Ty Korrigan

I like this sharing. My French clients, who represent 95% of all of my clients these days rarely venture beyond a single miniscule coffee. Asking for milk causes visible consternation so I just take it black and grit me snaggled teeth. Today, in the rain, client watched through the verandah windows, sipping coffee and taking shots for her social media accounts. *uck 'em, we just chugged our Huel and trudged on. Stuart

I've the same trailer, just imported it. It's my third tipper with alloy sides. The first being stolen, the second auctioned off when my ltd company closed. It actually sold for more than it cost us after 3 years. Hopefully the third one might hang around a while longer. The mesh is being cut off and 3mm alloy riveted on. Cleaner look though I admit less robust. It will be sign written too. Stuart

The daily ritual of a 5 year old girl who has learned to unlock the front door to let me in before jumping into my arms to the cry of PAPA! with sweet hugs and kisses whilst her 3 year old brother clings to my legs and dances on my boots. Stuart

Mine seems to have stopped oiling today. It is clean, little used and I've checked the adjustment screw. Any ideas? Stuart

Client, a dapper young French aristo. Normally dresses like an English gent before the Great War. Attentive with the cafetiere and a loyal long term customer with a healthy budget for his 'garden'. Stuart

The decay G.resinaceum had not advanced very much further up the stem than the felling cut. Cut high because of the rot. Client declined a resistograph test. DBH 105cm for 7m until a flare where the crown started. Fresh oak for the most part is joy to handsplit with the X27. Stuart

Oak next to the new metro station in North Rennes Brittany. I've been observing and periodically deadwooding this tree since 2011. Given the size of the brackets and the construction work behind the owner reluctantly decided to remove it. During the expropriation of the terrain, for the metro extension, the city built a bank of earth over the roots which perhaps hastened it's decline. The stump, once lowered, had a hollow deeper than a rake handle though still alot of supporting wood. The chip was delivered to a local parks department, the crown hand split with a Fiskars X27 and 7m of stem kept for milling, more of which I hope to post later this Autumn. Big lumps and felling done using a 500i running a 90cm bar, something it does with ease. Image of me is just for scale, one of my guys felled it. Last image is of the client, who asked to climb the tree. With help from the rigging pulley, he got up to the anchor point, totally unafraid, took in the view and got himself down mastering the friction knot very well ascending and descending. Stuart

Read your message Tim. I know there are others out there. Stuart

Hardly a month. Am I really expected to buy the part myself (£100 with postage from Briggs Bits) and fit it so voiding the warranty altogether? And if it isn't the fuel pump but the leads or ignition coil or a software issue which I can do nothing about anyway? Should I keep guessing and buying parts to fit myself? Or should GM sit up, be pro-active, find me a trained Briggs dealer and actually help me get it fixed professionally under their much vaunted no quibbles warranty? I recall the debacle of the 190 languished at the dealers for several weeks and ended in GM exchanging it for a 200 because their dealer wasn't competant enough to diagnose a hydraulic fault. Honestly, must every machine I buy from GM result in a battle with dealers over warranty repairs? I've said good things for years about GM and rarely discussed negative issues online as the service from the factory has been exemplary in resolving them. Is this really the same GM who sent a mechanic out to France to repair my Quadchip under warranty? Stuart

I have called Briggs 'et' Stratton France. No-one in the West of France has as yet the required training and software though a dealer in Normandy has done the course but still awaiting software. I called the larger approved Briggs dealers local to Rennes. Amazingly no-one will even look at the engine it is so uncommon. So... as it stands, none of the GM dealers can repair the engine because the engine is under warranty by Briggs and only approved Briggs dealers can touch it. GM have explained that their hands are tied regarding engine warranties. However no Briggs dealer is up to speed with this engine and all have so far refused to look at it. Even if I had bought locally it would have changed nothing because NO-ONE will help because this particular GM machine has insufficient dealer backup. In my 10 years as a GM customer I have never had any engine problems and on other issues the customer service and after sales care has been excellent. Until now. I appear to have hit a brick wall with no-one willing to throw aside the conventions of warranties and just help me get this chipper running correctly again. Am I doing something wrong here? Stuart

Thank you for that link. Stuart

Hello, I've a 37hp efi engined chipper. Starting issues (not plugs) Worse when hot. Suspected fuel pump issue. Qu: can I self fit a new fuel pump without needing it calibrated by software? Regards Stuart

Hello Alberto, Could you post links concerning this? Only to any peer approved articles or papers in credible journals though. Cheers Stuart

Echo 420 because I'm worth it. Low vibe, feels nice to use, bags of torque with bramble blade on. Bought it off the back of opinions on Arbtalk. Stuart

