gensetsteve

I know I asked a similar question about 2 years ago. I know I need to get something bought before our trusty 525 leaves me high and dry. I need about 2.5 - 3 tonne lift. Any opinions on the late stuff. New stuff seems expensive and electronic. We won't work it to death probably less than 5 hours a week but sick of old stuff. Old tele handlers seem to hold there money and look totally knackered after 10 years on a farm.

Man packing = pair of shorts on. pair in pocket. Buy your t shirts and 2 in one shower gel when u get there.

My dad lives in Elounda nice place to visit with the island of spinalonga if you fancy a short boat trip and walk round. The island still had leapers on it in the 1950's

I had a woodmizer for a couple of years going out to site with it never appealed. People will want to pay for results. If the mill plays up or breaks down onsite and needs parts you will need to drag it home and blow the day. If it's set up in your yard ready to go and breaks you can order parts and fall back on another job. I can't remember many enquiries for milling on site but then I never went looking for work so the demand could be out there. I would advertise the service if the work comes in team up with someone that has a mill and share the job. If no work comes in you have not blown your whole wad on an idle machine.

There are plenty of people with hammer mills and brick machines happy to spend hours and £2 in electric to get £2.50 a bag for there produce. Or get an incinerator to heat the workshop/ house. Doesn't need to be high tech just a bit of pipe running through and a control method to stop it chalking up.

I only do about 30 tonnes a year now but get some butts that can be 20-30 inches across. Both my ms39 have packed up would this be a good saw or should I go ms440.

Same age same out look. Even did the caravan holidays a few years ago. It's easier to count my holidays than working days. I book in 3 days work a week if I can't be bothered the rest of the week I dont. Teacher training days are ideal days out as everywhere is quiet. If you take regular holidays you are more effective when working rather than grind yourself into a hole. Don't get me wrong I have my fair share of 14 hrs a day 7 days a week if I am in the mood for it. Your only here once don't spend it at work.

I think the mild weather for the last few years has slowed the firewood business. After the cold winters everyone jumped on the band wagon and I bet a lot of big players got stuck with stock. The chancers that did not realise the work or investment will have fallen away now. You should now have genuine people with a good product. If you have a cold winter you should all do well. With so many kilns about now if it drops cold there may not be so much of a shortage as before as certain merchants will be able to react quickly.

If you do manage to get a bit more height watch the c of g especially if you use mesh sides the tt85 as it is sits high. I have a tt105 and that almost hugs the ground in comparison.

I can't help with the chip but could help with removing timber if needed. Not sure where you would take chip near Winchester.

The more you try to accommodate the more it blows up in your face. Even though I said personal collection no couriers his courier arranged to collect Monday so booked the day off site and he was a no show. Then shows on Wednesday with no notice as you can imagine I got neg feedback because I was 200 miles away. If they collect and pay cash it's easier as they are sure they are happy with their purchase if they really feel it is not as described I even help with fuel costs can't say fairer than that.

I don't like posting out on eBay The reason is if you post they then want to pay with PayPal so more money down the drain + ebay commission. You then she'll out for postage. They then open a case or deny it arrived and you have lost the item the postage and the fees if you don't pursue it. I am sure most like steve are genuine but it's just not worth the risk. It's a shame as there must be other workshops filling up with stuff that could be recycled and made use of.

I think when I looked into getting our own white tank butlers were about 3 p a litre cheaper than the fuel card. May be worth talking to them as they will deliver 500 litres. The reason I stuck with the fuel card is the risk of theft or leakage to save a couple of pence a litre. It amazes me what you can transport in an ibc yet when it arrives in the yard it needs to be in a bunded tank.

I bought a small forklift 3 years ago that had the original 1986 air filter in it with 3000 hrs on the clock. Mind it did not look as impressive as yours

Pick a dead still day and make sure you have no machinery or thisles thorns etc near by if it blows off you can have another go but if it lands on a hay turner life gets a bit more stressful.

I sympathise with them because as individuals they are powerless o stand up to the big boys but they must belong to an organisation that can create some havoc. If I was not happy with the money I got for my logs I don't think I would buy them and give them away. Who is that hurting exactly ? Who is even more out of pocket.

You could be right the land has doubled in value he may have parked some money there for retirement. How much would he get in the bank. My isa just dropped to 0.8 % if your skint money in the pocket is great but if your getting on and have worked hard for 30 years plus it's time to invest and slow down.

Making babies

Drill feels hardly run in. I had two drills and four batteries the other drill is as new but stuck on hammer. So my drill has seen of four 18 volt 3.4 amp batteries. It always seems like for an extra tenner you can have a new drill as well and now it's lithium technology. Pattern Chinese batteries are £44 ea . I bought 20 drills with charger and 2 batteries for £95 a piece. But they were reduced from £200 each.

That's good going I remember getting good results with the new Panasonic not that good though. These days we are down to 50 wood screws on a fresh charge. Leave the battery a week and it's flat.

Ring hitches clank more when the trailer is a little tail end heavy. If the fuel tank is near the hitch keeping that full can sometimes improve things. I prefer ring hitch at least you know it's not. going to fall off if you collect a customers machine and they have worn out the coupling.

Cord or arb a risings ?

I found syc, maple, beech, ash and birch all very good and similar. I did not get on so well with oak, poplar, willow, elder or lime

Like most things in life the cards can work well but take your eye off the ball and they will give you a right shafting. The reason I have two cards is to get the best price. But I notice the card companies list the advantages of a card and price is at the bottom. If I use a bunkering she'll garage ( all motorway ones) it's 92p if I use one off the major routes it's £1.30 not funny in an Amazon. Both my cards were free now they are trying to charge me £30'for the next 3 years. If your bank account suffers a glitch they will charge £30 for a missed dd If you loose or wear the card out £40 for a new one. No loyalty points with a card which negates most of the savings. Signing in to get your statement can be more ball ache than checking your paper credit card at the end of the month. They start off good prices but Ifyou spend less than 8k a month they start shafting you on price. If you spend that sort of money get two suppliers then take the business away from them and then squeeze their balls they are a snakey lot. All in all if I did not have the cards I would give them a miss.

I can understand why people starting out go in cheap. I own my workshop and all kit is paid for if I was starting out servicing generators i could not compete with me. I bet at times I quote 2005 prices with out realising it due to being too busy. If you go in cheap work hard and make your mark you can put your prices up later it's not a contract for life. I don't need to work for peanuts if the phone goes quiet I help the wife make kindling or bolt the junk back together in the yard and get it up the auction.