Tom D

Not new, just over £6k for a 2yo 10,000 miler, it's cheap motoring..

The insurance definition of an employee and HMRC's definition are completely different. The whole thing is as clear as mud. Hats off to you for doing the right thing, we do the same, it's hard when many competitors don't. Let's not forget that employers pay 13.8% on top of employees wages so there's a big incentive to use subbys. Plus we're now obliged to provide pensions too. This situation is not just restricted to the arb industry, there are 4.6 million self employed people out there now, way more than there ever have been. All these people are paying way less tax than they would if they were employed. This is a massive headache for HMRC, it's costing the country billions, the upshot of this is that they either find a way to tax these people or they put even more taxes on the employed or on businesses. Either way it's not good. For the good of the country we need to change the law on self employment. Fwiw we have full time employees and use bona fide subbys as well as zero hours type staff. Although we don't have any on our books at the moment, I'm not sure what the pension obligations would be on zero hours guys either.

When I started out I was dead against finance, preferring to save up for kit. But then I realised that you make more money, faster, with good kit that gets the job done and doesn't break down. To use the example earlier why save £10 a day to buy a chipper when you can buy it now and pay 10 on finance? Then you have the quality machine right away with all the advantages that brings. There are some risks to finance, my policy is to always have enough 'equity' in the machine that you can sell it and pay off the finance. This means putting down at least 30% deposit on a new machine and 20% on a second hand one. Far better to have a decent machine with a warranty than an old banger.

Maybe eggs will sell me his milk float..

Jees eggs! There aren't many vehicles not capable of speeding. All I meant was that i was pleasantly surprised at how well it went for a 1.3..

My Forst is nearly new, there's 2.5 years warranty left on it, I'll even help you sort out finance on it if you like. It's only done about 60 hours... save £2k off the price of a brand new one....

I have pretty much settled on a corsa van, it's a nice little sportive model, only 10,000 miles and goes like stink.

I've got a nice Forst for sale.

Is that a disc chipper? The only morbark I have used was a big drum machine..

Oxford are a good make. Murex too.

£7k on an 18k machine is a HUGE difference. I'd be expecting a lot for that extra money. The ST8 is the best 8" chipper I have used. the other chippers in the Forst price range have their issues too. I know a hire company who's timberwolf 230's chassis started cracking up, and that's a big issue. With the forsts the issues have been with components that Forst don't make, and parts that are easily changed.

Those others are not really in the same price bracket though are they? How much is an 8" shliesing or Vermeer?

Here's a video of the heizohack at work..

Ha that's funny, I bought the bandit from Richmond! I'm about 2.5 hours north from you, easy run straight up the a1.

We have two large capacity chippers available for hire. The first is a bandit 250xp pto machine, this is available without an operator for use with the hirer's tractor. (Tractors can be hired for about £400 per week if needed) this is a hand fed machine but it will take pretty much anything that 2 or 3 men can lift / drag. The infeed is 12x19". The chipper can be transported on a trailer behind a 4x4, it weighs about 2 ton. The weekly rate for the bandit is £350. Here's a video of the road tow version for information.... [ame] [/ame] The second is a crane fed Heizohack, this machine comes with an operator and is capable of handling very large volumes of brash per day. The day rate for this machine is dependent on location but will be around £950 per day. Scotland central belt and Northumberland only. Contact Tom on 07801 538717 for more info.

Are there any other trees that you could attach the log to? If so smoke them and winch them up and strap them to the other tree..

Why would you know better than the lady from vosa? The tacho legislation is intended for hauliers. Not builders, landscapers, glaziers, or tree surgeons. Hauliers, that's it.

I think if you're going down that route there are some decent 5-7 tonners that are little bigger than a transit, some of the ivecos for example.

Nothing's perfect, but that would be a very good way of staying legal. Plus the 4x4 capabilities would allow you to get into more places, especially if chipping onto the floor. And a decent chip bin trailer could give you an 8 cube capacity and still be legal.

I've heard a few stories like that, but if you go hauling another machine on a low loader you are asking for trouble. I have seen plenty doing it, especially with excavators. It's very hard to justify your ag/forestry use when hauling plant. Timber or chip, whilst still sketchy is less blatantly dodgy. Hauliers hate tractors hauling plant, they also aren't keen on 4x4's hauling plant either. I suspect the RHA are always pushing for more penalties on tractors hauling and also non tacho'ed 4x4's hauling long distance. The thing is hauling with a tractor / mog within its weight limit is less dangerous than running an overloaded van.

I don't know why you'd get greif for a tractor and trailer if you weren't overloaded. I think the comments in this thread and the other one on transit weights shows that most transits are not 'marginally overloaded'. Marginally overloaded might be 3.8 ton, which would be 2.5-3 cube. Most transits are running way over that. Look at it in percentage terms, a 44 tonner at 45 ton is not really seriously over but a 3.5 tonnner at 4.5 is, and many transits, mine included will be 5.5 when full.

I'll agree with that Mark. It's pretty hard to stay 100%legal in this game. The real question is the moral argument. If you break the law by running massively overloaded you are potentially dangerous. If you run your tractor on red and use it to pick up Mrs miggin's tree you're breaking the law but not endangering anyone else.

Is that a mewp behind the mog?

You still got the Valtra and botex John?

Well there you go. I can run an 9 man arb approved team with £250k's worth of kit and our annual costs are about £300k.. The private sector is way cheaper. Imagine if all our LA's subbed out all their manual work, roads, refuse, housing... the deficit would be gone overnight.