Matthew Storrs

I had the most get up and go for tree work when I worked for someone else, then 8 years ago when I setup on my own I began gradually losing interest in it (certainly climbing anyway). I'm not really sure why but just couldn't really enthuse about it, I got a digger nearly 7 years ago and started doing more and more agricultural fencing and dry stone walling and work has never stopped coming in and still pretty enthusiastic about jobs etc. Perhaps just try something different, if you yearn to go back to tree work then you know that is where your heart is, on the other hand the thought of scrabbling about up ivy clad trees and handballing a few ton of heavy oak rings onto the back of a truck fills you with dread you know you did the right thing trying summit else!

Nothing wrong with taking pride in your machine! To me the Volvo ec27 (not sure about the ECR26)look like they have far too many welds on the boom that go across as if it's just 2 parts welded together unlike the Kubota design, I'm sure they have engineered it right but just looks like a weak point.

The only thing I don't like with the yammer is that it has 250mm tracks as most of its competition has 300mm. Eddie what are your thoughts on the kubota kx61-3? It's becoming quite an old model now so perhaps lacking in features compared with the rest? Not sure if they are plans to upgrade? Apparently according to my local dealer Takeuchi are bringing out a new 2.5t model next year, but I think I fancy a change TBH. Floating blade sounds like a great idea, surprised it's not more commonplace

Here she is- in black, sexy or what? http://r1.oemoffhighway.com/files/base/OOH/image/2016/05/16x9/640x360/Yanmar_SV26_black_2.57274f0813d0d.jpg

Cat minis are made by wacker neuson so look at WNs 2.6t model which is standard tail swing too (getting increasingly rare in this size class it seems) I'm going to chop my 2.8t Takeuchi for a new machine this Christmas. I want 2.6t as it allows more leeway for attachments on trailer. The new yanmar sv26 is probably my fave option at the mo, it has 2x auxiliary circuits so you could run a rotator grab without having to plumb into the crowd ram. Looks like a really nice machine but yet to try one out cos there's no dealers near.

Absolutely, nothing wrong with the cold, nice cold frosty winter would be great, it's the constant lashing rain I hate.

Yup- after a glorious summer and autumn I'd rather forgotten how miserable life became when it gets like this! Oh well, here's to Spring.

Probably a bit too much of a 'Frankenstein' for my liking-great till you need parts and one thing will be compatible with the engine but not the RR gearbox for example. I like a Frankenstein approach to a Landy but in this case I'd want to be Mary Shelley!

Horsey folk generally don't like barb wire- it rips their coats to shreds. IMO barb wire is pretty overrated stuff and farmers use it mainly becAuse they think they should. I have seen cows push straight through a barb wire fence snapping the wire in the process. It doesn't stop them pushing on the fence. I have succefully put up 1000s meters of stock netting with plain wire on top and it contains all sorts of livestock just as well without the danger it poses to them(and deer for that matter) I hate barb wire!

I used to house share whilst at college and first job etc, actually i had a right laugh with some of the house mates, then a theiving crackhead moved in (and all his mates) and i moved to the next house where i met my wife- so not all bad!

Im a fencing contractor- I like using Chestnut cos its a 'clean' product to deal with and i think it blends in to the enviroment alot better than uniform products. The only thing about it i find slightly irksome is that it can split down the post when your knocking them in- particulaly with a machine knocker- Iv had strainers split right down the middle if the grounds hard. If you get Chestnut then the peeled ones are generally more durable- SC sapwood doesnt last two minutes so getting as much heartwood into the post is key. Supply has never been as issue for me and i buy by the artic load, but i think contractors can be put off for smaller jobs as buying by the artic is usually the only way to get it else transport kills it- unless you are lucky enough to live near a local coppice... Not a fan of creosote myself- i regularly use ex telegraph pole strainers and no doubt nothing beats them for durability but dont like handling it or the dust it creates if you have to cut into them. As for horses, I put a chestnut horse fence up last year and i pass regularly- they have nibbled a bit on the bark but have not really gone for the timber so must taste funny or something!

