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difflock

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Everything posted by difflock

  1. difflock
    An interesting comment above somewhere about the overuse of "Simazine", I was told that the blacktop gangs (some transit based and somewhat transient too) put it on by the broadmouthed shovel full, to prevent the weeds from popping up through their doncy bitmac. Btw, I did recently ask a 90 year old local farmer how they used to deal with Couch grass or Scutch in the past, before Glyphosphate was available. He replied that the old joke was "simply buy another farm of land" ! m
  2. difflock
    Update: Out in the gloaming on Sunday evening past, and paused for a reflective moment at the pond, with my back to the light. Spotted a mini shoal of 3 smaller drab coloured fish and a very colourful larger Koi, which after a little hesitation and darting to hide among the weeds, decided to take some fish pellets. Bingo, a result, after 3 weeks with no rain nor no pond aeration, some o them are still living. PS The bloody Scutch grass or Couch grass loves the pond margins, someone tell me it is a good oxygenerator? cheers marcus
  3. difflock

    VW Concept

    difflock replied to rovers90's topic in Arb-Trucks

    I want, I want I WANT!!! Only iffen I lie down to have a proper tantrum. It will take me too long to rise again. cheers m
  4. difflock
    So instead og a "backacter" fit a small forestry ( 3 point linkage type) crane to the back of a cheaper compressor model. With a grab on the front bucket, or pallet toes. The perfect Yard tool surely? M
  5. difflock
    Callum, is that a home made linkage mounted mini-forklift grapple arrangment, a very tidy job, especially if it is. Rowan, I started my log-rack musings with attempting to figger out how to use my splitter mounted 1.0t winch to "power" the rack, since I already use the winch to pull the logs end on from the nearby stockpile. But I would need to re-fasten the winch rope to the log after each cut, unless I use the winch to pull a sliding buttplate down the rack, but then how do I get the sliding plate back. So it really requires hyd powered toothed feed rollers cheers m
  6. difflock
    Ashes:blushing::blushing: You are absolutly correct:thumbup: But I am the animal I am, and have learned to live with myself and my undoubted shortcomings:lol: Taken me a good 35 of my 55 years to appreciate this btw:001_tt2:. Cheers Marcus But seriously, bytimes when my back is creaking bad and I cannot sensibally physically work, thinking is the only thing I can do. PS Rowan, had that possibility sussed, an awful lot of "tooing-an-froing" for 5m lengths. Now for full tree lengths, as in "up the Moss" , perhaps.
  7. difflock
    A rustic Commode?
  8. difflock
    I reckon, with a correctly set up feeder rack allowing sawing to length at waist height, that I can reasonably mechanise the rest. I think I got the plan/set-up and mechanics sorted out in my head. Including a v simple wire-rope tipped (using the splitter ram stroke) bundler frame. And a simple 6 toed "buckrake" type frame will lift up to 5 billet bundles at a time, 3 on the bottom 2 on top (& I got the scrap 76mm tubing to make the toes too) either mounted on link arms or mount to the forklift for higher stacking. All is "sorted" except the log rack layout, which can get complicated with chains and hyd powered feeder rollers. cheers M
  9. difflock
    probably:lol::lol:
  10. difflock
    RNj I was aware of these simple ingenious bale systems, BUT (i) Not cutting in a nice large level dry stubble field. Am "up the Moss" (ii) billet bundles will NOT slide(and I realize they sholud NOT really need to, but??), strapping ud possibly be more likely tear or break as billets "snagged", either during loading or unloading. But a wonderful simple system for the job it was designed to do. WW Yes I realized as a basis for a log rack:thumbup1: cheers M
  11. difflock
    A plan is coming together; (i) To fabricate a billet bundler out of steel, and bolted to the side of the Krpan splitter. (ii) Using the 17tonne Splitter hydraulic ram stroke to pretension the billet bundle with a wire rope, prior to Polystrapping. (iii) Incorporating a crane jib (using the 1.0tonne splitter winch) to lift and swing the billet bundles away onto my front and rear tractor mounted racks.(Which racks being tractor mounted can be positioned exactly right.) (iv) Transport to the Yard and unload using the Parked-up log trailer and crane into tidy rows. Should keep me occupied of a few winters evenings. Marcus
  12. difflock
    RNJ (i) Crawler only suitable for winching for extraction to a landing, not suitable for the turns on the Rodden. And too far anyway. (ii) I have, however, toyed with the idea of moving the billiting operation to the Moss, then extracting the billet bundles on the DB1490, both front and rear 3PT linkages being used, Say bring 2 or 3 on the front(=500kg/750kg) and 3 or 4 (750 to 100kg) on the back. As I find it remarkedly slow loading the log trailer (cos sticks rarely straight) But need to figger a loading/racking set-up for the 3pt linkages that is not too heavy or cumbersome. WW Answer=No a simple trailer is the one bit of kit I lack:lol: Hmmm, he therefore thinks? thanks for the interest and suggestions
  13. difflock
