Money tight gardening dilemma..

[Old Mill Tree Care]

In reality though, I'd buy the multi-tool and then sell it after the job if it won't be used again.

Congrats on the house.

[WorcsWuss]

At that price I can't see how you could fail! If it dies it surely won't be before it's saved you 200 quid's worth of professional's charges. And the beauty of your own garden is you can pretty well try whatever the hell you like, so crack on.... I can't wait to be able to afford to move house again so I can buy somewhere that needs knocking into shape.... There's little more satisfying than turning something overgrown into something beautiful....

[Pedroski]

At that price I can't see how you could fail! If it dies it surely won't be before it's saved you 200 quid's worth of professional's charges. And the beauty of your own garden is you can pretty well try whatever the hell you like, so crack on.... I can't wait to be able to afford to move house again so I can buy somewhere that needs knocking into shape.... There's little more satisfying than turning something overgrown into something beautiful....

 

Come on, you do realise you're encouraging people to do stuff that does me out of work and should be left to the professionals?!?! I'm off now to go cut down some trees

[Andy Collins]

Why not have a load of mates around, all crack into it then have a BBQ party in the evening to repay them?

[WorcsWuss]

Come on, you do realise you're encouraging people to do stuff that does me out of work and should be left to the professionals?!?! I'm off now to go cut down some trees

 

You need to stick to diddling little old ladies Pete...

[Pedroski]

You need to stick to diddling little old ladies Pete...

 

Oi, it's usually the other way round - little old ladies trying to diddle me

 

work mate is on hols at the moment. Left me to do a "small" hedge yesterday after a deal little old lady was happy with a quote he gave..... 10 weeks ago! Priced in half a day he did. Got there and found small hedge 10ft wide, 10ft high and had 3 to 4 ft new growth all over it, half of it above a 5ft wall, and he had priced in to do all the other shrubs and tamaris etc. Me and workmate's nephew spent far too long there - almost 6 hours instead of 4. Lady asked if we could just do this and just do that. I invoiced her the original amount of £192 incl VAT and she had been quoted £160! (she obviously didn't read the "+vat £32" on the quote! Still, she was lovely - made a nice cuppa and brought out biscuits, and was happy with the job for £192. Normally I would have charged for all the extra bits, but I was in a good mood and workmate was away so I couldn't go through what he had initially said!

[odd_bird]

Thanks guys, I think I'll go for multitool and give you a feedback if anyone's interested.

 

I work for the local government so can't quite borrow good tools. Big brother is watching every move but I might sneak in a chainsaw one night quietly (with boss'es consent of course). Would be a bit more difficult sneaking in pruners and strimmers in my tiny coupe car without getting noticed

 

We've been doing a hell of the lot work using non-mechanical tools last year because of the HAVS issue. It's amazing what can be done with not a single drop of petrol. Though, good hand tools are still quite expensive.

 

Hiring professionals I could only see as luxury (sorry guys I know times are desperate and all that). I've got chainsaw licence and other tickets so no - I'll stick with doing it myself. Though, advice on how to get rid of cuttings would be appreciated. Don't think that new neighbors would like it if I chucked it over the fence

 

Buy a Billhook and a Scythe from eBay. You're wife can't spend all day washing dishes and clothes!

having a decent husband would save me posting on here in a first place

[openspaceman]

Thanks guys, I think I'll go for multitool and give you a feedback if anyone's interested.

 

A bit late to the thread but I bought a ryobi 4 stroke with strimmer, pole saw and a hedge trimmer I think it was 80 quid plus 40 for the chainsaw bit. It's adequate for all the jobs, I have hardly used it as it was specifically bought to lend out instead of my own kit but it has cleared a small garden in Wellingborough that was a couple of metres high with brambles, so it has served its purpose.

 

I used the strimmer today and that was ok for the lawn edges.

[the hedge man]

You have a tiny coupe car??!! sounds like you need tro get it changed for a little van then you can do your own back garden with ease and then get out at the weekend doing private jobs to earn beer tokens!

 

Back when I was employed a decade ago, I had myself a nice audi a3 1.8t sport, but I also had a long list of private jobs I missed out on in the process. so I got rid of the nice motor, got a van and that was the start of me being my own gaffa!

[Bearded Munch]

Or you could just leave it and upset your new neighbours from the start, then they might all come round and help, problem solved.