there are some tree climbing demos and i believe pole climbing competitions.
> most of us who are going are heading over on the thursday



Yes, going to Saltex on Wednesday for Lantra stuff, prob meet up with friends on Thursday, NPTC chainsaw update on friday, home Sunday


----------



## Nickrosis

I'm leaving Milwaukee on Saturday to help my girlfriend move to the University of Durham. Anyone want to meet up with me somewhere in the UK? We're looking for places to check out, cheap hostels and free pillows. I've got two weeks, about half of it in Durham. Did I mention that I can haul brush? :biggrinbounce2:


----------



## Ross Turner

Nickrosis said:


> I'm leaving Milwaukee on Saturday to help my girlfriend move to the University of Durham. Anyone want to meet up with me somewhere in the UK? We're looking for places to check out, cheap hostels and free pillows. I've got two weeks, about half of it in Durham. Did I mention that I can haul brush? :biggrinbounce2:



Hi Nick,There is a big forestry show here in the uk while you are here,Its called the APF demo & is held every 2 years,If you get a chance you should have a look.

I have family who live just outside Durham just a shame i aint in the area.


----------



## Nickrosis

Maybe we could make it to the APF Fair...

Anything else? Anyone want to say hi? =)


----------



## treebogan

*Hello*

I'm a kiwi who worked in Europe for five years,I spent most of my time working for out fits in south London,north Kent,Surrey etc.Worked for A.N.Rowlands,Kellys tree service,ISC treeservice based in Lewisham,finally JJ&B treecare in Swanley(loverly place).Now I work in the states and was wondering what the average contact climber rates are now in the UK?I often get asked what the pay is like compared to here,I'm on $25 per hour plus bouns.We do alot more work per day than in the UK,mostly due to better access,bigger chippers,trucks etc.I tent to work a ten hour day,stretching to thirteen or so in the middle of summer.Thanks,any help is appreciated


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Nick, a lot of the brit online community will be on my stand at the APF show


----------



## SteveBullman

contract climbers day rates seem to vary depending what part of the country you're in, but as a guide i'd say on average you'd be looking anywhere from £100-£140 for an experienced climber


----------



## treebogan

*Thanks!*

Thats about what I'd charge when I woould contract out,a fair bit more if i bought my chipper and Landie along.I do miss the types of trees we'd deal with in blighty,not to mention the lady's,pubs and cafes.

Thanks mate


----------



## Ross Turner

The APF show was great,Had a climb in the new TreeMotion Harness(Saddle to you guys over the pond) & found it very comfortable & light so will be looking to get one when they hit the shops,Sherrils are the sole importer in the US so i have been told.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Nice to see you there Ross..


----------



## jefflovstrom

Well, I must say, Blimey good reading , mates! 
I was like a breathe of fresh air to just (listen to you guys talk) read this.
Jeff Lovstrom


----------



## km stumps

*multi tip stump cutter wheel*

hi has any one fitted and used multi tip wheel and teeth , i need info from people that have used it, before i fit to my sc252 . i fitted green teeth to a rayco with out asking people and had bearing wear and it cut alot slower ,cost me a fortune this time no costly mistakes any help thanks


----------



## SteveBullman

i use an rg50 with the multi-tip system. it defintly doesnt grind as smoothly as the standard wheel, but on the plus side changing tips is mega quick. 
i dont think id want a multitip on a smaller grinder though, anything less powerful than the rg50 would perhaps struggle


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

I would never use multi-tip,utter rubbish imo


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

I would never use multi-tip,utter rubbish imo


----------



## km stumps

*predater 26*

any one used predater 26 was offered one for £9000 ,seems to be alot of them on the market ,with very low hours or only 1 year old , vemeer sc252 and others are hard to come by just wonderd if the were any good


----------



## stumpy66

as i have said before, multi tip is ok on the 20hp dosko (much better than orriginal) but is wearing out now.....don't trust patrick watts as for as i could throw him....which in fairness is not that far but you get my drift...dura disk...any feed back on that...carlton are trialling it but i have heard nothing on how well it is doing!!


