Unimog U900. How many of you use them?

[njc110381]

Hi Chaps. I'm new to the forum (see introduction in general chat) and am wondering if many of you use a U900 to run a light chipper or for other light tasks? I'm looking at getting one as a toy as much as a work vehicle so it wont be used hard.

 

I'd like to use it to run a small chipper, 4-6" and roller fed and may get a chip box on it. I've read that you really need a trailer to make full use of them but I'm not that large scale. I get by well with a Truckloder and a Land Rover Hi Cap, but I just want a Mog! It's by no means a profit making scheme, I know what they cost!

 

I guess my question really is how capable are they? I've seen them off road and they're good but I've never seen one working. I'm under the impression that a modern large chipper needs more like a U1600 to run it well, but as I've said I don't need that and couldn't afford one anyway. For light part time duties, I assume they manage fine?

 

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[Stephen Blair]

MOG THREAD WOOP WOOP, i dont have one any more but what the hell. get a tp200 for a u9oo, brilliant 8 inch chipper, very light and compact. it will make you money, i paid my first u1200 and tp chipper off(26k) off in under a year. i put my daily income from £200 a day to £600, the fuel savings alone paid the finance on the chipper.

[njc110381]

I looked at the TP200 and it's the sort of thing I need. Light and compact is perfect as I don't want to A. have to store too much large kit or B. work an old Mog too hard! I think I could make good money with it on the days it gets used but that will be more than offset by the days it gets taken mowing unfortunately! If I can get it to break even I'll be more than happy because no sensible reasoning has gone into this. I just want one!

 

Your post made me smile. Every Mog topic on here has you in it somewhere! I can only assume you're a fan too? I'm quite jealous of that big Mog setup you had but assume that it was just too much money to keep sitting around when you slowed down?

 

A good U900 is the perfect half way point I think. It's a Mog, but not a big one. They're old (read simple to look after) and basic trucks and I'd have thought they're quite capable as long as you don't ask too much by expecting them to keep up with the modern trucks with double the power?

 

As a side note, has anyone here done many miles in the passenger side of a U900? I sat in the drivers seat of one on an off roading day a few weeks back and it was tight (I'm only 5'6). The passenger side looked even worse!

[josharb87]

Haha, wait untill nifty steve finds this thread, his mog is definatly not used for light duties! it gets worked hard! pics steve, pics!

[tommer9]

 

Your post made me smile. Every Mog topic on here has you in it somewhere! I can only assume you're a fan too? I'm quite jealous of that big Mog setup you had but assume that it was just too much money to keep sitting around when you slowed down?

 

 

Haha- i dont think steve ever slowed down mate:biggrin: He still has a dirty great merc 4x4 lorry outfit!!

[Stephen Blair]

i think he means nifty steve tommer, thats the secret with kit, work it hard, mogs hate sitting about, thats when i had to start spending money on mine, just silly things like seals and hoses. i think if they are used regularely then thee engines are getting lubed and everything is kept warm and dry.

[njc110381]

I'd like to be in that position! I'm not sure if I'll ever branch over to tree climbing work though, heights really scare me!

 

I'm looking towards large garden clearing work. Trees up to 8"ish that I can just fell and chip and topping conifer hedges up to about 20' from the ground. Anything higher than that and I'm done. I give the job away!

 

I'd like to do more woodland work too. Pulling firewood and chipping the brush. Anything that means I can stay on the ground and get someone else to climb.

 

I found a lad a couple of months back who will climb with his own rope kit and saw for £65 a day! I find it really sad he'll work for that. He hasn't done a job for me yet but if he does he'll be getting the same money as I do. I couldn't pay a skilled bloke that little but it seems he just can't find the work.

[tommer9]

I'd like to be in that position! I'm not sure if I'll ever branch over to tree climbing work though, heights really scare me!

 

I'm looking towards large garden clearing work. Trees up to 8"ish that I can just fell and chip and topping conifer hedges up to about 20' from the ground. Anything higher than that and I'm done. I give the job away!

 

I'd like to do more woodland work too. Pulling firewood and chipping the brush. Anything that means I can stay on the ground and get someone else to climb.

 

I found a lad a couple of months back who will climb with his own rope kit and saw for £65 a day! I find it really sad he'll work for that. He hasn't done a job for me yet but if he does he'll be getting the same money as I do. I couldn't pay a skilled bloke that little but it seems he just can't find the work.

 

I like your attitude to the climber. It strikes me that there are 2 reasons for his price though...he is crap or he is a beginner...either way that is a stupid price though.

[njc110381]

I was talking about you SB. I could have sworn I read an old post saying you wanted to rush around less and spend more time with the family so were slowing down a bit? I could be mistaken though. It would have been on a Mog post as that's pretty much all I've done searches for so far!

 

The climber I know is new to it. From what I've seen of him he is very good at his job but just hasn't found anywhere to settle yet. He told me he'd rather work for £65 every day and stay fit than wait around for better paying work. He recons you need to climb regularly or it starts getting hard, which kind of makes sense?

 

Either way I'm not paying him £65 if he works for me. I never pull a profit from a skilled bloke or take his credit. I'd rather see him do well for himself, keep at it and still be there for me to hire in when I'm out of my depth. Too many people are all out for money these days and it's not my thing. As long as I can get by I'm happy and I pay my lads well over the going rate. I remember slogging my ass off for £40 per week when I left school. I was doing an NVQ in habitat management for the local wildlife trust and I worked bloody hard for less than a tenner a day. It was what I wanted to do so I stuck with it, but I could never push blokes that hard for so little. If it wasn't for the fact they were a charity I wouldn't have lasted five minutes!

[combined tree services]

seems like you have some sound advice beig given to you , if your loking for a decent chipper give steven Blair a shout , i think he may well have just the chiper for you !!!