Tom at Heartwood

I guess with the right tyres it would be capable although the Streetmaster name slightly concerns me thinking about forest terrain, but then I am in Cumbria!

81 litres per minutes at 230 bar- that sounds like loads to me. Woodbuster is a grab type cleaver LMS Woodbuster 870 | woodbuster | woodcracker | timber cleaver | mlarge.com

The back actor should handle a splitter like an LMS Woodbuster shouldn't it?

In my ongoing search for a versatile loader I have got around to looking at JCB 2CX Streetmaster and wonder if anyone has used one for tree related work. They look like a capable combination of front loader for moving pallets and bulk bags around the yard and back actor that could be put to work on site, possibly with options of log splitter and stump grinder/planer mounted. Four wheel steered, 20mph and power shuttle between forward and reverse on later models I think. Less nimble than a hydrostatic loader I guess but it looks like mid-teen thousand pounds buys a machine with a lot of life left in it. Your thoughts and experiences would be welcome. Cheers, Tom.

I'm looking out for a decent used Avant loader and I think that the 750 looks suited to my needs but have only tried a 635 so far. Going through all the various ads and talking with dealers over the months I've been trying to get an idea of market prices and typical depreciation per hour's use and guess that it works out at about £3 - £4 per hour. I know that there are different ways of working out depreciation but an average per hour is handy for working out operating cost. Even though the number of machines in the UK appears to be steadily increasing there are few around with high hours. I would be interested to know what sort of life expectancy they have and what needs fixing or replacing after, say, 3000 or 5000 hours use and so on. Some of the longer established hydrostatic loaders, such as Kramer Allrad that have been around for over 20 years, have clocked up high hours (8000 - 10,000) but will an Avant or Multione have the same life ahead of it if looked after? I would be glad to hear your thoughts and experiences. Cheers, Tom.

Thank you for the thoughts and advice. I will cut the beam so that I can leave a 50mm thickness all around and try to post some photos when it's done. Tom.

Hello. I am currently milling some very nice straight and clean grained larch and have an order for a beam with a channel cut in to house an RSJ or steel I-beam. The larch beam is to be 4m in length and obviously not structural I would appreciate any thoughts on what I propose to do particularly regarding the stability of the beam as it dries from fresh cut and settles in an internal centrally heated space. The steel is 158mm x 89mm and the overall larch beam cross-section proposed is 200mm x 200mm. I will probably cut the channel with a portable chain morticer and allow a little clearance for ease of fitting, maybe 6mm. However, I am wondering if there will be enough timber thickness remaining (i.e. only about 36mm on the lower face) or whether to increase the overall dimension. Any thoughts or advice from your experiences would be welcome. Thanks, Tom from Heartwood Enterprises in Cumbria.

Thanks for your thoughts on that. I've just found a link to one supplier of Zetor parts Barlows Henbury Ltd. McCormick and Zetor Agricultural Engineers near Macclesfield

Hello. I'm looking at 60-70HP four-wheel drive Zetor and Same tractors for general woodland and yard duties. The price bracket I'm looking at will maybe get me a 20 to 30 year old tractor with 4000+ hours. Does anyone know about general parts availability for tractors of either make? You seem to be able to get quite a lot of tractor for the money but then it can obviously be a pain if something breaks and you can't get the bits. Cheers, Tom.

Re. skidding with an ATV. Assuming that the terrain is level or gently sloping down hill what is a typical weight or volume of pole that can be pulled by, say, a 450/500cc ATV such as a Honda Foreman? It will depend on whether or not an arch, cone or just chains are used but I would be interested to hear of experiences. Chris' point about smaller load but quicker travel is a good one. My Alpine tractor pulls a good load but it is at walking speed or less. Also, sometimes the Alpine is tied up and it would be handy to have the means of moving a few poles.

Chris, Did you find a self-releasing pulley and have you used it? I need one myself and didn't find one in stock at the APF but Riko said they have them. Tom.

Chris, Did you find a self-releasing pulley and have you used it? I need one myself and didn't find one in stock at the APF but Riko said they have them. Tom.

Chris, Did you find a self-releasing pulley and have you used it? I need one myself and didn't find one in stock at the APF but Riko said they have them. Tom.

I would like to be able to burn long logs, say 1m, in a stove that has a glass front and a back-boiler that could provide domestic hot water. I like seeing a fire in the house, rather than having a boiler and accumulator tank hidden away in an out-house, but I also would like efficency of handling and combustion to heat an old farm house. Can anyone suggest makes or models or sources of information on such things please? I think that I have seen French stoves years ago that are something like this but can't seem to track any down on-line. Any suggestions are welcomed. Cheers, Tom.

The Ferrari is about 1.5 tonnes and RIKO gave me the same advice about lack of stability. I was thinking that it would be handy to be able to move timber in the yard and load up trailers without having to have a trailer on the tractor. Cheers, Tom.

Could you please offer any advice on a three point linkage mounted crane that would suit my Ferrari 51HP Alpine tractor and be used independently of a trailer but also have the flexibility to be trailer mounted? Cheers, Tom.

Nicely done but rigid axles will be limiting.

It looks like quite a lot for the money. If you were to price the materials (steel, stub axles, wheels, tow hitch, paint etc.) and fabrication costs it would soon add up. With this kit you are of course getting rocking beam axles which will be a definite advantage for load stability over a fixed single axle if you are travelling over rough terrain - i.e. in the woods! It may be limiting having only two sets of bolsters if you want to move shorter lengths. A central pair might be handy. Tom.

Hi. Can I ask what sort of skid steers people are using for loading? Wheeled or tracked? What sort of grab? Cheers, Tom.

There's an interesting approach to doing something like that on this YouTube clip:

Hi Mike. Thanks for the info on your kiln set-up. It would be great to see some photos when you have time. Cheers, Tom.

Hi Mike, Thanks for that. Which model of Sauno did you go for and what size container have you fitted it to? Cheers, Tom.

Some years ago I was looking at dehumidifier kilns and Arrowsmith offered a range suitable for small-scale timber drying. Now that I'm looking again I can't seem to find a web presence or contact details and wonder if they are still trading under that name. Does anyone know or have suggestions for alternative suppliers for the equipment required to convert shipping or refrigerated containers please? Cheers, Tom.

Does anyone have a view on Italian made Rosselli log splitters? Build quality etc. Cheers, Tom.

I bought at second hand Igland 3201 that came up on ebay. I've yet to use it but it is light and compact - hopefully not too small. I'll report back when it has been put to work.