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Yep nothing essentially wrong with using those gears manually. Intended more to control engine braking on hill descents and to stop it trying to change up on ascents, realising it got it wrong changing back down and losing torque and speed in the process. A BIG help is to tuck your clutch foot under the seat or sit on it to stop you jabbing at the brake thinking it's the clutch. Auto's are spectacular for suppressing wheelspin off road. Shaun

I operate a contract mobile milling service out here in SW Ireland. Have been for two and a half years. It makes a reasonable income for 1-2 days a week. Poor site conditions and dirty sawlogs are the main headaches plus over helpful clients. Long travels pursuing work and weather are also downsides. Being mobile there's no roof over the working area - it's a miserable job in the rain everything slipping and yourself covered in fine wet dust. Repeat customers are few and far between. Once you've processed the wood on a job that's it move on to the next. On the upside if you look after your equipment and keep it sharp it's relatively easy going, and you'll always meet some great positive thinking people. I don't buy, sell or store timber . There are others far better suited and experienced in this. You can be a long time trying to find buyers who will always want a different size to what you have, and the stack is worth nothing til it leaves your yard. 95%of my work is softwood construction timber for farm buildings etc but I'll cut whatever the client wants, but will advise if it seems like the wrong choice. I want to be known for good service which includes making sure the product is fit for purpose. I'm lucky, having no mortgage or overheads to cover and no children to be feeding, so can survive on 8 days a month. It suits me fine. If I needed a consistent income this probably wouldn't be it. Shaun

Slightly more than the best offer you get?

Try shovellin the chip out of one of them, and hang a winch off it an all the body will be on the ground. Ha ha

Sorry just googled to check. - "hall bros lifting gear" Rickmansworth, is what you need ,

I don't know if they're still in business, used to use Hall's at Rickmansworth for winch /crane cables . They'd swage on whatever end you needed from stock. Down in Hampshire ask ship/boatyards or marine chandlers. Crane companies often have stock of scrap damaged cable- not always suitable for winching though. Shaun

Those wheels and tyres are far bigger than standard ,will change the gearing substantially. They may also put a physical limit on the steering range. In its normal form the steering on one of these is amazingly good, almost equal to a swb. The number of turns of the wheel to get you in supermarket parking spaces is high. If the steering is set up they're actually quite light to turn even at slow speed. But with no power steering somethings gonna bust if you try to turn with no forward movement. They look a big truck but aren't wide or long in comparison to most four wheel drives on the road. Easier to get in car parks than many other vehicles, and with the height advantage ya can spot empty parking spots from the entrance gates ! Shaun

I thought this thread was sunk without a trace, now it's been re floated again. Brill. How many Dace will it run for this time ? Shaun

That's bloody brilliant. 10/10 to the power of Arbtalk. Nice one neil. I'll see what's available over here and if I can't obtain it I'll drop you a message. Much appreciated. Thank you. Shaun

Try living in a neighbouring country, and hearing about all the great events ya can't get to , well without it costing more arms and legs than I was born with. !

I've just suffered terminal belt failure on this mower and its eaten the outer layerof the blade belt, - you know, the bit with the reference codes and numbers on it. Whats left is too heavily worn to work out accurately the size. Do any of you landscape machinery guys here happen to know the belt size for this great machine? I can't find anything on line so will go to the local engineers supplies once I know the size. Thanks Shaun

Don't forget , all of us, its not just ourselves who can read things on Arbtalk. Our clients as well if they Google a phrase or question can eventually end up reading our own opinions. We may not be on page one of the search , but we're still there to be read and thought about. !! The things we consider to be every day occurrences, have a different and daunting character to joe public. Shaun

Stefan ,your work ethic is so admirable. However reading back through this whole conversation you do come across as an almighty arrogant knob who is only going to do any job his way and no other. The tree work community is a very small and close knit group - take care you don't alienate the very people you need to provide you with stumps you can only dream about. We all have to take care that any contractor we take on treats our clients with at least the same level of respect if not more than we give ourselves. If they believe your only doing the job you want to supply instead of what they asked for things are going to go downhill rapidly for all including yourself.

Its been an interesting experience watching normally well savvy people just shut down so rapidly. Quite scary really that any one of us could just find it all, so much more than last week. It really can be so fast

At 80+ she probably don't need the shag and hassle anymore of feeling obliged to give everyone a good deal. You probably aren't the only one looking to your long term , and maybe its easier to pay the management company their fees and commission to avoid this. Feels like **** but maybe she's had enough an just wants to enjoy the later days of life? Sorry to not give what you need, currently looking at how to give both my mum and mother in law the best of their time. There's a very distinct point at which normally confident and capable old folks suddenly stop wanting the challenges.

Oh noooo.....its getting worse.- he's been a very naughty boy. .....that piece of halibut was good enough for jehovah...... I feel many pages of stupidity coming on. Best start exercising the chuckle mussels now.

I'll tell you when I get it home. Sorry it's sold, and coming over to Ireland with me in October. The book on this reckons its 26"log capacity. We'll see once I start working it as a companion saw to my lucas mill. Have beeny losing out on small logs that I can't do safely or efficiently with the lucas. Shaun

Why keep throwing in a different subject when you feel the discussion is getting too close to the facts?

If you can't trust them as your main climbing spikes why even consider them as a rescue option when 2 lives are reliant? Just a thought. - Rescue kit should be even more failsafe than what you use everyday, not damaged/overused/out of date or untrustworthy.

Why bother adding more fuel to the fire of self glorification, leave him chomping away in the dog bowl of life.

Now there's a magnificent addictive substance, once ya start ya can't stop till you've eaten the whole cake and your mouth is stuck together with the stuff. -superb. Shaun

Manta man, I have to say never been a great fin of pikes, but thats just my sunfish opinion. No matter what though I'm in deep water at the moment with my truck , think its a gudgeon pin gone, also the head basking has just gone- what a puffer. (Think I've got too much time to spare !!!)

Obviously from the initial phone call she's not as happy about sharing her entire life with a stump grinder as you believe.

Sorry stefan, but I too am reading that this isn't the most equal of relationships. Personally I think you were/ are in the wrong. Some things state "we're in a solid relationship". Support for the partner in this situation is one those even if you don't want to be there, in her heart did she without you? Not my relationship , but I think you got it wrong, both in the deed and then asking us to judge. Think that says enough. Sorry Shaun

Grind your stump in the morning!!!....... what a cute phrase. I'll try that on my mrs an see where it gets me. Haha Shaun