LGP Eddie

This is talk of the town at present in the Digger circles and it's great that such innovation is finally coming from JCB. It's basically a Midi Rubber Duck that has reinvented the wheel, by utilising what could loosely be described as a Loadall undercarriage, compete with 4 wheel steer and the engine down below, side mounted. It should give stability on another level, and also provide the opportunity for some real hp to give towing ability, plus I would expect attachment carrying/powering without loss from the base machine, in such roles as flail mowing. I have seen one in the flesh, and travel speed was really something that had to be witnessed! Visibility is just on another level, along with virtually no tailswing. It's a case of wait and see what the launch brings, but if they can put some real quality in it, the market is ready. JCB are of huge importance in our area, and I wish them every success with it. Link to JCB launch countdown. JCB | H Y D R A D I G | Eddie.

No Dick was on it, we had a few laughs and got the job done, just how it should be. Eddie.

Sorry missed the bit about the Long Reach, they are actually lovely to operate, but really fast, shockingly so at first, but you soon get into it! It's Goulds Fendt and FAE Mulcher. Eddie.

Thanks for all the kind words, it's nice when what is a bit of a punt at getting a solution right comes together thanks to the hard efforts of all involved. Yes it's Dick's Mulcher, never met him before this, but met his Father many times and always great to talk to him, did a great job and pleasure to work with. That is the Mulchings Stephen on the right of the track. Eddie.

Just a few of a Rhodie job that simply couldn't be burnt or mulched by excavator due to a road in close proximity. We used a long reach and grab to stack the material on the track, and then put a Tractor and mulcher through it. Having raked the sides in again, the mulcher did a final pass, leaving the material ready to be removed and the track exposed again. I'm just finishing off clearing the road with 13tonner and Tilt bucket, but I'm delighted with the results. Eddie.

Liking that Stephen, knows what he wants and got it built. Eddie.

It's surprising how much I use the walking leg to move dead and windblown stuff around, and by simply stabbing it with one of the teeth you can actually lift material around quite easily. It's transformed the job, and results much less damage to surrounding trees, as material is dragged away from them and then mulched. Very kind comments thanks, I'm only as good as my last job, and taught old school, always leave a job happy to pay for it yourself! Eddie.

Almost impossible to quantify, as so many variables on sites. The simple fact is it takes a good chunk of manpower to achieve anything like the same production, and they have to find a way of disposal, be it burning or chipping too. It's still mulching at the same rate come knocking off time as it was at the start of the shift too. This setup leaves a nice finish, with the bonus that stumps are gone, even the real big ones ripped out, turned over and mulched, making follow up easy work. Once Mulched it's generally just left, but I have done areas where using the Mulcher with closed doors with a few passes it was able to be seeded. I price some jobs, and straightforward all in day rate on others, but obviously it excels in terrain where the Tractor mounted or Skidsteer guys simply can't get. A few images showing some of the bigger stuff, and how the walking leg can flick the roots out easily to mulch the back out of them. The other images are of a job 5 months or so after they seeded the main portion, you will see the light regrowth at the edge of the grass that will easily be tackled with spraying. Eddie.

That Komatsu of KWR's is a beauty, but so is all their kit! Just a few images of the Rhodie bashing kit at present, this Komatsu 13 tonne reduced tail long each and grab being something I've put together for the client from my suppliers,and it's been a fantastic solution. I parked it next to the Kubota for comparison. The grousers welded on are working great, and I've needed them on these slopes. The grousers got discussed on the Construction Forum and someone threw this link up? Look simple as really? A link to them here Slirskyddet ISYON för grävmaskiner | Dalarna Plus a video. [ame] [/ame] Eddie.

Thanks. You're right that most real world solutions come from the front line and simply adapting to what the Clients are asking for. As for the Huddig, I've had the pleasure of operating one, and the hydraulics make any excavator I've ever operated including the Liebherr seem cable controlled by comparison. You could probably make your money back on one selling hour slots to operate it in a big field! Eddie.

