How'd it go today?

That isn't something I'd buy, but I could make a case. I'm fairly particular about files. I much prefer Stihl. What I have stuck in the foam are Pferd. They're going in the PoulanPro case. I bought those cause I was getting reamed by the local dealer. They're about 85%-90% as good as Stihl imo. My new dealer sells Stihl for $1-$2 more per dozen than buying Pferd online, so that's what I have now, and I use those on my good saws with Stihl chain. Between my two sizes, I have > 3 dozen files now.

Anyway, back to the case... Putting a cheap paintbrush in there with the files would be cool. Use it to brush the caps off before filling. I mean to, but I don't always have a brush with me. A lot of times, it's just hit it with a glove.
 
I’ve been home with sick girls. Nothing major or serious.
I helped a buddy spin up a chain for his Chinese Stihl 880 that came to him as a box of parts. I ran it for a few cuts and there has to be no anti-vibe what so ever. I think he paid $535 or something. And seemed to be lacking in power, it’s his baby.
 
It was 11*F this AM. I generally won't be doing any treework if it's 10 or below, just not worth it IMO. I had on 11 layers and took one off early and was quite comfortable. End of the day had on 7.

Frozen ground makes many jobs go 50% faster/easier. :dude:
 
Took the day off... sorta.
Reserved the masticator for the job I normally use it on maybe two months ago. Guy said he could transport it as well when offered the option. Unit needs to be on the job working by 8:30 AM this Monday. I get a text at 4PM Wed. that he sold his trailer and can"t transport it. So, now too late Wed. to make appropriations, I went in Thursday Morning to my alternative and got the GTG for Noon today. Asking a lot on short notice. Kept trying to reach owner of unit to confirm we can make arrangements meet so I can help move the Skid steer and mastication attachment. No answer till 430PM Thursday. SO I text my transport for the confirmation. All GTG. Meet with unit owner at 7:30 AM before taking Wifey to work. Damn thing won't come off safety. The switch under the seat is friggen with us. FINALLY got it rolling by 8:15. All else went ahead of schedule and the unit is at the site as of noon today. Holy shat. Drop wifey at work and go about getting parts for her truck that sprung a coolant leak when she got to work on Wed.. Of course I was just getting to work as well when I got the call. Left Rob there and headed over her way, way down in a little canyon community with almost no cell signal. Arrange for AAA to tow it back to my shop. Lead him out and help him off load leaving wifey at work. Now kids need picked up. Then Wifey again. Then I was supposed to run out an hour for something I needed to order for her Birthday. Wash, rinse, repeat till today. The Magic bus using 100.00 in fuel per diem running around like this. Crazy daze.
So her truck should be fixed over the weekend. I have more work to try and schedule in since I had to drop today to get the equipment moved.
I doubt I will be doing anymore skid steer rental in the future. Second time the guy flaked on me with transport (that I normally book up to two months out) and has talked about selling the skid steer. Probably sell that out from under my project even with the advanced reserve. So fug that.
Fired a potential client before we even started as he became wishy washy 4X in 24 hrs.
I'll get into the holidays later.
 
Sheesh! Time to get your own mini and masticator?
Have a mini. No thanks on a masticator or Forestry mower. I watch those guys drop like flies. Money is all good till it runs out, gets delayed or your maintenance eats it all up. No thank you very much.
That Skid steer is a Kabota 95. Hardly a mini and could be bigger to drive that power head. Better with a forestry mower thats closer to 200 plus HP. And then you still have transport issues.
 
Frozen ground is pretty awesome, at least what we get around here (up to 4 foot). You can damn near do anything you want. Back the truck in the yard and hook a choker on the hitch :lol:
 
I had the pleasure of having a man keep his word today.
See, when we sold the feller-buncher, we sold the machine to a guy in Romania but couldn't find a buyer for the felling head.
Months later we were standing outside the local arborist shop, having just spent a fortune outfitting two apprentices.
A guy pulls up in a truck advertising stump grinding.
I asked him what machinery he had, since we had just sold our Bandit and needed a sub.
He also had several excavators, so just for fun I asked him if he didn't need a Woodcracker head for one.
Turned out he had been looking for one for months, so he drove home with me and bought it right away.
Transferred the money and picked it up the next day.
We got so excited about finally getting rid of the thing that we quoted him a very low price.
About 3 grand too low.
As he picked it up he said to me, that if we'd use him for stumping, he'd give us 10 hours for free, since he knew damned well, we had shot ourself in the foot with that price.

I called him today on a 20+ stump job, 3 months after he bought the felling head and he said, that is on the house, of course.

Cheered me up no end.

Now, thginking about it, it makes me sad that the World has become a place where meeting a guy who'll keep his word can cheer you up.
 
Climbed a bit with Pat and Treeaddict. Pat let me try out an akimbo and roperunner. Felt weird, as did his xtc line I climbed on. I've been on static ropes since I started, and the stretch was discombobulating.

Hey, I just sent Happy Birthday wishes to a young lady on the occasion of her 16th.
Her family kept finding her on top of the refrigerator when she was a 3 year old, and by the time she was 10 years old 80 feet up the tree behind their house. Concerned about her free-climbing they were speaking with their neighbor, a State Representative, who knew me. He suggested she catch up with me to get proper lessons and safety gear.
John, I realize that hank of XTC you were climbing on is the same I started her out on. When she 'graduated' I set her up with a saddle and a hank of new rope I got at a "Saluting Branches" day of volunteering. Here she is with her mother below her.

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That's fantastic! Does she have any interest in a career working at height, or is it purely recreational at this point?
 
Furnace quit on the coldest night of the winter so far. Thought I dodged a bullet, but no. Naturally in the hardest place to get to. Got the furnace running. Had fans blowing heat down there from the woodstoves and an electric heater going. Thawed and found the leak. Go get fittings and crawl in there and hopefully that is it for my fun today.
 
That's rad you can fix it yourself.:dude:

Excellent story, Stig :drink:
 
Hamsters are cool, but I never had much luck with them. My longest lived lasted 1.5 years, and I think the rest died in months. Fun little animals though.
 
That's rad you can fix it yourself.:dude:
All handled and replace my wiper washer switch and the brake booster check valve on the 4x4. Put a new AC belt on the Yukon while I was at it.
Dropped Levi at his new job this AM.
Then Lilly, after I got home, dropped her off at her friends for an over night. Fixed shat and went and got Levi from work. Busy day.
Just a note:
Quick connect heater core fittings at the fire wall are not easy disconnect. Had to butcher the little locking bastards to get them off and the little removal tool is useless against the fire wall. Pair of diagonal pliers fixed that problem. Tight fit though.
 
Time to replace the spark plugs on our 2010 Subaru Forester tomorrow...weather forecast being quite benign for this time of year :).

It takes removal of the battery for the driver's side and the air filter box and piping for the passenger side just to get marginal access. After that, it takes an ungodly combination of swivels and extensions for the ratchet drive. Next to no room to work for the rears. Fortunately, it is not my first ride in this particular rodeo ;).

Damned engineers :D.
 
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Like every weekend I have to high of goals. We got the fluids changed in the chipper, chip truck, skid loader, and both grinders yesterday. Also flipped knives on chippy. Had 3 extra children last night, so nothing got accomplished. It’s snowing pretty good and I’m procrastinating on getting to the wood pile. The extra noise in the house is my main motivation. I do have to get the quads out of my garage and into a shed. I need the garage to put a new engine on the 38 special. It’s been sitting blown up since I got it and I bought the engine last spring. Maybe I’ll take tomorrow off work to get more done here
 
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