Johnsond

Well the sensible comments request sort of faded away in some of the tirades posted in the last few days did it not. Anyway maybe its just my opinion but one person that has gone up in my estimation is May herself considering she has been handed or rather thrown as fast as Cameron could get rid of it an absolutely thankless task. you only have to look at the divisive vitriol pumped out by some on here to realise the scale of the task she has on her hands in her own country and parliament. As for the actions of the fellow leaders and people she is having to deal with whilst at numerous summits and negotiations in Europe am I alone in thinking the have really shown what they are about during this whole process, Maybe with a bit more loyalty from her own party and the opposite benches our position would be far stronger sitting around the table with people whom seem to have one thing on the agenda and that is to make it very clear to anyone thinking of standing up to them this is how you will be treat. Anyway nearly went off on one there but dropping back to my original point I do think posterity will show May handled this totally thankless task with a degree of dignity and resolve that many of the self serving arse holes on both sides of he house never mind the smug individuals she face over in Europe would do well to try and emulate.

Hi Cheers for replies, Read a few previous posts that reckoned the difference was not that great in the scale of things so will probably stick with a 404 chain set up although undecided as to which make. Reason I asked with regards to Oregon ripping chains is I find they do not hold an edge well but have not had the chance to use any other make so cant really compare the two myself.

Hi All. Looking to bite the bullet and purchase a new MS880, Currently I use an MS661 for the milling I do with either 25 or 36 inch bars and made up off the roll Oregon ripping chains,. My question is what's your thoughts on the best bar and chain set ups available for the 880, it will only ever be used for milling and I do have the option to save a few quid and buy just the power head. Anyone else using the Oregon chains if so how you finding them ??. I've looked through a few previous posts on the same topic and have a good idea of what direction I will probably go but any input would be appreciated. Thanks

Hi has anyone taken a look at the rotary milling heads/wheels you can get for cutting trenches etc that attach to excavators, Not sure of hydraulic flow requirements etc but i do know they take a shocking amount of abuse on rock and ive used them on long reach machines down to 15m water depth so the damp and muddy conditions should not be an issue. only downside may be that the ones ive used did not rotate at a high RPM Anyway just a though as they are out there and in use.

Hi Nikk Hope things work out for you bud. Been there a few times over the years work wise i think one of main reasons is men who have worked for 30 years and still find themselves struggling to make ends meet etc start to lose the drive and get up and go sometimes its bloody hard to keep picking yourself up and ploughing on. Anyway regarding the rifles ive a couple of slots on my FAC im patiently waiting to fill and am also after some decent glass, What you parting with and prices please, PM me if you dont want to put it on here, Cheers Dave

Hi Yeah same engine so same issues ref chain etc, saying that we ran a 59 plate mammoth adventure model for 4 years with no hassle up to 109K. Pretty thirsty high 20s was real world figure, Road tax is harsh on the early ones i think it reduces dramatically on the 2010 onward models. All in all it was a good solid tool 7 seats were a great feature. to be honest the mrs is looking to go back to a pathfinder again after a year with a diesel insignia so i guess this says something positive

Indeed there is Joel77 I used to hold the old PTS and PICOW qual and did a lot of nights and weekend possesion work doing bank stabilisation work around yorkshire working hand in hand with teams doing the clearance work. We never stopped for rain and normally worked bloody hard every shift. Most lads on here are i suggest are fairly hard working and modest in as much as they wont brag as to what they are earning etc etc. one of my house rules for the kids is not to gloat !!. Probably a lot of truth in what you say is happening but right is right and what you describe can in no way be called the right way to carry out a job. But if your happy then crack on. Probably more how you portrayed the whole thing that has wound people up.

