LGP Eddie

Trip up the road literally to see the JCB sale.

Impressive line up of machines, beautifully presented ready for Tuesday.

The non CE marked for spares only row is always interesting, giving the odd clue what they’re working on.

Plenty in the spares for the odd project.

Eddie.

I’m meaning working with HSE and get some basic guidelines in place, preferably before it ends up like the Climbing shit storm.

I’ve no interest in making money from it or card schemes.

I simply want some to pull their socks up a bit so nobody loses out long term.

Eddie.

A Cut and Hold Shear is fine if the base machine is simply large enough to carry it and the bit between the levers and seat a reasonable level of competence.

To raise the factor of safety you lower the cut capacity and increase the carriers lifting capacity, either more weight or less reach.

I have worked out a very simple formula that each setup can be benchmarked against.

It ignores absolutely everything in terms of the machine spec/load chart etc and works with the actual setup presented for compliance inspection.

It’s never going to be perfect, but it would represent a massive leap forward in terms of safety and is extremely simple to understand/implement.

What it would also do is allow guys who don’t quite comply to have many options to do so without huge expense.

If anyone knows where to start I’m happy to sit down and put the case over.

Eddie.

I have worked out how to bring in sensible guidelines that at least ensure the base machine and Shear are compatible and the machine setup correctly for it’s intended use without massive hoops or needless expense.

Also the basics of a sensible course content for Operators of such setups.

Problem is where do you even start?

I’d have thought better to go to the HSE now and say these basic steps will go an awful long way to bringing more compliant setups and competent Operators, than await a tragic accident, with the inevitable heading off to the Forestry industry for an answer they won’t find there, as it’s a new industry Mechanised De-Vegetation.

At this point CPCS covers all attachments on a 360 and a Tree Shear is not a lifting appliance.

It should be tested under Puwer to give evidence that it’s in good order.

FMOC of no use whatsoever on any Rail or Highway project I’ve ever been on.

Eddie.

5 minutes ago, john meehan said:

Never seen a thing but think I might go to.

John

I wonder if they do on site training, they can come out to my Liebherr!

Joking apart it’ll come, but based on and benchmarked against what?

You fit a Shear, if the machine can lift it then it’s good to go, open the roof hatch, front window and door, grab something, if it cuts it great, if not wiggle until it breaks off anyway, if you can hold it good, if you can’t throw it before the machine tips over and repeat.?

Eddie.

Stumbled upon this and thought I might book myself in, could be an interesting day.

Anyone ever seen a scrap of Industry or HSE guidance on using a Tree Shear?

Anyone else ever seen any Training Courses for one?

Eddie.

Jack, just buy yourself a Tractor and Trailer.

The country is full of them doing NFG transport of all kinds, and you’ll be able to get a kid to drive it to save a bit more.?

Eddie.

Close enough for Steve Foster Cranes.

Eddie.

What’s the base machine?

Eddie.

According to Shaun Rototilt UK are Dealers for the Multi-X range.

The setup shown is around £500, and it sold well into double figures of couplers at the Demo which shows what people are thinking of it.

I know from bitter experience one single screw in 3/4 port in my Ec-Oil connection block is £300 a pop to replace!

Eddie.

They do loads of sizes/options, and even electrical kits.

Personally I’d be doing a bit of legwork and seeing who’s doing them in Scandinavia, as they really do utilise these an almost every install.

They’re readily available and I’ve seen stands full at the shows in Sweden.

Been a bit of behind the scenes push back going on in terms of the current ridiculous pricing of parts from Tiltrotator manufacturers, what a bit of Google, e mail and a few calls can achieve is staggering!

Eddie.

It’s all in the details and despite this being the most popular way of installs in Scandinavia and seen over here on Loader Tractors for some time they haven’t really caught on yet.

However with the cost of fully automatic quick couplers like Ec-Oil and Oil Quick plus the ridiculous price of parts for them, this Multi-X coupler offers a real alternative to getting your Tiltrotator unit off in seconds with no drama.

It was able to be disconnected and connected with the machine running, only the electrical plug above to complete the task.

It did set me thinking what a difference this could make to the usual Arb/De-Veg setups, where residual pressures in pipes and leaking fittings can produce all sorts of hassles.

Going from Shear to Grab could be seconds of a job with no hassle whatsoever.

Shaun is absolutely delighted with the upgrade and it’s made a real difference.

Eddie.

That’s the Turret not the ring, it could be kept narrow to enable it to get back down to 1100mm wide with tracks retracted.

No saying it doesn’t flare out at the ring to give a larger bearing surface.

