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tracteurtom

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Everything posted by tracteurtom

  1. [quote user="WJT"] My question is; one of my favourite memories of visiting the Swiss Alps at Christmas was the wonderful smell coming from peoples homes of burning pine from chimneys. How do the Swiss get away with it? I know they are surrounded by mostly pines so perhaps they have adapted something to make it safer? [/quote] I think you've just proved the point, its utter bunkum to say you should not burn pine.  Yeah, its not got the energy of oak per kilo, but who cares !  Only problem I see is it burns quickly, but in doing so its very hot, burning off those resinous residues we keep reading about.   If you read the sales brochures of say Jotul, no where does it say not to burn pine, it justs comments that its got a lower calorific value and that all wood should be dried.  If you've got it (and I've a forest full) burn it, I say.  In my caseits free apart from the cutting/stacking/moving/more cutting/more stacking/more moving eek !  Its true what they say, wood warms you many times before you even set fire to it !
  2. Wots going on - is the Forum playing up ???????????? There was a post on here from last night, its just disappeared - no trace ?  Them mods up to no good again ? To the poster re Wii Fit, you got ripped matey - 90€ from Amazon.fr inc free delivery !
  3. [quote user="DerekJ"]cowoman posted a link to Quality Tools where he got his Husqvarna brushcutter.  I followed up on this and ended up getting a Stihl FS90 brushcutter through them. Got it for a very good price and it's a great bit of kit. It appears I got my order (and delivery) in just in time as they are now in liquidation.  That was a close one [:)] [/quote] Coor blimey talk about digging up old posts ! Hope you and the FS90 will have a long and happy life together. Just be aware that the FS90 is very much in the amateur range so treat it carefully - long rests between tank fulls and no blades.  Warranty ????? 
  4. What price are these things going for ?  At our local SNCF station there is a mountain of them - it really is huge !  I'd love to get may hands on a trailer load or 5 as they are so useful and have a beauty all of their own that can't be matched with some new made version.  The tar etc leached into their structure is essential for a long life.  Forget new ones made specifically for gardening purposes, you'll be lucky to get 10 years out of them.
  5. Rhubarb leaves are poisonous, even for hens.  They've probably eaten them because they are bored and run out of other things to peck at or have a deficiency in their diet somewhere..  What are you feeding them ?  They should have free unlimited access to good quality layers pellets and you should feed a small quantity of wheat every night before bedtime.  I assume they are free ranging ?  Does your ground give them access to grit ?  You also need to supplement their diet with crushed oyster shell (sprinkle it around their territory once every few weeks).  If they insist on eating the rhubarb, you're going to have to move them or the rhubarb.  Fencing it off may be a fix but hens are extremely determined creatures and will no doubt work a way around your fencing if they can ! At 5 months - 20 weeks they should be just coming into lay.
  6. If you can get the parts and its something that you really want to do then go for it.  But I suspect parts will be hens teeth and in the end what do you achieve ? It it were me, I'd swap it for a little Mazda.  MGs are just crap by comparison (seriously  !).   But then, this is the French Forum and not the MGB owners forum, so you asked for it LOL !
  7. We've been picking cherry toms for 2 weeks now, get a basket full every day.  All grown outside, non of this under glass nonsense !  The taste is sensational, kids eat them like sweets, you can only get that sweet taste from the sun.  If you force them, they just dont have any flavour - AKA supermarket ones !   OP, I'd chuck the bad tasting ones and see want the next lot taste like.  Any blight ?  If so, get them sprayed or you'll loose the lot.
  8. Lets face it, 2 countries separated by a strip of water that neither can agree a common name for , there are bound to be differnces in building techniques.  Just'cos its done like that in Angleterre, doesnt mean its better.  Taking advice from an English "expert" on "foreign" building techniques is like asking a Frenchman does he drink Austrailian wine or drive a german car ! I have yet to see any reason why a concrete block constucted house is inferior to brick.  Its just different.  There is many a brick cavity filled with insulation material of one sort or another, negating the main reason for the cavity in search of better insulation.