----------



## km stumps

*dura disc*

hi spoke to a contractor who uses it, aparently cuts very fast not good at plunge cutting wheel wears after 8 or 900 hours and needs to be replaced bearings wear 4 500 hours but over all he was pleased with speed of cut fitted to 252 vemeer


----------



## matty f

Ive heard the after sales service you get with the predator distributor is crap,my old boss is getting rid of his next year for a bigger vermeer,as every time it breaks down hes waiting to long for parts,nothing like the parts service you get with vermeer.

He does run his other grinder a 252 on a predator cutting head though as its easyer to change the teeth and supposed to be faster cutting.

subbed him some stumps last week to see the predator in action did not think much to it,was not that much faster than the 252 with a good operator and the tracks destroyed the client lawn's
plus he has to charge more money when the predator goes out.


----------



## SteveBullman

i wouldnt go anywhere near a predator if i were u


----------



## Buzzlightyear

stephenbullman said:


> i wouldnt go anywhere near a predator if i were u




Predators are bloody good grinders BUT the early prototype ones in their hire fleet and most of the cheap second hand ones are a liability.


----------



## SteveBullman

Buzzlightyear said:


> Predators are bloody good grinders QUOTE]
> 
> compared to??


----------



## matty f

I would prefere a 252 it weighs nothing and does not destroy lawns!


----------



## Liston

stumpy66 said:


> as i have said before, multi tip is ok on the 20hp dosko (much better than orriginal) but is wearing out now.....don't trust patrick watts as for as i could throw him....which in fairness is not that far but you get my drift...dura disk...any feed back on that...carlton are trialling it but i have heard nothing on how well it is doing!!



I can assure you guys that the multi tip is not being trialed on the Carlton products. Sandvik is the wheel that is standard fit ment. on all machines above pedestrian size.
The sandvik has incresed productiverty on some models by upto 40%
and tooth wear is very very good.


----------



## Liston

*Dura disc 2*



km stumps said:


> hi spoke to a contractor who uses it, aparently cuts very fast not good at plunge cutting wheel wears after 8 or 900 hours and needs to be replaced bearings wear 4 500 hours but over all he was pleased with speed of cut fitted to 252 vemeer



The Dura disc 2 is better then the early dura disc and makes good plundge cut.some grinders like 252 and 1625 have small bearings which can suffer from the weight of the sandvik but an upgrade og bearing will help that and longer life.The carlton useds bearings double the size of vermeer abd rayco and has alway done so the bearings will be ok with heavyer cutter wheels.
Dura disc 2 is the disc used on Carlton. soon available for all grinders once we have the wheels made up.


----------



## SteveBullman

i used a carlton with the sandvik head.....i was told when i hired it to take out more wood that usual in each sweep as that was how the head was designed...well what a load of bollocks that was, i tried it and the machine near enough died. in fact i tried everything and ended up just skimming small bits off at a time....pants

and yes the teeth were brand new


----------



## stumpy66

Liston, sorry mate..i was not inferring that you were using multi-tip, i was definitely asking for feedback on the dura disk that you are trialling....

Bit touchy on that one Liston...is there a story there????


----------



## km stumps

*dura disc 2*

as with all pruducts, if they do the job better than the old pruduct, they sell themselves , salesmen always believe their own spin thats the trouble , if people dont like dura disc they will be backing alot of carltons , better get some conversion kits in


----------



## tam

roossburger! are yu out there dude?!


----------



## Ross Turner

:hmm3grin2orange: Tom so you know what a computer is then?


----------



## tam

yes indeedy. long time no talk dude! i've moved house a couple of weeks ago. and we've got a new brash rat on our team. i'm hardly ever on the ground! him and lee do all the ground work. yu still lovin jersey?


