Dandyfireman
I sit on the fence between the 2 sides here, in one sense what he is doing is wrong in another what he is doing is positive. The carrying of special cutting gear ( US style battery kit so highly portable) request came from The Fire Brigade who have been talking to him and perhaps trialling it. So dont get on your high horse. Unlike some on this site who assume he is a prat because of what he is looking at doing I have actually asked the horses mouth as to what is going on. Now why would that Brigade ask for that ? I dont know you would be the expert, perhaps like battery powered tools you can take them some distance from either hydraulic or electrical power. As for 4 wheel drive working rather well you obviously have no experience of them, before you go off on one I live in the middle of a National Park when it is ice and snow they are only marginally better than 2 wheel drive unless fitted with snow tyres. Off road on wet grass /mud they are crap again unless fitted with proper off road tyres.If you dont believe me come to one of my wet fields, less than 10 degree slope no mud just saturated grass and see how far you get uphill in your brigades 4 wheel drive with 70/30 tyres on, I will tell you now less than 100 m when i will have to come and tow you out with a tractor. To quote Devon and Somerset brigades view of the floods 4 wheel drives are not amphibious Again like all things they have to be used in the correct way and yes trained to use the kit. If that all goes ahead although I would still have reservations it might be workable. PM me if you would like to come down with a 4 wheel drive I am about 1.5 hours drive away