monkeybusiness

I'll swap your nice sharp Silky for a blunt one if you like - what type is it? PM me and I'll send you my address to post yours to.

The man was a powerhouse, and will always be remembered as such. Storm on big Norm!

That is amazing - what a great machine! There can't be a lot of change from 100k there!

If possible try and reduce the height of the tipper's sub frame. On transits etc there are usually 2 frames (one bolted to the chassis, one supporting the body floor) that are hinged in such a way that when closed one rests on top of the other. I've seen an l200 tipper where one subframe sits inside the other when closed, substantially lowering the body height. The only other thing to consider is whether the wheels will foul on the body during axle articulation. Good luck with the project - please show pics of the finished job.

We often use a good 16mm lowering rope with large portawrap to connect it to a winch/tractor etc for assisted felling on big stuff. This avoids knotting the rope and gives very easy length adjustment. Always rig the rope as high as possible - even big trees with back lean don't require a massive amount of pulling if you get the rope near the top and the hinge isn't left too thick. Always use wedges as a backup in case of a failure within your pulling system, and chase them into the cuts as they open if safe to do so.

It would have to get very hot to work. I don't think you'd get away with screwing it to the plate - there is a bi-metallic strip in the base of the fan that lifts it off the hot surface iif it gets too hot. Thinking about it a bit more, I'm sure your solution wouldn't work unfortunately as the fan needs the base to be hotter than the top to function, and you would have the top closer to the heat source in your application.

Eddie - how does the constant side loading affect the pins/bushes in the rest of the machine, and have you experienced any deformation or fracturing of welds etc in the boom and dipper? Does Kubota's warranty cover the use of these attachments? I have seen Engcon tilt-rotators demonstrated and am extremely impressed with them, but can't help thinking they may impose stresses on the machine for which it wasn't designed..

If you are in the market for a new tw you really should also consider the new Greenmech 150 - basically the same size/shape/weight/cost of the tw150, but with a lot of clever modern design included. Most importantly from a user point of view is the feed is 6x9 inch letterbox - massively better than a square hole to feed brash into. The tw150 is a good all round machine but has its week points which unfortunately have never been addressed over its now very long service life.

Bigger is ALWAYS better - get your hand in your pocket! It won't be working as hard, and will subsequently use less fuel (probably!).

In our family we have 5 Clearviews, and I know of many other owners, and the comment above regarding the problems are the first I have ever heard. I can't recommend them highly enough - they are massively controllable and efficient and throw out loads of heat.

Get the technic lego rc excavator - I got it for my b'day and it is amazing!!! (I can't justify a real one unfortunately...)

Speak to Matt at Treefellers - 0800 043 0398

They look ace - get some pics up when you fit them! It might look like a dragster once they're on...

If you want mega grip get Insa Turbo special traks - they are awesome off road. They howl a lot on road though - they sound like a quad! I've got them on the back of a Toyota Dyna and it is amazing where it will get too. The only problem is that when you do get stuck, if you wheelspin too much they dig massive holes very quickly!

Dogging?

My 215s are duals and don't rub (there is still a big gap between them). They are on Iveco rims though, not sure about Transits.

I've put 215 65 r16 mud terrains on the back of my ivecos (usual tyre size 195 75 r16) and they fit well. Overall radius is very similar - 205 80 would have been a lot taller.

Speak to John at Shades of Green - 01925740995. He's in Daresbury and has tracked chippers for hire (and is a top man to boot).

The entire price of the chipper then!!! (Just kidding!)

