doobin

Oh, the International would be old all right! Mid to late 70s. They're just not as 'collectable' as MF and Ford. And much better specced for the money.

That's why the OP needs an International.... Power steering, two speed PTO, power brakes, pickup up hitch, power loader. All for 2 - 2.5k. No anorak collectors pushing up prices either.

Proper all rounder would be something like a 60-80 HP conventional 4WD tractor. But as you already own a decent one, albeit compact, best just to get a yard tractor at reasonable money. I refer you again to my statement about hours worked and depreciation, it makes a lot of sense.

These compacts don't have proper draft sensing as such, he's put the chains there to allow it to to 'sit' the splitter down in a transport position without having the tractor constantly trying to adjust the height of the splitter as it's so heavy.

That looks worth a few bob and a good size for a lot of other jobs/fieldwork where 4wd is needed. 2k for a secondhand 454 is what it will cost you in depreciation and repair bills if you keep abusing the loader like that Seriously, it looks about ready to split in half. I notice you already have a PTO pump setup- looks good. An International or David Brown could run that for you in 1000 PTO at tickover, saving lots of diesel.

There's a chap at Eartham with a sawmill. He might be up for a deal.

The reference to 1200gk and an assistor ram was to the linkage. Whether it can actually lift 1200kg at the ball ends I don't know, but if it can't pick up 500kg on the back without doing a wheely then I doubt the front end will lift much either. Hub leak could very well be due to overloading, and I wouldn't say it's designed to lift as much on the loader as you have been trying to. You need similar horsepower in a larger form. Which means (unless you're willing to part with lots of money) 2WD David Brown or International. Ford and Massey are collectors items now, see this post, will be right up your street: http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/firewood-forum/50754-yard-firewood-tractor-3.html#post773282 Your tractor produces 30l/min hydraulic flow. An International 454 does 45l/min. I would go further and get a PTO pump setup, but this just illustrates how an old 2WD lump of a tractor would be much better for around a yard. Also consider this- hours clocked up on a tractor depreciate it. Especially for donkey work such as running a log splitter- it's not worked hard, but how does a potential purchaser know that when faced with a high clock reading? An older tractor will depreciate a LOT slower (and may even go up in value if bought at reasonable money) than a newish tractor. Hope this helps.

OP- is your splitting and loader work at the yard (ie. hard standing)? If so I'd be tempted to keep what you've got, and get another yard tractor, a 2wd International with loader for about 2k. Then you also have backup.

The original dealer did. That said they were less than helpful regarding shaft vibration, which was an issue I had to sort on my own. See this thread: http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/general-chat/26020-new-stihl-strimmers-i-didnt-think-they-could-improve-them-so-much.html#post432213 and this post: http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/chainsaws/60133-need-new-brushcutter-recommendations.html#post922205

Great picks Codlasher, thanks for the info. However, the OP was about a ditch at the field edge. Field drains as such will be done with a molelough.

Just checked the Relax retail price- it's £387 including VAT and shipping. That's £140 more for a lighter built product with a smaller flue. Not a good deal in my eyes.

The guys who build them reckon they have been building them 20 years and some originals are still going strong! The photo on their advert of the five year old one looks fine. I agree they will burn out, but if I can get 5 years and then sell the burner and old flue (total cost £400) for £150 (everyone wants a cheap log burner!) then it will have cost me £50 a year, which is fine by me. Plus, I can always patch it up if it's only a localised hot-spot near the air draw, for example. I did look at your type versus the type I eventually bought. A quick comparison of the weights (29kg versus 42kg) suggests that the Relax is a somewhat lighter build? Add that to the fact that a second hand Relax would have cost me almost as much as a new Tecnik delivered and it was an easy decision.

It's a known issue. Stihl should sort under warranty, regardless of age. They did my FS460.

If he can sell it, good luck to him. You lot would have the log trade as a pay to enter cartel if you could get away with it! Plenty of folk round my way cut it straight from the round into the back of the truck, and they sell it no problem. It's often more hassle than it's worth to explain the difference in price and quality to the uninformed customer. Hence the expression, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! In all seriousness, I have some stuff thats been in vented bags since early spring, and some being cut now from year old cord and will be stored in vented bags in a barn for sale in February/March. A cold dry wind is as good as a summer breeze!

I just got one of these for the workshop. £247 delivered including VAT if you ring him. sawdust/wood shavings/wood burning workshop stoves | eBay Overnights on sawdust well- not hot hot, but almost too hot to touch when you come in the morning. Seems to burn best with a large lump of wood in there also. I run it on sawdust and old sawn timber that I can't sell as logs. I caught my lad trying to put some ash from the store on it the other day, he won't do that again I top it up, open the vent and squirt the airline down it to fire her up again in the morning!

In a nutshell. Two safety features of the saw have to fail first. Next time this tired topic comes up, someone please link to this post?

Field is very much up and down but multiple outlets should sort that. So you're saying option B, as long as the fall is there overall it's all OK?

Gentlemen, I am in the process of digging new ditched on a clients field. I have surveyed the runs with a laser level, and plotted this on a spreadsheet, giving an accurate graph of the ups and downs (and there are a few!) From this I can see where to put outlets. Question- I understand that a field ditch should have a fall somewhere in the region of 0.5%? If this is the case (and please correct me if you think this is too much/too little) then does that mean a uniform trench with a constant fall of 0.5%? Or, as I presume, so long as the fall between the highest point and the outlet is 0.5% overall (assuming no high ground in the middle of run), is that OK? My head is hurting!

That's why you use a mulching blade, it shreds them. If your employer doesn't have one then he's in the countryside maintenance dark ages. For the OP, if it's just got to be done once then why not hire a walk behind flail for a weekend?

This. But without the no offence intended bit....

Do yourself and everyone else a favour and make a stand against the ever increasing tide of red tape and regulation. If you take the brushcutter course, (CS56b) then the next logical step would be your abrasive wheels course (CS29C). From there on the only place you can really go is the 'trousers on the right way round' qualification (R3TRD), and the wiping your ass NVQ. If you know what you're doing, then that should shine through in the quality of your work. You're presumably not chasing the council work, etc, where such tickets are an all consuming obsession.

Already been sorted, Easy-Lift guy will be along shortly!

I'd take a Rodeo over an L200 any day.

There's your answer. I can spin mine on the spot in woods, wherever, they never come off.

Steel tracks are available usually but at an eye watering price and you probably need to change sprockets. I was quoted £2.5k plus VAT for a 1.5ton- that buys a fair few sets of rubber tracks plus metal studs for tough conditions!