Just a quick update on the combining the Tiger Shear with an Exac-One cutting unit, in the hope of making the ultimate cut and hold Shear for Midi excavators. All I can say is it performs absolutely fantastic, with a gripper that will gather material and hold anything with a vice like grip, combined with the amazing cut the Exac-One loppers have. It was doing 10 to 14" birch straight through first time. The Kubota handles the bit of extra weight no issues, and hopefully John Craig will do a mod to my Engcon this week that will allow me to have full control over either gripper or cutting unit simultaneously. Greg did a great job on the fab work, bottles and stick welder old school.:thumb up: Another mod for my next project was some temporary extra grousers on the tracks to ensure full grip on side sloping clay grassland. However such is the battle at present Mulching, I decided to put them in early to see if they helped out. All I can say is they put a lovely non slip finish on tarmac and have transformed the job completely, not once needing the blade for an anchor or ever pulling the machine about since. Now it's just a case of how best to get a permanent set easily interchangeable. Eddie.

Obviously lots to look at, but watch the steel undercarriage, as this will get expensive quickly if its just ending its service life. A Kx161-3 will cost more, but still a fantastic machine all round and will sell on easily if its not for you. I depends what you're doing really? Another dealer to look at is Clements Plant who get a fair turnover in the size you're looking at, or Proctor Plant too. Eddie.

Something I was looking at closely too in finding something better than chains for my applications, and found these that have a few links of chain to attach straight to grab hook or slider, and a needle fitted. Product Details - Products Coming up with Treadlight Forestry as a Dealer, who I'm certain are on here? Is there a way to link them into the Thread? Eddie.

I had a new N163 Direct on hire and absolutely fell in love with it, until it came to low loading the machine to another site with it! You literally had to write it a letter to ask it to set off at a junction, and it just wouldn't attain any sort of speed on a hill. With the low loader empty on the same extremely long steep hill it could be brought down to 18mph on the clock, but a T151 hi tech we had would do 27mph all day long on the same hill bottom to top. Apart from that it was a fantastic tractor and blessed with the 160ltr pump which we put to great use on a Kesal stroke processor. The real beauty was being able to simply programme in what flow you needed, and adjust it at will if more speed for a function was required. No doubt I'll be down at Lamma drooling over them again, even if I think they've gone soft now with the new look! Eddie.

Plus one for a look at BTE, they are my Kubota dealers. With regard to machine prices, never a better time to buy? Nothing moving for export, Dealerships needing to shift them, and buyers overlooking lightly used examples to go with new on crazy cheap deals and money being banded about at present. Going to knock on all down the chain with prices. Eddie.

I know where there is a Forestry cab one basically same spec and done nothing apart from used as a rough terrain fork lift! Can't get it off the guy! Hate the CVT on the road, but off it, just so handy. Is that pump not available on a Versu? Eddie.

Just spotted this whilst drooling over Valtra's as usual! Just an odd spec that may suit someone, being Twin Trac, Factory Steel Tank, decent loader, front links and straightforward as they come gearbox/hydraulics. Not everyday you see an N in this spec and probably a few on here could make very good use of, or as a base for crane? Used tractors for sale Eddie.

Yes the shiny bit is the connector block, and that is a single block for a two way circuit plus has no electrics fitted. Depending on application you can have two blocks and two sets of multiple way electrics in them to give all sorts of solutions for attachments. A good example is my Mulcher which combines flow, return and case drain, with electrics to control the solenoid valves for the opening doors, all without leaving the cab. In theory the pins don't wear as nothing ever moves, but you will get a tiny bit and the connectors have enough length to tolerate this. The connector blocks have a small amount of give via spring mounts, but substantial dowels have to line up in a few places before anything will slide together to connect. In nearly two years, I've replaced nothing on the EC-Oil Hitch or any of the attachments, with the only issue being the need to keep a light smear of grease on the electrical connectors to ensure a good contact. Sounds crazy, but the grease doesn't help the contact, it prevents it tracking across to other terminals causing issues. People always ask about contaminants, but I do nothing special apart from a quick wipe and smear of grease now and again. On just one project before Xmas I worked out it was over 100 times a day I wasn't getting in/out of the cab to connect or replace pipes/electrics as I switched between Grab, Shear and Winch setup. Plenty of images on the Engcon site but here is one of the Mulcher. Eddie.

I'd agree with Andrew in terms of not biting off more than you can chew in terms of passing the loading to the machine on smaller machines, but cut and drop needs a careful operator to keep things safe. No denying that the Exac type is the business when it comes to cutting, and their units are well built with quality rotators fitted should you require one. My applications usually mean cut and hold is a must, and having studied pretty much everything out there, nobody is really hitting the spot for machines in the 6 to 10 tonne range, hence my idea to go with this route. I have friend doing the Hurricane range of shears in Ireland, and he's making inroads now, with some great cutting units and has just done his first one with gripper which looks tidy. I'll ask if it's ok to post some pictures up. Eddie.

