LGP Eddie

We’re going to see more of them and a few Backhoe’s again too as Vosa continue to ramp up getting these Tractors/Mogs and Low loaders running illegally off the road. Eddie.

If you're 8" down in someones lawn, you should have stopped a long while ago and thought of a better plan. Who's comparing sub 2 tonne to 2.8/3 tonners anyway, different classes and they both have a place. I was merely saying a Takeuchi TB225 @ 2.4 tonne will suit many guys on here, they'll fetch exactly the same rate as a 2.8 tonner, not rip the arse out of your truck towing, and a fair chance of getting all your kit on the trailer legally. It'll also manage a decent days work and get in where no 2.8 tonner can, as being able to magically take 400mm off the machine width for access isn't to be ignored. I think general Arb and landscaping applications are getting a bit crossed with woodland and site clearance. Eddie.

Nothing special, it’s a 400kg Plate Compactor, but shows with the tracks blown out, the TB225 gives a pretty square footprint and all round stability. If after a Grab is fitted you can comfortably do a 300kg lump at full stick without nodding, a reasonable Operator is going to shift some stuff without breaking sweat in a shift.? Eddie.

It’s not a straightforward comparison, Takeuchi have carved this niche themselves, and for the vast amount of guys on here wanting to tow a machine easily to site with a few bits like a fixed grab, rake, and flail etc, plus be able to access more places it’s a great option. If you’re simply trying to duck under the 7.5 tonner route and want a full fat powerhouse then the Kubota Kx030-4 must be on any shortlist, but plenty of options out there. Expanding undercarriage clearance isn’t the best for the woods, but that’s not where a TB225 would be a first choice anyway. However plenty on here will have taken a TB016 with similar setup some places with no issues. Eddie.

If you consider your average 1 tonne Hi Tip Dumper is 1100mm plus on the wider tyres, that this will inevitably get paired with on awkward access jobs, I’d consider the fact you can get 2.3 tonne of machine in with a decent punch down to 1100mm an advantage, especially when the same machine can open out and do most of a full fat 3 tonners work too. Not riding the towing limit is going to make for a much better experience all round living with it, and for many guys on here who simply need a machine to replace men in donkey work, it’ll make a great option. My opinion is they’ll sell a lot, and they’ll always hold strong money. Eddie.

It’s a bit more than expanding tracks on the TB225, pretty much a usp of being able to get down to 1100mm wide to squeeze pretty much where a 1.5 tonne class machine would go, and then back out to 1500mm for stability. The weight means that a good range of attachments can be legally carrried no hassles on the trailer. The machine is basically the supersize TB016 everyone wanted, and from the look of it the residual will be rock solid. If you want to go to the wire on the towing limit and fixed tracks, loads of options available of which the Kubota Kx030-4 has to be considered a fair weapon. Eddie.

Got you now.? Most just go with a six way valve mounted either on the Grab itself or can be done a lot neater on the machine with a bit of effort. I tell people not to use the horn button, it’s a safety item marked up by the manufacturer, instead a foot mounted horn type switch or pedal can be utilised for ease of use to control the changeover from Grab to Rotate. You’ll need in line restrictors to get the Rotate something like controllable, hence doing the 6 way valve well back on the machine giving you the ability to get them in and pipe it tidy like an normal extra pipe circuit would look. Another way if offset is controlled by a pedal, you can tap into this with a six way valve and pipe it up from there for another circuit. Offset circuits can be lower pressure and flow, so try it on a rotator first, it should have enough to power it ok. Fitting another circuit properly is possible, quite simply it’ll cost! Crunch some numbers on a fully piped TB225, with a fair confidence it’s going to be worth a good old chunk of what you give for it for quite a long time to come. They are such a brilliant weight, plenty of capacity left to carry attachments with you, and the ability to almost get where 1.5 tonners can, but still pack a punch. Eddie.

I'd be surprised to even see a TB225 for sale used yet? Going to be absolutely rock solid on residuals, is there any about used? Eddie.

I seem to come up against some obviously nice guys, but with the greatest respect they’ve never done the job and know absolutely nothing about kit. I know for a fact it’s being looked at, I’ve been asked, but I’ll not get involved unless the HSE are around the table, I want their take on it not others who actually see a profit angle in piling a load of regulation onto guys running kit. Sadly an incident will occur and possibly it’ll all get banned whilst the fallout lands and knee jerk regulations take place. Suppliers have to wake up and be more responsible, media is awash with Tree Shears and Mulcher’s working away, no guards, marguard screens, doors open, top windows open, tracking about swinging big lumps about over the machine etc. Some of the irresponsible selling of Shears to fit carriers is shocking. At the APF there were machines that were actually incapable of picking the actual shear up full stretch over the side within the machines lift chart, and that’s before it cut anything! The other point is the actual guys on the ground. You can have a Chainsaw ticket for pretty much any eventuality, but where’s the Cutter/Banksman Ticket or Excavator assisted Felling type training. In the last couple of years I’ve been at the mercy of what’s been supplied to work with me, it’s ranged from top skilled guys who’s numbers I have and will happily call on in future, to lads I’d not trust to fetch the leg off a coffee table! I think we’re past the point already of being able to be trusted to do it ourselves, and the usual suspects have spied a chance to cash in. I predict guarding and the use of marguard screens to be compulsory soon enough, with some form of qualification available for guys on the ground working with the kit. I hate to see machines being used without guards, but I also understand at this point if nobody’s enforcing it and the manufacturers want over 6.5k for it, there’s not a lot of incentive for change. Eddie.

