Gunns Contractors Ltd

[Gunners]

Been working on this revamp and extension of a patio recently. The first picture shows what some other mug got away with 3 years ago. It all came up by hand, weeds growing in the joints and generally not a great job. I had to match the stone and extend the area which I think has come out really well. Client is installing their own sleepers to keep their kids out of the flowerbed.
I hired possibly the worst micro I have ever driven for this job - a Yanmar SV08. It was like going back 15 years to the very early micros, very slow, noisy 2 cylinder engine, only one function at a time, terrible driving position and when you got off it 9/10 times you accidentally turned the machine off because the key is located right where your boot goes when getting off. And this was a 2017 machine with 300hrs! The bobcat E10 is another level on most micros and others need to play catch up but this made a JCB 8008 feel modern
Still it was better than a shovel - just.

In other news I've been helping my farmer mate fencing and as part of that contract, been subjected to some time on his old hedge cutter and the terrible gearbox on the David Brown where you cant tell whats neutral and whats a gear its so sloppy. Hedges haven't been cut for a decade or more so its slow going.

 

[doobin]

I wouldn't have bothered matching the stone for such a tiny area that had to come up anyhow! Just get a project pack or two, you'll usually have leftover anyhow. Plus I bet the pikey job stone wasn't calibrated, so twice the effort to relay. Other than that, tidy job

And I'm glad to hear that about the E10, because I signed the paperwork without even seeing one in the flesh

 

[JD450A]

"Makes a nice change, they always pay on time and you get the chance to find out how much other contractors priced the work for when you read their meeting minutes - a rare opportunity to check your pricing. "

Dubiously Legal Ollie, they oughta check with there Clerk that that's allowed as we where told that a Parish council cannot divulge information that could be commercially sensitive (quotations etc) other than the final cost of works/payment.

 

[V8Druid]

Dubiously Legal Ollie, they oughta check with there Clerk that that's allowed as we where told that a Parish council cannot divulge information that could be commercially sensitive (quotations etc) other than the final cost of works/payment.

only commercially sensitive if the other tenderers are named Rory .... public sharing of how well the council did would be seen as the incentive to publish ... plus the losers get the same opportunity as Ollie

 

[Gunners]

only commercially sensitive if the other tenderers are named Rory .... public sharing of how well the council did would be seen as the incentive to publish ... plus the losers get the same opportunity as Ollie

Basically if I'm lucky, in the months before they come to me asking for a quote, there will usually be outline approval for said project. At that stage a budget figure is usually mentioned and approved. This I can sometimes use to make sure I'm in the right ball park although you have to be careful as the budget to erect a shed for example will also include the shed so its not always that useful to know.
Once all the quotes are in, they have in the past shared what each contractors price is and this is minuted. Surely that's allowed? They have to discuss the price to make a decision and its a great opportunity to see where others are with a particular job.
I am not usually the cheapest but get picked hopefully on my previous work quality and I use local suppliers and labour - they like that but I don't think I would win it if the cost wasn't right at the end of the day. Pricing up another 3 jobs for them today - better than being in the rain all day.

 

[Gunners]

Been installing an all weather cricket pitch this week. Interesting job, got to get the stone spot on then lay a shock pad and roll the carpet out on top which is nailed with 200mm nails into the dirt around the edges. Seemed a bit of a bodge but works and once the grass grows round the edges you wont be able to lift the mat again. If the dumper would of turned up first thing we probably would have got it done in a day.

 

[Danny]

Basically if I'm lucky, in the months before they come to me asking for a quote, there will usually be outline approval for said project. At that stage a budget figure is usually mentioned and approved. This I can sometimes use to make sure I'm in the right ball park although you have to be careful as the budget to erect a shed for example will also include the shed so its not always that useful to know.
Once all the quotes are in, they have in the past shared what each contractors price is and this is minuted. Surely that's allowed? They have to discuss the price to make a decision and its a great opportunity to see where others are with a particular job.
I am not usually the cheapest but get picked hopefully on my previous work quality and I use local suppliers and labour - they like that but I don't think I would win it if the cost wasn't right at the end of the day. Pricing up another 3 jobs for them today - better than being in the rain all day.

I priced a job for my local parish council removal of mulch, wood chips etc on the minutes online state my price which is fair enough but makes me look hell of a dear
Cant remember the exact figures but something like this

My all in risk price £3500.00 includes all muck away etc.
One man band down the road came in at £500.00 put said they have to supply the skips to get rid of the waste he said 2 should do it.

I lost the job, he got the job fair play read all the minutes over the coming months they provided 12 skips in the end and his end price wasn't far of my price but how embarrassing to have to ask for an extra 10 skips!!

 

[V8Druid]

I priced a job for my local parish council removal of mulch, wood chips etc on the minutes online state my price which is fair enough but makes me look hell of a dear
Cant remember the exact figures but something like this

My all in risk price £3500.00 includes all muck away etc.
One man band down the road came in at £500.00 put said they have to supply the skips to get rid of the waste he said 2 should do it.

