Jonny69

10 minutes ago, Vespasian said:

What your not getting through your thick scull is the owner paid for the reduction on account of the tenant wanted it done..   IE the landlord for all intents and purposes was just the middle man paying out the bills..   the tenant told the owner what she wanted doin, the owner arranged for it to be done..

 

The tree cutters thought like a lot of idiots on here and couldn't work out the job was being done for the tenant with the blessing of the owner..  if she wanted them to do all the hedge, and not leave some off, she'd of told em to leave some of it alone..  I don't know why, perhaps because she's as thick as some tree surgeons....

 

Only a moron could look at the whole and figure it mean't part only...   

Good job I prefaced my post by saying my mind was fairly simple. Maybe one day i'll get something right

8 hours ago, Vespasian said:

OK was asked to reduce a conifer hedge in the Winter for one of my customers..  Now I would of done it no problem but at the time didn't fancy doing it due to getting a pulled back every time I do tree work..  I've eased off on tree's of late, not that I ever did many to begin with...

 

Now heres the thing..  in amoungst the conifer hedge are two small tree's.  one amounting to a couple of branches sticking out to one side and another  small tree at the end of the hedge about ten foot tall.. dead as a dodo..   now talking to her today and asking why the two small tree's in the hede were left she told me they wouldn't touch them as they'd priced to remove the conifers and not the tree's in amoungst the hedge..

 

You fkin what I said, I thought maybe she'd told em not to bother as it might of been getting late in the day or something, getting dark in winter at 3.30 as you do.,..  no, they'd turned up at ten in the morning and gone by twelve..   why didn't you ask em to chop em down, throw em in the chipper.. five minutes extra if that I said..

 

Well they wouldn't do it, she says..   

 

Now as far as I can see, the tree's are part of the hedge. and as such aught to have been reduced with the conifers.....   

 

Now, what kind of tree men are they when they won't even chop off a couple of extra branches even if they had quoted to remove "just the conifers"..  

 

Talk about peevish..                                           scumbags.....

 

For the record I never refuse to do that one bit extra if asked..   like Buckin BIlliy says, price a job as not to turn down that extra bit of work, you know they're gonna ask you!!!!..  Nothin worse than pricing a job so as to make you despise being there a minute more than you have to...

 

 

For some context, the woman rents the house and the owner arranged for the tree surgeons to reduce it...   Now mugging here has to go round and tidy their shoddy work up for a favour..  cup of coffee and a chat..  only lives round the corner so no big deal..  

 

 

anyways, are these fella's scumbags or is it something some of you fella's would do?...   well I know its what some would do, but give me strength, for want of an extra five minutes they ruined their otherwise good hedge reduction..   and reputation..   Morons......

 

I'm fairly simple minded but I think you have this totally wrong. When we work on rental properties 90% of the time the property owner is paying. We will not do any more or less than what is specified. The tenants often ask for bits and bobs, I tell them to ask the owner because we are not touching a thing. In a normal situation where you are dealing with the customer we will do the "can you just........". However when the tenant doesn't own the property, garden, trees, land, hedges etc we will not do anymore that agreed with the owner. The tenants opinion is of no relevance and I would not want to be in a position where we had done something the owner did not want us to do. 

It should have been sorted during the quote stage and by your own admittance later in the thread they did a good job of reducing the confier hedge, which is probably what was agreed with the owner.

17 hours ago, Big J said:

Improving the quality of our housing stock is one of the most significant ways that the UK can improve it's environmental footprint. So, not only the running costs over the building's lifespan, but the embodied energy in it's construction, and how easy it is to recycle at the end of it's lifespan.

 

So using methods such as straw bale (grown locally) with timber frame (grown locally) in conjunction perhaps with box profile steel roofs (used widely in northern climes, and recyclable), lime render, clay plaster and locally sourced timber cladding, you can hugely reduce the CO2 cost of the building, and ensure that the construction is inexpensive, and the recycling at the end of the building's life, simple. 

