wrsni

I've had a couple of Knipex items snap with me over the last couple of years, and they were both being worked comfortably within the limits of what they're supposed to be capable of. Pretty disappointed especially given how good they used to be.

To be honest I can't see any way to address the issue fairly and properly other than re-lay the driveway, or possibly soak it up as best you can (quarry dust/cement and then power wash after a day or two) and offer money as compensation for the inevitable staining. But if you do that be sure you have it documented some way or they may come back at you in future.

Well they weren't cheap. Taiwanese made (not Chinese!), 5yr warranty, certified IP65, and must admit the build quality of them was excellent, when I got them I had high hopes. But the quality of light was poor even though they initially seemed bright enough. Whether ploughing, mowing, cultivating, whatever, you simply didn't have the same perception of what was happening in the work zone. Used them for over a week at a particularly busy time so they got well tested but was never properly content with them so changed back to halogen again. No regrets whatsoever. Some of the work lights here have lenses on them so diffuse that you can't even see the bulb, but they're terrific for night work. Whereas all the LED lamps I've seen are always clear, maybe therein somewhere lies the problem.

After reading rave reviews on forums I fitted LED working lights to the rear of one of the tractors this years. Didn't like them at all, took them back for a refund and went back to halogen. Oh, and they were classed as "flood" lights so should have been up to the job. LED has great potential but obviously not all the stuff is quite there yet so tread carefully if that's what you go for.

Aye, a three tonner will have them out no bother. Put them under a roof and forget about them for a couple of years till they dry out and they'll burn grand. Oh, I'm assuming you have the digger available. If you have to hire it then you might be cheaper getting them ground out, obviously you'd just have to price around.

Wonder what your thoughts are on the Red Pippin or Fiesta as I think it's now more commonly known! I'm a big fan of Cox to eat but was gutted to find that it's one of the most difficult apples to grow so I planted a Fiesta in preference last winter. It's done so well this year that it'll need a bit of trimming and I'm tempted to try a few grafts on to young crab apple next spring/late winter. Certainly will have a look at the Jupiter now as well.

No need for poison. Buy one of the wee pre-baited plastic traps and then put a blob of chocolate on the "bait" area. It both increases the attraction and makes the activation plate more weight sensitive. Never fails!

Mine is one up from the Holywell and is top exit only. I tend to think that they have to be top exit as there's a lot of heat harvested from the flue gases at the top and I don't think a rear exit flue would allow that to happen. I also think that they all follow the same principle but Mr Stubby will no doubt be able to tell you the exact case with the Holywell. TBH mate, it's your call what you buy and there are probably some good stoves out there with a flue out the back so I'm sure you'll get sorted. But there'll no doubt be people reading this in future looking for information on stoves and I didn't want Burleys to get a totally erroneous and unfair black mark against them based on a lot of bull-manure from what sounds like an especially dodgy salesman. That's why I was coming back on it, rather than trying to badger you in to buying one "per se". Best of luck with whatever you ultimately manage to find for your job.

The unique design of the Burley was developed over a period of many years by a guy who worked in his garden shed in his spare time perfecting the most efficient method of burning wood possible. As it turns out he also sold Burley electric fires for a living so was a trade customer of theirs as well. So when Burley wanted to get in to the woodburner market, they got him on board, patented the design, and started to mass produce it. That's what makes the Burley so unique, and is actually the reason why I bought one! So even if this clampet is telling the truth and thought he was smart enough to know better, it's little wonder they ignored him. Although I tend to suspect he's just bullsh1tting anyhow. Oh, the airwash on our Burley runs the entire way along the top. Pretty sure they're all the same but can only speak for ours, there is no blackening of the glass to one side.

I bought my Burley from a local plumbers mechant, it's not the reason I bought it as by that time I'd decided I was buying a Burley anyhow, but it was a bonus being able to get it conveniently. Entirely by coincidence, I met up with the guy who owns the place a while after I bought it (turns out he is a fellow motorcycle collector!) and I told him about buying the stove. "I'd been happier if you'd bought something that I'd make a bit more f***ing money from" was the reply. Turns out the margin on the Burleys is pretty tight if you sell them at a competitive price and even if you buy loads of the things on a wholesale basis (which he does with everything), they still can't be bought cheaply. So fair enough if the guy wants to sell something instead which he wants more profit off, but it's no excuse for misrepresenting an otherwise excellent product.

With due respect to yourself, utter bollocks! Plainly he's getting a better margin to flog something else.

If you want to go heavy, do it properly! [ame] [/ame]

But this saw ain't no F1 car, it's a Ford Mondeo, bought by people to earn it's keep doing a job day in day out. Any muppet can save weight on a component by just shaving material off it. Clever design is redesigning a component to be lighter/more compact/whatever yet retaining or even increasing it's strength. It CAN be done, it's not easy, but then these guys are supposed to be one of the two best manufacturers of these things in the world. So they should be the ones pushing the boundaries, but doing it properly. Thirty plus years ago I was riding bikes with 100hp weighing 240kgs, now I'm riding bikes with 180hp and weighing less than 200kgs, reliability not an issue. Fifteen years ago you would total a rear tyre in 1500mls, now you have more hp but can get a tyre that's better and it will last 3-4,000mls! That's proper progress. Oh, and it's also pretty bad form for a company to use it's customers as product testers, they should have that done BEFORE putting the thing on sale!