It’s all above my pay grade, I’ll stick to pulling the levers and trying to put decent kit together. It seems wherever you drop off the lowloader these days someone wants another piece of paper or something else fitting to the machine, but nobody wants to pay for it. As for the jokers that come and look over the kit or how you’re operating, you can’t make up the shit they come out with. Bloke came to test me on the Liebherr before I could use it on a job, I’d the cab up when he landed and I had to drop it down, big shear under the Engcon setup hanging off the end. He said, “they tell me this is yours?” yes I replied, “they’ve sent me to test you on it, but f@@k me you’d never get me up there in that!” “Can you sign here I’ll fill the rest in and you can crack on” Absolutely unreal. Eddie.

I’d rather the Factory item at a reasonable premium, but suspect I’ll be ordering the Cabcare item next week. Machine setups have gone way ahead in an industry that isn’t now Arb or Forestry. Mechanised De-Vegetation is probably more accurate in its description and I predict a raft of catching up being done in terms of Operator Training/Certification and regulation of machine setups. The FC can stick to Forestry and the AA to Arb, something is needed real fast to represent guys with kit, before it gets picked up as a cash cow for us all to have to go around another ill thought out money spinner yet again! Eddie.

Still on break Thanks. Just over the hill now and looking forward to getting back at it. You did well to ensure pipework was fitted, that gets expensive real quick!? Eddie.

I don’t overly buy into being certified if properly designed or constructed by a known quantity in the Industry. The whole Excavators in Tree Works is due a massive shake up, but anyone who’s done a bit knows that properly designed and installed guards from experienced UK manufacturers for this specific work are far superior to many of the actual factory items that may have other applications in mind. Absolutely no use having 100mm spacing between bars or bars of 2.0mm plate! My Kubota was done by Jcc Group and was designed for the job. You’d not expect to see certified on a nicely guarded up Valtra, most are done from experience with skilled guys building a real world setup. Some form of Inspection/tag is required where guys can have setups built by suitably qualified/experienced guys with the correct welding qualifications, steel codes etc, plus relevant industry experience, then inspected after. A basic set of guidelines could be provided to such installers, or simply an approved installer scheme? Cabcare are the off the shelf guys out there, but they don’t do a huge range and don’t necessarily cater for tree work as a first priority. They actually do one for the JS145, looks tidy, but the test is always how much vision to you lose on the front/top join. Done properly you can keep this to an absolute minimum. Eddie.

Yes absolutely aware of the fact it’s not a Volume selling item etc, but that is really coming in at machined out of solid unobtainium prices. I’d like to see JCB step up and offer them at realistic prices going forward simply on having a responsibility to ensure guys can get hold of genuine Factory design/tested safety items without profiteering. The real test will be to order a JS145, leave the guarding off the quote and then call back at the last to have it added on? Anyone think it’s going to add over 6.5k to the deal then? The item on the Kobelco at the APF is the Factory Kobelco item I wanted on my Kobelco SK270 and Molson failed to supply it. They utilised a setup they have manufactured for them, which cost them dear as it ended up being shipped back to be put right as it simply restricted the view too much, the brackets were shite and the the general fit not much better. The genuine item is tested and has a neat opening system with gas struts. They’ve gone onto fitting them now, they were installed on a 140 and 8 tonner when I was in the workshop last. Eddie.

I do get a bit excited on the whole subject of Tree Shears or even Tree Work in general with Unguarded Excavator Cabs, and fail to see how any RAMS could actually overlook it. So thought I’d best practice what I preach for the JCB Js145 I’m currently having specced up. Best go the factory route for the Front and Top FOPS Guards, they’ll be tested/plated and hopefully fit no issues. A call to my local JCB Dealer after a search of the brilliant online parts, soon had the guy at off for his best price on them. The e mail arrived and to say it’s since caused a shit storm would put it mildly! I know it’s at top level currently at JCB, and I want a decent answer, because if this is part of the reason why guys are risking running machines without proper protection, then things need to change? I’ve added the parts diagram, and remember these are the discounted prices plus vat. The Top Guard is £4200 The Front Guard is £2100 All the associated bits of fixings and struts come to around £350. Yes add that up, over 6.5k to guard a cab!? That’s heading for a reasonable budget for a 1.5 tonne machine! I can get an aftermarket tested item for £1800 of a different design by comparison. It’s really highlighted the question for me why guys can find the money for attachments but not for the correct guarding for the carrier machine? If ridiculous pricing on what are safety items is part of the issue, it needs to highlighted and hopefully addressed to keep these items affordable. Eddie.

