Ty Korrigan

In reality, in the case of most jobs, it would be cheaper for clients to buy in wood fuel than pay us to split their arb waste. I may yet wind my neck in on my splitting rate but only if the worlds economy implodes... Stuart

Far far less than the removal, less than half. So that I'm storing up the splitting in case of an eventual 'economic down turn'. If that does not arrive then I've be subbing machine and a couple of willing hands out. However, if there is a down turn, then Mrs Lee and I will chew through the work ourselves. Almost a loss leader service but if done together with Mrs Lee rather than a subby, actually profitable. I'll look into disabling the security lever. That certainly seems a ball ache. Stuart

Cheers, I appreciate the feedback. Image attached of the actual machine. I 'won' another splitting job today. It was to be 'evacuation bois' but the confinement seems to have altered peoples requirements... or desires. €1500 inc vat.

Hello, Does any-one use one of these splitters? The link is for a near identical machine. Generic Chinesium, I believe Rock Machinery also sell similar, they are certainly sold under many brands with slight nuances of design and colour. Homologated to 72kph (45mph) which is enough for local work or if I must travel further, it can ride in a trailer along with the stumpy and wee chinesium chippette. I picked one up at a local farm shop, Briggs engine. Single speed but a 12sec cycle. Matériel forestier CMS : Fendeuse de bûche 24T thermique sur remorque BOUTIQUE.CMS-CONSTRUCTEUR.FR Fendeuse de bûches FH24T thermique sur remorque.Fendeuse de bûches thermique tractable, montée sur une remorque avec grandes roues de... I don't do much splitting generally but have built up a back log of splitting jobs during the lockdowns. This machine is clearly not in the same class as the French built AMR which I rent from time to time but I hope will do the job well enough. https://www.a-m-r.fr/fr/catalogue/fendre/fendeuse-de-buche-homologuee-route/

You could have ground those WW2 tanks shells you found and bought another machine with the insurance money... Stuart

Ah... reminds me of Friday climbing practice at Merrist Wood... Stuart

O.K, I've been quoted 410euros plus vat versus 208euros ht (approx) from web supplier. Well worth taking one off for a look at serial numbers when I've a moment spare. Stuart

O.K, I've just emailed them. Stuart

I was thinking that the drum cut more by a shaving, paring action than sawing, rather like a plane. You can't easily plane across the grain only with it. Happy to be corrected though, was only musing on a wet day. There is make of shredder, Elite, who use cutting along the grain as a selling point. The machines do have very little throw and that only because the larger ones have a fast turning helicoil like turbine after the shredding blades which must cost some energy. Stuart

Bit stunned, this just popped up in my Facebook memories. My short lived 7t Iveco Daily. How on earth did FB know it was on my mind? Stuart

Hello, On this dull wet January day, fettling in the garage, I got to thinking about the differences between drum and disc machines. Having used several GM CS100 and a Chinesium copy plus a surprisingly good Bugnot fitted with fixed sharp cutting tools, I've often thought that the drum configeration must be the more efficient as it cuts along the grain. Disc machines requiring more force because of cutting across? More force, more energy, more stress on parts. So why are there so few drum machines out there from British manufacturers? The French makes of Bugnot, Saelen and Rabaud are all mostly drum offering combinations of flails for shredding or knives for chipping or even both. I''m not comparing shredders with chippers here but drum with disc chippers. Any thoughts? Stuart

Here is where I am looking: Moteur hydraulique OMR 315 - 1/2 BSP - drain 1/4 - Arbre canelé SAE... WWW.AU-COMPTOIR-HYDRAULIQUE.FR Moteur hydraulique OMR 315 - 1/2 BSP - drain 1/4 - Arbre canelé SAE 6B Peux remplacer la Référence d\\\'origine Danfoss : 151-0727 - 1510727 Moteur lent orbit...

You are probably right there. However, I've decided to take it to my local machine shop and get Didier to measure the bearing unit instead. The owner is also a weekend wood warrior who is keen to help where he can. Tonight, I'm online looking for a hydraulic motor for the GM150. It doesn't need one yet but history has shown it will before long so I thought I'd get one in stock. It will be the seals that go and I recall they are almost as much to repair professionally as they are to buy. Not sure of the exact motor specs but the ones that correspond look to be around the 200+euro mark. I don't suppose @Pete B or @Jase hutch would be able to tell me the motor spec to save me taking it off to find out? Next trip to U.K with a car, upon my return, I'll hide a bunch of grinderteeth and disc blades in an old tool box and cover them in oily McShite to put French customs off poking around. I'll be wearing a pair of new arb boots and trousers and 10 Bear Valley T'shirts. Though TBH, I think we will have worked out the paperwork by then so we should be able to buy vat free in the U.K and pay the tva here whilst the customs duties should be much clearer. I think, that there may be no duty to pay on importing arb equipment like grinders and chippers. Anyway, about that hydraulic motor spec...? Stuart

