Mark Bolam

Any update on this?

‘Oh no! I need some friction! I don’t know what to do! I’m 22 and have set up my own arb company thanks to wealthy parents. Help soon! This branch is really heavy on this sycamore pine.’

Another classic piece of kit to overcome a problem that doesn’t exist to pull in a few dollars from bling merchants?

I’m getting better as well mate, the little loaders are pretty twitchy on the controls. Someone watching me on day one would have thought we’d let an epileptic guy have a go on the machine. I’m on record as saying I have the touch of a rapist.

I deliberately went as small as possible on my loader to maximise usage. 750mm access with skinnys on, 900mm standard. I’ve got a good mate with a tracked Norcar, and loads of farmer mates with Matbros and JCBs I can call on if required. This influenced my decision a lot. I also have mates with mini diggers who have been on them since they were about 14. For me, it’s much better getting them in than buying my own and making a tit of myself. You need to realise the difference between a genuinely good 360 operator and someone reasonably competent. It’s like 10x difference. In terms of attachments, my titchy WQ has a flow of 21.6l/m. It will run a small flail, but would bleed movement. Pointless. I’d like a little flail at some point, but would go for one with a donkey engine. Like a tow behind quad one but front mounted. That would be very niche work though. A compact tractor/flail would be way quicker.

I’d go with that, but within sensible limits. A bloke on one of the arb sites last week was asking if anyone made a topper, a haybob and a small baler he could run off his Avant!

Just add another wrap to your hitch then.

Clutchy’s advice is golden. Do the maths regarding which is the better machine for you. My WQ has worked for me because of narrow access and speed, and the Klou grab with ball hitch has made me a lot of money on tight access jobs. A rotator is a must on some jobs, but kills the capacity on a mini loader like mine enough to make it worthless. Intermercato tigercat on a 5t machine was unbelievable, but totally unrealistic on my jobs due to transport.

I met Jack a few times, and my Dad fished with him a bit. He was a lovely man. I didn’t have much time for Bobby on a human level because of a few things, but I will take nothing away from his ability as a player and an amazing ambassador of the sport.

Aye, one of the finest players ever. Christ he could strike a ball! Good innings like. As Big Jack would say, RIP Wor Kid.

Another consideration is that mini loaders definitely favour flatter ground and are best kept away from mud. For woodland work a mini digger would win all day.

I think that’s right, and you can also feed a chipper, but on repeated cycles and dragging brash mini loaders are much quicker over the ground.

Oh definitely get something! My Worky Quad has been a Godsend for exactly that reason!

@doobin would be my go-to man to ask about running both. I think a lot will depend on your core type of work.

For £50. Everyone knew where they were then.

Try hanging your weight off it.

Dempsey is quiet. Probably heading back through the channel tunnel and has no signal.

I’ve been working on my own a lot more recently. Thought I’d start this job reducing a line of sycamores and hawthorns down to 3’ and see how I got on. Field behind has already been drilled, and there’s no headland, so nothing can go backwards. 70m drag to chipper. Going ok so far. IMG_8561.mov

It’s started to piss down now, which will drop some jobs even further down the list. We’re meant to be on a sycamore reduction on Friday, that will be getting put back. Makes more sense for me to head up to the log yard.

I nearly tagged him! ’Nonsense, they love a good pollarding!’

Birches don’t respond well to pruning, every cut turns into a rot pocket. They’re best left alone, and only pruned lightly if necessary. The problem is the secateur diameter cuts required for this won’t tolerate a 80kg climber anywhere near them. I normally recommend letting them grow until you can’t put up with them any more, then remove and replant with something more suited to the location. Nice trees, but they can get big. Too big for most gardens.

This would be a great idea if it worked. Following with interest. There’s loads on the internet for as little as £35, but they might be utter rubbish! For me it would be something I’d take on and off as the day demanded, not leave in situ most of the time.

If you get one and think it’s shite, post it to me at my expense and I’ll give you what you paid for it. Or we may know some some of the lads on the harvesters? Chris Hunter, ‘Dangerous’ Brian Cowan, Or Dave Swann’s lads who haul it out? All school mates, a long time ago.

I thought that, but it’s way more. Packs down to a short, fat flask, it’s tiny. Boils enough for for 3 brews in about 2 minutes.

Stanley flasks are good Jake, I’ve had them years. Treat yourself to a Jetboil for Christmas though, If you need a hot drink, you need a hot drink, cover the bases!