monkeybusiness

Get the most torque you can! If you only ever use your trailer on very flat ground it makes no difference, however if you pick timber up on the downhill side of a leaning trailer (and it doesn't need to be leaning a lot) it requires a lot of torque to twist all that mass back 'uphill' to load.

There isn't one machine that will do every job. If you are looking to buy something specific and can build a business plan around it (ie buy it to hire out, including back to yourself for treework at a cost effectively passed on to the client) then it may be worth looking into. How many times do you need a MEWP on a job personally? If a lot, then buying a machine similar to what you regularly hire could make sense. If infrequently, I would be inclined to just hire a task specific machine each time you need one.

Sorry - that wasn't very clear. I was comparing the discs to square edge blades in general as used on most makes of chipper, of which I have used plenty! I wouldn't recommend re-bar, or micro pulleys either for that matter...

Sounds like the future's bright at Greenmech Pete!

They are over 30k new though - that needs to be considered I suppose. Essentially everything can be replaced/renewed, so even very second hand machines at the right money are worth a punt. The parts that don't bolt off are built extremely strong and should last forever in theory.

Sorry - I missed your post - that is strong money!

Worth a punt at the right money though - I've got one that I bought VERY second hand (unknown hours as it had a new clock). It had been well looked after in all fairness, but had done 5 years with a big railway contractor so must have done 1500 - 2000hrs plus I would guess. We've put another 1200hrs on it in 3 years and I am just pulling it apart for a big service at present. I have pulled the flywheel out today (for the first time in my ownership) and it all looks good inside the housing, which I am amazed by! How much do Balmers want for theirs (pm me if you prefer)?

Balmers have got one - I don't know how much they want for it though.

LAND ROVER 110 TIPPER | eBay Have a look at the pics (he is listing the chipper as part of his land rover ad). It is a road tow, not a safetrak (or I would have bought it myself!)

Great machines! Check it hasn't got water in the hydraulic oil - there was an issue with the oil tank's breather location where water could drip through the breather into the tank. This can eventually ruin the hydraulic pump and/or motors. It shows up as milky hydraulic oil, but can settle out and not appear milky in the tank sight glass if the machine hasn't been used for a while. Run the machine at full revs with the rollers turning for 5 mins or so and then turn it off and have a look at the oil inside the tank (take the top off the return fuel filter, pull the filter out and shine a torch into the tank). If the oil is milky then be nervous. There is a fella in Warrington selling what appears to be a very tidy 2009 machine for £10k on eBay - LAND ROVER 110 TIPPER | eBay Check the details with PeteB regarding serial numbers etc on anything second hand. I had one of these stolen a couple of years ago which hasn't turned up, and I'm sure I'm not the only one! They are a great machine for their size - very brash hungry! If you buy it and end up having any issues Greenmech techncal support are extremely helpful.

Once you have used the discs you won't go back. They are better than square blades in every way IMO. They last much longer between sharpens, can be rotated, and seem to keep working after being abused (not advised but sometimes necessary). We have chipped re-bar (accidentally) before now and completed they day's chipping before changing/turning the blades. I buy them in bulk from Saturn Machine Knives when they are on offer and they are very good value - they also offer an excellent sharpening service. I don't have any personal experience of the square GM blades but the feedback seems to be good - they look pretty pricey though.

See if anybody can spot the hazards... Video contains swearing, do not watch with young kids.

Something like this? [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56XL0TysIn0]1974 Volkswagen Beetle & Camper - road test - YouTube[/ame]

They are good for all of ecotreecare's reasons. The only issue we have had is that the price can creep up once you start using them - keep an eye on it and let the company know when it goes up and they will discount it again.

The only problem with a commercial fleet policy is that a claim on one vehicle affects them all - if you have full no claims on every vehicle on individual policies then it can be cheaper (and less risky overall).

As above - does anybody have anywhere I can get rid of 20m3 (ish) of chip in Fleetwood? All hardwood, no conifers - the job will take place later next week (Thurs Fri). There might be a few logs too, but not much. Cheers, Dan (07970188050)

That is mint! More pics please!

