Spinner

We have a few final Balfor products that we wish to clear from our stock. The following prices include delivery to UK mainland, but there may be a surcharge for Highlands etc. The products come with full 12 month warranty. They are being sold on a first come first serve basis so if you wish to order one then send an email to the following email address and on the 4th January we will get back to each of the first people that email an order and send you a pro-forma invoice for payment. Email your order to: [email protected] 9 ton log splitter. A9VarioEM: 3hp 240 volt: £750 + vat. 9 ton log splitter. A9VarioSB: 6hp petrol engine: £950 + vat. 12 ton log splitter. A12VarioEM: 3hp 240 volt: £1000 + vat. 12 ton log splitter. A12VarioSB: 6hp petrol engine: £1210 + vat. Logging saw bench. SCD700SB: 70cm Tungsten tipped blade, 30cm cut, 6hp petrol engine: £1225 + vat.

We have a few final Balfor products that we wish to clear from our stock. The following prices include delivery to UK mainland, but there may be a surcharge for Highlands etc. The products come with full 12 month warranty. They are being sold on a first come first serve basis so if you wish to order one then send an email to the following email address and on the 4th January we will get back to each of the first people that email an order and send you a pro-forma invoice for payment. Email your order to: [email protected] 9 ton log splitter. A9VarioEM: 3hp 240 volt: £750 + vat. 9 ton log splitter. A9VarioSB: 6hp petrol engine: £950 + vat. 12 ton log splitter. A12VarioEM: 3hp 240 volt: £1000 + vat. 12 ton log splitter. A12VarioSB: 6hp petrol engine: £1210 + vat. Logging saw bench. SCD700SB: 70cm Tungsten tipped blade, 30cm cut, 6hp petrol engine: £1225 + vat.

Hi Simon, Yes, remarkably similar, but in the grey and yellow and the Uniforest name and what more could you ask for. There are some special offers on the Riko sponsored forum page but it might be worth checking your PM's in a mo for a little Christmas sweetener. Regards, Spinner.

Thanks for the ‘cracking bit of kit’ comment and that we have been ‘above average’ at rectifying the faults. Of course these faults should not have been there as the PDI was carried out by Riko. Regrettably it appears a couple of things did sneak past the person who did the PDI. And they have been 'spanked'! The lighting cable socket uses the latest twist type plug and socket that can catch people out. It is located to ensure the socket cannot be damaged. We accept this makes it a bit ‘tight & fiddly’. Nobody has previously complained about the height of the table however, as was the case here, we are more than happy to raise the height if required. All the safety cut-outs etc are adjusted so the machine remained 100% compliant. The table extensions are a simple hook on platfor designed for placing half a split log on whilst the other half is split. If they are left in place when splitting ‘oversize’ rings they are liable to be damaged. On request we are more than happy to make up a special ‘oversize’ table for you or any other Titanium owners. We have not been made aware of any issue with any issue with the bottom of the table moving about. However I will happily look into this to see if anything can be done. Hope that covers everything.

Greetings Arb-talkers. Our Uniforest log splitters are gaining more and more customers as people become aware of the high build quality and standard specification. 14 to 25 ton splitting force. Two speed splitting. Auto return. Adjustable knife return height. Removable table with side extension. Built in Timber lifter. Fully filtered hi-capacity PTO oil system. Options: Tractor PI hydraulics. 4 way knife. Radio remote control winch. Cast iron hydraulic pump. Later this year they will be joined by the all new UF40/18 Firewood Processor. Tungsten tipped saw blade with 40cm cut and 18 ton splitting force. And of course it will be a combination of the usual combination of competitive Riko pricing and fantastic Uniforest build quality. A few pictures to wet your appetite:

Interesting thread so thought I would comment. This is not directed at anyone but just my thoughts and ideas. Increased red tape seems to be the bane of every business now and most often seems to be a waste of time but some can prove worthwhile & in the long term I think that's the case with the BSL. Biggest moan I here from log suppliers is the low price they get for logs. Perhaps the first issue is that the customers still just think of them as logs and not fuel. I still hear people saying that a potential customer said his log suppliers are better value as they are nice and heavy! So they like burning wet wood! Would they use water contaminated heating oil? Truth is most would not have a clue what that means and they don't need to as oil has a stringent quality control system. Presently log wood fuel has no stringent quality control system. If you are burning logs on an open fire or small wood burner some would say 'does it really matter'. In reality it should matter as what's the sense of wasting energy & money turning moisture into steam. So we need to educate the end user and that's always going to be a difficult one. After all who of us can afford the time to explain to these people. I believe the BSL offers an effective solution. The government has chosen to pay people ridicules amounts of money to heat with wood rather than oil etc. So if someone that can affordable to, lets say, spend £12k installing a log boiler system. Then receives back £50-60K in RHI payments over twenty years surely it's not unreasonable to expect those people to pay a sensible price for the fuel. By most accounts the BSL is not to bad to get onto now as it's pretty much a tick box exercise. However the whole idea behind it is to create a stringent quality control system so people stop thinking they are burning just logs and start thinking 'wood fuel'. My understanding is that over time the BSL will involve being 'audited' so as to ensure members are supplying 'wood fuel' that meets the necessary standards. This can only mean that getting on the BSL will become a lot tougher. My advice is to get on the BSL now. I cant see any disadvantage to having a bit of paper that means you are able to supply RHI compliant 'wood fuel'. You could even use it to your advantage by making your customers aware that you produce 'wood fuel' to industry standards. Why not get a small leaflet printed that shows your BSL number and what you do to achieve the standards. Supply it with every delivery with re-order details etc. It might just mean that next time your customer gets a call from a potential alternative supplier the ask the for their BSL number and the line goes dead! In time the BSL means UK could well join other European countries in having an efficient,strong and professional 'wood fuel' industry that supplies a quality product that sells at the right price. If suppliers are making the right money the hopefully some will filter down the supply chain to my business! The only potential glitch is that by most accounts at present consumption rates the UK will run out of trees in 10 years time as we are not planting enough. So in any way you can please encourage people to plant more trees. I always say 'fell one tree, then plant three'. And for what it's worth I believe we should stop the focus of re-planting softwood and plant more coppice wood. Similar if not better yields and it's more sustainable as it's a harvested crop rather than clear fell and re-plant.

Sorry to read about your job situation. I don't know what other skills you have but perhaps moving sideways into a related industry may be worth considering. Why not post a bit more about yourself and any other skills you have etc and you never know you might just a bite. It might lead to something full time or even temporary but you never know:001_smile:

The Riko RZ110 is £1250 + delivery and vat. if it helps give the office a call and tell them Stephen said he would do you an Arbtalk special price of £1250 including vat. 01420 487300:001

Riko do a 3 point linkage skidding grab that will lift timber, RZ110. It has a cross bar with teeth so you can put the ‘But end’ under, grip the timber and lift. Length of timber you can lift will depend on what the tractor linkage will lift. It’s not on their web site but you can contact them from there.

Compact tractors can be fine working in woods / forests but I believe Alpine Tractors are better as the chassis 'oscillates' in the middle so the wheels can follow the contours of the ground. So they are far more stable and give better traction than a ‘Compact’. Alpine pack a lot of HP into a small package, ie even 80-100hp in under two ton. If you do look at compacts then make sure it has a bit of weight to it and is not a ‘mini’ tractor. Beware of grey imports from Japan, It may well be a Kubota etc but it does not mean you can easily get parts in the UK / EU! Chinese, well I will leave that for you to decide. Plenty of compacts and Alpines working with Chippers, its just a case of matching the Chipper capacity (and weight) to the HP. Below is a picture of a 28hp Branson that weighs 855Kg. 21hp £7950 up to 55hp £12,850and imported by Riko. More details at Riko*UK*::* Tractors . Below that some pictures of a few 35HP AGT Alpines, one with a TP150 Chipper. NB. Make sure the linkage / PTO geometry of a chipper suits the Alpine tractor.

