monkeybusiness

They are an extremely disorganised bunch - I’ve bought blades and some bars/chains on the cheap from them in the past and pretty much every transaction has been cocked up in one way or another. We even had a wagon (that couldn’t get down the lane to us) turn up with a big wooden crate on a pallet addressed to us from them - I was out and received a call from my dad who asked where I wanted it dropping off. Not expecting anything I tried to contact Saturn to ask what it even was - they assured me it must be correct but couldn’t actually confirm what they had sent. Long and short of it was that this great big crate with unknown contents (but unlikely to be cheap!) was abandoned at the neighbouring farm. I had a panicked call a couple of hours later from Saturn asking me where whatever it was was - I still don’t know what was in that box though! This has just reminded me of another order from them - only half of the order arrived. It took a couple of days before the other box turned up at a neighbours who share our postcode - both boxes were dispatched at the same time as part of the same consignment, but had been addressed differently. Muppetry through and through!!!

I think they are possibly the same company?

Sorry to hear this. It’s all to common - anyone buying second hand kit of unknown origin is feeding this unfortunately, whether they admit it or pretend it isn’t the case.

It used to be a £30 fine for the driver, no points etc. Not sure if that’s still the same but has been whenever we’ve had an issue.

Hopefully they die a violent painful death.

It’s a real bargain - tbh it’s the last thing I need at the moment though as I’ve already got a few and have other things to buy as a priority. But never say never!

For added French craziness, the following day there happened to be a motorbike hill climb (that really doesn’t do any justice to how extreme it was - the hill is enormous, uneven, loose and too steep to climb!) half an hour away in ski resort called Bernex. Basically it it was like real life Mad Max - I couldn’t tell if there were any rules as to machinery beyond having two wheels and a massive engine. Nitrous oxide and bonkers home-made spiked tyres were the order of the day, along with rivers of beer and enormous testicles. Failed attempts (99%) had the bike recovered by a full on forestry skyline! They weren’t playing at it - this was a very professional event with amazing live video footage and instant replays on a monster screen.

Couple of vids

Some interesting kit on show Ultimate root ripper! One for PeteB and Jase Hutch

I have a cousin who lives in Morzine in the French Alps (not a tree guy, he runs a cycle tour company). A couple of years ago he told me about a redneck show (his words) he’d been to in the neighbouring town - Les Gets. I instructed him to let me know when it was next on as it sounded right up my street - it just was and it didn’t disappoint!... It is called Les Cognées and it’s a skidder race (surely the greatest idea anyone has ever had?!) held over 2 days every other year. A couple of colleagues and I blasted out on a motorbike road trip and had a right laugh. Unfortunately my phone died at the event so I didn’t manage to get loads of pics but there are a few below that should give a bit of an idea of what it’s all about - they have trade stands too, and a whole world of beer to ensure everything is nicely lubricated.

Did he buy that bargain 1928 with the black bonnet?

Mint show - my phone died so didn’t get many pics but the French run some proper kit and this event is based around a skidder race. It makes the APF demos look like a women’s institute lunch! Today we went to a motorbike hill-climb called ‘Impossible Mountain’ - Mad Max machines with nitrous oxide and tyres with massive spikes trying to get to the top of a hill you genuinely wouldn’t walk up. They had a forestry skyline rigged to get the bikes that failed (99% of them) back down. Proper redneck stuff - best trip ever!

I’m in Morzine at a mega forestry show (les Cognees) and my cousin (who lives here) is in the process of having a wind blown spruce cleared up (with perfect access, you can get any vehicle you want to the tree) and it is costing 3000 euros. Is all French tree work crazy money?! I could genuinely do the job and save him money commuting from the Uk!!!

I’ve got one I’d consider selling - am in France but will be back next Tuesday if you are still looking. Give me a bell on 07970188050 next week. Cheers, Dan

Don’t be put off by the round blades - if you are the one paying for the blades they are better in every single way!!! Once they start to lose their edge they can produce slightly untidier looking chip, and the earliest machines using these blades weren’t hugely refined which has possibly tainted people’s views towards them. However, a round blades machine will still fill a tipper/blast to waste etc in no time, customers still want the chip for their borders, biomass firms still buy it, the chip still disappears into woodland floors/hedge bottoms. The blades last for ages (especially when compared to square blades), still work when dull (we’ve actually continued on and finished jobs after accidentally chipping rebar on more than one occasion, which is exceptionally cruel on the machinery but round blade flywheels will keep on chipping...), they can be turned a number of times (which takes no time at all) thus prolonging their life, and only two out of the four tend to take the majority of wear which further reduces the costs. There is no need to set up the blade/anvil gap - bolt them in and earn some money! I’ve got a 1928 safetrak that has done well over 3000 hours and is still a front line machine - this one for sale above looks an absolute bargain to me (so much so that I might buy it myself tbh!).

Bargain!

Have a look at the Arb Association one - free to members and does what you need.

I’d have felled if at the bottom whilst he was up there - tight old bastardo!!!

I used the Makita saw this week and it is perfect for what it was bought for. There was a Stihl 200 electric saw also on site and I thought the Makita performed equally as well. It feels like a toy, but cuts just fine!

LGP Eddie converted a forestry winch to run off a hydraulic PTO, and I think Gray Git also did possibly? Not sure how good/bad the conversions were, but they may be worth touching base with.

Let’s get back on track!!! Little digger with some bigger stuff!

I reckon my 6 tonner would fit in there perfectly...