LGP Eddie

This is obviously an interesting thread for myself, and I'd say most are on the right lines. My own take on the Blade debate is there really isn't any right or wrong, you simply place it where is best for the specific task in hand. If someone pinned me down to a specific answer then the Blade should be at the front with the Travel motors at the rear wherever possible? The main factors are Safety, it is intuitive to push or pull the levers in the direction you wish to travel, but also should that bit of roundwood you are moving come crashing through the front window and pin against the levers, it will actually reverse you off, not drive you onto it. There have been some really serious accidents caused this way. Travel motors should always be to the rear with idlers at front wherever possible when tracking the machine, you get less track wear this way. However real world! Blade to the front when working on slopes to level yourself up a little, and also when digging on surfaces that may drag you towards the trench. If the blade cuts in during such instances, always reverse the machine a little when lifting the blade, or you will flip an ugly clod of material over every time. Blade to the rear when trenching if possible, it gives you better down the hole vision, and by sighting a reference point on the blade against a marked line or point in the distance it will help you keep straight when moving for the next pull. Blade to the rear will give you maximum downward force for digging hard ground also. Just one tip to try with the blade, if you wish to put a camber on a track or even just get an angle on the bucket, put the blade in front and raise the machine a decent distance off the ground. It's quite handy the amount of camber you can form this way. With regard to surface damage, the biggest mistake is the Train Drivers as I call them! 10 Acre field and 100 times up and down the same track marks! Simply stagger your track marks wherever possible over usually 3 runs, and keep tracking any little windrows back in to keep thing level. If you need to turn with no damage, the multiple turn is the best way given room to allow it. Just track and turn very gently at the same time in long runs, and don't allow the machine to turn at all whilst standing. I have to take my machine on a Premiership football team training pitch and complete these manoeuvres with the LGP pads, and trust me it can be done with great care, but one slip and the turf will roll up like a carpet! Lifting yourself around when turning is always a good policy, I think it's easier on everything really and shows you care. If conditions require it, any simple form of ply boards, matting, brash etc can help, but if you know it's top of the tracks time, use 3 or 4 sleepers to walk the machine around on. It's surprising how little effort this takes with practice to pick up the sleeper with the bucket and slew it around to place in front of yourself to move forward, and this will keep you safe and afloat in some trick going. All I can say is I've been in the seat now over 25 years, and every day is a School Day! You learn best from being around other Operators and taking note how they do things, but there is one simple fact, you can only learn in the Seat! Eddie.

The Two Piece Boom is fantastic in this work, allowing me to tuck in and under without doing damage to the surrounding trees. This place has been tight at times, and combined with the offset boom it's surprising just where you can get. How's the Neuson? I think they are about to really take off in the UK, having now established themselves firmly at Stafford with a new HQ, plus a few more dealers about. They look quality kit, not short of metal with plenty of auxiliary pipework available for attachments. I'll try to get a few images of the finish possible with the FAE, the client here wanted to reseed an area, so I simply spent a little extra time on it, then waited for a reasonable frost to track it in with the Kubota. He was made up, as there's nothing to do to it but put seed on it now! I like the Doosan, it should be a great setup when finished. I hear that the Seppi is very popular up north, who's the dealer? Eddie.

Just a few of the Mulching job I'm on at present with the Kubota. This is my second FAE head now and with the tweaks it's now got, it's proving to be a great bit of kit. The Kubota comes into it's own on this work to be honest. Eddie.

Here you go Stephen if you want maximum productivity and arm geometry try one of these! It isn't actually a stunt!! Hitachi manufacture them now as a rescue excavator for natural disasters or specialist demolition. [ame] [/ame] The more you look at Mecalac kit, we need a good UK dealer, they could be attractive at present with the Euro fairly weak. Eddie.

Purchase price, Rubber Tracks and who's backing it up are jumping out at me Stephen? Certainly a fantastic Niche machine I'm certain if you have a specific application? Eddie.

I've seen his setup on a low loader, plus witnessed these being demo'd in Sweden. They are awesome bits of kit, and they suit towing a bolster trailer very well as they have very powerful motors plus a high travel speed. The geometry of the arm is something else, plus the lift capacity is well in excess of a traditional excavator. Mecalac do a fantastic range of tremendously versatile machines, but sadly the price is the thing most people never look beyond in the UK? They had a good following on the Rail where the rates can provide the returns, but unless it's specialist it will be hard to get it above standard kit rate. I wouldn't know if they even have a UK Dealer now? Eddie.

Excavator and Grab makes the job easy, and I park some kit at a friends who does Firewood. When the Kubota comes in he's all smiles, as I simply can't track past the mess they get it in with a Kramer loader. Even a 5 tonner can do a pretty fair job of it to be honest. Size depends on what else you can utilise it for to be honest, no point in a 20 tonner about just to stack a bit of timber. Eddie.