----------



## waldini

hi just wondered have busy you all were.is work slowing down with you guys up and down thew country. and Ross hows jersey going?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Domestic work is off and on,been a funny old year work wise


----------



## waldini

yep its been like that with us all year loads of work backed up then nothing. then its back up again


----------



## tam

Ross Turner said:


> So you have only part of the RFS cert arb,as you need more NPTC qualifications,which goes back to what Rollacosta & i was saying in another thread.


 i wud love to get a cert arb qualification!! so where abouts in ecosse are you from jamie? i'm from west lothian originally. me and rossburger only have the lame qualifications like 2.3 (me), and unit 5 (ross). lol


----------



## km stumps

*new web site*

any one want to ad a link to my website at www.kmstumps.com is most welcome:greenchainsaw:


----------



## km stumps

*last posting fo multi tip*

have used multi tip on sc 252 on all types of jobs and stumps, final say is good system no broken poly belts or other ,tooth change is fast and fewer ,teeth hold up well in concrete and metal strikes, cuts very fast ,side ways cut is brill downside very agressive , you have to get used to it ,but a very good idea dont take notice of all crap,thats been said about it , when i think of all the pro teeth i changed per job and pockets plus cost i multi tip tooth £8 plus vat 2x pro teeth £16 plus vat , last lot of work we did changed 8 multi tip teeth ,pro teeth would be about 30 , so i will not go back :deadhorse: www.kmstumps.com


----------



## tam

man. over the weekend someone drilled the lock off my van door and took my 200t and a 254 that doesn't work right(joke's on them haha). i was really annoyed at first but now i'm real chilled out. coz i had a FULL climbing kit, a rock climbing kit, a brand new boxed pair of chainsaw boots, a pair of chainsaw trousers, a couple of husqy ground helmets, and the cd player. the retards obviously didn't know wot they were lookin for.  

i know this has happened to so many cutters.
please keep your eyes open for a cheapo climbin saw!! serial number 16035...

 :greenchainsaw:


----------



## km stumps

*stolen gear*

keep a look out on ebay these scum seem to target arborist might slip with chainsaw :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

how you all doing guys,ain't heard from High-point for a while,or Treesa green,you still in the channel islands Ross [good to see ya at the show]


----------



## Ross Turner

Hi Rolla,Yes im still here in Jersey & loving it still.The boss put an add on Arb Jobs but not sure how many applicants as hes on holiday i mexico.
I have just been put on sick until the 27th due to a fall in to a fork from 3` off the ground,just got muscle damage to my rear right side.


----------



## Liston

*4 X 4 grinders*

Any of you grinders out there think 4 x 4 grinders are the way to go or would the extra costs not be worth it on 4012, 352, 1635, size machines.??


----------



## Jack Green

ROLLACOSTA said:


> Domestic work is off and on,been a funny old year work wise


HELLO THERE ROLLACOSTA IVE NOT SPOKEN TO YOU IN A LONG TIME , YER RIGHT IT HAS BEEN A FUNNY OLD YEAR , HOPE THINGS ARE ALL OK WITH YOU AND YOURS . THE LAST TIME I SPOKE TO YOU I,D STARTED MOWING IN THE EARLY SUMMER COS THE TREE WORK HAD DROPPED OFF ,WELL IT DIDNT GET ANY BETTER ,SO KICKED THE THAT SELF EMPLOYED MALLARKEY INTO TOUCH THE MAN IS MAKEING IT TO HARD TO CONTINUE, BUT I MANAGED TO GET A COUNCIL JOB AS A FORESTER I SOLD ME TRUCK ! THEY GAVE ME AN L200 PICK UP 8 TILL 4, FLEXI TIME , PENSION , ALL BELLS AND WHISTELS ! RESULT ! NO MORE CLIMBING THOUGH WHICH IS A BUMMER BUT I STILL GET A CLIMB NOW AND THEN JUST FOR FUN , FEELS LIKE THE PRESSURES OFF NOW THOUGH HOPE ALLS WELL REGARDS PETE (JACK GREEN )


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Bloody hell Jack you landed on your feet,sounds like a good job.Work has been on and off for me,i've thought about giving up a few times,like you say the man ain't helping us self employed dudes,he just makes it harder,good to hear your well mate..


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Liston said:


> Any of you grinders out there think 4 x 4 grinders are the way to go or would the extra costs not be worth it on 4012, 352, 1635, size machines.??