Don't worry too much about how much 'tread' the tracks have - it is a good indication of how old they are but they are more likely to fail through stretching/snapping before they actually wear out. Have a good look at the sprockets (wear here is obvious as the teeth become narrow and sharp) and rollers (have someone track the machine while you watch - make sure there isn't any play/movement around the roller's axles as this will mean the bearings are shot). The idler (opposite end to the sprocket) should also not have any play in it when tracking. All of these will cost decent money to repair - rubber tracks themselves are not as expensive as you may think (a couple of hundred quid a side on a small machine).

Price it around what you know it would cost you to do with your HB20 (ie 5 hard days) and then hire a bigger machine for a couple of days instead. At least you then have a bit of leeway if you need to run on to an extra day's hire, or you can come back and finish off with your own machine if there is still some to do. Don't forget to allow for spare teeth with the hire machine - not from a hire charge perspective but for speed of work if you are using it yourself.

What happens when you drop a really big lump in there that needs cutting up to move? I doubt the material is very chainsaw resilient?...

I think the usual way of doing it is to extend the drawbar on whatever you are towing, as opposed to extend the hitch out from the back of the tractor. This is relatively easy with agricultural trailers (which can even be made up with a telescoping drawbar, so you can extend it for when you are towing with the chipper in place or shorten it to a 'normal' length for use without the chipper). It is a lot harder to extend the hitch on a road going vehicle's trailer fitted with over-run brakes, and almost impossible to do so cheaply and retain the ability to make it adjustable. Extending a trailer's drawbar will put a lot more load onto the tow vehicle (not a particularly big deal with a tractor, but more so with a car/van) and will also increase the trailer's tendency to cut corners. My advice would be to stick with an agricultural trailer in this application.

It will fall between the bolsters on a forwarding trailer - this will frustrate you immensely! Use a normal trailer - you can load it with a grab but it might be time consuming.

I've had 2x Navaras from new - a 56 plate and now a 59 plate. The 56 plate went into limp home mode a couple of times in 3 yrs/70k miles but it cleared as soon as it was turned off/on again - other than that it never missed a beat. The dealer couldn't trace the fault. The 59 plate has now done 46k and has been faultless. They actually tow well, but I wouldn't tow heavy stuff on a daily basis as I think the clutch would soon fail (1st gear is quite high). If I was buying new right now I would certainly consider another Nissan, or alternatively the Isuzu or big engined Ranger. Hilux is too much money for basically the same vehicle IMO, and underpowered unless you get the 3l engine (for which you will pay mega bucks). I'm not personally a fan of the L200 but I believe they are more reliable now than they used to be. There are certainly plenty about - I would imagine you would find one of these at the right money fairly easily. I don't like the small engine in the Amarok - that must be a pretty stressed unit in that truck if worked hard. Don't fear the Nissan!!!

I'm not sure if winch mounts are available off the shelf for your truck (if they are then let me know as is like one too!). The ones I have seen mounted to rangers are bespoke. You need to bolt the winch frame to the chassis rails under/behind the bumper (you may need to cut your bumper and or grill to make it fit). In terms of the winch you are looking at 12v electric as a hydraulic or PTO winch will probably cost more than your truck in parts. They are very easy to bolt in and wire up. I bought an orange electric winchmax cheap as chips jobby new off eBay and am very pleased with it (I took a punt and expected it to be crap but it is actually very very good). I also have a 12v warn 9000i that came fitted to a chipper - this is also a good winch, but honestly no better than the winchmax yet they cost 3x the price! You will need a good battery on your truck - a winch will quickly destroy a weak battery. Don't bother spending a milllion pounds on expensive fancy wincch batteries, buy the biggest (in terms of amp hours) battery that will fit in your holder from halfords. Get one with a 5 year warranty and keep the receipt - they will swap them without question if or when you cook it. Get some pics up!

Back in the game now though big boy!!!