Shane

Steve, a bit confused here (slope the load downwards...starting from the back of the tipper up towards the cab) - did the VOSA bloke say the deepest part of the load should be at the back by the tailgate, then slope downwards towards the front? (I guess it must be if we are trying to reduce the load at the front). If so can the chipper designers come up with clever reverse-bias form of chute to achieve this.

I'll PM you on that one.

I believe Shoreham handles 'loose' cargo. I've seen bundles on the dock side as I've driven past. It was a consignment headed there which fell overboard and deluged Worthing beach with timber a few years ago. BBC NEWS | England | Sussex | Chipping begins on washed-up wood

355kg

This is the stump of a blue cedar we cleared after it blew over. My grinder isn't up to it. The attached photos show the size. It's at the edge of a car park so no access problems for vehicles/unloading. I suspect it would need a decent sized hydraulic beast. They need it ground to about 6 inches below ground level. There are also 2 very small stumps to remove in the same area (I could do them in 10 minutes with mine so shouldn't be a problem for a big grinder.) Please let me know if you would be interested - there's not a major rush so can be planned in to suit.

I don't really want the hassles of an ops license - and we don't do that many jobs that justify a bigger truck.

Has the cylinder head been skimmed?

I apologise in advance, I suspect that somewhere in various threads are the answers to my questions but my searching has unearthed nowt but tangential comments. So - I'm on the lookout to get a newer arb truck. I dont want the ops license hassle so 3.5 t GVW is the limit. Budget - anywhere from 5-10k. Make, open to suggestions. Key requirements, Tool storage NOT under tipper body, preferably ally tipper body not steel(not necessarily covered),NO tail lift or hiab, reasonable power, highest possible payload (we can all dream). I've looked at loads od configurations on here, ebay, autotrader etc and I guess only about 20% of tippers have a crew cab, maybe 2-3% have a decent tool box, most have steel tipper body. If a truck met all the criteria but had low sides I dont mind fabricating something (extra ally sides to slide in or maybe GRP) or having them made up. The biggest choice (if thats the word) seems to be a crew-cab transit but I hear lots of good things about Japanese trucks. People on here have suggested that crew cabs are heavy, is a stripped out crew cab much heavier that a roller shutter tool box? Any suggestions on best options gratefully received. My current van is ideal - here it is

Rent it out to travellers? They need a secure location

Yup, just typed up my last one 10 minutes ago. Now to spend a few hours scanning ebay for my next arb truck:thumbup:

The bloke down the pub reckons they should be bound up with gaffer tape, laid face up in a shallow trench, then you start up the stump grinder. Apparently at this point a number of biological functions kick in which can cause considerable stress to the 'bindee'. At this point the humane captor can release his prey who has been conditioned to think carefully in future about trangressing the theft commandment. The down side, however is that he has lost his sanity and will return with a number of friends who will find a new home for your fire extinguisher. None of these are my idea, the bloke down the pub is a very twisted man and should be ignored - his name is Eugene and he owns a very large axe

I think most of the hassles with being self employed are to do with the responsibilities of finding work, making sure it happens as and when it should, chasing the money, and maintaining the kit. Add the anxiety over 'risky' jobs where any error could have catastrophic consequences and there's a load of reasons why some very good arborists are happy to be employed. They are not wrong for chosing to be employed - they just come to a different conclusion from the company owners, maybe don't have the money to start up. When we finish my guys get in their cars and by the time they are 100 yards away they have forgotten all about the tree work. And rightly so. When I spend 4 hours doing the quote rounds on a Sunday morning (8 lots today) then go to the workshop to service the machinery I do wonder why I do it. BUT if I was employed then as soon as the work dried up a bit they would 'let me go'. I feel just as secure being self employed and I know I could never work for a big company again, sitting through those motivational lectures and enduring all that corporate bo11ox. At the moment I am knackered from squeezing in the extra wind-blown jobs, catching up on the rained-off jobs and shuffling mrs Miggins to fit in sometime where we can trim her bush without upsetting the nesting dickies. BUT it's a satisfied sort of knackered - knowing we are booked solid into May. Maybe time to put the prices up, but at least it's all up to me. Can't go back to employment - I know I'd be too stroppy to last 10 minutes.

Soon pay for itself? You'll need to include the regular loler certification, maintenance and repair costs, storage ( even if you have the space now, the mewp will prevent you storing any other things), depreciation. Lots of maths to do - but YOU need to put in the figures based on an honest assessment. We are all guilty of justifying things based on want as much as need. It may be worth it, make sure you go in with your eyes open.

Two drunks sitting on the underground First drunk says 'Is this Wembley'? Second one says 'No, I think it's Thursday' First drunk 'Yeahhh, so am I, Lets go and get another drink' Later they are walking along the track, First one says 'This is a bloody long staircase' second one says 'I don't mind that so much it's the stupid low handrail I don't like'

I'm not an accountant but I'd be amazed if a 'punishment' led to a reduction in payable tax

It's OK if you like the look of it because without major up-grading that's all it would be good for. It will always look great, but if it's a 3.5tonner it will be useless for work. If you really like it then buy it, clean it up and use it for advertising and shows.

Bald Ed, please tell me the flywheel re-design includes upgrading the bearings.

Just about anything really, if its played/sung with passion. The only stuff that does nowt for me is rap and country and western. With the exception of Red Hot Chilli Peppers most music is brilliant live. Did you know you can tell your age from the volume setting on your stereo? Kiddies -Loudish - not too loud but how many times for 'wheels on the bus' Late teens - Speaker blast - I'm not telling you again Over 35 - Not so loud - Ahh so tranquil, enjoy the vibe over 45 - Sssshhhh - this was my favourite for many years Over 60 - Very loud (eh? what did you say?) I think everyone in this band is dead now.

Just re-arranging jobs accordingly. Stump-grinding today (well, mud grinding). We did an emergency take-down on Christmas eve, haven't been able to clear the debris yet as the lawn is still under water and we'd wreck it trampling over it.

There you go! problem solved.

When she's earning a small fortune playing with Zepparella you'll change your mind.

That was my initial thought but she recons they are really good friends and he would never be a deceptive chap. Dunno, just cos I've never heard of it - after all I can't speak Chinese but there are billions who do.

I went to quote for the removal of a pair of silver birches today. When I asked what the problem was that their removal would solve I was told- 'I get on really well with the neighbour but he says he has an allergy to silver birch, and I don't want to upset him' I suggested she asked him for some more details (and maybe some evidence) but in the mean time has anyone on here ever heard of this?

I did some work for the Cooper family (Mini Cooper fame). Mike was well chuffed he'd just sold the rights to the family name to BMW - he bought the woods and fields at the back of his patch to stop developers building, then planted hundreds of indigenous trees around the perimiter. Top bloke - showed us Sterling Moss's old F1 car from the 60s and kept us well fed and watered. It seems the really wealthy are pretty nice folks, I guess they have nothing to prove.