LGP Eddie

I'll give you a call and we'll nip over with the tape measure! Did you plan to stick that 250 on the Tracked Dumper Stephen?? That would be pushing things a little!! I'd have thought Greg could get through some gear in a day on pretty much any terrain with a 90 mounted to the back? Eddie.

Well yes something like that!! You should know exactly where I'm coming from on this Stephen as it would be to go on Greg's dumper, which should obviously carry it just about anywhere. If it would just fit inside the width for transport and then rotate to a suitable working position it would be ideal, as from the protected seating position of the dumper you would get a great view for feeding. I was extremely impressed at the Confor show with the very heavy Bandit build and they couldn't have been more helpful. A refurb would be ideal for our needs as obviously the machine is multi purpose and wouldn't justify the outlay on a new unit. Do you open Saturdays? Eddie.

What price region are the refurbs? We are investigating fitting a self powered chipper onto the track dumper bed to feed with the crane already installed. It would simply be on a swivel mount to rotate for easier transport when required, and then turn so the feed hopper would be easily viewed by the operator. Basically the chipper pictured minus the axle/drawbar, and a suitable mounting. Air cooled would be ideal too? Eddie.

These guys are unbelievable and made the first version of a Hi Tip Dumper Loader conversion I saw. It's pictured briefly in the video here, but what they came up with also was well worth of a look? Hat's off to them! [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTptr1-1jaU]Lifton skip loader - YouTube[/ame] Eddie.

Really sorry the guy posted the image up as some sort of pdf link and despite my best efforts I can't get it into a normal image? I thought it was worth posting up so just gave it a go how it was. Hopefully someone may be able to convert it? If Apple put a couple of servo levers on these Macbooks I might get on better with them! Eddie.

It's on the CE Forum, and I believe it's a straightforward home built design with the lift arms cut out of road plates! There was an earlier version done on the same forum, but not to this standard, which I thought was a first class job? It would certainly make a great all round machine with pretty narrow access, and the ability to turn it straight back into a hi tip dumper was really handy. Eddie.

I spotted this on another Forum and to be honest thought the guy had done a brilliant job of the conversion? Apparently 5 minutes will have it converted back to the original hi tip dumper skip for a real dual purpose tool? I'm certain plenty on here could make good use of such a conversion? Eddie. Copy of DSC01927-1-1.pdf

This is what we came up for on Neil's Tracked dumper. Basically a forklift mast converted and all the hydraulics sorted to run his big Bryce knocker setup. Basically it remains a Dumper but can lift and carry all sorts of thinks on the front linkage without sticking out too far or impeding any normal dumper use. Neil usually runs the Bryce on a Valtra, but this setup keeps him going when others have to give up and has won him plenty of projects. It's got bags of power and will lift the front of the dumper in the air when pushing down no problem. We wanted it to take an angle blade for backfilling drainage trenches too. It comes up a lot higher than the position in the picture. Eddie.

Thanks very much, it's a stunning site to work on. An engine pack is the way if possible, but obviously my machine has to do such a wide range of work. The FAE is in reality the best I can find in this class for the cost and packs a serious punch. The fact it has the two opening doors exposes a huge amount of the rotor making it very aggressive and able to work effectively either direction. Size is one of them piece of string questions but Rodie up to approx 12" is pretty straightforward, and something like a birch of 6 to 8" would be very easily disposed of to below ground level. Things like bramble, gorse, heather etc it literally hoovers up, and in soft conditions you've got to remember the Kubota will go pretty much where you can't walk and mow a swath of 14.5 metres wide. Covering a large site, it's remarkable how little you traffic it? There's also the winch which can be used for safety on slopes and also eliminates the need for any scratching and scrabbling about to get back up a slope. It's a strange sensation when you're down on the wire though! The Rhodie picture was as extreme as it gets but was mulched, and the if you look at the last you will see the wire to the 20 tonner! Eddie.

Making serious progress through Rhodie on this site with the Kubota and FAE head. Not a bad place to be working too! Eddie.

Here you go terrier, this'll lighten things up? Fancy explaining this one away? [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=958b5Siv6kA]Backhoe Recovery.. Epic Fail - YouTube[/ame] Eddie.

You only need to provide proof of competence should the worst happen and the FMO is a very easy way of doing this. There is no requirement to use this scheme unless your client expressly insists on it, and you can get a reputable training provider to give you some specific training in line with your current competence/experience then issue you with an in house certificate. This is all getting out of hand with card schemes overlapping and costing a fortune for operators, but the flip side is standing in the dock at the inquest spluttering about how you've driven one for years? Where does it end though? If I jump on a tractor would I eventually need one for every implement I use with it? The jobs on it's arse! Eddie.

Oh yes! CITB levy they call it I believe? It's some percentage of turnover I believe and is basically how the whole scheme is underpinned. Obviously large contractors contribute an awful lot hence their insistence on having CPCS certification on their sites. Interestingly CPCS assumes if you can operate the machine then you can handle the wide range of attachments that go on the end? With regard to annual testing of practically anything like winches, cranes, loaders etc, it may technically be exempt but we've unfortunately passed that point now in our claims culture if it isn't absolutely for your own use. Should the worst happen a basic 12 monthly inspection certificate by a reputable company and some maintenance records could be very useful and considered best practice? They aren't expensive and a qualified eye every 12 months will make you round up all them little jobs you wanted to get done on a machine. Eddie.

