Matthew Storrs
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Everything posted by Matthew Storrs
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Is topping up a charge not very good for batteries then? Guilty of this as always want to turn up to job with full charge.
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and for good reason- certainly the most consistently quality power tools I’ve owned. Good to hear the aftermarket batteries are good cos they’re much cheaper. Even if they don’t last quite as long it’s still worth it
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Has anyone who is self employed used the NEST pension that I think is set up by the government usually used by work place pensions? ive spent most of the last 10 years investing in machines, which in turn enables me a reasonable living and having assets is always good. But as Stephen says think keeping several options in the go is a good idea. Certainly the LISAs seem like free money and be mad not to take them up on it, espeacially if still youngish as they stop the 25% contribution after you get to 50 I think.
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I’ve got that set- only badged as Silverline. Didn’t think it would last long but 5 years later and many scaffold bars applied its still all functioning.
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I use an app called invoice simple. Let’s you do estimates, then once your done it converts it to an invoice for you. Tots up you income throughout the year and easy to use and edit. I think it’s £22 a year for the mobile version- well worth it sorry missed the bit where you said you wanted it free. But even so £22 isn’t much for a year and it saves sooo much time and faffing. you can set all your customers up in its database and just ping of invoices. Takes about a minute to send of an invoice from writing it out to the customer receiving it.
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I dunno- surely you just make what your happy with and more or less forget what everyone else is up to? Everyone’s costs are going to be different so it’s a pointless exercise comparing yourself. My business is mostly plant based ground works and rural services- I reckon a lot of you might wince at what I might earn for a day turning up on my own with £50k minimum worth of kit- sometimes nearer £100k. Yet nearly all my kit is paid for, I don’t have to work flat out to cover my costs, and don’t generally feel like I’m going without in life. I get plenty of work as as it comes in thick and fast I also have luxury of choosing jobs which suit me best. I could price higher but I’m happy with my lot and it pays the bills!
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Stolen 372xp and vehicle batteries, Bow, Devon
Matthew Storrs replied to Big J's topic in Stolen Equipment
Agree lock him up, Through away the key and let the bast**d rot. Wish punishments were 3rd world for these kind of crimes (and many more for that matter). Might go some way to putting folk off. -
Yeah I do see where your coming from. But at the same time at what point is it deemed acceptable for a council to step in to safeguard something which might hold value for others living in the area. Is it any different to say planning law? I know if I moved to a nice rural location, no neighbours, house backs onto fields. Suddenly the farmer has sold the fields to a developer and because there’s no restraint they decided they’re plonking 20 hideous characterless dwellings right slap bang up against your house de-valuing it in the process. I wouldn’t say I’m pro government intervention- I think compulsory purchase sucks but same time the line has to be drawn somewhere and that bloke crossed it. Then again £60k is probably little more then the Disco on his driveway so he’s probably feeling ok with the result!
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I agree, I don’t like being told what to do so I’m not going to pay any tax anymore- not a penny it’s my money I can do what I like with it!
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Yeah- I guess everyone’s situation is different. And if you have a tractor to do a variety of other works then clearly it’s going to be the most cost effective option. But running a tractor and low loader mainly to move diggers around- I’m not so sure. If your doing it yourself you get more lorry for your money then tractor, no trailer to buy and faff around with, they’re more economical on fuel too- but then if your running on red in a tractor then not much in it. i had a tractor and trailer for moving mini diggers around and dump trailer use- it was convenient being able to do myself, but economically for me it makes more sense to use 3rd party grab lorries to move aggregate and a beaver tail to move my digger around. At £ 45-55 per hr it’s far less hassle then running a tractor and trailer- potentially expensive repair bills/insurance plus my fuel and time and saves the risk of being pulled..
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I find the whole tractor thing a bit odd- is it really cheaper than going through proper channels? For example I have had to move 1000s of tons of aggregate to jobs from a local supply for resurfacing footpaths- I used to use tractor and dump trailer (my own). But then I started using lorry and grab- can self load- move twice the amount at twice the speed and no repair bills for my self let alone the cost of buying tractor and trailer. I made more money off jobs and far less time and hassle using the lorry then trying to do it all myself.
