WoodenHead

Here's some pictures I'd lost - now found - showing it fitted to a Hilux and cranking out a load of logs

That's more like it!

That's the problem....A set will take over an hour, more if they're bad, as we tickle the wear off a few 'thou at a time as we can't wreck the grinder as the next job may be form grinding something quite fussy. Watching the Saturn style machines that run a cup wheel - it then only seems a few minutes work. At present it's for mates at mates rates so would have to get geared up. We could bring knowledge to the process Thanks for the responses

I've got an interest in a small engineering company and we're always looking for other strings to our bow. We like arb / ag orientated things too. Any money in regrinding chipper blades? Surface grinding too slow so what about buying a Saturn machine and advertising our services. Do you think we'd turn our money over? Would appreciate any views......

Isuzu all the way....still IMO a 'truck, truck' if you know what I mean. Re blowing engines etc if you find one get a dealer to investigate whether its had any recall work done etc - International Motors are v.good. There is a Trooper owners club forum and a guy who is IM customer service posts regulalry. You could ask about a Rodeo too.... Our isuzu is unstoppable on BFG all terrains and civilised on road for those longer trips. A good motor. We also have a 9 year old Hilux. Apart from missing the capability to take more than one pax - this truck too is one of my all time faves.

I split a load of yew Autumn 2009 - Clearview burns it very well. A large lump on tickover lasts 6 to 8 hours and overnight no probs. Plus a nice stock of chunky oak.....

Hycrack......

Ok thanks guys This was for a customer of mine in Scotland - seems either he's got to pay more money for a splitter or decrease the length. Interestingly he's using 80 x 80 straw bales at present but feels rightly that the storage area and ability to store close to boiler will mean that wood is the best option. Perhaps (and I hope he's not listening) it's crazy that he's spent the best part of 30k on the boiler and installation to biomass heat large house, adjacent holiday cottages and farm buildings but has given little thought to supply of fuel

Anybody splitting metre plus lengths suitable for biomass boilers? If so are there any splitters I can recommend that are hundreds not thousands. Hydraulics rams seem obvious and screw type may work on larger diameters and straight grained stuff is relatively easy but any opinions on mixed wood of varying diameter. Grateful for any views WH

It's now raining and just a little blowy - I feel sorry for Steve in his bivvy The beer will be more watery than usual. Great to meet you today Steve - we appreciate your efforts here WH

Steve, I agree. Give aways like magnets and (we use mugs) work for us. Everybody accepts them and use them. As I said even tho your a small business get your corporate image up - it'll make the difference when people choose

Agree - speak to Richard Olley (if you didn't get trained by him?) he and Chris have good opinions and as grumpydave says get down there to the FR Jones show at beginning of next month. Have a basic but snappy A5 sized cv to give away - just what you've said on here - with your aspirations, career (don't forget you've got a bloody good pedigree already) and contact details. Put them in people's hands. Good luck

AJR - appreciate it's tough getting going and well aware from my own business that every penny counts. BUT - imho - there is no substitute for a proper website that loads quickly and is optimised properly in order that most people who google in your area will come up with you. Four pages or so should cost well under £1000 but look at it as the same sort of investment as a saw, a vehicle, trailer, processor etc. In the arb world, happen to know that these people doubled their sales in a year due to revamped website Hycrack (Hy-Crack) the screw type log splitter - The Safe, Fast & Efficient way to split logs plus get a good logo (not loggo ) and badge it on your website, paperwork, polo shirts, business cards, give-away mugs etc. People like Vista are cheap as chips on business cards provided you don't get suckered in to add-ons on their site when you order. Also think that parish mags etc are a good idea - usually free and read by most in the parish - and there will be several parishes in your delivery area. Finally it's word of mouth of course. One local lad started but soon ran out of decent wood and started filling the truck with damp and mossy cr*p and old fence posts complete with wire. He's back to his day job. On the other hand the contractor that supplies our pub (at a decent rate) with decent wood gets recommendation after recommendation via the landlord. Logs are no different to any other business - it's all about corporate image and doing what you say you'll do

Sorry chaps - just adding my two penneth. The biggest selling one here is the Hycrack http://www.hycrack.co.uk I bought a replacement cone and tip - the cone is 40mm id and the screw in tip is M16 - for one that I am refurbishing for a neighbour. She had 'her man what does' take off the cone when the tip got damaged, he gave it to a friend of a friend etc and it dissapeared! They are expensive compared to Poland or NI @ £100 approx for the cone + £60 for the tip but perhaps you get what you pay for. Hycrack say in normal use a cone should 'never' need replacing and a tip say every three years + the tips are then replaceable should you need too. I'm all for keeping machines original if you can altough I guess if it's not a hy-crack then it does not matter so much cheers

Bill - get a Hycrack - @ £760 from http://hycrack.co.uk there's not much mine won't do - knotty oak rings 20+ inches diamter x 12" + thick all no problem My mate tried to buy a second hand one and picked up a scabby one for £400 that was out of the ark and had been abused, A neighbour sold a 3 year old hy-crack for £680! - it was clean. Get a new one for a few quid more - equivalent to a 40ton ram type - if it's no good for you - they'll buy it back. That's what they offered me Everbody wants to borrow it tho....