Matthew Storrs
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Everything posted by Matthew Storrs
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I wouldn't be concerned about buying an older machine- I'd base it more on the machines wear and general condition than age. I recently went to look at a 2013 4 ton kubota kx121. Lovely condition but the bushes in the bucket tipping links were totally shot- it had done 4000hrs- and it was commanding strong money as it was still relatively young. By comparison I have just bought a used Takeuchi 3 tonner 2007- I can honestly say you would never find a tidier machine short of new- it was like showroom condition and had been barn stored all its life only clocking up 1000hrs. However it was a good price because essentially it was a 10 yr old digger.
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My humble opinion is the standard fixed braced 3/2 tone grapples have a lot going for them in general arb and scrub type work. Firstly minimal outlay. But once you get fluid at using one in conjunction with offset boom you can stack timber pretty efficiently. They are mega tough you can rip out small stumps, knock round and roll big timber and perhaps most importantly you have far more loading height compared to a dangling rotating grab. Plus they are far more multi purpose if you undertake other works- landscaping rock handling and fence line clearance- Also with sub 3 ton machines you are slight limited what you can swing in a rotating grab with straggly brash etc because of cab contact, a fixed time grab you tend to knock brash piles in the right direction before you pick them up. Just my thoughts
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Damned if he does damned if he doesn't is the impression I'm getting from most on here. Look at the reaction May got when she didn't visit the victims o Grenfell. Most MPs, and royals for that matter just go through the motions in general with visits, nodding and expressing concern, what else can they do?
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Thanks for all your help everyone. Breezeblock- this is the valve I had in mind https://www.flowfitonline.com/hydraulic-valves/monoblock-valves/bucher-hydraulic-38-40-lmin-one-bank-single-acting-spool I'd have a thick hose as the return hose- not sure what size but I guess it's also limited by the 3/8 adapter connection too to get the oil to get back to the tank quick enough so the weight has maximum drop velocity?
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It's true- I think turn it around and we all know what we would have wanted to do had anyone got hold of the Manchester/London terrorists- my blood was boiling just looking at the pictures of them.
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I left school at 16 with a place in the Navy- I wasn't acedemic really and thought it could be a good progressive job, see the world etc. Joined the Navy, was medically discharged a week later (best thing that's ever happened as it happens!) So caught short I moved from my home On a farm I'd grown up on on Dartmoor and went to do a forestry course up at Barony college- eventually progresssd into tree work and worked for a good tree surgeon in the midlands for 4-5yeats before I thought I'd move back to Dartmoor and start on my own. That was nearly ten years ago and unlike most on here I have actually moved away from tree climbing and tree work in general, my business evolved into agri fencing digger work and Dry stone walling which I had always enjoyed messing around with when I was growing up and it's just gone from there really, can't think of anything I would sooner do now- including tree work! I think I prefer looking, walking amongst trees now than I do working on them:001_rolleyes:
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Maybe- but I expect it comes down to size of company. I would prefer to earn 30k doing my own thing than 36k being someone else's slave. I think the bigger you become- naturally the incentive to earn more comes with it.
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I agree with this- running any business large or small requires a considerable amount of stress and behind the scenes legwork. However, we all probably run our own show for different reasons- some may do if for mainly financial gain with the 'cap' only set by them. Personally I do it because I prefer the lifestyle- I can do jobs my way, when I like and the pride in doing a good job is alll mine, I earn a reasonable living from it- but money isn't everything- if it was I wouldn't be in this job.
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for some reason the scene from About a boy comes to mind when Hugh grant has been made to listen to Marcus sing 'killing me softly' alongside the piano.
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I'm setting up a postknocker to run off a digger- but I want to be able to control the hammer from controls on the postknocker rather than the digger. So I have a double/single acting circuit on the digger. But the ram on the postknocker is a single acting ram (same As on a tipper truck) so the weight gravity forces the ram back down. I'm looking at lever control spools but do I go for a single or double acting one? I don't want the hammer to drop when I let go of the lever- I want to press the lever the other way to make it drop so not sure which one I need. Cheers, Matt
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don't worry about this they never go wrong:001_smile: Seriously though- any parts can either be sent or if they are fixing under warranty that's their problem? By the way my Takeuchi tn125 is for sale of you want it...
