Gunns Contractors Ltd

[DaveDCB]

Reminds me of my good old days @Gunners
- Impress a new client and they keep you for life! No need to be greedy with it is there!

 

[Gunners]

March saw me installing ducting, a feeder pillar cabinet and column foundations in a local park for CCTV to be installed. Access, the public (and their kids), the weather and a lack of onsite power and water always make these jobs harder than they first appear, but I got it done without having to close the entire park by working sensibly and in school times. A nice little job for my local community.
Since then I have mostly been working for a landscape contractor on a large house not all that far from Doobin country. Massive new scheme going in here, the lads will be here for most of summer with me popping in and out when required to get the groundwork in.
The total station is really coming into its own on this job and I am getting my head around setting it up and using it now.

 

[6feetdown]

Reminds me of my good old days @Gunners
- Impress a new client and they keep you for life! No need to be greedy with it is there!

Same 6 weeks last year turned to 8 months and back in a few weeks.
Current 1 the same

 

[Gunners]

May is of course Chelsea Flower Show month for me, pretty much live there getting it all built and taking it down again. Was part of two gardens, one winning gold, the other Silver Gilt. Seemed harder work this year than it has done in the past. Not sure if I will do it again, really rewarding to see your work on TV but its a big sacrifice to put those hours in over the show and to be honest, I think I could earn more just doing my usual work in more traditional hours!
Drove a variety of kit as usual, some better than others. Shame I cant really film anything properly because if you wanted to do a telehandler or Avant review, you could almost do a head to head with all the different models there.

 

[6feetdown]

May is of course Chelsea Flower Show month for me, pretty much live there getting it all built and taking it down again. Was part of two gardens, one winning gold, the other Silver Gilt. Seemed harder work this year than it has done in the past. Not sure if I will do it again, really rewarding to see your work on TV but its a big sacrifice to put those hours in over the show and to be honest, I think I could earn more just doing my usual work in more traditional hours!
Drove a variety of kit as usual, some better than others. Shame I cant really film anything properly because if you wanted to do a telehandler or Avant review, you could almost do a head to head with all the different models there.

They must spend some on those gardens!
What did you think of the Avant 860?

 

[JerryRtilt]

May is of course Chelsea Flower Show month for me, pretty much live there getting it all built and taking it down again. Was part of two gardens, one winning gold, the other Silver Gilt. Seemed harder work this year than it has done in the past. Not sure if I will do it again, really rewarding to see your work on TV but its a big sacrifice to put those hours in over the show and to be honest, I think I could earn more just doing my usual work in more traditional hours!
Drove a variety of kit as usual, some better than others. Shame I cant really film anything properly because if you wanted to do a telehandler or Avant review, you could almost do a head to head with all the different models there.

I think i did five or six years at Chelsea about twenty years ago and the first couple were really enjoyable, great camaraderie with the other contractors, lots of banter and you meet some really interesting people but the novelty does wear off. A lot depends on the designer of the particular garden your involved with i found. Operating a telehandler there was one of the must stressful experiences with clueless photographers etc all over the place. Glad i had the opportunity to experience it but wouldn't want to do it again.

 

[Gunners]

Wow, haven't updated my thread since June last year. Too much to cover since then but the 2nd half of the year was total madness. I did my years turnover in 8 weeks over the summer holidays and then the strong demand continued right up to Christmas. I've been lucky this year to find a couple of subbies who are independent like me, have a good worth ethic and by chance we all get along so have been helping each other out to get through some of these bigger jobs.
June was spent building a large double garage/ barn foundation, I was lucky enough to be given a brand new 3cx Pro to do it with on demo - lovely machine but sadly not enough of a jump above my current one to be worth twice the investment! That 6 speed 50k box is bloody brilliant I'd have that on mine in a flash.
July/August was the big one - refurbing and expanding multiple tennis courts at a school. A lot of work went into what seemed on the face of it an easy enough job. Worked some hours on this one I can say - then went combining in the afternoons/ evenings. Too much really but we got through it.
September was more car parking and resurfacing a track.
October was trenching for new communications ducts.
And November/December was more parking bays - under trees this time so all no dig construction/ cellweb to build it up.

I'd hope 2024 is a little quieter to be honest, I'm struggling to keep up the pace with my current setup on my own but I've got jobs in the diary up to October as it stands so maybe not! One things for sure - I'm definitely having more holidays this year in between the work. Need to find the balance somehow.

