Dbikeguy

How would the self powered flail mower work backwards, so to speak?
They are obviously designed to be pulled, not pushed.
Or am I missing something?

You'll get a second hand compact tractor and flail for less than the cost of the loader flail.
 
I don't know why people insist on using a loader for tasks that could be acheived with a compact tractor. A hydraulic PTO is so inneficient, and 3-pt linkage attachments are way, way cheaper. Even secondhand, an Avant flail commands strong money due to rarity- probably £2.5k You can pick up tractor flails for £1k all day long.
 
My Kubota compact has been a great purchase, way more useful than I dreamed. In the last two years I have bought:
 
Flail collector- £800
Second flail collector plus scarifier blades- £1200
Vacuum grass collector to pick up from the mid mount deck- £250
PTO driven deep aerator- £500
Topper (new)- £800
Stump grinder (new)- £1800
Mole plough- £400
Firewood processor- £4500
Heavy roller- £250
Fertiliser/seed spreader- £250
PTO generator- £400
Roller fed chipper (new)- £2500
 
 
All those attachments are available to fit a loader, but you'd be very lucky to find them second hand and they would cost five to ten times as much new (really not an exaggeration, £8k for the Avant flail collector!) I can provide a huge range of services with gear that cost me peanuts. A loader is to load and carry (and they are great at it). A tractor is to run implements requiring power efficiently.
 
 
You won't run any sort of flail on a Sherpa or Cast. Even the 22hp option only puts out 28l/min. A 1.5t mini digger puts out 30l/min, some claim that their 1.5t runs a flail great but lets be honest, they don't really. They can only slew- any other movement robs all the flow. You need very expensive piston motors on the flail to get even a reasonable performance. As the little loaders have hydraulic drive, you simply won't be able to drive and flail, it'll be like tracking and flailing on a mini digger which is widely acknowledged as impossible.
 
In your circumstances, I appreciate that a compact tractor won't work (width). I'd get yourself an engine driven flail like they use behind or in front of quads, and fit loader brackets to it. That would be very effective. You could also consider a two-wheel tractor with flail mower, or a Scag/Ferris self propelled pedestrian flail.

Flails and mini loaders…
I’m looking at ways of mechanising a few yearly jobs mostly clearing long grass, nettles etc currently using hand held strimmers.

Looking at a mini loader for the landscaping side of things, either a cast or sherpa (needs to go below 80cm to deal with domestic side gates to be able to maximise its use)
Has anyone found a flail they will run? i’ve found some that sit in the middle of the required flow rates but can’t find any videos

Run a dedicated 16 or better still 32amp feed direct from its own breaker on the board. You then have a decent supply for welding or cutting.
plasma cutters are great but are air hungry, 50l won’t cut it unless it’s got a fast recovery.

The bigger 3phase stuff doesn’t care about rust and paint, we had one in a boat yard i worked in, could cut 40mm plus and you could move as fast as you want on thinner stuff.

 
 
Chip has to be removed.
cul de sac at back has , cranky ladies,French tree huggers, guesthouse,
city council parking spaces, powerline ,fancy wall, 4 feet higher than site
We have to stack the timber back there with mini digger and reach in with tractor/crane Saturday morning when cul de sac is quiet .
This way, 2 lads are climbing steadily and rigging where necessary.
digger is keeping drop zones clear ,
chipper noise is at clients house and not beside cranky ladies.
each crew member working nice and steady and hydraulics doing the heavy dragging and lifting.
 

I’ve a couple of Yeti coolers, expensive but stay cold for bloody ages, bigger ones means others can chuck drinks etc in it on hot days

Look at a power barrow to take the work off your legs

If you are climbing on it daily or say 3 times a week a year out of something that’s 11mm thick and responsible for holding you up 60ft off the floor isn’t bad!
Ascenders are tough on ropes, anything metal vs your hands on double rope… 95kg plus what min 15kg of kit, ppe etc is a reasonable weight and force on the ascenders too.
Do you use both ends of the rope?

It’s factually correct, bar how chilled that collie was, if i took mine on a job like that she would disappear for a few hours exploring, coming back filthy and knackered having caused god knows what havoc.
Who doesn’t have beers in a hot tub with two sheila’s after work?

I'm about to build a sturdy 7x10 shed. Planning to build it with suspended floor rather than concrete (for practical reasons and cost) and basing structure on 2x4 and 2x3 quality joist timber with 9 or 12mm external ply walls. Although this sounds expensive purpose built sheds are often weak, not durable and likely require a concrete base. It struck me that scaffolding poles would have strength, durabilty and possibly overall time advantages over a wood framework. A quick google tell me that inc delivery 12 10ft scaffolding poles  £187 and 12 2x4" 3m regularized, preserved timber £77 (not looked at cheaper/second hand materials or costed joining accessories). Choosing 12 of each just for discussion because that would be the basis of a stable cube. Obviously a lot of extra timber would be required in either case. Major practical difficulties might be in joining square edged timber wall etc to the round scaffolding poles and to conceal them ( Mrs oldie wouldn't accept sticky out bits at scaffolding joints). Any thoughts, please? I emphasize I wouldn't make a large, complex structure as the thought of being caught in collapsing scaffolding doesn't appeal.

