The realities of hand cutting

[slack ma girdle]

I'm a self employed cutter working in the midlands, been going a year now. I mostly do work felling on country estates. Lots of day rate stuff, fair to say it's pretty cushy as far as forestry goes. I get a pretty good range of stuff, single tree felling, clearfells, thinning, machine work etc & I'm happy with who I'm working for/with at the moment. 
 
My question is, would it be daft to move somewhere like Wales/Scotland and work as a cutter there? I've been told by the folks I'm working for at the moment that it's mostly piece rate work with naff pay and very hard graft at that, as the cutters essentially do what the machines can't (gnarly trees, steep banks, oversize and small thinnings etc).
 
I know my current boss is interested in keeping me about so I'm just looking for other people's opinions to help me make a good decision. I'm not worried about hard work or mediocre pay, if these things bothered me massively I wouldn't have got started in forestry at all [emoji16] cheers all

Do you have any ties?
Sounds to me like you have an itch that needs scratching, and you are a bit bored with your current job.
If you have no ties, then go for it. Go and scare yourself with big ugly trees on steep ground, with all the native fauna determined to drain every drop of your blood.

[webby1289]

20 hours ago, slack ma girdle said:

Do you have any ties?
Sounds to me like you have an itch that needs scratching, and you are a bit bored with your current job.
If you have no ties, then go for it. Go and scare yourself with big ugly trees on steep ground, with all the native fauna determined to drain every drop of your blood.

 

Maybe I do just need a change. Endless hedgerow ash get a bit dull after a few minutes ? I don't have any ties, it can't hurt to give it a try I suppose ? cheers

[Stubby]

1 hour ago, webby1289 said:

 

Maybe I do just need a change. Endless hedgerow ash get a bit dull after a few minutes ? I don't have any ties, it can't hurt to give it a try I suppose ? cheers

OK , fair play . Once you get on the steep banks in the pissing rain or the heat with all the flying insects , hidden root bowls , stumps , bramble , etc etc  you will have found the answer to your question ( The realities of hand cutting ) Don't forget your little army spade and bog roll . I wish you luck matey , sincerely I do . 

[Alex O]

OK , fair play . Once you get on the steep banks in the pissing rain or the heat with all the flying insects , hidden root bowls , stumps , bramble , etc etc  you will have found the answer to your question ( The realities of hand cutting ) Don't forget your little army spade and bog roll . I wish you luck matey , sincerely I do . 

This is reality. How’s you mr stubs [emoji6]

[Stubby]

Just now, Alex O said:

This is reality. How’s you mr stubs

I'm still breathing Alex , thank you for asking bud . And yourself ?

[Alex O]

I'm still breathing Alex , thank you for asking bud . And yourself ?

Hahahaha good to hear your still breathing, it always handy[emoji6]. Yeah I’m good thanks mate, next week is my last week of work in this country then we’re off to start over in Aus at the beginning of October, so can’t wait [emoji41]

[Stubby]

32 minutes ago, Alex O said:

Hahahaha good to hear your still breathing, it always handy. Yeah I’m good thanks mate, next week is my last week of work in this country then we’re off to start over in Aus at the beginning of October, so can’t wait

Oh . I wish you all you wish for yourself Alex . My brother went to Aus about 25 yeas ago . He is still there . After being in charge of a big chunk of the university of Western Australia in Perth , he has now retired and bought a restaurant . He is now working harder than ever !    

Edited September 11, 2019 by Stubby

[Acerforestry]

Going back to OP question, work on having a backup plan for the future regardless of where you go. You are unlikely to want to hand cut much beyond your forties (IMO anyway), it is fairly knackering and as much as i enjoy it at 50 now, i know I have to do something else fairly soon - which is covered, I hope

[Husky D]

As others have said I’d take the work you have over any steep ground felling any day.  By all means go for a few days and try it if you want but it’s nowt but harder work than it should be (and it can be hard work on flat ground!) and if your moneys ok where you are and less strain on the body and kit you’ll be thankful when your older.

For some strange reason us forestry types have an almost perverse want to take on shitty work on shitty ground to prove to themselves that we can make it!

[Mark Bolam]

I’d say do it for a year, then the rest of your life will seem easy.