Guides
Kit & machinery
Buying Used Battery Kit: Batteries, Chargers, Pole Saws and Hedge Trimmers (UK)
How to check a used battery, its charger and the tool before you buy: age, storage, genuine or not, runtime, and pole saw and hedge trimmer checks.
E10, Two-Stroke Fuel and Winter Kit Care (UK)
E10 or E5 for a chainsaw, how long two-stroke mix keeps, laying up seasonal kit and cold-morning checks for chippers, from GOV.UK and the makers.
Buying Used Kit or a Van: Your Rights in the UK
What the law says when you buy used kit, machinery or a van in the UK, from a business or a private seller, for work or for yourself: faults, 'sold as seen', finance and stolen kit, and where to check.
Buying or Hiring a Spider Lift (MEWP) for Tree Work: UK Checks and Rules (2026)
What to check before you buy or hire a spider lift or other MEWP for tree work in the UK: the six-monthly thorough examination report, basket and ground controls, hours, outriggers and leaks, operator training and overhead lines.
Best Chainsaw for Tree Surgery UK 2026 — Professional Guide to Buying the Right Saw
Which chainsaw should UK tree surgeons buy in 2026? Stihl vs Husqvarna vs Echo, bar length, cc size, new vs used — everything a working arborist needs to know before buying.
Forestry Mulcher Buying Guide UK — Drum vs Disc, New vs Used, and What to Check in 2026
Everything UK arborists and forestry contractors need to know before buying a forestry mulcher — machine types, what to inspect on a used mulcher, and running costs.
How to Sell Used Arborist Equipment Safely UK 2026 — A Seller's Playbook
Sell used chippers, stump grinders, chainsaws and PPE safely in the UK. Pricing, photos, storage, shipping, payment safety, liability and listing tips for arborists.
Mini Tracked Loaders for UK Arborists — Which Machine to Buy in 2026
Complete guide to mini tracked loaders for UK arborists and tree surgeons — machine sizes, brands, attachments, finance and what to inspect before you buy.
Tree Surgeon Van Setup UK 2026 — Best 4x4s, Tippers, and How to Fit Out Your Work Vehicle
Which vehicles do UK tree surgeons actually run in 2026? From Land Rover Defenders to tipper trucks, this guide covers 4x4s, tippers, fit-out essentials, running costs, and buying used.
Wood Chipper Maintenance Schedule UK 2026 — Daily, Weekly & Annual Tasks
Complete UK wood chipper maintenance schedule: daily checks, weekly servicing, blade and anvil routines, hydraulic care, annual costs and how to extend machine life.
Stump Grinder Buying Guide UK 2026 — New vs Used, Prices & What to Look For
Complete guide to buying a stump grinder in the UK. Compare tracked vs wheeled, new vs used prices, brands (Vermeer, Carlton, Rayco and others), and what to check before buying.
Best Arborist Climbing Gear in 2026: A UK Buyer's Guide
A gear-by-gear guide to arborist climbing equipment for UK tree surgeons — harnesses, ropes, saws, helmets and hardware, with a top pick, an alternative and a budget option for each.
The Complete Guide to Buying a Used Wood Chipper in the UK
Everything UK arborists need to know before buying a used wood chipper — what to check, how to compare prices, red flags to avoid, and where to find the best deals.
Running the business
Taking On Your First Groundsman or Climber: The 2026–27 Rules for Tree Surgery Firms
For tree surgery firms taking on their first employee: registering as an employer, insurance, right to work checks, sick pay from day one, the new unfair dismissal rules, employer National Insurance for young starters, the Youth Jobs Grant, training repayment clauses and trial shifts.
Selling Firewood and Logs from Tree Work (UK): Moisture, Volume and the Rules
Do you need a licence to sell firewood? UK rules for tree surgeons: Ready to Burn under 2 m³ in England, the notice for bigger loads, moisture and smoke control.
Where to Tip Woodchip and Logs: A UK Guide for Tree Surgeons (2026)
Where UK tree surgeons can take woodchip and logs, what to ask before you tip, when you can burn brash on site, and the paperwork when waste changes hands.
Arborist Business Insurance Guide UK 2026 — What Cover Do You Need?
Practical guide to the insurance policies UK arborists and tree surgeons need: public liability, employer's liability, plant and equipment, professional indemnity, and income protection. What's legally required and what clients often ask for.
