Ty Korrigan

Use camping municipal sites. They are council run and are excellent and very cheap too. Most every commune has one. Also look for camping ala ferme. These again offer a smashing alternative from mainstream commercial camp sites at a reasonable price. Ty

Incorrect, it was a proposed law that never got off the ground. Ty

Well each to his own. I can see 3 men one day. I'd rig down largest lumps possible rather that make lots of cuts to keep the drift of sawdust to a minimum. Then chip as much wood as possible to avoid the same. Plus I get 20euros per m3 for the chip so it's in my interest. The wood, I have a firewood merchant who will buy it from the client for 25euros per stere. I may need to pass after to make a final sweep after the wood has gone. 1200euros ttc

It's no better here in Frenchy-Ville-en Merde. There is a very popular site called Le Bon Coin (The good place) Site de petites annonces gratuites d'occasion - leboncoin.fr Like a Gumtree except the Brits call is Le Bon 'Con' as in ripoff. I advertise my wood chips on it and even these attract the odd scammer! Usually though it's an email sent by a foreign Johnny, one of our African cousins judging by the quaint way the French is written. A colleague almost lost the funds to a caravan he wish to buy and my associate too when we were looking for a truck a few years ago. Surprising the number of people who get sucked into these scams. If it is too good to be true then it probably is... Ty

Used one near Grenoble: Treuil forestier UNIFOREST 35E mécanique 3.5 tonne Ty

Here: Treuils forestiers On offer at 1750ttc I know, it's the other side of France but it's just an example. Many French businesses won't put up the price on the web for such kit. Ty

Ours is the smallest model, a 35 Try Masse of Val d'ize and ask for Francis Ty

Uniforest I think, it's written on the winch. I found them to be cheaper here in France but I do get a decent discount from our dealers and I'm vat reg. You can fix a ball for towing the chipper too. For ragging out individual conifers from hedge lines it is indispensable not to mention recovery of vehicles. I've lowered that 4012 grinder up and down banks although it's a bit sharp on the clutch and not too subtle. Ty

You should get a wee winch Mr Dempsey. About 2k euro inc. tva Today back at the Chateau felling Cupressus glabra var 'mechancete' around the moat. We have weeks of work ahead of us here including our first Sequoia and a huge dead cedar. Ty

Your not tight, it is I who is aiming high...to high perhaps... Ty

Mike, Change your phone for a smart one with a decent camera and buy a cover for it to protect the lens, those images are all fuzzy. Then download Instagram via wifi. With this you can photoshop the colours, light levels and background hues but sadly not your paunch or sagging chin:biggrin: Ty

Don't you mean a 'skank' flail...? Ty

Yes, I consider it a test. This being our first grass contract for a local government body and one which should open doors for us. Next cut in 2 weeks will require the camp guardians presence and again a passing police municipal. We made the place proper lovely all the same. I'll bring a bottle of disinfectant hand wash next time.. Ty

Today we've started our year long groundscare contract for the local gypsy site. When we turned up at 8:30am so not to wake them too early, we found it deserted. The local police municipal informed us that over the weekend there had been bit of a set too between a couple travelling families. The grass was almost knee high and annoyingly the Grillo high tip machine we had booked a demo of had broken down. So we strimmed the banks shielding the camp from view and flailed the rougher grass so it could be raked dry in the afternoon. ( warm here..) I learned quickly not to touch or move any rubbish in the grass. The gypsies crap everywhere then cover their turds with say a kitchen cupboard door. A pair of pliers, same treatment. Cardboard too...blerk. Luckily there was a Mac Donalds nearby to have a wash up before lunch. Still, on the bright side we are several decent pallets and a ladies bicycle up on the deal! Ty

Another wet French bank holiday... Brightened by the news that when we won a recent grass contract for our council, we did so by a mere 150euros which is 2% The previous contractors are said to be furious and have sworn to take it back from us next year IF they are invited. Ty

As in 'tapered down'... Ty

We send out the quotes as a PDF file. This I am informed prevents clients from 'editing' them to their own ends. It came about that a client called every ex-pat Arb in the West then came back to us forgetting my face and thinking I was another Brit outfit before flashing our own quote before my eyes with a very much reduced figure at the bottom. Cheeky git using our Word Document as a bargaining tool... Needless to say he found some-one to do the job eventually. I am informed it was a fireman and his mates with a hired in cherry picker. There were postings on Anglo-info Normandy forum asking if any-one had a chipper to 'lend' him... Ty

Clients can smell inexperience and will bend you to their will when it comes to a price. Ty

I think we have all been there before... Ty

Do you really have so little work that losing one job hurts so much...? Ty

We are getting the grounds of a chateau ready for a national open day on May 17th 'Jour de patrimoine' I spent an afternoon in the rain grinding the stumps littering the lawns and beds. The large dead cedar will be done afterwards and will also be my largest stump to date. Ty

Just for info, I've recieved our quote for the Etesia Hydro 124 4WD high lift tip. 24'000euros plus vat It has front hydraulics and pto for various tools like a scarifyer. Ty

Our did that with 1 hour on the clock from new. The mechanic at our local dealer mentioned scraped knuckles... Ty

We have a trailer that weighs 250kg and can carry 750kg Another 2 Ifors that weigh 1000kg and can carry 2.5t But for most of their working life they are not loaded to the max. The chipper axles are carrying the max every day! For longetivity they should really be rated not to the limit but well in excess. If I follow the truck and chipper I can see that the whole chippers running gear looks to be heavily loaded as it bounces along behind over the inevitable French potholes. But why do the other trailers not suffer from this problem? Ty

That is why I use a business facebook page as first port of call, you can upload images yourself with ease and create albums. Now enough of grinders, it's Saturday night, let's talk about girls instead! Ty