What did you do today (2015)

My mill got delivered today and I got lucky between showers getting it into the shed. It wasn't easy - a tad tight with the threshold step and these things are top heavy so some creative roping needed...

hi, hope the mill goes ok,, oh by the way,, the doors are not big enough for the tractor to get in,,,

I just needed to get it in out of the rain and over the doorstep.. well that's after getting it all the way from the tarmac drive down the stoned trackway. It was on the pallet for that but still nerve wracking

Received this from NPL

... Leap Second will be inserted just before midnight on 30-June

MichaelG.

pjk, don't want to teach egg-sucking, but have you thought of making a simple jib extension to fit on your loader? Makes those sort of jobs easier.

I know this is off normal topic, but thought I would share the experience.

Has anyone ever used these can based tyre repair fluid to get you home? the majority of tyre repair companies will refuse to carry out a puncture repair afer such use as the chemical supposedly 'damages the tyre' (recent personal experience)

When I bought my last car there was no spare included, not even a get you home thin thing, all there was is a case compressor which contains a tyre repair fluid.

I know the workshop manager at the company I bought the car from and he advised the use of Holts Tyre Weld in case of a puncture as it allows for proper vulcanised repair afterwards.

Of course the inevitable happened, one large nail smack in the middle of the tread of a 235/40/19 tyre in the middle of nowhere.

Ah, time to use the can of squirtyness, which after removing said nail, did a stirling job of sealing the leak, and off I went.

Following day visited local tyre repair centre, who after ten minutes of removing the tyre informs me 'sorry mate can't repair this, you've used repair foam.

So I got him to refit the tyre to the rim and enquired on the price of a new tyre (the old one being about half worn)

£265 came the reply.

No just the one I said, not the full set - that remark fell on deaf ears.

Getting back to work I e-mailed Holts who responded very quickly stating that the tyre IS repairable as long as certain parameters are met - not in the sidewall etc, and the old goo just has to be washed off with hot water prior to the plug patch being fitted.

National Tyres are Holts specified agents for these repairs and had no problem.

I hope some of you may find this useful and not be stung for a new tyre just because a repair foam had been used, Of couse I can only vouch for the Holts product.

Lofty

Re no spare wheel, in the last five years my brother and his wife have bought a brand new Corsa and a brand new Astra which had no spare wheel or jack/tools but carried an aerosol can and on both occasions they have gone to walk away from buying the cars unless wheels are supplied and on both occasions wheels and jacks/tools have arrived at no extra cost.

Martin P

That may be a timely reminder Lofty. I too have no spare and one of those "fluid" repair kits. Like you I live in the back of beyond and have been vaguely uneasy about the possibility of a puncture - especially in a side wall. ( Maybe more likely on the country lanes.) It is getting towards the time when I might consider changing the car and, whilst browsing the catalogues, I was wondering if I should get it with a spare wheel. You have made up my mind - the cost of this is less than the quote you had for a new tyre !

Regards

Norman

Ah Martin - yes negotiating point - thanks.

Edited By NJH on 16/01/2015 12:52:06

Hi Martin, same with mine, no tools, or jack etc, apparently some id10t in Brussels decided it was dangerous for people to be on the side of a road changing a wheel.

I even had to order the locking wheel nut key seperately.

Having said that, the size of wheel won't even fit into the boot recess and one that will won't fit over the humongously huge disc brakes.

I want these **LINK**

I too am considering changing cars this year. I recently looked on line at the information on the Toyota Avensis (Which is the car I have had for about 11 years with only an ABS sensor fault) There was no mention of a spare wheel so expect that they now just come with the compressor and sealer. There was not even any mention of a spare wheel being an optional extra. I think the choice will be determined by which make of car comes with a spare wheel.

Les.

Or one fitted with run flat tyres as standard.

J

One major problem when a spare is not provided assumes that the puncture is relatively small, I had one go flat on the motorway and by the time I picked up on it the tyre was never going to be inflated with a can of fluid side wall cream crackered. I personally make sure there is a full size spare in the boot as once changed allows you to continue your journey at normal speeds, space saver tyres have a speed restriction and the fluid does not always work.

Bob

BTW The AA reviews list the type of spare fitted as standard. http://www.theaa.com/allaboutcars/cartestreports/index.jsp

Edited By Bob Brown 1 on 16/01/2015 14:10:48

I hadn't throught about a jib extension. I did consider pallet forks but my liklehood of needing them again is low. If it wasn't a case of having to shift the thing due to weather.. if it could have waited a day or three then neighbour farmer is quite good at popping down when he's free and bringing a telehandler (usually to pull me out of a bog)

Not so sure about a long enough jib for this job anyway- single point would make safe roping harder and a long jib would mean rear weights (or the topper attached and harder to manoeuver). I wouldnt have trusted a lash-up of scaffold poles with my new toy.....

pgk- twas just a thought, I did something similar to you, but just a garden rotavator, about 50 kg, clamped a bit of 6"x2" onto the bucket with a couple of G clamps, worked a treat. Just thinking of making a proper job. H &S please look away. Ps made a rear weight with a drum filled with concrete, also good for a hand brake.

Spare wheels- my wife's new motor had no spare, so got a wheel, jack etc. from a breakers for about £30. I do use the tyre sealer stuff in all other tyres eg trailer, wheelbarrow sack barrow. This ensures the tyres are hard when needed.

A friend of mine has a Aston Martin DB7 which does have a spare wheel, but once you have changed it the punctured wheel goes in a bag to be strapped in in one of the seats of the car.

Martin P

In my experience, the golden rule for nails and screws in car and bike tyres is don't remove them! Often they are slow punctures but become fast punctures with said plug removed.

Not many cars even seem to come with space saver spares these days. And some of them don't even come with the aerosol / compressor. And the run flat tyres come at a fine premium.....

Murray

Adventure bikers swear by these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/371212991939?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=108&chn=ps&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108&ff19=0

Edited By Tim Chambers 1 on 16/01/2015 22:08:29