Hi Just curious how the problem manifests itself in regards to the LED lights as ive fitted LED,s into the ladder rack on an ifor and just wired into the spare spades on the bar within the box under the front left corner. So far ive no problems with the set up mind you its only on whilst reversing so not sustained use. On a different note in a previous post i stated that i was happy with my 65 plate wildtrack up to now but that only time will tell in long run, Well time has told and now its sitting in the dealer again. This is its 7th visit not including the shockingly over priced first service within the first 13 months and 17000 miles since purchase . Faults have ranged from minor electrical glitches to major ABS and braking system problems. Front left speed sensor went and this caused the ABS to believe its operation was required at the time it was bone dry and i was towing a loaded 14ft tri axle ifor end result was basically no brakes and having to use the handbrake to stop. After 3 trips to dealer they finally found fault . Windscreen wiper motor packed in cabin rattles something rotten and now blue tooth has packed in. First trip to dealer regarding blue tooth i was asked did it have blue tooth fitted as standard WTF !!! ive used it for a year its supposedly a top of range model you think they would know . Anyway thats the grumble over for now just wish i could get out of the deal im in to tell truth. they are a good tool when going ok and maybe ive been unlucky but the repeated trips to main dealer are proving to be a total pain. Unfortunately looking at the latest generation of pick ups i see more of a trend to lifestyle blinged up toys rather than a hard working well put together working tool.

Hi Couple of suggestions, as has been stated a good spill kit is very handy and on construction sites, Offshore and on Vessels etc mandatory when hydraulic eqpt is being used the absorbent granules are great at soaking up any spillages. Take a look at the temporary drip trays ie the plastic/vinyl ones you can get at very limited cost nowadays and when not in use they fold away easily. Whenever im working near rivers or watercourses etc we always use Biodegradable hydraulic oil this is in fact a requirement for many clients. As for the actual spill ive always found fairy liquid as mad as it seems is great at clearing up sheen etc off water and for cleaning up after the granules have done their thing also a detergent called Aqua Tuff works well.

Hi Used to own a 16ft tri axle great trailer and lovely to tow just watch your load position and hitch height. I got rid of the 16ft for a 12ft tipper because of its size and overhang when going off road a decision I regretted virtually straight away. Ive since compromised and now have a 14ft tri axle which has turned out to be pretty much spot on yes you lose on carrying capacity with the 3rd axle but the degree of tolerance it gives you load position wise is worth it in my opinion. On a slightly different note I looked everywhere for a tidy used one, I got fed up of looking at overpriced used tat and went to a Ifor dealer direct I paid £2760 new plus VAT for a LM146 Tri axle and ladder rack, compared to what some people are asking for used its a no brainer

Hi Not sure what pontoons your using but ive used the Uni float shallow draft type on many occasions and you can build the barge any size you want. Ive a mate who runs an outfit down your way who does a bit of work for environment agency clearing rivers and culverts etc they removed a good few trees in last winters floods. They utilise dry suits etc for working in rivers etc maybe worth a thought, Im sure if you dropped them they would happily rig them for recovery Cheers

Hi Have to agree ive a 65 plate 3.2 wildtrack with 15k on now most of which have been spent dragging various ifor Williams trailers around. Compared to my previous D40 navara its a different ball game. navara was so weak low down it was a joke where as the ranger has great torque from virtually tick over and tows great, My old ZD30 patrol is only thing ive had to match it the patrol made it to 173k whether the ranger will has yet to be proven. If I was to have my doubts about anything id say the clutch may be the weakest link. As for dealer back up as far as im concerned they are all the same. The mrs has a new insignia and trying to get Vauxhall to honour the warranty is a nightmare.

Stihl every time for me, the abuse they can take and keep working is the reason they are everywhere. I have a TS 410 but probably should have taken the 420 as the extra disc size is handy for cut outs where the addition of roughcasting on blocks can stop you getting a clean cut through, Mind you there was a virtually new TS 800 on gumtree about 5 mile from me which was very tempting until I gave myself a shake and thought about how often I would ever use it.

