Andrew Barrett

Hi All, I saw that plastic tipper body at the APF that Pickup systems made for Ground Control on an Isuzu D-Max. I'm talking to them about supplying one for us. Does anyone have any experience of conversions of any sort from Pickup Systems? Or these plastic arb bodies supplied by anyone? Pickup Systems tell me they're tougher than aluminium and have had no problems with any they've made - but then it's often not wise to ask a barber if you need a haircut...

What were you using Charles? We've been using Clark Forest SuperTack for the last couple of years. You get free delivery on a 25L container - makes a v good price: SuperTack Bio Chainsaw Oil (25 Litres) | Clark Forest I do occasionally get some issues with oiling (have to fiddle about with oiler settings) but I think this could be do do with the stuff thickening up a bit as weather cools. In two years we've only had to put petrol through one oiling system to clear it (thanks for the tip Russ!) and I'm really lame with my regularly cleaning. I've recently bought an air compressor but before that just shoved them back on shelf.

Thanks Eddie. Listers also told me that new saws sometimes have problems running Aspen. This was also news to me as I thought it was the opposite: older saws run on pump fuel sometimes have issues switching over. Were they correct to tell me this?

No. I queried with Listers though and they have promised to speak to Stihl and get back to me re: their policy on use of Aspen.

Used to use normal unleaded - only switched to the super and stopped using supermarkets after started having these problems. An ex-mechanic friend suggested I try doing this as the normal unleaded may have more ethanol in it.

Over the past four years we've had the piston seized / scored three times on our 660 and once on a 260. Prior to this it never happened. We had our previous 066 for 15 years with no issues. Has anyone else been having these problems? We've been using the higher grade green Stihl mix for the last couple of years. I have been paranoid about my fuel mixing and the 660 piston scored again last week. I decant from the 5L mix container into a 1L one with the squeeze measurer for 5L of fuel. I always make sure slightly above the line. I am the only person who mixes the fuel. I only mix into 5L containers - so no possibility of getting mix wrong. Since the last time the piston went I only buy super unleaded fuel from a branded oil company garage (usually BP). I have been thinking of switching to premixed Aspen to rule out any issues with fuel. At Lister Wilder in Cirencester today we were informed that Stihl and Husqvarna won't honour warranties on saws if they find Aspen has been used - they require you to use their mix. Can anybody tell me if this is correct? I thought Aspen was regarded as the highest grade fuel you can buy? If Aspen no good then we'll have to buy another big saw and always carry two on bigger jobs. This is a total pain in the arse!! Any thoughts / suggestions appreciated...

I did the the nine week course at Merrist Wood under Jack Kenyon before he retired in late 2012. I can tell you without any doubt that Ty is correct and Jack said that one-handed use was not acceptable under any circumstances. I can't find it in my course notes, but I'm pretty sure he said that more than half of professional chainsaw accidents are from one handed use of top handled saws. He also said they were almost banned at some point in the past and that if accident rates did not come down they may well be banned in the future. I think I would prefer them to be banned. I try to never cut and hold and would prefer to have a level playing field. But then I also try not to run the truck over-loaded and I seem to be in a minority there, too...

We've been using Eco Plugs for the last year or so. Not had any problems with clients and I always guarantee our stump treatment (free re-treatment, if needed) so they have an incentive to let me know if not killed stump. You can use them down to a surprisingly small diameter stem - about an inch or so. FR Jones have the best price I've found - works out at 62p each inc VAT if you buy 100 at a time. Make sure you buy the proper drill bit with the depth guide. They are expensive, but our clients like them (I carry one with me when quoting) and you don't have to worry about rain, pets, children, watercourses or neighbouring plants. They look professional and our clients don't seem to have a problem with us charging properly to treat stumps.

I would also like a bigger chipper at some point when we get a bigger truck. But I would like to get a turntable too to reduce some of the extra hassle from the increased size and weight. There must be loads of people who think this and yet there are several sub-750kg turntable machines (from Greenmech, Vermeer and now Timberwolf) yet you go straight from there up to 9 inch machines weighing 3 times+ the amount (from Vermeer and Timberwolf). Hopefully the main manufacturers have noticed there is a big gap in the market... Though Redwood do sell a turntable version of the Jensen 540 (7 1/2 inch chipper). But the turntable version is much wider than than the standard in line model (even though hopper is same width). I think the turntable models are much better when the machine is designed and sold only as a turntable machine rather than as an add-on option. The 540 has a rather narrow throat for the size chipper, too (7.5 x 9 inch). It looks to have been superceded rather by the new Forst TR8 with its 8 x 10 inch throat.

I'm on my second 8KW Clearview Vision 500 (left first one in previous house when I moved). They aren't cheap but you get what you pay for. I do all my space (but not water) heating with mine and burn about 7 tons / 14 cubic metres of wood per year in an average winter. If a client/friend has a stove I always like to have a nose about and use it a bit if possible. Because people know I'm very interested I've even had clients call me re: problems using their newly installed stoves and gone over with a bag of well seasoned logs to see if I can help. I have tried lots of Stoves from lots of manufacturers in this manner and none of them are a patch on mine. They either aren't as controllable, don't stay in as well, don't light as easily, the glass goes black and/or use more wood.

