Ty Korrigan

I think the U.K site has a price list. Stuart

Microbulls are all the rage here. 2 mates in Bordeaux and Paris have recently bought one. I might have been tempted myself but I couldn't seem to get the supplier interested in a demo. I'm following my mates progress. 2 others have recently bought the Toro 1000, also a machine of interest though a scale up from the über compact loaders. Stuart

Yes, cube, I'm a tidy line kinda fella too. Stuart

Any opinions on the Petzl micro flip line and grab? Optional micro swivel. Stuart

Does anyone elses Bigshot get tangled in the throwline during launching? Only mine seems to. The one I used on a course didn't, nor my mates. Maybe the elastic is twisted...? WTF... Stuart

Hope he crosses La Manche... Stuart

You should join "The Dull mans club" on Facebook. This isn't a dig at you, it is the stuff of Dull. Stuart

Bugnot is very popular here in France. I saw one today being used in town. However, I think them expensive to buy and run. The hammers and knives being eye watering lucre. Stuart

A Bugnot wasn't a machine I'd seriously consider. I was curious to try a Bugnot so grabbed the chance to demo a new one and take a little pressure off the team who were feeding the CS100 whilst the Efi was being neglected... Stuart

I feel further installments are to follow...

Not had the privilege as yet. I demoed a TW150 once and thought it a fine machine but went for the Quadchip. Stuart

We had this on a brief demo recently. Bugnot 25hp 3 pot deeezle. Made in France 6 fixed blades like wee adzes. Roller and toothed belt. No braked chassis but a parking brake acting on the tyres such as the fsib20 grinder has. We where the first users so blades nice and sharp. In the 30min it was on site we chipped alot of tough springy red oak I'd stacked. The chip was fine with a good throw. Conifer the client produced dropped well short of the pile so in real terms alot would miss the truck. It was noisey, a metallic quality which penetrated my non-chipper muffs. The chip chamber seemed to resonate, the engine housed in a metal bonnet also didn't help. The chute also rattled adding further unwelcome decibels. The actual machine seemed well made and solid although I have a friend whose same machine regularly shakes bits off the engine. The chip chamber opens up wide. The 6 knives can be changed for 18 free swinging hammers. 6 knives cost €1200 The machine, discounted is €22k ht (plus vat) I have the quote before me. It was interesting to use a toothed belt with single roller which is offset the right of the infeed. This seemed to work well with forked material. The stop bar operation felt archaic and clumsy being reset with both a lever and button press. Having said that, it didn't trip as often as our GM150 would have. These are popular in France but normally sold with the hammers.

Is this a story of love at first sight...? The basis of a sizzling mini-series entitled. "Brief encounter at the Screwfix counter" Stuart

No, buy it, if it winds up Pete Bagguley, buy it, buy 2, in fact I'll buy one and make it my avatar. Stuart

Anything BUT Master of the Forest... Stuart