Hand cutters for hardwood thinning

[Timber Man]

I would not do it again . It can be " snot gobbling " at worst and rewarding but body knackering at best !

 

I wouldnt blame anyone for that.

Day rates were the worst thing that happened , although understandably a lot of the cutting now couldn't be priced any other way, but far too many contractors think £100-£120 a day is a good rate to pay a skilled cutter....not the way I see it.

[Stubby]

I wouldnt blame anyone for that.

Day rates were the worst thing that happened , although understandably a lot of the cutting now couldn't be priced any other way, but far too many contractors think £100-£120 a day is a good rate to pay a skilled cutter....not the way I see it.

 

Me being 62 years old might have something to do with it !

[john k]

...when it is obvious what needs to be done and they stand there looking at you ,until you do it yourself and even then they just watch

 

 

I also think that they are not taught to look forward and see what needs doing next ,there is never nothing to do!

 

 

If they are new to this sort of work then what needs doing might not be as obvious to them as it is to you. They might be bone idle, but they may just lack confidence and not want to get it wrong.

 

How do you brief cutters when they start working for you?

[Timber Man]

Me being 62 years old might have something to do with it !

 

I am not that far behind you, but can still put it down, but I have very little enthusiasm towards contracts where they want to pay much less than what I am worth.

[njtimber]

Continuity of work in an area is a different matter.

Tbh the biggest barrier to someone hiring my skills is rates .

 

2 of us work within a 20 mile radius and never catch up with work admittedly you do have to be adaptable with a range of skills but I would not want to cut all day every day like we used to and I like planning it so we do a couple of cutting days followed by a easier day, fencing or hedge cutting etc. I do agree about rates /skill/experience commanding proper financial reward and I really hate being compared to inexperienced unproductive muppet operator's with day rates by stupid managers whom only look at cost not productivity.

[oldwoodcutter]

I go back a long way, but I can't remember forestry handcutting ever paying a 'good' day rate. Many have retired with nothing in the bank, and only a bad back to show for it.

[Timber Man]

2 of us work within a 20 mile radius and never catch up with work admittedly you do have to be adaptable with a range of skills but I would not want to cut all day every day like we used to and I like planning it so we do a couple of cutting days followed by a easier day, fencing or hedge cutting etc. I do agree about rates /skill/experience commanding proper financial reward and I really hate being compared to inexperienced unproductive muppet operator's with day rates by stupid managers whom only look at cost not productivity.

 

So are you suggesting you would pay more than the rates I have quoted for the right cutters?

[Timber Man]

I go back a long way, but I can't remember forestry handcutting ever paying a 'good' day rate. Many have retired with nothing in the bank, and only a bad back to show for it.

 

I agree, and from my experience piece rates were a lot fairer to both parties.

Someone telling you how much they are prepared to pay you day rate is like them telling you how much your skills are worth, and I kind of object to that.

That is someone else dictating to you how much you can earn.

[njtimber]

If they are new to this sort of work then what needs doing might not be as obvious to them as it is to you. They might be bone idle, but they may just lack confidence and not want to get it wrong.

 

How do you brief cutters when they start working for you?

 

Belive it or not I am incredibly patient with new cutters and genrally work alongside them to help them with any uncertain situations . I have learnt this through having 7 trainees only 2 stuck it out 1 of them still works with me the other eventually went into carpentry and is bloody good at that too. (They were both not interested at school and into trouble but with guidance and reward for hard work they remained keen and have both done well ,self employed etc)

It's the lack of energy with the subbies I have had in recent years and going back to the truck to look at their phone every 5minutes ,they know what needs doing but I keep having to ask them to do it even when we have done the same operation repeatedly. I kept an eye on one guy recently left him alone after working alongside him for a week and in an entire day he used 2 and a half tank fills ,at the end of the day I asked him if he would be happy to pay someone for what he hadn't done all day . (Just for the record I still paid him for a full day) but what good is it if you have to babysit them all day. Good skilled labour is rare and should be rewarded accordingly.

[TheHungrySquirrel]

How do you get help if you need it if your phone is in the truck?

 

 

 

To answer the original question hand cutters are hard to find. Good ones at least, it's a skill that isn't really taught anymore. Young people don't tend to choose forestry as a career anymore.

 

 

Working in a pair with eyesight distance and whistles.

 

I find phones annoying and distracting as well as easy to break in a pocket.

 

Right now I'm cutting firewood and have been promised day rate cutting which I would kill for, currently getting £160 a chain in dense hornbeam and I may as well be paying them 😒

 

Where are you based and are you looking for cutters??