Done to death. Hit search.
No one works to hourly rate or day rate with clients.
Subbies should have a set day rate for x work period
ie £200 for a 0800 - 1630
This needs agreeing before taking on said subby. They also need in writing if they plan to charge for staying longer etc etc

I think grit is the enemy with rock climbing, not such a problem for us in the trees.

Ok, but how do these guys get spares and repairs? First thing the suppliers want is the serial number.

Anything on a belt won’t work for climbing unless it’s small enough to go on the harness, but tough enough to deal with banging into the tree etc.
If it’s on the back of your harness it’s not much use, same as if on the ground, you will struggle to access it if it’s behind you.
I have a peli case with a full kit inc eye wash etc that can be bought out the truck on jobs further from it, then keep a cat tourniquet and a trauma bandage in my thigh side pockets so easy access one handed for me or others.

Decent shears are worth having as chainsaw kit is tough if you need to remove anything to access the wound.

Had it with the 520he3 hedge trimmer,was running and cutting then the battery fell out mid use and smashed the casing.

Way less than the genuine one I’m willing to bet. And the backplate is specially designed so that the weight is kept as close as possible. 
 
grab is 60kg, I’ll weigh the plate later but estimate 25kg. So as good as you can get really. 
 
Printing the bolt patterns worked a treat- everything fit straight away! I’ve been at the yard since four, now I need to go and be social with the in laws… 
 
 

Really comfy on the ground and climbing,enough support for short times on spikes, found after a while something stiffer would be preferable, but they are the nicest by far for everything else. I do find they need wearing then tightening so i drive to the job in them, retighten then they are grand for the day. The liner does make them stinky if your getting a sweat on!

Hi 
Can you explain how an engine can be more efficient but use more fuel? I was under the impression an engine being more efficient ment it used less fuel?
Thanks

Kerb weight is 570kgs. I guess the bucket must be extra, they are around 80kgs. The bucket grab comes with removable cheeks to make it more of a bucket when you need, but I've ordered the high capacity 75cm bucket as well as the 76cm bucket grab and the wide bucket that I already have.
 
Sounds like you'll have a sweet setup there with that truck and a trailer! If you went curved ramps they might even clear the headboard of the trailer into the back of the truck. Certainly worth investivating.

You might be fine with some of those curved mower ramps into the Hilux. Just don't rely upon the tailgate wires to hold it! Drop the tailgate and mount the ramps to the body proper.
 
I wouldn't fancy loading it backwards.. If it were me, I'd add roof bars and rest the bucket on them- would be about perfect. In a single cab it might even fit as is!

That's the Sherpa 'Small', which is £1k more than the Sherpa 'Agri' (red)- the differences are a larger pump, better drive motors and electric start. Well worth the extra in my book.
 
I demoed both the Sherpa and the Cast. The Cast is much more solid than it might look in pictures- I couldn't fault the build qulity. However the Sherpa drove better and handled the weight better for me- so much so that I was willing to accept the overall width of 76cm vs the Cast's narrower 74cm. Yes it's a bit dated in the design, but there is steel where it counts and it's time proven in Europe on internal demolition. The attachments are exceptionally well built, I can't believe how strong they are.
 
I did 3.2 hours on it yesterday. Clearing sandstone that we were veritcally facing with the air spade, loading five tippers and then clearing a tipper load of mud from the side of a way by the road. Then shunting the little chipper around. Those sort of jobs it's just made for. Like any loader, it doesn't move as much as a dumper but it's way more efficient overall. You can take muck out, bring stone back and squeeze past the digger to tip it in the far end of the dig. You can lift heavy logs and load them. It loads the centre of a truck rather than the sides like a high tip dumper.
 
It does drink some petrol but that's the trade off for light weight and narrow. A hard, full days work you might use 10l.
 
It’s been way more useful than I though for non narrow access jobs. Just because you can throw it in the back of a tipper, maybe even a pickup. I’ve not even put the narrow wheels on yet. 
 
Ignore the pikey tree crew brashing up in the back of an LDV! I went back and got the chipper- it was only supposed to be a trimming job initially.

‘Training wheels’ affixed, and out on her first job. 

People generally leave jobs because of their management. Do you have a decent manager/team leader structure that trains and has a route for guys to progress?
Offer a package that shows a route for people to progress and as such earn more.
22-45k is a silly range.
Do separate ads for what you need
ie if someone sees a ad for a green groundie on 22k
then another add for a lead climber on 40k it shows what can be achieved. so they can see a career not just a wage paying thing to do for the week.

Well yeah, and a remap, you don’t see the irony in that?

I had a Mk6, lot of turbo lag and gutless by modern standards, nice looking truck though.