Not really worth it mate imo,on big 50hp grinders i'd say yes definatly. how are you finding stump grinder sales? stump grinding has become very quiet,and the rates have come down dramaticly,other than to many machines for the market ,have you got any other reason why grinding has or is going down the pan?

Dave i'll say one thing ,you was right about 352's having to much vibration,whilst i'm not having any serious problems ,i'm for ever tightening up nuts and bolts..

Ross good to here from you ,did you get back with the misses or are still enjoying the single life..lol


----------



## Ross Turner

I didnt get back with her & found out she is moving back to Lincolnshire next week with her partner & kids.Im not single either as i have found myself a nice scottish lass who i get on great with,Meant to be going to St Malo friday is the weather permits.


----------



## tam

aww ross man! yuv fallen out of atree AGAIN?! unlucky, buddy.

btw, all scottish lassies are nice! 

just bought a 455 rancher

FARM TOUGH BABY!:greenchainsaw:


----------



## Liston

*Grinder sales*



ROLLACOSTA said:


> Not really worth it mate imo,on big 50hp grinders i'd say yes definatly. how are you finding stump grinder sales? stump grinding has become very quiet,and the rates have come down dramaticly,other than to many machines for the market ,have you got any other reason why grinding has or is going down the pan?
> 
> Dave i'll say one thing ,you was right about 352's having to much vibration,whilst i'm not having any serious problems ,i'm for ever tightening up nuts and bolts..
> 
> Ross good to here from you ,did you get back with the misses or are still enjoying the single life..lol



Sales are good this time of year, but we have new products comeing on for the spring you guys will like made for the Uk market.
Got a new 4012 Diesel , with 33hp kubota, options like 4x4 and hydraulic dozer blade. 

would love to demo you lot when they arrive .

Time to change those direct drive vermeers guys.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

seasons greetings guys


----------



## Ross Turner

Season greetings to you all from Jersey


----------



## Ekka

Just thought I'd interupt to let you know.... 

Ashes return to Australia ... 3 out of 5 test matches won.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Ekka said:


> Just thought I'd interupt to let you know....
> 
> Ashes return to Australia ... 3 out of 5 test matches won.



Did somebody mention that very old fashioned game called cricket..lol 

Ekka I heard on the grapevine we won the last rugby world cup..


----------



## a_lopa

Might go to the boxing day test in melbourne and get aled up,you have some classy players coming thru and our dads army are just about out the door!

Seasons greatings to the UK guys/gals hope you have a prosperous new year.


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Lets just face facts we're just no good at cricket,dunno if its the lack of kids coming through the ranks,bad coaching who knows,I must say cricket isn't a popualar sport over here like it was.. 

Anyway Aussie i'd go to the cricket sounds good for laugh,and always more fun with a beer or 10  ...Seasons greetings to all the Aussies on here..


----------



## a_lopa

Well Warnie is retiring and the hot news here is he wants to coach the english team as he prefers to live in the UK,he was basically calling the shots thru Steve Waughs rein as captain(waugh said this)i think you will improve quite rapidly,he's one hell of a competitor.


cricket is very very popular around my region and australia wide you could feild 3-4 test sides no problem,getting a spot and keeping it near impossible in 1st class.


----------



## Ekka

Thanks Rolla and I bet you Brits would love a white Christmas. Merry Christmas to you all and be good or Santa wont visit.

It's hot here, we're gonna do a smoked pork on the weber but have some great seafood too. I love prawns, bugs and crabs.

Warne would have been capt if it wasn't for that snitching ????? going on about some dirty phone calls. Then dont forget he had a year out for substance abuse coz of some junk he took for losing weight. It cost him the captaincy.

I think the difference would be that people get inspired by seeing an ordinary bloke with extraordinary skills .... a passion for the game and who gives a rats ass about what some snob thinks.

Many tried to crap on Warne, but at the end of the day they aint taking wickets either.

Lopa, screw MB and his dictatorship. My sig carries the mark for a while like it did for the Crocodile Hunter. Let his nights be sleepless.