Thought members might like to see pictures of a latest 'special' road tow splitter we have just built for a customer. PTO and 13hp petrol engine with dual pump for fast cycle times. The axle unbolts for tractor linkage or when the timber is too heavy to lift s the splitter can be used on the ground. As others have mentioned our various standard vertical road tow models are very popular indeed. But personally I am a fan of Horizontals, as long as rings have been cut parallel (as in Timberbear’s pics:001_smile:) then I believe a Horizontal with a drop over 4 way blade is more versatile than a vertical. But at the end of the day it’s down to personal choice. I think we are the only company that build specials for customers. Feel free to get in touch if you want to chat through things. [email protected]

Open Forums are a great thing when they contain the truth so I have been reading this thread with interest. As David Shephard of Theocus Arboriculture wishes to pass inaccurate comments about Riko and our products I thought it only reasonable that I respond so Arbtalk viewers can make an informed decision as to the accuracy of his comments! Read on if you wish: There are many HAPPY owners of our Balfor Log splitters and dozens of the particular 12 ton model DS owns. The strange thing is that his is the only one that has suffered the problems he claims. It was originally supplied November 2009, in October 2010 DS claimed the welds on the splitter foot / table had failed. Without question or charge we supplied a new frame. It was also suggested that the heavier duty 16/18 ton model would perhaps better suit his type of work. He was offered an 18 ton at a price DS referred to as ‘a great price’ and promptly verbally ordered one. It then changed to an enquiry for a 30 ton machine. It was all then put on hold as ‘assessing funds’ as DS put it. Strangely a month later DS said cracks were appearing in the 12 ton machine. Then 1 year after the new frame was supplied the ram pushed through the frame. Taking into consideration the verbal order for an 18 ton splitter & enquiry for a 30 ton splitter I will let people draw their own conclusions about relief valves being fiddled with! Despite this the 12 ton machine was inspected by Riko and even sent back to the factory for analysis. It was blatantly obvious that the relief valve had been tampered with as the sealing paint had cracked. Of course this was denied by DS who claimed it had come off during pressure washing. Despite the obvious cause Riko offered a loan machine and to repair the machine once again free of charge, alternately a refund of 75% 75% of the purchase price from 2 years ago against a heavier duty 16 ton model at a heavily discounted figure, or a straight forward 75% refund. Under the circumstance I belive this to have been more than reasonable. DS chose to have the splitter repaired and to strengthen it himself. In November 2011 DS then bought a second hand Riko Fast Tow trailer and crane. Needless to say this apparently has design faults as the legs bent when lifting full capacity at full reach. In seven years of building the fast Tow trailer only one customer has ever bent a leg and this was caused by putting the leg down whilst pointing down a slope and failing to apply the hand brake. The Riko Fast Tow is not a full blown forestry trailer however it is a multipurpose self loading trailer for use on the highway but with the ability to work off road when used appropriately. To maximize the carrying capacity it has an un-laden weight of 1250-1850Kg depending on crane and body specification. The choice of crane / reach fitted depends on the application and the trailer body is built to the customer’s requirement. IE, if the customer specifies they will be moving large heavy timber the bolsters are made narrower to maximize strength. Obviously when purchasing a second hand unit there may be a mismatch! A trained crane / forwarded operator also knows that it is recommended practice not to lift to full capacity at full reach but rather to use the crane to bring the timber towards the trailer and carry out the main lift alongside the trailer. I wonder if DS or his staff have certificates or have even received any training in using a crane. Riko UK has been in business for 24 years and as I am sure is the case with Theocus Arboriculture, we have many happy customers, and of course a few unhappy ones. Riko always listens to customer feedback, and when it is presented in a reasonable and accurate way we even take it on board. Perhaps the only difference is after 25 years I know that throwing your toys out of the pram and blaming everyone else rarely gets you anywhere! I will not enter any further comments on this thread, however if anyone would like accurate information about our fast tow trailer or if ‘Theocus’ wishes to contact me directly to discuss the matter in a more appropriate manner the best email is: [email protected] Stephen Cabrol. Riko UK Ltd

Riko UK will be at the Northumberland Firewood Fair, Meldon Park Estate, Morpeth, NE61 3SW. 16th October. We will have our unique Fast Tow forwarding trailer, our new logging saw as well as our WP30-36 Firewood Processor. Chainsaw winches and Cone splitter for excavators etc. As always we will have a range of splitters and some special show deals.