My question with regard to the phone is it’s usually very telling if someone feels the need to get themselves in a good position and film the operation about to be undertaken. In general it points straight away that it’s something out of the ordinary for them, or there’s some element of risk they perceive in the operation. I wouldn’t think it unusual in the first few days for someone to film one of my machines taking a big bite or whatever, they perhaps haven’t witnessed larger machines working and no issues. In general when guys have settled down you almost know when the phones will come out. Always on the difficult bits, bigger lumps, pull ropes, winching etc and generally like someone watching Motor Racing they don’t want it to go wrong, but if it does it adds a bit of interest. It leads me to the situation here, someone on that phone is filming that because it’s not an operation they’re familiar with or they perceive an element of it going wrong? I’ve not seen the need for good teams to film themselves every cut and I’d think most teams worthy of being in the job could drop that without incident, stunt felling or the need to film each other? My main point is, if one of the team says, “hang on I want to film this” take a pause and ask them why, what’s so unusual, and do they see a chance of something going wrong? Then tell them to put the bloody thing away and get some work done!? Eddie.

I prefer Experienced, but if there’s a few quid more for a Real World machine Operator, I’ll give it a go!? Eddie.

Absolutely, that would have been played on the Truck bonnet by a few having a morning brief this week perhaps? That’s after gathering them up, getting them off their phone, stopping them talking or looking like the Flying Scotsman pulling out of Kings Cross on a cold morning by puffing away on a vape! All whilst the quiet one ticks all the boxes on a telephone book of paperwork that’s all put back in the ‘pack’ if you want it. I’ve had enough of these generic glaze overs to know they’re generally just a routine and as long as the paperwork is done all is good to go. The industry screams out for the Foreman role, someone with some respect and some bite to his bark. No need for conflict, being asked to pack your stuff, go home and await a call is shock enough for most to realise they’ve overstepped the mark. Proper experienced guys leading projects and utilising the team in the best way, use the skills of the people around them to deliver projects safely, whilst nurturing new talent within a team. Buy all the Tickets you want, join every association going, but you can never buy experience. Guys need to know what’s expected of them, not be scared to ask for help, have no fear of speaking up at a briefing, and everyone should at all times feel able to just say can we stop and have another look at this first? I’ve nothing to add about the video that is pretty hard to watch, I sincerely hope the guy made a speedy and full recovery, it’s a very tragic gift to guys like myself running kit in educating that could be done without manual intervention. One question for me would be who’s got the phone out filming and why? Eddie.

CPCS can be gained on a Saturday morning and categories added in about an hour! The whole lot stinks, goalposts move every few years, bent tickets everywhere and the simple fact they are totally meaningless! Plenty of lads on here I’d bet are far safer on kit with no tickets than some of the idiots with them! If NPORS can get you on cheaper, go for it, they’re just a Ticket to open the door, not if you can Operate it or not! Eddie.

Five Years!! No regrets on that purchase I’d think!? Eddie.

Couple more images from access the pond. Eddie.

Think you’re all getting unduly worried. Mecalac have them setup so when you’re using them as a Skidsteer loader you drive/steer with one hand, then operate like a normal loader with the other. When you open her out as an Excavator so to speak it’s back on the two Joysticks again. Been a slow burner for a long while, guys like Graham Sandercock who went first do some fantastic work with them, but still a hard thing to even get to see, let alone a full demo. Hope to get a decent go myself one day. Eddie.

Waited yesterday with much anticipation of an opinion from a very trusted source across the Atlantic. Basically Engcon North America had put on a Dig Day with the help of Mecalac, and it was the first time I could actually speak with someone I trusted to get an opinion on if the Tiltrotator unit would integrate on the brilliant Mcr Mecalac? The guy I know comes from just outside New York, and mostly via Twitter messenger I’ve helped him put together his own full LGP Kubota setup with Engcon that he’s having great success with. First report came in and he really rated the Mecalac, and surprisingly from someone who actually owns and runs dedicated Compact Tracked Loaders, he was full of praise for its ability as a Skidsteer. As for the Engcon, his thoughts are it doesn’t integrate perfectly when using as a Loader, but obviously was fantastic for other duties, with the Mecalac handling it easily. Mecalac really need such events over here, they’ve the dealers and backup now, just people can’t get their hands on them to try. Matt’s Kubota Note the 4 way Blade we don’t get! The Mecalac Mcr with Engcon fitted and the Loader Bucket on. Eddie.

Didn’t say all their models, but the ET65 and ET90 especially are superb packages. The difference is Wacker Neuson are evolving fast, listening to Customers and Market requirements, whilst Kubota won’t update anything for years, and have seemingly focused on larger tractors. I’m still a huge fan of Kubota for their build and reliability, but they’re genuinely getting left behind which is sad to see. Eddie.

Kubota can’t compare to some of that Wacker Neuson kit now, and that new Dual View Dumper they’ve launched will sell in boat loads for them. They’ve done the job that all the other manufacturers couldn’t, and will reap the rewards. Top bit of kit. Eddie.