Hodge

Just changed the oil and filters on the Chipper, new belts also. I would of do e the blades and turned the Anvils but it started to rain. Now watching TV while mini me has his nap. We have been away for the weekend so its nice to be home:) Hodge

Ha,Ha, good one but I'm not Cumbrian. I was born when it was Westmorland so that's my excuse;) Hodge

My GX84 has a ramp up the back, we do quite a lot of small jobs as Steve describes and it is fine but for longer jobs I put the chipper in the drive and back in the landy and its spot on, it takes about 2 mins to take off the chipper and un hitch the trailer and park it up. Hodge

My hopper is not the folding type, you can get a Brian James trailer that is a low ride trailer and makes it just like a road tow, mine is a GX84 ifor and I manage just fine. It weighs just over a tonne. Hodge

Thought you couldn't swear on Arbtalk? I got 3 points for it. Hodge

If that's the case I won't be buying one. I will just upgrade my 150 VTR to greaseable bearings and steel fan blades. It will be a let down if thy don't make a VTR. Is the Forst variable tracks? Hodge

We filled a grain trailer with mine once, doing a load of connys. Hodge

Well in my opinion your way off. I have had a 150 VTR for 6 years and it's been great. Yesterday I took 4 40 foot hairy connys down and chipped everything up to 6" and it never missed a beat, never blocked. I've done loads of big connys in the past and had it running flat out most of the day without trouble. So I find it hard to take that you think the will only chip a couple of bits of brash?? If the blades are sharp and the anvils are in good order then they are a great chipper. Hodge

Hi Dean, if Bandit made a small light one on tracks I would have it, you know that mate. Hodge

I have been rocking the AUS poles for 5 years now and they are brilliant. Hodge

Well a 38rx is gonna be over 10k new isn't it? I don't see how someone can go in cheap to so the job and run a machine like that let alone pay for insurance and running costs. It just isn't gonna be a sustainable business in my humble opinion. Obviously I don't know what the guys other job is or his circumstances but I made my comment based on the post saying that he has a job so is getting a wage and this is a bit on the side so no overheads, therefore he can do it cheaper than someone with overheads. This my comment. Hodge

If its available as a Vari track and has greaseable bearings and steel fans I will be having one! Hodge

I didn't think you would buy anything with wolf in the title Ian. Hodge

And people wonder why the tree game is on it arse. Hodge

John Metcalf is the man, he looks after my tractors and he is brilliant! He's only at crook hall so not far away for you mate. Hodge

Surley they should re fund your postage cost if the item is faulty. Jonsie or Clark's would. Hodge

Ha,Ha, he cracks me up with most of his posts! Ha,Ha. Hodge

Interesting post, I got asked to look over a tender for a large construction firm, there was a fair bit of work but when I read the payment terms I saw that you only got 60% of invoice after 90 days and the rest only when they were happy with the work you have done. I hit the decline button. I have worked for building firms before and it's always a pita. I now don't waste my time with them. Hodge

Cheers Ian:) you gotta laugh. Ha,Ha. Hodge

Well this week I have had the weirdest customers in my 13 years of having a business, first a lady got me round to give a quote to remove a hedge and grind out the roots, say 20 meters long, 1.5 m high and 1.5 wide, also to prune a few other small trees and remove waste. I sent her a quote laying out the jobs she wanted doing. I also enclosed my insurance details also. I quoted £475 no vat. I got an email back to confirm she had got the quote and wanting me to explain such a large cost? She said she thought the job would take 3 hours! So how can I charge over £100 per hour! She then went on to say she had been in business and knows how things are and that I'm charging way to much. She then wants me to break down my quote to justify my costs!! I called her up and explaind that I turn up with 30k worth of gear and carry out the job in a professional manner, I take the waste away and I am licenced to do so. I point out that should a stone fly off the grinder and break a window or kill someone that I have insurance. She then asked me what my running costs were as to justify my quote! By now I had had enough and told her to go and get other quotes and then she would see that's about the going rate, I also told her to talk to her next door neighbour or the people over the road for whom I did the same type of job. She then started crying saying she was upset that I was upset at her! I said goodbye and hung up. Then tonight a lady rings up and asks how much to prune a tree, I tell her I need to see it before I can give a quote and she says it's an oak tree! I say again that I can't give a quote without looking and I would be happy to come and take a look. She says she wants a price over the phone! I explain all trees are different and that I need to take a look to which she said there is no need to be like that and hung up! And it's only Tuesday! Hodge

just fired it up tonight, I've missed it! Hodge

Sorry to hear Barry, you don't deserve that. Hodge

But there is no way to stop that, if the said scroat can sleep at night for doing that then that's up to him. I can't comment on your great gran but I do know of a few elderly people that have ripped off by rouge tree people. They had a choice to shut the door and walk away but they never for whatever reason, But what can you do? Nothing!. You can try to educate people in what things should cost or only to use reputable firms but as our industry has no compulsory regulator than it will never change. Hodge

But everyone's prices differ, most propper tree firms charge around the same as there overheads can be roughly the same apart from VAT, Then the one man bands with little or no overheads who can charge a lot less. You give a quote and if the customer accepts it then that's that. At the end of the day the customer had the power to accept or decline the quote no matter how much it is. Hodge

Well put. Hodge