Some nice setups, the Komatsu Pc30 is absolute full spec, Tracking and Blade functions are on the joysticks via proportional rollers.

Kubota Kx57 just as quick as ever.

Couple of lovely Volvo Ec140’s

Big one for me was the Takeuchi TB290 with Two piece boom and Tiltrotator.

Fair setup, way faster and much smoother than I remembered the Kubota, good power and huge cab.

However it’s all just too much for it, I had my machines, cut, lengthened and widened in the track frame and fitted with 900mm tracks.

I was able to use all the performance through 360 degrees, this would even pick itself up over the end if provoked, and cross carriage wouldn’t be for everyone.

Goes under the has all the potential, needs a trip to Scotland to unleash its full potential!

The bit you never see, but this is where the money goes, the worm drive.

Eddie.

Brilliant day at the Rototilt Demo.

Plenty of kit to try, experienced operators with their setups and I got to scratch a few itches in terms of machines I’d hoped to catch up with.

Rototilt not shy with the catering or goodies for anyone attending, and fair play to them for putting on such a great event.

If you can get tomorrow, well worth it.

Takeuchi Tb225 was actually bigger than I’d somehow anticipated, was handling the Rototilt R1 with ease, even though this version had the removable gripper cassette installed.

Running off the twin auxiliary circuits of the Takeuchi, with a changeover from Tilt to Gripper, it represented a brilliant towable package, and I liked it.

Main downside is the expanding undercarriage that requires straight beams to function and this reduces clearance dramatically over traditional X frame undercarriage design.

Big machine that slims down to 1100mm and clearly capable of some serious work.

The Rototilt adds another dimension, and credit to Takeuchi it was brilliantly controllable via the standard pipework and proportional rollers in the joysticks.

Eddie.

Just a heads up that Rototilt are putting on a Dig Day event tomorrow and Saturday, right off the M1 in Northampton.

The list of machines does include a few favourites for Arb/De-Veg and my good mate Shaun Gratton will have his Komatsu mini there which are a pretty rare tool.

The Takeuchi TB290 is a Two Piece Boom model for those that have never experienced what a difference this geometry brings.

Going myself to try a Takeuchi Tb225 with the Rototilt R1 on, has to be a right up there combination for anyone needing a towable solution.

Eddie.

Farmer ain’t having one, but the Estate Manager is going to look cool with his arm out the window of it.??

44 minutes ago, GA Groundcare said:

Not sure how anyone can say that’s shit...?

Doesn’t matter what they turned out, there’s no money in trying to put 5 years warranty on a 20k version built to be dogged to destruction by the average hill farmer.

Take 20k more off someone who will use it basically as an executive van at worst.

They’re all just opinions at the end of the day.

Yes, the 2.2 just lost that bit of low down torque, but it’ll go well enough.

If I wanted more from it, it’s a simple process, and in many respects that’s still the appeal for many, you pay the money and you can have what you want.

Yes they can all be made something different, but out of the crate, a 2.4 and six speed is on another level.

Not only in engine/gearbox, the updates and convenience packs made a real difference to daily use.

The 2.2 is just gutless by comparison.

Had them one after another in series and worked them hard.

300tdi would have a special fondness, but nothing comes close to the 2.4.

I’m talking standard vehicles, with money they can all be made something completely different.

Guy on Twitter in the Plant job, built his own and is now starting up doing them by the look of things.

He must think there’s something in it, but from my experience with machines, boy there’s going to be some legwork to do and wankers to deal with!

Eddie.

I’ll second that, ran a Farmi 260hfc with conveyor and it was happiest on a 120hp Valtra. Larger tractors didn’t add anything apart from twisted lemon tubes!

You can run them on 540, and you’d undoubtedly do something even with 50hp, but not really a matched productive setup.

As for conifers it wouldn’t be the best, they have a habit of wrapping material around the feed rollers, easy to eliminate when you have the feed conveyor and can reverse it all out, but I’d imagine a nightmare by hand.

Not taking anything away from the Farmi, I had great success with it and wouldn’t hesitate to purchase if I needed another.

Eddie.

Not my thing obviously, and looking like a total shit storm brewing, but how will this impact the one that always puzzles me as an onlooker.

How many ropes will you now need to ride the crane hook legally?

Eddie.

The Terex Duck got sold and seems to be giving good service to it’s new owner from the images he posts up.

Quite easy to end up there if it was John Craig’s Kx57 Demonstrator around the show circuit, and could just be someone snapped it up to move on.

Simply posted it up as it’s a relevant machine package to many guys here.

I’d assume most would do their homework before any deal especially anything e bay.

Eddie.