 

[Gunners]

Too many pics to post in one go!

 

[Gunners]

The finished tennis courts - I was really proud of how this turned out!
Levelling a large garden and prepping for a new lawn with the 3cx.
Cable ducting across more lawns!
And I got the roller stuck - it drove there when it was dry, was having none of it once the rain started! Had to be rescued by the farmer!

 

[Gunners]

And finally (I promise I wont leave it so long this year) repairing farm tracks with the backhoe.
Installing cellweb and creating new parking areas including concrete footpaths from the house to the new parking bays. Looked good when finished with permeable tarmac.
Getting the crusher bucket fitted on the backhoe, just waiting for hoses to arrive and we will put it to the test.
Hope you all had a good Christmas break, lets hope 2024 is another good one for us all.

 

[Furniss]

Great photos @Gunners

lovely kit

We've said it all before but its not easy keeping it all going, continually asks the question.

Are you managing to doing everything yourself from a-z ?

 

[doobin]

And finally (I promise I wont leave it so long this year) repairing farm tracks with the backhoe.
Installing cellweb and creating new parking areas including concrete footpaths from the house to the new parking bays. Looked good when finished with permeable tarmac.
Getting the crusher bucket fitted on the backhoe, just waiting for hoses to arrive and we will put it to the test.
Hope you all had a good Christmas break, lets hope 2024 is another good one for us all.

Looking good mate, would be interested in how the crusher bucket pans out. Might be soomething I'd like to hire from you, I'm sure I have a few things in the fleet or tractor implements that you can hire from me!

We must go for a beer soon. Maybe you can help me finally set up my iDig too

 

[V8Druid]

One things for sure - I'm definitely having more holidays this year in between the work. Need to find the balance somehow.

and that is the perennial problem of being successful and busy .... you time ...
you have to make time or the years just vanish ..... one of the biggest issues is actually creating a slot to take some you time
so guilty of this .. and it's time I can never get back or replace ... so much I should have done for me .. and just never did

make the you time Ollie

 

[6feetdown]

Too many pics to post in one go!

Great pics

 

[Bri963]

Impressive work. Where are you based?

 

[Simon edwards]

Nice looking kit Ollie,will also be interested to see how you go with the crusher bucket,I’ve often considered crusher /screening buckets for the 3cx .Feel your pain with the work life balance ,when you have good appreciative customers it’s hard to say no and before you know it another year disappears! The trouble is I used to love every Second of it,now after over 30 years of long hours and non stop work I enjoy it some of the time but am really enjoying doing non work related stuff,life goes too damn fast!

 

[Furniss]

Nice looking kit Ollie,will also be interested to see how you go with the crusher bucket,I’ve often considered crusher /screening buckets for the 3cx .Feel your pain with the work life balance ,when you have good appreciative customers it’s hard to say no and before you know it another year disappears! The trouble is I used to love every Second of it,now after over 30 years of long hours and non stop work I enjoy it some of the time but am really enjoying doing non work related stuff,life goes too damn fast!

Pretty normal scenario I would think, when your at the beginning you have it all to do, which drives all the hours, then hopefully if things pan out you can move onto the next stage.

 

[Bri963]

I often look back and think I spent too much time working, but the sacrifice of personal time paid off when I was in my mid forties and could kick back a bit. Do I regret it? No. If you enjoy what you do, it isn’t really work. If you don’t enjoy it, change it, or work towards doing so.

 

[Simon edwards]

you’re absolutely right,I had a burning desire to succeed and an absolute passion for machinery so worked like hell to achieve my goals and loved it all.Now I must admit I was a bit too focused at times to the detriment of other things,age and hindsight tend to go together I guess.

 

[Gunners]

Impressive work. Where are you based?

Thanks, I'm based in North Hampshire.

I really enjoy what I'm doing right now, and if you cant put the hours in when you're in your 30's when can you. I have a big mortgage to pay and if I can get that down then I can back off the gas a bit. The last few years I've always been of the mindset that it will all go wrong at some point with the economy so keep your head down and earn while we can. But that day for various reasons doesn't seem to have come yet. So onwards we work!
But this year I want to have periods of intense work broken up by some time off for other things I enjoy - rather than just working every hour and not having any fun. Already got a few trips away planned and some gigs too so putting the plan in place before the work takes over!