richy_B

I've not used the model but have a komatsu pc14. I've found it perfectly capable. Replacement parts/service items are easy bought over the phone direct from komatsu.

Go with your instinct - if you are concerned return it and get a different one. Don't mes about when it comes to helmet, trousers and boots in my opinion.

Not to disagree but what system do you put in place to physically stop someone using a tool inappropriately? We all have chainsaws on site, if an employee decided to stop using it for cutting trees and use it to cut up plastic drainage pipe for example. How would you actually prevent this? Most sensible employers have policies in place amd get staff with the appropriate tickets but there is always a significant risk of something like this happening - never under estimate stupidity!

I agree with flat tyre - you can't watch over employees all the time. If someone decides of their own free will the change a blade over and then use a tool for something it is not design for then the blame should fall with the employee. Only if the employee was instructed to do it that would be when I'd blame the employer.

£500 k fine!

My view on VOSA is your chances of being caught are low. If caught, your chances of getting away with it are very low.

I'd happily provide a client with this information. I'd show proof of insurance to a 3rd party if relevant (you say the tree is in the neighbours garden). Beyond that I'd not be giving out anything. This is usually a slippery slope. You give in to 'demands' from someone and they will keep coming back with more. Give them the minimum required and do not respond to anything else.

Upto £1k if caught, likelyhood of being caught??? I see a lot of lorries (scaffolders mainly) with slightly obscured plates around West London.

Ha! Nice one.

It looks pretty cool. Got a 'mad max' feel to it! I feel sorry for whoever is sharpening the chain though!

Is it a large hydraulic chainsaw?

There are some changes afoot with commercial insurance. I received am letter recently. Changes rarely mean savings!

6 months! Thats crazy. What was their excuse? Two week slot seems reasonable but even 3 weeks I'd be looking elswhere.

That impressive. What do you use to ring them up before they go in the fuelwood splitta? With those numbers I assume not some poor sod with a chainsaw!

I've been looking at JCB 926's at auctions for a while. They are pretty capable on ok terrain. Are you looking for something you can tow behind a 4x4, ie 2.5 ton odd?

They way I see it, is there is a lot of us and and we have a relatively small island to live on. For that reason we have to accept some inconvenience/disruption from others. It's all about being reasonable. On a nice Sunday afternoon you may want to lay in your garden and nap but of course someone in ear shot has decided to do some strimming. Nice warm day, you put your washing out, some sod next door thinks it's a nice day for a BBQ! The issue is when its persistant. At my depot we have a burger van and they have a small petrol gennie running all day. It's not that loud but because all the buildings are steel sheet/framed the noise bounces around. Even 100 metres a way you can hear a low level rating sound. Doesn't bother me as I can hear it over my machines! But for the site offices/guys on computer all day it would be annoying. As other have suggested I'd look at a low cost option to try and reduce the noise. Atleast you have then been reasonable. As someone suggested - hay bales. Cheap and I assume pretty sound absorbant. Even debris netting for scaffolding has a dampening affect. You could bang in 6 posts and put three 15 metre runs of debris netting. Should take a lot of sound out of it and it's only about £50.

Found this video of the Hycon. Looks ideal.

It's difficult as once you have embarked down a route you feel invested in it but I can't help feel that solicitor you mentioned was right when he said the court are full of 'men of principles'. Please don't take that as a criticism and good on your for standing up for yourself. My view is spending a bit of money is one thing but days/weeks of your life you can't ever get back. The stress of it all too can take a hefty toll. It took me several 'mistakes/misadventures' to realise I was chasing lost causes. As a business, one of the best thing I learnt was to spot one quickly one and know when to cut my losses. Not necessarily your case though and good to luck you with it.

I appreciate they have to enforce 'the rules' but, as you said, makes no commercial sense. Obviously in the case of criminal court it costs lots of money to the tax payer to bring people to 'justice' and I assume in many cases leads to custodial sentences. The hope is remove wrong doers from society for a bit and hope for a bit of reformation of character. When the case is purely monetary it makes no sense to spend £10,000 to recoup £1k. I doubt these are ground breaking cases and will re-write laws for them making future cases easier. It's just throwing money away in a vain hope of looking 'effeftive'.

You get the odd one! My alpine with the stadium in the background.

Yeah, it can be a nightmare. I only ever use it for parks or woodlands. Verges or pavements would be a toss of the coin everytime. Ntl/virgin/bt are the worst as they barely bury their cabling. I cat and now metal detect everything but you never quite know. You can use a genny but you have to spend ages trying to workout where man holes are and its pricework. It is a good load out. Took me several seasons to work out the best kit. The muck truck maxi was a good buy. For ages i thought it was a waste of money and a wheel barrow would suffice but it saves a lot of energy across a day.

Another 2 bolts at the top may have helped as well.

The further down the greater leverage so makes sense it contributed. How much would be6hard to know. Lucky escape really because your break away cable is attached to the part that would have snapped off. A 3 tonner on a plant trailer would have made a mess at 20mph+

Anyway, as always arbtalk is a fountain of good info.

Sounds good. Its difficult as there is quite a bit of kit available but space is often more restrictive than budget. I have my ifor 3017 caged tipper which is 12 standard trees, 25-40 stakes, mesh cages, planting box of strap nails & ties then wheel barrows. In the tow vehicle we have hand tools and power tools (breaker, cut off saw, small chainsaw). This year i invested in a muck truck maxi. This works well in combo with the mini digger, auger and 3017 tipper. Two of us can get a lot of holes dug.