 

I've always thought that the public in the UK need to take a bit more control over their house building. Very few people are happy with the direction that building companies have been going with the construction of new housing stock, or indeed the planning laws that govern them. We need to use the example that many of our European neighbours exhibit with regards to self build. I don't mean literally building it yourself, but rather the whole system needs to be much more straightforward for normal families to commission their own house builds, getting exactly what they want and need, rather than what is prescribed to them by the likes of Barratt, Wimpy and Persimmon.

All of those are lovely ideas! Good luck persuading any of the big developers to do anything different when they are making very good money with the current plan.

The government made a rod for every poor soul who brought a new build home when the 20% help to buy started. 

Unfortunately all it did was allowed developers to make even more money on the plot and most people aren't smart enough to work out what was happening. Really a shame for people struggling to buy a house, but often they want something new and shiny (poorly built and too expensive)

On 22/03/2019 at 19:39, simonm said:

Crazy way things are going in the world nowadays...the MD WILL be abusing it, sorry using it to track whereabouts of their own staff as well as subbies as he is well known to not trust anyone or let anyone do their job without micromanaging to the point nothing gets done. Same man insisted on sending 2 lads to rake weeds out of a 3500sqm piece of mowed grass, also knocking the top out of a line of beautiful magnolia trees as it would stop them growing any taller in the future!

As it's still not ready to be rolled out to us numptys yet I suppose it's a case of cross that bridge if and when we come to it.

This I do know if they want us to use it they can supply it to us and pay for it, right or wrong it's a matter of principle. Plenty more work out there if you're prepared to graft.

The question is. Does your dislike for the person wanting to implement the trackers supersede your will to take his money? If it were me I'd be doing as little as possible for as much as possible and milking it till I got sacked off. Also, if you need an ipad to get this sofware I wouldn't be paying for it (out of principle)

Sounds bad, but I also don't work for people I don't like or trust so this issue should never arise. 

On 18/03/2019 at 22:19, shillo said:

Does anyone use a rake or broom attached to their mini loader to help with the clean up? Danelander land rake or bmg broom? Mainly interested in raking up debris on grass. We have had several jobs lately which left mess spread over wide areas which take ages to clear up with rakes and its the sort of size that rips the tines off your rake. Seams a shame to have the loader sat there doing nothing

I had one made for the skid steer. It has plastic tines and a grab bar so the grapple can pick it up to use. 

Works well on tarmac and will push some quite  big piles about. However it doesn't work on grass at all, just mushes the material into the grass. 

The best one I have seen is the American Branch manager I think. Pretty sure its got longer, stiffer steel tines and seems to comb the material through the grass, I assume it basically scarifies it as well. If anyone knows where to get these from (other than America!) I would be interested? Just need the brush bit, I can get the holder made for the machine it will go on. 

Thanks

5 hours ago, Joe Newton said:

You're a special kind of country bumpkin though. 

We simple folk prefer the term "Hick from the sticks"

On 11/03/2019 at 17:27, Rough Hewn said:

I don't have an issue with people swearing, it's the racism, sexism, homophobia and islamaphobia that gets me.
There's a couple of threads on here I avoid for those reasons.

I love all of those things but really hate swearing, it is awful and the scourge of our country.

8 hours ago, ForestryFinance said:

I heard an interesting bit of info just last week from one of the lenders I deal with. They had seen the accounts for a fairly mainstream reputable motor dealer, and in one year they had made £13,000,000 profit. That amounted to a £14,000,000 gain in referral fees from finance companies, and a £1,000,000 loss in selling cars. 

I reckon that is similar in a lot of the motor trade - the finance companies give the dealer a 5% kickback, which is why they push you on to their finance. But who pays for that? The mug consumer who ends up on a deal that's costing 9.9% a year or sometimes more. Very grim in my opinion. 

Dealer margins on cars are terrible. If they had to sell cars with no finance or servicing they would all be bust in a week. 

