Ty Korrigan

Does anyone know if Bandit have improved or brought out an improved version yet? Stuart @DavidCropper Yeh, same twunting company ALM...

Hello, A French friend has issues with his belts, 4 in 130hrs at €300 per belt. Several others too as it turns out. The French supplier is in denial as usual. So, asking for these guys, is there a fix for this? Stuart

Common street tree in France. Pollarded regularly. Great parasol canopy for shade. Stuart

Hello, Old thread but I thought I'd ask. Are Schiesling REALLY worth the extra lucre? What problems, breakages have people had? What are Schiesling or their representatives like to deal with? Regards Stuart

I know but it released the flood gates of frustration all the same. Stuart

Just a reminder that I didn't start this thread... Stuart

I've elected to wait because the infeed needs changing and the flywheel too. If you recall, I have bounced back from losing my former business due to the machinations of my former business partner, "The Perfidious French Git" We had no savings, no income other than €900 a month state aid. We borrowed from family both U.K and Morocco, enough for a wee grinder (€3k less in U.K), the chipper (€7k less in U.K) My wife bought back one of our trucks at auction for a few grand. I make no excuses for not buying 'local' as such a saving could not be ignored nor would GMs regional rep consider any price movement. So, my hand was forced. I have previously owned 3 French GM machines, the GM190 was €10k more in France than the U.K. I still have the quote from TJWhites. Even so, we still bought through GM France. That GM190 turned out to be an utter dog. I've dozens of videos of rollers jamming on 'sticks' much as my current machine does. Bear in mind 3000psi runs through that system. The local dealer was clueless as to the cause. It spent weeks sitting forlournly in their machine park whilst we rented theirs at €240 per day. 3 times a hydro 'U' bend connection let go, first time at 28 hours, it is the one one tucked up underneath and a shit to access. It simply refused to stay tight. The final occasion on a clients recently laid tarmac drive pissing out over 10litres of hydro oil. It also had far less throw than our demo machine had which was mysterious and annoying. Shovelling chip forward in the chip box and cleaning it off the ground. That was not a happy time. GM France eventually visited and agreed to exchange the machine for a GM200 which served for 120 faultless hours before my ltd company liquidated. Greenmech, you've been making chippers long enough now, perhaps your Evo series will eliminate many problems. I'll be seeing you later in the year. Stuart 20200318_154650.mp4 20200323_164306.mp4 20200403_143907.mp4

You know... I'd really like that to experience that level of service without asking. I currently have 3 issues which are a little more serious than mere 'cosmetics' and impact greatly on the machines usability, efficiency and even future value. Now GM have kindly offered to let me bring it back to the factory where they will no doubt work around the clock by candlelight light under the post Brexit, post pandemic austerity measures to ensure my continued customer satisfaction. I'm resigned to do this but these stories of great customer service from U.K GM and Forst dealers make me a little nauseous and really highlight a cultural difference between the U.K and France. It is not unimaginable though...to have it picked up by GM France, for there are precidents who were given a shiny new loaner for the duration and had their machine returned in a 'detailed' condition, not entirely the stuff of wild fantasy. However, more likely, even if I had bought my 150P in France, paid full list price, sucked off the dealer and his wifes dog, I'd still more likely get little more than a gallic shrug and lose my machine for an unknown number of weeks/months. For if an easy to diagnose and cheap to fix engine fault takes 4 weeks to turn around, how long would a French dealer take to sort out 3 far more serious issues? This is no reflection on the help and support given by PeteB, Ashley of GAGroundcare or Jase Hutch and his team who I shall be seeing once the fog of pandemic has lifted. Stuart

Except fuel Efi pumps it seems... Stuart

You are missing the point. I am comparing Amazon's efficiency to dealers in-efficiency in obtaining parts. Stuart

I wasn't worried or I wouldn't have bought the engine. I kept a record to PROVE it's real time economy. Myth busting the Efi haters. The greatest chipper economy comes from reliability. It is costly to have a chipper sat in a dealers workshop whilst you must rent. My Efi fuel pump issue cost me almost 1000 kms travel, 8 hours travel time and over 4 weeks €2k in chipper hire. If dealers where as sharp as Amazon, I have the part in 24hrs and my chipper fixed the next day. Stuart

I to measured over the first 100hrs out of curiousity and now use my figures to explode the myth of petrol being a 'very' uneconomical option. Stuart

