Tom D

There are a few big firms who will pay for chip, however I would try and find a farm who have installed a biomass system of their own. I am speaking to someone at the moment who has a biomass system that heats a heated floor barn for grain drying. when that is not being used it could be used to dry chip to improve its value as fuel. You could even do a deal where they get free chip and you use the spare heat to kiln dry wood...

38. Seems a popular age....

The boiler is a condensing conventional one, not a combi, The system works well, I have the stat on the gas boiler set low so as soon as the stoves kick in the boiler stops heating. We use about 400l of gas every 18 months.

I though about getting one for the wee tractor, I had half an eye out for a road tow with a knackered engine, wouldn't be much work to convert it to pto.

The boilers don't have to have pumps, I have 2 gravity feed wood boilers linked in and a pumped gas boiler too. The gas comes on first thing to get the rads going when the fires are sleeping. and if we go on holiday it keeps the chill of the house.

The timber is sitting on a free draining hard stand so is nicely drying. Would that be 5-600cube as it is or as split logs woodchopper?

I have both, the positioner and swivel are the better choice. Not that the micrograb is bad.... the positioner is just better.

I'll get all that done this year, I have bought a bigger splitter to make billets and a processor to put them through. I really have no clue as to the quantity of logs I'll get out of it.

Get a neutraliser, I have a dunsely one, it has 11 connections, 5 pairs and a vent: CH, gravity from rayburn, gravity from stove, gas boiler and HWC. works really well, CH and HW can run from any or all of the heat sources. you could stick it under the accumulator.

I am planning to convert this lot into firewood this year, I am not much good at estimating the amount of logs I'll get out of it. care to have a go?... I could take an average of the responses. I am guessing between 250 and 500 ton, but that will make a big difference to profits, i.e. 500 ton being better. the first 3 pics were taken from the top of the chip mountain and form a sort of panorama, the other pics show the view from the other side.

Just had the same thing with mine, so the replacement parts are just the same? not improved? doesn't sound good. It had knackered the drive on the worm gear for the oil pump and put started to score the oil pump casing. If it happens again at least I'll know the symptoms and react earlier.

A few tips for Rayburn users: If you have the 355m and onwards, take out the summer fire bricks altogether, this gives a much faster oven warm up time. If you want a quick heat up to boil the kettle in the morning, put some skinny logs (preferably softwood) in the oven the night before as you close it down, by morning they will be 0% moisture and will flare up really quickly. Clean the boiler regularly, I have a metal spike that I use to scrape the tar off the flue ways in the boiler, only takes 2 mins and is better than waiting till it gums up. you can do it with the fire in if you open the flue right up as the draw stops it smoking. best when the fire is really low though as you can rake out the bottom of the boiler more easily.

Thanks for the comments. I only got to see it today as I'm not a subscriber:blushing: James who wrote the article kindly sent me a copy. Looked pretty good, I just emailed a load of pictures and they blinged it all up. James would probably be interested in doing a feature on other companies if you want one, He's a freelance writer and always looking for a story . PM me if you want his email. I'd scan it in and post it up but its probably not fair on essential arb. Nice feature on a certain MrJones too....

Sounds like it will be on a gated compound, prob quite safe. I'd take my kit and team out there for the right money to do the whole contract, wouldn't go as a subby though.

I noticed on another thread that a lot of rayburn owners burn coal and smokeless, is this because you can't keep it in? I can keep mine in every night, even on leylandii. In the 5 years we have had it it has never burned anything but wood. Tree surgeons buying coal seems like madness. I can't figure out why some will go overnight and some won't. TD Tree & Land Services Ltd.

Could you possibly approach one of the big estates and see if you can get 3 days a week there? leaving 2 says for your own stuff....

Try asking Jimmy, this is the garage that does all my servicing etc, they are very good, they also do loads of camper conversions, you find your box, tell them what you want in it and they will do the rest.... Motorhomes Campervans Scotland | Mill Garage Duns

I take it the two front axles steer?

Its a sad situation thats for sure. I do think it is unacceptable to leave timber stacked in a public place. We have recently left around 50 ton in various public parks (woodland areas) on an LA contract that we were doing. I have been particularly worried about this type of issue. My 2 year old loves climbing on anything, a pile of wood is an invitation to a child to play on, signs or not. We left all the timber from this job one stick high, except for the small cord wood. On slopes we left the sticks extra long (spec was 2m lengths) and left large stubs on the sides to prevent rolling. This is about as much as we can do, the biggest problem that we have had is the firewood fairies coming in after we have been in there and messing all the stuff up. There were couple of big trees that we felled with 10 ton+ butts lying on steep slopes and guys have been in with saws cutting them up, if one rolls on someone who is at fault? Its a bit of a nightmare TBH. The LA want to save money by asking contractors to leave habitat piles rather than extracting, but the timber gets extracted anyway....

Mine is exactly the same, I thought clutch springs... and ordered a new set, haven't got round to fitting them yet, we just use it with out the chain brake. Might have to order a bearing then.

I don't care what it looks like,if it has the payload, as strong a drivetrain, the axle travel and the towing capacity of my 110, I'll definitely have one.

Did you spike em David?

A beer a day ( ale ) occasionally 2 and sometimes a nice malt. I am thinking of cutting it out a couple of days a week though. Better that than drinking 8 pints on one night IMO. something I never do these days.

You can't win every job. If you do then you are too cheap. Its hard not to take these things personally, but try! Because the way to running a successful business is to harden your heart and let 20 - 30% of your quotes get rejected.

Good. All we have to do now is get rid of Abu Quatada and I'll feel like I live in a decent country again.