William Clifford

Re the training in - house, it's good to explain what's happening and why, the theory etc, but to hand someone a saw or put them up a tree they need the qualification already. Correct me if I'm wrong. I'm talking to insurance at the moment to try to get the ok to be able to give someone a saw, but it effectively makes me a trainer, I don't think the standard policy covers that. Otherwise people could just be having anyone use a saw / feed a chipper etc, but as Joe pointed out earlier, there's enough regs to mean that can't happen and there's an obligation for the employer to make sure staff are adequately trained, equipped and competent for any task they are required to do.

No, and I know, that's why it would be good to get people more qualified so that we can have more people starting to learn / take on more roles. I'm wondering if anyone has tried to enforce a contract of recuperating training costs. I can imagine it would probably be a waste of time if the person didn't have the funds, didn't want to pay back etc. I think the contract could state that it could come out of a final pay check, but with people being paid weekly I could see that being paid over the weekend and someone just not coming backing on the Monday if they were so inclined. I haven't been burnt yet, but it is a concern and I'd like to be able to get people trained with less financial risk if possible.

So does it just come down to good will then if a lawyer could pick anything apart so easily? Happy to look at apprentices at some point but have people already that I'd like to invest in.

I would be a lot more eager to pay for peoples training / tickets if I wasn't concerned that they might leave after a few months and take my investment with them. Has anyone had to try to recover the cost of training from a staff member if they have left within an agreed time period? How did it work out? Would it make a difference if I was paying for a sub contractors ticket as opposed employed? Thanks.

Does anyone have a recommendation where I could get this root ID'd? DNA or species ID would be fine for now. Feel free to have a guess - I'll post the results if the customer goes for it. It is 2 or 3 inches diameter. Could a piece be taken off it as a sample or would it need to be a cross section? - Or follow it and take a smaller piece? Thanks.

Dual purpose vehicle aside, going through the gov.uk points: You need a licence for a motor vehicle and trailer combination if: -the motor vehicle and the trailer(s) are plated and the total of their gross plated weights is more than 3,500 kg = Transit and Ifor tipper would be 7T so needs an O liscense? Transit and 750kg chipper would be 4250kg so also needs an O liscense? -the total unladen weight of the vehicle and trailer combination is more than 1,525 kg = Transit will weigh say 2T and Ifor tipper 800kg so well over 1525kg - so needs an O license? No difference if it's a transit and chipper? -You do not need an operator’s licence if your trailer’s unladen weight is less than 1,020 kg and you only carry your own goods. = Ok so no O liscense needed as long as it is my own goods - I'm guessing as Ernesto is thinking, this 'exemption' trumps the 1st point of being over 3500kg total? I mainly came here to ask about the O liscense for the 7.5T but was curious when I saw the above on the gov.uk website. @Justme would you know if a restricted liscense is enough for myself and one other driver, moving wood chip from job to tip site and towing hired in equipment occasionally?

Also from the gov.uk website: Motor vehicles and trailers You need a licence for a motor vehicle and trailer combination if: -the motor vehicle and the trailer(s) are plated and the total of their gross plated weights is more than 3,500 kg -the total unladen weight of the vehicle and trailer combination is more than 1,525 kg -You do not need an operator’s licence if your trailer’s unladen weight is less than 1,020 kg and you only carry your own goods. Does this mean that anyone in a Defender or Transit GVW 3500kg towing an Ifor tipper GVW 3500kg which of course car license holders are allowed to do needs to be operating from a yard with an O license?

Doing domestic Arb using my own 7.5T, do I need a standard national license or would I be ok with the restricted license? gov.uk says standard covers own goods and other peoples, restricted are only own goods. I imagine if I take my staff and kit to a job, remove wood chip and logs back to my yard then I'd be ok on restricted? If I took the wood chip and logs to someone else's yard or was picking up or dropping off for example a mewp I'd hired in for a day would that make any difference? And would it make any difference if it was an employee or contractor driving my vehicle if we got checked?

I would but it's with the mechanic. I was chatting to him on the phone and he said that despite the size of the machine, they're not that good at pulling material in. This seems extreme though? I'd expect to be able to throw an armful of 1 to 2ft long Leylandii tips onto the belt, maybe spread them out a bit and let the machine do the rest - short of one being at a funny angle and blocking the rest that sometimes happens of course. What happens is we spread them on the belt a little, the roller doesn't get hold of them and then the whole lot gets bunched up as it is brought to the roller by the conveyor. We reverse it, spread them out, keep trying to spread them out with one pressing the reverse and the other trying to spread it out so the machine gets a tiny bit at a time. Then the roller doesn't grab a bit, it all bunches up and we need to reverse and start the process again. I think I remember a thread (was looking before buying) where you (Mick) didn't hold either Saelen or Bugnot in high regard over there? Can't remember exactly so I might be mistaken, but struggle to believe they're this bad and there's not something else going on? Cheers.

It is like that, but worse! Yes if I feed a trickle through then it'll generally just about take it, but it's over a ton of machinery and performs about as well as an electric garden shredder.

Hi, Is anyone familiar with the TS Industrie / Saelen Super Premium 35DR Shredder? I've bought one that needs a bit of work on it but it isn't pulling material through to the hammers / blades very effectively. Hammers, blades, anvils do need replacing but I don't believe that is the issue as when we get the material to or under the roller then it drags it in and shreds it just fine. Branches go though fine, Leylandii trimmings of a few inches to a few feet, leaves and twigs etc don't. We put the material on the conveyor belt, it all moves with the belt towards the roller. The material gets to where the hopper narrows just before the roller and is still a good few inches away from the roller. We use a prodder to give it a good shove (and it takes some effort), the roller grabs some (and often the prodder) and fires it through the machine but the rest of the material sits before the roller with the conveyor rotating underneath it. It seems to me that the conveyor stops too early before the roller, the roller has too much of a gap between it and the bed, and that the conveyor could do with teeth on it to keep dragging the brash instead of just slipping and rotating underneath when the material meets a bit of resistance. I bought it to do jobs that a chipper won't do. I don't think I'm expecting too much from it - they can't be that bad can they? What am I missing? Is it possible to modify or retrofit the conveyor with the teeth as other models have? Would that help, and if the answer to those last 2 questions is yes then I guess I'd need to look at it from the legal angle of modifying the machine. Thanks.

Thanks for the figures Aspen!

I read somewhere that turners like monkey puzzle to be cut down in January and stored upright, otherwise the sap causes grey discolouring of the wood. Could probably be the cause..

I'm planning on taking it to have it pressure checked next week. My initial response when the winch wasn't working properly was that it might not be worth repairing depending on what was up with it. I don't use it much at all so would prefer to swap a faulty part than replace the whole thing if I can. Thanks for the replies!

Ok thanks. Next post will be is there anyone around Nottingham with PA6AW? So even eco-plugs in a domestic back garden away from waterways I need the ticket as it's herbicide and I'm applying it commercially? Whereas a homeowner wouldn't need the tickets..