What's this worth with machinery...?

[peds]

5 hours ago, woody paul said:

That many trees is worth bringing in big kit as you say it can get in. Best way to hire any kit is by the week. 

As Mark said solo climb on them I would think again, unless you are going to top them with one or two cuts. 

 

Ah, I'd not be hiring anything except a chipper as usual. If it needs needs big kit, it's a job for someone else, and they are welcome to it.

 

One or two cuts might be optimistic, but the drop zone is good either side of the fence so it wouldn't be a job for the secateurs.

 

I don't know if the slightly-bigger virgin trees at either end of the row (which could be left alone, remember) are skewing the opinions on this, but the trees in the middle don't really seem like a big deal. This is on the west coast of Ireland, where we just haven't got many big trees. There's a fair few to deal with in one place, of course.

 

Not trying to be Billy Big Bollocks here, as I'm 100% a mediocre climber at best compared to many of you on here, but if I'd be happy to do the same number of trees of a similar size but spread out over more jobs, the maths kind of works out the same if they all happen to be in one place. It might be a case of doing half in one session and chipping it all, then doing the other half and chipping that.

 

Thinking about it earlier though, I do actually know another local climber who works solo who I could reach out to and see if he wants to split it. Depending on what the team with big toys quote when they go to see the job in January (hopefully), I might get in touch and see what he says.

 

Like I said in my first post, I appreciate all the opinions being shared, thanks for your replies.

[HuntingHicap]

I wouldn't say it needs big toys. 2 good climbers 2-3 groundies with a decent chipper ideally tracked if would staying on site would smash that in three days.

[Dan Maynard]

I guess it's on the threshold pricewise, cost of a merlo and heizohack, then what to do with all the chip - tractor, grain trailer etc. You're in for a few grand for all that kit plus a few guys to run it, which would pay for a climber with someone on the ground for a week.

 

Looks a bit like they're in groups so you can do several from the same tie-in, I think not too bad a job if the drop zone is good, especially if you have a couple of climbers and couple on the ground.

[Dan Maynard]

Tracked mewp might make it quicker too.

[peds]

13 minutes ago, Dan Maynard said:

Tracked mewp might make it quicker too.

 

It would, wouldn't it. I think they go for about 750euro a week from our local hire place. Might give them a shout.

[peds]

17 minutes ago, Dan Maynard said:

Looks a bit like they're in groups so you can do several from the same tie-in, I think not too bad a job if the drop zone is good, especially if you have a couple of climbers and couple on the ground.

 

Absolutely could, yeah. And drop zone is grand, either side of the fence.

Track mewp definitely sounds tempting now though, I'll look into it.

[JBH]

Can you have a fire?

[Conor Wright]

20 hours ago, peds said:

I'd not sub it on, I'd pass it on. I like working alone, I keep my own time and don't have to think of anyone else's schedule. I have kids to drop off and sometimes pick up from school, so there's occasional late starts, half days, all of that.

 

Anyway, 14 medium and 6 small trees on one job is the same as 2 medium and 1 small tree on 7 different jobs, except you don't have to deal with 7 different clients which, obviously, is sometimes the hardest part of it.

 

The client knows it'd take a good few days, I'd not be putting a caravan on his driveway but I'd be there a while.

 

What would you price it at? Either for your own setup or (go on, humour me!) as a single climber...?

I'll bite, assuming it's north of sligo, so a bit out of my normal area and assuming access is as good as you say and it can all be done with mewp, loader and chipper. 5k plus vat all in. Assuming all chip and wood remains onsite.

Biggest cost (for me) would be moving machinery. I'd take it on alone too, maybe sub in a good climber for a day or two if necessary. 

If it was closer to home it'd be a bit cheaper, but not vastly.. 

Bear in mind I'm quoting from photos which I never usually do, but I think the wide angle photos make the trees look smaller than they are.

 

If you do go at it yourself, I'm hiring a chipper and compact loader with or without operator if you're interested In making life easier for yourself.

 

I'll await those who think it's either a 20k job or 500 quid and a cuppa at 11 and home by 3....

 

 

[peds]

7 hours ago, Conor Wright said:

 

If you do go at it yourself, I'm hiring a chipper and compact loader with or without operator if you're interested In making life easier for yourself.

 

I'll await those who think it's either a 20k job or 500 quid and a cuppa at 11 and home by 3....

 

 

Nice one Conor, yeah up in north Sligo. Thanks for putting a figure somewhere near it, I did think it'd be somewhere in the 4-5k range. Obviously it's impossible to quote on photos, you have to be under the tree itself before you know what it is, but I promise access is as good as I claim. I wonder how much it'd go up if it was inaccessible! 

 

I might give you a call on that chipper question if things look right, but at this stage I'm definitely holding back until the bigger firms can put a quote in though. Might not be worth my sanity, even if it is worth my time...

 

And 500 seems steep, surely someone would want to do it for the firewood?

[matt padden]

With a job like that I think it depends how busy you are. Have you got the time to do it on your own if you need up to 10 days to do it? It looks like a nice no-drama job, so I'd happily do it on my own. If you're reasonably busy get a groundy in at least.  Often these sort of jobs don't take as long to do as you think on your own, but price it on the safe side. I wouldn't be worrying about finding them a cheaper/ better way to do the job. That's on the homeowner. If you're happy to do the job on your own give them a price and leave it at that.