Forestry chainsaw operator

[Svts]

On 22/10/2022 at 09:28, Big J said:

 

Isn't that a shame though? I have found it almost impossible over the years to find cutters who were both properly competent and happy to work for someone else. 

 

The issue with running your own business is that inevitably, you end up pulled away from the saws. You're then forced to rely on subcontractors of inconsistent quality and the overall work quality deteriorates. 

 

Really good cutters should be paid really good money. I've paid £240 a day down in Devon (where rates are suppressed) and made good money off the back of those guys. Equally, I have lost money on guys I've paid £80 a day because they've been so bad. 

 

Perhaps some sort of cooperative, profit sharing company would be a way to go. A collective of top notch cutters, machine operators, foresters and timber sellers, working together to do the best job possible where everyone makes a fair and decent wage. So much of the timber industry is driven down to price and price alone. It is (I feel) one of the main reasons there is such inconsistency in the market. Boom and bust.

Driven down to price and price alone. Isn't that just one of the great benifits of a free market global economy? 

If someone can turn as much profit out of something as possible then it's worthwhile, if not then it's neither needed nor necessary. 

I reckon forestry is one of the industries least likely to sustain any sort of cooperative business culture. 

I've know a few people in the industry I would trust not to take advantage. But the majority I come across just want to take as much as they can and give as little as they can. Especially if it means they can get a bigger/better/newer machine etc! Underneath the camaraderie the culture of take as much as you can for yourself is as strong as ever. It starts the very top ime. 

[spuddog0507]

On 21/10/2022 at 10:31, Jig said:

Thank you for reply. Like you said, not much help so far. I have a solid 6 years of full time forestry chainsaw work, yet the last 2 years my Forestry work has been more relaxed with less chainsaw work, and on the books for a well known forestry organisation. I'm wanting to get back into full time felling work as my current job isn't giving me enough excitement or paying enough. Qualifications, 30&31 plus medium and larger tree. I can use hand winches and have worked alongs side harvesters and forwarders. I can comfortably cut to spec, done everything from small thinnings all the way up to clear fell and worked on hourly, day rate, piece work and tonnage. If the timber allows, I can easily fell, dress out, cross cut and stack 15 - 25 ton a day. And if it's huge mature trees then God knows how many times that would be!  Unfortunately, who I have worked for in the past has never wanted to pay more than £100 a day! And when on tonnage, it's very easy for forwarder loads to go walkies, if you know what I mean!? So I have never, ever made the money I should have, even though working my bollocks off! This is why I will only work for a day rate! Also, the day rate has to help cover all my out goings, PPE, new chainsaws, fuel, holidays, public liability etc.... It seems I am asking for a reasonable price, it's nice to get confirmation from other like minded people. Just putting the feelers out so I can be confident to charge this amount when asking around for work.

 

Cheers 👍🏼

If your doing what you say, you want to be looking for £150 plus a day, But i would start a bit higher At £200 a day as its a starting point for negotiations, this would give you a bit more scope to may be get a bit more than £150, you can all ways come down a bit on your price but you can never  go up once a price has been mentioned, another bit of advise i would give you is look at doing CS34/35 singular windblown and multiple windblown tickets, and dont let any one tell you that you have to do these seperatly as you dont you only need to pay once ,,

[Spruce Pirate]

44 minutes ago, spuddog0507 said:

If your doing what you say, you want to be looking for £150 plus a day, But i would start a bit higher At £200 a day as its a starting point for negotiations, this would give you a bit more scope to may be get a bit more than £150, you can all ways come down a bit on your price but you can never  go up once a price has been mentioned, another bit of advise i would give you is look at doing CS34/35 singular windblown and multiple windblown tickets, and dont let any one tell you that you have to do these seperatly as you dont you only need to pay once ,,

 

Think they've put these back into one ticket again, back how it used to be (CS 15?), but don't know the new numbers.

 

[htb]

11 minutes ago, Spruce Pirate said:

 

Think they've put these back into one ticket again, back how it used to be (CS 15?), but don't know the new numbers.

 

Not too sure on that Wallace, friend of mine just done windblow training but only on single trees apparently another course for multiple, more money for Ringlink. I will check for sure the morn as we are working together.

[5thelement]

13 minutes ago, htb said:

Not too sure on that Wallace, friend of mine just done windblow training but only on single trees apparently another course for multiple, more money for Ringlink. I will check for sure the morn as we are working together.

The NPTC Assessment covers single, interwoven, snapped out tops, uprooted and multiple stems. 
 

[Spruce Pirate]

17 minutes ago, htb said:

Not too sure on that Wallace, friend of mine just done windblow training but only on single trees apparently another course for multiple, more money for Ringlink. I will check for sure the morn as we are working together.

 

Good old RInglink!

 

I just had a look at the NPTC website and it seems you're right Dave.  Individual Windblown Trees and then Interwoven Stems & Part Blown Trees.  It's a couple of years since I've known anyone do it, but it was definitely only one ticket at that time.

[spuddog0507]

1 hour ago, Spruce Pirate said:

 

Good old RInglink!

 

I just had a look at the NPTC website and it seems you're right Dave.  Individual Windblown Trees and then Interwoven Stems & Part Blown Trees.  It's a couple of years since I've known anyone do it, but it was definitely only one ticket at that time.

It used to be 2 tickets but you could do both together or do the singular windblown ticket, 1 site we work on the local council and EA used do singular windblown or emergancy tree work tickets, so in the money grabbing world we live in today you have to do 2 seperate tickets now ??

[5thelement]

6 hours ago, spuddog0507 said:

It used to be 2 tickets but you could do both together or do the singular windblown ticket, 1 site we work on the local council and EA used do singular windblown or emergancy tree work tickets, so in the money grabbing world we live in today you have to do 2 seperate tickets now ??

They did away with the single wind blown years ago, it’s one ticket now.

[spuddog0507]

14 hours ago, 5thelement said:

They did away with the single wind blown years ago, it’s one ticket now.

Single windblown ticket still available new code of 003937 and interwoven stems and part blown trees is now 003935, 

[Doug Tait]

I did hear an Assessor advising someone a couple of months ago that the single windblown would be a good ticket to do as their refresher.