Yes That's John (Roboplant) from the CE Forum. Top bloke, good friend and a convert to the Engcon now despite being an initial Steelwrist customer. John was running a 7 tonne JCB before he came and had a visit to a wetland clearance site I was undertaking and had the opportunity to play in his own time with an LGP Tiltrotator setup. One look at his Hitachi will show you he soon got a taste for it! John has carved a great niche in his area with the Tree Shear, but actually takes it all the way through now to an end product with the Mus-Max Biomass Chipper setup he's purchased. John has more than done his bit in the woods, and used to run a winching gang with a Muir Hill setup back in the day. John and myself are the friendliest of rivals, and well known for the banter between our different choice of manufacturers and attachments. What people don't see if the help and support we give each other freely off such Forums, and I hold John in highest regard. Eddie.

I had a quick Google who may do them your way and came up with this firm? Sarum Hardwood Structures: Timber bridges, boardwalks and hardwood mats Eddie.

Just try to hire 3 Timber Bog Mats they will carry that with absolutely no issues. You need the 150mm thick versions as these aren't crazy heavy and you will get 3 to site ok on a long enough Ifor Trailer behind a Landy. They skid easily like a sledge to get them down a site if you can't get the trailer to the crossing point. They come in 5 metre by 1 metre and usually hire at £5 per week. If you have a reasonably local supplier they can do the mats in a vast range of sizes and 6 metre long if you need it. You'll not damage them, and nobody will want to have them away either! Eddie.

What's the span? Eddie

Having been a look at nothing else, break me in two and would say Ifor Williams, like a stick of rock, I had a real shock a couple of weeks ago! A friend has bought a Bateson Plant trailer for a 2.5 tonne mini, and I hired the machine plus trailer for a couple of days. I will not be looking for another Ifor anytime soon! The difference in towing was unbelievable! None of the usual Ifor rattle going on, the trailer was brilliantly balanced and considerable thought had bee put into making it a perfect width for plant without being excessive like other manufacturers. Everything about it from bucket rest, lashing rings to ramp steady instead of prop stands was excellent, but the real shock was the price? Well under what I'd got it valued at? Well worth a look and they do a huge range of trailers, that I'd dismissed with my Ifor snobbery before. Brian James are beautiful trailers, but I suspect at a price to match that doesn't always reflect in resale like it does with an Ifor. Eddie.

What a great bit of kit, and you seem to have more than got the measure of Operating it. Just out of interest does the grab have a float position on the slew for when you're skidding and then needing to turn, or do you just adjust the slew manually. It looks a serious minimal impact, time and labour saving tool. Eddie.

Good question, I don't have the answer why not, but it doesn't go back in particular due to the geometry? They need to keep forward reach to tip over skip sides in their normal role. Eddie.

This just got updated on the Ce Forum but is so relevant here I thought it worth sharing? Fair play the guy who did the original brilliant conversion has run with it and ironed out the creases plus added a bit more. Basically he was unhappy with the tilt available using the linkage system, plus the additional height that it added. He's now done the most simple tweaks to utilise the standard Tip ram brought to face forward, plus added a log beak to finish her off. He's utilising a simple lever changeover valve from beak to tilt, but this could be switched out to 12v diverter with no issues to control it all from the seat. His take on it is 600KG no issues without any additional rear weight, and a few minutes back to dumper. Plenty on here would make use of one I'm certain, and they're now creeping down to 3.5k for nice ones, with pretty much zero running costs being so tried and tested now. Eddie.

Tidy setup there. Do you know John Roboplant from the CE Forum? Eddie.

My Osma was a TE 120Cl and was really based on the need to mow Rushes and Heather where others were struggling. It did prove to be extremely versatile, coping well with pretty much anything thrown at it, but still fine enough to be able to trim a hedge to a pretty good standard. Try doing a hedge with a fixed tooth FAE and you would have to mulch it into the floor out of embarrassment, as it will just eat it! The main disadvantage was the lack of an opening door to aid getting material like Rhodies into it, but the facility was there minus the rams. I used to fix the door open for such material and it was very effective. The rear roller was never really too much of an issue and was perfect for getting a nice finish on things like Rushes, Heather, Grass and Brambles. I eventually sold it to a local client who has his own Kubota KX080-3, and then sat down with him and explained the few mods I had planned to do on it. He was willing to get them done as he could see the advantages, so the Osma was duly fitted with rams for the hydraulic door, plus a few bits of strengthening in vital areas. This has transformed the machine, and the Kubota thanks to it's dual line proportional control, operates the flail and doors perfectly. There is an old video of mine here, not the best as it was about the second day I'd used it, but you"ll get the idea you wouldn't want to do it by hand! [ame] [/ame] The Osama website is a nightmare, but here's the spec sheet. http://www.osmasnc.com/schedepdf/TE_CL___FLAIL_MOWERS_FOR_GRASS_AND_BRANCHES_FOR_MIDI_EXCAVATORS.pdf This is a much heavier option that will have a full Forestry type rotor with pockets, but still swinging hammer. You will lose a little cut width, but she would be powerful and tackle some decent size material. This also has the hydraulic door fitted as standard. Machinery for agriculture and special machines for land reclamation I managed to get some images of the extra mods done to the Osma after selling it. We chose to fit two door rams to get better closure, plus a guard for the motor. The door received some extra strengthening ribs, plus additional skids approx 2" wide were bolted each side where it contacts the ground to avoid digging in on softer ground. This is really all it needed to make it a fantastic bombproof all rounder. The British Construction Equipment Forum The British Construction Equipment Forum The British Construction Equipment Forum The British Construction Equipment Forum If you need any advice let me know, and I can tell you the tidy way to fit a case drain to a KX080-3 with little expense. Eddie.