Looks like a decent bit of kit. As you get older the idea of saving the old back and looking at ways to make kife easier starts to appeal more and more. On a different note the view of the fields and trees in the background had me hankering to head home. Born in Alnwick used to live In Eglingham now reside NW of Aberdeen,

Hi Joe First of all good to hear you walked away from it that's the main thing as for the rest whilst its definitely a hassle it can all be replaced. A lot of the advice and comments you have already had is very relevant but as is always the case in something like this there are so many variables to factor in. I'm 49 now driving since 17 started off in HM Forces with 109,s and a Sankey trailer HGV 1 since 21 and have owned and abused a number of Ifor Williams trailers. Nose weight and load distribution is critical and often overlooked, I am a pain when loading mine at builders etc watching the guys put on dumpy bags or whatever and always have them over axles but slightly biased to the nose. Tyre pressures are often overlooked but I know you said not in this case, As has been stated already the high pressure smaller tyres fitted to some ifors seem far more stable to me than the larger ones. Tramlining on some roads can really grab the trailer and initiate sway. My own experience with a brand new LM 166 tri axle which I towed from Windsor to Northumberland behind a 3.2LWB Shogun ( Worst thing I ever owned ) was initially a nightmare and would start an uncontrollable sway at anything over 45MPH. That was down to the incorrect height of the tow bar on the shogun and once sorted it was ok. The advice to accelerate out of it yeah ive heard that on many occasions but for me to have tried that would have just made things far far worse. My own solution has always been to brake often quite hard, is this the correct solution ?? not sure but going faster certainly wasn't. Best tow vehicle I ever owned was a LWB 3.0 Patrol it just seemed to shake off any wiggles from behind and carry on as though nothing had happened. Currently I use a 3.2 Ranger with a TT126 tipper and have no problems with towing with a pick up, Mind you I am like another member here in so much that I sit at 50-55 steady away when towing. Next purchase is gonna be another Tri axle LM166 as my own experience is they are far more tolerant of the load position etc than twin axles. I guess you will never know for sure what triggered it but once again as has been said don't beat yourself up over it as you aren't the first and definitely wont be the last Regards Dave

Hi Ford ranger 3.2 Pulls like a train heaps of low end torque I can do all my reversing and manoeuvring in tight spots with a tt126 on back on tickover, not bad on fuel at all considering what it is. They've been out a few years so most niggles have been sorted. New facelift version should knock the values down a bit on the current model too. After 6 years with a 3.0 patrol in which I did 157000 miles without a glitch mainly pulling a tri axle ifor I traded it for a 59 plate Navara with 43k showing, Great truck on road comfortable fast etc loads of toys inside as standard but show it a loaded trailer and things changed dramatically no bottom end torque at all. In a 9 month period I replaced the steering linkage, EGR valve and the final straw was the back axle which threw in the towel apparently as the Nissan dealer told me its as he put a" known area of concern with some Navaras "this was as I parted with over 2 grand as it was out of warranty. Maybe I was unlucky but needless to say its gone and was replaced by the ranger. Just wish instead of fetching in RHD Mustangs ford would do a nice F150 diesel in RHD for those nations that drive on the normal side of the road

Probably PUWER regs would be the appropriate legislation for any tool or piece of eqpt provided by an employer to an employee. HSE uk website would have all you need to know on it but be warned a little time spent on there and you will be joining the campaign for plain English

Hi Steve As I said on an earlier post on this thread it does seem like its a pain but once the initial bollocks are out the way the advantages in my opinion outweigh everything else. Most men hate the paperwork side of things I know id rather go outside and swing a splitting axe for the afternoon than sit down and do my books. We've all been there as a sole trader surrounded by 12 months worth of paper scattered all over the place trying to make sense of it. Me after every time I promised id be more organised next time which never happened. My books are done every 3 months now for VAT purposes which is far less hassle than 12 months worth. Sole trader taxation give very little back in my experience as for NI contributions its worth noting that paying the lowest class you can get away with at the time will not tick all of HMRC,s boxes at the end of the year. There are a lot of variables but I think if your up and on your feet with a mortgage and mrs/kids there is a lot to be said for it.

