When can you justify a 4x4 arb truck.

[Orchard]

Everyone has been there, I am here now, looking through van trader, eBay and arb trader looking for the next possible vehicle. With some of my work being grass cutting and brush cutting I need something that can do a wide range of things. I need something I can chip into which can tow a chipper without having to do 2 journeys for a trailer which I have done in the past! I have one rule which I don't want to break, I work with only 1 other employee, we work together so I don't want 2 vehicles as then I think unless they are both getting used they are costing money and they are not really earning their keep.

After looking through the arb trucks thread it makes me even more indecisive! It's doing my head in!!! One minute I am looking for a landrover hi cap next a transit tipper, then hilux's with a tipper trailer? I see some swear by what they own, some use a 3.5ton drw tipper and say they tick all the boxes? Some say you defo need a 4x4? I must admit it would be handy to be able to go off road but I have usually found a way round it? Tipping is an advantage but if I had a pick up which I chipped into then it's not gonna take too long to unload?

The last 4 jobs I have done has ended up where the customers want the chip left on site anyway...happy days!

The more experienced of you will no doubt have your reasons for driving what you drive, I know it's horses for courses and all that but for general tree work, and light gardening/hedges etc there must be a preferred vehicle? As much as I like to make my own decisions in life I think listening to the wiser people is gonna save me some money here long term. So any advice or pointers would be helpful cheers!

[CJM]

I think I depends on location too. If most of your tree work is centeral London a 4x4 will be useless but in the sticks a 4x4 can be beneficial specially if you can get closer to the trees or hedge through a field. Obviously a transit can for more chip in the back but if you have to drag brash because you can't get close to the job that could cost you half a day in time, you'll have to tip off more with a 4x4 but the time saved tipping off to apposed to dragging for an extra half a day, out ways this

[Timbermcpherson]

Trucks for treework come in two convenient sizes

 

To big

 

and

 

To small

 

you get to pick which will piss you off less:thumbup1:

[hamdogg]

Trucks for treework come in two convenient sizes

 

 

 

To big

 

 

 

and

 

 

 

To small

 

 

 

you get to pick which will piss you off less:thumbup1:

 

 

Spot on lol

[markieg31]

i would say you need a 4x4 when the 205 van no longer cuts the mustard.

 

i had a job last week 2 days, where i had 11 loads of wood chip that i had to shovel off as i dont have a tipper. Was thinking to myself i could do with an isuzu nkr or similar. But 90% of my work requires me to drag the chipper cross country so i am not sure it would work for me, or would be sat up for long periods.

[timbernut]

Spot on lol

 

 

Brilliant! However this ticked all my boxes apart from by the time I'd saved enough it'd gone

[Shane]

That will have a legal payload of around 100- 200kgs

[Daveyboy]

Taking this one step further, if you could have a 7.5 tonner arb truck, with 4WD, which one would it be?

[normandylumberjack]

The long and short of it is there is no one perfect arb truck.

 

To have the perfect balance of payload, 4x4, tipper, crane? you will be running a 10 tonner, or a mog, then comes fuel bills and other size related headaches.

[Mountain man]

I love Timbermcpherson's take on it.

 

I reckon a significant proportion of people who say they need a 4wd Arb truck actually just WANT a 4wd arb truck.