njc110381

Cables are all free. Checked that when I renewed the shoes. I just need it to stop raining now so I can get out and check the other suggestions. Thanks chaps. I'll let you know how I get on:thumbup1:

I've had the whole drum assembly apart. Cleaned it and readjusted to spec. I'm pretty sure that should be running smoothly. Hitch pole sounds more likely I think but not sure how I would have bent it as it rarely carries much weight? The auto reverse works ok. The brakes release to go back but then the hitch seems to jam in the pushed in position (the gaiter is crushed right up) so even when the pads return to the forward position the hitch is loading the brake. It doesn't feel like a bent sticking though. It's like the clunk of releasing a ratchet strap when I wiggle it and it pops back out. There's very little friction. There's a little rubber bush on a bolt at the back end of the hitch assembly. It looks a bit mangled. Is it possible that it should be stopping the pole at a certain point but now isn't? Thanks for your suggestions so far.

I'm having some issues with the brakes on my Wessex trailer. It's a single axle 8x5, 1300kg model. Every time I reverse, the brakes lock on and won't release when I try to drive forwards again. I had to back the brakes off and drag it home the other day so have replaced the pads and adjusted the mechanism up to how it should be (I think). It now handles perfectly and I thought I'd sorted it, but then when I tried to pull it off the drive this morning they locked on again. It only happens after reversing it when heavy or up hill. If I roll back without forcing the reverse mechanism to disengage it's fine. I can get them to release again by getting out, unhitching and twisting the hitch. It's almost like the hitch is pushing in too far and getting stuck on something. Any suggestions as to what may be causing it? The mechanism is well greased and always has been and I don't use it that much so wouldn't think it's worn out? I need to take it on a 3 hour drive next weekend so could do with knowing what it is. Although I'll be on the motorway most of the way and probably won't need to reverse, something is clearly wrong and I'd rather get it sorted. I'd really appreciate any advice or suggestions!

What he said! Landy Hi-Cap for me too. I think they're very good vehicles for work. Not as comfortable as the jap kit and yes they do break now and again, but they handle tough work so much better. By the sound of your situation a 110 Hi-Cap with high sides should fit the bill. If I remember right you could get 1.6ish cube in the standard bed, so double the height of the sides and you'll be about there. No need to have it above cab height. They also convert to tipper pretty well. Last of all, you can get a pickup with a narrow tailgate (standard 110 hard top tub without the sides/roof and a tailgate instead of a door). I had one myself and wouldn't recommend it. It's a pain, with full length wheel arches too the capacity is well down and it's a pig to shovel out. On top of that the panel structure is different. The rear body is formed from the same panel as the rear of the cab so removing the back body to fit a tipper is much more involved than the Hi-Cap, which has a separate bed unit on the back.

Ibbetts are certainly very good. As are AC Price. Those are the two I'd go to. Ibbetts are my most local option and I tend to buy everything I can from them because I find them very helpful and friendly. AC Price are quite possibly the best in the country but further from me.

My only suggestion would be to avoid the cheap Chinese machines. I've never heard a good word spoken about them. Save up as much as you can and go for the best you can possibly afford. A lot of older machines aren't HSE compliant so that is worth keeping an eye on. How much do you want to spend?

Well mine's now back on the road. It goes like stink... well relatively speaking at least, since the brakes are no longer stuck on. I find cab comfort (again relative) means keeping it down below 2400rpm. Anything over that is ear defender time. I've been out on a couple of ten mile drives since it's done and am getting my love for it back. If I'm honest I was beginning to get a little miffed with the whole idea when it was on stands on the drive! I also got the lift arms and hydraulics in over the last week or so. It has a small leak so needs a new steel pipe on the rams, but that's no big deal.

I did my basic felling certificate with Roland many years ago. At the time he was working for a chap named Tim Bendle. I'm pretty sure it must be the same Roland - he moved down that way a few years back. He's a really good instructor, couldn't fault the guy. He's also a good laugh in between the serious bits which made the course fun as well as informative.

Well if you buy one and get it stuck there are plenty of mog owners here who'd be happy to come and tow you out! It's a very nice truck but mog killer?...

You know what, I've been looking at a little pto gravity feed TW at an estate where I shoot. I wondered how they made it work on a clockwise pto when the blades turn the same way as on my Trukloder. The engine on that doesn't run clockwise so I figured it must be something like that, but I didn't know it could be removed. Is it a simple enough job to be able to use it on both ends with a small amount of workshop time? That really would be good.

I didn't know you could get the TW made to fit on the front. As I'm looking at used machines I also doubt it's something I will find easily unfortunately. Does your linkage not have that little ball in the system? I think it's called an accumulator? Kind of a shock absorber for the hydraulics.

I thought the single feed roller thing was a bit silly. It certainly isn't going to help matters! It's good to hear of an A530 being used on a mog. It looks like a nice machine. One thing I have just noticed is that the Greenmech mounts with the hopper to one side. Ideal on some jobs but bound to be a pain on others. That would also explain the length of it... I'm now off to look up the width! Edit... It's 1745mm - so the same bloody size as the rest of them! Thought it was too good to be true!

