flatyre

I wouldn't even consider the project if I didn't think I could build a safe and financially viable end product. if something broke at 50 with a load on, its my ass in danger as well as the other road users. Having seen the cost of building a trailer verses buying one i'm confident I can produce a good sized trailer for substantially less than a factory built one, I'd like tipping or tilting abilities but that would stretch the budget and my skills. Another point is having been in the situation of a wheel coming off an ifor Williams at speed and under load, you just don't know what abuse a second hand trailer has had. At least if you build it yourself you have exactly what you want. Anyway picked up the new leaf springs, plates and u bolts today, will get the 2"x4" rectangular steel for the main chassis frame next. I have a decent 9x4.5 twin axle which will do me over winter.

Thanks spudulike i'll put it on the bench and see whats up with it.

There wasn't one on the saw when I got it, but it was in bits so just assumed it should have one as most saws I've worked on have a plate which sits over the two bar bolts, usually held in place with a screw. Does the ms250 not have one? if so looks like there is an issue with the oiler:thumbdown:

Hey folks I currently run a transit van and homemade 9x4.5 double axle trailer combo for my landscaping business. Its a new venture due to being made redundant last year. Funds are tight so buying even a second hand trailer isn't an option. I do however have some engineering and fabricating experience, and access to a small engineering workshop. I'm a competent welder too. I get a fair amount of tree work at this time of year, mainly conifer topping and storm clearance. In summer I do a lot of grass cutting/gardening and have been offered some larger contracts for next year which will require a ride on mower. I know buying a factory trailer is the best option, but a trailer big enough to carry bails of brick, block, flags and paving brick for landscaping, tracked chipper and chippings in winter, and mower and cuttings in summer, with beavertail and mesh sides is way out of my budget for now. My existing trailer (which I didn't build) has a good Bradley hitch, jockey wheel, electrics, axles and wheels, problem is 9x4.5 is too small and there is no suspension, axles welded straight to the trailer chassis. I have a set of 4 new leaf springs with plates and u bolts and a good supply of metal from a local firm i'm friendly with. My mate who is a qualified engineer with his own workshop has built a number of custom trailers and has offered to help. I've got the materials, and the skills but can't decide what design to go for. I want the body of the trailer to be 12ft in length, but can't decide on width, either have the body riding above the wheels like the first picture giving just over 6ft but a steep ramp up to it, or have the wheels sit out past the body which gives a lower centre of gravity and lower ramp but lose over a foot in width. I think the second design is better for my needs but whats the safe maximum width for such a trailer?

I have a little ms250 which I just rebuilt but couldn't find a new chain plate. Does anyone know if the plate off any other stihls will fit as the chain oil practically runs out of the oiler without it. Also was looking for an old school mid sized saw for occasional bigger jobs so picked up a stihl 038av. Have an 028 av woodboss which is a great old machine. the 38 needs a bar and chain but whats the optimum size 18" or can it take a bigger bar without bogging down? thanks

Now....I'm not just asking this to stir up the 4x4 pot, but around here there are quite a few defenders that have been lengthened and modified by various amounts for various purposes, there is no doubt they are a very versatile machine, why did you chose the L200 to modify? was it simply a case of that's what you had so that's what you modified or did you actively buy an L200 for the purpose of converting it to a tipper? For the benefit of anyone following this thread for the purpose of possibly investing in such a vehicle, what vehicle best lends itself to modifications in this field? (no pun intended). I will guess Defender due to chassis extension ability so as to accommodate a good sized load area and storage for equipment thus freeing up precious cabin space:thumbup1:

4x4's yes, tipper 4x4's? as before would a 4x4 with a big enough trailer for a tracked chipper and chippings plus timber not be a better investment, more space for crew/gear, more space for chip and timber, more space all round, tried and tested.

that's cool, that's what works for you, I have a transit but i'm not defending it as the best arb vehicle, it works for me but is limited in many other ways. But I keep thinking a tracked chipper on a good sized trailer behind a 4x4 would be a better investment, sounds like you can get a fair amount of chip into the back of an L200, but what do you do with all the lengths or rings? surely you come back for them with a trailer? Defender+triple axle trailer+tracked chipper would do everything you need both urban and rural, even in a fancy custom built tipper 4x4 you still need to tow something behind you, why not a big ass trailer and give the crew some room?

that's fair enough, most of my work is in residential areas, parked up at the side of the road, on driveways, etc, any time I'm working in locations that need 4x4 access, its a case of point the chipper into the bushes and let rip, no need to remove it. I think a 4x4 tipper jeep would come into its own on maybe one or two days a year, I regularly have use of an L200 and Ford Ranger, fine for off roading but totally shite for carrying a crew using the cab alone. Be honest how many guys+saws+fuel+climbing gear+lunch bags+everything else can you get into a crew cab pickup? How good off road are they with 3m of chip in the back plus a chipper on the hitch? crew cab tippers might be able to do everything but how much of it do they do really well? Not needing one means I struggle to see them as anything more than an expensive gimmick, I can't help wondering if they are so good then why are there so few of them about, how many of the vehicle manufacturers produce tipper crewcabs as part of their mainstream range? not picking holes, I like pickups, but I just can't see the justification for a tipper one, that's just my opinion, and many of the vehicle manufacturers,

thanks guys, what do you mean by baffle holes, never had a stihl exhaust apart so not sure what it looks like inside, anything like a husky inside?

Hey folks I have been offered a Howard rotovator for £60 but the guy says the engine is rough, i'm going to take it as meaning its knackered. Its a fairly fresh looking machine and they look fairly near the top of the rotovator market. Does anyone know anything about these machines? Would it be difficult to fit a different engine like a Honda, Briggs etc.

