maybelateron

My 2014 Iveco daily single cab tipper with large toolbox is about 2800kg with tools on but chipbox empty. Within weeks of buying it from new I had helper coil springs fitted on top of the standard leaf springs. Did the same with my 04 LDV convoy. With the chip box full the back end still sits nice and high. Also I have a fairly high top tailboard which makes it less obvious how much is in the box.

For years now I have only ever used bio oil, not experienced any problems with it. I was using Buxtons own brand which was good, then tried 20L of Oregon Bio as cheaper. Lots of gloop in the bottom of the container, so never used it again, went back to Buxtons brand. For the last couple of years I have been using Stihl's own brand of bio, more expensive but I trust Stihl's judgement. Also bio oil pours much better in cold weather than mineral oil.

I have found (as have two others who work with me) that Buckingham steel irons are much less prone to gaffing out than the Gecko carbon ones I have eventually changes to. This applies to both my own Gecko carbon ones, and a pair a lad working for me had. I have found I just have to make a more conscious effort to drive the gaffs in, but Iu would not dream of going back to the Buckingham ones, as the carbon ones with velcro straps top and bottom are so much more comfortable and stay in place. No more of the steel shank trying to move in relation to your calf.

Cowboys need to be reported in my view. The more of them that can be put out of work the better.

I have no experience of a drying floor, other than leaving logs out on the concrete in my yard in this summer's heatwave period. They seasoned very quickly doing this. I am sure that whatever method you use to dry/season your logs they should be split first. Generally I find logs split more easily when still fresh, and this is using a decent hydraulic splitter.

1: A weekend when our three grown up children all come back to see us 2: Watching something good on the box with my wife, with the stove burning logs 3: A good days teamwork on an interesting job for a decent customer who makes drinks

Goes with the territory of over ?? years

Yep, heard it all before. You can spot the newbie stove owner the moment they ring up looking for logs. They have read the Bear Grills manual of life in the urban jungle and spout such 130110X. Bloke rang me once and the call was literally like this, word for word: Hello have you got any kiln dried Oak logs? No. Oh, well have you got any kiln dried Ash? No. Ok, bye. I just wasn't in the mood to try to educate someone about the reality of logs that day, so he got monosyllabic answers. The other temptation I get is to say: Ah, well you see, you need to go to a specialist "I only sell Cherry and Beech logs" supplier. Such ignorami!

I run a very small tree firm. I used to have two full time employees, now I am down to one. I run top quality kit, and two of us can do a lot of the jobs I book in. I have a long time subby, and also a more recent one, who I use for larger jobs. One of them has a decent arb truck. This way I dont have to worry about finding enough work for a larger number of employees. I dont have the cost of a second trunk either. One of the key points HMRC make is that if you use a self employed subby on a regular basis, doing regular days, you have to put them on PAYE. My subbies do irregular sessions, can be without them for three weeks, then have them for 3 days in the next week. Totally legitimate, but this way of working gives me less hassle with staffing. Also, as I am lucky enough to have a lot of good kit, my subbies use us for their larger jobs at times. Seems like a win win.

I have a Kubota STV 40, 2009 model, with front loader. Excellent bit of kit. Runs a 5ft heavy duty flail now problem, can take underslung mower. Powers my Browns hydraulic splitter easily, runs the sawbench too. Being hydrostatic makes it easier overall, particularly for loader work. Also use to run 6 inch pto chipper with ease until bought a tracked chipper. Have used a basic rear 3 point mounted crane for dragging conifers to chipper on a big clearance job. Easy to get to site on 12ft trailer behind Disco 2 TD5. Have used it with the front loader and rear transport box at same time to extract timber pieces from sites. Agree with previous comment that towing much weight on the road is limited. If I had to replace it I would want the same again.

I think I have a solution to the problem. Westminster produces masses of hot air. Could we not all take our unseasoned logs to Westminster and ask the government to dry them in the houses of parliament during debates? Admittedly we would be burning fossil fuels to transport logs there and back, but that would be a carbon offset against kiln drying carbon outputs. While our logs were drying the politicians and civil servants could come up with legislation to standardise log dimensions. Dohhhhh!

How much is this new?

Silky Zubat when new blade fitted is fine for Willow/Poplar up to 3-4 inches diameter in my view, for a few cuts. If lots of cuts needed, chainsaw time earlier on. On the other hand if I'm getting tired and the Zubat is other than new condition time for the chainsaw for 3 inch Oak beech Hornbeam etc. Been using Zubat more in the hot weather when working on smaller trees. Means no need for chainsaw trousers. Also been using the Stihl HT131 petrol polesaw more in hot weather, as again you can dismantle a small tree with no need for c/s trousers.

