[Paul Heath]

Just about to join the happy band of "Truckmounters" Went to Hydramaster and sorted out a deal on 2nd hand one. Being fitted next Tuesday. Not told @er indoors yet. Just in time as my polaris went bang this afternoon....again.

[from edge2edge]

What did you get and how much did you  pay for it.Regards Alan(swindon)

[Paul Heath]

Boxer 321 £4000 including various stock etc

[Paul Heath]

Sorry Boxer 421

[from edge2edge]

Do these come up often  Regards Alan(swindon)

[Paul Heath]

They have still got a couple older ones on the web site with 10% off. www.hydramaster.co.uk

[from edge2edge]

That sounds like a good deal if the hours were sensible.Regards Alan(swindon)

[dave123]

I know tm's are the dogs doo daas but the trouble with them down in London is there is no where to park near enough to do the job .You guys up north not have that trouble ?

[dave123]

ok you guys down West 

[Dennis]

I know tm's are the dogs doo daas but the trouble with them down in London is there is no where to park near enough to do the job .You guys up north not have that trouble ?

Nigel does alright. 

http://www.designcare.co.uk/new_page_1.htm

[colin thomas]

dave, do you think there are no truck-mounts in london?

[Karl Wildey]

I think he is suggesting thats it not easy to park and work from a TM in london, as I think everyone would agree.

[colin thomas]

well yes of course karl but that doesn't stop plenty of operators using truck-mounts, i have a couple of mates who use them all of the time london, no porties for them, ok some jobs you can't do but there are still a huge amount you can,

colin

[Len Gribble]

London can be a nightmare contacted Southwark council that’s where they pay tax too re yellow lines on a weekend not a problem so advised turn out to be Lambeth council red routes met police oh dispensations with payment of ££’s doesn’t allow to park.

Len 

[dave123]

Colin ,
        I didn't say that there wasn't any t/m's in London ,I am just saying it is a nightmare to park anywhere near the job. I do jobs around Fulham and Chelsea and very rarely do I get parked right outside the gaff. I also used to work the areas that Nigel does.and looking at his website ,what time of day is that ?? Not another car in site .I know 3 cc's who have all changed to porties for that reason in the last 3 months .

[master-clean]

Nigel has said on here he uses a Portable alot where he is because of difficult access.

[mark shannon]

Why cant you have a TM and a porty?

I do a fair bit in town and usually use the porty, or park outside and put a Flood sign on windscreen.

mark

[Mike Osbourne]

After a while with a TM you see sites differently and become far more brazen. In fact a bigger van, well one up from my little Combo, has made it easier to pull up on the pavement and get the cones out and nobody seems to care. 

Just drive around tomorrow and see the delivery lorries and the three workman who watch the other guy digging.

Worst case as Mark says is you have to get the porty out or pass the job on to someone less fortunate. 

[Nigel_W]

In a sense everyone is right here. It is more difficult running a TM in London but it can be done. You get very good at planning how you will park. This sometimes means arranging for the client to save a space outside or a getting a permit from the council to park in a residents bay. You also end up with a high proportion of clients with drives which is very desirable because if you have off street parking in Central London it is usually a nice pad. Ultimately you can just park illegally and price the parking ticket in to the job. So one way or another I manage to put about 600 hours on my TM per year.

The downside is that I do probably as many hours with my portable working mainly in apartments and other inaccessble places. Some weeks the TM barely gets switched on. I would prefer to use the TM all the time but I have to accept that this is not possible for me with my clients. Incidentally I don't earn less money per hour using a portable and I am not conscious that I am doing a lower quality job. However there is no question it is usually an easier days work with the TM. As I am in the lucky position of having an excess of potential work I am now turning away some portable work.  I do, however, think that my portable will never be relegated to the garage.

I am not convinced though that my personal experiences prove anything. I have been working this area for 20 years and I have targeted the very top end of the market from day 1. Therefore I work in disproportionate number of homes with off street parking. It would be a very different story working the rental market or on the congested streets of Fulham or the West End.
Nigel

[dave123]

Thanks for clearing that up Nigel