Chris Sheppard

Bit of all sorts tonight - Lime, beech, oak, Corsican pine but mainly Alder. Haven't made sloe gin for a couple of years - used to get loads of the estate but now don't go past as many bushes

Sam, Pics as requested - Cant get your email to work so have posted here. The forks with three tines is one we built whereas the others are all off the shelf from the factory. It is also possible to buy the beak as a separate item and with a bit of simple fabricating fit to some existing forks. The middle pic shows the forks and beak (beak and bracket unbolted) but also the forest blade with beak (we do have the blade and beak instock at the mo) The grab on the frame also has continuous rotator. The off the shelf ones come with Euro brackets as standard but we can supply brackets for most loaders too.

You can have a grab mounted on an attachment frame or a hydraulic beak fitted onto the forks - if you want any info PM me and I'll email you through our brochure.

Mine wasn't too bad - it spent most of it's time with no wheel weights or water in the wheels. Was mainly thinning and firewood so never really had to do a lot of big lifting - though one job was some stumpy Corsican in summer on a flat site and on the sawlogs, if it could get the grab round it then it would load it without pcking up a wheel. Did scare me the first time it picked a wheel up - only had it a few hours and was still getting used to it - picked a biggish lump of Turkey Oak off the trailer and slew it round and up it went Had to be careful loading pointing up hill as the front would go light and side slopes were interesting when loading (best avoided - but that said the old botex used to lift a leg on side slopes) I'd not say it was unstable, you just drove it accordingly.

If you did want to go down the powered route, we got the factory to do a one off for a guy for doing cleft posts - only had a 1m ram but a 2.4m gap and was 14 tonne pressure - as it's all going to be straightish grain it didn't a long ram and it also kept the cost down and the overall length. Can do a four way or six way if need be If you were interested, Pm me and I'll let you know the guys number and you can have a chat with him to see how he gets on with it.

I don't know anything about cameras but I'd have thought someone would have renamed this thread as "shreks wee Camera" by now

It'd be awesome but very thirsty and heavy - we used to use a 395 and a 288 for ringing big stuff at Birdsall and even then we seemed to be filling up every few minutes. 3120 does feel a bit weird without the weight of a long bar to balance it out. If it were me I'd go 395 or MS 660 and 24".

Absolutely - we used to use the same way of thinking. Be prepared for the customers who have never had a fire before and insist the logs are all exactly X cm long by X cm across as that's what it says in there stove manual - oh and be prepared for the ones who try to light the log with a match and no kindling/firelighter/etc (yep, they do really exist ) Don't ever be tempted to sell yourself out too cheap if it's a good product - around christmas time a lot of guys will have run out of seasoned wood and you'll get even more for it as it becomes scarce. We didn't have a huge round but had regular customers and got them all onto taking bigger loads - more money for less driving about

Most agri/countyrside type supplier places still sell the proper stuff for Agri use - think you can get it in 25l too but no smaller. Pretty sure Bartoline still make the proper stuff too and you used to be able to deal direct with them.

Looking good - all counties should get that treatment This is my old one - still see it quite often as it's only in the next town up from us.

Might be worth speaking to Nathan at Home forestry, I know he used to go out contracting with one of his Alstors, am sure I've seen one on bandtracks too so damage shouldn't be a problem.

I had the first road towable Hawk in the UK, brilliant machine for the sort of use you'll be giving it but a bit lightweight for full on commercial operations. There are a few modifications you can do to make it faster without compromising any of the safety features - great on straight grained green timber - lacks a bit of oomph on seasoned stuff especially with the 6 way. As far as I know the japa is 99% a mirror image of the hawk so should be as good. Can't help insurance wise, used to store mine with no drawbar and chained to the barn, blocked in with the tractor,

Best I could ever get round us was £20 an hour inc travelling time for me and the processor - was a tow behind HP Hawk so wasn't right fast compared to a bigger machine but didn't have all the transport cost associated with getting na tractor and big processor on to site. That was 2-3 years ago now so I'm sure with the firewood job the way it is you could get more. Did a couple of days splitting - County (with roof mount), splitter, me and a labourer - best I could get was £275 for the day - travelling was fairly minimal as it was for one of the farm,ers on the Estate but still not huge money and we were absolutely buggered by the end of each day (and totalled a chain on a lump of metal inside one of the bits I'd say not to charge by volume as the volume you'll get through depends on the wood - also, the customer will expect you to go like hell and you'll more than likely end up flogging the machine harder than you would for yourself. Also, don't be surprised if the customer offers to act as loader - making sure they keep you busy sawing/splitting - therefore getting their money's worth in their view. Also, it's worth putting your terms (make sure you include something about down time for maintenance/sharpening/breakdowns) in writing and getting the customer to sign it before you start.

