Learning on the job

[Mutley404]

Hi, new to the forum.I've been reading through the topics and posts & i'm Looking forward to benefiting from all of the members combined experience:001_smile:

 

I've come to a bit of a cross roads at the moment with my work. I'm primarily a farmer, this takes up a lot of my time but I started fencing contracting a few years ago to make use of the machinery & my time. I completed my Cs30 & 31 a few years ago and so did my employee and, if asked, I take on the odd small sized tree job but of recently I've been asked to do a lot of work that is beyond my current skill level so I've had to turn it down. I've always had a passion for working with trees and have always wanted to take my qualifications further and gain some academic achievements in the subject (I'm hoping to enrol on the RFS course with HCC, if this advisable??)

 

My question is how far is it possible to progress in the field without being taken under the wing of a larger firm/experienced team?? Will I gain the experience by studying,gaining tickets and gradually taking on bigger jobs?

[geoff]

Welcome to the forum,

 

I would say you will get a better skill set in a more safe manner by working in a tree firm.

That is my opinion, but others may well differ.

[Matthew Storrs]

You will learn the right way pretty quickly as opposed to trial and error which could take years and have disastrous consequences!

Good luck tho

[Spruce Pirate]

If you continue to study and do tickets you will learn how to cut bigger trees safely, blow etc. You can then do a certain amount of learning on the job and building your own experience, the trick is to know when you're out of your depth and need to turn something down or get someone in with more experience.

 

Working with a tree frim would undoubtedly get you experience quicker.

 

I would guess that most of us on here have probably got a mixture of formal training and working with others learning from them. I think that's a very good way of learning.

[felixthelogchopper]

I think Arb is very similar to driving. A qualification is something that allows you to go out and start learning.

[geoff]

I think Arb is very similar to driving. A qualification is something that allows you to go out and start learning.

 

Fair analogy, & like drivers people develop bad habits as they learn, where as in a crew you have others to put you right.

[doobin]

Two Mutleys with numbers in their username. This is gonna get confusing

[Mutley404]

Thanks for the replies guys.

 

The comparison to driving sounds like it makes sense. But like most farmers, I learned to drive when I was a wee lad well before I had a licence:thumbup:

 

I've got a large acreage of woodland on the farm which we harvest all wind blown timber for firewood, often cutting and winching large trees on steep slopes, so I've got a some experience in that area but I'm sure I've also got lots of bad habits I also climb recreationally for time to time so that might stand me in good stead?

 

It's funny because there is a lot of "tree surgeons" around that are probably less qualified than I am yet they take on anything they can get! I figured if I study hard and get more tickets I can start taking on bigger jobs and offer quality service to the customer, if I'm not confident about a job I can always say no, I could always spend the day helping the skilled guys get the job done and learn a thing or two

[doobin]

Thanks for the replies guys.

 

The comparison to driving sounds like it makes sense. But like most farmers, I learned to drive when I was a wee lad well before I had a licence:thumbup:

 

I've got a large acreage of woodland on the farm which we harvest all wind blown timber for firewood, often cutting and winching large trees on steep slopes, so I've got a some experience in that area but I'm sure I've also got lots of bad habits I also climb recreationally for time to time so that might stand me in good stead?

 

It's funny because there is a lot of "tree surgeons" around that are probably less qualified than I am yet they take on anything they can get! I figured if I study hard and get more tickets I can start taking on bigger jobs and offer quality service to the customer, if I'm not confident about a job I can always say no, I could always spend the day helping the skilled guys get the job done and learn a thing or two

 

IMHO you'd be wasting your time doing your own tickets. Let's take stock- you're a farmer, you have a farm/contracting business to run- is it really worth your time to swing about in a tree? Great if you enjoy it- maybe keep it as a hobby?

 

You also have big kit, some one which by the sounds of it is already timber related. And I presume you are a reasonable businessman, even if subsidised by the state (only messing mate, there's plenty of folk on here who are farm based)

 

The obvious route is to get insurance which covers you for anything tree related. Then find yourself a decent couple of subbby climbers to hire in as needed- think of it as hiring in a specialist machine for a specific job- why pay to have it sitting in yard (hazy anology to training yourself/doing tickets) if you don't use it much?

 

IMHO you'd do better to be the man on the ground, putting the job together, using your contacts, premises and big kit to do it efficiently, and get someone skilled do the donkey work up a tree.

[Mutley404]

IMHO you'd be wasting your time doing your own tickets. Let's take stock- you're a farmer, you have a farm/contracting business to run- is it really worth your time to swing about in a tree? Great if you enjoy it- maybe keep it as a hobby?

 

You also have big kit, some one which by the sounds of it is already timber related. And I presume you are a reasonable businessman, even if subsidised by the state (only messing mate, there's plenty of folk on here who are farm based)

 

The obvious route is to get insurance which covers you for anything tree related. Then find yourself a decent couple of subbby climbers to hire in as needed- think of it as hiring in a specialist machine for a specific job- why pay to have it sitting in yard (hazy anology to training yourself/doing tickets) if you don't use it much?

 

IMHO you'd do better to be the man on the ground, putting the job together, using your contacts, premises and big kit to do it efficiently, and get someone skilled do the donkey work up a tree.

 

That's a fair point, apart from the subsidy dig.....I'm sure if we could eat trees the state would subsidies forestry too.....

 

How much would a decent climber and groundsman cost to hire for a days work? And would studying for the RFS certificate still be a benefit even if I didn't do the donkey work??

 

The trouble is learning to climb is something I want to do, any business sense seems to get put to one side when it's like that but like you say I could just climb for the fun.