  9. Sounds like you still don't have prime if the pressure switch is not switching off.  Fill the tank with mains water and pressurized it, pump motor should stop.  Doing this will not put water into the lift pipe from the well, you'll just have a column of air I guess in that pipe.  Try running a tap, to remove the pressure from the mains water and start the pump again at the same time, might help.  Its just a trail and error thing to cajule the pump into priming !  Ideally, you need to remove the bung on the pump body and slowly trickle so water into it. I wouldnt mess with the pressure switch until you are sure its the problem.  It'll have 2 settings, kick in and drop out, for want of better terms.  The kick in setting will be lower than the drop out so as the motor doesnt stop start every time you run a tap.  Mine are set at aprox 2 bar drop out and 1.5 (ish) kick in.  Just remember to be careful when messing with 3 phase stuff, you will not have a 2nd chance if you get across 2 phases.  Use the old TV / electronics repair tactic of keeping one hand in you pocket and wear rubber soled boots. 
  10. Same here, block construction houses going up all opver the place.  Another angle to consider is the climate.  In Angleterre, the damp drizzly rain must be a major reason why brick / cavity walls are used, whereas in France yes it rains (boy can it rain !) but then it dries up very quickly.  Just a thought. The French new builds dont seem to have DPCs as normal practice I've noticed, just from from a casual look mind.  Any builders / Surveyors / Structural Engineers  like to comment  ?
  11. [quote user="ErnieY"] Suffice to say that I'm still on the original engine and crankshaft and have 50lb+ pressure on hot tickover ! [/quote] Well Ernie, that means diddly swat.  Its oil FLOW that you should be thinking about not oil pressure.  Its similar to blood flow in your body, a high pressure at rest is not good - is it ! Fit a modern oil of the weight that suits your motor, and change it every 12 months, you wont regret it.  Have you got rid of that silicon brake fluid yet - tut tut [:)]
  12. I think 8k GBP is not a bad price for a pro diesel 27kVA fully auto genset with UPS and bunded 500 l diesel tank.  Fully installed and conmissioned I trust [:D]  and if the figures of 2hrs running for 50p are right ([;-)] thats getting close to utopia LOL ! Yes a tractor would not run anything like as reliable as this setup but if all you need to do is provide power to run the muck conveyor or milking machine should the EDF supply fail then thats all you need.  It wouldn't surprise me if many non techie farmers would be happy to leave the tractor running for hours on end - before the recent price increases in diesel fuel that is ! To the poster with no power in 87, check out the Bricos and garden machinery shops.  That little diesel gen set I saw back in the spring was the business for 600 €. Post edited by the moderators. Comments or questions regarding the general administration of the forum should be made by "private message" or using the "Report" link to the moderators or direct to Forum Admin. Such comments or questions should not be posted in the open forum.
  13. Ha, practically neighbours ! To help get prime you need to fill the big pipe that runs into the well with water.  Look at the plumbing and suss out a way to fill this pipe.  You should find a plug on the pump body that allows you to fill the system with water.  Do it slowly to aid bleeding air.   Its just a case of keeping the system full of water and running the pump and it will prime.  Thats assuming there is water in the well covering the lift pipe inlet ?  When it does prime, you will here it.  If it still doesnt work, then maybe there is a fault ?  You will have to start taking things to pieces to find the problem.
  14. I was interested until I saw the price and thats in GBP !  But, realistically, thats expected for the kit you're talking about.  What many farms do around here is simply have a generator that can be connected to a tractor PTO, cost 1000 - 2000 € buys you quite a large unit, just ready to lift on the 3 point and away you go.  I saw recently a 5kVA diesel genset for I thin k 600 €, not bad, not quality, but as an insurance for the freezers, its fine.  Just my take, those with big swimming pools may have different views.
