LGP Eddie

Almost certainly? Like I say just taken at face value but certainly has to be more to it? Some Guys would jump at a new 3 tonner for £70 a week in September and hand it back come late spring. Buy a grab and you’re sorted. Eddie.

Had to look twice at this on Twitter?? No idea of the in’s and out’s but the 3 tonner’s paid for Lunchtime Monday at that price! Eddie.

Then chuck it in the bin and actually try them real world. Paper specs for dimensions only, the figures for horsepower, flows, breakout forces etc are absolute lottery stuff. Even the same machines side by side brand new are generally different. Eddie.

Lovely to see a machine properly guarded for once, but when it comes to Grab only, you’d go Fixed mount on an Excavator every time if funds allow. Eddie.

Guessing the Head will be approaching or in the teens, but Mecanil kit gets a massive thumbs up from me, and I’ve taken the larger head way outside it’s comfort zone for extended working periods. Don’t look at anything but the Radio Remote version, the control this brings is incredible. A Fixed Head Grapple Saw on an Excavator is the most frustrating piece of kit ever! Westtech cs580 and cs780 Heads are a fantastic piece of engineering from guys who clearly understood the issues they bring, and built in features needed to try and eliminate them. As for the Carrier, something small, reduced tail and the twin dual acting auxiliary circuits. Kubota U27 or Volvo Ecr25 would be a starting point that would handle the Head, but loads of options as you work up the weights. Brackets to suit a dangle mount would be negligible cost anyway if you needed to change. Unbelievably I would consider those Self Drive rates just posted as Expensive! Absolutely crazy what machines can be hired for considering their actual purchase price. Eddie.

Firstly the U20 in Expanding undercarriage form is a straightforward No! The reason for this is the horrendous lack of ground clearance due to the design of the box section slides. The standard version is fine. Grapple Saws I cannot recommend whatsoever on an Excavator with Fixed Mount, they are a complete bastard as soon as you take them away from straight cross cutting. It’s a complete subject in itself and an expensive one!? The tool you need and it will serve you well in all kinds of applications is a Mecanil SG160 with Radio Remote control. Quite simply this Head dangle mounted with rotator to a suitable machine with two dual acting auxiliary circuits would be unreal. 350mm Cut, absolutely no hassle, just grab it and cut, you can angle it to suit the slope, limbs etc. Load, stack, cross cut, fell, whatever. Then there’s the fact you can mount it on larger carriers if required to do bigger jobs requiring more reach. As for the carrier machine, it’s almost secondary in this situation. I’d buy the Head and Hire the machine for the first job whilst I found my feet. Hiring means you can get a new machine likely to have the necessary pipework, and if you need larger/smaller you can swap it. You’ll learn an awful lot about what may be your ideal purchase. This video shows a similar very simple head on a Kubota, the Mecanil has way more tricks up it’s sleeve than this. See the U20’s Undercarriage design? Eddie.

What max cut diameter are you realistically hoping for? Eddie.

Very popular in Europe, but literally going crazy for them in America. As ever the UK will warm to it in ten years time!? Eddie.

Don’t mind admitting to being slightly nervous, but I was up at Molson’s Workshops yesterday to see how far off the Sennebogen 718 Mobile is off being ready to go. Loads of compliance stuff being added at present, but delighted it should be available from December. Full range of attachments to shakedown on this first, and looking forward to getting it away from prying eyes and seeing what it can really do. Eddie.

I think you’ll find it should be all down to Safety and cost should be a secondary consideration? If they have the room then they’ll crash them over, if they want them taken down in controlled sections without any manual intervention then I can offer something far more effective and safer than any Harvester. As for cut to length, I wouldn’t look at it as essential to have it exact, plenty of outlets and transport options always available, but it’s near enough if I wanted it to be and I’ve no issues handling after. Harvesters are strong bits of kit, but lifting and handling is where Material Handlers excel. Eddie.

Not a job for a Harvester if you need to consider the surrounding trees. I’ve the kit to get such trees down in safety without manual intervention and need little room to do it. Eddie.

Took me an age to crack it on an Excavator, but got it now. Eddie.

Won’t be the cheapest I’d expect, but Pladett gear is top quality and a fully integrated unit not a rotator bolted to a grab unit. I’ll find out more but I’d expect touch over 3k with Head Bracket.

Spotted this lovely little Selector Grab whilst out at the Pladett factory this week. Only 75kg and beautifully made with 3 years warranty. Certainly turn a 1.5 tonner into a versatile tool.? They also had the smallest Powertilt I’d ever seen? Eddie.

You’d be surprised just what they can do! If you can still find a tidy Takeuchi TB016 that isn’t crazy money, there’s little risk to dipping a toe in, apart from ending up with a kit addiction!?

Can’t really convey what a journey it’s been so far with this machine, but cracking it now. Have a new Felling Head landing shortly for it, moving away from Big Shears, they have their place, but not for me. Hard to scale, but touching nearly 19 metres of outreach or height in this configuration with extension and around 13 metres when the Engcon and Shears are on it. Seriously versatile and productive now. Eddie. 8CCFEDAA-780B-4618-8F8E-C8DABA49BFFD.MP4 EF984694-4DE5-4F8D-9A0B-FDEEAD9EF0E1.mp4

All change at present with my Kobelco unit now sold and I’m concentrating efforts on getting the Liebherr setup with some new attachments, plus a Low Ground Pressure Unit in build. The Kobelco went as a package and part of it was to supply this total beast of an Intermercato TG55 SR5 Grab. I’m having this fitted out with an Engcon Ec-Oil to fit the Kobelco’s setup for them. This opens up to some 2450mm and down to 150mm. Can’t wait to see it finished should be some tool, biggest I’ve supplied as yet.? On the Tiltrotator front, I was delighted to see SMP finally getting a Dealer up and running in the UK and putting out a nice setup paired with the superb EMA Buckets. In no way a poor relation SMP from talking to owners of some serious setups in Sweden. Their Hardlock quick hitch is a really nice unit. I was pretty surprised at prices quoted for this 13 tonner setup with Gripper. My prediction is we’re going to see a lot more. Eddie.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council used to run what looked like a reverse silage trailer with shaft running straight through it and a wheeled PTO chipper towed behind it. Some tool in its day and I was poking Birch into it with a 13 tonner, no grabs or grapples, just the bucket.?

Did some with Concrete Sleepers, sounds horrendous, but decide for yourselves? First row upside down to form a footing, then stacked using the angled sides to best advantage to form a slope profile. Backfill as you put each layer in, and stagger the joints. Eddie.

Who was after the Rubber Duck with Two Piece Boom? No better home than where this came from.? https://www.mascus.co.uk/construction/used-construction-other/other-2013-volvo-ew140d-ew140d/virnykqj.html Eddie.

Must be nearly 10k in a good serviceable Kesla Stroke Head and Computer ready to go again? Eddie.

Someone had the Bobcat and Kesla away at 16k apparently.? Eddie.

Someone had the Bobcat and Kesla away at 16k apparently.? Eddie.

They’re bitumen type things torched on I believe. These has been in and out, were in perfect condition, the posts apart from the obvious weathering were as good as new ready to go again. Eddie.

Pulled a temporary fence line out a few weeks ago, been in over 4 years with the Postsaver sleeves on. First experience I’ve had too see how they last and all the posts were perfect. Generally at 4 years old now many would have simply snapped off, all these were good to go again like new. Eddie.