GarethM

I had heard rumours on the internet that the uk red diesel is imported from Russia already dyed. Maybe the Russians just can't be bothered adding bio oils to it, would account for why you use less red than white ?. I know you can check the ethanol content of petrol using water, not sure about of it's possible with diesel ?.

Certainly agree on the Rock splitters, not a bad commercial grade splitter to get you into the log sales market. Only downside is the lack of a diesel option but small diesels are awfully noisy at 3000rpm, in the longer term your burning through more than a gallon of petrol a day which gets expensive. I have mine as a backup for a diesel power pack and horizontal splitter, whilst slightly slower than a screaming petrol engine with two speed pump which would be marginally quicker to finish the job. After about five years I upgraded to a power pack with a single speed pump at 2000rpm and 667cc diesel sips diesel like a fine wine, no need for any hearing protection, so you can enjoy listening to the wildlife and fill 1-2 Ibc cages a hour. Everything as they say is a compromise, nothing will ever be perfect and as long as it works for you and you’re making a profit. Next year can always be bigger, better etc.

Planning can be a complete minefield, a lot of things will mostly depend on if its already an agricultural holding with pre 2000 buildings or just a field that your using for something other than farming. If its a agricultural holding you have a lot more scope, including changing to class E depending on what your wanting to do. Class B2 is definitely not agricultural, diversification possibly if you owned existing buildings which would be converted. However I presume if you have been reported by a neighbour, its going to be a field used for storage or something similar, which if that is the case they can and most probably will force you to vacate and return to it original condition, especially if its greenbelt.

I'm afraid that's probably inevitable when it's written like a PhD dissertation, no offense intended but having a doctorate to explain firewood might be a bit overkill. The old "If you can't explain it simply".

Without trashing you’re hard work, the cover and the general layout feels like one of those local community or council produced magazines. Whilst I can’t recommend Norwegian wood enough, a great unbiased and pragmatic publication which discusses all aspects of firewood production with the general point being regardless of what you burn make sure it’s dry and kept dry, everyone can be picky about which species is better firewood until it’s cold, then you’ll burn practically anything!. While you are probably aiming it at the weekend warrior/city slickers market, I have burned and produced firewood in various degrees for over 30 years as probably most of the forum. Having met a lot of 1st time fireplace owners, the first year they’ll run around for free wood and pallets burning anything wet or dry, until they realise we have the expensive safety gear and tools for a reason and they buy in firewood that’s produced locally and not Namibian. It’s also impossible to keep at 2%, once its landed here or at the very least on route the level will climb to under 16%, ie roughly atmospheric.

Silly question, but was it faster before you changed the filters ?. If you’ve accidentally fitted a smaller micron filter it would slow the flow and increase back pressure on the pump, before going to the expense of pumps etc, it would be worth sourcing a different filter. I think the usual is 30 micron, but I was given a 5 or 10 micron once and the pump literally turned it into a steel balloon with oil everywhere!.

I'd also have to ask, are you in a smoke control area ?. As they were only ever approved for smokeless areas if burning just straw bales. https://www.farm2000.co.uk/accumulators-chimneys/ Which has a recommended size chart, with a general rule of a minimum being 50 litre per Kw. If you have the space the bigger the better as you can burn like crazy and it stays hot for days, the tanks are that well insulated it can stay hot for up to a week. I've currently got a 25kw Angus Super with a 1500 litre tank, even then I wish it was much larger. Eventually I will be aiming for 5000 litres and a larger more automated boiler.

There is little point trying to repair mass produced Chinese built two stage Hi-Low hydraulic pump. Brand new they are only £85 or £91 on fleabay. All Hi-Low pumps are however rated in US gpm, taken with more of a grain or shovel of salt tho. The flowfit replacement would be 58lpm at 3600 rpm, 10.8 litres per minute Hi pressure & 46.8 litres per minute Low Pressure.

I agree to look everywhere, to be honest a sub 20k Valtra might be a very tall order. Your looking at around 20k before the VAT, plus with a minimum of around 6000 hours. I'd say spread your choices wider, there is a decent looking Case CS94 on ebay, for around 10k. Anything agricultural it's down to the person who uses it and looks after it.

I should also say, if your going to fit a new roller shutter you might as well fit the highest possible in the space, your limiting factors will only be the roof of the building and only having to pay once :). I've a 4m in the farm shed & 4.5m at work, the work one couldn't ever be any taller due to the roof.

4m should be plenty for 7.5t.