Gregor can be hard to contact, but generally as he's out on site doing the install himself, as he really does a quality job. The FAE is excellent, but you pay for it obviously. I had great service from my Exac-One Osma swinging Hammer, and it did a great job on everything from grass to Birch up to approx 12" if you were steady? It literally hoovered up bramble, you can see it sucking it in! Yes I eventually put it out of balance, and it was entirely my fault for being too greedy, as is the case with these, all too easy to keep going for bigger stuff. The FAE is several gears up in performance! You have a great carrier in the Kubota, and there is plenty of reasonably priced options now if it's not for front line use. A trip to Lamma next week would probably have a few companies there with such options at show prices? Eddie.

Totally upstaged now Sean has arrived with the Menzi!! Not Digger related but a bit of Tractor porn? I have a similar setup with the Engcon EC-Oil which connects all my digger attachments from the cab, but this is really trick? [ame] [/ame] Eddie.

Looks a tidy enough solution to something many have probably thought of doing themselves? [ame] [/ame] Eddie.

Spotted these in the latest Land Rover Owner mag, and did a bit of research. It seem seems they may be available up for up to 13mm rope on the manufacturers site, but these are only for 10mm, so perhaps worth a call to see if they can get larger sizes? They are super light being all alloy construction too. They have a very high rating at 17,500kg which should tick all the boxes for many. Snatch Block Lighweight Aluminium Eddie.

More truth in this 'Urban Myth' than many people would give it credit for? I had a demo of a Komatsu 118mr (11 tonner) direct from a large hire company when looking to replace the Kubota. From the word go it was obvious something just wasn't right, and my old Kubota would make a fool of it. It showed all the traits of having the pressures altered to give it an easy life. I asked for a factory fresh demo machine or even just to try one in their yard, but Komatsu were surprised to hear what I was saying and did nothing to satisfy my suspicions. Upon a bit of asking about, I was assured from a number of very reliable sources it goes on in many large fleets, with a few reasons behind it all. The obvious one is to give the machine an easier life, but one example was if they can make the machines say 15% less efficient, then that's 15% more the customer would need to hire it? I do know the old school way of just altering the throttle cable not to give full travel for maximum revs goes on, and is easily checked. With regard to the actual machine to look for within your budget, it would be a really hard choice, as your spec includes a lot in reality that will be hard pressed to come together in one actual machine? Steel Tracks are rare, but even rarer with a proper zero swing machine? A full setup of Auxiliary Hydraulics is something that some manufacturers still struggle with now? Neuson are exceptional in what they can offer (3 dual acting auxiliary plus case drain!), Kubota have done it as standard for an age now, but Volvo, Komatsu, Cat, Case and Takeuchi can all be suitably specced or equipped from new, but very rare on used machines. Zero tail can be a myth? Check to see that the machine hasn't just actually been made a good chunk wider in the track frame to compensate for the lack of tailswing, and can end up being pretty much the same width in reality. Models can have very cramped cabs with doors you need to put butter on to get in, plus curved windows/frames that are ultra expensive to repair. You make a good point that is in the Plant Operator world just as contentious as the Stihl/Husky debate, in terms of Fixed or Swing Boom? The jury will be out forever on this, but here's my own take. Swing Booms are not to be feared if properly maintained as they are more than strong enough for the job. You gain extra reach, plus a lot more ability to work around obstacles and obviously dig trenches etc offset to the tracks. The machine will obviously be slightly less stable and some perceive to have less lifting power, but I'm not totally convinced by this myself. The big drawback will come possibly in machines at around the age/hours you'll be looking in that you can get a lot of visual play there. Note the word "visual", in that when you stand and look you will always see movement, but this doesn't necessarily translate into anything really perceptible when operating? All machines have some visual movement, but it doesn't really impact operation unless you're a really ham fisted operator, or it's obviously really gone past it. To repair the Kingpost will require specialist Line Boring and will be a reasonably costly operation. I'm fairly certain that Kubota still remain the only ones who properly bush theirs making it a simple repair. A fixed boom will take away a chunk of reach, but obviously provide a very balanced machine, that will lift/carry more in some situations. The fixed boom is obviously simpler to maintain, but it will need maintenance, as the pin/bush here won't last forever too. I'd take a swing boom all day long, and steer clear of the Takeuchi fancy 'FR' arrangement unless you really need it, as this has a lot of pivot points to wear. If you could possibly up the budget a little it will open a fair few doors for you? Kubota KX080-3 came in an original Dash 3 version, but these are best avoided for the later Alpha version which rightly is much sought after and commands top money. The Hitachi ZX85US-3 is will probably suit you very well and is a great bit of kit plus available in both Boom versions. It probably won't have two auxiliary circuits though. The Volvo ECR88 is a slightly Marmite machine, but plenty have great success with Volvo kit, and you may just drop on one with the Auxiliaries fitted. The Takeuchi is out, unless you want the FR version and I wouldn't personally, but if you have tight jobs there's no substitute for it. CAT may provide the solution in the 308c and nothing much wrong with these, plus both Boom versions available. It's really just a case of getting out there and trying yourself, plus taking into account who's local that can back you up well. If you find a few machines you narrow it down to then you can gain more opinions on them specifically. A few out there? Proctor Plant Sales :: Plant & Equipment Volvo ECR88 PLUS Engcon scotland united kingdom Midi excavators 7t - 12t, Price: £32,500, Year of manufacture: 2010 - Mascus UK HITACHI ZAXIS 85 USBLC-3 - Woodbridge Plant Ltd Eddie.

