It’s a Friday and on the Sunday I’m off to Majorca, happy days. But before I get anywhere near an airport breakfast, I’ve got a seriously busy one: Derby first thing, Basford (Nottingham) next, then a run up to Barnsley to drop the cherry picker at Promax, swing back to Nottinghamshire to leave the trailer and a mountain of tyres with my mechanics, and if I’m not completely broken, finish the day at the funfair with my daughter.
Let’s crack on.
The Hilux Has Thoughts
First challenge of the day: the Hilux keys are begging for new batteries. No push-button start, doors won’t open off the fob,so it’s back to doing things the old-fashioned way. Thankfully it’s booked for a service while I’m away: oils, brakes, a recall, and new key batteries.
Cheers, Grumps (the father-in-law)
Job 1 — Derby: Cloaking a Leaky Corner
Found the site (eventually), parked up, and met Steve (the roofer) today’s partner in crime. I’m wearing a harness. That’s a new development courtesy of the insurance company, who watched my videos (hello, Mr Insurance man) and decided we’re now a “harness household.” We’re also now covered for hot works because grinders + flues = paperwork (more expense).
The issue: damp in the internal corner of the building. Roof and gutters looked sound, leadwork good, so the likely culprit was a little hole right in the corner. Steve cloaked it in lead and wrapped it round the corner of the brickwork, and we sealed every gap with lead sealant. Simple, tidy, and fingers crossed, problem solved.
The Cherry Picker’s Grumbles
Quick aside: the machine’s developed a couple of bad habits. You’ll see it in the video—one problem after another at the minute. More on that when we get to Barnsley.
Job 2 — Basford: A Valley That’s Seen Things
Parked as close as we could (busy road), boomed up, and… where to start? Blocked outlet, odd tile pattern, broken tiles everywhere, and a valley that’s had a splash of black goo in its past life. We uncovered the lead “tunnel” running under a chimney: the timber behind was soaked and, crucially, there wasn’t much overlap on the lead where it meets the run.
We dried it out, slipped a new section of lead underneath, and bonded the joint with CT1 all the way along. Not ideal working behind a chimney and slates, but with the outlet now clear and a proper overlap in place, it should hold up nicely in heavy rain.
Barnsley Pit-Stop — Promax to the Rescue
Next: up the M1 to Promax. Here’s why it’s staying with the lads while I’m on holiday:
- The rev-up solenoid bracket has snapped (that’s the arm that kicks the revs up when you operate a function).
- Intermittent starting issue (you’ve seen it in recent videos).
- Outriggers have started to “creep” if they’re under load for a long time—makes the machine unhappy and me even more so.
Promax are on it already. Honestly, out of all the companies I deal with, they’re my favourite, no faff, just action. Also had a drool over a Spider 2095. Maybe my next machine… outreach is my question mark. One day we will look into this in more detail.
Back to Base, Then to the Mechanics
Quick dash home to load tyres. I get through a few on the trailer, so I take them in bulk for repair. Found a hidden stash too—someone clearly used an old flower bed as a tyre graveyard. Tip won’t take them, so the mechanics will dispose of them (at a price).
Dropped the trailer (and the mountain of rubber) in rural Nottinghamshire. Spied my old red Ranger while I was there, more on that in a second, then back home for the last job of the day.
Truck TLC & The Red Ranger Saga
The Hilux’s cab looked like a tool shop had exploded. Twenty minutes later it looked human again and ready for its service. As promised, the story of the Red Ranger: engine blew up, fitted a reclaimed unit, it blew again, seller argued, months passed, bought the Hilux to keep working, sold the Ranger, buyer’s oil light came on the next day (of course it did). We recovered it, mechanics ended up rebuilding the engine themselves. It’s finally fixed and going up for sale to square the bill. As much as I love how Rangers look, my luck says they’re for posing, not graft.
A Promise is a Promise
Tools down. Shower. Tea. Funfair. Waltzers with my daughter. The perfect end to a manic pre-holiday Friday.
If you enjoyed the chaos, give the video a thumbs up, drop your thoughts in the comments, and subscribe for more cherry picker, roofing and chimney antics. I’ll see you on the next job, ideally with a fully repaired machine, trailer, Hilux and a tan.
What We Covered (Quick Hits)
- Corner leak in Derby: lead cloak + seal
- Basford valley: cleared outlet, improved lead overlap, CT1 bonded joint
- Cherry picker issues: rev-up solenoid bracket, starting, outrigger creep
- Promax (Barnsley): repairs underway
- Trailer tyres & disposal: dropped with mechanics
- Red Ranger engine saga → why I now drive a Hilux
- Finished with a funfair run (promises kept)
About DJI High Access Services Ltd
At DJI High Access Services Ltd, we specialise in high-access maintenance, from roofing and chimney work to specialist gutter repairs like this. Using our own tracked spider cherry picker, we can work safely and efficiently at height while minimising disruption.
If you need expert gutter cleaning, sealing, or repairs, get in touch today: 🌐 www.dji-uk.co.uk
Follow Dan the Cherry Picker Man
For more real-life high-access jobs, tips, and behind-the-scenes looks at my work, follow me on:
- YouTube: @dan_cherrypicker_man
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- Facebook: Dan the Cherry Picker Man
Watch the full video on YouTube
Services Featured
Cherry picker access • Roof leak investigation • Leadwork & valleys • Minor slate/tile repairs • Sealants (CT1) • Gutter/outlet clearing • Site logistics & safety (harnesses, hot works)