----------



## SteveBullman

Ekka said:


> Lopa, screw MB and his dictatorship. My sig carries the mark for a while like it did for the Crocodile Hunter. Let his nights be sleepless.



im confused....what did this thread have to do with mb?


----------



## SteveBullman

a_lopa said:


> he prefers to live in the UKQUOTE]
> 
> i can understand that


----------



## Thor's Hammer

Ekka said:


> Lopa, screw MB and his dictatorship. My sig carries the mark for a while like it did for the Crocodile Hunter. Let his nights be sleepless.



Yawn. The usuall melodrama:welcome:


----------



## tree jumper

*Christmas & New Year*

Merry Christmas & a Very Happy & Safe New Year to all on this site !!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Had a nice bit of seafood myself yesterday Ekka,lobster,clams,stuffed calamari
king prawns,and some great salt cod [baccala]..

Now bugs i'm sure I tried them when out in OZ but can't remember how they tasted..

As for cricket from what i've read lately you guys had better watch out next world cup:biggrinbounce2: 

By the way guys my bro inlaw and the rest of the outlaws sorry inlaws will be in Brisbane the end on Jan


----------



## Jim1NZ

Ha i was just talking to my cusion in the UK via my new web cam, technology a!!!


----------



## Ekka

ROLLACOSTA said:


> By the way guys my bro inlaw and the rest of the outlaws sorry inlaws will be in Brisbane the end on Jan



Please please bring some rain!

http://www.seqwater.com.au/content/standard.asp?name=DamOperationsAndMaintenance


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Ekka said:


> Please please bring some rain!
> 
> http://www.seqwater.com.au/content/standard.asp?name=DamOperationsAndMaintenance




Any signs of the drought breaking?


----------



## a_lopa

Had a bit of rain here, but very tight on the water front.


----------



## Big A

we got plenty of moisture to spare here, lol


----------



## a_lopa

Dont get caught watering the garden here!or no shower. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20984273-661,00.html


----------



## Ekka

We have a rain guage out the back. It rained a little over the last week. The grand total was 23mm in the guage.

Total water storage in the dams for the period fell, in other words the rain didn't even keep up with consumption.

We are down to 23.88% water left in the dams, the last 5% is unuse-able. 

This is now our 3rd year of poor rainfall, the one in a hundred year drought is BS ... it's year 3 now. The problem here is exacerbated by the volume of people who have moved here in the last 10 years and the govts lack of foresight to do anything about the resources and infrastructure ... the good ole "she'll be right mate" has once again penalized us all.

The regions population grows by around 75,000 a year, the city is out of water, roads gridlocked, hospitals full and book your kid into childcare before it's born!


----------



## JohN Dee

Where I live out west of Sydney we get atleast one shower a week/fortnight (without high winds.  No storms in ages.), right where we don't need it. 

Just last night it bucketed down here, but none for the dam's. I was thinking oh great, i'm on my holiday and it's gunna storm but it didn't. 

Ekka, isn't there a dam on the gold coast that has near capacity?


----------



## Ekka

Sure is, the Hinz dam, probably 90% full but it's a small dam that depletes quickly to feed the Gold Coast. They connected it to the Brisbane system but only one way!!!!!!!!

Yep, they can only pump from Brisbane to the Gold Coast and not backwards.  Till ya live here you'll never understand. 

But we got one hell of a rugby and cricket stadium. lol

Hey, better be careful we're taking over the Brit thread.


----------



## Big A

Ekka said:


> Hey, better be careful we're taking over the Brit thread.



Thats ok, we're still drunk from the Christmas party!! lol


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Happy new year guys...:biggrinbounce2:


----------



## bowline

HAPPY NEW YEAR :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## waldini

hows your new year going people. hope your all busy.


----------



## stump stomper

*Have a happy and prosperous new year*

hi guy have not been on for a while we had child number two in November (girl) so got my Xmas present early. work dried up middle November, good job! two kids are a lot of work. phone rang January 2nd i was amazed so Ive had about 3 jobs so far not bad for time of year i suppose hows stumpy66 ??? havent heard stump grinders coop for a bit?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Hope your all doing fine guys,any news other than this storm,are you all keeping busy??

