Chris Day

I am considering the zt, spoke to global and it's quite a long wait also they don't have one for me to look at! I'm in conisbrough, south yorks. Toro can be had for 14k plus vat, which I think is pretty good.

It's time to buy a proper grinder, the rock machinery pedestrian affair is not quite quick enough anymore. Anyone used the toro machines? I've had the smaller tracked one on hire a couple of times and it seems ok, however they make a bigger one with more POWER! The smaller one seems poor on anything but a flat surface. But at the price they are very attractive. So have you used the 38hp toro? Any good? My main issue with these machines is that they are petrol, but the comparable (ish) diesel machines are 30hp not 38 and considerably more expensive. To the point where a huge amount of red diesel has to be burnt to recover the difference. So I want a 30-40hp tracked grinder, I want the toro to be the answer because it's cheap and I'm a Yorkshire lad! However convince me I'm wrong and provide me a better option.

My 62 plate transit is doing the same thing, we know which door it is the one which doesn't lock on central locking. My mechanic mate reckons the wires have worn in the and broken in the hinge area.

If you want to do it you will, I headed no advice did army resettlement and got stuck in. Dam near killed myself before realising I had to sub to learn and save every penny to buy kit. However five years after my first course and working every weekend and leave for anyone who would have me and one year after leaving the army and never having subbed since I'm doing alright. Depends what you want but with the right attitude and two brothers in the game you'll be alright, design sounds sedentary as an occupation and if you haven't kept fit it will hurt even if you have it will. Climbing trees is the easy bit, dragging brash and humping timber is the hard bit. Get stuck in you'll be fine if you aren't go back to design knowing you tried.

Can you not cover this in terms and conditions? As in third party contractors may be used on a bonafide contractor basis and will therefore be totally responsible for their work. As long as all three parties have a written understanding/contract surely that would cover it. I'd think you then don't appear to be palming off responsibility but come across as a capable project manager.

If it's been topped before is it possible to trim a section at one end albeit with difficulty and then get on top of the hedge and hedge cut from the top down? Will be slow going and will need a trusted set of eyes on the ground to keep you right. I've done it before not on that height but on a garden where ponds prevented access to the hedge with ladders, it worked but was slow and involved a good bit of pond dipping!

Saturn have let me down a couple of times, fortunately I work in Sheffield regularly so have gone in and despite what was said on the phone they were their sat waiting for dispatch. Will be going elsewhere, as has been said great lads on the phone but lacking in all other regards.

Having your own climbing kit if you can afford it won't hurt which ever employment route you go. Just keep it in good order and loler checked. I work with subbies and regularly get people new to the industry looking for a start with climbing tickets. I tell them they will climb every time the job can afford it even of that's just to top anchor via a route I have dictated and coming down slowly as I explain the plan before taking over. From that point they slowly get given more and more of the climbing as their ability or desire dictate. Whatever happens make sure they let you climb or the money spent on a ticket will be waisted as you will forget the skills even if you spend all day watching the climber.

It will fit and it will work but god it will be slow. If it's for very occasional use and saves shelling out for a bigger saw I'd do it, but if you do big trees or timber regular and are just avoiding shelling out but can afford a bigger saw I'd just jump in and get the appropriate tool for the task it will pay for itself quickly.

I work me plus one, we occasionally wind each their up working together all the time but that's life. Two seems to cover most stuff and I'm lucky enough to have a good set of subbies and we try and book work two to three weeks in advance so booking them for a day seems to work. Had plenty of no shows and wannabes who couldn't rig a decent practical joke despite claims to the contrary. I think on your own in arb is a bit masochistic, however the right second man/woman and good subbies are like rocking horse poop. So to those who work with me and are reading this, thanks lads without you I'd be stuck or driving lorries.

Slow is slick and slick is fast, every day of the week. Taking the time to do things in the right order especially when rigging so the ground crew aren't trying to un-hang stuff is good. Why oh why did you leave that peg? I'd like to say as a climber I've never done it or that I don't occasionally try and rig something out when i should move and get rid of some other stuff first, but that would be a lie and I feel a t**t every time. I know a few climbers who are incredibly quick and do everything by the book, but few and far between and often they look slo from the ground so echos mine and a few others first comment.

If they're "loved up" but can't go for a bit of snap and a few beers in hooters then the thumb print mark is probably so strong it has a fingerprint on it! My mrs would be disappointed in me if I went to Nottingham and didn't go, in fact she'd be incredibly suspicious as to why not.

Cheers Gary metre rate makes sense. Thanks Graham I had a look at the hedge laying society will give them a call, thanks for the heads up.