It's the manufacturer that is taking all the profit from the sale of the new vehicle not the dealer. Which is why most manufacturers are self financing or PCPing in order to allow more people to be able to afford ever more expensive cars. On a side note how is a poverty spec Golf ever worth 25K or an Audi A6 nearly 50, its madness.

Also, sometimes they dealer has a stocking loan with a lender. If they don't put a certain amount of borrowing their way in a month or quarter then the rate goes up on the stocking loan. Always a handy question to ask if you want some cheap finance and they are short one month. 

3 hours ago, Matthew Storrs said:

Yeah I agree. I only do it for necessary business equipment- personal life, if I can’t afford it outright I don’t buy it!

Got a mortgage?

Though I do agree in principle, when you can finance Christmas presents from a catalog or a £500 sofa then it gets a bit silly. 

15 hours ago, openspaceman said:

I have a grand daughter who is in exactly this position, is there any way of baling out?

 

Can someone explain in simple terms how this PCP, balloon etc work?

Not sure on the details of it to be honest as its very specific to the car trade. Forestry Finance would be the man to ask or I can give you a number to have a chat to. 

If its anything like a regulated CCA agreement then there are ways of getting out but its time dependent and also changes if your granddaughter is in Scotland as their rules are a little bit different I believe. 

PCP is just a way of keeping payments down on car that would/could cost more per month when done as HP agreement. This is to allow people to buy and run cars they possibly can't really afford and allows to dealers to sell more new car. The margins in new vehicle sales for manufacturers are unbelievable. It has mileage and damage clauses like a contract hire. In the end it makes no difference which way you skin it. A three year old car with 30k on the clock is worth x% less than when it was new. What's important is how much you still owe relative to how much its worth.

I'm not in the finance industry, just know a tiny bit more than most because my dads been financing business assets for thirty odd years. 

3 hours ago, Matthew Storrs said:

Personally, I only try and use finance on items I intend to keep long term. Or rather kit I intend to keep long term I buy new as with low depreciation in plant I often think it costs the same to buy new over the long term. 

My method is to put down as a deposit the amount I think the kit will be valued(sell for) after the term I I intend to keep it for- I then spread the finance over half that term.

so for example if I buy a digger new which I intend to keep for 10 years and I think I’d get £10k for it then, I’d put £10k down as the deposit and finance the rest over 5 years, feels like I get 5 after that where the machine is then working for me knowing il get enough in resale to deposit the next machine.

 

This is a smart way of doing it. Though you might consider only keeping the machine 3-5 years. The difference in cost of ownership over the period would be very minimal and you would get a shiny new digger with warranty more often. 

Tree surgery kit is easy to finance because the residuals are high, rates on it should be good as well. Want to finance a printing machine, floor cleaning equipment, workshop tools (not spanners and sockets) etc and things get more difficult as they are items that are basically worthless very quickly. 

On the vehicle PCP issue. I once had someone say to me they were going to use a credit card to pay the deposit on PCP for a brand new car. The person earn't around 16-18k and wanted a 35k car. I suggested this was not sensible however the car dealer had it all agreed ready to go. Never found out if they signed the paperwork but it sounded frightening to me. 

6 hours ago, ForestryFinance said:

True. I've heard a few people recently say that car leasing might be the source of the next recession as terms come to an end and people realise that they are responsible for an over-inflated residual. 

 

Had a guy come to me for funding on a BMW i8 recently. Wanted to lease a used one, and I quoted him some pretty good numbers. He came back with a quote on a brand new one which was cheaper. When I did the sums it turned out that the new quote was based on a totally unrealistic depreciation rate...the client just wouldn't accept it, and was adamant that the lease on the new motor was cheaper than my quote on a used one, even though I explained to him how he would actually end up with about £10,000 of spare equity at the end, rather than being in the hole for up to £30,000 of overestimated residual.

