NiceI am a one man operation and no self employed guys available so knew it was just down to me . Gone into HLS , full arable reversion on 320 acs . Fencing , FG2 - 26000 m plus another 1250 m which needed doing but did not get put into HLS ( mistake on my part ), 54 gates plus another 8 I am replacing posts ( 128 gate posts total) , 76 tree cages ( 4 x 10ft posts per cage)
Machine arrived end November 2022 and as of this evening , I have about 4500 m left of FG2 plus 28 gateposts .Every thing else is done , single handed !
Got lambing from 03.01.24 so should finish in Febuary but have two shed refits and two handling yards to do in spring around my contract spraying so probably May before machine is available .
There is no way without this machine ( or an alternative ) could I have done the work by myself both from a physical , practical point of view but also getting on the ground over the winter. I have made a bit of a mess even with the tracks on certain fields but a tractor would have been impossible . I did no fencing from mid May 23 too mid September 23 but have been 5/6 days wk last winter and since October 23 to present .
I am very happy with my decision and choice , yes expensive and maybe extreme but the job is done in 16 months ( nearly !!!)
Remember , I only had two years to get HLS capital works completed as per rules .
Well done.