start up costs

[scotspine1]

I am currently a self employed (tree) harvester driver at the minute.

 

Isn't that quite a specialist job?

 

Why would you want to leave that kind of work?

 

There can't be too many harvester operators in the UK?

 

What's the pay like?

[Mark Bolam]

What I meant was Joe, might not be the best time to make the move.

 

Good luck whatever you do, but I'd not burn the bridges to the harvesting side. Maybe get your tickets sorted so you are ready when things pick up.

 

I get calls and CV's from qualified guys looking for work every week at the minute, in the 'prosperous' south!

 

Do you know another harvester driver 'Dangerous' Brian Cowan from Falstone?

[VEG]

Scotspine he said he dont like being away from family for weeks on end thats a good enough reason isn't it.

[skyhuck]

Its hard to start up at the best of times, but right now is far from the best of times.

 

I started up with just me and my Mrs to support, its not to bad if you can live on very little while your first starting up, but if you have a family to support its going to be very difficult, imo.

[Dr.Green]

must be realy hard for people to start up 'striaght away' with big debt over there head , i realy couldnt sleep at night with that over my head but i understand some need to, epecialy if the treework was your only income .. i spent a few years building kit while at college and having full time job to pay for training and house.

 

still have 2 jobs but they run hand in hand , the other jobs pays the bills , the treehugging buys the tools , another year il be happy to start takign a wage.... recon ive spent 12k so far - next stump grinder

[Billy]

Between 10 and 20k and that's only if your very hands on and have the mechanical know how to judge, purchase work with and repair older kit...and the tools to do it with. In my experience starting up at the moment with a lot if subby climbing between my own work I think you need to be spending nearly 5k p/a on advertising to have a chance of supporting yourself with your own work. Truck and chipper would run you £6k ish other tools and ppe best part of another 4. And if you were getting 5 day weeks in you'd soon need a chipper worth more like £5k than 2 if you wanted it to last.

 

 

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[toprotter]

I started with an old disco and indespension trailer , secound hand 200t and wait for it A New farm boss ! borrowed hedge cutters , rake from a car boot and a couple of builders bags. As work came in i saved didnt have a social life.

Unless as mentioned before bank of mum n dad set u up or you get in with the high street banks you have to spend wisely repair and maintain buy and sell your way to bigger and better kit as and when needed. So it doesn't have to cost the earth just your nptc's to set you on your way and good rigging

But I'm a tight ass

:-)

[John Shutler]

I bought my first 020 off the guy I was working for, saved and bought a pick up truck and did small jobs, bought my first basic rigging kit So I could actually do a job I'd quoted for that I knew would need rigging. Subbed guys in with bigger trucks and chippers until I could afford to talk to the bank about a small loan to buy a chipper and so on

It depends how much you want it really, it's easy to go out and borrow money, but how do you even know your cut out for it?