Past it???

[devon TWiG]

If you are limited on start up funds then perhaps a long handled hedgetrimmer ...loads of work around for them , no great skill / qualification needed ...

[Dan Maynard]

59 minutes ago, eggsarascal said:

Do you really want to get into manual graft at 45, it’s not old by any stretch, but I notice it these days.

It's not as bad as it was 20 years ago though. Better climbing systems for one, also loaders diggers etc taking a lot of the worst manual labour away.

[Dan Maynard]

32 minutes ago, Ben10 said:

Thanks for the responses….

Not sure I’ve got the kind of cash needed for cherry pickers etc, but what I have got is time. I thought about starting something alongside my other job. I do 5 on, 5 off so hopefully it would fit in. 
With stump grinding would you go for a tracked one and bigger jobs or something a lot smaller?

A lot of firms use freelance here and there so could easily work. 

 

A tracked grinder is the way to go really, hydraulic takes the manual work out which you'll need if you are going to run it days at a time.

[woody paul]

With stump grinding you have got to be good on spanners if you want to keep running costs down.

And is there much work for them as most tree surgeons my way have there own or just get stump busters in.

Were are you based.

[eggsarascal]

24 minutes ago, Dan Maynard said:

It's not as bad as it was 20 years ago though. Better climbing systems for one, also loaders diggers etc taking a lot of the worst manual labour away.

Classic.

[dan blocker]

49 minutes ago, Ben10 said:

Thanks for the responses….

Not sure I’ve got the kind of cash needed for cherry pickers etc, but what I have got is time. I thought about starting something alongside my other job. I do 5 on, 5 off so hopefully it would fit in. 
With stump grinding would you go for a tracked one and bigger jobs or something a lot smaller?

Have you got any tickets yet? If your thinking of stump grinding it’s useful to have a saw to reduce stumps where you can to minimise grinding. Same with a mewp - ideally you need the necessary saw tickets to provide a full service. The advantage of a mewp is you can provide a service to others - gutter cleaning, chimneys, roof inspections etc, but you’ll need a 3.5 ton tow vehicle ideally if going for a 18 mtr tracked mewp. Have you spoken to any local arbs? What about finding out if your cut out for it before you jump🤔 and try a few weekends/ hols.

[eggsarascal]

38 minutes ago, Dan Maynard said:

It's not as bad as it was 20 years ago though. Better climbing systems for one, also loaders diggers etc taking a lot of the worst manual labour away.

Craic on, I’m sure at 45 there is easier work.

[Dan Maynard]

33 minutes ago, eggsarascal said:

Craic on, I’m sure at 45 there is easier work.

Of course there is. I didn't say it was easy just that a lot of the worst graft can be avoided, eg I don't hump timber out of gardens any more now I have a power barrow.

[eggsarascal]

6 minutes ago, Dan Maynard said:

Of course there is. I didn't say it was easy just that a lot of the worst graft can be avoided, eg I don't hump timber out of gardens any more now I have a power barrow.

We will all still push barrows, load skips, and pull our bollox off to get a living, loaders don’t always go where we need them. At 45, and educated, I’d give it a miss if I had my time again. But I’m sure I’m the argumentative one.

[JLA1990]

Go and get your cpcs, lifting ops and subbie to company’s….. lots of money to be made especially if you get into the ecology market!