How would you tackle this job

[doobin]

Thing is, I've been to plenty of jobs like that where I concluded the boss was an idiot and that I could do it better. The final straw was being given a pair of 13mm spanners to change the combine knives. I went down town that afternoon, bought a battery impact wrench with my own wages (they weren't cheap then either, especially on 18 year old wages) and got the job done in half an hour without loosing any fingers. A month later I quit and went out on my own.

 

If you think the boss is an idiot- he often is. So put your money where your mouth is. Too many employers look at jobs in terms of man days, ands men in terms of a disposable commodity. I find this just leads to stress as employees call in sick (because they are treated like crap and really don't care) and they don't work to anything like capacity as they are not motivated. Machinery makes the job easy, and you just keep the smartest employees. The wee chipper is a great example- what's the bloody point in dragging the brash from a garden clear up all the way out to a big chipper when you could stand it at the bottom of a bush and feed that 3" bramble stright through with a pair of welding gloves? Then barrow, wheelie bin or dumper out the chip, each load equivalent to twenty sould destroying drags and leaving a quarter of it along the way to be picked up at the end of the job once you've trodden it to pieces.

 

Go on mate, finance is cheap!

[Treerover]

Some are daunting.  The sooner you start cutting, the less there is left to cut.

Yes but it’s that heart sink moment when you think you’re over half way but then your groundie shouts up you’ve only done a third [emoji30]
Soul destroying

[Rich Rule]

1 hour ago, Treerover said:

 

Yes but it’s that heart sink moment when you think you’re over half way but then your groundie shouts up you’ve only done a third
Soul destroying

 

😊. 
 

You shout down to the groundie, “how much is left?  “
 

He replies, “just a bit more than your river of tears!”

[doobin]

29 minutes ago, Rich Rule said:

😊. 
 

You shout down to the groundie, “how much is left?  “
 

He replies, “just a bit more than your river of tears!”

Reminds me of when my labourer and I were hanging a catenery wire across the yard. He shouts down from the mancrate, "OK, bring me down mate!"

 

Quick as a flash I shouted back, "Your fat and even your missus doesn't love you!"

[Marc Lewis]

Yes but it’s that heart sink moment when you think you’re over half way but then your groundie shouts up you’ve only done a third [emoji30]
Soul destroying

Or the owner decides they want it a meter lower[emoji25][emoji25]

[Conor Wright]

I think I've tried everything (except explosives...hmm) to make conifer hedge reductions easier. Mewps, extended arm on the little digger with circular saw/fingerbar/grab attached, various ladders, man basket on front loader/telehandler, polesaws, climbing up the centre, using a hiab to lift off the tops, engaging the raw power of Eastern europeans and the occasional local gluten for punishment. The reality is 90% of these jobs just require a lot of heavy labour in excruciating positions. 

 

I still throw every machine I can at them and every now and then I get one which is genuinely easy.

 

The trick is to look at them from a pricing point of view of having a ladder and a topper and little else, figure out how much physio you'd need after that, take that price x 20 and add to your day rate plus 20% for every year it hasn't been trimmed and a finders fee on each manky, "left behind by the last lad" branch hung up in the middle of said hedge. Then double it to be on the safe side. Not only will this guarantee you will not lose money on the job, it will also guarantee you will never get the job in the first place!

 

I've found offering a remove and replant service is becoming more popular as less and less people are willing to tackle overgrown hedges.

I'm happy to oblige in these cases and equally happy to price difficult reductions accordingly.

I rarely see anyone else rushing to undercut me for those jobs either. Although where access permits you can't price against a 13 tonner with a shear.

 

 

[Treerover]

[emoji4]. 
 
You shout down to the groundie, “how much is left?  “
 
He replies, “just a bit more than your river of tears!”

Laughed out loud at this [emoji23]🤣

[dan blocker]

On 09/01/2022 at 19:55, Tommygunn1992 said:

At the risk of sounding soft, it didn't feel safe.. the ladder was pushed leant into the hedge with a bloke stood on the bottom, I was stood on the top rung leaning in.

 

It was also a job for my employer so I was earning day rate and would have not been covered had anything gone tits up as you shouldn't be working like that off of a ladder under HSE.

Stood on the top run?  Sounds like a recipe for a swallow dive into the hedge with your boots still gripping the top run. That should of told you it wasn’t safe! If you were left to get on with this your boss is lucky to have you. You should of asked him to give you a demo on exactly how it should be done. I wonder what the boss did in those 4 days while his willing crew were grafting their balls off, taking risks all on his behalf? Have you posted any “after shots” because I can’t see any. Good effort for finishing it. I think I would of spent 4 days reconsidering my future with that company. Only ever trimmed one conny hedge on a regular basis and that was for the chap who serviced my trucks, thankfully he’s moved now. Any hedge reductions these days I price on a rising scale of fees. 

[Mark Bolam]

On 11/01/2022 at 14:06, Conor Wright said:

I think I've tried everything (except explosives...hmm) to make conifer hedge reductions easier. Mewps, extended arm on the little digger with circular saw/fingerbar/grab attached, various ladders, man basket on front loader/telehandler, polesaws, climbing up the centre, using a hiab to lift off the tops, engaging the raw power of Eastern europeans and the occasional local gluten for punishment. The reality is 90% of these jobs just require a lot of heavy labour in excruciating positions. 

 

I still throw every machine I can at them and every now and then I get one which is genuinely easy.

 

The trick is to look at them from a pricing point of view of having a ladder and a topper and little else, figure out how much physio you'd need after that, take that price x 20 and add to your day rate plus 20% for every year it hasn't been trimmed and a finders fee on each manky, "left behind by the last lad" branch hung up in the middle of said hedge. Then double it to be on the safe side. Not only will this guarantee you will not lose money on the job, it will also guarantee you will never get the job in the first place!

 

I've found offering a remove and replant service is becoming more popular as less and less people are willing to tackle overgrown hedges.

I'm happy to oblige in these cases and equally happy to price difficult reductions accordingly.

I rarely see anyone else rushing to undercut me for those jobs either. Although where access permits you can't price against a 13 tonner with a shear.

 

 

I think I’ve fallen in love with you Conor.

[gary112]

9 minutes ago, Mark Bolam said:

I think I’ve fallen in love with you Conor.

Steady on boys😂❤️