I'll probably take advantage of the deals myself to add a couple of Saws but not for my own personal use. These will be straightforward spares for others to use, as it's cheaper than downtime. The first will 100% be the 560XPG as it's ended up the weapon of choice for anyone who does any cutting for me. They certainly haven't been without issues and for the first two weeks I honestly thought Greg was going to do a Fawlty Towers with his and beat it with a branch! However as with everyones I know, they all have their own setup's, mods, fuels, procedures for starting etc, but they all seem universally of the opinion that they are now delighted with them and wouldn't be looking for anything else. I really haven't heard any love in particular for the 550, but I did consider it as it's £100 less for what is in reality a spare saw. However getting a 560, most are used to them and can put their own setups straight on and go, was my reasoning? I'm also hoping to take a 595xp, and this certainly isn't a universally popular choice? However in my opinion it's a pretty old school powerful lump that can come out once in a while to tackle something that needs a bigger bar and a bit more grunt, plus if someone has to put a shorter bar on it and finish the day off because their own is down it wouldn't be the end of the world. The other choice was the 590xp, but I just think the 595 would be a stonger simpler bit of kit that could take a wider range of bars. Not my thing, I just go on what I observe from the others, and what's working for them? Eddie.

I can only find specs at present on the new generation 'T' series that has 5500kg front axle loading. I would expect to come in under that figure, especially with the Farmi on the rear to counterbalance it. Gross is 13500kg so plenty to spare there too I'd expect. Haulage or not I'm fully entitled to do it for Forestry, I'm not turning up roadside or someone's driveway with such a setup. Trailers just don't cut it for me, nightmare to drag behind with the Farmi and a load of hassle on site. Yes I simply need a Roofmount and I'm prepared to wait as I only want to go through having one built once I have a carrier worthy of the outlay. Just because nobody has yet done it doesn't really cut it with me. Where would I be with machines if I simply took what's available? The Kubota's have been proof enough of kit modified to work in my applications with outstanding results. Some plough their own furrows and are big enough to stick their neck out a bit, plus also their hands up when it didn't work out. I haven't even tried it yet, it may not look right when mocked up, but at this point it on paper at least could come in within everything I currently know to be a requirement, and who knows it may end up the poor man's roofmount setup? Eddie.

The simple fact is I know what I want it to achieve in my applications and that may not be the same for everyone? I do pretty much know what works and what doesn't and even a 1.5 tonner will give an average Roofmount a run for it's money in terms of versatility, as both certainly have their strengths and weaknesses. The question really was can I carry a Mini Digger on the front of a Forestry Tractor legally to load a mounted chipper on site? I really think one certain answer is for what it would cost it would be worth a try, and the definitive answer is I think nobody really knows until someone has a go? I think if done very professionally with all known regs covered, being stopped would be quite head scratcher for those concerned. It may end up the perfect setup for me or it may end up in six pages on here telling you how far VOSA bent me over! I bet more than a few on here have looked twice at a Tractor front linkage by now though! Eddie.