difflock

Well I am fastidious about the mix ratio, and have run the wee 026 this 20 years on the same neglectful regime, though I try and lay her up with a dry tank, but certainly not always, not running on a 5 day a week professional basis, and no big hardwood sticks to really work her on, but ah cut a quare wheen o sticks, sur! Other than an internal bearing failure, zero issues in these 20 years. The carb was set at the local dealer when I bought the saw, and tweeked after bedding in, if I recall. Other than that a very occasional new plug, and keeping the chain sharp, I leave well alone. regards marcus, the hat(ter)

Just to comment, picked up the Stihl 390, that has been buried and forgotten about at the back of the shed for probably at least 3 years. Topped off the already 3/4 full fuel tank, with a fuel mix a min of 6 months old. Saw fired up on the 3rd or 4th pull and ran and cut perfectly. Fuel was mixed with Stihl red oil. nuff said.

As long as one sticks to clean mild steel, easy-peasy, regardless of buzz-box stick welder or inverter welder, or MIG. Simply suck-it-and-see. Having made that glib statement; I am properly in awe of some of the professionals on Youtube, "walking the cup" TIG welding SS, etc etc. Plus, properly "gunked" at my abject failure to weld "spring" steel or high yield, high carbon? steel.(Turner flail blades) Seems it was hydrogen embrittlement and needs special rods, at least. marcus

(i) Wickamulla, You I hope, do realize the Earth is not flat . . . ergo rather hard to fall off! (ii) TVI, As an individual on this forum, I quickly and sustainably, "bought into" your non-selfish approach to life, and opinions. And, Yes, I realize that many family businesses are badly run, but unless the owner, mostly singular, occassionally siblings, or manager has actual ownership, how can Senior Management really care? Otherwise it is essentially the tragedy of the commons, as each individual strives to get his maximum share, at each and every level, especially if they observe, or form the opinion, that that is what those at a more senior level are doing. Seriously, what other business model can you offer, that really works, down through succeeding generations. I suppose my opinion is in someway formed by a knowledge of the N Ireland farming community, where the land is family owned, and by and large, each generation will scrape by, if need be, in order to leave it to the next generation. Rather than simply flog it and live high on the hog, which they could, and well know they could, but they dont. Probably motivated by self-respect, possibly could be called pride I suppose. P.S. Listened to a good snippet on RTE lyric FM, this morning, a guy explaining how the USA was essentially fornicated, every which way, not because of the pursuit of happiness, but due to the pursuit of pleasure, often mistaken for happiness. Happiness= serotonin firing up the nurons, and on repeated occassions the same dose will create the same happiness. Pleasure = dopamine firing up the nurons, but on repeated occassions, a ever increasing larger dose is required to achieve the same level of pleasure. Heroin was quoted as the classic example. Best regards, marcus btw. Creating a larger pond/lake, purely for the wildlife , and entirely out of my own pocket, ditto bringing on the naturally seeded Oak and Beech "up the Moss", while driving a 7 year old, 120,000 mile Skoda, as the main car. Give me more happiness than driving a Merc or BMW, and/or propping up a bar at the Rugby or Golf Club, while screwing every last £ out of the ground we own=are responsible for. I would be interested in leaving it as a "Community Woodland" except, unfortunately, after 32 years in Local Government, I know all too well, the useless money squandering types that would be over-managing it or working it. I strive to be content, not to pursue pleasure, well except the odd, & well earned, pint of Guinness.