  15. The problem with being "green" (I think the french term "bio" is much neater!) is that you must have a through understanding of plants and their needs.  Fine you if just have a small patch, and are willing to put in the time to learn.  But once you start to cultavate a larger area you simply dont have enough time in the day to check each plant individually and cater for its needs like a baby.   I think our mistake was setting off with too large a patch, - in excess of 1500m2, complete with weeds in year 1.  We had in over 500 potatoe plants and it simply was impossible to keep control of the doraphore and the weeds.  This year, we are running 2 patches, one of  800m2 the other is 300m2, still alot, but we now know a lot more about proirites (hoeing hoeing and more hoeing) and use sprays to keep the bugs and mildew at bay.  We have also limited the potatoes to just 100 plants and found this to be more managable.  Lets face it, even after some limited spraying, your own produce has 10 times the flavour and goodness of any supermarket stuff, even that that is passed off as "organic", whatever that means. So yes be Bio when ever you can, but be realistic and dont put off spraying should the need arise. anyone for a cabbage or 5 ....
  16. We have the same set with a lift pump and reservoir in the cave.  I had to replace the pump/reservoir though as the old was past its best.  My guess is that you have simply run out of water.  Drop a line down the well and measure it.  You need to cover the clapet (valve) at the bottom  - which on mine is set at about 1m above the well floor (too high IMO) - to get prime and then the water table needs to be able to supply water at your pump's flow capacity to keep the clapet covered, if not, you will loose prime and the whole lot stops working. Priming involves back filling and running the pump.  Just dont leave it running too long as they rely on the water for lube and cooling.  It can seem to take an age to get prime, just persivere (spelling !!), assuming you have water in the well that is ! You dont say where abouts you live.  I note that there are some severe water restictions on in certain parts of France at the moment, suggesting that the water table in those parts is low.
  17. I'm in a similar position, having a garden thar was previously used for large quatities of potatoes.  I'm in my 4th season and the fight with Doraphore is still just as strong as the first.  Spraying is the ONLY way you will get an upper hand with these things.  Its all very well thinking I'll be "green", but the reality is the amount of work involved in hand picking the bugs/larvae/eggs is never ever worth it.  So, IMO, if you want to grow pots (and you should !) swallow your principles and spray.  I'd recommend you get a spray that also does Mildew and give the toms and aubergines a covering to.  But do not spray more than 3 -4 times in the season and use different products from one season to the next.  Apparently these little bug-gers mutate and can become immume to the insecticide.  Plan to spray to kill the larvae, not the bugs as they are the most sensitive.  Of course, walkin gup and down the rows on a hot afternoon picking of the bugs does help keep the numbers down, but for every bug you kill, I'll gaurantee there's ten you've missed ! One thing you must do is rotavate the potatoe beds before you plant the tubers.  This helps to kill the bugs in the soil before they set to eating your potatoes leaves.   On the plus side, its not as devestating as Mildew / Blight.  so long as the plant still has some leaves, you'll have a crop, albeit limited in tuber size.  Now Mildew, spray spray and spray !!!
  18. Of course they don't recognise it, the great JC sorted that one out for Vauxhall when they lanuch the Vectra.  I'm falling asleep just thinking about ........those .....cars zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.. Call it want you want, the whole thing about registing UK spec cars in France is a farce, just do want they ask.  Why not change the badges to Opel or better still remove the badges - that'll confuse 'em !
  19. That explains it then - you jammy sod !  He forgot to charge you the deposit or assumed that you had dropped of two bottles for recharge.  Your bill should have been  500 - 800 € !!   Beware, these trade supply companies have a habit of sending you a bill many months down the line when they suss out something is not right.  If this bothers you and you cant sleep at night, I'm happy to take the bottles of your hands ......[6]  I might just try again at my local Linde distributor [;-)]
  20. [quote user="dave21478"]For the oxy acetylene stuff - My bottles were about done, so I never brought them over, just the torch etc. I got a pair of "Linde" bottles on contract from a shop called SEM Angles in Albi - they do bathrooms and plumbing supplies. The bottles worked out about 80€ each, which I thought was reasonable. (I tried the same shop for the CO2, but they dont stock it - they could order it in, but the price made me feel dizzy!)   [/quote] Dave, thats a good price for a oxy acetylene pair.  Best I can find is around the 500 € mark !  I too have the torches etc etc and thinking I'll get the bottles here, but ouch that wasn't in the budget !  That said, I've seen some very small oxy acetylene setups for sale at Brico places with the crappiest torch you could image, I think the price was around 200€ for the lot ?
