Ed Poore

Of course for any normal person that means farming it out. For you that means building a laser or water jet cutter out of scrap you have lying about...

Not really wasting it if it goes back in the treasure pile? Just a different shape...

Cut them yourself? Find a suitable bucket and trace around it with a plasma / oxy? I've had good success actually with a piece of string tied to the plasma torch... Or cut it roughly to shape, drill a hole in the centre, nail to the bench through that, clamp plasma torch at desired radius and spin plate by hand.

Recipe for burning your thighs? Well shoulders if you keep your big lift on.

You mean like this... Admittedly doesn't touch but there's no slave on there nor downpipe...

Was going to suggest Vince's company as well. Rule of thumb is it's about £60 to send a full height pallet (up to 2t) anywhere in the country, pallet is 1.2x1x2m I think. Vince is also used to shipping machine tools around so can best describe how to palletise stuff. The only thing is car parts must be empty of oil, he suggests putting carpet down first after draining the oil so that any drops are caught. If a drop goes onto a pallet below then you're liable for that pallet. I think stuff over 1t they will happily transport but require a forklift / tele handler at either end as the tail lifts can't (usually) handle them.

You'll enjoy it Gary, very therapeutic I find as you can't rush it and everything needs to be spotlessly clean.

Wish I had the justification for that. I was shocked the first time I greased up my diddly JCB 2CX. A grease cartridge on the side shift and under carriage, another one on the back actor, and another one and a half on the loader. Then was just flicking through the manual for an oil spec and noticed I'd missed off at least a dozen more nipples. Thankfully as its just personal use I don't need to grease it that often but I got a shock when I kept going back into the workshop for more grease cartridges.

Are you looking for new or used? If you're looking at new it would be worth having a chat with Mark (new boss) at CLH Trailers, they don't really do "standard" as all their trailers are customisable - I think he said he had 7 variations of their 14ft flatbed. Their trailers tow far nicer than any Ifor, GE or Bateman. Personally having borrowed and used a variety of trailers I'd be going as long as practical, it gives you more versatility on load centre. Once you've towed once with a badly loaded 110 on it you won't get the balance wrong ever again! A point worth noting is that if you do any DIY etc., then timber tends to come in ~16ft lengths. So a 16 or 18fter will fit them flat on the bed so you don't need to strap them down not find somewhere to tie the tailgate too. They're also a damn sight easier to get into small spaces (ironically) particularly reversing as things move slower as I'm sure you know. One thing you might find with the triaxles is that you have to get the hitch on the Defender at the right height, they're not that easy to lift up or down to adjust. I found on my 110 that even on the lowest tow ball setting it's still a bit high to easily hitch up most triple axles and then you're trying to lift it up. The only one I haven't had to do that on was a neighbours triple axle Ifor cattle trailer but he'd that built slightly differently because it was always going to be towed behind his big Valtra.

With doing a fair bit of stalking and offroading in the Highlands I've found Smidge to be the only thing (apart from smoke) that works at all. It just doesn't last as long as they say, I'm sure one bottle I've had said 24h protection but I found it needed reapplying every couple of hours.

The stuff I'd mown a few weeks ago wasn't that impressive but I've cut a track through the reeds. First pass lifted off about 6" then a second pass with it on the roller at a drunken crawl speed. Even a Land Rover in the picture to keep it on topic! Bearing in mind this stuff was bogging down a 215hp tractor with a hedge cutter. So crawling it is with a tiddly 17hp and about the same width cut.

Even better before and after for the thick stuff. And a drone shot comparing things. Area to the right was done with a commercial ride on, middle was mown reasonably regularly throughout the summer with the flail and the field to the left got two cuts about a week apart prior to the event.

The flail is an amazingly versatile bit of mower. I was skeptical to begin with about the finish because I always associated them with bracken bashing etc. A friend in Surrey who runs a forestry company built a massive one to go behind his Massey. He simply reverses into rhododendron bushes and woodchip comes out the other side. However three different people said that it gives a perfect lawn finish and bit the bullet. At the time I was having to do some reed bashing which takes some power (arguably too much for my little 20hp thing) but first and foremost it had to do lawn mowing. It does a superb job on that particularly with the roller and gives you nice striped effects. Even on thick stuff because it spreads it evenly it does a better job I've found that a ride on. The downsides, it takes some finesse when it's a bit damp as it rides on the skids (normally) so tends to tear up the ground turning. Basically lift it slightly as you turn or what I've done is extend the top link and lift the skids out of the way so it's only riding on the roller. They take power to run without bogging the tractor down, Winton actually give recommended HP on their range and I'd stick by it if you want an easy lift. I wanted a 4ft because the tractor is 4ft wide (huge turf tyres) but arguably I should be running more like a 3ft flail.

