MaxWheeler

That dashboard looks as dusty as mine!! :thumbup:

My budget is extremely low because I haven't made a great deal of money in the last two years and don't have that much to splash out but I'm looking at about 6k could go a bit higher... I know I COULD buy a pick up for that but dont know if it will be a money pit or if i'll get a good one in that price range.. Space isn't really an issue for me anymore I mostly just use the chainsaw and a bag of cordless tools. Now that I'm milling on site for the foreseeable future I don't have to transport materials. The trailer will also take care of any extra space I might need from time to time for moving timber stacks etc. I've had a lot of vehicles in my time and like was said earlier my current van has virtually nothing in it. No electrics whatsoever and it's been my most reliable vehicle to date cover 230,000 miles and has only eaten one clutch and steering pump (and obvious minor work over the years). I don't expect a 4x4 to be as reliable because from what I've read they just don't seem to be, and that's fine. I need something that can off road a bit. It's mostly dirt tracks and muddy fields but in the winter months the van gets stuck everyday. Navaras put me off because of supposed engine issues... I hear good things about L200's but they seem expensive to run and potentially a lot of downtime in repairs... Hilux seems pretty bullet proof? Isuzu seem pretty bullet proof too? I've seen some jeeps that aren't pickups but fit the bill but the pity is they are all autos. I much prefer a manual. Do you think a lot of 4x4s have repair issues because they live really hard lives? My 4x4 won't be towing vast quanitites of timber or regularly for that matter. It won't be doing hardcore off roading either. Seems like there aren't really an properly reliable trucks unless your budget is significantly higher, or maybe I'm wrong

I'm not an arborist by any means but I've been on the forum for a while mostly for the milling section. I'm a carpenter and I do timber framing and just recently I've been doing more and more milling of logs on site (Which I don't fell myself). I'm sure you can all appreciate access is a bit iffy at the best of times and my van just isn't cutting it so I'm selling it and buying a pick up. But there's so much information out there on different makes and models I have no idea what I'm looking for. I just want something reliable and I assume the running costs will be similar to a van. Probably a bit more though. What do you guys favour as your mode of transport and why? Thanks, Max

I should add, I do things in writing now. You'd be mad not to... I detail any minor change and am always very specific. Customers don't always get it and think I'm being a bit anal but you need to watch out... people can be really sly

I've taken a few people to court and mostly on principle. I make my agreements by word of mouth and the way the judge presides over your case is very common sense. I make custom joinery items like windows etc... this has happened to me four times, in almost an identicle way that has happened to you. The judge just believed me and said 'why would he make it for no reason and pretend you contracted his services and how else would you know each other if it wasn't work related?' Another time the judge asked them to prove in law why they did not have to pay. After they answered he told them that if they agreed in any way to a custom order they had to pay unless there was a fault with the product or service. Since they couldn't prove it because it was all lies I was awarded the sum. Of course I never saw a penny of it anyway on that occasion, apparently even a ccj can't always get your money!

It's obviously not my intention to pee an anyone's fire but surely, most of the people signed up for the arbtalk forum are not active? I could be totally wrong but from what I've observed in my very limited time here it seems only a fraction of the 23k are active. Is it possible to send out emails to drag people back who otherwise be unaware?

I am number 894! Just a few more to go!

I've never considered using premium deisel. I will have to give it a go. I have noticed that when my van was new the mpg was not so good for the first ten thousand miles but after that it was good until about 160k then I noticed the engine burned more fuel than it used to and now I'm upto 220k hence the interest in new wheels! I sort of assume once a vehicle is 7 years or older the 'mpg' will take a hit

So my van I now almost ten years old and so I'm looking for a new and oddly enough back when I bought this van I wasn't too concerned with mpg but not knowing what fuel prices could be in the near future I'm considering it more carefully now lol. Fuel Calculators » Fuel-Economy.co.uk I've found like helpful since I roughly know how much my annual mileage is going to be and just break it down per week for comparison. The new vans of today are bigger and doing the same mpg as my smaller van which is really good! Thought some of you lads might find it useful too.

Wow, that's sad - I'm not sure what I'd do without my little work friend. Somebody has to be happy to see me when I get back in the van lol!

Is that a wee collie? I've got a two year young collie myself and he's awesome!

Maybe in the next ten years when I know a thing or two about woodlands I'd love to manage my own but until then is there anyone in wiltshire that manages a woodland that I could shadow and work for one day a week? Obviously I'm happy to work for free if someone is willing to impart their knowledge to me! Max

Very new here just popping in to say hi and hopefully learn much since I'm not a professional and not really even a hobbiest since that require doing something... I would say that I'm currently very enthusiastic and all the more eager to learn as much as my brain will allow... Max