Interesting point this and I think Hilary probably gets the honours. Firstly, Trump is unashamedly anti-establishment and certainly has the full weight of the world press and elite against him. So when you look at it that way, a bit of locker room banter (not something I'd indulge in myself but most men would!) and one dodgy tax return being all that they seem to be able to dig up so far probably isn't a bad reflection. Secondly, Hilary isn't being subjected to anything like the same scrutiny plus she's had the weight of national security to hide behind for over twenty years (including famously her own e-mail server!). I reckon if you were told EVERYTHING about both of them over the years, Trump would probably appear like a boy scout in comparison to her. Still, the establishment has lost one vote in the developed world this year and I doubt they're going to risk losing another!

Bought a new Makita backpack blower in 2006 and up until last year when we managed to pick up a secondhand Tornado it was in fairly constant use. Don't know performance figures or anything for it but it's always done everything required and 100% reliable. May have got a new plug but other than that fill with fuel, pull the cord and go. Wasn't abused but not pampered either and it's still as sound as new, runs perfectly, nothing broken. Oh, probably worth mentioning. A golf club which the young fella was working at a while ago had to replace their two Stihl blowers which were done. They got a quote for two new Stihls but the committee told them to get something a bit cheaper as they weren't happy with the price. So two new Echos were bought much to the displeasure of the greenkeeping staff who wanted to stick with Stihl. After a week or two everyone was so surprised by how good the Echos were that Stihl was never mentioned again!

I like that, it's going on the playlist. It might even be an opener!

Thanks for all replies so far, much appreciated. Probably worth saying that at the minute I have a very old (but in good nick) Twose finger bar trimmer that is used for a few wee bits of hedge around the house and yard that get kept well trimmed, and on these it does a nice job. But you would really need to be disciplined for regular use, and on the field hedges with a compulsory "no cut" period from end of February untill mid-July, I worry that even a better finger bar might still be a bit messy after cutting. It is a much less violent operation compared to a flail though, no doubt.

On the winter shopping list! Other than the occasional wee job for a friend or neighbour it'll just be doing our own work but will be kept pretty busy. All hedges around the farm, we live in a lane over half a mile long so both sides of it two or three times a year, river banks, etc, etc. It'll be cutting weeds, grass, brambles, a lot of that sort of stuff frequently as well. Nothing would be that long a reach so I kinda fancy something suitable for our little 30hp Kubota, but equally can go bigger for one of the other tractors. Quite like the look of the McConnell "Swing Trim" but wouldn't want a lot of clearing up to do if you let something get away from you for a year. The main reason I'm posting here is that most of the compact tractor stuff is Italian made and not known to me so don't know how robust, reliable, or effective they'd be in operation. Would appreciate any experiences people have of them either on their own or versus the conventional agricultural stuff. Thanks. PS, I have considered a flail head for the digger but on balance decided against it so that's been ruled out.

In a similar vein, I intend to give this one a run this year. [ame] [/ame]

I present a show on a local charity radio station during December and it's getting to the time of starting to gather stuff up for this years broadcasts. Hoping I may get a few gems through this thread!

Might just be somebody utterly fed up dealing with cowboys all the time. If you're not on your guard nowadays there's no scarcity of people out there just looking to shamelessly empty your pockets. Yes they might be cheapskates, equally they may just be looking someone to do their work decently at a fair price with a minimum of hassle. If you're the type of person they're trying to avoid then don't go near them. If you're the type of person they might just be looking for then give it a go.

Strimmer with a blade rather than line will be a lot tidier and get it looking better sooner. You can also scythe it in to rows as you go along. The other issue with long wet grass is the sheer bulk of it, even the mower physically lifts it you'll be emptying the bag every dozen yards or so. Better get the bulk off it now manually and then stay on top of it.

We're going in to our fourth winter with our Burley and I really can't fault it in any way. Yes you are right to a degree, people will tend to just recommend what they have, it's the same with anything. But I've been in quite a lot of other houses with stoves since we bought this one and while most of the decent makes are pretty good I honestly don't think they quite match the Burley right across the board. Heat output and efficiency, well it's the best out there with the figures to prove. and when in use you wouldn't doubt them! Ease of lighting, no issues at all. Ease of use, one lever, couldn't be simpler. As for the ashpan, there isn't one! Scoop some out of the bottom of it every month or so. Durability, so far flawless. Flame "picture", yet to see another stove that comes anywhere close, lovely to have in a room. On top of all that, they're sensibly priced, and made in the UK. There is honestly not one area where it gives best to anything else I've seen.

Is it ever, stick your head up from behind the bubble at that speed and it's like being hit in the face by a paling post! *edit*-...........or so I've been told!

Rubbolite Model 151 Halogen Beacon | UK Automotive Products Ltd