New member after some advice-chipper and man viable business?

[Yeti2018]

Evening all, please go easy as I'm a first time poster! I am leaving my current job next year and relocating to the coast with no job. I'm in the fortunate position that I have some capital behind me to start a new business but I'm short on experience. I'm currently in property maintenace and I'm about to do the lantra chainsaw and felling small trees course. I have my own chainsaw that I've used to cut down trees on my own land and believe doing the course may benefit me in the future. I have my own chainsaw, brushcutter, hedge trimmer, blowers etc as I use them at home and work (bar the chainsaw, hence the course). My question to you all and please don't shout at me for being a ignorant sod or similar, but is their a living to be made from buying a newish 3.5t tipper, (transit etc) and a new chipper and making myself available as a man and chipper? I'm happy to invest money into equipment if their is a demand for the service and I can make back the equipment money say over 5 years and also earn a decent wage at the same time. Thinking along the lines of basically renting myself, van and chipper out on a daily basis to whoever requires a chipper/van. I should have my lantra cert by then for felling small trees and il do the chipper one as well. Am I doomed to fail? Not enough work out there? Not enough experience? Or am I on a different planet and it simply couldn't be that easy? Any feedback good or bad would be hugely appreciative, so thanks in advance. Cheers!

[Mark Wileman]

I'd say there are far more people trying to make it on their own as climbers than there are groundsman with chippers and tippers. I'd hedge a bet (pun intended) that you will be a very busy man. That's not including all the firms that already have a chipper/tipper but have to think twice about big jobs because of the waste removal struggles.

 

I wouldn't just take my opinion on it though, where are you based? Bound to be someone near you on here.

[Yeti2018]

Thanks for the reply mark. I'm in Bromley, Kent at the moment but looking to relocate to Thanet. (Margate, ramsgate, Canterbury, Dover, deal). I've heard conflicting reports of man and chippers charging £260-£400 a day including dumping of one load. Really looking forward to replies from you guys who are on the ground so to speak...

[Treeation]

You should do aerial rescue too that will make you a lot more employable.....my gut instincts with your proposal would be a serious lack of experience...but having the truck/chipper scores you some points. I think you would pick up some work but Iit would be difficult and I wouldnt expect to pay anymore than £250/day around my parts (Cotswold).

 

I think you would be better off getting 12months experience with local firms, building bridges, network, assess the scene before plunging in and potentially being dissapointed...building up experience and contacts up first will be the route to success

[Treeation]

O, and also you need to get NPTC certs for chainsaw

[Mark Bolam]

You'd get odd days at best.

 

You also need to think about the type of people who would be taking on proper tree work who don't have their own truck and chipper, and what sort of insurance etc. they would have.

[Yeti2018]

Many thanks for all your replies. Re. Nptc Certs, I'm going to have these done at the same time as I do my chainsaw and small felling course. £250 a day would be fine with me I think...

25k van 

15k chipper =£40k investment 

£40k divided by 4 years = £10k a year 

£10k a year divided by 52 weeks= £192 week

£192 a week divided by 5 days= £38.50 a day

 

£250 day rate minus £38.50 machine cost =

£211 clear 

£211 x 5 days= £1057 per week minus tax 

 

i know ive not included fuel or insurance above but it's just a rough guesstimate. I'm probably way out though...oh and in 4 years when the van and chipper has been paid for they still have a value which if you sold them at 4 years old you could start again with a new truck and chipper..

 

[Sequoia]

Optomistic maths.  You won't be working 5 days a week 52 weeks a year.  That would be 260 days.  Base it on 220 days max (200 to be safe) and you get down days and holidays in there also.

 

When you have staff you can base your year on 240 days, but that is because you have others to keep a team out there.  

 

Good luck with it.

[Yeti2018]

25 minutes ago, Sequoia said:

Optomistic maths.  You won't be working 5 days a week 52 weeks a year.  That would be 260 days.  Base it on 220 days max (200 to be safe) and you get down days and holidays in there also.

 

When you have staff you can base your year on 240 days, but that is because you have others to keep a team out there.  

 

Good luck with it.

Yes you are correct, the maths were just a very quick guesstimate. Not sure there would be a demand for my services 5 days a week, week in week out. I fully appreciate that. I'd be happy to earn £750 a week and have machines/van paid for over say 4 years. Lots of thinking to do..

[Will C]

Also remember many chippers are worn out after 3 years if not used with care and mechanical sympathy. If it’s someone else’s people wont be so keen to wipe the mud of the end of that branch that planted its self etc. You need to price breakdowns and replacement machines into your maths. Evan if a machine is under warranty down time still costs time which = money. 

Any tree team with out a chipper you may need to think about there professional status and possibly there ability to pay. This won’t be the case all the time however most serious tree teams have a chipper which I would think makes it a limited market. 

There may be a bigger market for a tracked machine that many don’t own but need on a occasional basis but that comes with increased overheads.