  21. Well you ain't gonna hack 2 ha with a amateur electric strimmer on rollers that's for sure ! Why do you think weed killer is a no go ? Applied at the right time of year under hedge rows its ideal for controlling those weeds.  But I guess you wont be lifting a 16l backpack sprayer ! As I said to someone else on this Forum, 2ha is a lot of land (it s not a farm though (!)).  You need a management plan for it.  Whats its purpose, why did you buy it, where do you see it in say 5 years time ?  Those sort of things.  If you just have it because it came with the property and have no desires of farming it then have a word with the local farmers, they could be interested in it for hay or sheep / cattle etc. You could rent it, sell it or just let someone manage it for you for free, what ever you want.  But what ever you do, dont like it go to seed, even meadows need cutting.
  22. The funy thing is that once you start keeping Bees everyone thinks you are an expert !!  Not so by a long way and I'm still trying to get to grips with the art.  I've have been asked numerous times to remove bees from barn / house walls and to be honest from all my research and speaking to experts (?) its practically impossible.  People say we have a swarm of bees in the wall, please can you move it !  I try to explain its not a swarm, its an established colony and the bees are very happy where they are thank you very much and have no intention of moving into a box I may offer them, no matter how I entice them  !  and try doing that in French ! The only chance you may have of removing an establhished colony of bees is if you can get above them, if not you are faced with having to distroy them.  To do that is a shame because wild bees are getting rarer by the year.  You will also be left with a huge problem of honey dribbling out of the walls !
  23. Gardening isn't easy is it  [:)].  I was told that once you are bent over, keep down, the pain is just made worse by repeated straightening of the back !  Thats perhaps why we see many old timers in the country with bent backs ! Suggest you go to a shop or two and test out the kit on offer.  Re the strimmer, a proper harness is the way to go as the weight of the machine is on your back and not your arms.  Why not try weed killer ?  Or if its just a few weeds one of those flame thrower things for burning weeds ?  Just dont use it when its dry[+o(].
  24. I love to talk landies, although I think they are over-rated rust heaps with crap engines ! So how do you plan to move this one ?  If it is a rare beast as you describe then surely its better to keep it original - or has the rust taken over and originality is now something of the past ? If the motor is toast then to get it to France it will have to be trailered.  Forget fitting another motor to drive it here, stupid idea as you might as well do the proper conversion in Angle land now.  Trailering it will - I guess - exceed it value so think long and hard, just how much do you want this Landy ? Conversions to another LR family motor would be the best way to go.  But even the 2.25 petrol or diesel version motors are nothing to write home about.  How about a Rover V8 (the only descent LR motor IMO and even thats a Buick!) or a Jap in-line 6 diesel - now you're talking [:D] Registration in France is not easy.  If it was a car with a Cof C then OK no problems, but I guess you dont have that.  It will have to undergo an inspection and that involves money and of course the Inspector will be looking for a LR engine.   If you fit the Ford, I think the F O R D on the rocker cover might just rise a few alarm bells !  Search on this Forum as this as registration as been covered in detail. IMO, I'd sell it and pick up a runner that will get you to France, a Series 1 2 or 3 if your spine is good enough (and your wallet thick enough for the fuel bill !) or a Defender.   Register it and then convert / mod at your leisure.  Better still buy a early '90s Jap Patrol / Landcruser / Shogun [:D]
  25. [quote user="Frenchie"]And mongrels are often the loveliest of dogs !!!!!!!!!!!!! [/quote] Completely agree Frenchie.  But people need to be aware that mongrels fill the dog homes around the world, pups from unplanned liaisons that often end up being distroyed.  There's always a good selection of pedigrees in them homes as well, makes you think WTF ! Threads like this give people the wrong impression - oh it doesnt matter, we'll have a litter, cute little things, and if we cant get owners for them, there's always the dogs homes - not so. Nuff said, I just needed to make a point.
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