WorcsWuss

That I did find annoying the first time I failed my test.... a couple of hours later I was driving a tractor & trailer through the same town... I think you need to be 21 to drive a materials handler & combine on the road... definitely a combine anyway... And the lads that were idiots at 16 are still idiots at 26 round here... age doesn't seem to be an issue... some kid nearly went oer the top of my car in a Fastrac once.. that was a bit terrifying.....

New Ranger will do 3 1/4...

You will probably find that you actually were the cheapest, LA's have been going with the lowest for a long time... What's happened now though is that someone has come in buying the work... and anyone with half an ounce of business acumen and dignity can't compete with someone who doesn't know his costs... Do you get a breakdown of tender returns so you can see how you compare to the other tenderers? I always find those FASCINATING... trying to guess who it is who is going to be going bust next... What you will find though is that the savings they make using a 'cheaper' contractor are usually lost in not only putting it right, but endless buck passing to ensure that if anything does hit rotating blades, it can be pinned on Central Government policy and not anyone from the council. It's a tragic system...

Usually the lowest 2 are considered.... depends if the cheapest is waaaayyyy cheaper really. Ultimately though, LA's go with the cheapest except under VERY extenuating circumstances. Timscales wise, tenders are generally opened on the return date but it usually takes up to 2 weeks for them to select a contractor. Unsuccessful contractors to crappy councils may not hear anything until a letter arrives listing the tendered prices which could take 6 weeks.

It's all very subjective. I'm a Land Rover man through and through and would never buy a Jap truck, but I cannot in any way justify purchasing a Land Rover to you if you're just looking for something which is practical straight out the box. Defenders are expensive, cramped and slow. But great tow cars, versatile and have excellent residuals [not to mention unbeatable off road]. I believe parts are more expensive for Jap trucks than LR's [although with the frequency with which they need replacing perhaps this balances out?] I have seen a few Amaroks floating around here, look like a very nice truck but I would be wary of the 2.0 diesel... is it strong enough to pull a decent load in the real world? But then I have the same reservations about the new 2.2 in the Defender... Go with the one you'll feel coolest driving I think is probably the best way to choose!

No flying pigs, low cloud obscuring them, but I hear fair trials are nice at this time of year....

That's what I would have thought, on a Dbrt it would pull the climber up into the tree [potential crush on passing limbs?] and srt it's going to try to pull the climber down if the weak point is above [possibly very quickly if the anchor gives], or leave the climber hanging with no rope to come down on if the weak point is below & the rope snaps [but that's unlikely] ... The variable is going to be how much damage it does to the chipper? Does it shred the rope leaving a nice clean [!] end, wrap the rope into the mechanism and blow it apart or keep pulling through till it's all gone? Looking at posts so far it seems that a wad of rope inside a chipper is going to be a fairly even match for the chipper!

Ha! V8 powered Dexta! They're fast even with the original 3 pot motor, we have one... seriously high geared back end! Wouldn't fancy trying to stop it though... Or is it a V6..?

Steve Bufton at Morris Bufton & Co in Ludlow knows his stuff.... give him a go...

Seems so... but understandably. Since we all pay our RFL [with a few exceptions of course...] we all naturally think our own journey takes priority, but it's human nature and not something worth getting in a tizz over... Ultimately so long as you're complying with the highway code then you can more or less go as slow or fast as you like.... the challenge is for everyone else to go as fast or slow as they like without ruining anyone's day... Anywho.... I get hacked off sitting behind 20 cars following a tractor past YET ANOTHER layby, mostly because I know how little time it actually takes to pull in. I also get seriously hacked off sitting behind lorries knowing how aggressively they push you along if you're going slower than them. What I don't do though is let it irritate me to the point of taking it out on anyone else though. Anywho...

Which bit specifically? Are you saying you've never had a moment when you were in a hurry and drove less than courteously? Or are you saying that lorry drivers always go out of their way to let cars by when holding them up? I try to be courteous all the time, but if you spend enough time on the roads, particularly in different types of vehicle, occasionally you slip a bit... I freely admit I do and anyone who claims they don't is either lying or deluded!

Go to the bottom of the menu on the left and watch the video of the modified Cat backhoe deminer.... wicked tool... want one...!

Did you watch the movie? They run house bricks through it in that! Woo, where did the post I replied to go...?!