Anyone bought any new kit?

How did you fair [storm] in Ireland Stomper? congratulations on the new baby..


----------



## stump stomper

*Storm damage*

Thank rollacosta shes great. as for work i try to keep it to the stumps but have the chain saw so have cleared a couple of fallen branches and just yesterday got a call for a laylandi that had blown over. today a company rang ten tree down on a drive way up to a telephone mast (wooded area)drove two hours 100 miles ring them back to give price she tells me they have some one to do it on Monday was hoping ****mad, most of the day wasted in traffic. lesson stick to stumps .only there all up side down .I tell my self if it was easy every body would do it right??what about you are you busy ?? any of them money trees coming down your way??

PS 
hows stump66


----------



## km stumps

*stump grinder type*

has any one used a carlton 27hp with remote , i use a sc252 at moment pull up to stump and i can start grinding as soon as safety checks are done , on any ground , with no stake to bash in like old rayco 1625 , can i do the same with the carlton . has it got speed adjustment.


----------



## Big A

*An apology*

It has been brought to my attention recently that in the dim and distant past I may have made implications about certain companies. If any offence has been caused by those comments, then I apologise publicly here and now. Its easy to forget that this is a public forum that is read the world over, and words can come back to haunt you years down the track. I have never had any feelings of malice towards those concerned, and am sure my words may have been in jest, or at least tongue in cheek. Once again, I apologise.
The people concerned know who I mean, hope this is the end of it!


----------



## stumpy66

out from hibernation.....what have i missed....?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

bump ,what ya'll been upto ,any new faces around?


----------



## waldini

this has to be one of the biggest posts ever  . hi rolla how you doing, plenty of work on i hope


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Waldini its a bit quiet down here ,weather not helping either.....anyone get to the AA show Cirencester? I had a stand there [spray/deep root fert rigs]


----------



## stump stomper

*HI guys*

All is quite over here too lads I hope its only the weather but have not done any stumps for a week now if your not make money in the summer when are we gonna pick up? stump b.......have just franchised into the republic this year. don't know if thats hitting me.:bang:


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

stump stomper said:


> All is quite over here too lads I hope its only the weather but have not done any stumps for a week now if your not make money in the summer when are we gonna pick up? stump b.......have just franchised into the republic this year. don't know if thats hitting me.:bang:




Stump B are good for business ,there cr*p at the job,my big grinder hardly goes out,what grinder are you running stump stomper?


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Hows It going guys, I see the weather has turned much nicer

I see we have a new Brit based landscape forum www.landscapertalk.co.uk looks a good place to sell a bit of kit


----------



## tam

byebye! i'm off to sweden to work for the winter!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Just thought i'd give this thread a ''BUMP' shame to see it die yeah yeah vanity lol, anyway do we have any more Brits here these days? if so shout!


----------



## Dibbs

I'm British!
Nice weather we're having!
Hoping for an intrest rate drop soon and maybe a new saw for the new year!


----------



## ROLLACOSTA

Dibbs said:


> I'm British!
> Nice weather we're having!
> Hoping for an intrest rate drop soon and maybe a new saw for the new year!



Hi Dibbs where about in Northern Ireland are you? are you working for a firm or self employed?


----------



## Bermie

ROLLACOSTA said:


> Just thought i'd give this thread a ''BUMP' shame to see it die yeah yeah vanity lol, anyway do we have any more Brits here these days? if so shout!



Aaaaaahhhhhh! Can you hear me now?
you said shout dincha?

British Overseas Territory...but we're Bermudian dammit!!


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## shokidq

I'm still lurkin about now and then. waitin on ma new gallasis from bailies


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## Ironbark

ROLLACOSTA said:


> do we have any more Brits here these days? if so shout!



I'm just down the road in Essex.


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## Dibbs

ROLLACOSTA said:


> Hi Dibbs where about in Northern Ireland are you? are you working for a firm or self employed?



http://www.arboristsite.com/VBGooglemap.php will tell you where!

