What do you do when chipper breaks?

[Tree Tastic Care]

Orange plant . And to make things worse it was £ 60 each way for delivery

[dan494]

Orange plant . And to make things worse it was £ 60 each way for delivery

 

 

How'd you make any money on the jobs after paying that??

[Mick Dempsey]

How'd you make any money on the jobs after paying that??

 

I'd imagine one would take a hit on profit to not let clients down.

[Gray git]

Orange plant . And to make things worse it was £ 60 each way for delivery

 

Ah there you go then!

I think they are very expensive unless you want something for months at a time, I was getting a 1928 savetrack for £85 day +vat from arbtech when we needed it earlier this year for a few weeks but same machine from Orange was almost twice!

[dan494]

I'd imagine one would take a hit on profit to not let clients down.

 

 

But even so if I had to pay out better part of a grand a week on top of regular expenses I'd be doing well to take home £100

[Mick Dempsey]

I guess one has to delay the jobs where you need a chipper where possible. But at the same time you have to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

 

I had the same thing happen recently with my Forst. Luckily I've kept my tw150 as a back up. We did a 3 grand hedge job with it while the Forst was "off the road"

I was going to sell it, but I'll keep it now. It's already repaid its value as a back up.

[Daythe trees]

Just bought a forst but have kept the cs100 for this very reason. Could have done with selling it to put more cash into the new machine but decided I'd keep it, nothing to do with senitmentality you understand purely practical decision.

[dan494]

Just bought a forst but have kept the cs100 for this very reason. Could have done with selling it to put more cash into the new machine but decided I'd keep it, nothing to do with senitmentality you understand purely practical decision.

 

 

A smaller second chipper is definitely a good idea. Had a tw18/100 that was my first chipper but relegated to back up but had to sell it when a transit died so needed the cash to replace it. Hard decision but needed a replacement vehicle more than I needed a spare chipper and a loan to pay back

[Goaty]

From this thread I get the vibe a chipper is useful for handling waste saving time.

But I question whether everyone is charging out the use of the chipper.

I bought a pto chipper 15 years ago and financially it was a dead loss really for me, because at that time we went from no one having a chipper to every outfit having one.

 

Yet on many threads on here it's stressed factor in depreciation and running costs. If I not mistaken chippers can be hired for less than the cost or thereabouts of a labourer.

Surely it's better to break even (excluding wages) for a week or 2 and keep chipping?

Personally I'm non committal and flexible with as much work as I can be. I'd swop jobs around and explain to the client it will be more cost effective for them, quicker etc when the machine is back. I appreciate many don't have the luxury of such flexibility and the jobs are priced.

Chippers were few and far between 20 years ago. Lots of fires I reckon.

[Daythe trees]

Dan you're right and a little chipper that with a set of spammers can be taken anywhere is worth it's weight in gold if you can convince the customer to let you chip on site for that bloody awkward back garden job with no access and sets of steps involved. I wouldn't be without one unles like you I am faced with a decision of keep it or take on debt!