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Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16002

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 14 9:19 am Post subject:

Check on the TPO before doing anything. Unfortunately some are written in a very unreasonable way that could even stop you re-coppicing. You might be able to get variations on it if you can put a good case. If you don't currently have Chelara near you, the ash, field maple and sycamore may well be better (unless they are really nice trees), run as coppice. The chestnut has to be left as I am not sure if it coppices. Oak will coppice, but it is usually grown as a standard.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Sun Sep 21, 14 12:25 pm Post subject:
Having looked at the current price for the battery saw I was talking about, I retract my recommendation: it's gone up to somewhere near double what we paid for ours. It's still a good tool, but not at that price.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Sep 22, 14 1:30 pm Post subject:

an 8"bar on a chainsaw is a bit small even for light work/cross cutting

imho get a 40/50 cc engine and a bar of 14" or a bit bigger for easy safe cutting of firewood sized stuff.

decent saws can take a variety of bars and one that balances the motor to hang level will be easiest for cross cutting,too short will tend to rise /jump and too long will be hard to control well for starting cuts .

much like the other tools try the feel and balance before you buy .

ps a short bar is not safer than one the right size

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Mon Sep 22, 14 2:42 pm Post subject:

dpack wrote:

an 8"bar on a chainsaw is a bit small even for light work/cross cutting

I don't think I've ever seen one that small. I think even the one on my hedge-trimmer attachment is bigger than that.

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Tue Oct 07, 14 2:28 pm Post subject:

I don't know if you have one already, but a pickup truck will tow a trailer and chain harrow for you, assuming your ground is levelish and bring the log harvest home along with all the tools. Only when you decide you need a tractor driven saw for logging do you need a tractor, but there are devices to put your chain saw in that cut the log the right length every time-well mine does so that you don't really need the tractor-and I don't have to keep picking the saw up and down all the time. If you go for the tractor driven machine then make sure it does everything for you length and splitting.
Regarding the mower, there are mowers which would also go round towed by the pickup and you can offset them to go under trees if you need to. The mower is powered by a motor mounted on the mower. In any event, enjoy doing it! I hope I haven't repeated what others have said- if I have I apologise!

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16002

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 14 7:59 am Post subject:
You can get stands for cutting to length as Gregotyn says. Something like that might be quite useful for you as it takes a lot of the effort out of crosscutting for firewood.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 14 9:52 am Post subject:

I had thought of some sort of arrangement for cutting to length, but hadn't got so far as investigating. I'm not surprised there's something available, as it seems a very sensible idea.

A pick up will be too big to fit between the rows of coppice, I think - we are talking very small scale here! I suppose what I really want is a quad that will tow a mower, harrow and small trailer. Or something of that sort of size and arrangement. Kenwood chef for the smallholder!

crofter

Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Posts: 2252

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 14 10:19 am Post subject:

Mistress Rose wrote:

You can get stands for cutting to length as Gregotyn says. Something like that might be quite useful for you as it takes a lot of the effort out of crosscutting for firewood.

This looks good

https://www.raasayengineering.co.uk/loggit.html

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 14 11:08 am Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

somewhere there is a thread about just such a thing based on a motorbike

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 14 11:10 am Post subject:
https://forum.downsizer.net/about79342.html&highlight=motorbike+tractor

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 14 6:51 pm Post subject:
I can just see me on that! Seriously, is there really not a commercially quad-type/size vehicle that will harrow and tow a small trailer? I'd have thought there would be quite a demand for them.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45676
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 14 7:24 pm Post subject:
A quad can tow a small trailer and harrow https://www.apachequads.com/trailers/rpl0091atvtrailer.php

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 14 8:01 pm Post subject:
Yeah, my quad would do that.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16002

Posted: Thu Oct 09, 14 6:41 am Post subject:

We have a little alpine tractor that we bought to work in the coppice. It has the advantage over a quad bike that it twists in the middle so at least 3 wheels are always on the ground. Makes it a lot more stable and it will go where quads won't. Low impact too, so doesn't do much damage to the ground. We use it with a forwarder, mower, log splitter, and post ram attachments. Might be a bit more than you want, but definitely a useful machine for close packed stools.

When you cut the coppice, if you want to walk or take a vehicle in there, cut the stool so that the outside rods are slightly lower than the middle ones, but don't leave them spiky but there are not sharp edges, which is best done with a chainsaw. Then if you fall or drive over them there is less chance of getting a puncture in either a tyre or you.

midtown

Joined: 18 Oct 2013
Posts: 4

Posted: Sun Nov 09, 14 1:00 am Post subject:

Fully agree with Mistress Rose regarding the alpine tractor.

We've got one of these https://www.ctm-ltd.co.uk/index.php/goldoni-tractors/4-wheel-tractors/quad-20/ and together with a range of attachments, its virtually made our David Brown redundant!

Its certainly proved its worth when fitted with the back hoe and ditching bucket, as we can now access and clean out ancient ditches which previously we could only do by hand.

Cat 1. 3 point lift, 2 speed PTO, tows 2 ton plus, an excellent bit of kit!

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