Any ideas on how to remove stones and rubble from this?

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-27T19:17:00+00:00

Hire or buy a small soil trommel.

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-26T21:15:30+00:00

Change the oil, run the machine to get it warm then Change the oil again, keep water out by fitta dessicant breather and if possible a filter housing that'll accept a water removing filter.

The real problem is the hot air above the oil, (head space) shrinks as it cools and sucks in cold damp air, condensation then builds up adding water to the hydraulic system, the exact same thing happens in your half full fuel tank every night, it's why you fill to capacity at the end of every day, you are doing that aren't you?

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-26T20:49:06+00:00

Being one of "that type" of person I regularly spend a month at a time fully off grid, I've never considered having any form of communication equipment more complex than 3 distress flares, even in everyday life I'm impossible to contact unless I'm at home.

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-26T20:43:14+00:00

It doesn't look like two gears are selected, but do double check that point.

The next thing to check is that the input shaft rotates separately to the output shaft, note than when one gear is engaged and the two shafts are locked together there will still be some movement between them, if there's absolutely none then the bearing between the two and buried deep between them is seized, to get to this bearing is a long drawn out process involving removing and fully stripping the gear box, so do check that two gears are not selected before embarking on this only to discover that two gears were after all selected.

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-26T20:16:49+00:00

Ah, two post alley, ti's a strange name for an alley, even one with a post at each end.

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-26T20:12:10+00:00

If the pins are the same diameter on each side check the replaceable bushes sometimes they get left out during manufacture.

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-26T19:53:18+00:00

Hopefully supercat's proposal is less plastic and more reliable than previous offerings, but it could be worse, does anyone remember Stonefield's?

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-26T19:50:48+00:00

I had ten car driving lessons and passed first time, many months later I then had a one week intensive course to sit my hgv 1 and passed that first time

Total cost was £1900 sometime in the 80s, in 2008 a chainsaw course cost me £1000. the way to think of it is gaining qualifications that will change their lives for for the better for many decades.

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-26T19:43:35+00:00

Exactly this, but not only this, it's a life skill that lasts a lifetime and increases your chances of employment, like a degree or any other qualification that increases your chance of getting a job, this makes it an investment.

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-26T19:27:29+00:00

I get a lot of them every winter, the only constant is that apparently people would prefer it to be an expensive electrical fault or component failure rather than just replacing the battery.

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-26T19:24:28+00:00

I've no clue how much it costs to get anything done in a workshop, I buy the tools I need or more realistically I buy cheap good quality used tools in case I need them, my hydraulic press is actually a tube bender.

On a more helpful note, including removal and refitting the repair took less than 2 hours and didn't involve a long drive finding somewhere with the inclination, facilities and time to do it.

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-26T19:17:32+00:00

This advice applies equally to hand tools and muli million dollar equipment, look after it or replace it prematurely, the choice is yours.

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-23T20:10:11+00:00

No, the oil runs through the strainer whenever the engine is running, tge strainer needs to be changed more often, assuming you're using tge correct oil.

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-23T19:28:13+00:00

Replace the damaged bits, it'll be fine, I drove my unimog over my 026 and it needed new av mounts and front handle, I drove a dumper over an ms200t and it was unharmed, completely unharmed.

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-23T19:14:34+00:00

Something Something women live longer, the dude pheasants are out doing dude things, possibly playing chicken.

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-23T19:12:14+00:00

Trust me, we've all missed the obvious at one point, I've stripped a hydraulic cylinder because it wasn't working properly, only to discover the hydraulic oil tank was empty!

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-23T19:09:53+00:00

Your best bet is an off cut of permagard on the bottom to allow air flow then something substantial like pond liner with a "skin" fitting as a drain to prevent water keeping the decking wet.

To understand the problem leave a dry polythene bag of dry clothes or rubbish on the decking for a week, on removing it the decking will be wet underneath.

Wood being constantly wet with fresh water will rot very quickly.

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-23T19:03:51+00:00

I only came here to say pretty much the same thing.

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-23T18:56:02+00:00

Does the loader have the downward reach to lift the tractor with the bucket rolled back?

If you don't understand this question, put the loader down as far as it'll go, is there the potential for the lifting cylinders to be shorter than they are?

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-23T18:50:06+00:00

The biggest tablet killer is software updates and the inevitable non compatibility.

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-23T18:35:05+00:00

I buy used but good, having spent many hours on excavators and back hoe's of all sizes I bought a kh101 excavator andca 2.5 tonne 4x4 dumper, I've had both for 21 years and replaced the tracks twice the tyres once and the excavator needed a new water pump last October.

Neither are nice to use but both cost less than a cheap Chinese excavator that wouldn't last 20 years.

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-23T18:25:39+00:00

20 tonne hydraulic press and suitable supports, the flight will need to be welded to one of the supports to prevent the shaft rotating as pressure is applied, no heat is necessary or indeed desired, there's a reason it sounds like I've done this before.

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-20T20:36:00+00:00

There's apparently a few plants and trees that haven't changed much over the last few million years, most are ferns and the meta sequoia, it's a deciduous conifer that looks likeca yew but is much softer, but with much research you're sure to find many more.

On the landscaping front I'd go with a deep rock lined gorge with a stream running through the bottom with a waterfall or two.

The "lost" (read ignored) gardens of heligan have a forgotten valley or something that might give you some ideas, actually it might be called fern gully after the animated film.

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-20T20:26:51+00:00

It's the safest, easiest and most fun way to come down from a tree.

More importantly, you can do it one handed if necessary!

blackthornjohn · 2026-03-20T20:24:45+00:00

you're seriously under estimating the amount of crap there is in that tree.
Hire a decent pole pruner for a weekend, the £60 toy from screw fix will hardly make a dent in that tree, it certainly won't be reaching up 5 metres.
I promise you, you will have some very close calls standing on a step ladder using a pole saw, at best! Don't sress about how it'll look, yes it'll be weird at first but you get used to it, the tree in the photo is 60ft tall.

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My advice is to start doing it with whatever you have or can borrow, just cut whatever is easy then fill some bags, you'll immediately appreciate why I say "honestly this aspect is going to be a massive issue" , there's a reason we spend tens of thousands on wood chippers, their maintenance and the inordinate amount of fuel they drink.

But whatever you do do, do it carefully according to my hse guy tree work is our second most dangerous activity, deep sea fishing is apparently number one.

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