How'd it go today?

[MasterBlaster]

You don't need to chip an entire tree to know if it's worth buying or not.

 

[squisher]

Depends on the tree.

 

[Stumpshot]

...unless it's the local Bobcat dealer who also is repping Bandit. They offered to demo us a Bandit chipper for a day or two. So for us, that could be 4 or more whole trees. And on a demo unit, we wouldn't hold back. See what that baby can do -- feed it lotsa 18" logs! Eat it!

 

[Merle Nelson]

You don't need to chip an entire tree to know if it's worth buying or not.

No....I just see it as a good investment. Finding out things you might not otherwise learn in a shorter period etc. New drum chippers that could barely throw chips beyond their chute when the chute was turned a certain angle comes to mind.

Or I have been looking at spider lifts for over a year, just found out the 87 foot UP Equip feels more stable than the 70 footer - different shape of the booms.

Run that Bandit through its paces......and, a guy with a 6 month old 15 inch bandit says it's cracking all over the place....and Bandit is not any too quick about getting back to him on it.

 

[Mick!]

Go there planning to test it Mick. Chip a whole trees brush for someone for free....best investment you can make. (My thoughts anyway.)

We are going to run it up for sure with some branches. I’m no mechanic, but I’ve been around these machines long enough for the obvious.
Rotor bearings, anvils, hydraulic leaks, stress control, stress cracks (which is what is plaguing my current one)
We’ll see.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Hey Sean, here is a picture of 1/2 Dome from 118 miles out from the Lick Observatory.

 

[cory]

Dang y'all benn busy! Tough luck with the dogs, Squish n Stephen, sorry to hear

 

[flushcut]

Hey Sean, here is a picture of 1/2 Dome from 118 miles out from the Lick Observatory.

That's a pretty damn sweet pic!!

 

[SeanKroll]

Sure is!!

 

[FireFighterZero]

Nice young couple lost their barn tonight.

10 below and a barn fire.

Lost some goats too.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Sad. I always fear that, living in this old-ass frame house. I'm sure it's outta code.

 

[flushcut]

That sucks!



We had a slash and burn kind of day yesterday same for today. Lot clearing no chipping or fine raking, dump the tree two three cuts and to the burn pile.

 

[Mellow]

Our Morbark M12R chipper died yesterday. It started blowing thick white smoke and lost all power. My first thought was the turbo went out but I started checking the easy stuff first. Maybe water in the fuel or a clogged fuel filter. Drained a half a cup or so from the filter; it was pretty dirty but no water. Maybe gunk in the fuel tank had clogged the pickup line? Disconnected the fuel line and blew back through into the tank. Seemed to be clear. Next, I pulled the plug on the bottom of the tank to drain some fuel out. Seemed to be ok there too. Has to be the filter. Pulled it off, rinsed and blew it clean. Still no joy. Maybe the fuel pump quit? Unusual but possible. Pulled the fuel line off of the outlet side, turned on the key; nothing. Dead fuel pump. Out of frustration I whacked it with the screwdriver and the darn thing started pumping. Put everything back together and it worked fine for about ten minutes. Another whack on the fuel pump and it worked again. So now I just ordered a new pump. Couldn't locate one locally. Online prices were running over $700 to $1,200 but I found a new one on eBay for $450 with the "Make an Offer" option. Offered $350 and it was accepted. It should arrive in a few days; in the meantime, with any luck we can limp it through a few more days.

 

[Tree09]

You can get an external fuel pump at any auto parts store for maybe like 20 bucks... will definitely get you going again till you get the internal one, or just run the external one.

 

[stig]

I'm back from a week of killing hazard trees.
We had to deal with Ganoderma ssp., Meripilus giganteum, Polyporus squamosis and Fomes fomentarium. A mycophiles dream, except a lot of the trees were next to buildings.

We had a climbing team, a bucket team and a pull trees team, all working at the same time.
We used ½ of the first day categorizing the trees and planning who did what and where.
The weather was fine to OK and at the end of the week, we had everything on the ground.

At the final, " Let us have a cup of tea/coffe and a review" we could look back at a week of high pressure work, where not a single branch fell the wrong way.
I really feel proud of the guys.

 

[MasterBlaster]

What is the bucket truck situation over there?

 

[stig]

I'm the wrong guy to ask, as I maybe use them once a year.
I have a thing going with a local operator, if it can't be got to with his truck, he refers to me, and if it is stupid to try to climb, i refer to him.

We are VERY careful not to get in each other's way.

 

[MasterBlaster]

So, they are being used by other treecos?

 

[squisher]

Of course, all real tree companies have one.

 

[stig]

Sure they are.
If we didn't spend most of our time logging, we'd have one.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I assume ya'll use phonebooks over there - maybe the yellow pages? How many trecoos pop up when you look? We have at least a doz in our area. Whenever I go out of town I always look in the YP for treecos and my last name.

 

[squisher]

Whenever you go out of town.

 

[SeanKroll]

YP?

 

[stig]

We haven't had phonebooks for at least 10 years.
Googleads is it.

 

[pantheraba]

Whenever you go out of town.

You would home in on that one....Boss is quite the intrepid traveler.