In the words of Sting, It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile! Actually a stern word has far deeper effect than violence, even if it is met with mocking at the time, the words always linger in their mind. Tampering with my flask or lunchbox though is punishable with death:sneaky2:

OP- why did you have to post this, that's pretty much my ultimate truck and not a million miles away either

I used to be a zetor fan (still am in a way) but I had two older models and the reacurring problems I had were, crankshaft seeks (and indeed most seels on the tractor) just couldn't seem to keep the oil in despite having them changed by a good agri engineer. Then there was the brakes- or rather lack off- spent my life trying to keep them vaguely effective, or at least one side! Hydraulic are very weak and the last straw for me was when the hydraulic system only worked when pointing uphill despite full oil and new filter, they both got sold to Poland and yes the parts are cheap but the constant downtime isn't. Got newer Same tractor now and it's not let me down in nearly 3 years. I still think Zetors are good basic tractors but I'd only have another one if it was never going on the roads and I had plenty of time on my hands! Iv heard the new zetors are pretty good now though.....

Iv had 6 Stanley flasks of all different sizes, and out of the 6,4 have failed within 2 years- they just loose all ability to retain the heat (how can they go wrong???). Someone mentioned the Tesco one, 1 litre, costs a fiver and has a proper screw cap, not a gimmicky push pour which is hard to clean and leaks, they are brilliant flasks IMO and keep it hot well past the day is over.

I did my trailer test in a new l200, powerful isn't a word I'd use to describe it when towing, but nice enough ride though, however the clutch used to stink just backing the trailer up a small incline (and no I don't ride the clutch!). This alone would be enough to put me off particularly for Beau shuttling around Devon lanes.

Look at what landies are fetching on EBay- mine is worth the same money as when I got it 8 years ago. Its cost me little more than tyres and servicing so pretty cheap motoring in my book.

Im going to get mine done when it needs it, id sooner spend the 4K on a known vehicle, then take my chances with another used vehicle, and buying new isn't an option for me cos the alternatives aren't fit for work trucks and they all depreciate too quickly

So it will cost say 4K to do, in its current state, you will lose more money selling it and paying for a newer landy with a decent chassis IMO. I guess it depends long term what you want to do and if you think any 'cheaper vehicle could do its job if you were to sell it- but if long term it is worth spending the 4K. Plus 100k miles is nothing, should easily do twice that and you'd still get good money for it if it was galvanised.

Now we are talking!!

Fairly sure the thwaites 4000 is actually a 2 tonner (quite a misleading name!) in which case to get a forklift, postknocker and the dumperbase unit all towed behind a pickup would be a very convenient setup- but still maintain it would be dreadful in soft ground- the other day I had a 3 ton dumper on hire- I thought the ground was ok as my digger sailed over it with barely a track mark- but Upton loading the dumper it pretty much sank to the front axle and required a wee tug to get it out of its hole again:blushing:

Whilst in practise that does all sound good- it requires a fair bit of modification and obviously the base unit dumper and forklift, but once finished I can't really see the advantage or even cost savings of it over a simple tractor and loader(with pallet forks) and knocker on the back, at least it could get itself to jobs- whereas I wouldn't fancy going far in a dumper!!

A tow ball would be a must, not for road use, just pulling trailers across muddy fields and the like. I see what you mean about junctions but as you say a sideshift model would stick out less than the bucket would.

All good ideas from everyone- perhaps I should explain, I currently mount the post knocker on the back of the tractor- great setup but I don't fence full time and the tractor is tied up in only one task pretty much (fencing), however I do a lot of stone walling with big lumps of granite and heavy landscaping work which puts my 3 tonner on the limit all the time, so i think a lot of the work could be achieved with a backhoe running alongside 3 tonner, but in order to get a decent backhoe I'd sell my tractor, leaving me with only the 2 machines from which I still need to be able to utilise for fencing jobs, I have knocker on 3 tonner anyway but could do with more adjustment and hammer weight which I'd like to try and achieve with backhoe, hence fully hydraulic adjustment loader mount idea. I like that dumper mounted knocker, but my experience of wheeled dumpers in soft ground is that they are generally pretty apt to sinking! Also that particular one would require low loader to move. Actually I seem to spend my days trying to work out how to cover maximum work variation with minimum amount of machinery- yet like to have decent machine for the job, always a juggle....

- industry standard hitch? Are you referring to the brackets on the post knocker. I would hope I could get a quick hitch on the digger so changing between knocker and bucket isn't too dramatic! I'm sure protech could make me a knocker with the right brackets for it. Eddie- good call on the 4cx, they look far more convincing for my application but not so many of them on the market, this one I found on mascus JCB 4CX Backhoe loaders, Price: £21,997, Year of manufacture: 2001 - Mascus UK. Which looks tidy but otherwise they are far and few between? I guess it's a case of keeping an eye on the market and being ready to travel when they arise. I notice that the terex backhoes and also Volvo have wider front tyres than most jcbs, the local water board uses a Terex to clean out all the leats running across the peat moors up here, seems to work for them without issues.