I also worry about human overpopulation. Unfortunately the few countries (like Japan) that are experiencing a decrease in population are talked of as if they are in dire trouble. I like wildlife and it seems common sense to me that if we have increasing numbers of people there will be less and less of the world left for the wild things. Attempting to save individual populations of photogenic animals like elephants and orangutans whilst we continue to add tens of millions of humans to the world every year - with an overall increase in per capita consumption - is just fiddling around trying to make ourselves feel better. I wish the environmental organisations would have the courage to challenge the taboo around discussions of human population. In the UK there is plenty of hand-wringing about the unmet need for more houses for our growing population and the resulting unaffordable house prices. I don't understand why more people don't think: "maybe if we had fewer people or a static population we wouldn't have this problem." I came across the charity Population Matters a couple of years ago and have been a supporter since (it's not just a bunch of nut-jobs: Sir David Attenborough is a patron). Maybe some of you guys with similar concerns would like to have a look: Population Matters for a sustainable future

Hi Hodge. I like the look of your side tool locker. Do you ever notice the lack of weight on one side when you're full of wood / chip? The workbench / vice idea looks great - we cart a fold-up workbench with us everywhere at the moment. I would love to dispense with that. I notice one of your pics has the vice on and on the other it is off. Do you normally leave the vice in place or does that not work well? Do you find tipping is a problem with gear in the tool locker? Has anything ever spilled / got damaged when it all slides down to the end?

If anyone didn't see my job posting the first time around, there is still some regular work available. Thanks, Andrew

Hi Kevin, I've sent you a PM asking for more info about your experience of Roger Youngs - doesn't sound like it was great. Andrew

Hi all, I'm thinking about buying one of these with an Arb body: Isuzu D-Max Tipper | Roger Young but I'm wondering if 44 degrees tipping angle is enough? Thanks, Andrew.

Thanks for your reply mendiplogs. Yes, I will go down and have a look before putting in order. But they are about a three hour drive away and this will be my first tipper / box conversion. I don't reckon I have any particular skill in assessing these things. If I have problems it will be a pain taking it all the way back there to be be sorted - but they are the only people I've found so far who road-legally uprate a standard 4x4 pick up to 3.5 ton GVW (I need/want the extra payload). I'm also doing my researches whilst on hols in Oz as don't seem to have the time at home!

Hi Johny Walker. Are you happy with your D-Max - and would you get another if yours was written off tomorrow? I'm referring to gross vehicle weight (payload) not towing ability. Ford Ranger is 3.2 ton GVW and D-Max 3.05 ton from the factory. As you say, both can tow 3.5 tons.

I am close to buying an Isuzu D-Max tipper conversion uprated to 3.5 ton gross vehicle weight from Roger Young, Saltash, Cornwall. But tommer9 on here has suggested that their service, workmanship and reputation have gone downhill badly recently. In particular that their fabrication quality is "worse than shoddy" (only repeating what he said in a public post replying to me). As you can imagine, this is not what I want to hear when I'm thinking of buying a tipper conversion them! But if it's true I'd much rather know and avoid them. Does anyone on here have experience - especially recent - that would help me decide. Thanks, Andrew

I've come across an Isuzu dealer in Cornwall (Roger Young) who are selling tipper conversion D-Max's uprated (road legally) to 3.5 ton gross vehicle weight. I had been thinking of a Ford Ranger - which has the highest legal payload of the UK 4x4 pick ups straight from the factory - but uprated D-Max will have an extra approx. 300kg payload to play with. So, am now thinking the Isuzu would be better for us. However, I've noted people have mentioned a few D-Max problems on Arbtalk, so thought I'd try to collect an up-to-date view of how people are finding them in this thread before I make purchase decision (hopefully next week or two). Many thanks in advance for your help. Arbtalk is very helpful for doing this sort of research. Andrew

What business practices are you referring to tommer? I'm keen to know as I'm seriously considering one of their uprated tipper D-Max's. If you'd prefer not to say in public please PM me.

We're a small, long established (since 1970) tree surgery business based near Tewkesbury in north Gloucestershire - though we do most of our work in Cheltenham. We need a self-employed groundsman for usually 2-4 days per week. First day we need to fill is Tues 5th August. I don't mind if we use one person or more than one to fill our available slots. Minimum requirements are CS 30/31, your own PPE and transport. Presentable, hard working and reliable. Ideal candidate/s would have CS 38, LOLERed climbing kit, not smoke, be over 25 with clean driving licence (to be able to drive our truck). Even better if you have a pre-1997 licence or your trailer licence - as our Jensen chipper is above 750kg. I don't mind if you're already experienced or just starting out. Potential to get / gain climbing experience. We sometimes hire climbers so I'm also open to climbers who are happy to do some ground work. Please send me a message with your day rate, experience, qualifications and available days.

It would be a lot more helpful if you said why you think the D-Max is a joke and what questions he was trying to dodge.

Everywhere I ask, people tell me Defenders are unreliable and very uncomfortable to drive (I'm 6ft 2) and very expensive 2nd hand. And they tell me the newer ones are worse than the old ones! Our old Hilux has not caused a single unscheduled missed work day in the five years we've had it. We paid £2,400 for it and it is 18 years old now. We had a lot of problems with (new) unreliable british chippers until we bought a new Jensen and I don't want the same with trucks. Unfortunately single cab Hilux's have by far the lowest legal payload (820kg excluding driver) of any of the main picks ups sold in the UK at the moment.

Only if you fill the truck full to the 3.5 ton load. Standard D-Max is a 3.05 ton truck with 6 ton gross train weight. So the conversion adds 450kg to the gross vehicle weight and uprates the gross train weight by 350kg. So you only lose a potential 100kg from the trailer towing limit if the truck is full to max payload. But the payload is increased by 450kg anyway.

Just spoken to Matt Young from Roger Young. He told me the gross train weight will be increased from 6 tons to 6.35 tons along with the gross vehicle weight being increased from 3.05 to 3.5 tons.