New sawmill coming next month - need to sort out towing issues

[treequip]

how they define forestry work is a wierd one, if you go to the forest/wood, enter, cut, and bring the timber out, and back to your base/yard, thats forestry, but if you only go to the forest and pick up from a pre-cut stack then its not, so the very fact you are taking your mill into the site and cutting on site will definately make it forestry, that is my take on it, and our local vosa guy has agreed with me, thats how I operate, I only carry the equipment required to do the actual cutting job, my milling is usually taken back to base by a van and trailer, Ive only had one run in with the official mob, traffic, vosa, hmrc, and the dwp all in the one spot pulling in vehicles to a check point, when I got out the vehicle, they were round like the proverbial flies round sh*t wanting to know what it was, explained that it was a mobile saw mill, where Id come from and where I was going , thew looked in the back of the mog, saw the saws,fuel and oil cans and other bits and bobs, commented on the mog, and wished me on my way, since then I have passed the same setup in various locations and have been waved past, Ive found that If you carry downloaded copies of the various parts of legislation, definition of a tractor, ag, forestry,and horticultural use, trailer regulations , and use of rebated fuel, and hand the whole lot , in a folder to whoever stops you, they tend not to want to get any more into it, remember they only follow the rules, dont make them, and as long as you are operating within them ( and they give you a lot of scope) they arent really interestedin you. theres plenty of other white van men out there chancing there luck

 

 

OK that's all well and good but here is a different take, I am a tree surgeon and I have some timber that I want milled in my customers garden and then back to my yard to mill a collection of buts I have stockpiled. This definitely isn't forestry.

 

If all your work is in a forest then fine but its a fine line and easy to cross.

[agrimog]

this is a common problem in the industry, to many "tree surgeons" want the same rules as are applied to the guys working in forestry, do you expect to get the same "perks as a farmer for working in your 30'x30' garden, no, so dont expect the same for trimming a little tree in a garden as the guys dropping and clearing 20 or 30 acres, the whole chainsaw using industry for too many years has wanted the best of both worlds, there is a fine line dividing the industry between domestic work and forestry work, and although its twisted and "greyish " in some places , its still a line and you cross it at your own risk, as I said before, stay within the guidlines and you wont have any bother

[codlasher]

I've read some but not all the posts regarding this mobile saw. Some good points have been made too.

My 1/2p's worth.

Why a Unimog? Why not a second hand tractor, say a Deutz model with 40k or 50k box, plenty around and not so expensive.

My fathers partner always said about mobile mills is that this was their downfall, they were mobile! He believed in bringing the timber to the mill as, in his opinion, this was always the easiest solution! He had one of the original Forestor portable sawmills for hire so understood the pitfalls.

His old friend Mr Duncan Monroe milled on the West side of Scotland (using a static Woodmizer) and was never short of work. Moving the timber was sometimes an 'interesting' exercise for example with his lorry fully loaded going over Applecross before the road was improved!!!!

Putting the machine on a big trailer bed to be pulled with a good tractor seems to be the best option, you then have the rigidity to keep the saw accurate and perhaps be able to mount a small crane to aid you in handling the produce....Run the tractor on white diesel and you are legal too...?

I well understand your need for a big, simple and reliable saw. Good luck.

codlasher

Edited July 18, 2013 by codlasher

[agrimog]

one small problem with a tractor, your limited to 20mph, irespective of whether its got a 40k, 50k or even a100k box, and vosa and traffic WILL jump on you from a great height, there is a list of offences as long as your arm as soon as you exceed the 20mph limit for tractors, even with a mog your still limited to 40mph(same as all 7.5ton trucks) on A class roads. a lot more people are needing to go back and check there highway code on what the actual speed limits are, not what they think they are

[codlasher]

I wonder if a JCB Fastrac can tow at 40k? I think they are in a similar class as a Unimog.

codlasher

[agrimog]

depending on the model of fastrac, some are fitted with hydraulic only steering, they fall into the same class as the unimog, and can travell at speeds in excess of 20mph, ( we dont do kph in the UK, yet), If you check in the construction and use act, the definitions of what constitutes an agricultural machine are clearly laid out, and what you can and cant do, to travel faster than 20mph, the vehicle MUST be fitted with suspension on all road wheels, and brakes to a certain std, this is where the tractors all fall down, some have the brakes, but Ive yet to see a tractor fitted with rear suspension....unimogs, fastracs, and an odd ball called a trantor , are the only vehicles to comply.

Edited July 18, 2013 by agrimog

[josharb87]

one small problem with a tractor, your limited to 20mph, irespective of whether its got a 40k, 50k or even a100k box, and vosa and traffic WILL jump on you from a great height, there is a list of offences as long as your arm as soon as you exceed the 20mph limit for tractors, even with a mog your still limited to 40mph(same as all 7.5ton trucks) on A class roads. a lot more people are needing to go back and check there highway code on what the actual speed limits are, not what they think they are

 

Isn't it 50 for upto 7.5 maximum laden weight, and 40 for exceeding 7.5ton max laden weight?

[agrimog]

yes , josh, my apologies, just that used to traveling at 40 these days, get used to life in the slow lane..lol

[rovers90]

Only read the first few posts on this thread as been away on holiday, would an American pick up not be suitable?

 

This is my uncle's cousins in Vancouver Island, a GMC Donali 6.6 litre diesel with exhaust brake and fifth wheel in the bed for towing 35 foot, 9 ton RV trailer.

[agrimog]

unfourtunatly the powers that be (dvla) dont recognise the true towing capibilities of the full size american rigs, if you register them as 3500kg pickups to fall into mot regs, your screwed for towing, and if you go bigger on registration, you end up needing a restricted or full "o" licence, used to have an ex military cucv "CHEVY k30", and all I was allowed to tow was 3500kg...It used to pull 7 tons without even knowing it was there(off road, of course !!). Any of the american 1 ton pickups would be great for a 5th wheel application, but would require serious mods to the mill towing setup