Chris Sheppard

Cundey Systems started up after Technorton dissapeared but the main guy from Technorton is still involved -the good news is you can still buy a new Cundey

I know what you mean twisty, but on a "table" type, like the Mignon, the A11, etc the ram only comes down to the height of the table on it's top settign - great for coppice type stuff, but not always great on bigger diameter thinnings. The ability to take the ram right to the floor if you need to is quite useful on billets (or alternatively on massive discs) That one in your pic, is that the one you were sayign you and Dan were crosscutting with?

For Arb waste, that's the style of thing I'd be suggesting - budget wise, any of the italian ones should be within reach (well, not far out of reach) For thinnings, a conventional vertical with removable table - but cost will go up

I was gonna say something similar - chances are it's a great machine, but it'll be costly.

I'd stretch it a little more if you can as you're still in domestic money/just about into pro money, a little more would make a big difference in build. what sort of material are you handling - arb waste or proper thinnings?

Unless they have changed it since I was there it was a JMS 900 as it was the first one Lakes Lumber brought in I believe.

Ta

Could you get a "normal" sized smallish axe and take the diameter of the handle down a bit - I know it's going to make it less strong but if it's a child swinging it then it'll be gettign less stress through it.

If we get the clearfell job we looked att last week, there is a very good chance the guy wants the site mulching prior to replanting - would be hand felled so stumps quite low, quite a lot of Ponticum and some gnarly pine tops. It wouldn't be a huge area (at a guess at the mo I'd have said 20-30 acres) and I'd guess it wouldn't really be a long job. I can't get hold of the guy I'd normally use but to be fair it probably doesn't warrant a huge machine anyway. Anyone know of any suggestions? R G Blakey and Jon Vicary I already know about - any others worth a try?

Cheers guys, sounds like if anything we're maybe a bit on the high side with the sawlogs - was kinda hoping they'd gone up a bit since previously Should have said, we're most likely just pricing for fell and extract but are helping the Landowner on marketing the softwood (he's keeping most of the hardwood and the rest has already got buyer lined up). Was sure last load of sawlogs we sent off were getting on for £40 per tonne roadside, but to be fair that was pre-recession when demand was good. Would have a load or two of 24ft logs to try and find, was thinking they'd be worth a bit more as they'd be a bit more effort and better quality? Guessing dunnage isn't going to be that much though.

I'm sorry if that's how you had taken it Ady, maybe I had read your original post wrongly and felt others could too. As they say, there's two sides to every story so I was adding my part. You're absolutely right, but whilst I may not work there anymore, it was me that had put the suggestion to you regarding moving the existing wheels so it was me rather than the actual company that gave poor service surely? Plus, if you had gotten back to me about the issue at the time I could have looked further into rectifying it, but, there's nothing I can do about it now (but Jim can )

Maybe getting back to me at the time saying so could have avoided it building up enough to feel the need to vent on a forum.

I think I know the sort of thing you mean john, and am surprised something like this isn't more widely available. If it is the thing I'm thinking of, I think you may find larger rings having a tendency to roll about on it - but on the right stuff I could see it being very efficient.

I think that's a little dramatic Ady. To move the wheels from the position they come from the factory (which perhaps isn't to everyone's taste) is a ten minute job, including 30 seconds worth of welding - as it was, by the time I left I'd not heard anything back from you to say otherwise so assumed you'd got sorted. Yes, it was me, and it's no secret I've left and most people already know that anyway (or had worked it out). I've been back in the woods since November and feel great ,mentally and physically and have been lucky enough to be busy right from day one. I may have left, but it was on good terms, I wasn't sacked, asked to leave, made redundant etc, and I do feel bad for leaving them understaffed - so if you want to blame anyone - blame me I'm thick skinned FWIW - if you think running a tree business is stressful - try spending a week in JimE's shoes - I know what it's like and it wasn't for me.

It doesn't sound like how Gran used to make it but that sounds well nice

I've got one (did have two but sold one) which looks just the same as yours and is unbranded so could be the same. Mines getting on for 5 years old and just happened to be the same thread size as the oregon and stihl so I run an ols style stihl auto cut off on the petrol side and the standard nozzle on the oil side and it works fine for me. the only problem I had with either of them was getting a tiny hole in one of the oil sides from it bouncing around a bit much in the back of the truck one day. I used to use the Husky cans but found the nozzles just weren't the best ,either getting dry and sticking, freezing and sticking, leaking in transit and on accoasion the pin i nthe end would fall out. also they aren't the most stable in the back of the truck (but then the clear ones weren't really much better TBH - but thats where the newer stihl ones are a better design I reckon).

Went to have a look at a job yesterday which was made up of a good volume of hardwood thinnings but also some Pine to clearfell, which at a glance should give some decent sawlogs, some pallet/strainers, dunnage and chip/softwood firewood. Now, I'm first to admit I'm a bit rusty on softwood prices - There's already interest in the sawlogs, dunnage and chip but need to be sure we're not selling ourselves too cheap. fairly happy with the chip but what would you consdier fair for dunnage and logs ( say 2.5's for the logs - up to around 18" top)

£2k should get you something around 10-11 tonnes and of a "table" type (like the 80) but more substantial and with a bigger engine. I'd say after the browns, the 80 would feel like a step down TBH.

I've never actually seen one of the Wallensteins in the flesh so unfortunately can't comment on that, and also, as yet don't know of anyone using one. What sort of Budget do you have in mind? I'd be looking at something from one of the mainstream italian producers (so middle of the road cost wise) and something in the Heavy Domestic/Semi pro range as a minimum - domestic would be false economy.

Arb waste, generally, is the worst stuff for any splitter to cope with so you'll want something wiht plenty of grunt. The 6.5hp engine on the 80 isn't going to make it the quickest but if only for a sideline then maybe that's not too much of an issue. If it was me though, I'd save up a bit longer for something with more tonnage, a bigger engine and built in the EU (I'm fairly sure the 80 isn't) as you'll only end up wishing you had eventually.

The timber dragon trailer's do look quite nice but the only feedback I've had form anyone using one long term wasn't particularly great - but if you work on the basis of you get what you pay for then it may be worth a look. The Vahva Jussi aren't bad and the good thing is as there are (or were) several stockists (M.LArge, Jonathan Latham and also Marshalls) you should be able to shop around and get a good price. If you've not had a look, Riko build a range of small ones (from around 1.5 tonne capacity) and as they are built in house they can tweak the design to suit yiour needs (hydraulic brakes might not be a bad idea on slopes with a compact tractor), and they also have a choice of cranes, so you can even have a big lifter on a small trialer if required and even have a three point linkage base so you can use it on it's own for other jobs.

Jeez, they've gone up a lot, I paid a little over £1100 inc vat and delivery and the TCT blade and that was only in 2004

One thing I found with mine was the blade dulled so slowly you wouldn't notice, but the difference a newly sharpened blade made was unbeleivable.