difflock

I broke a crowbar:blushing: Did the wee tack of weld upset the temper or sommat, it literally snapped when I first took the weight of the 0.5m3 billet bundle, guessing an abs max 300-400kg. Perhaps better to buy a bale spike. I will first try boxing around (after first removing) the stub, then only welding at the back, leaving the front merely supported by the 30mm dia hole, which had been my plan, but I got lazy/hasty to try it out. P.S. The 4 tack welds were each done at timed intervals so as not to unduly risk softening the crowbar by tempering it, the last thing I expected was an overhard brittle failure.

As a non firewood processor owner nor operator, the key is sustained production, which, unless running multiple staff and support machinery, can only be well sub 60 minutes in the hour, guessing 1/3 sorting and loading incoming logs up, 1/3 splitting and 1/3 dealing with the produced firewood, leaving it sorted and stacked for re-sale. So I guess for a rule of thumb divide by 3 or 4 to allow for essential maintenance, refuelling, tea breaks, snags and stoppages. From 20 years of rueful observation of my own(and working alone) low producitivy, to include felling through to stacking under cover for use or resale. Never mind the time spent tidying up the work area afterwards. So while the manufacturers quoted figures are in no way dishonest, they are more than a little misleading. cheers mth Edit; Obviously if pulling into a yard to operate a machine by the hour, one would presume the hirer has a huge pile of clean timber waiting, and will attempt to maximize processor output, choosing to tidy up once the machine is off-site. Which is totally different to owner-user "big picture" hourly productivity.

I saw a 4*4 Sprinter in Ballymoney recently, v new looking and liveried as " Mountaintop Windmill Maintence", or somesuch. Very nice. Hmmm? I thought, those will be hitting the 2nd market in 3 years or so. Cheers mth

All I know is, as a car licence holder who passed their test in 1977. And assumed I still had the 1200kg GTW entitlement(until about 10 years ago) But when I checked the credit card part of my licence, it clearly states that since 1979 I was limited to 8250kg GTW Ditto for a local Utilities Company running a fleet of 7500kg trucks towing plant trailers, mostly being driven by car licence holders with( they thought 1200kg GTW Grandfather rights), one of whose drivers was involved in a RTC. They were, it transpired restricted to 8250kg, ergo, not legal to tow 3500kg behind 7500kg cheers mth

I am going to pop over to Jas P wilsons next weekend for their open day, I might consider taking a run up to Caladonian as well, since the ferry has to be paid for. Probably either a 2nd hand Posch or Palax would be on my shortlist. But I see a Regon R1 on Wilsons site, whats the story with them? Also I Suppose I should go and kick M Large's Hakki Pilke tyres before I go, and see if they have any trade-ins/2nd hand stock. What I really want is a processor to bang out 1.0m lengths when fed straight Conifer. cheers mth

Sigh! Ah do suppose there is hope yet though . . .

now that is unusual, there is also a LR Discovery 6 wheel conversion with a 5th wheel and associated exposition trailer on with Withams, it looks very very kosher.

Bollocks to the above, cos I didny ken her plans for a day in the garden, if I were well fcuked this morning I am totally fcuked after a day spent "gardening" under her instruction. Rather be up the moss ony day. mth

Hi Sur it tuk me 58 angst filled years, but am finally getting the hang of living enjoyably. cheers ps promised the Mrs I ud help her in the garden today, but I drove a hard bargain, snigger snigger.

:thumbup: ditto as above, plus the spare bar and chain suggestion:biggrin: I only work(OK, not very hard) with my wee 026, mostly cutting windthrown timber and leaning trees. If the chain is kept sharp, and one watches the cut/feels for the resistence of a closing cut, it should be very rare to get the saw trapped. And trial cuts top and bottom if in doubt. And multiple parallel cuts to relieve compression I only got a saw trapped 3 times if I recall, rescued by (i)a Silky, (ii)an Ax and (iii) a winch. But I am only cutting conifer, so no large stuff or rotten (in places ) hardwoods. Nuts of it is brains not brawn.

The weather was magnificent. a forenoon up the moss cutting sticks, incl a natter with dog walking neighbours. A wonderful salad for lunch. A siesta back up the moss in the afternoon, dust and pollen & resin and smells like rural Spain. then walked the dawgs up the village, stopping for a couple of perfect pints of Guinness 1/2 way. back home for tea outside. now tucked up in bed again. Quite Perfect. I could happily "Groundhog Day" this day ad infinitum. mth AND! Ah didnay break owt! cept a sweat.

