lux

Flip em every 3 weeks more like !

Först without doubt have the best sales and marketing team in the UK woodchipper market.
They appeared out of nowhere into a steady-away marketplace with great branding and a massive flurry of free hats, pens and pretty promo-birds, converted their existing Jensen customers and also bringing in a load of new business from users of long-in-the-tooth competitors’ machines with the promise of something radically better.
(From a consumer’s point of view this has largely been a good thing, as it forced others to have a look at and improve their existing offerings (none of the main manufacturers offer a bad machine today IMO)).  
Forst then kept the ball rolling with very good aftercare (which must have cost them a fortune), and have underwritten their machines very well to those looking to part-exchange into a new chipper to keep value in their brand. They also offer incredible deals to ‘new business’ - offering above-market-value for other-brand part exchange machines. 
The issue is that there is no way of breaking away from the brand once ‘hooked’ without taking a significant financial kicking. They are worth very little second hand unless you are buying another Först - nobody else wants them in part-exchange and buying a second-hand one is a potential grenade... Once they’ve got you invested in their brand you are a bit screwed sadly.

... 'Cold dead hands'  might feature in that  [emoji38] K

I think there is no doubt the capacity to perform is there with Forst. When they’re working they do so very well. But the poor build quality, lack of quality control, above market average depreciation, and a lack of acceptance of these problems should be enough to put anyone off.
 
I have heard the phrase Friday afternoon machine used, and it appears most work on Forst chippers is done at some point on a Friday. I’m not one for bashing brands online, but my experience of Forst is not good, and that’s several different machines at different times with different crews.
 
I’d absolutely love it if Lux got the chipper they clearly wanted and expected. It’s be the best outcome to this situation. But the omens ain’t good unfortunately. 

Try the Pyramids, he in there somewhere. K

lux,
Very sorry to hear your woes (and Gray git) -  was hoping I was an exception. I bought an ST6P a year ago and the list of issues is very similar to yours from start to now  (110hrs- double you ! ).   I had a Jensen A530Di before for 14years (small outfit , used only 3 days a week) and owner operated so it has minimal abuse. Jensen was still pretty good when I sold it. Bought a Forst 1) as its British 2) thought they would have copied the best bits of Jensen as I bought mine from them originally 3) emissions. 4) sucker for a free beer at the show . Ironically I wasn't bothered with being below 750kg, just didn't want it over the 850kg or so of the Jensen.
 
As I say very similar list of woes with a particularly spectacular threatening handover thrown in at the start. (as you say some good support following all the breakdowns which is appreciated but certainly no recognition of mistakes on their part and too many...............).
Was feeling particularly despondent  just before xmas when I got  a chirpy call from a sales rep at Forst asking for feedback. I laughed and asked him several times did he really want feedback as I had a lot. He insisted he did. He suggested 1/2 way through the chat/rant that I write it all down and I said I would rather not and he said no problem tell him on the phone. I did ,he said someone would contact me . Email followed from an other saying could I write it down and again explain all the issues. I said i'd rather tell them on the phone, again. He replied to say he was travelling all the following week so couldn't take comprehensive notes(which seems a bit weird to me ) - could I write it down. I pointed out that they had contacted me , asked me for feedback and I had even suggested they might not want it. Another email saying they would try and ring me the week after (before xmas). Nothing as yet.........
 
I know my own business is not perfect. I know we all have issues this year . At the very least why bother phoning me for feedback ?
 
Little bit worried that my 14 years of saving to buy this chipper might not have been well spent. Been planning to write the email.
 
Good luck lux. You sound very reasonable to me - hopefully they will be too.
 
Forst . I think a lot of us would like to back you , but ...............??
 

Khriss and Mick finally agree ....
I couldn’t find one of stubby, well not in colour anyway ....

We’re enjoying ourselves.

I’m the one with the spannered chipper and even I’m not getting that aggy

Calm down you two. ......

( plus TW lil keyhole fr blade changing -  dear god !! Who thought that up ! ) 

I bet you do, they’ll be fetching silly money in a decade, same as the 150s are.
 
I have heard of a recall on the chassis weld, apart from that they seem to have been relatively ok. My mate is on his second 230 after 2 x 150s and loves them.
 
Is there a FB site of TW owners moaning and sharing their issues?
 
 
 
 

I bet you do, they’ll be fetching silly money in a decade, same as the 150s are.
 
I have heard of a recall on the chassis weld, apart from that they seem to have been relatively ok. My mate is on his second 230 after 2 x 150s and loves them.
 
Is there a FB site of TW owners moaning and sharing their issues?
 
 
 
 

Sorry Khriss, you’re way off on this.
 
 

I was put off forst a good few years ago. Knew a few folk with lots of issues and never liked that screen display for turning on etc.... 
 
I went with a tw230 in the end for simplicity though this has had issues which after giving the dealer a few times to sort we fixed it ourselves. 
 
Next purchases will be second hand, either a tw190/230 tracked or a gm1928
 
As with all.machines you have to get to know them I think. All will have niggles from manufacturers to manufactures.
 
Yes in your case I'm glad you have warranty. It's a shame you have to feel like you need to have warranty to be safe. As someone mentioned earlier the second hand value being poor and forst reb- buying them being the main way to move them on only locks you into the brand. 
 
Hope you can get sorted! Not sure which was is best to go for you, all the best.
 

.... With yr luck - some bugger would have put chain on blunt n backwards [emoji5]  K

Me personally would never buy a new chipper again. Sadly the same with most people and makes once they have your money you can wait a bit.
 
To me warranty isn't worth a shit and at times is more hassle than it's worth. 
 
I could take an older machine and do the same amount of work as you any day of the week. 
 
Also I'm not sure who on this earth would be daft enough to buy a used forst... 
 
Non of this is a dig at you or your situation. You've been sold a pup by the sounds of it. 
 
Good second hand machine and a good knowledge of spanners is the way forwards I say. 

Bit different I know,
But educational.


[emoji106]

On the plus side they sent me a nice notepad at Christmas so I’ve somewhere to write down all my machines faults .... just needs ‘doesn’t’ in front of work at the moment.

Tbh I don’t know how they did it, I used an agricultural engineer who I have a great deal of faith in, or how it got out of balance, though I have my suspicions that the guy who replaced the bearings may be the cause (not Forst’s fault)

Like a politician to be honest, denial of a problem existing, no direct answer to a question, this must be a really isolated problem while ignoring the list of 5+others I can name who have had the same and finally as a gesture of goodwill we will do something whilst still trying to say it's our fault.

@lux am aghast at yr situation, cant offer better advice than others have stated. Just hope Forst are having a bloody good read here. If were my company i would be in the workshop monday tearing strips off. Couple old lads in pub used to blab on at what they did at Fords in 1970s, look what happened there. K

As I said I’m having a period of relative calm with mine.
I keep the rollers on 4.5 speed and keep the roller springs slack when the rollers are shut.
I also had the shaft and rotor out and professionally rebalanced which solved a lot of vibration issues.

Well I doubt he’d sell it easily on here, that’s for sure!

" stop sitting on the bonnet of my car with that axe "  [emoji38]  K