Johnsond

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