The only business model that really works is a family owned business, regardless of size, or field of operations (and refer Liebherr, Class, BMW?, and an absolute multitude of other, especially German businesses, apparently) The owner/managers of whom are neither chasing massive salaries, or golden parachute leaving deals or maximizing shareholder return, instead being totally focussed on leaving a sound business for their future families, and employees and families. And very simply being motivated by pride, in the best possible way. Any fornicating nutter that thinks a "Council" owned and run firm, can ever be efficient, is proper away with the fairies. Council managers are masters of the hidden subsidy(s), and they tend to employ managers who can talk, first across the interview table, then in the tea-room, Committee room, or the Golf Club, especially about football etc. etc., rather than make decisions, well leastwise the hard decisions. I am not saying there is not the odd good manager, but v few, and they can achieve v little within Council constraints, ergo most likely to flee to the sanity of a properly run private firm. Fact. Ditto for vast multinational organisations, unless they are selling to the various world Militaries, & generally "selling" on the back of substantial bribes. Tough, but true. Marcus

This is where I approve of the Chinese method. If it is a big enough finiancial, or medical, or foodstuff disaster that badly affects ordinary people. Stage a trial and execute a few Senior Management. Even if you execute the wrong ones, it certainly focusses the minds of others in similar senior positions. mth

Well it ud ease the front of the tracks off the ground, with the blade up. But, with the blade down, NOT a MISSION!!. PS Went to look at the Case CX 80 again this morning, tried out for reach on an on-site sheaugh and it was lacking for my sprawling moss based sheaughs, especially if I wish to cast the scourings onto the back brew. Looked at a 14 tonne 6 pot Deawoo, very very tight for a 7700 hr machine, and OMG! was it responsive, but just plain too big. So waiting to see a 2003 13 tonne zero tail swing Kolbeco with 14,000 careful owner operator hrs, coming in this week. I will get there yet, but better invest soon or otherwise all the impoverished farmers will be looking to blow end-of-year money on plant, rather than see the tax man get it. sigh.

Takeuchi TB 175's are very thin on the ground over here, & every one I found on tinternet, advertised at £ 20 k ish or less, was long sold. So I drove to Newry yesterday to view a couple of TB 175's, which were outside my self-imposed price bracket, but I wanted to see why they were so highly rated. Yer salesman was very keen (& perhaps too keen) to sell me a FR 180, he had a dog rough 4000 hr model and a much cleaner 6000 hr model. I tried the nominal 6000 hr model, but after letting her warm up at min revs while I sussed the various controls, I attempted to lift the tracks off the ground, first tried at middling revs, then at full revs, no dice and black reek galore. But! Apparently a service will sort that out. regards mth

O.K. Now focussing on a TB175. Just need to establish the cost and practicality of retro fitting steel tracks when the "as fitted" rubber ones are done, and budget that into my costings. Happy enough with Takeuchi as I took a serious look at the brand, its choice of engine supplier, and its engineering pedigree some 10+ years ago when buying an excavator for work, we ended up with a Neuson, due to a then local dealership. But I could not fault the Takeuchi. mth P.S. Twin rams are not necessarily better than a single fatter ram, since the same oil pressure is feeding both rams, so no stiffer an arrangement, mechanically speaking, plus buckling loads ( and consult Mr. Euler) make a slender ram more prone to damage or failure, when pushing. Though the side mounting helps to protect the rod from damage, and possibly aids with the reach geometry. so, purely horses for courses.

More seriously, I just took a look at the reach and dig depth for the Takeuchi TB 175, it certainly out reaches and out digs the CX 80 Case. hmmm, might better rethink

same dealer was offering a DAWEOO 140LCV, with 7700 hrs, and asking for £1500.00 more than for the CX 80 case. My gut feeling would favour Case over Daweoo Daweoo is 2005, Case is 2006 Since the Daweoo needs new chains and sprockets and the Case only needs new track pads prob near-nuff even-stevens price wise, so I just needa pick my horse. I will be talking to him again tomorrow and see what else he is likely to have coming through shortly cheers mth Edit A wile pity I could not use a heavier machine, cos ah found a proper bargain of a Leibherr 900, & see link; http://www.bobholmes.uk.com/5-ton/

Hi all, kinda getting back to being productive, on my own behalf, post early and unexpected retirement about a year ago. Hence my absence on ere. Anyway, with 20 years worth of sheaugh and fence maint to catch up on, and unlimited time to spend twiddling the levers mesel, I am reasonably committed to buying my own excavator. Since I am in peat moss a bigger machine on, reasonably wide, steel tracks is a given. Was looking at between 8 and 13 tonne machines. Found a 5000 hr Case CX 80 locally, on city pads, but presumably wider steel pads should be a straightforward and affordable fit. It looks big enough, and I may ask for a weeks trial, or hire, to see how it copes in certain specific situations. I would love a Takeuchi 175 or a Kubota 8 tonner, but would find it hard to justify the serious extra spend on a first machine, plus not many about on steel tracks or city pads, in Ireland leastwise. Regards Marcus, the hat.