There are so many variables but if your Mrs is at home with the kids etc and can do your company admin and take a wage then the above post pretty much sums it up, Look into pensions, company transport especially commercial ie pick ups plus purchase of eqpt. The numbers start to add up if you work the system correctly. Correctly doesn't mean wrongly or illegally I remember my accountant telling me you can do this that and the other and sitting there thinking is this legal??. As a sole trader there are few advantages like those mentioned above. Regarding credit ratings I found that after the first years books were in and tax paid people were fairly ok in regards to dealing with you.

Yeah undoubtedly its not for everyone and yes if your trying to pull substantial amounts of money out from the company then the tax liabilities will add up as they will as a sole trader once you go above the 40% earnings ceiling. Initially it was hard going but in the long term especially if your purchasing eqpt regularly or you want to put funds away pensions etc then there is ways and means to get the most out of it. To be honest its such an individual choice type of thing only you with the advice of a good accountant can make the call as to which is best for you. My decision was made after a nightmare 13 month tax investigation by HMRC caused by listening to bad advice (And naivety )from my then accountant this was years ago on the old 714 scheme.

Hi No doubt it seems a bit daunting at first (Well it did for me anyway ) but once you have you head around it things start to make sense, The probability is your wage you will pay yourself will be less than what you earn now but factor in the other elements of running as a ltd company and all of a sudden it starts to make sense. Mind you as is always the case the HMRC are looking to squeeze people with a graduated scale of taxation on dividends coming in this year. The best thing you can do is get a good local accountant whom you can sit down and talk plain English to, Avoid these firms promising to do it all for you including taking off your tax etc at source for them to manage and pay as required. End of day put your 20% away on any earnings and you cant go far wrong. It will keep you honest/sensible with money far better than the old sole trader self employed game will ( Again it did for me ). Hope it goes ok

Yeah the genuine ones are overpriced for sure but as has been said the margins on these copies must be minimal (Possibly the next batch may not be as cheap) no doubt they will be back at some point seeing as they are now sold out mind you the wait time may well be substantial. One thing that you cant see is the quality of the metal and the castings ive been there with cheap Chinese quads for the kids and basically after a while they fell apart also the spares back up was non existent, who will the buyers of these be looking to then ?? As has already been said on here what do you want ?? a product with a known history and a good after sales service or some cheap Chinese copy made in a place where health and safety standards are lower, wages and standard of living for the people who probably made these are nowhere near what we would expect. Regardless of all this for sure they seem at first sight a bargain and you cant blame people for spending wisely if the chance arises and if anything it does possibly highlight how expensive the originals are. Me personally id buy the original and have a good gripe about the cost

Cheers Guys I will give them a shout on Monday see what I can sort out. Newmacher would be great as im only up road in Fyvie. On a different note are you aware of any local firms that get access to any good size/diameter hardwood trunks suitable for milling that they would part with or want a hand to get rid of, its not for commercial gain just for my own use on jobs at home. Thanks again for the replies

Hi All Just looking for a bit of advice regarding locations/recommendations of trainers or companies offering CS30-31 courses and assessments anywhere near Aberdeenshire. Anyone heard of Ringlink near Laurencekirk ?? they are quite close to me which would be handy saying that im happy to travel if needs be. Cheers Dave

Hi All New to site so as above hello to all forum users. Looking for a bit of help/guidance on what I should expect to be paying for some oak its been felled and id be looking at several 14ft lengths ranging from 18 to 24 inch in diameter, wood is to be milled into some planks/beams for a project at home. Distance to collect is quite a hike so diesel costs are going to be a factor. I'm based in Aberdeenshire if anyone knows of any Oak or other hardwood suitable for milling available up here id be interested to hear from them thanks Dave