Riko UK will be there. We will have our unique Fast Tow forwarding trailer, our new logging saw as well as our WP30-36 Firewood Processor. Chainsaw winches and Cone splitter for excavators etc. As always we will have a range of splitters and some special show deals.

Hello and Welcome to Arbtalk. Its great as it does what it says on the Label. Not sure why you cannot find / see our advert but anyway I have sent you a private message regarding our Processors. If you are still struggling then contact the office on [email protected] or 01420 487300 and mention you are on Arbtalk.

The Riko saw has a grip handle as an optional extra. There are also two new models just launched. The fully EC compliant UK one has the guarding like our old one that customers seem to prefer. However the EC compliant 'German' market one has more guarding if thats what you want. Both models can now have the telescopic hydraulic elevator retro-fitted. I just sent a PM quote to WILL2020 that shoud put the smileback on his face. If any Arbtalk memebers contact the head office PLEASE make sure you say you are on Arbtalk!

I believe this one has a normal blade rather than a Tungsten Tipped blade. Worth checking to see if the price they quote you is with a Tungsten blade upgrade. Also worth checking the number of drive belts and if the gearbox is steel or Aluminium. Yes I am from Riko but I would like to think we have a better machine we can offer you. We also have a special Arbtalk member price that should put a smile on your face! You can email the office at [email protected] or reply via Arbtalk.

Hi Ross, any of the splitters in this price range are almost guaranteed to be Chinese, even if they come from an American or German company etc. It’s the old story you get what you pay for. Having said this there are some that are OK. Riko do a 7 ton Petrol or Electric version of this and it has full parts backup etc. It’s rated Domestic machine so warranty would not be 12 months for a ‘commercial user’. I know some tree surgeons etc use them OK but its fair to say they will not last as long as a decent built European machine. As someone already said the knife does not go down as low to the table as a European ones, I have seen people pop another log underneath to just finish the split off. :001_smile:Yes I am from Riko & we have a special Arbtalk member price that should put a smile on your face! You can email the office at [email protected] or reply via Arbtalk.

I am from Riko and we sell the WP30 & WP36 processors. The picture below was recently posted in the firewood forum by billy68 who has a WP36. I am sure he would give an honest opinion on it. Standard they come with Tractor linkage & PTO drive, the great thing is you can add a petrol engine and towing axle etc at any time as they just bolt on. Both would come in under budget and the WP30 is on a great offer price at the moment. They are a true one man operation machine as they have there own timber loader! Over the weekend I was processing with the WP36 10-12" diameter into 10" logs and filling a dumpy bag in under 10 minutes. So theoretically 6 cube an hour X 8 hours = 48 cube a day with one man. Realistically after knocking off time for tea, lunch, rolling timber onto the loading arms and moving the bags (slewing elevator fills 3 bags) 32 cube a day with one man and you won’t be to knackered to do it again the next day! OK I know I sell them but the machine does what it says on the label. 01420 487300 or [email protected] or http://www.alpinetractors.com

