Mr. Bish

nice job . Did you get it recorded?

i think it's a bit late for these ones. I have already taken the bottom few feet off the ivy but they need to come down really.

I might just have to get one of those snazzy lil winches and go get me some tree.

The first one was a bit of a nightmare. Hazel I think. The one on the far right was hollow and rotting, overhanging a garden where kids played most days. I will remove all 4 (One fallen on it's own) but the nice lady can only afford half at a time. I did the rotton one and the fallen one, going back next month for the two slightly more upright and healthy ones. They should just about survive the storms. Next windblown is a beautifull tree that I worked on last October. I did his whole garden, hedges and trees. I think the fact I had lowered his hedges and removed some trees may have contributed to this. :-( I am going back as soon as the next wind blows to check the next willow along the wind line. More wind = more work but I was sad when this one dropped.

I'm interested. As long as it doesn't break the bank:star:

I'd be too scared of dropping stuff on that gleaming machine.

Some of the gear I had already to be honest, Decided to take it seriously last month. Baught a chipper (Local hire one is dangerously crap and £100 a day) Baught a top saw and going on 38 39 and putting groundie through 30, 31 and 38. Baught ectra insurance to cover tools and liability required to approach council work. When I started I had an E-Bay 024 saw £150, a bow saw, some pruners, a ladder and a £600 trailer. The truck was already mine. The rest has built up as I needed them.

I set up last year. Lost approx £20K in set up costs. Truck - £5.5k Chipper £8.5K Insurance £2.1k Advertising £300 saws and trimmers - £1.2k trailer £600 Misc tools - £1k wages to groundie will kick in from April £12k Training for me and groundie - £2.8K I still need a big blade saw - £800 Proper climbing tack - £1K A chipping truck £4K Pole trimmer - £400 so eventually total set up for me will be £25 to 26K I did it on the cheap! It takes a lot of small trees and hedges to claw that back. The big money seems to be in the bigger comercial jobs. I couldn't take any of those as I wasn't insured or qualified. Hopefully I can start getting some contract work this year when groundi and I finish our training. The main problem I came up against were poor quoting from me. I was so desperate for some work and so bad at guessing the time involved that I was only actually earning £40 a day on one particularly bad quote. I have baught all my gear over the period of a year as it became essential. Second big problem is lack of experience - I knew very little about trees (Still do really) and my only real climbing experience was on rocks. Thankfully I have survived my first year without hurting myself or anyone else and as far as I can tell, the only trees I have killed are the ones that I was paid to kill :-) Good luck dude. This forum has helped me massivly by drawing on the experience of some of the members. But it will only help if you listen to them.

Thanks for that. I baught some and they arrived fast. Also got a quote from the company mentioned earlier in this thread but they were a fair bit more.

I need a truck for catching chips. Criteria 1. I don't want to look like a pikie 2. I'd like a tipper 3. Preferably with enough space for secure tool storage when on sites. 4. I don't want to spend more than about £4K Having scoured E-bay, auto trader I am at a bit of a loss for what to buy. They all seem to look pikie to me.

Don't eat a big greasy sarnie before the start of a big day. It seems to slow up into a two day job.

I hope so.. Unfortunately I am on my areal rescue course so i get problems. 1. Practiceing in big winds = not so fun 2. I can't deal with call outs coz both me and groundy are in training.

Hard to tell without actually being there. I am far too cheap (Get 99% of quotes). I'd guess 2 men 2 days. = Around £500 to £600

Yeuch. that is a grizzly gash. Whats that thing that looks like a watch strap under the skin?

I see your logic. Only flaw with it is that I / we never spend a full day there, we just go there when jobs are thin on the ground, we finish early or the weather is too bad to be working on trees. So therefore, If I had a £38K splitter. I would be loosing so much more in wasted groundy time :-) Personally I love going to my woodshed, it's next door to my house and wifey can't nag me ther.

The cheapest log splitter is my groundy:icon14: £50 a day and he loves going to the woodshed if it's wet or we finish early.

Is using a splitter as quick as brute strength and axes? Show me a piccy please.

I have just finished logging last years wood. There was a lot of tat in there but I don't mind selling tat to Stove users and I am happy to burn it myself. This thread is for loggability of the trees. Willow was splitting like a dream :-) One gentle swing was usually enough apart from the base. Gum - can't spell eucaliptus is an absolute C@#! When it was fresh the maul was very bouncy on it. so I thaught. I'd let it dry out. It did dry out well and fast too but afterwards it was like trying to split rippled rock! So on my splitability rating I have. 10 is best willow - 9 oak - 6 conifer - 8 fruit - 4 - because it was always twisted cherry - 8 :-) larch - 5 Ash - 10 (very lovely) Pine - 7 <--- too bloomin heavy for my liking! Gums - 0 I do like the way the gums burn tho. so almost worth the effort. So what are you favourites and least favourites?

If you are going to do them for the farmer, my suggestion is to only deal with the ones that are on the ground. Take the branches off first (small undercut then taken from above). Once you have a trunk to work with, find a spot where you can comfortably get your saw underneath and do a nice big undercut, being aware where the compression is (always take the compression side first). then finish from the other side. Then you will have a nice big trunk that you can cut three quarters of the way all along. Then use a big branch or pole to roll the trunk over and finish the cuts. You should always take a second person up there with you andhave a spare saw. But I agree with the others, you will be much better prepared once you have completed CS30 and 31

The ones that get on my nerves are the ones that claim their trees have no protection order on them. Once one of them even went to the lengths of showing me a (supposed) E-mail from the council saying there were no TPO's on her property. I then checked myself as it was a very large mature oak, next door to a conservation area. When I called her back and told her the TPO news she swore at me for getting the council involved and hung up!

I just watched that video and thaught about his risk asesment form

okeydokey thanks for the technical answer cern. I can at least explain a little when saying I agree and the mistletoe should come out. I was kinda hoping I wouldnt have to add it in as there are 12 trees effected and the lowest clump is at about 60 feet.

One reason that I can think of for removal.... To prevent pikies climbing up and hurting themselves before christmas! If no-one knows a good reason for removing it then I can leave it off the quote and save about a day.

Dont diss the timberwolf please!!! I'm off to buy a 150 tomorrow and now I am getting scared.

I have a very big job to price up, lucky for me I had a copy of the report from the previous people in and part of their quote was for removal of mistletoe. Most of the mistletoe is about 60 to 80 feet up fully grown poplars. I don't know why they wanted to take it out so can anyone tell me if mistletoe can harm trees if left unchecked?