Another 40 year old just starting

[buffalo606]

19 hours ago, Mick Dempsey said:

What I love about these threads is the difference in perspective.

 

As someone else pointed out, it’s a bit like when someone asks ’what vehicle should I get?’ And the advice can vary from a bicycle and a bowsaw to a 15 tonne grab lorry.

It reminds me a bit of Aesop's fable The Man, The Boy and the Donkey..

Edited January 7, 2018 by buffalo606
typo

[lux]

It's a nice van and trailer but really not suitable for profitable Arb work. I think you will end up frustrated with it quite quickly. You may need to strongly consider changing the van if you want to pursue this idea with conviction.
You don't want or need to be taking all those non Arb tools to tree work. Dead space and weight. Could you swap it for a tipper van with decent tool locker. ?

[forestboy1978]

33 minutes ago, lux said:

It's a nice van and trailer but really not suitable for profitable Arb work. I think you will end up frustrated with it quite quickly. You may need to strongly consider changing the van if you want to pursue this idea with conviction.
You don't want or need to be taking all those non Arb tools to tree work. Dead space and weight. Could you swap it for a tipper van with decent tool locker. ?

I don't get your logic. 

 

What's the most weight you can legally carry in the highest payload van tipper? 1.2 tons? 

 

I can get 2.5 - 2.7 in the trailer and even with all tools loaded, another .075 of logs in the van and still be legal. 

 

I will be predominantly doing fencing anyhow and slowly slowly transitioning to trees so I have to keep the van. "If", I get snowed under with trees I'll get a single cab LWB tipper van as a second vehicle.

[lux]

I'm not looking at the payload situation. It's the logistics and feasibility of what your vehicle combo can achieve. A tipper with tool locker and your trailer will do your fencing jobs and the tipper with a decent chipper will do your arb work.
Tree work with the current set up will be very limited and restrictive.

[forestboy1978]

1 hour ago, lux said:

I'm not looking at the payload situation. It's the logistics and feasibility of what your vehicle combo can achieve. A tipper with tool locker and your trailer will do your fencing jobs and the tipper with a decent chipper will do your arb work.
Tree work with the current set up will be very limited and restrictive.

I've had a tipper with tool locker and while it sufficed, was not optimal. I am 50% more productive for fencing with this combo and I earn approx 50% more than I did with a tipper. Did 6 years with a tipper so I know what I'm talking about. 

 

Trees, I'll defer to your better judgement but apart from access to tight areas I'm just not getting it. Stick a tracked chipper on that trailer with a tow bar and I can pull trailer, saws, ladders off road even which is more versatile than a tipper that can get stuck. 

[lux]

I'm not criticising your set up for fencing or it's efficient and productivity for that role. I'm saying it's not practical for arb work that's all. What will you do with your chip. Surely a tracked chipper will fill the trailer so you will have an extra journey tipping before re loading the chipper or you have to leave your chip on site or take another tipper of some description with you ?

[forestboy1978]

Well I don't work beyond a 5 mile radius of where I live which means no more than 5 miles from waste centre. 90% of my work is within 3 miles. 

 

Granted, I'll have to go beyond that for tree work but I'm still not seeing the downside based on the fact that you would have to go 2 or 3 times to the waste centre to do your disposal to my 1 trip anyhow. Yeah a bit of bugger for smaller jobs but sometimes I'll be able to get the chipper on with some chip on there and sometimes I wont bother with the chipper on site at all and just throw it all on the trailer and/ or in the van. 

 

I know my setup is unorthodox but I had the same dilemna when ruminating on it for fencing cos no one has it round her for fencing either and you don't know how much I fretted on it before pulling the trigger but it's turned out to be one of my best decisions. 

 

I appreciate your input :-)

 

 

[lux]

No problem. I'm sure that trailer doesn't hold as much as the long wheelbase mog so I think I'll hold fire on making 3 unnecessary trips to tip.
Quite a few people using that as a fencing contractor set up around this way. Seems good for it. Hope it works for your arb stuff too.

[forestboy1978]

I would LOVE a unimog :-)

[lux]

Nice little ag spec one popped up on eBay at the mo. Only a 3 litre engine though. Still looks at decent truck mind.