I am wondering, if my chippers 37hp efi engine would run any different on Aspen. I'd do it out of curiousity but only once. 4.5litres or €23 per hour on Aspen is just over the top... Stuart

I've never got over the trauma of owning a used Carlton 4012 bought from 'Lemon Plant' The issues which caused serious 'McPain' (trademark) centered on the remote control system. This was never completely resolved. Bearings went at 500hrs so we had them changed to metric at some cost as it involved machining new axles. Worst was the kingpin. That wore out rather quickly despite a strict grease regime. We took it to the regional dealer in these machines who fixed it then welched on his quote and tried to charge us €4k+ However we had already collected the machine and so the dealer pleaded, wormed and failed to justify his invoice. We burned that bridge. Now I run a wee fsib20. Little to go wrong though very physical to use. Pro-rata makes far more €€€ than the 4012. Turned over it's purchase value in 9 months. Stuart

Could be viewed that way. However, startups often find it difficult to raise finance. Certainly here in France new and used chippers carry a premium price over the same models sold in U.K. Credit Mutual de Bretagne refused me credit until I could show 2 years accounts. Being a micro business free of the burden of accounting that wasn't going to happen. I don't regret my route though I do agree with Mick that if you have the funds, go straight to a 5"/6" roadtow. Stuart

I always thought the CS100 could be fitted with a 23hp Vanguard. I see GM are offering a downgraded version now with a wee engine fitted. What it also needs is upgrading, more power, self propelled, swivel chute, cup holder... I started out with a wee chipper and whilst I'm glad I moved up we still have one in the team for those narrow access jobs and as an insurance against the big chippers inevitable downtime. I've mates here in France who like me started with a CS100 and have now moved up to a 6". To get there they fought leylandii windbreaks, giant cedars and spent hours feeding their machines. Not one would happily return to the wee chipper but it was a stepping stone for small businesses. Stuart

So... I sent off for some CBD oil from Holland but I've been lacking the discipline to take it effectively. Stuart

On a visit to Amsterdam, a mate bought me some cake from a coffee shop. I waited until my wife and kids were on holiday before a tried it. Now being 63kg, I should have perhaps eaten just a third not the whole slice. Anyway... For several days afterwards, I had a feeling of utter calm. It felt as though I had awoken from a particularly refreshing sleep, showered in cool Irish rain on the Dingle, not a care in the world, a complete absence of stress. Yes, getting stoned was fun but that feeling I had afterwards, that is what I want every day of my life. Stuart

Here, in France, I was a partner in an SARL ( limited company with 2 partners) I went to court and won against my business partner and put my business into administration for a year. I was aware he was up to no good but through slight of hand I could not obtain access to the company 'office' nor computer. The tribunal de commerce also neglected to enforce this point at the time. My accountant wife believed that 'Le Perfidious French Git' was skimming, invoicing clients using a word doc for his own neferious ends. However Mrs Lee investigated and uncovered some deeper merdre involving vat and insurance fraud. This we kept quiet about and did not inform the administrator for fear we'd be dragged under ourselves. You see, in France, if you are guilty of fraud or mis-management, you lose the protection afforded by being limited. Not being house owners, I'd only risk losing the car but might face prison as well as a large fine. We went into liquidation owing €101k a third of which was social charges on salaries. What I lost is nothing compared to gaining my liberty and freeing myself from a truly toxic business partner. Once liquidation was pronounced in the papers, my wife registered as self employed with I as her con-joint collaborator. We will run this way for a couple of years before changing regime to limited. Limited here is only really viable tax wise if your turnover is over €70k ht (plus vat) The accountancy fees are high, €4-7k depending on how much inhouse book keeping you do. As we are, no 'Expert accountant' is required to sign off' A great saving. Being limited does carry more weight when bidding for larger jobs. For the moment we are mostly domestic with a few council contracts. Stuart

Always grind the burr off your metal wedges. That is just a shrapnel incident waiting to happen. Stuart

I met a one eyed ex-pat who lost his eye through a log exploding. I find the oak shreds/pollards which grow on the hedgerows to be the most vile to split with all their knots, twisted grain and rot pockets. I've been struck in the face and often on the leg. I feel for you. Stuart

Hello, Look at walkbehind, self propelled flail mowers. Small and manouvrable enough to wind in between trees and obstacles. Stuart

I was going to say just how relatively free of 'hate' I was these days. No French Git of business partner, free of debt, lot's of work and a great new future. Then I went to the supermarket this arvo in a 34c mini heat wave and found hate alright. I HATE QUEUING WITH PEOPLE WHO DON'T USE DEODORANT! Stuart