Looking to get into forestry.

[trigger_andy]

I've known a few boys who have paid for their own tickets and got straight onto a machine. I don't mind spending two or three years on a saw out in the piss wet if that's what it takes I guess. 

Seems a bit odd that if you know so many guys in the industry you’re having to ask your questions here?

[Donnie]

5 minutes ago, trigger_andy said:

 

 

Seems a bit odd that if you know so many guys in the industry you’re having to ask your questions here?

 

 

Machine operators, I know 2 or 3 and a few of them have went onto other things. Not saw operators. 

[trigger_andy]

Just now, JDon said:

Machine operators, I know 2 or 3 and a few of them have went onto other things. Not saw operators. 

But if they just walked right into getting an operators job after getting their tickets and that’s actually what you want to do why take the long road and look to start cutting first?

[Donnie]

1 minute ago, trigger_andy said:

But if they just walked right into getting an operators job after getting their tickets and that’s actually what you want to do why take the long road and look to start cutting first?

It's a long term goal as nobody is fit and young forever I guess, and hand cutting is something I've fancied for a few years now. 

[topchippyles]

1 hour ago, doobin said:

If you're a good hand cutter then they won't want you to get in the machine- any fat **************** can do that.

Ask Big J 🤣🤪

[drinksloe]

2 hours ago, trigger_andy said:

You don’t think the queue to get in a nice warm comfy seat is a mile long? I suspect you’ll be at the end if a very long pecking order. 

 

A massive shortage of forwarder drivers, has been for a wee while now, so much so many folk have stopped advertising for them as just getting numpties.

In the next 5 -10 years gong to be a real massiv shortage of operators on both harvester and forwarder as so many are nearing or past retirement age, a massive amount of experience and knowledge will be lost in a short space of time.

Many of these lads will have started 1st thinnings, hell some might have sned with an axe, bench felling, hand loaded wagons and dragged with ponies, went throu counties/skidding mibbee a timbermaster all before they sat on a seat.

Even then the early harvester/wanking machines ( stroke processors) were a million miles away from wot u've got now.

Most now wouldn't have a clue wot any of the above actually means never mind do it.

 

But it is the classic catch22/chicken and egg thing, all desperate for experienced ops but very few willing to let a newbie on a 250 grand machine that needs to produce and not get broken

 

Some companies arent paying great rates even driving a forwarder, some of the brash draggers are only on around  min wage or not an awful lot more.

And when u get into the forestry side ur wage will depnd greatly on the bloke in the harvester, can make ur life easy or hell, plus a lot of other unpaid work on forwarder, hagging up, building bridges, cleaning out ditches, catching dirty water, if on by the T all unpaid extra's.

 

Personally i think all machine ops should do a few years on the saw 1st, they'd then appreciate how hard and shitty the job is and try to help u far more than many do.

Ex cutters stand out a mile the way they set there sits up and harvest them, they've actually thought about the hand cutting side, most sites its an after thought

Edited November 21, 2021 by drinksloe

[Canal Navvy]

4 hours ago, doobin said:

If you're a good hand cutter then they won't want you to get in the machine- any fat **************** can do that.

Didn't the forestry commission reckon on a thousand operating hours before an operator became efficient enough to pay their way ?😉

[scbk]

3 hours ago, Canal Navvy said:

Didn't the forestry commission reckon on a thousand operating hours before an operator became efficient enough to pay their way ?😉

A thousand hours on a machine, that's only what, 3-5 months?

[scbk]

8 hours ago, JDon said:

Surely this job isn't just over minimum wage? I've been an engineer for over 6-7 years. Fabrication, welding and machining along with steel erecting and a bit of mechanical fitting along with pipework etc also. But I'm bored of it now and fancy a change, I'm on 13 an hour right now. No private health care and a basic pension. 
 

I have the intentions of getting on a machine like a forwarder after a few years if I am lucky. 

You can't buy happiness, you gotta do a job that you enjoy.

 

I would've thought if you were a good welder/fabricator/engineer type you could make a decent living, either working for yourself as a one man band, or for a firm.

 

Mobile Fabricator - Rise Technical

WWW.RISETECHNICAL.CO.UK

---

Mobile Welder Inverness £30,160 (OTE £41,500) + Overtime + Van + Fuel Card + Training + Progression + Holiday + Pension...

 

[Donnie]

7 hours ago, scbk said:

You can't buy happiness, you gotta do a job that you enjoy.

 

I would've thought if you were a good welder/fabricator/engineer type you could make a decent living, either working for yourself as a one man band, or for a firm.

 

Mobile Fabricator - Rise Technical

Edited November 22, 2021 by JDon