Running Cost of Chipper Per Annum

[arbclimber]

No worries mate, I can make more if I choose to but I dont. I only choose to work 3 days a week actual tree work and that included 1 month off over xmas

 

I earn enough money to live comfortably off and the rest gets ploughed into the business, I have or had a Landcruiser Amazon, a landroverr, a brand new chipper, an 18m tracked mewp, 2 acres of prime land and all my kit is as new.

 

If you invest youir money, you can make a smaller profit and not pay as much in tax. Invest it rather than give it to the taxman

 

Cool, just seemed to me that you had loads of kit, loads of experience, and weren't making any more than a bus driver.

 

I completely see your point. you have the lifestyle you want, work when you want, and have lots of toys to play with. Cant argue with that:thumbup1:

[Dean Lofthouse]

out of intrest dean, are you expecting to keep youre bandit for the full 20 year/2000hour life youve given it, or chop it in for a new one before that time? did that calculation take into account the resale value after the 2000hour deano life?

 

I didnt take into account resale value Josh because it would not be worth a lot to me and you would benefit more by chopping it in every three or four years to take advantage of depreciation for tax purposes

[Mesterh]

It sounds like you live in a world of bad business

 

I have priced jobs against people who are cheaper, I still win jobs though

 

Narr just bad business men ie ME!

 

I do win some jobs where I'm not the cheapest but I would say the vast majority are because I'm the cheapest.

 

Although I do live in a city that has the highest percentage of deprivation in the country! Apparently.

[Mesterh]

With that mentallity, you will never earn a good living, retire early, be able to replace kit as needed, afford to have two months off if you are ill, etc, etc.

 

You will cover costs and earn a wage, but never have time to scratch your arse. Sorry its a bit harsh, but one day you will reflect and say "you know what, that big daft bloke on arbtalk said i would end up like this"

 

You are also one of the reasons prices are constantly driven down in some areas, but thats another post!

 

Hmm you could be right.

 

Up until 2 years ago I had nearly 50K in the bank with no finance,loans etc, so I musta been doing something right back then.

 

I tried upping our day rate back then when we were busy for a longish period and the amount of work winning dropped, so the rate had to drop, I'm more or less on the same rate I was 5 years ago.

 

When you have a huge amount of new lads getting into the game every year and an already well established travelling community at it it isnt that easy to earn a wedge.

[ukminch]

Are you Liverpool based?

[Mesterh]

Are you Liverpool based?

 

How did you guess?

 

Was it the constant complaining and trying to blame others for my mistakes?

[ukminch]

How did you guess?

 

Was it the constant complaining and trying to blame others for my mistakes?

 

LOL nope. I'm just wondering if I know you. But there are hundreds of firms round here, especially with myerscough being just up the road.

 

R

[Mesterh]

LO

L nope. I'm just wondering if I know you.

 

We will never know!

 

But there are hundreds of firms round here, especially with myerscough being just up the road.

 

Aint that the truth! Waste a lot of peoples time in training them up for not much unfortunately.

[ukminch]

LO

 

We will never know!

 

I guess not:001_tt2:, although the truth always comes out int he end:001_unsure:

Aint that the truth! Waste a lot of peoples time in training them up for not much unfortunately.

 

It is and it isn't at the end of the day people need to take some responsibility for themselves. A bit of research would show what the job market is like and so if they decide to go down that route they need to be doing it bigger or better than the next person!

 

R

[Albedo]

Just a thankyou to everyone who took the time to contribute with info here. Very informative and useful including all the more general issues that came up.

 

Couldn't type last night from doing an 'old snake' up the willow reduction yesterday, no highpoint and multistemmed so each top had to be reached by different means. Had to use a sling to make footholds, and actually tied a crossing branch to a stem to get something to stand on.

 

When I was crawling along one of the tops head first like 'old snake' in that oak reduction,(horizontal anchor point in this case) I thought jees I'm too old for these antics, and 'this is gonna hurt tommorrow... it does by the way.

 

It all laid on the truck nicely, willows are so perfect for chipper free tree work.