Speak to Terry Crick - google Apex Arb

Today was brilliant - I got a place on the Greenmech Factory tour and I have to say it was thoroughly enjoyable! Seeing the build process first hand really reinforces the fact that these machines are created from raw steel and aluminium (not components made up elsewhere) by skilled British craftsmen in a British owned and run factory. It was a massive eye opener to see how many individual parts are laser cut, rolled, folded, punched etc and then welded together to make up individual pieces which are then shot blasted, powder coated, baked and assembled into the finished machines. The parts inventory has to be seen to be believed! After lunch, they took us out and demonstrated some of their different machines. Anyone in the market for a new chipper is really missing something if they don't compare an equivalent green machine to their other choices. I'd be amazed if the new 130 and 150 machines don't dominate future sub 750kg market share - in terms of price and capacity they are well ahead of the current competitor machines available (it should be said that none of the GM staff made any disparaging comparisons to competitor's machines, they simply showed off their own wares). What was nice was the distinct lack of any sales pressure - this tour was not a direct sales exercise in any way. It is obvious that the staff at Greenmech are rightfully proud of their company and its products, and seem glad to show it off! In terms of chipper design, they have come a very long way in 20 years, constantly improving and evolving their products. They listen to end users and alter designs accordingly and now have a wide range of truly excellent products. The biggest surprise of the day for me was how good the little cs100 is - I was genuinely amazed at what it chipped with ease. Seeing the prototype machines was also very interesting! Thank you very much to Pete B and all the other ladies and gents who put on a great day - I thoroughly enjoyed myself and know that others present felt the same. I would recommend anyone with an interest in engineering, chippers, big machinery, lasers, great workmanship etc put their names forward for the next tour - it was a great day out!

If it is regularly attached to the tow vehicle I'd imagine you could get away with a relatively small (cheap) car battery on the trailer and lightweight cable with in-line fuse running from the vehicle battery. The small battery would have enough poke to tip the trailer a few times, and would be constantly re-charged off the vehicle when connected.

Sorry Rob, it wasn't meant to be insulting. I hope you don't cut yourself. Stay safe - you can't earn any money whilst your sat in A+E waiting for stitches because the insulation tape/kitchen roll/bandage/plaster combo won't keep your skin from stretching open across your knuckle! As I said, every injury I know of has come about from complacency - don't be complacent and you won't get cut.

You will - I've yet to meet anyone who has been in this game for a few years who hasn't at some point drawn blood with a Silky. I've caught myself a couple of times, the worst was with a brand new blade that cut faster than I was expecting, as I was used to its then-dull predecessor. Complacency has been the reason for all of my scrapes - poor work positioning usually brought on by the thought that it is 'only a Silky' - a spinning chain somehow focuses the mind a bit more... Holding the piece being cut is the primary reason in my case (quicker than slinging, too busy concentrating on profit). We sub-contract to some of the bigger firms in our industry and pruning saw injuries are currently a major issue with the health and safety bods. The reactions and control measures vary quite drastically - one firm insists on users wearing kevlar/stainless steel reinforced 'Ripeur' gloves whilst cutting with a Silky (not massively practical IMO as they are useless for climbing in - constant changing of gloves in the tree is the order of the day). The biggest problem with this is that some operators subsequently shun Silkys and just use chainsaws, as the restrictions don't apply to their use... Another firm have taken a more pragmatic approach, and are pushing the use of secateurs/loppers wherever possible. In terms of gloves, my personal view is that it is wrong to insist that a particular type of glove is used in any situation. I'm not going to start on chainsaw gloves on the ground (that would be a major de-rail) - my thoughts are that anyone being paid to climb and prune/dismantle a tree should be competent to perform that task. One of the most important parts of that whole operation is the climber's hands - these are his/her interface with their ropes, tools, the tree etc. Some climbers wear gloves, others don't. As soon as you insist on a certain type of glove (that may perform one task very well ie silky protection) you massively limit the options available to the operator, compromising dexterity, grip, comfort, warmth etc. As a result you run the risk of introducing additional hazards, when in reality the majority of the time the original problem lies with the operator not doing his/her job properly. I feel that anyone cutting themselves with a Silky should actually have pay deducted as the injury must have come about as a result of them putting themselves in danger in the first place!!!

And then get your operators licence, and then sort out planning permission to keep it at your property, and then organise/pay for 12 weekly checks, and then realise you might as well run a 7.5 tonner if your going to all those lengths and 4.6 tonne is a bit of a pointless size... Get it sold and buy something 3.5 tonne, or unbolt everything you can, go on a diet, put £2 of diesel in it, get it re-weighed and then re-assemble once re-plated but spend every day running illegally overweight. I'd suggest get rid and get something more suitable personally.