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Post and rail for horses- I don't like concreting wood in the ground because it rots quicker- instead I buy 8ft posts and bury them deep- it's no effort to drill out a bit deeper with with my auger and the extra wood Is cheaper and less hassle then concrete. That's the theory anyway! Of course if I had concreted them in at 2ft I'd never have hit the pipes:laugh1:
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Yeah, I hate delays that aren't my fault. I was doing a fencing job recently, customer insisted there were no underground services- they were building a house so knew where services were- well I went through 2 seperate water pipes with an auger 4ft down. Took half a day per fix including getting the fittings etc. So I wasted at least a day faffing around fixing pipes- I didn't charge them extra but felt I should have done really.
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Best mini/micro digger - your views please
Matthew Storrs replied to Millbert's topic in General chat
The new kobelcos are now made by YAnmar, only in sickly blue! OP- do you actually need a micro? They are generally only 20cm or so narrower than a 1.6t mini, but a 1.6t is much better suited machine for timber handling and you can get more height for loading truck etc. -
Best mini/micro digger - your views please
Matthew Storrs replied to Millbert's topic in General chat
THIS, forward control levers are a PITA! Not sure there will be that many older machines with wrist rest controls(or whatever they are called). Of all the machines I have used in this size class I have found them much of a muchness to be honest- the recent CAT/wacker was a strong machine. -
Ok, great, cheers for that. Probably will look at it tomorrow. That hitachi of yours looks beautifully tidy- well done!
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Thanks for that, yes that's what I thought I'd do regarding the hitch- if it ended up being a nuisance to manually change I could get another hitch further down the line. Sorry for all the questions, but how were the pins and bushes/kingpost etc and did it have any oil/coolant loss? wouldn't expect it to be like New but have seen plenty that are quite sloppy- but they had higher hours.. It's a few hours away so want to be fairly sure it's worth the journey. Thanks again I used to run a tb016 and it was a belter- ideal for small jobs being able to take digger/attachments and materials all in one go.
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Yep definitely the same machine, small world. have you painted it whilst you had it, I'm toying whether to go and look at it or not- the only thing that slightly puts me off is the quickhitch which won't fit my existing attachments, so would need new hitch/buckets. It looks good condition though and low hours? How did you find it, was there much wear in it? Thanks.
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Jimmy- may I ask who you traded your old TB016 in with? I'm looking at one that looks identical with a view to buying- grab and all.
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How about a small poly tunnel- my Dad has just got one and it has revolutionised his veg growing.
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Looking good- Josh, I assume you find the Swedish climate favourable for growing veg- shorter growing season perhaps?
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I dug these rocks out with my Tak and it lifted every one of them,which it did fine but probably the comfortablelimit- I'm sure I would have struggled with a zero tail swing, most of those boulders are 800kg or so- they are bigger than the photo makes them look- used them to make this access bridge!
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Iv had Takeuchis of various sizes for nearly 8 years now, the latest being the TB125- you really can't go wrong with them in this size bracket- some say they wear on the pins a bit quick but I'm sure in part this is down to lack of adequate greasing as I would say mine haven't worn much since iv had them as I'm very hot on greasing. The Tak 230 is a little heavier than the tb125 which means you will have to have a trailer which only weighs 550kg to tow it legally (there are options to do so out there- Bateson etc) If it was my money it'd be the Tak, and the comparable model would be the Kubota KX71-3, both have decent rear overhang, excellent resale value and reliability. Iv operated a few JCB minis and have been underwhelmed to say the least but they may have upped their game recently? Their is the Yanmar SV26 which is more comfortably towable if after that...
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Good call Steve- we don't all have to agree to play nicely. I really enjoyed the 'news' thread too, despite not contributing much to it for fear of lack of knowledge and facts that don't hold up!
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Does working it out on a percentage actually work? For example, I buy a new tractor for £40,000- 0.05% of this is £20. I also buy an old tractor for £5k which using the same equation is only £2.50. They both do the same job so why should the customer have to pay to have shiny kit onsite. Much better to work out a depreciation cost per machine hour IMO. If I buy the new tractor the benefit comes to me in the form of a longer working life but they should both be costed the same regardless of age and initial cost...