I use to run a Renault Dodge/Reynolds Boughton 4x4 conversion that was 4.4 tons unladen. I did a lot of searching about o licence and tachograph regs. One exemption I found described "dual purpose vehicles, eg Land Rover" as being exempt. Another exemption was vehicles used for horticulture/forestry. I felt comfortable enough that these two exemptions gave me justification in not applying for an o licence, and not using a tachograph that the vehicle had never had fitted. I no longer run the Renault Dodge (it is now is in the Falkland Islands on a sheep station), but I take the view that my Iveco Daily 3.5T with either a 1.5T chipper or a 3.5T gross Ifor Williams trailer behind it can come under the exemption of horticulture/forestry, and also going no further than 25 miles from base, in my case. The whole issue of o licences and tacho regs below 7.5T is a but of a nightmare, and I take the view that I am not going to get a custodial sentence if I am picked up, but smile and plead ignorance/exemption clauses.

My wife does things that only women in books are meant to do: She goes to dog training with her doggy friends She knits clothes for relatives' babies She does charity work

Man takes his goldfish to the vet. Tells the vet he thinks the goldfish has epilepsy. Vet takes a look and says the goldfish seems ok. Man says: " yes, but he's not out of the water yet"

I have a Jensen A540 turntable, 2013 model ex demo, now got 305 hours on clock. It is bar far and away the best chipper I have owned. Once you have had a turntable chipper you won't want a fixed one unless it is tracked. I have had a Timberwolf 18/100G ie 4 inch gravity fed, then a Donald 6 inch 36hp diesel single roller fed, then a Gandini 05MTS 34hp twin roller turntable 7.5inch and a 6 inch twin roller Arboreater PTO chipper. I also currently run a Forst TR6 6 inch tracked chipper. Whilst the Forst is excellent in every way, the Jensen A540 has the edge if it can can get to the site. It has the open top wide feed hopper which enables you to feed awkward branches in with minor branches coming off the parent branch at awkward angles. If my A540 TT chipper was stolen/written off I would simply replace with the same again. I am a long way from you otherwise I would volunteer to demo it for you. I think the price asked by Dennis Barnes is fair. I paid £17K + VAT for mine with 13 hrs on the clock. I also think the pictures they show of the hopper are compatible with the quoted hours.

mRegarding the issue of helper springs for 3.5T tipper, I had them fitted to my new shape Iveco Daily single cab 3.5T tipper. They are excellent. OK, you bounce on speed bumps when empty. But that is a small price to pay for the ability to keep the drawbar at the same height with a full box of chippings on. The original spec rings were totally inadequate, and the simple addition of a coil spring on each side between the top of the leaf spring and the underside of the chassis rail transformed things. Cost wasn't bad, and way cheaper than upgrading to Iveco heavy duty springs.

A good reminder of the dangers we face when you see the saw going through the trousers. I really like my Stihl 160T Li ion top handle saw. Lightweight, enough power for pruning, and dismantling stuff up to 6-7 inches, but the chain speed is much slower, the saw is lighter, and I think that makes it safer. I realise it is a bit of an "unfair" test on full throttle, but I reckon the Stihl 880 wont flinch at protective trousers!

Yep, agree with answers so far. I did have Samurai saws in the past, I found they would break and bend a lot more easily than Silky (Zubat is my preferred one), so I went back to Silky and have no plans to change. Having said that you cant grumble at the price, and if you have team members who forget to check all tools are stowed before leaving site, cheap is good. I gave up having expensive high quality loppers for that reason. £12 a time from the local toolshop, and I don't fret if they are lost or broken. I reckon to change the Zubat bladed every 4 months, and the Hyauchi blade on the pole saw about yearly.

Yep, agreed with consensus here. So many newbies ring up for their first load of logs, having read all about woodburning and become an authority on it overnight. I heat my house with a biomass (log) boiler and two stoves. Softwood seasons quicker, lights easily, burns easily, just sell it cheaper. But no, the punters still want their kiln dried Oak and Ash. Doh!

I used to run a Jo beau M300 for getting into tight spaces and avoiding a long awkward drag of brash. I would say it was better in many ways than the Timberwolf 18/100G I started with years ago. It wont cope with a 4 inch branch like the TW would, but the wide throat at the bottom of the feed hopper makes it easier by far to push in bendy stems like Rohododendron and some Conifer. I only sold it as it was not being used enough now we run a couple of bigger chippers. I would certainly recommend the Jo Beau as a start up machine. Friend I sold it to is delighted with it as his first chipper. Also engine is legendary Honda reliabilty.

Agreed re Trust Insurance. Never had to make a claim, but found them efficient and helpful. Also my premium has stayed the same for ages ? no claims discount, although they never actually refer to this. I have other policies with NFU, eg domestic + my commercial vehicles and machinery. I rate them highly, they can cover for arb work, but were more expensive than Trust, so I stuck with them.