CMB

Claas 816 Ares with red tanker just south of Bath; K-series Deere and low-loader south of Tetbury on Malmesbury road; medium-sized McCormick & 5 tonne tipper coming up the A420; New Holland with 3 furrow kv plough and ?press, sited near Beverston Castle farm near Tetbury where I worked for a while so it could be the T7030 or its replacement.

Little bit more TH driving down in Somerset, now a week of doing something else unless requested.

Blue Valtra 6400 on a log processor; nearby an old McCormick-International poss a B-414 or B-275, and a New Holland telehandler LM5000 series I think.

I glimpsed a lovely Deutz Agrotron with a slurry agitator but was too busy to get the number.

Spent most of the day in a 531-70 cab in Somerset and still managed to come back plastered in mud.

I decided it was time for a full service what the dealers call a 54,000-mile or cam belt service. Biggest items on the menu were: crankshaft pulley replacement (£153); replacement steering idler (£231), new right-rear leaf spring (£136, an old substitute bush was apparently digging in to the chassis at the front end) and replacing corroded and supposedly leaking fuel lines (£136), which didn't seem to be leaking when I checked them a month or two ago but they did need replacing at some point. They had heaps of trouble removing an old bush & u-bolts on the springs and so labour cost was high (in the end they just replaced the entire thing). Many of the faults were due to dodgy repairs or lack of servicing by previous owners. Had I been able to afford these repairs I would have done it years ago!

My L200 service bill was an eye-watering £1700, so I'm cutting back on all spending until the work starts to build.

Last buy from 2013 was an un-boxed MF 135 1st edition from 1968 (all original save the exhaust).

Britains Ransomes Nordsten drill in original box (not the lift-o-matic one); Britains log trailer 2nd version (1965), boxed but missing tow ring and log.

Very ChristMassey!

Brilliant! Did you have your camera with you? We had something similar happen a few months back involving a low-loader and a sat nav but he managed to steer himself out of that and everything stayed intact.

I've had to re-send an item on Ebay which the buyer said they hadn't received but which, according to the returns label, had been 'refused'. I just hope it doesn't come back again

What's the new Britains baler like?

A bit of careless reversing on my part cost me a tow-bar jack and 3 hours of work time-

Hammering into rocky ground for hours on end with a chisel/crowbar and lump hammer.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/141136547906?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Does this Industrial DDN look like a respray to anyone? I think it's original (it had better be at that price!)

Quite a few are turning up on Fleabay at the moment. The boxed ones (even tatty boxes) are going in excess of £100. I have 2 others (having just sold some red chassis); a second edition grey base with redesigned chassis and offset hole for the cow, which is missing the brown racks and friesian cow; and a third edition which is my nicest so far, which has the brown and white cow and white base.

1st edition animal trailer, 9568. It's not in mint condition but seems to have all the correct parts:

Britains TW-20 from 1981. (Before it had arrived G&M mistakenly sent a new Britains one but I simply returned it a got a refund for the postage.) I had intended to convert it using the big wheels from a 1996 5610 but then realised it would be simpler to just add a TW-20 decal/grill/cab to that model!

Sorry Sean! Someone got me at my own game a bit later though when I tried to nab a Deutz Allis. Another will come around again soon I'm sure (and I will be waiting poised! )

Britains 1974 High-Sided Tipper (9566) in early colour scheme and lwb Land Rover tyres, but later decal and silver rather than orange handle. I've pictured it next to my previous one (no decal and replacement tail gate) which will now go on Ebay.

How much Sean I'm looking for a laptop and no idea where to start make-wise?

Sorry James hadn't noticed your post! It's going down, probably will have to sink to below the £100 mark before anyone gives it any attention/

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/britains-job-lot-over-250-/331072312089?pt=UK_ToysGames_DiecastVehicles_DiecastVehicles_JN&hash=item4d15729319 I can't see anything here that could possibly justify that asking price

From Ebay: 9546 Ploughs in straw box (late 70s type with light green reversible). 9523 boxed Ford TW20 (bigger wheels to be added). 9544 Gang Roller set (I have this but in poorer un-boxed condition).