    My non-direct experience is that since they were designed for Finnish farmers, who spend the winters cutting timber/working in the woods. That they were designed to better cope with the particular issues working among timber brings. I know they got good slick/high underbellies with no vunerable pipes or cables to snag. Do they also perhaps get protected valvestems? etc etc More reliable, hmmm?, perhaps a more rugged, but more basic design,in respect of gearboxs etc, they were well engineered yes, If Sisu engines? if so were very good. But need the same level of maint as any other tractor of a similar age.
  14. difflock
    I was told of a vegetable grower who was approached by Tescos to grow carrots for a perticular contract. A fair price was offered if he installed a very expensive sorting/washing/packaging plant. He took the contract, and installed the plant on the back of a swingeng(to him )loan. Tesco's then "took another look" at the contract and revised their price sharply downwards. Ouch! Plus (but this was merely hearsay) a veg supplier who was found to be supplying Lidl or Aldi with the produce that did not meet Tesco's contract specs. And was bluntly told "them or us". Nice people. But then Lidl are apparently simply BRUTAL in their treatment of managment trainee staff. Good money for VERY long/unlimited hours AND the sales targets are kept moving. The "suits" fly in once a month, and it is apparently not a pleasent experience answering to them. cheers M
  15. difflock
    Since I am currently absolutly constrained by suitable weather to get timber down from the Moss (over an unpaved Rodding) I require to stockpile the logs at the Yard given any suitable opportunity. This requires to take precedence over other work. So I will always be having a pile of logs to work from. So as you suggest I can load a rack with the crane, then proceed. Ideally need hyd driven feeders to spin the logs down against a fixed stop, stand in one position and snick off a 1.0m length at a time, discarding the worstest knotty bits for later att. NOT happy about cutting below the crane, knowing the vintage and condition of the hydraulics. cheers m
  16. difflock
    Measuring wheel with in-built spray can, save bending the back? RSM's Pace stick with att. squirty can, but really need a can on each leg? Or a spring loaded tape att to the RHS of the saw. The key issue is getting the logs to waist height to cut and handle. And if getting to waist height anyway. might as well measure at this height. And if putting up on some sort of a rack, simply position the end against a stop-end or mark and cut to other preset markers, i.e. NO measuring required.
  17. difflock
    And again:thumbup: Visions of Lazers etc, milling about in my heid!
  18. difflock
    Glad I am not the only one!!
  19. difflock
    Any idae WHY the bottom has dropped out of the Mog market? My first guess would be the average modern tractor has much better off road capabilities, with pretty std front and rear linkage and PTO, with only the disadvantage of slighty lower road speeds(regardless of legal exactitudes) And simpler to maintain.
  20. difflock
    Rightly or wrongly i bought the wee Crawler, quite recently, for accessing the trees in the Moss, she is nicely matched to the 5tonne Kerpan winch. And can squeeze through narrow gaps and turn in very confined spaces (important since I am not clearfelling) Which leave the nicely over-shod DB1490 for the log trailer The crawler is a somewhat bone jarring ride over the stumps mind. My next project is to mount the crane, from the trailer, on the DB tractor's 3-point linkage(it is set up for this application) And then close couple the splitter behind. Questionable how happy the old girl will be lifting this combo, but even I only drag it about the yard, much neater that two tractors and a log trailer stuck in the middle. PS All I now need is a willing man with a strong back and good work ethics to operate the combo!
  21. difflock
    A couple of pertinent photos. (i) Logpile lies to the Sun (ii) Weigh of a 0.5m3 billet bundel when fresh split. Same bundles weighed 160 to 165 when at 12 or 15% moisure
  22. difflock
    Iffen I had of stuck the probe in the obviously wet/wetter outer rings of a few, i would easily have been in the 40's. Indeed one particular log cross-section was startling, in the the visibly wet outer rings of growth, mostly to one side, were mid 40's and the clearly dry inner rings were in the mid 20's. essentially seperated by a single annual growth ring. I would have liked to have spent more time logging and photographing, but was trying to stay focussed on splitting. so very very variable data is available, all from one logpile. Statistics, dammned statistics an lies folks.
  23. difflock
    Yes All were nominal 5.0m lengths, cut into 1.0m lengths to split. end grain was tested at random after the splitter had squeezed a little extra:001_tt2: %age out! As I commented, i was surprised, I ud ha bin expecting 30ish%ages cheers Marcus
  24. difflock
    Since I spent the last week cutting lodgepole Pine, cut in March- April this year, and left in an uncovered pile since then. So 6 months uncoverd weathering. And, discounting/ignoring the poles in contact with the ground, which I passed over for now(because obviously seepling wet.) I was getting figures in the low to middle twenties, which quite surprised me. Marcus
  25. difflock
    Cardboard coffins(and a very very sound idea btw) are actually more expensive that a bog standard wooden/fake Oak one. Wicker work is even more expensive again. From a conversation with the friendly local Funeral Director. A strange bloody world we live in.

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