That figure fluctuates far more than the hourly consumation figures as it depends on material being chipped and the efficiency of the feeding. It was around .75 litres per hour at times on conifer jobs. In the first 12 months of ownership, we produced 511m3 over 136 hours at an average of 3.75m3 per hour so 1.2 litres per hour. Stuart

What problems have you experienced? Stuart

Yeh, I noted that. They all tend to look like Panzers dragged from a Polish swamp with a price tag to match. Stuart

We are all somewhere on the Aspergers spectrum... ? Stuart

I like the 37hp Efi engine despite the abismal after sales. My own records show that for the first 100 hours a consumption of 4.5 litres per hour. I estimate the 57hp, if also Efi to be 7 litres per hour. However, what I'd really like, is to buy a machine from a reputable and reliable dealer who is focused on his customers and not have anything more to do with the dealer for the next 5 years. Think it possible to produce a machine that reliable? Stuart

Imagine a 45hp petrol... Stuart

Hello, Question for the members of this parish. Has any-one ever experienced 1000hrs use on a chipper with no major faults occuring? Stuart

Don't forget to give some feedback on the 165 Evo in comparison to the 150. Stuart

When my chipper required drive belts recently on a Friday at 4pm, I called a U.K supplier on my mobile because even with postage it was less expensive and faster service than France. 24hr international over the weekend when French delivery drivers sleep mean't Tuesday morning though. Stuart

Well... I'm on my 5th GM machine and have been banging the GM drum now for over 10 years. Others too have bought GM off the back of my enthusiasm for the brand. I bought my last one from a decent U.K dealer who is always there as is Jase for advice. If I had bought from a French GM dealer, I'd have received shit to zero 'service après vente' anyway. In fact, recent advice from a French GM dealer was "Not to chip up to 6" or these things will happen" Previously they have dismissed issues because they cannot replicate them in the workshop or simply blamed me for 'using it' or told me that I should accept my lot and not be so fussy. Not buying from a French dealer also avoids me having to take medication. It also saved me thousands of euros though the opportunity to do this in the future may change in a post-brexit world. Some of these saved euros I will use to return my current machine to the factory this Summer for some repairs if the ferries ever run again but this is no big deal as I will make a holiday of it. I'd love for a local dealer to sit up, take notice, collect my machine, lend me one and bring mine back repaired and steam cleaned. In France, this just won't happen, it just isn't in their culture. What you get is the jam taken out of your do-nut by the dealers Gallic shrug with resting bitch face. I had previously an intermittent fuel pump issue which was covered under a Briggs warranty, not the GM warranty. When I eventually found a Briggs/GM dealer willing to undertake the work, my machine was off the road for 4 weeks. It didn't need to be. I should have avoided the warranty altogether and bought a fuel pump online having got a pressure test done in my local garage. The dealer refused to do a pressure test as I waited, insisting I left the premises, then took they it apart and refused to assemble it until a new pump could be sourced despite it still being able to run. The dealer also charged me 80euros labour for a failed diagnosis (he claimed there was no fuel pump fault only chaffed wiring) which is not part of the warranty arrangement. This isn't unique to GM, I've a mate with a brand new Bandit 75XP which broke down after 2 hours and the dealer simply won't honour the guarantee. This one is going legal but all major brands of chippers seems to suffer from an uncaring and nonreactive after sales in France. Stuart

If you have any friends on the continent, Kox.fr do an ultra-light pair with very long rear leg zipped vents. I can vouch for their comfort. Sadly they don't ship to the U.K nor is their site in English. Here: PSS X-treme Light pantalon anti-coupures | KOX SARL M.KOX24.FR Pantalon anti-coupures X-treme Light : extrêmement léger...

I'm begining to think David Cropper is immortal and that we'll never gain access to his tool shed, grinder and whisky cabinet. Stuart

None of my 'confreres' are recieving many calls so I assume little 'poaching' is going on. Glitter on hands... hmmm good example. I've a litre of Vanilla scented alcohol in a hand mist spray. It gets used on gloves, saws and krabs, chipper though only I use that. Climber is very autonamous, own vehicule and kit. Our only common link is the rope with it's spliced Notch rigging thingy and the wood. Gloves, regularly sprayed in sickly sweet alcohol. For 'Breatharians' this virus must be worse than eating....tofu. Stuart