I have been saying this to people for the last three years. Although I believe PCP or whatever acronym they are using now is the problem. JLR are downsizing, Honda closing in the UK, it will happen. One things for sure, i'm gonna have a lovely choice of fairly new one owner cars in a couple of years time. When they can't afford to keep up the repayments and the dealers wont take the car back as its worth substantially less than is owed. 

Always stuck to no balloon, 36-48 months with at least a 20% (EDIT +20%VAT) deposit. If you cant make those numbers (or better) work then you cant afford what you want. 

On 16/02/2019 at 03:06, Yorkshire Compact Loaders said:

Here’s one on a MultiOne 

That looks good. Can you set it to free float or turn the grab manually and locate it with a pin?

Who is that grab manufactured by? Thanks

2 minutes ago, Big J said:

I could always go for a 5 tonner, so something similar and tow it with the tractor. Wise advice though.

 

I need 100% capital allowance or it's not worth it. 

 

I did consider the Amarok, but the towing capacity is only 3100kg.

Been towing 15 years since the day I passed my driving test. with and without BE and have never been stopped once. The Amarok I had was a superb tow vehicle and we were towing round about 3500kg with it all the time. It was excellent, of course the risk of being pulled is yours to take. 

54 minutes ago, Big J said:

I was thinking about an excavator, I must admit. It would have been handy on this job.

I have a disco 4, its a car because I wanted rear seats and a truck that hadnt towed and been thrashed from new. Gets used as a work truck, full of kit and tows heavy every day. 

You would be pretty unlucky to get caught out putting seats in the back of the Commercial variant. 

The main problem with mine is that I can only claim 12% a year capital allowance on it because its not a van. I have just accepted this as part of the deal with it. 

On a different note I would go and drive an Amarok if you want a 5 seat pickup. They are still the best and i've been in or driven all of them. 

1 minute ago, MattyF said:

Can only find it in 20litre containers .. will just keep 10 litres spare for next time, just cost a small fortune in other spares but worth keeping in tip top condition!

https://www.univarsc.com/products/castol-hyspin-aws-anti-wear-hydraulic-oil?variant=48394682503

You can get the posh stuff if you want for not much more. 

I'm no expert. But I've always thought a cheaper oil changed more frequently is better than old oil thats knackered anyway. Never stuck to the long life service on any car, it always get done a lot more often. 

1 hour ago, MattyF said:

 

Does any one know how many litres it holds and best viscosity ?

Fancy doing a filter change tomorrow and can’t find anything on line!

 

 

Any 46 hydraulic oil will do. All is says is not to use synthetic oil.

https://ricoeurope.com/gb/46-grade-hydraulic-oil/7315-iso-46-hydraulic-oil-25l.html

14 minutes ago, benedmonds said:

Hywel has quoted me £2,550 + VAT

 

Avant: 

Timber Grab – Freely Rotating RRP £1,790 – Our Price £1615

Timber Grab – Hydraulic Rotating* RRP £2,500  - Our Price £2,250 (* The optional attachment control switch pack is recommended on this model)

 (optional extra Arborist kit £250)

 

 

 

This is what you want for general tree work. Lift, push, bend, persuade bits where you want them. Spin the grab manually to load logs on a trailer or move heavy lumps. 

A branch manager (BMG) or similar free swinging grapple are the one for feeding a chipper. The Americans have it sussed with that, but they are feeding chippers a lot bigger than 10inch.  

Rotating grabs on little machines like these are pointless in my opinion. 

15 hours ago, Johnsond said:

Hi 

this is indeed the way its always been done, sling top of pile and then cut the bottom with a air or hyd chainsaw. The time taken to cut each one is a factor as diving is invariably an expensive operation and clients will soon kick back if it's taking too long.  What I was trying to find out is what with the use of shears etc nowadays for felling is would there be a different ie better and safer way to carry out the task. Probs looking like old school or maybe an adapted grapple saw type arrangement. 

 

I meant a handsaw like a Silky or bowsaw. No power tools underwater may appease the risk assessors.

