EcoPlugs

[sime42]

Evening all

I used some of these Ecoplugs on a job today, to stop the tree re-growing. First time I've tried them. They're very easy and convenient but seem to be a trifle expensive. 

The customer wanted two trees taken out completely. One was an Ash with a 2ft diameter butt after I'd cut it at ground level. The instructions specified that the plugs should be put in at 50 - 60mm intervals around the perimeter. I was shocked at how many this would have needed so did them at about 100mm instead. Even so this needed 17 of them which works out to a cost of about £11. The other tree, sycamore, was smaller but in total I reckon I spent £19 on the Ecoplugs. I'm surprised, I didn't expect them to be so expensive to use. 

Anyone else have much experience of using these things? Does that sound about right? I'm sure it would be a fair bit cheaper to use some other kind of readily available strong Glyphosate weedkiller/stump killer. 

What do others use to stop re-growth on unwanted trees? 

[Steve Bullman]

You're right that is a lot of money, but you are lying for the ecological froendly

aspect of the application and it should be passed on to the customer.  Failing that spray on some glyphosate for a few pence not even paint it on neat, that's what I'd do 

[josharb87]

I charge £1 per plug, never had a customer question the price

[sime42]

Yeah £1 a plug sounds about right. 

You're definitely paying for the convenience;- they're dead easy and clean to use compared to messing around with sprays or liquids. Not completely sure about the environment friendly aspect though. The actual plugs seem to be made of some kind of plastic. Unless it's a biodegradable type then that's going to be in the ground for ever more. 

[Ty Korrigan]

Wow, mithering about a few quid on materials...

 I'd be selling up the service and making it sound good value rather than counting the centimes so.

    Ty

 

Edited August 12, 2017 by Ty Korrigan

[BrendanTreeFeller]

They cost you nearly a £ each and you're charging the customer only £1 to supply, bring to site along drill, tools etc. insert each one?

 

what are you, a charity ?

ever heard of a thing called making a living ?  

[Mick Dempsey]

I normally cut a disc of about an inch off, then cut some grooves with the saw around the edge, pour in some neat Round Up, put the disc back on, maybe with a rock or something on top.

 

Usually I don't charge for it, especially if they supply the glyphosate.

 

Never had a call back yet.

Edited August 12, 2017 by Mick Dempsey

[htb]

43 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

I normally cut a disc of about an inch off, then cut some grooves with the saw around the edge, pour in some neat Round Up, put the disc back on, maybe with a rock or something on top.

 

Usually I don't charge for it, especially if they supply the glyphosate.

 

Never had a call back yet.

You've been copying me or vice versa

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, Mick Dempsey said:

I normally cut a disc of about an inch off, then cut some grooves with the saw around the edge, pour in some neat Round Up, put the disc back on, maybe with a rock or something on top.

 

Just like we used to do but not having PA1  we'd just use ammonium sulphamate to help compost the stump

[josharb87]

3 hours ago, BrendanTreeFeller said:

They cost you nearly a £ each and you're charging the customer only £1 to supply, bring to site along drill, tools etc. insert each one?

 

what are you, a charity ?

ever heard of a thing called making a living ?  

Steady on

 

they don't cost me nearly a quid, 45p is closer, and I certainly don't expect to make a living out of eco plugging stumps  

 

felling the trees makes my money, going to the massive effort of bringing a drill, and drilling a few holes at the end of a job is only an added service