Speedy Hire

[narked]

Our local branch of Hewdens was recently taken over by Speedy Hire. Whilst sat bored at work today I started flicking through the catalogue they sent us, and it's amazing how much these places can try to rip you off. A week's hire on a farm jack (hi-lift/jackall) is £38. 2 weeks rental would buy you a new one! Just made me wonder how much they rip you off on other items.

[muddyjames]

speedy hire is the biggest tool hire place in the UK now I believe.

I dont get involved in prices, local canal restoration trusts do that part, we just use it all on sites. :lol:

[joe90]

I wouldnt call a rip off - as we get 60% discount on trade prices as their our national supplier :lol:

[auf_wiedersehen_pet]

I always use Speedy Hire/HSS prices as justification to buy my own kit.

Hire a Speedy Hire Welder - £93 a week.
Buy a Machine Mart Welder - £200 to keep.

One decent sized job and it's paid for itself anyway.
 :P

[Mighty_zuke]

I looked at hiring a chainsaw for the weekend from Brandon tool hire. He said he would do me a deal of £50 + VAT and I need a licence to hire it :shock:

I know I can use one cos I have my dads electric one at home but now I recon I'll buy one!

[Lyndsey731]

You have to see their point on the license bit, you can't hire a car without one and they can be just as lethal, a chainsaw can go from ground level to the middle of your forehead in less than a second!

Gav

[Mighty_zuke]

You have to see their point on the license bit, you can't hire a car without one and they can be just as lethal, a chainsaw can go from ground level to the middle of your forehead in less than a second!

Gav

I know there needs to be some sort of regulation but I could always go and get a disc cutter with diamond blade! Cheaper than a chainsaw and gets through concrete too!!! How safe is that?  [-X

Or is the chainsaw licence another money making scheme?

[Silvery Thing]

I always use Speedy Hire/HSS prices as justification to buy my own kit.

Hire a Speedy Hire Welder - £93 a week.
Buy a Machine Mart Welder - £200 to keep.

One decent sized job and it's paid for itself anyway.
 :P

and you have the option of selling it afterwards if you wish :)

[BigSi]

I looked at hiring a chainsaw for the weekend from Brandon tool hire. He said he would do me a deal of £50 + VAT and I need a licence to hire it :shock:

I’ve got a licence (one to use it up a tree too!), as I used to be a Tree Surgeon. Would never use one without wearing all the protective clothing (boots, trousers, gloves, helmet with face guard, etc). Almost cut my leg once when it back kicked, luckily I was wearing ballistic trousers which clogged up the chain. Its not the chain that is the problem it’s the kick back caused when cutting with the tip of the bar (something that you should never do). Sometimes I cringe when I see other people using chainsaws incorrectly.   :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

[carbore]

Yes hire is expensive, but it depends if you will ever need it again.

The other more "stupid" reason is that some companies wont let you buy kit as its "capital enpenditure" but you can hire stuff as its ongoing expenses. This is especially true of government, but sometimes the cost of managing and maintaining something means that cost is not simple purchase price vs rental price.

But my closing remarks are that I personally never pass up an option to buy tools!

[narked]

Regarding the chainsaws, that was the only item I noticed in the catalogue that stated "proof of license required". They'll happily let you take away an excavator, diamond cutter, nail gun etc without any proof mind. It also stated that chainsaws aren't available on cash hires, so need to be on a trade account.

[The Smiths]

Yes hire is expensive, but it depends if you will ever need it again.

The other more "stupid" reason is that some companies wont let you buy kit as its "capital expenditure" but you can hire stuff as its ongoing expenses. This is especially true of government, but sometimes the cost of managing and maintaining something means that cost is not simple purchase price vs rental price.

But my closing remarks are that I personally never pass up an option to buy tools!

I would always buy, even used.

But all hire charges are tax deductable and purchases need to go into capital depreciation and continual accounting

[carbore]

Do the following films sound scary?

The Texas Petrol driven disc cutter massacre
The Texas Working under an un propped hydraulic lift body massacre
The Texas rather long extending ladder on a wobbly path massacre
The Texas nail gun massacre

Ok the last one maybe, but seeing as how it was "The texas chainsaw massacre" I am happy that they require proof of license.

[madmatt]

You have to see their point on the license bit, you can't hire a car without one and they can be just as lethal, a chainsaw can go from ground level to the middle of your forehead in less than a second!

Gav

I know there needs to be some sort of regulation but I could always go and get a disc cutter with diamond blade! Cheaper than a chainsaw and gets through concrete too!!! How safe is that?  [-X

Or is the chainsaw licence another money making scheme?

I don't know if you realise just how dangerous a chainsaw can be! Are you aware of the kick back zone for a start? Also if your speedy hire is like our local branch they hire profesional chainsaws that are very powerfull, not like an electric one. If you want to hire one from around here you'll have to hire the safety kit to. A chainsaw is probably one of the few tools that can kill almost instantly. If you cut yourself with a chainsaw chances are you'll bleed out before the ambulance people have answered the phone.