How to Find Arborist Work in Winter UK — Keeping Your Business Busy Off-Season
Finding arborist work in winter (UK): the jobs that suit November to February, council and contractor lists, booking clients early and using quiet weeks.
How Much to Charge for Tree Work UK 2026: Working Out Your Day Rate and Job Prices
Day rates and job prices for UK tree work in 2026: what employed arborists and subcontractors are paid, and a formula to work out your own day rate.
Tree Planting Grants UK 2026 — Countryside Stewardship, EWCO & More
Tree planting grants UK 2026: England's EWCO and its rates, Countryside Stewardship, Woodland Tree Health grants, and schemes in Scotland, Wales and NI.
Tree Surgery Startup Costs: What You Actually Need to Spend in 2026
What it takes to start a tree surgery business in the UK, from kit and tickets to insurance, vehicle and chipper, with makers' and training providers' published prices where they exist.
Law & safety
Do Tree Surgeons Need a Licence? Waste Carrier, Felling Licence, TPO and CSCS Rules (UK 2026)
There's no licence to work as a tree surgeon in the UK, but a few rules catch most tree businesses: waste carrier registration, felling licences, protected trees (TPOs and conservation areas), chainsaw certificates and site cards. What each needs, with the official sources.
Do You Need a Ticket to Use a Wood Chipper? Training and Courses (UK 2026)
No law in Great Britain names a wood chipper ticket or certificate, but you must be trained to use one at work: what HSE says, NPTC and LANTRA courses.
Red Diesel for Tree Surgeons: What You Can Still Use It For (UK)
Can arborists still use red diesel? Since March 2023, yes in chippers, stump grinders, MEWPs and generators for tree work, but vehicles are narrower. The rules, the exceptions and the penalties, with HMRC sources.
Towing a Wood Chipper, Stump Grinder or Plant Trailer: The UK Rules (2026)
What your licence lets you tow, train weights and VIN plates, when a 3.5t tipper towing a chipper needs an operator's licence, trailer brakes, lights, tachographs and security. With GOV.UK sources.
Ash Dieback UK 2026 — What Arborists Need to Know
An arborist's guide to ash dieback in the UK: identification, scale, legal obligations, felling safety, TPO implications, and commercial opportunities in 2026.
Hedge Cutting Regulations UK 2026 — What Arborists and Landowners Must Know
UK hedge cutting law in 2026, in plain English: nesting birds, the farm hedgerow ban, the Hedgerows Regulations, TPOs and high hedges between neighbours.
PUWER Compliance for Arborist Equipment — What UK Tree Surgeons Must Know in 2026
A practical guide to PUWER 1998 for arborists in Great Britain: which equipment is covered, how inspections work, which records the law asks for, and how to stay on the right side of the HSE.
Careers & training
How to Check a Chainsaw or Climbing Ticket, and How to Prove Your Own (UK)
How to check a City & Guilds (NPTC) or Lantra chainsaw or climbing certificate online, what each checker needs, what to ask a subcontract climber for, how to prove your own tickets and how to replace a lost certificate.
Kit for Your First Chainsaw or Climbing Course (UK)
What to bring to a chainsaw or tree-climbing course and assessment in the UK: what to ask the centre first, the saw, fuel and PPE the assessment papers list, climbing kit and its examination records, and HSE's checks for a used saw.
How to Get Chainsaw and Arb Tickets Funded (UK, 2026)
Who pays for NPTC chainsaw and arb tickets: your employer, an apprenticeship, a college course, Farming Connect in Wales (farm businesses only), ELCAS for service leavers and Skills Bootcamps in England. What each covers and who qualifies.
Tree Surgery Groundsman: The Job, Pay, Tickets and the Route to Climbing (UK 2026)
What a tree surgery groundsman (groundie) does, UK pay, the NPTC tickets that help, the PPE an employer must provide, and the route into climbing.
Arborist Apprenticeships UK 2026 — How to Get Started in Tree Surgery
How to get a tree surgeon or arborist apprenticeship in the UK: the Level 2 route, pay, qualifications, how to find an employer and what comes after.
NPTC Chainsaw Certificates Explained — The Units, Costs & Where to Train (UK 2026)
Guide to the City & Guilds NPTC chainsaw Certificates of Competence in the UK: the current units explained, costs, what's required, and where to book training courses.
How to Become a Tree Surgeon or Arborist in the UK: The 2026 Guide
How to become a tree surgeon or arborist: chainsaw and climbing tickets, course costs, apprenticeships, National Careers Service pay and how long it takes.