On the other hand, re electricty generation, see . . .https://netpower.com/technology/ or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allam_power_cycle for CO2 free "clean" power, backed by British design and Toshiba engineering. & It will perfectly complement renewable energy sources as back-up power too! Until they get fusion properly sussed. mth

Was my first thought!

https://vans.honestjohn.co.uk/van-news/miscellaneous/2017-08/government-unveils-licence-changes-to-support-electric-van-ev-uptake/ But LPG is ok, so not just electric vans mth

oh Er Mrs! Tis all well different Ah dinny ken like. mth

Phew!

BeGod! I'll drown in the gravy, so bring it on for my nature friendly, but unfarmable, previously unprofitable acres!

Well, Hi Sur! Have I got news for younsez. The essentially rural LA I was employed by for 20 years, way out in the provinces, could not provide parking for its staff, who had to pay to use a public car park. In the depot, staff parked for free, being a bigger yard, BUT, as the yard failed to accomodated the increasing work fleet, it was suggested that workers park somewhere else, instant uproar. But, a significent no of workers get dropped off by other family members, or cycle, or indeed walk, do they get any compo for NOT requiring the "free" carpark the drivers squalk about?

Eggs, I was a trifle tongue in cheek, but assuming the occupants of the to be demolished houses are rightfully reasonably generously compensated, and them being new builds, actually makes this easier and less stressful as the occupants have not had time to form a bond or rear families in these houses. And as with our new A26 dualling scheme, there will always be winners and losers, some folks got a whack of now abandoned roadway & "lands" dammn all good to anybody else, to enhance their properties, with the new road furthur away, others, unfortunately dammned near got their nebs cut off, though hopefully offered substantial compo, or a buy-out offer. Some of the too be demolished houses were bought up over the past 20 odd years as they came on the open market, and have lain empty since. Such is progress "for the greater good"

Looking good, as your stuff always does, Eddie. With your "hands on" knowledge, should you not be working/writing for a plant magazine, that would be a good read. cheers mth P.S. Matthew, what is "growan", & what area of the UK uses it?

If the houses were the 3 story horror blocks I saw pictured, no bad thing, imho, good agricultural land is too valuable to be squandered on such shite quality developer built profit led designs. mth On the other hand I am impressed with our new A26 dualing job recently finished by PJ McCann, it properly enhances the landscape while actually improving the view from a moving vehicle. This impression may well be the wannabe but failed CE surfacing I admit.

I will only contest No. 1 Matelot, since plenty of our own 3rd, or 4th or 5th generation of native bred underclass, also meet this criteria, and our own lovable Caravan-utilizing-nomadic-thieves of "Pykies", would probably give them immigrants a run for their money on No. 2. just saying like! mth

Oddly enough Matthew, with my limited NI experience only, I never associate bog/peat/moss with springs, in my Co. Londonderry/Antrim experience, moss only forms over areas of zero drainage, i.e. over blue clay or other impervious lower strata, not over springs, which springs, I suppose?, being mostly basic/alkali, rising from chalk or limestone beds, prevent the acidic conditions necessary for peat moss to form. Though, derp!, we also got "spa"= ochre, acidic, I do suppose, since I got peat overlying such sources:001_rolleyes: But, on reflection, not "springs" per se, the "spa" merely oozes out over a wider area, I associate "springs" with clearly visible "bubbeling" sources. All a matter of nomclature I suppose. mth

Take heart, gorse=whins will only grow on dry ground:thumbup:, so the peat must be deep enough to be dry on top.