On 18/01/2019 at 12:55, Johnsond said:

Hi All 

ive a colleague whom has been asked to remove a number of greenheart piles from an old jetty. Basically they will be cleared to 1m below bed level then cut. Old school way was with a diver with an air powered saws as per pic but health and safety nowadays tends to not like such bits of kit. My query is are there shears out there that could deal with 14 inch square greenheart ?? And if so could they be crane deployed on a rigging bridle to be positioned on the pile ?? 

Just throwing this out there guys for some opinions 

Cheers 

I've never cut greenheart so this may be really stupid. But, can the diver not just handsaw them while they are on the crane sling? Even if it took a while to do each one. 

1 minute ago, Ratman said:

I get the ratcheting bit obviously, but i meant how do you physically attach the two traps to one ratchet mech?

You’ll have to forgive me as i’m not from a tree working background so your ratchet mech’s may differ, but the type i have in mind are the load restraint type ratchet mech. Like below.



I may be over thinking this?!

You need two straps and two ratchets. 

Just now, Mick Dempsey said:

Ok, but why are they joined together? Can some draw a diagram please?

 

Not for me, I’m as sharp as a knife and understand it completely, but there are some slow buggers reading this however, too ashamed to admit they don’t get it.

I'll try. Not joined together. 

Put one on, strap and ratchet. Crank till the spools full. Put the other one on alongside the first, crank till the spool is full. Release the first one, pull the slack through, crank till the spool is full. Release ratchet 2, pull slack through, crank till the spool is full. Repeat till something breaks or the stuck object is unstuck. 

1 hour ago, markieg31 said:

Looking to go hp as it will wprknout better tax wise i think. Have seen a couple of dmax second hand on main dealer website 20k miles and considerably cheaper than new low spec ones.

HP shouldn't make any difference to the tax you pay (other than the interest paid coming off your tax bill). The asset will be depreciated the same if you had paid cash. It only makes a difference on contract hire. 

For what it's worth. In your position I would buy a high spec 3.0 Hilux for £12,000 over any of the new pickups. It will hold its money and shouldn't break down to much. 

5 hours ago, Stubby said:

I was driving on the A27 in a 2ltr Audi A4 and a Tessla  completely destroyed me on acceleration . I was never going to keep up . Because they have such huge chunks of torque they can run higher gearing with out loosing any power hence the stonking grunt they demonstrate . 

I thought for a while that the electric technology was not quite there. Then a customer took me out in his P100D as he knew I like cars. 

To about 80ish mph it makes every supercar i've been in or driven feel slow and painful. The torque, smoothness and traction are incredible. 

Okay, it runs out of legs at 80-100 but in normal driving conditions they are fantastic. Even against the slowest Tesla on slow mode with cold batteries I suspect your Audi would have no chance.

I would jump at the chance to run one as a work van/truck/pickup. 

On 08/11/2018 at 20:43, hamilton32 said:

I currently climb on a Spiderjack 2.1 which I now really enjoy using. Has anyone gone from the 2.1 to the spiderjack 3 and found that the switch is easy and there are benefits worth the price tag?

The locking function interests me, a drawback on the 2.1 is working above your anchor or going out on branches with the rope pulling behind you... 

 

I'm used to and like the braking system on the 2.1 and want to know if its basically the same on the sj3?

 

Interested to hear what peoples experiences of it are? #

 

Cheers

I have a three and have previously spent quite a bit of time on a 2.1 or whatever it was called. I really liked the 2.1

However the three is better in every way except the size. The smoothness, pulley on the bottom for dropping through forks and feeding line out so someone on the ground can pull heavy stuff to you, locking pin for a variety of things, the built in swivel. The only thing that annoys me in the rubber O ring where the standing carabiner attaches, however I have taken it off twice since I brought it at the APF so clearly not a regular concern. 

After looking I did think the size and bulk would be annoying. I don't find it an issue at all. 

Having the running line closest to you means it feeds through from very low and you will rarely have to tend slack. 

Overall, I think it's great.