Pick-up practicality

[Billy]

I need a vehicle to start doing a few private jobs and do jobs for my boss with a groundy when he isn't about (as getting put on the insurance for his tipper was prohibitvly expensive). Anyway i have been looking at single cab L200's, the bed's look quite big and i reckon with some greedy boards it could work.

I have seen a few other tree surgeons using them and i know a few on here do, but I have always thought pick ups lack the capacity of a tipper. Obviously they hold a bit less but is it to the point of them being impractical? I've never worked with one so don't really know. I would primarily be working without a chipper just stacking branches well and doing alot of cross cutting to cram them in. I'm really not keen on a smiley face transit or LDV tipper as they look a bit pikey and this could end up being my only vehicle form time to time. So yeah i'd just like to hear what pick ups are like to live and work with from a few owners on here, thanks.

[tree_beard]

cramming branches in the back of a pickup would be a waste of time in my opinion...

 

chipping into one is do-able for little jobs, and handy for jobs off the beaten track.

 

but then you can get a perfectly reasonable tipper for the cost of a decent pickup

[scuff]

Have you thought about a ford ranger with a tipping body, with greedy boards or without its carrying capacity is fine for small jobs and you have the advantage of 4wd. Nissan and mitsi also do a version. The only drawback is the second hand availability.

[Billy]

i'm looking to spend the minimum amount really, about £1500 i have a decent L200 i could get for well within this, and i'm sure a tipping one couldn't be procured within that budget, a transit tipper or similar would be the best route but they are horrid in every other aspect so hopefully i'll get a few more positive replies about pick ups before this thread is out.

[Stephen Blair]

anything around 1500 quid isnt going to look awesome and the fact that you are cutting it down in the back doesnt exactly put you up the profesional looking ladder. you will fit diddly squat in an l200 even with greedy boards. nothing wrong with ldv or transit tippers.

[County4x4]

Not sure what the problem with Transits is? Cheap to buy, cheap and easy to fix, probably about the same or better mpg as a pickup like you're on about, bigger, will probably outlast several L200's if looked after, will do starship mileage. I could go on!

 

The bed on most pickups seems to be tiny if you're wanting to carry anything other than tools.

 

Is it that you've set your heart on an L200 and now want some back up?

 

Andy

[Robert_S]

Your plan of chopping up branches in the back of an L200 with a couple of bits of shuttering ply as greedy boards is going to look alot more "pikey" than a smiley face transit or ldv with proper made sides and some sign writing.

 

Most of us started up chopping up branches in the back of a van/trailer my advice to you is keep all the money you make from jobs and buy a cheap chipper as you will soon get demented chopping branches

 

Best of luck to you

[Treewarrior]

I use an L200 Warrior and a tipping Humbaur trailer. Stick a Jo Beau M300 chipper on the back and have never looked back.

 

I pay 80 quid a month for a brand new Jo Beau, it takes 3inch and everything else is logs, don't chip it if you can sell it as logs 3 months later. The logs pay for the chipper. Work it out. The trailer, I saved and saved until I could get one. Started off with a second hand williams trailer with greedy boards, but you get knackered shovelling off woodchip at the end of the day.

 

Start small, save, invest in the best you can afford and get something better when you have the money.

[JaySmith]

Who do you get the M300 from for £80.00 p/m - is a fixed contract?

[Treewarrior]

Who do you get the M300 from for £80.00 p/m - is a fixed contract?

Did the deal with Chelford Farm Supplies Cheshire.

 

Investec Asset Finance, Abingdon Oxfordshire 01235 555577. They buy the chipper and Contract lease it back to you for 5 year lease. It costs me £83.99 plus vat a month, that's £21.00 per week, that's £3.00 a day!