kevinjohnsonmbe

I don’t really “do” engines... but what you say seems to make pretty good sense to me (from a nuggets perspective) Legislate for Diesel engine, legislate for wood stoves etc.... Whilst simultaneously seeking to expand Heathrow.... Doesn’t seem to make much sense overall?

Agreed, the majority (domestic) prob do think that way, for now. But inside emissions control zones (limited - for now, but bound to grow) and as mentioned, on larger site projects / govmt works for example, total project carbon capture may well feature as we inexorably ride the legislative train down the tracks. I’m in the market for a new chipper and whilst trying to consider future proofing elements was just looking for opinions of the AT massive. I may be over thinking it, it wouldn’t be the first time!! PS - where’s TCD when you need some fuel info!! He’d have a view! (As well as stump’s too high!!)

There's a FB page for Heritage Tree Management: https://www.facebook.com/Heritage-Tree-Management-573985506028429/?ref=br_rs It's well worth looking it up and subscribing!

It was the detail I was “thinking” about rather than that which I wrote which I thought we’d possibly be debating. Poor post on my part really, it didn’t get across what I was thinking so well as I might have hoped. Too complex for 2 thumbs on an iPhone!

Liking the rear guard! I’m guessing you don’t use additional back weights of tow hitch? Shouldn’t be too difficult to fab if needed!

I think you’re spot on - looking to the future. S/H value must fall in line with a predicted drop in demand associated with increasing penalties in urban areas. It might be that rural areas are less affected (in the short term) but it’s still taking away a potential market sector for S/H diesel machines. I’d accept the sales (and user) pitch that fuel consumption is fairly equal, surely the biggest negative factor is the loss of access to rebated diesel? Until petrol starts to take over (or folks pony up the extra mullah for Stage V Diesel engine) having a “clean” motor is something that could be presented as a positive sales pitch - particularly to the rich, eco hippies - and could provide the winning edge over an otherwise equal competitor... Just musing....

Great thread! It's way off spec, and kind of out of kilter with my personal perspective (and I reckon there's a fair chance Mr E will take issue with me!)... But I'm minded to think of the John Lewis / Waitrose model (so far as I understand it.) Select and employ above the minimum spec for the job and provide share dividend bonuses on a sliding scale. Where (I think) Mr E may disagree, is that I personally believe some people are employees and some are employers - or to put it another way - some have aspiration, determination and ambition, and some don't. No disrespect to either party, but some people want to know what time to be at work, what to do whilst there and what time they finish - if nobody tells them what to do, they do nothing until somebody tells them. Then they don't think about work again until the cycle recommences. Some people set them selves up for challenge and put more in than is required, these are the people that either move on or get promoted. There is no system that solves the problem because whatever system is introduced, someone will find a way to take advantage of it. One place I worked had a scheme where scrap was weighed in for the Christmas bash - it was a humdinger of epic proportions.... 30 odd blokes, fed watered and entertained like aristocrats. After having been there for several months I became aware that 1 man was constantly engaged in stripping the insulation off aviation grade copper wire and that the wire was being requisitioned by the reel for the sole purpose of being stripped and weighed in. Thankfully, I'd moved on before the Christmas bash - that's the public sector for ya! Another local epic in the SW (and soon to be Merthyr) is Trago Mills. Dear old Bruce is a wiley fecker. There is no 'factory outlet' or 'damaged goods staff shop' because he trusts no one... Reason being, staff member wants a knock down price on the latest gadget - they scratch / bang / whack it, then send it to the staff discount area where they pick it up for a song. I think the question you ask goes to the very heart of the socialism v capitalism debate and there simply isn't an easy answer....

Come on now MrH! There’s no place in this thread for that sort of narrow minded racial profiling....

There is only one way it can be resolved...... Matelot v Bolt - Drop the Mic!! Like this:

A DAY Richy! It just don’t make sense?

Will have a read of this later: https://www.timberwolf-uk.com/fuelling-discussion-2019-engine-legislation-change-whitepaper/

And.... MoD DfE DSS DfEFRA HMRC DCLG etc, etc... Something of a pattern emerging..... Inadequate accountability!

Is that Stoke area in Plymouth? Looks familiar. I saw a Plymouth city council gang street tree pollarding around Mutley a while back. 3 blokes, 2 vans, chipper. 1 bloke up a ladder on his own, 1 sat in the van with his snap box, the 3rd around the corner feeding the chipper. No effective pedestrian / traffic control. Word at the time was that the contractor that had previously been doing it had costed it at £7/tree!

Lots of interesting posts and replies. I like the idea of a scheme that puts the squeeze on poor practitioners... If it really would? I also like the idea of having the 'bar' set and achieved in case it all goes pear shaped (whilst recognising that you're only as good as your last game and if your next game is a bad one, it's still a bad one regardless of what went before it.) I think it's a natural aspiration (maybe an ego / pride thing) to want to achieve a recognised benchmark - but the reality has to be, what benefit does the outlay bring to the business. Is the expenditure going to result in multiples of financial return or is the current business model in need of a boost. Recognising the potential advantages when large scale operations are bidding for large scale contracts, and the preceding comments about big outfits gaining accreditation (perhaps through having sufficient admin / office staff to smash out the paperwork whilst simultaneously not presenting admirable arb output maybe because contract margins are too tight or staff turnover) I've often thought, the scheme, whilst well known within the industry and the associated large contract tenderers, is not sufficiently well known at the lower level - Joe Pub, smaller local government and contract levels etc. If there was a big push to reach out to Joe Pub etc, and they started to demonstrate an awareness and desire to preferentially engage accredited practitioners if might create more of a pull factor? That's probably quite a long way of saying, if more domestic customers "wanted it", more SMEs might do it. Good shout asking the question Paul

Probably best answered by the summary below! For my part, I'm eeking out a meagre existence and maintaining a wholesome state of physical and mental equilibrium.... What's not to like!

You beat me to it!! Can't quite tell if you're an advocate for such "efficiencies" or not though Kriss...?

Could I change: "...pay more VAT on their Range Rover..." to "...Reclaim..."

Ah bugger! Just seen the typo!!

It was the first example that came to mind of that which might be considered by some, as a historical lesson which we might take when attempting to rationalise protest / civil unrest which transgresses the current law. I mean, at the time, the Suffrajets were considered by many, certainly the 'system / establishment' as despicable, subversive, criminal activists yet here we are today, (hopefully) recognising the ludicrous inequity of excluding +/- 50% of the nation's population from expressing a democratic choice. That said, I do recognise, and share, the concern that he (or she) who shouts the loudest seems to expect the biggest effect. Not always the best way to proceed - but, where 'the people' become so helplessly disengaged from the system (ALA Sheffield council), drastic times call for drastic measures (ALA Suffrajets!)

It's a tough one Gary. Much to consider on both sides I think. Freedom of expression is a wonderful thing..... According to the Suffrajets

Not just the Spanish wielding the heavy arm of the law to suppress freedom of expression then....

You have to use the elec switch on the consul to divert the hyd to the uppy downy motor for changing the angle of the finger bar through vertical to horizontal. If (a) you forget to switch off hi-flo AND throttle back or (b) forget to disengage the elect divert switch before going back to cutting and you activate the joystick thumb button the head positioning action is WAY, WAY too fast! Not sure if that makes sense....?

I tried the hedge cutter on hi-flo yesterday. Pretty savage but if you forget to change out of hi-flo and throttle back for repositioning the cutter head it’s a bit nasty!!

I hear that! A LOT of work, a lot of time wasters, a lot of dead ends I should imagine. Good luck with it!