I'm self employed but not in the Arborist section, I lay concrete for a living and the most climing I get is in the Apple orchards in the "Orchard County"! (Armagh)


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## ROLLACOSTA

Hi folks, Dibbs I love Ulster and visit often! hi Bermie, yes mate I should'nt have forgotten our common wealth members lol plus you Bermies are more British than the British...

Ironbark where are you from i'm an Essex boy myself, Maldon born and bred!


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## Dan Forsh

ROLLACOSTA said:


> Just thought i'd give this thread a ''BUMP' shame to see it die yeah yeah vanity lol, anyway do we have any more Brits here these days? if so shout!



Yep, here, been here a while, just don't normally get over to this part of the site.


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## Ironbark

ROLLACOSTA said:


> Ironbark where are you from i'm an Essex boy myself, Maldon born and bred!



From Loughton, but my wifes from Bicknacre, so I know Maldon pretty well.


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## AxeKnot

Hi opcorn:


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## Alaniho

nice forum folks, just noticed this thread. 

I have been using a mixture of Husqvarna and Stihl saws but i am trying to locate a good Makita dealer in N Ireland,as near Armagh as possible.

I have been very impressed with some Dolmar brand saws in Germany and it seems that they are branded Makita here. Does anyone have any experience of any local Makita garder dealers???


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## scouse

Hi all,

A quick question about chainsaw pants .As far as I'm aware if you use a chainsaw in a tree you MUST use type c pants. Now looking at this guideline from the HSE www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg317.pdf
it would seem that it is only "recommended" that you use type c (all round protection) if your an arb or an occasional user. 
I'm hoping that some1 here can elaborate on this a bit and give a definate yes or no to needing type c while climbing.
The only reason im asking is that its time to buy some new kit, harness rope and some chainsaw pants and the Stihl hiflex i have atm are definately pants! so if i can get away with something like the sip freedom or stretch air type A then i will. 
Anyhow any info at all would be very much appreciated.

Cheers


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## Dibbs

Hi Alaniho, nice to see another from "Norn Iron", I live just up the road from you in Richhill.
Don't know any Dolmar/Mikita dealers about here but I think Denis Wilson of Glenavy is the main Makita importer for Northern Ireland so that may be a good place to start.


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## GalBee

*Welsh*

Another Brit here Welsh born living in flat lincolnshire 
but moving soon to become an ex pat :greenchainsaw: (sick of the rain)


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## Alaniho

Dibbs said:


> Hi Alaniho, nice to see another from "Norn Iron", I live just up the road from you in Richhill.
> Don't know any Dolmar/Mikita dealers about here but I think Denis Wilson of Glenavy is the main Makita importer for Northern Ireland so that may be a good place to start.



hiya mate, i haven't been online for a while, so thanks for the info. They are nice saws, the Germans i know really like their Dolmars, but i suppose my biggest issue is service which is a bit of an unknown here for Makita petrol stuff.


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## Dibbs

I mostly stick with Stihl and buy parts through Stafford Greenaways out Anaghmore/Dungannon direction.
I hear Makitas/Dolmars can be tempremental when it comes to the ignition coils in their stone cutters, I don't know if their chainsaws suffer the same.


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## ROLLACOSTA

GalBee said:


> Another Brit here Welsh born living in flat lincolnshire
> but moving soon to become an ex pat :greenchainsaw: (sick of the rain)



where you moving too mate? my wifes an Australian citizen, i'm thinking about heading there, i've had a gut full of this country........


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## clearance

ROLLACOSTA said:


> where you moving too mate? my wifes an Australian citizen, i'm thinking about heading there, i've had a gut full of this country........



I left when I was 4, not on my own of course. Looking back, I am so fortunate to live here, in Canader. Rolla, when I see what has happened to England it makes me wonder. And feel sorry for many of you people.


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## tam

awright lads. if anybody can point me in the direction of a job in kilmarnock, scotland, it would be much appreciated. working in sweden at the mo, but trying to sort out a bit of work for when i get back to bonny blighty. please help!