Oh the joys of being in business. For what’s its worth as soon as they passed the date of payment due I would have sent a letter giving them 7 days. Then visited them in person and used the friendly approach and all the stuff about small business staff to pay, Vat due etc and asked that if they cant pay in full then can they manage an interim payment even if it’s a small amount and the rest within 2 weeks. Then if 2 weeks passes issue court proceedings, contrary to what lots of people say it is worth it as every week that goes past they could be getting deeper in trouble. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but perhaps its time to amend your terms and conditions to include a clause at the bottom saying the undersigned has read and agreed to our terms of conditions overleaf. Then somewhere in those terms include something along the lines of ‘in the event of late payment the contractor has the right to charge for storage of all materials / waste removed from the site or return them to the business address or address of the person signing this contract on behalf of the client / person or company as shown on the front of this contract’. Try and get the boss / owners signature then if they go belly up you can turn up at his house. Either way when they have not paid simply turn up with said materials / waste point out the terms of the contract and ask for payment by debit card or cash. If not dump the materials / waste on there doorstep and proceed to small claims court. If it’s the bosses / owners address they still have a responsibility and cannot hide behind the businesses lack of funds or failure. Run it by a solicitor to be sure.

Hi David, looks like you may not have considered our WP36 Processor. I see most replies refer to outputs when working with 2 or even 3 people! The WP36 is a true one man operation machine as it has its own timber loader! Over the weekend I was processing with the WP36 10-12" diameter into 10" logs and filling a dumpy bag in under 10 minutes. So theoretically 6 cube an hour X 8 hours = 48 cube a day with one man. Realistically after knocking off time for tea, lunch, rolling timber onto the loading arms and moving the bags (slewing elevator fills 3 bags) 32 cube a day with one man and you won’t be too knackered to do it again the next day! The picture below was posted by billy68 recently, the red arms on the ground along the tow bar lift the lengths of timber onto the processor so no need for a Log rack and a true one operator machine. There are two sizes the WP30 cuts 12" as standard but can have a larger bar fitted to cut 15". The WP36 cuts up to 14" a standard and comes with twin hydraulic pumps and larger splitting force. Standard they come with Tractor linkage & PTO drive, the great thing is you can add a petrol engine and towing axle etc at any time as they just bolt on. OK I know I sell them but the machine does what it says on the label. 01420 487300 or [email protected] or http://www.alpinetractors.com

Hi Stephen, we sold Billy68 the Farmi WP36 processor and I am sure he would give you an honest appraisal of it. We have a promotion on the WP30 model if you want to contact us. Have you considered the alternative of Billeting timber to 1.5 meter lengths and then using a log saw or conveyor? Works out cheaper than a processor and you don’t have the 12-14" timber diameter restriction. Output obviously varies on size of timber and length of log you want. Over the weekend I was Processing with the WP36 10-12" diameter to 10" logs and filling a dumpy bag in under 10 minutes. The red arms on the ground along the tow bar lift the lengths of timber onto the processor so no need for a Log rack and a true one operator machine. There are two sizes the WP30 cuts 12" as standard but can have a larger bar fitted to cut 15". The WP36 cuts up to 14" a standard and comes with twin hydraulic pumps and larger splitting force. Standard they come with Tractor linkage & PTO drive, the great thing is you can add a petrol engine and towing axle etc at any time as they just bolt on. 01420 487300 [email protected] http://www.alpinetractors.com

Some members have posted comments re Balfor / Riko splitters and Midland Power / Power Mec. It may help if I clarify things. Midland power are supplied a few models to sell through ‘garden Machinery Dealers’ and they are supplied direct from the factory. It 'appears' they are keen to turn items into money rather than stock, I will let you decide the reasons for yourself! If you do purchase it may be prudent to pay on collection or delivery. If anyone has purchased direct from Midland Power or any of their Garden Machinery dealers and find they cannot get service or parts at the present or any time in the future, we will be happy to supply parts and service! Stephen Cabrol.

As you have had replies from the ‘trade’ I guess to make it a level playing field I should reply so you have some comparisons. Please feel free to view our Webb site, we may not be the cheapest but we probably have the largest selection of splitters available. There is an advert on the Arbtalk Webb site or go to alpinetractors.com

Hi, its Stephen from Riko and if you are still looking for a processor then feel free to ask for details on our WP30 or 36. We have a new depot just opened at Tockwith, near Wetherby in Yorkshire. Webb site is http://www.alpinetractors.com . If you want to see one working just contact me via the Webb site or call the head office on 01420 487300. Even if you dont buy one at least you will have something to compare with.