Ty Korrigan

Expat Brits not French. Stuart

Good grief! If I had this machine (in France) I'd be minimum €420+ inc vat per day owner operator. Even my compact tractor I charge out at similar with driver. Whatever happened to making money? No effing way is £70 a realistic tariff but hey, your business model not mine. Stuart

Worse, I find in France, people who 'retire' early then become self employed to access the health system. They buy machinery and then hire themselves out at fabulously unviable rates which make my bid seem unreasonable. Stuart

I think you need to upsell the use of your machine, all costs and depreciation covered with a healthy margin for a decent profit. I see many guys working their businesses at cost only. Stuart

A tracked loader costing £20k hired out at the sum you propose would barely cover the depreciation let alone actual running costs. I would have thought £150+ would be a more viable rate. Stuart

True! Abattage (felling) is also slaughter. As in 'abattoir' Stuart

I folded and re-booted. www.lejardinieranglais is mothballed. I still own the domain but the trading name is dead under French law. New site 'en cours' Current one was hastily put up by a mate for no charge. Alot of revision of the script and an effort made with better images. It can't be that bad considering the amount of work coming our way but as I see it, the site has much room for improvement. www.franglaiselagage.com Stuart

This is in 'foreign' Most French clients assume 'Franglais' is my name. I don't mind, I'm regularly called worse. A Brit said I was 'expensive' I replied my wife says 'I'm priceless' Stuart

'Treeple' I read it as... Stuart

Finding a balance for a couple can be difficult. I'm just glad we left before the lady returned. Regardless, it helped as we where on site for only 2 hours and the boys went home early. Stuart

3mm alloy. I could have ordered 4mm but it's a trailer not a Panzer...

Is there any advantage to chequer plate? Stuart

I originally sold the wife on a reduction/thin leaving enough branches to look like a handsome yet sparse tree, fitting for the situation, revealing a view across the valley currently obscured. On the day, the husband took me aside, " I want it all off." Are you sure? We can do good things here. "No" was his reply, "all off. Climber starts his saw "last chance" I shouted to the client who just waved from the seat of his JD1026 tractor and mowed on past. Ah well I sighed and signaled the climber to begin. Bet his wife burst into tears when she returned from petanque... Stuart

In retrospect, we panicked a little over importing before Brexit (unknown tariffs) and rushed into buying this trailer from stock. I could have waited and ordered one with alloy sides and saved some serious €€€. Stuart

No, geared, I'm told it is around 25hp at the shaft. My thinking was that as (for instance) a GM 130 is basically a 150 with a smaller 23hp engine, a 6" pto chipper might be much the same. I'm picking up a new flail mower tomorrow so I'll soon have a chance to feel for myself 'the power' and compare it with my experience of the hydrostatic 26hp we had before. If I don't go down this route, I'll still look for a second chipper as backup. Call it insurance if you will. I'm planning for the the scenario of a full diary of stroppy clients, a broken chipper, a long delay in repairing and hire costs at €1000 p/w plus vat. Stuart