Reed bed clearance - tools for the job

[nightshade]

The Scythe Shop product list.html

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by eeyore

I have a team of five - four women and one man - none of the girls is more than a size 12 , all are small, all are feminine (and not that its relevant all are quite good looking), only one is over 5ft6 and all can use chainsaws, strimmers, polesaws etc without a problem

Perhaps you could send one of your < 5ft6 size 12 women to me when I need to split some logs. It'll be a stirring and noble sight to see them swinging my 7lb splitting maul over their head! When they've finished, they can cut-up some 8x4ft sheets of 18mm ply with a 22inch hand saw for me.

BTW, most adult women would consider it patronising to be referred to as a 'girl' - and quite rightly so!

Jim

[Deb London]

Some might, but we are individuals too. I couldn't care less.

[muldonach]

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

Perhaps you could send one of your < 5ft6 size 12 women to me when I need to split some logs. It'll be a stirring and noble sight to see them swinging my 7lb splitting maul over their head! When they've finished, they can cut-up some 8x4ft sheets of 18mm ply with a 22inch hand saw for me.

BTW, most adult women would consider it patronising to be referred to as a 'girl' - and quite rightly so!

Jim

Steady boys steady, I have close acquantance with a size 12 female who stands 5' 3" tall and will quite happily swing an axe - and change the wheels on the landrover if necessary.

However she is distinctly flattered when referred to as a girl.

Engage sense of humour chaps



Cheers
mac

[healfdan]

Deb
I work with a small team of volunteers and we are all retired people. We tackle three reed beds on our 1.3 ha pond using simple but effective cutting tools. Long handled lawn shears and telescopic handled loppers. This is easy on the back and very safe for our workforce. Obviously this slow but sure method would not suit larger reed beds but for volunteers who are not permitted to use power saws or capable of wielding tools that require strength and stamina, it works well. Regular blade sharpening is carried out on site. Incidentally our pond has received a Silver and two Golds over the past three years in the conservation section of the South East in Bloom.

[Deb London]

Ah, encouraging. Sounds like it'll be slowly but surely. Thanks healfdan.

[Deb London]

I didn't work on the reeds. I was working elsewhere (removing branches with some heavy-duty loppers, so that visibility was improved from a couple of hides).

The guys working on the reeds did a great job I hear. All they really used (I think) were garden shears and "slashers". Before I left the area where they were working at I could see that the slasher had made short work of a channel and feeding area for Water Rails etc. But when I met up with them again, they were exhausted, visibly sweaty and drinking like fishes. So these tools work but require a lot of hard effort. Mind you, they had that typical lean look about them, as keen birders seem to (healthiest hobby in the world, I reckon ) so I'm sure they are fit enough to recover in no time.

As for myself, I enjoyed the morning. One of the main reasons for doing the work was to improve the visibility for fellow hobbyists. This seemed a bit weird at first. Working for other people so they can enjoy themselves. But if I look at the history of the site and the constant demands on land usage, it makes sense to allow people to see, record and report what they see. So it benefits the birds and other wildlife in the end.

[Kayleigh]

Glad you enjoyed the work and it wasn't too strenuous..