Its reappeared on ebay again, still in the Urmston area of Manchester www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303062052369

£1400 without the vat isn't bad, list price is 2000-3000 with the vat for a new one. In terms of the not having the top linkage, once the mower is on the floor you adjust the linkage height so it floats and tilts on the lower linkage. With the smaller 6ft, the top linkage was a strap for lifting up and transport. Once it was on the ground you set the top link so it was slack, allowing the mower to tilt on the linkage allowing the mower to follow the land. Obviously you keep looking and adjusting as necessary.

I'd have a look at Wiltshire built Kidd toppers, much more heavily built than the Fleming. Surprisingly cheap considering the heavy gauge construction. I wouldn't personally use a offset topper, as it puts uneven strain on one side of the tractor linkage. I've had the 180 which is 6', great topper built like a tank. But upgraded to the largest 280 which is 9' and it is an absolute dream, only running with 90hp. Just make sure its got the additional PTO shaft with shear pin protection and overrunning clutch, as it takes around five minutes to stop spinning.

Having bought and sold several PTO chippers over the years, both from ebay. The usual common sense rules apply, if you buy new go directly to a dealer. If its second hand buy something made by the main players and not a generic re-branded chinesium or these horrible models without any form of power feed or let alone safety features!. My first was a ancient Laimet, and the second a TP150 which I've rebuilt. Both inevitably needed repair works including bearings, but a PTO chipper has so few moving parts they are an absolute walk in the park to repair providing you know your way with a spanner. I would however recommend using a tractor with 1000rpm instead of 540rpm machines as they have gearboxes which just adds to the complexity. And also ensure they are only run ever used with a PTO shaft that has both shear pin and overrunning clutch. Saves your tractor PTO from damage!. There's a Green Mech on ebay for £5k or best offer, but its in Somerset.

I fitted LED's on the front and rear last year, just make sure to fit new plug and sockets to ensure everything stays watertight. As a bonus if I ever sell the tractor the old halogen lamps can be refitted in minutes, but it keeps the original tractor wiring harness unmodified. Picture was from late evening hedge chipping, but the amount of light is amazing and makes mowing grass late into the night much easier than the terrible halogens.

Personally I use a 20+ton splitter from rock machinery, its not perfect and can be a tediously slow even with an increased flow pump to improve the return cycle time. Doing around 100m3+ a year, but as a few of the other have said its about splitting rings of arisings instead of processing straight forestry timber, but at less than 2k delivered its paid for itself many time over. I had looked at the Trakmet LD 45 which is either 12.5 or 25 ton, excellent machine but at £4,250 ex vat for a machine which would need major modification to be usable seems very excessive for such a simple design. They wouldn't sell a stripped or PTO driven machine cheaper than the 3 phase version, as I would have to rip the 7.5kw motor off or have it connected to a tractor, so it meant buying a separate hydraulic power unit with reservoir and cooler at least another 2k but possibly more as anything larger than 6.5hp is probably better running on red diesel in the long term.

I've recently sold my Laimet HP21, it was a monstrous beast, 1200Kg+. It never created small chips, 4"x1/4" chips was the smallest I ever saw and it hated hedge thinning, branches and saplings. I did look at the costs of installing a smaller screw which was nearly 3k with delivery. Plus a new machine was in the region of 20k, I was offered a smaller PS-10 for approximately 3k. I'm currently heating the old farm house using logs and joinery waste, I've a second hand wood chip boiler that's under a tarpaulin, just waiting for a new shed to be built before being stripped and then installed. My plans are to supplementing my wood chip usage with extra from a friends tree surgery business, but really need a chipper on the tractor to get into the overgrown parts of the property, I can only get a tractor into some parts and wouldn't want to get someone else's expensive kit getting stuck. Plus I agree about the double handling, if it's felled I'd want it gone as I go. Rather than waiting before it could be burnt, the Welmac is a nice idea but everything I sell is cut and split before being barn dried. With all that greenery left in the bags, my customers would run a mile.

I've trawled the forum, possibly a little too much and I'm still undecided. I have a small family farm, and a tractor with around 50HP on 540RPM PTO, which makes sense to use its red diesel grunt & ability to go almost anywhere. Without going into all the details, I need to chip anything that cant be sold as firewood, so anything 4" and below. Its predominately going to be a mix of tree thinning, overgrown hedges & branches. But definitely need something that has a discharge nozzle that can be directed into the undergrowth and the bottom of hedgerows. I like the hydraulic feed system, but anything that's of any build quality fitted with hydraulics is way outside of my budget. I've seen a few second hand TP100 & Greenmech CS100 which seem reasonably priced at around 2-4k including VAT. Are these reasonable choices for second hand equipment or have you any other better suggestions ?. Many thanks, Gareth