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Should have been felled on to his house to prove a point!
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Nice- seems like it’s the time of year to treat ourselves! Hope it works out well for you.
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Yes got grapple but will be fitting a hydraulic thumb to it as well (if I can fit all the brackets on!) thumbs are perfect for building stone face banks as it’s a constant need for both grab and bucket. Will use a lorry for the most part for further jobs, it does just fit into my Herbst dump loader trailer though.
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It’s a 2001. 2 owner ops/drivers from new. I bought it a month ago but It had more play then I’d like in the slew bearing so I had a new one put in. The rest of it is pretty tight and engine is a peach. It has done 4400 hrs, undercarriage is in excellent condition which really sold it for me with those tracks on it. It’s nice that at this age it’s not going to lose much money so reckon if I keep it a few years and then can trade in for something newer if I find it works out to be the best size for me. It cost £12500+vat with the new bearing fitted, fully serviced and includes 4 buckets and the grab.
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Christmas pressie arrived for me today. Old but mighty tidy.
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Exactly, how many forestry pickups are actually used in the woods for commercial forestry work- none I’d have thought. You just need something economical to get you and tools to track side- the machines do the rest.
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i wasn’t really planning on selling it as reckon I loose too much money on it as it’s still newish- was going to wait for a few years and try and get some more use out of it, they don’t depreciate too much as they get older.
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I don’t want to put you off the 1.8t it’s a good size for many like Doobin say Particularly if doing a fair bit of residential. But buying my new 1.8t last year was a big mistake for me, it’s sat in the barn doing a paltry 280hrs in a year. The 3 tonner I put 700hrs on last year. I say this as I think you might be in similar terrain/country to me. About 8” of topsoil and then some monster boulders just below the surface. Then the added reach and dump height- I just find them vastly more capable machines, I also find I’m less tired after a days work on the 3 tonner- the little one rocks about and I’m more tensed up in it to counter it. This is a typical encounter on most jobs, it’s 7ft long and about a ton. The 1.8t would be on its knees trying to dig it out and wrestle it around.
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He’s a Scot. Living on a diet of porridge and Haggis- of course he can chuck the buckets around, unlike us wee southerners!
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It’s a good way of doing it. By having multiple vehicles you can always have the right vehicle for the right job. Rough- have you looked at the Jeep Grand Cherokee, 3l merc engine- bags of power, 3.5t towing and can be found tidy for around £3k. Or does it have to be a pickup?
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Yes yes yes, this is what I’m always saying (although havnt actually implemented myself yet!) but it’s the downtime for repairs that’s the killer. Finance you know is happening and can plan for but the broken down truck just results in letting other people down as well as your self and generally happens at 6pm on the way home from work leaving little time to sort anything out fit the next day. It’s not so bad if your running multiple vehicles though and always have something to at least tide you over. i use a company called ignition finance in Truro. Good to deal with and they will fund smaller (Under £5k for eg ) purchases themselves. Don’t forget no MOT for first 3 years (?) on new stuff so another fairly considerable saving
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Plant hire co near me has there whole fleet yanmar- well over 50 machines, they said they wouldn’t look elsewhere now, the 5000hr machines have worn well and that’s all hire work so says a lot about them.
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Why the 1.8t out of interest? I have both 2.8 and 1.8 but there’s not many jobs where I wouldn’t prefer to have the bigger one, a bit more of a lump to tow around but more than makes up for it when on site. With the 1.8t I get in it and instantly wish I’d bought the other machine- unless it’s just a scratch around job!
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Yeah, I’m sure something along those lines could be done. Granted there may be a few genuine hardship cases- but in many cases it’s not being too poor thats the issue but prioritising cigarettes, drugs, booze, gambling, crap single use toys (for the kids) instead. Sweeping generalisation I know, but plenty claim “poverty” but still somehow find the money for the above...