As per title I have one hundred and fifty metres of hawthorn hedge to quote for laying as part of a bigger job. It was planted twenty years ago and hasn't been touched, to my mind looks straightforward enough however I've never done it. Customer isn't bothered about style of laying used as long as it looks tidy and forms the basis of something which will grow into a decent barrier. Looking for a contractor in the area who is willing to work for day rate and can tell me how many days they need to do the work. Goes without saying this person then obviously gets the work if the job is awarded. Obviously they will need to view the hedge and this can be arranged. Job is not going to start until late September early October. Please either PM, post details on this thread call me on 07925319595 or email [email protected]

SWMBO, had to google it. Very good, will be getting used in future. Oh yeah borescope, of to Aldi now....... Will post later asking about how to get one out of a piece of machinery when I get it stuck! I can break anything.

Hooters! Chicken wings, beer and decent scenery.

I should add my dad is 61 and me and him work together often. He can run young lads into the ground whilst keeping pace with them and still expect more.

Wonder if the 53 bit is putting people off? However some of the hardest working blokes I know are knocking or over sixty. Longevity of career is the only issue as for setting someone on at that age though especially if new to it. Tried selling yourself as a labourer? Give me a day at fifty quid and see if I'm worth it Kind of thing.

We've got one been well behaved after a couple of tanks to settle itself down then it's been fine for the last couple of months. Probably terrified after seeing the 1st gen scrapers sat on the bench for parts to eek a few months more life out of the others. Pretty sure although I can't remember exactly but we didn't set the auto tune, probably should read the manual and see if we should have.

Cheers Johny, but found a hydraulic place in wath upon dearne as needed some new hoses for my new toy a little ton and a half 360 and the place has everything so he's my go to bloke for all things hydraulic will post his phone number when I find his card.

Forgot I'd started this thread and have just had a read through and noticed a couple of things which concern me. 1. Marc you had the same grease bank issue and were told to replace with stronger pipes. So it's a recurring fault and I wasn't given the same advice, I shortened my pipes to fit new olives making recurrence more likely. 2. Someone's machine blew all it's hydraulic oil out of the filter, mine did this just over a week ago. Buying a filter not through forst is impossible and we were in Sheffield with Heavy engineering everywhere, a little concerning why isn't it a common part? Fortunately the I ring was ok so just refitted the filter filled up with oil and hoped, it's been ok thankfully. 3. It threw a track, we had the kit with us to sort it but the only way to empty the grease from the tensioning piston is to remove the idler roller from the machine put it in a vice and swing on the nut. Not ideal and fortunate we had access to a workshop. 4. Twice this week it has stalled when the anti stress should have kicked in. A quick fix but surely anti stress should mean this can't happen it just stops and you back the jam out of the rollers. Has got me thinking that perhaps I need to carry more spares and spanners! Oh and given depreciation just hope I'm having a rough couple of weeks.

I presume it's steel not ali therefore rust is your concern? If you do solve this problem and therefore inhibit the vehicle or tipper back rusting therefore making if last longer are you not risking the jobs of vehicle manufacturers and body fabricators? Therefore you would harm the economy and we would have to hold you responsible for any future economic slowdown. Is that where you want to be? Better leave it to rust.

This is one of those questions without a definite answer as no single measure suits all scenarios. I think it's part of running a business in our industry that occasionally we suffer a delay or last minute cancelation. I try and review each one and decide how it came about, if it's my fault I learn if it's not I review terms and conditions or whether I should charge that company or individual extra in future to cover such issues if I can't mitigate through terms and conditions. It's a tricky one that's for sure however the nesting birds one is sometimes unavoidable and the good and correct thing to do is reschedule, that may cost you lost time or indeed the customer. Not lost a customer yet due to it, despite many being annoyed at the delay. Not sure why I've posted this I think I've added nothing to the debate!

Think I am continuing the broken record theme here, there is good money in arb if however you have experience and have a decent set of climbing kit and a few saws. As has been said have a good nose around google for tree teams or larger contractors operating in your area and give them a call or email and try and get a few days as a labourer to try it out. As even if you are good at it and pick it up quick so start earning well if it turns out you hate the work then what's the point. I cannot comment even slightly on forestry as the only thing we do of that nature is small scale site clearance or privately opened woodland thinning/maintenance, nice to be in the woods and often with plenty of space to drop trees into.

Had my halfords socket set four years and apart from wearing out bits for the screwdriver set it's faultless. I can't bring my self to take screwdriver bits in under warranty even though I know I could, doesn't feel right. But I'm suitably impressed, especially for the price.