Because I 'never work with the same groundie twice' so to speak, everything has to be pre-planned to the Nth degree. Most of the people I'm helping out haven't been groundsman in their lives so it's all taken VERY slowly and every limb is talked through and agreed on the ground before we start. If anything changes once I get up there, we talk it through again, from the floor if necessary... takes FOREVER but touch wood no problems yet!

What about something like this..? Rotar International B.V.

My biggest fear is my friction hitch. I'm careful with my anchor and have every confidence in the rope and hardware, but it's the bit I tie myself which I'm always terrified is going to let me down. In that respect I often wonder whether I'd be better off on a hitch climber which does at least introduce some hardware into the working end. The thing I dislike about a blakes is how awkward it is to get a back up onto the rope. A long-ish prusik hanging below my hip does the job but it's still a bit hit and miss for my liking, and a pita to advance. Even though I know my blakes isn't going anywhere because I always put a stopper not in it anyway....

As both a tractor driver and car driver, the chumps who won't overtake on clear roads drive me up the wall, on the tractor it forces me to pull over when I otherwise wouldn't have needed to, and in the car forces less safe overtakes or holds up a queue. All that said, lorry drivers irritate me the most. When was the last time a lorry pulled over for you to let a queue of cars by? But who are the most abusive when they come past a tractor? I know they're on a tacho and a tighter limit but even so, I'd be a bit more helpful if I didn't spend hours behind them driving next to each other on a dual carriageway.... one rule for one? An artic passed me one night, he'd only just come up behind me, not been waiting, and cut me up so tight he stripped the marker lights off the side of his trailer on my front wheel. Why? Because he reckoned he had more right to be there than I did I presume and was showing his distaste. He was hauling an empty trailer. I was carting the grain for the nation's daily bread back to the store. So obviously I should give way to him.... [or her, not to discriminate!] Most people become gits behind the wheel, we're all guilty of it at some point...!

Yes you can, probably not and contact a dealer, they will be able to get them for you or order direct - IWT Parts Catalogue - New & Used Trailers - Horsebox, Livestock, Plant, Tippers, Car Transporters, Flatbed, Box Van, Spares

Reminds me of the child who drowned while a CSO looked on, unable to get in the water because of some ridiculous paranoia about rules and regulations. [And probably a good dollop of self preservation] Without wishing to come across as a bitter old Tory, this country has gone a little bit too much like Communist Russia circa 1954 over that last decade & a half... Rules & regulations are of INIFINITELY greater importance than human life.... Our neighbour rolled a tractor many moons ago and was trapped by the arm between the wheel and mudguard... Having watched the fire 'service' argue [to no conclusion] over how to extract the poor upside down farmer for far too long, they fetched another tractor & a chain and pulled the tractor off his arm, jemmied the wing back up and job done.... I ask you... what EXACTLY do they train to do....?

Any of the Tamiya stuff is a good place to start, either in kit for or pre-built 'QD' [Quickdrive] format. A long time ago an old girlfriend bought me a 4x4 car chassis with a Mitsi Evo top on it, great fun to build and a chuckle to play with. Pretty well indestructable and fairly inexpensive so far as 'proper' RC cars go.... Still works now 10 [er.. plus!] years on....!

Honey Brothers offer a 'similar' kit which I use. It's not quite as nice [and the rope they supply is a touch on the thick side], but that's 40 quid + VAT I think for a 4m & includes snap, biner, lanyard, prusik, micro pulley. Does the job, it's all ISC hardware.

Well... I've ordered the little Tanaka, which I think is basically the same saw as the Hitachi CS33 which FRJ stock... We'll see if it's any good...

If you get nowhere with this drop me a line, I might be able to get across to you.

Found that one. I'm not VAT reg so it's 150... For another 25 quid I could get the Tanaka though...?

I used to work for Renault Ag, sound simple tractors of that era. Anything upto the 54 series were strong, reliable machines. Not the best driving position in the world and the cab would be a little noisy [not quite the same as most County's mind you...] but an eminently useable machine. If I was flailing all day I'd probably look round for a Ford 66/7610 with the AP cab, JD 2140 or 3040 with the MC1 cab or a Massey 590 or 390 type machine... A Renault Ceres 85 or 95 would be a good machine as well...