Starting out?

[Harry_L]

I thought it would be a good idea if some people shared what vehicles/chippers they started off with, and also what type of jobs you did first? [emoji4]

[jfc]

Vauxhall meriva, tonne bags and an aldi chainsaw! Very small trees and garden tidy ups. Things have changed a lot in 3yrs.

[Steve Bullman]

Cheap ldv that gave me nothing but trouble, but did earn me some money in between, and a Jensen 518 chipper.  It was old and well used,

itnhad been rebuilt after the previous owner put a hammer through it!

[Harry_L]

I was looking to get something like a ford transit connect and a small chipper to tow behind it, and only do small trees/hedges or jobs where chips/logs stay on site for now. Any thoughts/recommendations would be appreciated thanks!

[billpierce]

Id just get someone with a tipper and chipper in when required and get a pickup /van and trailer for now.

You can get a lot brash and logs on the right trailer if needed and will give you time to work out what you want.

[WesD]

13 minutes ago, Harry_L said:

I was looking to get something like a ford transit connect and a small chipper to tow behind it, and only do small trees/hedges or jobs where chips/logs stay on site for now. Any thoughts/recommendations would be appreciated thanks!

Let me save a few people posting:-

 

- dont bother stick to what your already doing

- arb work is awful and underpaid

- you’ll make more stacking shelves

- theres that many doing it now you wont get enough work

- any work you do get will drive the industry price down

- you do realise you’ll have to work in the rain and all kinds of weather

- when you need to employ subbies or groundies there are none

- what if you dont like it so dont try it

- maybe offer your services free of charge for some experience over the next 20 years to see if you like it

- your probably too old

- you wont be fit enough

- if you cant afford a Land Rover or brand new van with a new chipper dont bother

 

Im sure I have missed some!

 

Seriously though if you can graft and enjoy the work start off with whatever jobs you get in and feel comfy with, take your reputation serious re-invest in yourself and get friendly with guys who’s already in the game so if you look at jobs you cant handle yet get them to do them  by subbing to you or give them the jobs on the basis that you do a day for them on the jobs. You have to work outside your comfort zone to raise your level of comfort. 

 

Hope you like it and all the best!

[tony_t3d]

Vauxhall meriva, tonne bags and an aldi chainsaw! Very small trees and garden tidy ups. Things have changed a lot in 3yrs.

Similar to me now [emoji23] Vauxhall zafira with a trailer and a friend who owns a tool hire company with multiple chippers. Its not ny full time job but in due time it will be so I'm building up slowly.

Started doing landscaping 15 yrs ago including small tree work no climbing And increased from there.

I currently work for the MOD doing ground maintenance with a manager who is keen for me to do what courses I want pretty much I'm slowly chipping away at all my arb courses done all climbing tickets so far and mewp licence. So at present I will keep milking thier generosity and also we have the best pension scheme in the country so I'd be daft to leave but live climbing so catch 22 at the moment I don't get enough climbing time.

[Chris Day]

Traded the commuting skoda superb in for a ranger super cab tipper, subbed until I could buy a cs100 and trailer. Then took every job I could get,  still got that set up alongside the transit and tr6 although the cs100 is not used much. But picking up mr burch's 7.5t arb tipper and flogging the transit next week. 

 

 

[Harry_L]

Traded the commuting skoda superb in for a ranger super cab tipper, subbed until I could buy a cs100 and trailer. Then took every job I could get,  still got that set up alongside the transit and tr6 although the cs100 is not used much. But picking up mr burch's 7.5t arb tipper and flogging the transit next week. 
 
 

I would like to get something like a ranger instead of a van but insurance is about £7000 for a truck because im young [emoji23]

[Stubby]

My mate started out with a short wheel base Landrover " lightweight "  and a Husky 254 . He know has 3x Hilux ( sign written  M.J.O. Forestry ) A big Ponsse forwarder and harvester and a couple of crews working for him .