I lost the job, he got the job fair play read all the minutes over the coming months they provided 12 skips in the end and his end price wasn't far of my price but how embarrassing to have to ask for an extra 10 skips!!

will make them think twice about going for the cheapest option in future though .... bit of a win I'd say

 

[Gunners]

A few from the last month or so. Currently on an interesting job inside Reading Hospital expanding the wards to alleviate winter bed crisis...... in winter.... bit late if you ask me but we try our best. Tracking a machine down a ward at 6.30am was a nice way to wake everyone up. Monday see's us pump 55m3 through there so looking forward to that. Then onto the courtyard next door to do it all again.
8026 is continuing to be improved and modified, now has a nice new bigger seat, cup and phone holder. Currently installing a new upper window as I cracked the original and now it leaks so its getting a new one and a FOPS guard to avoid that issue in the future. Awaiting my Engcon fit in January - don't know when I'm going to fit it in, the diary is really starting to stack up which is no bad thing. It would seem people are willing to pay good money to have a reliable bloke turn up with the right tools and do a job to spec. I'm quite happy to take it while I can, in the mean time, I find out next week if I have won the 3 month SANG creation project and if so Ill be needing that Engcon tout suite Robert!

 

[Brendan]

You took the plunge for a tilty what spec did you go for?

 

[TiltyShaun]

You won’t look back once you have the tilty!!

 

[Grahams]

It will be worth taking the time out to get it fitted. You will kick yourself you didn't do it sooner once you have got used to it.
Graham

 

[Gunners]

You took the plunge for a tilty what spec did you go for?

I believe round these parts they call the spec "all singing all dancing" except they don't do EC Oil on the smaller ones.
I've gone for a top hitch, EC02 controlled by DC2, 4 buckets and an SK02 grab. That should give me enough to play with for now.
Graham, you are right, I already wish I had it for the site clearance job I did above. The grab would of saved me half a day alone on that job. And with my new philosophy of being a one man army having removed all my workforce, it should save me plenty of time going forward.

 

[doobin]

^ Mate, shut up, you're making me want to sack all my guys.

I'm guessing the tilty cost was roughly equivalent to 6-8 months wages for one guy?

 

[fred]

^ Mate, shut up, you're making me want to sack all my guys.

I'm guessing the tilty cost was roughly equivalent to 6-8 months wages for one guy?

can allways sell the tilty after 6-8 months though !!!

 

[Furniss]

I believe round these parts they call the spec "all singing all dancing" except they don't do EC Oil on the smaller ones.
I've gone for a top hitch, EC02 controlled by DC2, 4 buckets and an SK02 grab. That should give me enough to play with for now.
Graham, you are right, I already wish I had it for the site clearance job I did above. The grab would of saved me half a day alone on that job. And with my new philosophy of being a one man army having removed all my workforce, it should save me plenty of time going forward.

Lucky man will look forward to hearing how you adapt to it and how it changes things day to day ..... shame about EC oil on the little units.

 

[Gunners]

^ Mate, shut up, you're making me want to sack all my guys.

I'm guessing the tilty cost was roughly equivalent to 6-8 months wages for one guy?

So I paid my labourer £85/ day when he turned up. The Engcon will turn up everyday and should be able to do around 60% of the work the labourer would of done, digging in tight spaces, clearing up etc. Based on that guesstimate It should pay for itself in a year on my normal work. However, a few projects I have in the pipeline would suit the tilty much better than the average work I do. So I'm hoping it'l pay off in 4 months - I just have to drive my own dumper! My new headspace is to price work as per a 3 man job but complete it on my own. The engcon should help me do less shovelling and more with the excavator. If the job takes me a little longer as I wont be as efficient as a 3 man crew then so be it. I've still priced to have 3 people anyway so should actually make more money than I did before even if it runs 30% over on time.
In all honesty, it is surprisingly more affordable than I had thought once I got my head in the right place with how it could help me. The finance they do is 0% over 2 years and not expensive for longer - anyone should be able to make it work on that sort of deal. They wont suit everyone's work - no good for fencing for example.
Either way I will let you all know how I get on - I've spent a long time thinking about it and know exactly how long jobs take currently so we shall see. Got to learn how to drive it first!

 

[Grahams]

Paying for itself in four months is a no brainer. Plus not having to worry a labourer is a huge amount less hassle.
Tilties are easy enough to get the basics, but it takes some time to get the best out of it. Youtube is a great place to get ideas of what you can do with one. I know a lot of people don't like duckgirl, but she is good at what she does and shows off how to use a tilty to the maximum.
There is also a world of after market attachments out there to tempt you.
Graham

 

[V8Druid]

not having to avoid maiming or killing the labour will be an immense relief aside from the aggro of 'em not turning up ... biggest issue you're gonna have is transporting all the toys to site, once you've gotten your head around what it'll do for you ----- from the seat ....
I'm always on me own and although I don't:- (a) have any urgency in anything I do (b) have to earn with it, (c) always have it on .....
sometimes I couldn't do it any other way, on me lonesome ... so on it goes .. problem solved

 

[Brendan]

I believe round these parts they call the spec "all singing all dancing" except they don't do EC Oil on the smaller ones.
I've gone for a top hitch, EC02 controlled by DC2, 4 buckets and an SK02 grab. That should give me enough to play with for now.
Graham, you are right, I already wish I had it for the site clearance job I did above. The grab would of saved me half a day alone on that job. And with my new philosophy of being a one man army having removed all my workforce, it should save me plenty of time going forward.

All the acronyms mean nothing g to me can you tilt and rotate at the same time?
Is it all off of rollers or do you need to use the pedal?
With the grab on can if you setup can tilt and rotate can you do that while operating the grab?
Must have spent not far off what you paid for the machine