Potential Startup - Northamptonshire

[steve918]

Hi, First posting on here so please be gentle!!

I have recently been made redundant and have decided to go for a complete career change and had an opportunity to aquire in a Timberwolf TW 150VTR tracked chipper. I have been contacting local tree surgeons and landscaping companies etc to see if they would be interested in subcontracting any chipping work out or hiring the chipper with or without operator? I do not climb or fell trees, but hope to provide a service to those that do!

I was thinking £180 a day for the machine and £280 with operator. Provided with a full tank of fuel. Discounts for longer hires. As I said I am just starting out and rates seem to vary massively across the country, so I am trying to determine where to pitch it!

What are peoples thought on the viability of this and the prices I am proposing?

Cheers

Steve

[easy-lift guy]

Greetings Steve, Two items I noticed missing from your thread would be any and all insurance needed for your new business venture and any and all Licenses. If I wanted to hirer someone out for sub-contract work that would have to be enforce. Otherwise it sounds like you have done some marketing work towards your new career and I believe between your desire and knowledge to post here first you will be able to make a go of it in time. All the best

easy-lift guy

[Peter]

Prices are probably about right, but the market you are aiming for is tiny and very specialised imo.

 

Plus stuffing brash into a 150 all day for £100 isn't my idea of fun, I think you would get bored with it pretty quickly.

[steve918]

Thanks for the responses guys.

I would of course have the necessary insurance in place and I am booked on a course for the prerequisite certificate.

 

My intention would be to hire out machine only as a preference, but to offer the operator as an option for those who require it. I realise it is quite a limited market and I'm trying to squeeze in between the professional tree-surgeons and the big boys in the equipment hire market, so not sure whether I would be in too small a niche..... guess that's what i'm trying to work out at the moment!!!

[luftwaffe]

The problem you will have is having enough work for the chipper, i mean regular work,...... are you able to fix it yourself if you have a breakdown? also how are you going to transport it around?

[steve918]

depends what breaks I suppose. Maintenance and minor breakdowns should be fine (from a farming background originally so keeping machines going was bred into me!).

Transport wise got a van and trailer, though it'll actually fit in the back of the van which I might prefer (hidden away from prying eyes and no need for the tacho if I travel more than 50 miles from home that would be needed with the trailer)

Whether there is enough work is the million dollar question, but I guess that is the case with any startup business isn't it

[luftwaffe]

depends what breaks I suppose. Maintenance and minor breakdowns should be fine (from a farming background originally so keeping machines going was bred into me!).

Transport wise got a van and trailer, though it'll actually fit in the back of the van which I might prefer (hidden away from prying eyes and no need for the tacho if I travel more than 50 miles from home that would be needed with the trailer)

Whether there is enough work is the million dollar question, but I guess that is the case with any startup business isn't it

 

It sounds that you are halfway there with what you have said so far:biggrin: what you'll get is people bantering you down with the price.

You need to combine your chipper business with other kinds of work though, to help you through quieter times, good luck.

[Dan Curtis]

You say you don't climb or fell trees, butt can you use a chainsaw? If people go for the operator and machine option it's unlikely they'll cut everything out ready for the chipper.

[Dean O]

If we had a guy down the road doing this we may hire - probably without operator - for maybe 5 days of the year for sites which warrant it.

how many companies are around you? how many of these either dont have a tracked machine or might need another from time to time?

 

there may also be the odd gardener that would call you in - these kind of guys normally also need you to take away the chip.

 

the only other down side is that the hirer would probably expect you to repair or replace the machine if there was a problem with it - they wouldnt want to delay their work - this service is available with a larger hire co.

 

good luck with your venture, as said you may need to diversify.

[steve918]

Cheers again for the responses guys.

 

I can use a chainsaw and have for years, but I haven't got any certificates. Booking myself on a course to recify that and find out what I've been doing wrong all these years!

 

"the only other down side is that the hirer would probably expect you to repair or replace the machine if there was a problem with it - they wouldnt want to delay their work - this service is available with a larger hire co." - That one is where I would come unstuck and wouldn't be able to compete with the big hire companies!