Scuse me mate!, but the later photo shows the steering wheel reinstalled, I absolutly had to remove it to remove the hard plastic surround, to gain access to the clutch and brake gubbins. I can see no good reason to reinstall it btw.

'Scuse me mate!, I removed the rear window, intact, and have it in safe storage, thank you! I would hate to have to source the various curved glass elements for the Secura cab. I did also finally fix the steps. I would explain that the front rims only got painted because the internal rust was so bad it was puncturing the tubes, I widened them while I was at it. Ripped the wiper blade off bulling through bushes/trees, need to get it sorted as well. And deflector wires to protect the exhaust and windscreen. Also fancy a wee logging blade for the front, might be able to modify an old set of front link arms to this end. The vunerable underslung power steering pipes have already been cunningly, and artfully re-routed, up out of harms way. The old girl does all I need, and is SO VERY easy started, winter or summer. I am seriously considering rigging a solinoid to strangle her,(with a view to radio remote(Lodar) winch operation) and in the meantime relocating the ignition key just inside the drivers door for easy access without having to climb into the cab. truely a "work in progress" The forestry trailer which I put ex slurry tanker "Russian" wheels on, seems to be perfectly matched to the tractor, in respect of weight and flotation. Oh! another project is re-valving the crane controls with a joystick set up, ex whitehouse hydraulics. And a wee hyd winch for the crane to drag stuff within reach. Though I might be better looking for a fresher trailer with a longer reach crane.

see these, a random recent selection. P.S. The temp gauge is now working again:confused1: on the dash, next stop the fuel gauge:001_rolleyes: All I wanted was the oil light and the alternator light:thumbup:

As of the 1997 licence changes, all us traditional car drivers with the 12,000kg limit were capped at a 8250kg limit, unless one knew to ask for the 12,000kg "grandfather rights" to be retained on the new credit card style licence, which I would say 97 to 99% were unaware of, a quite deliberate, and highly successful ploy, on the part of the authorities. The rear of our NI licence card is marked B+E =12,000kg, with a sub/super script that states pre 1997 licence holders are limited to an 8250kg limit(which is exactly a 7500kg truck and a 750kg unbraked trailer. I am still pissed about it. mth

Even Carlos Fandango ud be impressed by that beauty, he of the Hamlet cigars advert/fame:thumbup:

Wait, out . . .

https://www.magdrill.com/ oops!

The thinner the steel, the stronger a magnet is needed, a a cheap mag drill will be OK on thick sections, but need a more expensive one for thinner stuff. I bought one these ones, a Panther, I think it was. I suspect the magnet is not one of the best, but it does all I need.

Stubby, I cannot disagree with those points, this is perhaps why I associate Sycamore with exposed farmsteads in NI and Scotland, presumably serving double duty as a shelter belt and firewood supply? And one of our other disused Rodden's is a veritable Ash nursery, just need to set down some seed trays to prevent the buggers from self seeding and rooting in the hardcore. cheers mth

If Alder made the best/preferred charcoal for gunpowder, it should? be good firewood surely. Again for whatever reason I regard Syacamore as little more than a weed. I would plant Ash, precisley because of the current disease, and keep my fingers crossed. I like Ash, must be my Celtic blood. cheers mth

Hussssssh:sneaky2: Iffen nearer Belfast, or a larger centre of population, I would consider opening a Woodland Cemetry, for pets and their owners. And then set up an associated charity for the dear old cat/dog ladies to leave all their monies to, for ongoing maintenance in perpituity.

Ah want proper trees, Beech like, Ash like, Oak like, Lime like, Elm like, more interested in what it will look like in 100 years, than short-term firewood potential. I already got 15 to 20 acres of Lodgepole and Sitka for firewood. cheers mth

I am Puzzled since 8 acres > 3 hectares? Since we already got prob 15 acres of self seeded birch, with occassional more recent Oak and a few Beech coming on. AND I regard willow as a weed & Poplar are a short lived specis. not interested in those 3 suggestions. but, yes sensibally I will ask the Woodland trust for suggestions.

We got an 8 acre field, was improved pasture 20 year ago when we bought the place, after the peat/turf had been previously exausted, but since neglected, dead flat, surrounded on all 4 sides by deep sheaughs, so reasonably drained. Fences are now non existant. So either a fair capital investment to re-fence and put back into agric use. Or Do I plant it out in trees, grant aided hopefully? To harvest for firewood, but most important to form a patch of broadleaved woodland for the future generations. IF I were planting trees, which specis, on shallow peat over heavy dour clay. Thoughts please Or do I go googly eyed over Dexter cattle instead. but emotionally better at harvesting trees than livestock:001_rolleyes:.