conkers

We have been lucky with tree work so far. Not too many weirdos. We have a landscape side also and we get some nightmares, usually with people wanting extras or changing their minds and not willing to pay for it. I feel bad for your waisted time and money. Hope it wasn't too much! People like this are to be avoided. Wish all trades persons could have a secret warning for all other trades for bad payers etc... You would soon notice the weird ones as there plumbing wouldn't work- roofs would leak and there trees would lay untouched across their gardens. LOL.

During my brief spell on the forum I have noticed mention of theft comes up quite a bit. Could be due to the fact that cars worth anything like the price of a new chipper for example are prob hard to steal! Personally I think you can make it hard for thieves but if they target a bit of kit they succeed. What do we have to do? My kit is secure- but if I follow insurance guidelines to the letter it would cost a small fortune. More than the cost of a chipper. Arb insurance is a scam- because underwriters will not take risks. They are covered from all angles, especially not paying out for a minor technical point. Maybe the only valid reason for being anon on the forum is not to be veiwed by the potential thief when posting kit pics. Am I paranoid?

Once decended a smallish conifer. The ground was all Ivyed and my saw on ticover found itself in a partially covered tub of water. The saw recovered after it was rushed to saw maintenance guy who stripped and dryed and oiled before it rusted inside. Always clip it up to my belt now, and turn it off! Expensive bad practice that was.

Just renewed my insurance. Reading the small print is an eyeopener. I think I may have to be the worlds bestest tree person to be covered. Even then there is a £500 excess. We just put our liability cover up to 5 mil to cover our asses and we generally only do domestic work. It is getting out of hand. I blame the claims culture and down with solicitors too. Baaaaa!

Can't see a problem with that. What most people are against is not what you describe but the no insurance, no qualifications, no tax, under cutting posse who pull 25k+ in their cushy 35hr a week jobs and do a bit of tree cutting/ toppin an loppin in summer- if it,s sunny.

The landrover starting!

Putting the weight on your feet after prussiking with your ball stuck in your harness:fisheye: Damn you Petzl Navaho:cussing:

Nah. It's a scam. I agree we can change things but it is to complicated and dull to post on here. When the national community needs change it usually happens through commercial pressure, so why are we still a slave to the oil companies and the combustion engine? Goverments have been neglecting alternatives for years because of industrial pressure. Just look at other more progressive countries. You watch the speed we can change when the oil does run out and the money has been made! This could get really dull.

Have no previous experience with forums. I think this is really informative. If you live around a large community of arborists you would not appreciate how useful the forum is. As one who lives in the sticks I've learn't loads. I can see how a forum could degenerate into a crappy slanging match and if people big them selves up a bit, so what! Many climbers love the kudos of what they do. Some may call it pride. Be proud of the industry. The more you learn the more realise you have to learn. Is just sharing knowledge, so when someone posts untruths they get found out.

This sounds like I,m contradicting myself from last post but what would sort the sorry mess out is one training course which all tree companies have to pass. Sort the pros from the cowboys. A bit like corgi but for us! Can't carry out work over a certain height without it. This would bring costs down on insurance etc. Sounds draconian but if the wider public were made aware the unqualified and un insured would disapear over night! We would be able to charge the right price for our work and remove all the other nonsence legislation that costs us time and money.

Just come off the thread about towing trailers, chippers etc.. Seems there is some shared feeling about what a mind field running a small company is. Towing laws being an example. I used to employ two full time and two part time. Turnover about 120k per annum with a landscape side as well. Now there is just two of us and the other chap has become self employed. The reason for this- My profits were crippled by trying to keep up with legislation, insurance on top of all the day to day stuff. I was running about chasing my tail and loosing money. Now we both earn a living. Tree side more profitable around here because there are so many landscapers doing it for a pittence while holding down other jobs. My point is- How can companies grow in rural areas if the powers that be are trying to turn us all into tax collecters-accountants- and general paper pushers! We just want to work in our chosen trade- pay fair tax and grow our companies modestly. If everybody said no to their meddling then they have to listen to the majority. The only winners are the guys with a van, a mobile phone, and no fixed address. No predjudice implied!

When pricing- you have to give the customer what they expect- Someone who looks like they've crawled out of a tree. Washing is out of the question as well!

We are way to passive in this country. We all have a moan about it, but the goverment and large industry know we will just pay up. Hell most busy garages don't even have more than one cashier so we will even stand in line to get slapped:hmmmm2:

Early starts and a refusal to look in the mirror!

There are obvious risks to all the above. The principle of risk assesment is to manage that risk but what 1,3,7and 4 have in common is the un forseeable, can't do a bloody thing about it, o God I,m a gonner times when chance throws up un quantifiable curveballer like weather conditions at sea or branch failure in an apparently healthy tree. One that looks like a great rigging point! Those risks the Hse can't get there head around. It's a natural environment and it is unpredictable at times. Inexperience or even tiredness just add to the mix. New people to the industry should never be rushed by there employers because they need to find out instinctivley what you can't learn at collage. Old boys can come acropper too by the unforseeable.

What always suprises me is how farmers can drive on public roads with little or no lighting on trailers etc. Open back trailers. Spead slippy cow sh**e all over the road. Kids in one person tractor cabs. Over loaded trailers- the list goes on. I recon they have a hard job so I'm not saying they should be singled out. My point is that we have to be so careful loading, traffic management, crappy lighting boards on chippers and trailers constantly being fixed, risk assesments- and yer load weights! Why one rule for them and another for us? Is it because of our apparent dangerous work?

cheers jpbeaver!

Anyone have trouble getting hold of red derv for chippers. All the garages around here have stopped selling it due to nightmare legislation. Bulk buying by the barrel also seems to have it's regs. At the current price I can't keep putting liquid gold into my chipper! In south lakes £1.17ltr!

I have an 05 plate on 55k. Got me worried now, better get that sevice done. Not a bit of trouble from new so far. Nissans on the whole are pretty reliable. Always the odd bad one. Heard scare stories about all vehicles. Try running a Defender!

Would recommend the collie-dingo as an alternative! <<<<

As we don't do loads of dismantling I will wait till I can try something different the next chance I get Cheers for the advice chaps. Long and light seems to be the cure!

On those very wet days, don't even try to outbrew a bt worker:fisheye:

I always get the jeebies first thing in the morning just thinking about this topic- mainly on large dismantles, knowing a good size cut with the 44 or 66 would smart abit! Once up the tree and cutting the worries disapear, just focus. Maybe that's the adrenilin working. I think pole rescue is the most unlikely success, as groundie has to put spikes on. Where possible a fixed rescue line is the best option on crown rescues imo. The practicalities of moving the line all the time on dismantles is off putting but has to be the quickest option in an emergency. I don't practice what I preach though but now will make an effort. Eliminate the chances of serious injury when pruning by using handsaws where possible. On reductions and thins using a 200t is unnesseccery imo.

ahh. Showing my ignorance. No fixed length. The top of the irons are at the mid point of my calf muscle

Yep, adjust with buckles not velcro. I think they were designed for those big stihl boots with the big heel!