Haix tibet Forest - Dead comfy and last ages - no idea what they're like for climbing in but as a Woods boot they are awesome imo

Not far off - cut a cross (or a six way if bigger) then shove a firelighter just into the top of the cut in the middle (I'm sure there's a more eco way of doing it but it works for me!). Once it gets going they go for ages. Did see someone at the weald woodfair reckon he was trying to get patent on the idea - I'm fairly sure he wasn't being serious (more the fact about trying in the first place)

There's not a huge amount floating round second hand, especially at the moment as people are tending to hang on to them rather than replace them - most of the used ones we do see though are from part exes and generally we know the history as we've sold it to the original customer new. That said, I've seen them come up at farm sales and not make much as people don't always realise what they are. Always a bit of a gamble though as you don't know how it's been cared for. Know quite a few guys who's business revolves around the little tractor -stick a flail/winch/splitter/small processor/hedgecutter/traielr etc etc behind it and it will still go on a trailer behind a decent sized pickup.

The Holders are fairly big and a bit heavier compared to most alpines - a similar sized alpine would be one of the bigger ones (85-95hp) but still only weigh in at around 2 tonne. Holders are all artics (as far as I know) whereas you can have most alpines as front steer or artic, with a front steer being generally more stable for working across banks. I alway wanted a Holder (we had a forestry spec one at college with 4ton double drum iglands and a lift and tip blade) but couldn't find one at the time, bought a second hand 50hp front steering Carraro, stuck a 3.5 winch on it and used that instead. Should have gone with some better tyres (taller and better pattern) but over the summer it would climb anything and go down stuff you couldn't stand up on. My old one - was a 1995 model I think - early bi-directional. Was glad it was a front steer as when you had a big snig on the back and the wheels were off the floor you don't have independant brakes on an artic Whole outfit weighed less than 1.7t.

Very very few about - I think I've only ever see three in the flesh and heard about a couple more on here. Cracking tool and there were some brilliant Forestry spec ones. Bit different to an alpine but similar type of thing.

If you are going to go down the route of a machine of your own, then Fuelwoods does take some beating - if you're unsure then hire one of there's for a couple of weeks and see how you get on. Yep, stake points are more hassle than they're worth (although burn well in a stove in full bits)

really doesn't look like there's any backing out either does there We have got a cargo sat in the yard that's old enough not to have any sort of limiter on it - I think it's a Euro cargo (if that makes any sense?) so it's not the same engine that you can make fit a county (or major). Wonder if that's a possibility - don't reckon it'd cost much either. Power wise, the LR transmission should take a big 6 cyl as the 3.5 V8 is similar hp to most of the above I think. HD clutch might be needed though. Hmm, descisions

The Cummins did sound good - bit like one of the bigger dodge rams (now there's a truck) I think a lot of it's going to boil down to actually making it fit - oh, and it wan'ts to be simple - i.e not full of stupid electrics, and as it's going in a D reg it doesn't need things like cats. Did a quick google for kits to fit the trooper engine - just short of £400 and there only 90 hp or so.

i have heard of those in a landy - let me see if I can find out what's involved in fitting but I might be interested - especially as our main depot is in Hants so I might be able to leave it there while I chop it up. Have seen a few with the perkins combine engines in - awseome but too slow revving. Do like the idea of a proper truck engine too but weight and making it fit might cause headaches too - but wouldn't it sound nice the 4.2 LC engines are brilliant but I've never seen one fitted to a Landy and I know the engines are expensive and it's not often you see one as the cruisers just keep on going (unless it gets smashed)

Ah, I see now - would have been far too new anyway - they stopped putting the 3.2 non turbo in the uk ones about H reg I think.