GTS

HI, have just passed the new course with Ian Morgan Arb with Ian Morgan and Chris Cooper Abbs. Top chaps. If you give Ian a bell, he will fill you in as he did a lot of wrk putting the new course together, in between cups o tea... anyway its now called "Award in Emergency Tree work Operations. Good luck and give my best to Ian

I bought a 261 vw this time last year. just spent last week doing my windblown course up in Wales and I got to use a 550 for a short time. In that time I picked them both up, one in each hand and they weighed the same. Virtually nothing in it, my 261 is on an 16" bar and the 550 on a 15". Start them up and the 261 feels like it weighs heavy, a large lump in your hands when on the power or at tickover. The 550 once started seems to lighten, you can move with the spinning gyroscopic forces from within. I can honestly say I have never felt such a difference in a saw, heavy ish, when on the bench, then as light as a feather when snedding up, moving around. It has a smooth vibe like my 576. no lumps in its power delivery like the stihl. You might say a revelation. For small work its the muts but don't rip its guts out on bigger work. grab a bigger saw with a smaller bar on it... My next purchase is the 550 xpg. Hope this helps, all the best

may get canker after a while as it tries to repair. If you only have 1 or 2 fruit trees then try a covering product which seals the bark, its available from garden centres. I cant remember the name, you simply paint it on the areas strimmed and leave to dry. If you have lots of cherry and fruit trees then take it out as if it does get it later on then it will pass the canker on to the rest of your stock. Hope this gives a little help

Was harvesting hazel sticks today, sap wetting the stumps all day!

cant watch...switched it off:confused1:

found it sorry

So if I am to import from USA, would you give me a starter as to where to buy from please chaps? all the best

good price, £4900ish for mine 18bhp

the cs 100 I use is fab, through gates to the rear of properties, makes a nice chip. I would however go with the maker who has back up near you. Also check out the running costs of both. My first service was well over £100... lovely. Blade access too, new blade costs etc etc. I cant speak for the 5yr backed up yellow machine, the green machine has been worth its weight up until now. The only thing that I would suggest is that depending which chipper you go for your set up will follow, truck, management of time on the jobs, management of wastes(chip and logs and bags of brash not wanting to put through and after management of).Some of this became apparent for me after handing over my hard earned. Enjoy! I have a vid of the cs but cant upload at the mo, perhaps the file is too big All the best:thumbup:

:001_smile:well done, nice work and enjoy 38, top course

no drugs, a we glass maybe....

Thanks Treebloke for your thoughts, its funny how mr vosa didn't recall any of this to me....

I phoned vosa today, helpful they were. They said to me this 1. If your over 3500kg at any point when towing, then you will need a tacho. 2. If you are within the radius/no chip own kit and over 3500, you need a tacho. 3. I you go off the reservation and are over 3500 you will need a tacho and an operators license. 4. I said I had a waste carriers license and had had one for over a year. He said that will do in my case as the operators license. So to clarify, I go out light, I am heavy for an hour, I dump, we know that they are heavier than 600kg (as noted on page 1 or 2), I pay nice man at the tacho shop between 600 750plus vat for a machine and carry on laughing:001_huh:.

ok thanks v much

Thanks treequip, not ranting not stopped thinking. I just want to start off on the right foot. I have a 2700kg trailer at the moment, that's why I mansion it. I simply don't want to loose any more time in having tacho checked, managing that process, there's simply enough already to do. I would rather cut that out if possible and get on with earning. All the best

crewcab transit full of chip= 3.5tonne(ahem) plus 6" road tow at 750kg= 4.25 tonne, over the 1997 law, which is 3.5tonnes threshold for vosa to say you need a tacho. Even if your within the crow fly limt etc etc. If you google vosa up pops forums with folk surprised to get a ticket and put on notice. Correct or not please tell:001_smile:

Peter from Pro Tipper has written historic threads which say that, if your truck and trailer weigh more than 3.5tonnes then you need a tacho, law of 1997. That is what I have understood now to be true unless subject to exemptions. For domestic work then I doubt if you can justify any of these. I cannot therefor buy and run a purpose built landy coupled to an ifor tt85 as the weight of the landy with kit is 3tonne, plus trailer weighs empty 700kg so I am over the 3.5tonne threshold and require a tacho before I start chipping into the trailer. The MAM plated weight for this combo is 5.75tonnes (landy 3050, trailer 2700kg) . I originally thought that if I worked within MAM then I would be ok. 1997 or December 2012 rules or both may have been the point that this changed. Please someone tell me if I am wrong or right as the last 2 and a half weeks thinking time depends on a little clarity. Many thanks and please forgive the opening RANT

Hi yes if the total weight of everything (vehicle kit Trailer chip and logs) goes over 3500kg then I understood the rules to say that a tacho is then required. Is that right?

:001_tongue:what to do .5 payload, my dumps weigh more than that

I am tired of spending time, time, more time, money working at understanding red tape which is hampering my profit line, every step. I have just made the informed decision, through your threads, which shows, clearly, that should I have been pulled over by the good guys with jobs and pensions, that I wouls have had a large book thrown at me, hitting me midships. I write about the GTW of 3.5 tonnes, your own equipment, within the radius. No Tacho. INTRODUCE WASTE and hey presto shafted. Laws are Laws, there for many a reason, however I have just realised that my long tested choice of vehicle after much much deliberation has just been blown clean out the water. I eventually based my choice around my chipper and experience/time spent at present in trees and came up with a landy110 hicap with a purpose built back to house every tool I use towing a trailer tt85 soon to be swapped for 10x5 electric tip. Proud that I had come to a decision with the advocates writings wringing in my ears, ive costed financed and Tuesday going for a test drive. BUT NOW why bother. Lets just get a crewcab tipper with a cage on the back covered in a sign written tarp with one of those digital weighing scales so I know when to stop and tip. For my own personal setup its going to really now cost me in kit as I was going a different way. In time, I don't have a yard so everything comes out in the morning and away at night, I wanted to "set myself up" but already before I really start im setting myself up for either tacho wonderment or labourious lumbering of kit twice a day due to trying to protect my investments and profit. Thanks. Just sometimes.....

I have just bought a cs100 just late last year after a lot of help from the guys writing those threads you've read. They wernt wrong. Its won me work, enabled work to take place and is my first chipper too. If you have a mate with a 6"+ chipper and tipper then you will be doing bigger jobs where presumably you will need help anyway so why buy something big expensive and a liability? As you get busier then invest in faster equipment but for now, yes add on 30/40 mins to your day to what your used to. They don't cost a lot to run either. Ive put Lombardi Pops, Ash, Willow,Chestnut, Oak Laurels, all through. It doesn't like gnarly stuff, Ivy apple twigs etc or thick wet cypress but taking time with this machine is a prerequisite. Hope this helps, good luck

top job old chap, never seen that done before, didn't know you could on such a scale

:001_smile:That's what I have now, theres space for 2 vehicles so my trucks going to make the neighbours curtains twitch, better get some good books sorted out too

:001_huh:my wife has just said, "what that? on the driveway?"... drives v small...

thankyou Steve