Hi guys. Brace yourselves... I've been typing this out for a while! Since my last post on a similar note I've been looking at the wide range of machines available and noted the huge difference in weight between them. It seems that a 6" machine can vary from 400kg (excluding the cheap Chinese rubbish) to over a ton. I want to keep things on the light side to allow a better chip payload on the rear axle. I also need it to be as small as possible - my whole storage facility is just a touch bigger than a double garage! Having spoken to a couple of lads who really know their Unimogs, it's been suggested to me that the ideal chipper size for a little round cab mog like mine is around the 6-8" mark. Any bigger is asking a lot of the transmission, which I don't really want or need to do. I like to roll these things around in my head over and over before I make a decision. Something that may be a bit irritating at times?! But it's a lot of money for me and I don't want to buy the wrong machine. I think I'll have to up my budget a little to get what I need but it's better that than to buy junk. So far I've looked at these... The Schliesing 200 is 800kg apparently. So that's out. And they hold their money well - no doubt for good reason but I probably couldn't afford one so haven't even bothered researching it too much! Tw150 is 400kg and 1775mm long when folded. It's relatively cheap, but I've heard some bashing of the make recently. I assume not due to anything serious? Feed opening is tight at 6x6", which puts me off a bit. Jensen A530 is 540kg and 1850mm long. I've not seen many of these about but the specs look good. One to consider? The feed opening is 6x8" instead of the 6" square of the TW. For brashy stuff could this be a big advantage? Greenmech EC150TMP is 490kg. It also folds down to 1060mm for transport and storage which is a massive factor for me. Negative is like the TW - 6x6" feed opening. The local Greenmech sales guy was very good at the arb show. He spent ages talking to me and lives just up the road. That puts them in a good position for me, if the machine is good? This one is the favourite contender. TP150 is 515kg, but over 2m long. Big negative there unfortunately as they seem to be one of the best for my needs besides that! Feed opening is 6x8", so good. And the name speaks for itself. I haven't heard much negativity about them. Junkkari 170 is 550kg, 1600mm long. It has one feed roller rather than two - should I just bin that option?! How do you chaps rate the above machines? And do you have any additions I've overlooked? I'm about at a point where I can afford to buy a second hand machine so my thoughts have been pretty stuck on this subject since I decided to run my van until the wheels fall off. Better to invest in kit that will earn me more than waste it on a newer version of something I already have just because it's got tidy paintwork!

I've done a bit with a 3t Kubota that belongs to a customer of ours. His bucket had slots about 3" wide and flat bits between so looked like a standard bucket that had been cut. It worked pretty well but didn't like muddy stuff even when dry. I would think that one with the bars turned 90 degrees would be better to avoid sticking? Also I'd avoid round bar as in my head a taper will allow stuff to get jammed in the gaps more easily? I can't say that from experience but basic physics suggests it's more likely?

Just reply with "I'm a whisky man - it would be cheaper to pay me".

Put your location in your profile - you never know your luck. I'll never drop anything off for free but if someone's willing to carry it off site from where it lands and take it away it saves me the job of moving it. Once it's on my van it goes in my wood shed if it's worth having. I also agree with skyhuck - well seasoned softwood is just fine to burn. A bit quicker but still hot. Get yourself a little moisture meter to stab the logs with. They're cheap enough and help you to get the best from your wood.

I had a little job some years back now, clearing a load of snowberry and bramble from the corner of a rather eccentric chap's garden. He lived next door to my in laws. I went to price it and apparently he'd been out there for days with his loppers. Not sure what he'd done, but it wasn't much! I checked he didn't want it all dug up which he didn't, so said I'd do it for £100. He nearly fell over... "are you sure?" he said. "That's not a lot for the amount of work you'll have to do!". So the day comes and I go in there with the FS450 complete with shredder knife. Two hours later it's mulched and raked up, on the van. Then the classic - "£100 for two hours work?!". Well yes. It's all about having the right kit for the job. That machine isn't cheap and I've still got to dispose of the rubbish yet.... It's funny how their opinions change when they realise you're not doing the job with loppers and a bow saw for a quid an hour!

I don't understand the problem? If it's the one I looked at earlier it clearly said photo/picture at the end of the main description. If someone bids silly money on it they should learn to read!

We've got sunshine and "showers" here. The showers are of biblical proportion. We also had hailstones yesterday that were big enough to knock a couple of rusty bits of wing off of my Unimog!

We put slabs on freecycle sometimes. Same thing really. Some folk are happier to have a stranger with a trailer turn up than have to pay for another skip. Of course it's discussed with them first when pricing, but when incorporated with the money talk it's a clear winner for a lot of people.

I agree. I sub doing gardening work and get £12.50 per hour. I'm self employed, basic chainsaw ticket. If I work my petrol tools, my van or my chipper for him he pays a small hire fee - £5-10 per day for cheaper kit and a tenner per running hour on the chipper (including fuel). The van comes at 50p per mile, but it's usually working hard when it is used. I've been thinking I'd like to put and extra quid an hour on that rate - been on it for three years now. Edit... Reading that back it sounds like I'm saying he's tight. I'm not, I think it's a fair deal. Unlike the poor fella who started the topic! Any hard working low skill bloke has to be worth at least £75 per day, and he sounds better than that.

Sounds like I'd be better off with something that can just burn the chip at a fairly high moisture content. What I'm aiming at is a way to get rid of my waste yet provide me with something at the same time, as cheaply as possible. Maybe a basic water heating affair would be better for my needs. If I could figure out how to make an Aga/Rayburn type thing burn chip, that would probably solve it. Edit... Or buy a branch logger instead of a chipper?

I'd be very interested in that, but only as a place to learn unfortunately. I've never had one and know very little about them. Hasn't the company closed down now?

Kind of like a hot glue gun then? Too much water stops it from bonding and perhaps stops it from building enough heat. 12% is low moisture though, very low!

I've watched a load of videos and just baffled myself even more. Most seem to press the blocks straight out, and some have to be cut to length once made. I think that could be a bit too complicated for a DIY job and I'll most likely try to do it with a big ram and a strong tube to ram it into. Getting it back out.... Well I haven't worked that bit out yet! Edit... Re the moisture, could they not just be stacked to dry if they were a bit damp? Or do they not stick if not just right?