Hello, Does any-one know the serial number etc of these bearings? Mine are fine but at 100 hrs I thought I'd order some from my 'local' bearing shop in Rennes Brittany, so to have a pair in stock should the occasion arise as well as the belts. As I'm in France, ordering from U.K is not going to happen until things settle down and businesses wrap their heads around the procedure for exporting. Stuart

Mrs Lee getting a work out. I told her it was good for her hips... Stuart

My calculations of volume and weight of chip mean the chip box of a 7t+ could not exceed the legal weight. An 8 m3 chip box could not exceed more than 3.6t surely even if you managed to fill every corner. It is not the fear of a shunt itself but the implications from a shunt. The French being rabidly litigious people and are highly insured for such actions. Lawyers could potentially completely ruin a person over such a case if the in the event of an accident it was shown that even a part of the blame could be attributed to overloading. Stuart

Can you enlarge on that? I've been here so long the meaning is lost in translation. Stuart

Hello, In 2012 I popped across 'La Manche' and picked up this Iveco. 2018 my company was in liquidation. My wife, rather bravely, attended the auction of our companies kit and bought the truck back for her new venture. It took us €3k+ to repair the vandalism and genuine lack of maintenance from the dying days of my former business but it was still far more economical than buying a similar used LHD truck in France. It is the devil we know. It has more than earned it's keep but we are planning to replace it in 2 years. A greater payload, difflock, toolpod, arb body. We are considering whether to go to a 7t... or not. In France the regs are more relaxed than the U.K. No 6 weekly checks, operators licence or waste licence. Happily, 95% of our work is under 15km and my tip sites are close to home and free so not too far to travel if overloaded in a 3.5t. A 7t would be quite a stretch financially against a 3.5t but I'll will never be able to run overloaded with chip. See, I've a mad paranoia in that I fear having a shunt whilst overloaded and aside from the criminal prosecution, facing a withering civil claim for pain and diverse damages from the one I shunt. In the light of this, the very real risk of losing all for the sake of spending another 15-30k€, a 7t seems a no brainer despite the financial burden. Besides, it could be the last truck I buy. I was 51 years old last week, the truck may be good for 15-20 years so if loved better than my current truck, should see me out. That is unless the government's legislate against all diesels... Stuart

I once demoed a B20 with blunt teeth on a cherry. Based on that I'd never have bought one. I put alot of store on hp at the time. Then I was forced one day into renting one, brand new with fresh teeth. Without the pressure of 2 reps breathing down my neck wanting to go to lunch I had the time to get used to the machine and with 'sharp' teeth it was an epiphany for me. I've usually run the QRMS teeth for economy but keep a stock of wear sharp for more fibrous stumps. I've never gone into sharpening teeth either. I do think though, a self propelled B22 with a slightly higher hp than even it has now would be just the ticket. Silly thing is, when people view the grinder, clients and especially commercial clients, they are not convinced it is a serious machine and refuse to be open to it's possibilities. Stuart

Hello, I've been running an FSIB20 now since Sept 2018 and have 97.5 hours on the tacho. I think it an efficient and well built machine though I wish I had bought the B22 for it's self propelled. No breakages apart from the Honda engine pull start at 50 hours. I replaced it with a Chinesium copy, then again at 75 hours and now I just use the old pull cord instead. For the outlay, it makes a decent profit. I've a '2 day job' coming up, all laurel hedge stumps, none of which are very large so it will fly through them but the sheer number means I'll spread them over the 2 days rather than wear myself out trying to cram them all in on one. I've done several monster stumps too, prepping by digging around and cutting low, ground them out properly taking around 5 hours plus clear up. I cannot economically rent a larger machine locally and for the number of stumps I do, I'm prepared to suffer a little longer. Stuart

Seriously? I think they are re-branded generic chinesium imports. Doesn't mean they are no good but no way 'fabriqué en Ecosse' Stuart

I enjoyed reading that. Elements of your story are relatable to most of us I am sure. Mrs Lee keeps telling me to slowdown and work fewer days. Stuart

This explains your grunting though I assume your success is fallow... Stuart

Look at Agri-euro before you do. There are some decent low priced machines on there and the savings will certainly offset the lack of local dealer support. Agri-euro have a full spares back up too and a pro-active help line. That one in your link is very expensive for what it is. Stuart

What are the various prices for each machine? Stuart