@ThreePointFive Found an old photo which shows some of the finish you can obtain. Obviously mown stuff on the left, probably a couple of weeks growth on the right.

I've been coerced into going down to mow again on Monday so I'll try and remember but it won't be as long.

I was wondering whether a Rover V8 downpipe thingy could be grafted onto the 1UZ headers such that you're at least then standard LR exhaust positions etc. Ideally need to get hold of one to try it out. Defender is sorted for the moment, so JCB engine rebuild next then perhaps some time on my 1UZ.

So rather ironically beautifully a Tdi exhaust is about the right diameter for one. Being naturally aspirated bigger doesn't necessarily mean better like it does in a turbo system.

Not 6ft but I have a 4ft Winton flail with roller behind my little New Holland 1220. It does a neater job that the John Deere ride on it replaced did. Can even use it in the wet with half decent results. This was done about a week ago on the one dry day in that week.The grass was about a foot high and sheep had been all over it (to try and cut it down but they didn't like the long grass). This portion of the field has nettles 3ft high when I started Last year before an open day at the Abbey I demolished a good chuck of those reeds with the flail too. It's a very versatile tool and if you've got the power to run one I'd highly recommend it over a topper. The 4ft is a little over sized for the 1220 but she just about manages it if you treat it gently. Just have to feather the clutch to get the flail up to speed. Edit - you don't need the roller to spread stuff evenly, the design of the mower does that. The roller basically gives the striping effect and also means you're not running on the skids so don't tear up the ground as much.

Probably worth getting or borrowing one of those drain cleaning attachments for a pressure washer. Before you weld up the end of the chassis shove it in and blast out what carp you can. My pressure washer (my parents old one and repaired and got working again) punched a hole through the old FIAT's door my grandparents gave them. It wasn't even that bad rust wise. You might be able to knock off any loose rust that way and clean it out before adding your chosen treatment. Also worth ensuring the drain holes are nice and clear. It's the one thing I tend to do everytime I go under the vehicle is clear them out with a screwdriver. Lack of paint and general neglect on the chassis has actually kept mine in pretty good condition but then it gets used regularly so on/off road grime gets washed off fairly regularly. Waxoyled it once and pressure washed it half a dozen times in 15 years of ownership and it's still (bar rear cross member and bits of the front dumb irons) original. When the cross member was built the guy who made it and welded it on was a Polish ex-mechanic he gave the inside of the chassis a thorough inspection and said it was in amazing condition especially considering it's age.

Dad used phosphoric acid to treat patches of rust on his shogun. I tend to take a wire wheel, brush, whatever I can get in and get rid of the rust and paint it. He's on his 3rd or 4th Shogun in the time I've had my 110 and my chassis (bar cross member) is still original. I'll just leave that there...

Regarding the sump I recall that's just an oil level sensor (possibly just a switch and not the most reliable) that fed the dash so not usually used in conversions. At least they didn't do what they did on the 4.4TDV8 and get rid of the bloody dipstick! Chase the wires through on the engine side and I think you'll find most of them unnecessary, that whole "loom" isn't required to run the engine but just feeds the alternator and sensor on the sump. I can't remember if there was some thing else attached (I'll try and remember to have a look on mine) but not needed for running the ECU.

I wouldn't waste the money on it. I got a three pack of cheap kitchen sprayers off Amazon for about £5 and they work fine for Duck Oil.

Why don't I have skips like that...

Funny, Dad does too. Uses it extensively when he's repaired his Shoguns. Also funny that he's on his third or fourth in the 15 years I've owned my 110

Following up some very rough painting with a borderline knackered brush but it's underneath the vehicle so I wasn't going to spend all the time cleaning out the spray gun for such a small job. The POR15 flows quite well and smooths itself out nicely so what looked like it had a load of brush streaks in it when put on actually turns out looking pretty got for a slap and dash. First coat of top-coat going onto the cross-member, that was just after putting it on with the stiff brush. It'll smooth out quite nicely and I'll do at least one more coat but treat it to a new brush. And ignoring the rest of the underside - I will get around to that at some point but the A-frame link painted back in sometime around Easter. Hasn't had a trip to Scotland yet to put it through all the salt but has been through Seven Sisters. So far pretty happy.