The Exac-One cutter is rated to 10" but it's generally accepted they will do around 14" without issues if you just move it around a little, which is easy with the Engcon. Generally if you put it in, the Exac type will cut it, which obviously is the drawback of the Tiger Shear where you can grip far more than you can possibly cut. It was my thoughts and upon studying others, simply using a Timber Grab on its side where an Excavator can put all sorts odd loading angles on it, was simply asking for trouble. The ram in the Tiger will obviously give massive holding power but make it slow, hence hopefully getting an Engcon mod that will give me around 100ltr/min through the Engcon which should put some speed in it! The Kubota will be good for around a tonne even full stretch over the side with that on, you have to remember it's on big pads, plus lengthened/widened which gives it great stability, plus is unreal in lifting power for an 8 tonne model. In my application it won't be doing more than a couple of hundred kilos. Hard to get video these days as most clients are getting quite tight about social media etc in general, but when the Liebherr goes on a job of my own I'll get something sorted. Eddie.

Loving the Guidetti Crusher, they're great tools, and that swimming Bobcat looked some adventure! Just a couple of images of what Greg's been working at to try and come up with the all elusive holy grail of Tree Shears for Midi size machines. I have a Tiger Cut 200 which suits under the Engcon use very well, being quick in operation plus has stood up to a huge amount of abuse the Kubota, which has a decent bit of weight and power can dish out to it. However it has one simple failing all these grab onto knife type Shears share in common, they can drop stuff! Simply put the greater the angle from vertical the material to be cut is, the more chance it has of simply jumping out before the grab actually closes on it. The other type of Shear is the Exac-One type which I simply couldn't use, as they are cut and drop type, but no getting away from it, simply nothing to touch them for cutting ability. Having been totally disrespected by the Salesman for the Hans Habbig on the Liebherr, I was determined not to spend money with them, and despite being a top quality item with very safe cut/hold, they don't have a great cut capacity on smaller models. I looked at getting an Excac-One type and putting a Timber Grab on as a gripper, but having studied a few it looked too flimsy for my applications. It then came to me why not pull the knife out of the Tiger and utilise it as the gripper, then put an Exac-One cutter underneath? So that's what I've done, and as well as being not too difficult, it keeps the Engcon Ec-Oil to connect up without leaving the cab. It will be a bit slow at present but hopefully a mod to the Engcon will give me a good bit more auxiliary flow to improve that. So the 'Tiger Lopper' is born and I can't wait to try it! It should hopefully have the Strongest grip/cut combo for it's size? Eddie.

The absolute truth there Bob and I was doing a complete rewind on my 6.5 Tajfun winch yesterday to keep the cable wound on properly by winching a T series Valtra with Farmi Chipper uphill. I think Greg was just trying it out to be honest, but it simply dragged the whole lot dead uphill with the wheels sliding on a hardcore road until he decided to let the brakes off! The winch was going nowhere as it was on 12 tonne of machine with the butt plate dug in though. Winches are seriously powerful bits of kit and when I use the big Superwinch on the Kubota I prefer not to go too ridiculous on anchoring the machine, as if it gives a little it's generally time for a complete rethink? Eddie.

A good real world solution would be to get the superb 13 Tonne lightweight Snatch Block from Tajfun via Kilworth as an everyday redirect and normal duties snatch block. It really is a work of art, and everyone who has used it simply loves it! For the real heavy stuff get yourself the full 16 tonne version, but it will undoubtedly be a heavy lump in comparison and it can sometimes be difficult to get the correct size for the rope. Eddie.

As previously mentioned and doing a bit of studying, if they could put a ram in there that gave at least some adjustments and plugged straight into the two way auxiliary it could really be something that many would be attracted to or even hire companies can add to a self drive if required? Eddie.

Must be a bit of crossed wires here, that was just something for the guys looking for solutions to what is usually 1.5 to 3.5 tonne machines on here, usually limited by transport they currently utilise. I wouldn't be putting a Thumb on the Liebherr, I'm not a huge fan of the concept there are now much better but admittedly more costly alternatives available. Eddie.