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## tomtrees58

blue said:


> whats wrong with the way we talk?



oke: he he tom trees


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## Pete M

tam said:


> awright lads. if anybody can point me in the direction of a job in kilmarnock, scotland, it would be much appreciated. working in sweden at the mo, but trying to sort out a bit of work for when i get back to bonny blighty. please help!




Tam, I haven't got any work for you, and I'm not in Scotland...but I was curious as to what work you're doing in Sweden. Mate has just bought a house over there - his wife is Swedish and it's 15 minutes from her parents) and they are considering moving over. He's asked if we (family and I) would be interested in going too, with the work. There's a place for sale next to the one he bought and I'm very tempted, but there'd have to be work. I know there's issues about really REALLY high tax rates for self-employed and all that, and of course language issues, but I can deal with that.

Pete


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## tam

Pete M said:


> Tam, I haven't got any work for you, and I'm not in Scotland...but I was curious as to what work you're doing in Sweden. Mate has just bought a house over there - his wife is Swedish and it's 15 minutes from her parents) and they are considering moving over. He's asked if we (family and I) would be interested in going too, with the work. There's a place for sale next to the one he bought and I'm very tempted, but there'd have to be work. I know there's issues about really REALLY high tax rates for self-employed and all that, and of course language issues, but I can deal with that.
> 
> Pete



sweden is a lovely country. i lived in stockholm for the last year. just arrived back in the uk yesterday. work for tree surgeons is definitely available, because there are very few guys who do the job we do. i mean people are always taking photos and videos of us at work!
i don't know where you're thinking of going to, but there's a couple of large companies, and a few very small businesses, in stockholm and gothenburg. but in the sticks, people don't seem to have so much demand for climbers. it's more straight-felling, you know. but yeah, anyway, i would say that if you're looking to start up in sweden, you'd have tonnes of work. the competition if nothing like the uk. 
i was doing maybe 60% pruning, 40% felling. they like you to go very very very fine on the deadwood. the swedes are quite keen on reductions, too.
Self-employed guys, who are paying SWEDISH tax, will pay around 70% to the government. but the self-employed boys i know still make a good living.
and EVERYBODY speaks perfect english. apart from like 2 percent of the population! some elderly people and other foreigners.
ok, i got to do this: tradmastarna, the biggest company in stockholm, are utter plonkers! the boss is a flipping tube... there, that's my moan over.
hope that you can untangle any useful information from this!


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## gavin160

blue said:


> we've been shafted quite a few times,do all the donkey work,get permission to carry out works,lose jobs to tree tick scum



Hi blue same here do all the forms pay for photos time in front of a computer for a potential customer then some one else gets job because they are £20 cheaper pisses you off.
icharge £99 for tpo applications i think this is fair how about you? if customers happy to pay it or they can do it themselves and then invite tenders

oh and where are you in SE im near Brighton


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## ROLLACOSTA

Hows work lads? ok sorry to ask..............


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## stephen44

the above is like the second ever post on this thread - 09-30-2004, 11:31 AM
?????????????????????????????


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## TreeTopKid

GalBee said:


> Another Brit here Welsh born living in flat lincolnshire
> but moving soon to become an ex pat :greenchainsaw: (sick of the rain)



You need to get up out of that weather it brings you down. Texas rocks!


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## ROLLACOSTA

I haven't been on for a while, so do we have any new Brit members?


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## Mapleman

Any of you Brits work the big storm of '87? The one that took out 60% of Kew Gardens and made 5 Oak Hill into 2 Oak Hill...


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## ROLLACOSTA

Mapleman said:


> Any of you Brits work the big storm of '87? The one that took out 60% of Kew Gardens and made 5 Oak Hill into 2 Oak Hill...



Yeah I did plenty mate, rural area big Populars, Oaks, Ash down everywhere shear devastation...........


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## ROLLACOSTA

Hi all been a long time :msp_smile:


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## TimberMcPherson

Have you been on strike or something?


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## sgreanbeans

Hello govna, I seen the Brit talkin Brit thread, had to look!


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## ROLLACOSTA

TimberMcPherson said:


> Have you been on strike or something?




Hi mate, nah no strike lol just fishing forums recently have taken the place of arb...........:msp_tongue:


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