Guides

Buying guides, gear advice and straight answers for firewood, timber and tree equipment in Australia. Written for people who actually use their gear.

Powerline Clearance Rules Homeowners Must Know in 2026

Understand Victoria's new 2026 electric line clearance regulations and what they mean for tree work near powerlines to reduce bushfire risk.

6 min read

Hiring vs Buying an EWP for Tree Work: Which Makes Sense

Cost tradeoffs between hiring and buying an elevated work platform for tree work in Australia, ticket and certification requirements, and when hire beats ownership.

5 min read

Selling Milled Slabs: How to Price Live-Edge and Milled Timber for Sale

Practical guidance for pricing milled and live-edge timber slabs in Australia: species, dimensions, thickness, grain, moisture content and value-affecting defects.

5 min read

What Is an Arborist Report, and When Does Your Council Require One?

What an arborist report actually covers, who is qualified to write one, and why you should check your specific council's requirements before removing or pruning a tree.

5 min read

When to Retire Climbing Rope and Fall-Arrest Gear (and Why Secondhand Life-Support Gear Is Risky)

General principles for retiring arborist climbing ropes, harnesses and fall-arrest gear, and why secondhand life-support equipment requires full provenance.

5 min read

Chainsaw PPE Explained: What AS/NZS 4453.3 Actually Covers

A plain-English guide to chainsaw protective clothing in Australia, AS/NZS 4453.3 leg protection, helmets, hearing protection, gloves, boots, fit and certification.

5 min read

Buying a Used Stump Grinder: What to Check Before You Pay

A practical checklist for buying a secondhand stump grinder in Australia: formats, cutter wheel and tooth wear, hours, hydraulics, service history and shielding.

5 min read

Used Woodchipper Inspection: Disc vs Drum, Blades and Safety Interlocks

How to inspect a secondhand woodchipper in Australia before you hand over money: telling disc from drum, judging blade and anvil life, PTO vs engine drive, feed rollers, and the guarding and interlocks that must still work.

5 min read

Best Firewood Species in Australia: Red Gum, Ironbark, Box Gum and the Rest, Compared

A qualitative comparison of Australia's common firewood species, including red gum, ironbark, box and sugar gum, for heat output, burn time and coaling quality.

5 min read

Firewood Biosecurity: Why You Can't Just Move Wood Between Areas or States

Why firewood movement is restricted in parts of Australia, what pests and diseases the rules stop, and what to check before crossing a zone or state line.

4 min read

Seasoned vs Green Firewood: How to Tell the Difference Before You Buy

How to tell seasoned firewood from green wood sold as seasoned: moisture content, the knock test, colour and bark checks, and why a cheap moisture meter pays for itself.

5 min read

How Much Firewood Is Actually in a Cubic Metre (and a 'Trailer Load')

What a cubic metre of firewood really looks like, why 'trailer load' is a rubbery unit, and how to check you're not being short-changed before you pay.

5 min read