I don't get it, if you take the price of a 4x4 (a decent one as your hardly going to convert a scrapper), add a couple of grand for a custom tipper body, surely you'd get a tidy transit tipper for the same money, and it would hold twice as much chip. These custom 4x4 tippers don't seem to hold much more than a sided open back defender, which you could empty manually in no time. It would also be much easier to get parts if something broke as its a production vehicle. Granted a 4x4 can go places a transit can't but if it was that remote surely you could just chip into the undergrowth? I'm not picking holes, just can't see the need for that sort of expenditure. But I am a skin flint:001_huh:

how difficult would it be to make a basic cylinder pressure tester? If I bought one of those pressure gauges where the needle stays at the maximum peak that went to 300 psi and took it to my local mechanical/hydraulic outfit, would it be as simple as asking them to make up a piece of pressure hose with a fitting to match the gauge on one end and matching fitting for the plug hole on the other, crank the saw and see where needle stops on the gauge? Probably too simple but thought i'd ask.

hey folks just been reading a few older posts where people mentioned having exhaust mods to give their saws a bit more poke. I have a little ms250 running a 16" bar, its fine for firewood and the odd small tree, I really don't need to up its power but read a post where a guy did an exhaust mod on the same saw, so its more a curiosity thing.

Hey folks I have a couple of saws on the bench that need new pistons and barrels. I know meteor and hyway are fairly close to oem pistons, do they also do barrels and are there any reputable sellers on ebay? I see a few but am sceptical about buying parts which are made in Italy being sold through places like Latvia, Israel etc. Some ebay sellers are offering new barrel and piston kits for as little as £18 which are probably utter shite, then there are kits on offer for £100+. Problem is the dearer kits could have come from the same Chinese factory as the cheaper ones. Some of the saws I keep and some I sell on to people I know so am looking for decent quality parts Saws in question are a Stihl 029 and an 028av. Not to sound rude but i'm not interested in whether or not you think these saws are worth fixing, I just want to know if you have purchased pistons and barrels off ebay, who you got them from and what they were like. thanks

hey folks I picked up a couple of stihl chains off ebay a while ago, they were brand new and going cheap so I snapped them up. Back then I wasn't aware of pitch, gauge etc. Anyway they don't fit any of my saws and have been hanging in the shed ever since. Going to stick them on ebay but need to know more about them for the description. There are 55 drive links, each link has '3' stamped on it, any ideas what length of bar and gauge they are as they don't fit into the rollers on any of the bars I have?

I spent a small fortune in advertising over the past year, a web site, business cards, banners etc. Had pretty much run out of work and in desperation resorted to cold calling. Folk will tell you cold calling doesn't pay but its the best way I found to drum up business so far. My business is in its first year so I have no real reputation, and word of mouth is slow. So When I get a job, no matter how small I take it even if its just an hours work trimming shrubs. I put on my chainsaw gear, and start knocking doors. People know tree surgeons are expensive so when one turns up (or on the doorstep offering to do work for half the usual price because they are already in the area, it makes them think. Secret is looking professional and not just a handyman. proper gear, graphics on your vehicle, business card, web site, advertisement in yell.com, be traceable. Anyway Its bringing work and building my reputation. Point is what works for one outfit may not work for another.

I'm at the local amenity site (that's dump to you and me) dropping off some red robin, dog wood, and a palm tree that I took out for an old dear when I spy a good Belle 150 cement mixer drum in the scrap metal skip next to the green waste one. Seeing as I have one which needs a new drum I jump in for a closer look. lo and behold I spy up a small top handle saw as well. Its an echo cs-280e, complete apart from the air filter and cover. good compression, great spark (brand new plug) bit of rust on the chain but still plenty of life left, Oregon bar. I know its 28cc and supposedly revs like a champion, but its tiny in comparison to a 200t. Has anyone used one of these saws? are they worth servicing of should I put it back where I found it?

Hey logit the new dl 67 arrived today, very much appreciated:thumbup: That's one saw back up and running, now for the other six!

thanks folks it will be good to have the 028 up and running again. now does anyone have an 028av early model, the all alloy body one they would strip or sell? I have one, its a runner but the chain brake mechanism is missing as are a few other parts, some parts I can buy, some I can't. thanks again

thanks for the advice guys, this guy isn't a bull shitter, he advised me to quote £500, but he does have a lucrative gardening run made up entirely of very rich landowners who don't even ask him for a price. So yes he has the luxury of quoting high for random jobs. I don't have that luxury, my mistake, lesson learned. I do think £200 a day isn't crazy money for tree work given the dangers to yourself and the customers property. For now that's going to be my rough price guide, knock £50 off if they live in a small house, add £50 on if they live in a big house (not that house size dictates anything but you know what I mean). Focus on the landscaping and take any tree work as a bonus. I priced a local job a few months ago, remove nine twenty year old conifers, stumps and all, and top another fifteen by a third, there were also a number of smaller cherry trees and holly trees to be taken out, all very close to the house. Power and phone lines through them, and everything needed to be hand balled out through the side gate and away, a good fifty meter drag each way. I quoted £2000, the owner got it done for half that. Other side of the coin is a local guy has three squads consisting of a climber and two groundsmen each, chipper and tipper vans, charges over a grand a day per squad and is booked up until early March. These figures are accurate! Now on a different note if you seen a conifer hedge that needed faced or topped would you knock on the door or leave it. What about maybe printing off a simple headed letter offering your services, popping it in an envelope and sticking it through the door, not quite junk mail, or a plain old leaflet drop?

Thanks Logit much appreciated, The only thing on the Ozaki bar are 'R40' and 'C15'. The smaller 16" stihl bar says 67 links and the bigger 18" stihl bar says 68 links. strange, the bigger bar is about half an inch longer but the slot for the bar bolts sits further back, but i'm sure its not a full 2" longer from casing to tip.