nailer

Yep, it shot out of the laurel bush, ran through the side gate and jumped across the bonnet of a car and disappeared off down the road.. gonna just use a big shot next time!

My attempt was so "shocking" and "upsetting" it was in the Mail Online. The comments are worth a look too "https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4536788/amp/Cat-stuck-tree-plummets-ground.html

worrying about someone being cheaper than you is the least of it. over time, it's more than likely you'll be losing work to a firm a lot dearer than you, regularly. that's what you need to be thinking about.. why it happened and what to do about it.

Craig, you know your Ivecos! Mogs are great and all but if you don't need to go off road, I'd want to stick with a truck. The bed height of a Mog is very high for loading any logs by hand and even the long wheelbase Mogs have less chip volume capacity than our 7.5 tonners. And unless you run a Mog on white, with an operators licence, driving on any stretch of motorway is off-limits. In, and around Manchester, that would be very restrictive! http://www.nickbaileytreeservices.co.uk

£19k + vat, josh. same again for the chipper. http://www.nickbaileytreeservices.co.uk

Jonny, we only use 7.5 tonners coz they're narrower - that's it. If gateway access is not an issue then 18 ton is the way to go. stick a decent crane on it and you're still ok for weight. http://www.nickbaileytreeservices.co.uk

The guys in the Forst factory apparently think our black and white version should be the new look for all Forst chippers. Not sure why everything to do with tree work has to have some shade of orange on it somewhere? http://www.nickbaileytreeservices.co.uk

thinking about it, the chipper was more like 2.5 ton, but yes, filled to the rafters, still well overloaded, when plated as 7.5 ton. As it's essentially the same truck as a 10 ton maybe it should be up-plated to 10. http://www.nickbaileytreeservices.co.uk

Hi Ben, your truck looks like a longer wheelbase and a bigger toolbox, so payload may be different. Our older truck with a 2 ton Vermeer, and chip spilling out the back got weighed on the Kellogg's weighbridge in Trafford Park Manchester, home of Tony the Tiger, and the whole lot was 12.5 ton; so they can still be overloaded. We wouldn't normally ram it that full - only as it was being tipped off elsewhere on the site. Pete, the Iveco 7.5 ton and 10 ton are essentially the same truck when you look at their spec sheets. A 12 ton obviously carries more but harder to find as a used truck, and then starts becoming a wider truck.. and then you'd only make the body on it even higher to get more chip onboard and on and on it goes..ha! ...but a 7.5 tonner should be carrying a lot more chip than a 3.5 ton transit. http://www.nickbaileytreeservices.co.uk

cheers guys..appreciate it. Thomas, Forst can do it any colour you like..think it's an extra £500. Swinny, the difference is unbelievable, the amount of extra work you can fit on. I got the truck body made flush with the cab width so we can get it on most driveways. And extra height for extra chip! http://www.nickbaileytreeservices.co.uk

Would a Jo-Beau type chipper not work out better with a pick-up and trailer?

yea, they obviously need to be legitimate subcontractors. I took that as read.

If they ever make it illegal for a citizen to choose self employment, and to choose who he works for, I'll have to have a rethink.

I'd say its the best way to go. I have zero employees, but at least 5 subbies in every day, most days 6. Subbies make for a far more productive worker than you'd ever get on the books. The whole mind-set and attitude is completely different. I've noticed that for some strange reason people that get paid for being off sick tend to get sick quite a lot!

got our other 7.5 tonner back this morning from the paint shop, looks good as new..well pleased with it. got some work to get stuck into now! ha. http://www.nickbaileytreeservices.co.uk