aspenarb

Our fields out the back seem to be alive with the stuff, its proving tough to pull because the ground is so dry. Other than Roundup is there anything new on the market for knocking this on the head? Bob

Its not like they were denying anyone access to the place, they provided hundreds of access points. We did some clearance work a few years ago in Alton to divert a public footpath around a woodland rather than through the middle and fenced it off, the new path added about 150mts to the the old route but it was much better being a new track. Again despite all this being done properly through the right channels the fencing was cut on several occasions. To me thats criminal damage. You can also see from other threads on here that the public assume they can use these woodlands as a free tip. Sort of spoils it for others really because it should not cost the land owner to allow public through their land. Bob

We were on a contract to fence round a huge lump of MOD common land to keep cattle in as part of a biodiversity program. We installed hundreds of kissing gates, cattle grids and self closing gates for horse riders as well as about 60k of stock fencing. Thats when the fun started , the general public who accessed the land from a certain way would just turn up with the snips and cut their way in because thats the way they had "always" come We must have repaired the fence a hundred times over a period of 2 years , in the end the MOD just coughed up for more gates. Nothing was ever locked, it does make you wonder if it a good idea to let anyone in to start with. We also spend at least two weeks a year with a team running around woodlands with the telehandler placing huge logs across anywhere the green laners my get it. Bob

I built a cage over our chipper to protect it , it would be quite easy to fit a tray on top to carry cans a saws. Bob

Free range:laugh1: I was just thinking about the school holidays, this place was a dumping ground for kids. All their school friends would get dropped off and there were dozens of them just left here for weeks at a time, the little sods would not go home . I have a pic somewhere of 19 kids round the dinner table.Bit like the Waltons Bob

I would never see ours, being on a farm you would have to go looking for them at dinner /tea time just to round them up. Between my five and my partners 2 they would just form a pack and be gone, I am still finding camps and "things" they built 25 years on. They were definitely feral , Makes me smile Bob

Your right of course but its taken over ten years to find an idiot that will pull a lever he knows nothing about, for all he knew a hammer could have popped out of a locker and beat him over the head. Anyway new pump fitted and a pressure relief valve so now extra idiot proof Bob

The week, the poor sods have got their backs to about 20 hectares of it at the moment between the three sites. The whole lot is hand cut /rake and burn. The client does not want any lorries in and out which is such a shame because there is so much saleable timber going up in smoke. Bob

The three sites we are on at the moment that would probably be around a thousand:thumbdown: Bob

Even our little ten ton beavertail comes in useful on small jobs . no bigger than a 7.5 ton truck but with a 5250kg payload + 8 tons of trailer . Really handy for picking up the odd sticks and moving single bits of kit about.

All of the panels in green are plastic if my addled brain serves me well, the only steel on the surface of the machine is the black lower skirt and the roll bar. All the green bits are plastic. Really not a problem for someone thats using it all the time but the unsuspecting will steer it in a tight gap not realising the back end takes a large sweeping arc. Bob

I have a Schaffer and wont let the guy`s use it, very unstable on dodgy terrain and its been on its side one too many times so its relegated to yard use only. Its not a patch on the Avant in my opinion . The only thing I dont like about the Avant is the plastic panels which are extremely fragile. Most of the ones we have hired are damaged on the plastics and we normally end up getting into a blamefest when we return them. Bob

There is no denying there are a few more hoops to jump through if you want to run a decent truck. The upside of making the move is the huge difference in profitability, chucking trees on the floor is the easy bit but clearing them up and getting finished is where money is won or lost. Some mechanical handling and a truck with a decent load carrying capacity is a no brainer, when you consider the cost of the rest of the kit like saws, chippers and stump grinders the cost of a truck,license and maintenance pale into insignificance. A lot of the running costs can also be offset with the sale of timber no matter what it is if you can keep it in 3mtr lengths, again selling something that would otherwise cost you to dispose of. Another example of this is our local chip dump, one standard charge of £20 a load to tip no matter what vehicle so every time I tip our bin up I am £400/500 better off than the boys with the transits I reckon between ten and twenty ton would be the best size for a towny arb truck. Our lads took down 7 big old firs 30 miles away, one trip in the truck and its all cleared up Bob

Our ten tonner is factory piped for air and has an eighteen ton train weight, well worth looking out for. I think if I was looking for one truck to do all of the jobs I would look at the hookloaders, a hookloader truck with a hiab behind the cab and buy a few different bodies you would have everything covered. Also nice and easy to load when they are dumped on the floor Bob

Your wise to be cautious Hamdog, garden curtilage may well not extend into wooded area`s. We had a situation recently where the residents in years gone by had jointly purchased the woodland backing onto their gardens, they had individually sectioned up the woodland and fenced it into what was an extension to the garden. We had a request to fell a substantial quantity and after checking had to submit an application for a felling license. Bob

Same old story, its all to do with logistics. Its a shame transport cant be sorted for some of this softwood, its the same down this way for chip. This lots going begging if anyone wants it, be quick because the log goblins will get it

Timon I could never make logs pay either, we were way too busy with work which left precious little time for processing and delivery. I dont mind moving timber about as we have to dispose of it anyway so the more the merrier as far as guys like this one go Its just making sure I dont shoot yourself in the foot doing it, our regular takers of log wood use everything and anything on the truck but pay a lot less than £50 a ton. this guy has set himself up with a processor for his own use which seems strange considering the cost and speed of which it will actually give him a return. Bob

Our good looking hunks pull loads of chicks Bob http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=186842&stc=1&d=1438248746

The guy is possibly an ongoing customer Stubby so I just wanted to keep it realistic on pricing, We get plenty of timber but processor sized timber would need to be separated out which in itself is going to be time consuming, add that to customer unloading the truck himself I thought £50 was about right. He has gone for it at £50 so I will time a few runs and see how it pans out , I will put the squeeze on him if its doesn't . Thanks for the input guys. Bob

So you were turning right and twonk in transit nosed out, you tightened up to clear the front of him and said twonk set off again causing the collision. Got it:thumbup: but you can see how a slippery insurer will misconstrue the facts from the pics cant you. Best of luck. Bob

Lets play devils advocate I reckon his insurer will say you cut across his path on the wrong side of the road. You need a good reason not to go round the dimple , ie trailer or lorry. Bob http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=186830&stc=1&d=1438193625

A guy popped into the yard today after timber for his processor, its for his own personal use. He cant take a big truck load but would like five ton at a time on the smaller truck. He took a step back when I quoted him £50 a ton delivered , its a ten mile round trip that he will unload with his guys. Am I leaning on him at that rate ?? Bob

I just buy it in or bung a couple of 1000 ltr stillages on the truck and go to the cheapest local garage. £1.17p a litre was the last lot I bought, 99% of the time a truck thats filled at the yard can do a round trip on a tank. The upside is you dont have a cab full of blokes wasting time fuelling up or taking the card or cash and losing the receipts. There are also not many garages around here that you can get a lorry into. and tip it straight into the bunded tank Bob

This is something that runs alongside of other things we do. We have found that being involved with grounds maintenance has led onto other things, once in you will be the first port of call for all the associated work like fencing,landscape and even gritting. We have 3 or 4 guys flat out on this type of work all year and most weekends in the summer. There is also no shortage of skilled gardener types that are up for part time work which again can relieve the workload. We have one old boy that looks after a massive car sales site for us , we only ever see his invoice because he is self contained and just gets on with it. There is certainly no harm in giving it a try , nothing ventured nothing gained . Best of luck . Bob

Dewalt 18v here as well , great tools but battery life is rubbish. The torch though lasts for months on one charge