It's truly a minefield and the simple fact is there is very little overlap of the CPCS and FMO certification? Basically for some clients they would insist on CPCS (or similar) others may want FMO (Forestry commission insist on this), leaving poor operators having to fork out for two sets of training and card schemes. CPCS does have competition from other schemes and plenty of clients accept it, I wonder if anyone has ever challenged the FMO schemes dominance and is there actually an alternative available? Eddie.

I'd say Arb work will cover a multitude of clients and I'd expect very little to be on Forestry Commission sites which is where the insistence on FMO certification will come from? If that's specific to what you do then FMO is the way to go. A CPCS is accepted as the basic unit for excavator operation in the FMO scheme anyway. I'd have said most on here would be better off with CPCS if they want to go the whole hog or get an in house certificate at the very least if not? Excavators are required to be tested every 12 months. Eddie.

I'm lucky in that my mulching head is setup through the Engcon control system, it simply has an on/off detent button to power the mower and the Kubota has big enough pedals for full control of the tracking. Interestingly I hope when I replace the machine to have the tracking moved up onto the levers besides remaining operational from the pedals. This would work by having a roller in one lever that gives proportional control of forward/reverse travel, and a roller in the opposite lever will control left/right movement. Such a setup should be ideal when mulching as I should be able to simply feather in the required bit of forward motion for the next cutting sweep without any need to touch the pedals. The blade operation can also be included on a proportional roller within the levers which is a nice feature, with even steering on the wheeled excavators being included now. It's perfectly possible to do a very tidy job of a hedge without the need to track along by working in small sections then moving on. Eddie.

Looks like you won't be getting one then Stephen! You simply can't get the performance from an Excavator to do both, despite there being tweaks to the pumps etc that some will claim to be able to do. A separate engine pack is really the only way this can be fully achieved, or having a much larger base excavator. You'll never replicate a hedge cutter on a tractor setup and no need to? The technique is just different thats all, and perfectly effective flailing the area required and moving on. I have no issues in a very wide range of applications and as soon as I touch the tracks it's virtually the same as turning the mower off. Eddie.

That's a very good question of which the answer isn't as straightforward as you think? The general perception is you need to have a CPCS card with the required category to operate a machine on site, where the actually reality is you only have to provide proof you are competent should the worst happen. Many commercial clients will demand the CPCS, stating their insurance insists on it etc etc, and it's their choice to do so? Others are happy to accept other cards from schemes such as the NPORS, and plenty will accept 'in house' training certificates. CPCS is a good thing in some respects, but has now become a complete money making racket, changing the goalposts every couple of years to make everyone go back at great expense with no real increase in benefit. The simple fact is no card scheme whatsoever can provide a client with any understanding of the operators skill level or experience, with someone fresh out of training having exactly the same card in his hand as a 20 year plus veteran? Some choose to just operate such kit with no formal training and technically there's no requirement, but should the worst happen the first thing you will be asked is to prove your competence? A decent local training provider will provide a package for you and provide the necessary proof for an awful lot less than any of these card schemes, but it's only of value if a client will accept it? Personally I use CPCS as it's the one universally accepted, so possibly less hassle in the end? Eddie.

There is a Kubota 1.5 tonner doing a bit on the last half of this video (top right corner link), to give some idea? Exac-One Ltd - Mini Mower Eddie

Hopefully deal done today for this? Ford 5610H with loader and full ag spec rear end with pickup hitch as a bonus. I'm certain it will be big enough to handle a Tajfun processor if required around a yard? Eddie.

Many Congratulations Stephen, I sincerely hope she serves you well. I doubt you'll regret the investment and it'll certainly be more than capable of handling a huge variety of work. If you need any guarding or winch fitting I can recommend John Craig at JCC Engcon he does some fantastic work, and if you can think it up he can probably do it! Eddie.

You still can, and it's pretty much approaching that build figure, it'll actually be approx 15% more now starting from fresh? Ross at Sandhill plant is dealing with the sale for me as the machine is of a specification attractive to the Scandinavia market, and obviously he's experienced in this. It is possible to deal directly with myself. Eddie.

Possibly not the best demonstration I'd fully agree, he seemed to be doing a bit of sword fighting around it instead of getting on with it, and reaching for the track levers to move is normally a giveaway? It was just to demonstrate the difference with this type of Shear against the more traditional type that grabs the limbs? Plenty now have their own machine or access to them, and If I could gain a little hire instead of sitting in the nettles it would help justify them? Eddie.

It's a real hard call for smaller machines to clamp or not in my opinion? On the one side you have the simple fact you know what's going to happen, or so you think? Which leads straight into the other argument, on a smaller machine you're better off not gripping in case you can't hold it? The principle of the type with no grip is they always go the one way as the blade driven through acts as a wedge, with the operator probably providing a bit of encouragement via the rotate? I think most people have seen them at the Demo's now but here's a 5 tonner with one? [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMPaiSiaM-E&feature=c4-overview&list=UUrtdH-_QESwXTqwHhJp5nmg]Tree Shear TL250 - YouTube[/ame] Eddie.

I have a need for a couple of Tree Shears of differing sizes for projects, but obviously they won't be utilised 100% of the time? It won't be too difficult to have universal top brackets made to fit a wide range of machines, and pipework is pretty straightforward on these? I'm just gauging if this is something that people may wish to hire short term for their own projects, as I don't normally self drive anything but these are pretty bombproof and I'd be fairly confident? Basically a 10" rotating shear for 5 to 7 tonne and a 14" rotating shear for 8 to 15 tonne machines? The other question would be do you wish to grip the limb you cut or is reasonable direction control and no shock loadings better? Just gauging a bit of interest and if I go this route then it'll obviously go on here with full details via the correct channels. Eddie.