I have seen people injued with both a chainsaw and a disc cutter trust me I'd pick the disc cutter every time. I don't agree with hiring excavators and dumpers etc out to any body off the street either but there not as likely to kill you in a split second like a chainsaw is. I am registered on an Arborists forum and we have discussed at long length its about time the likes of B&Q were stopped from selling them.

[Disco Matt]

I too am amazed that earthmovers can be hired without any proof of training/license. I've driven a couple of hired mini diggers and they can be downright scary before you get the hang of them. I'm naturally cautious which I suspect kept me out of danger, but I could see how you could come to grief with one remarkably easily. You need a fair bit of fine control to handle one accurately.

[skip]

Try reaching out over a deep rhine with a rubber duck (wheeled excavator) when you forgot to lock the axles!! 13 tonnes lifting it's ass sur makes yer snipper go :lol:

[madmatt]

Try reaching out over a deep rhine with a rubber duck (wheeled excavator) when you forgot to lock the axles!! 13 tonnes lifting it's ass sur makes yer snipper go :lol:

Lol we had a lad on site just before Christmas do that on a river bank! Speedy hire round here don't hire  rubber ducks though! :D

[skip]

Lol we had a lad on site just before Christmas do that on a river bank! Speedy hire round here don't hire  rubber ducks though!

I Was a bit off topic :oops: ours are all owned by the outfit.

As for chainsaws, you can buy a 14" for about £100, without a licence. Why hire one. Infact you don't need a licence to use one for your own benefit, only when doing it for an employer. More H&S stuff :roll: but in this case it's fair enough.

[madmatt]

I don't think it is any more right to be able to buy one with no proof of training.

There is no such thing as a licence to use a chainsaw, Its a certificate of profesional competance. That can be for basic saw maintenance or all units up to Sectional dismantling.  It is now not supposed to be possible to by a top handled chainsaw without proving you have the right CS unit on your ticket. I don't think it will be long before we see this for all saws.

For anyone thats in any doubt as to why pro's where all the ppe take a look at this video, http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ah-FmYnaIWw&feature=related imagine what that saw would do if you only had a pair of Levi's on!

[davidlandy]

a great demo that!

[joe90]

I have my own saw and would never use it without the right kit.... you got to have something missing not to wear them. I also went on the weeks course for the basic maintenance and cross cutting/felling certificate. Likewise for the excavator - certified up to ten tonnes!

As a project manager at work we now operate a "3 strike & your out" system. Three minor H & S offences or one major one by a contractor & your kicked off site & the contract ended until the issue is addressed! That info is also shared across the company from site to site.

[skip]

I don't think it is any more right to be able to buy one with no proof of training.

There is no such thing as a licence to use a chainsaw, Its a certificate of profesional competance. That can be for basic saw maintenance or all units up to Sectional dismantling.  It is now not supposed to be possible to by a top handled chainsaw without proving you have the right CS unit on your ticket. I don't think it will be long before we see this for all saws.

That's correct but to all intents it might as well be called a licence, as you won't find an employer that'll let anyone near a saw without a ticket these days.

Confidence is the key to using a saw, without it your guarrateed to have an accident.

[narked]

Apparently the only way to legally use a chainsaw without a certificate is on your own land for your own benefit. Set foot on someone elses land, and regardless of whether it is for reward or not, you need the ticket. That's what I read in a Smallholders magazine anyhoo.

[madmatt]

[/quote]

That's correct but to all intents it might as well be called a licence, as you won't find an employer that'll let anyone near a saw without a ticket these days.

Confidence is the key to using a saw, without it your guarrateed to have an accident.
[/quote]

Oh yes you will!!  they just are  not  responsible caring employers!

[crazymac]

You could of course get this chainsaw!! [-o<

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=oOGJLoVi-Bg

[BigSi]

On my NPTC card I have;

CS38/CS39:
NPTC Basic Tree Climbing, Aerial Rescue and Use of Chainsaw from Rope and Harness

CS30/CS31:
NPTC Chainsaw Certificate

Which is a great help when working as an electrician. I mean, have you tried cutting floorboards with a chainsaw!!!!

I also have one for Pesticides somewhere!

When I was clearing a woods, we would make wooden mushrooms in our lunch break and sell them beside the road!  8-[

[madmatt]

LOL! I removed our old kitchen with the chainsaw!

[narked]

LOL! I removed our old kitchen with the chainsaw!

One of the farmers round here did similar when doing up one of his farmhouses as a holiday cottage. He couldn't be bothered dismantling a chest of drawers to get it downstairs, so just took a chainsaw to it and chucked the resulting pieces out the window ;)