difflock

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.

Oh ere Mrs! Wot about the acid throwing "yoofs" in the news recent. That particular abhorrent practice I can only associate with Muslims from Pakistan, India and Afganistan, and strangely enough mostly directed towards females. Does this count as our ongoing "cultural enrichment" I wonder? mth

As an ex lifetime local Government supervisor=lower middle management. Kevin is absolutly correct in his statement, except for the limited annual increments within the fixed pay scales, unless more "caring" employers finagled a bonus scheme. The unfortunate crux is the virtual unsackability of poor or untrainable employees, who taint all those around them. And the box ticking culture that promotes the *wrong types to senior levels. So, classically we end up with the proven Soviet model; "You pretend to work, and we will pretend to pay you" *wrong meaning those who "fit in" ,keep their paperwork trails correct, always spend all their budget, and never admit to getting it wrong, however dysfunctional & unproductive their organisation clearly is. proper "Battleship Ptomkin" stuff. mth

Jacob Rees Mogg's is my kinda Politican, fiercely intelligent, well educated and informed, a good communicator, funny bytimes and reasonably self-depreceating. He is also proudly British/English, with no time for petulent scheming Eurocrat wannabe overlords. Unlike many feminist and labour upstart brainless nobodies, or indeed that wee git Bercow. mth

Yer a namedropping showoff Kevin , like I was admiring a Sage £1,000.00 espresso machine recently:001_rolleyes: But I understand their may well be a good, i.e. good Design and Engineering reason for the Sage retail prices Our machine is only a "Magimix", which is OK, but requires constant vigilence or it busts the securing tabs/lugs, which are an integral part of the sealed motor unit, almost the instant the icecream starts to thicken, but long before it is solid enough to serve, i.e. it needs time in the freezer. P.S. I actually probably still rather have Hagen Daaz, their vanilla, strawberry or coffee flavours anyway, though SM has just started using a very good American recipice, using nowt but cream, milk, sugar and fruit, and a splash of Sloe Gin to ensure soft scooping ex. freezer. I am determined to prefect Guinness flavoured ice cream btw!

Before I fall alseep this sunny Sunday afternoon ('n ah hafta wait until the icecream maker finishes another batch of supberb Strawberry icecream, from our own Strawberries, natch) post pub Guinness and a nice lunch. Anyway in a pub in Innishowen yesterday for lunch (a fresh seafood platter and very good) I could not help noticing that the old vintage bicycle, with cable brakes, hanging from the ceiling was therefore newer than the bicycle I rallied round on as a teenager, which had bar linkage brakes. The publican, much of an age with myself, admitted he had not "twigged", and could only agree, as he too remembered bar linkage brakes. FFS! What is the world coming to. mth

Indeed, I paid more in PAYE(on about 25k gross ), than a "self-employed" welder cousin did, in a YEAR, even though he was full time employed, by the same firm, for years. Also aware that that loophole/oversight has long since been done away with. But in his case "everything" was tax deductible, pickup, clothes, tools etc etc. Plus aware of the tax breaks=subsidized motoring costs, for starters, enjoyed by most farmers. cheers Marcus

Oddly enough I find little difficulty in recognising and discounting the "fake" news and "fanboy" accounts, from factual material, though obviously I would be susceptible to a well crafted document based on a factual skeleton, with spurious info carefully woven in. Though Wikipedia (and other reasonably independant sources) provide a factual backdrop. Anyway, if I require "insider" info I will merely ask our bridesmaid, and a life long friend, to ask her younger brother, who is a high flying Exec with Royal Dutch Shell. P.S. And for Aeronautical insight I got a contact inside Europe's areospace oversight committee(he left a "high flying" British Aerospace, or Rolls Royce job, for an even more cushy job in this Quango) As in a bloke born in NI who did "A" Levels in NI, then went to Toulouse to study Aeronautical Engineering, in French, nowt like doing things the hard way. cheers mth

But perhaps those lacking a detailed knowledge, said knowledge gained through working some esoteric aspect of any exploitative industry, can have a better holistic understanding of the industry, as a whole, through reading and sageful dispassionate insight. I.e. those working too close to the coalface often cannot see the wood for the trees. So to speak. mth