Tracked tw230 forst 8 inch

[Dean O]

Greenmech do seem to helpful like that, will be looking at their 165 in December so will report back.

Got a forst on demo next week so that will be good to see too, decisions decisions. 

Looking like ill be moving away from tw unfortunately, the work it needed centered around a set of cracks radiatiating from around where the bottom roller mounts, other cracks had appeared in the shroud that is taken off to get to the blades, not an area that is under stress so presumably a material failure.

The fitter was going to flip the anvil for good measure before it was all put back together and 2 of the three bolts sheered in the process, he can't get in there with a drill without cutting the roller box apart, result is another 900£ part, labour, and another weeks chipper hire. 

Tw still haven't called to discuss this, so they obviously aren't interested. 

Not after a handout, I was looking to buy a new chipper and thought they might want to at least discuss options and try to keep my custom.

The dealer has done what they can so want to make that clear, but I'm guessing that they haven't got the help from tw that they need to make us pleased with tw's customer service.

[GA Groundcare]

Which Forst are you looking at, 6" or 8"

[Dean O]

8 inch, weight isn't too much of an issue as its a tracked machine we are looking to replace.

So admittedly I'm comparing 8 inch machines to 6 inch machines, but my thinking is that the letterbox shaped infeed on the 230 was so night and day between the 230 and the 150tw's, that I'm assuming I'll be upset with feeding into forsts Square 6 inch gullet, 

But please if anyone out there has had a side by side comparison between the 230 and the 6 inch forst please let me know what your thoughts were.

 

I had been inclined to go for the 8 inch tw offering, thinking it was perhaps more robustly built, not having been derived from a 750kg machine, but that seems off the table now anyway.

[Stephen Blair]

Like any business, if you are good you are busy.

[Dan Maynard]

In my limited experience enquiries ebb and flow a bit with the seasons, eg people aren't thinking about trees in the run up to Christmas. Also the nature of work eg hedges autumn, removals any time, fruit pruning winter, nesting puts off some jobs which you can then come back to. There's always something going on though.

[Dean O]

So just thought I'd update this thread, we had the 8 inch forst.

Stupidity on my part meant that I'd assumed the 6 inch had a square roller aperture, no one corrected me, but it doesn't, its also letterbox in shape, so I should have looked at the 6 inch.

Despite it being an unfair comparison, and baring this in mind, I thought I may have made my mind up there and then on the forst.

Liked some of the features, liked the engineering, seemed robust.

Tracking system took a bit of getting used to, didn't seem as refined as others ive used. But did the job.

 

But we've got he greenmech evo 165 le with us today and so far feel a little bit surprised.

 

Only thing playing on my mind is that no one in these parts uses a greenmech.

Why?

 

What will resale be when I go to sell?

[Mick Dempsey]

You can be busy because you’re too cheap.

[Mick Dempsey]

49 minutes ago, Scottish Cleaning Service said:

Did a job today for £180 and it only took 4hrs but a few hours getting van ready. Got me thinking and have decided to go down the minimum price now as it should have been £200. I usually make that every day even weekends because I have plenty of work and can do tree cutting to window cleaning. Each week I buy something to add to my equipment and this week I have to collect a MS 462 with 25" bar at a cost of £960. Have 6 chainsaws now so don't need anymore, the saw centre in Glasgow love me. Probably save some money now to go on the 4 week Arb course.

You’re too cheap.

[Rich Rule]

Sounds like you have the cleaning side sorted.  
 

Please, please, pretty please with a cherry on top, don’t ruin the industry for the rest of the guys in your area.

 

Too many people have a part time interest in trees and have other income.  You mentioned Fire Brigade pension, it might be a rich wife or subsidising parents.  Due to the other ‘income’ they charge low rates for tree work as it is a bit of fun.

 

Plenty of others pay for their entire life, mortgage and family through tree work, keep the rates in your area in line with the rest of the market.

 

Good luck.

[topchippyles]

29 minutes ago, Scottish Cleaning Service said:

Always had a liking for wood and I suppose that's how I became an apprentice Joiner. Did a spell in the North Sea on the oil rigs and noticed Norway paid more. Read the other day Denmark are stopping all their oil exploration work and moving into green energy. The rest will follow suit so plenty of riggers will be moving into other work and tree surgery fits the bill. I hope the prices stay the same but I wouldn't count on it because of the time it takes to retrain. I can do a 4 week course and become a tree surgeon or a free lancer. Everything is supply and demand and at the moment the demand for tree surgeons is growing exponentially. If you can find a way to burn wood chips then it will become very lucrative. The only problem with tree surgery is you need to rely on a few other folk to work as a team. You can scrape by the odd day with two people but mostly I see 3 people when trees are being felled, not sure if that's always the case. 

What you charge is your business and nothing to do with anyone else.Nothing wrong with £180 for 4 hrs work and your doing the correct thing by buying new equipment but only buy what your going to use not what you think you may use.