Ty Korrigan

Yes, that would be the most attractive solution but for many of us a step too far with yard, loader etc. One day perhaps... Ty

Dean, where is this mythical screw...? Could you tell me where in the manual just in case I ever need to freewheel it? I probally couldn't budge it anyway weighing in at 63kg... Anyway, I don't have a great experience of grinders except out HB20 and a shoitey 18hp push/pull hire Laski (never again!) Our HB20 earns us good money. True, it can tip if you don't level the ground but a bit of rake work becomes second nature after a while. Slopes are a bitch but I tend to dig a wee flat for the wheels if I can. I have to admit, its the slopes that get me as I'm a bit light myself. Still, very few stumps escape me and my HB20. I have always found Global decent people to deal with from sales to spares and maintenance advice. If I had the money I would have bought a bigger more stable grinder but I certainly don't regret buying our HB20. Ty

Your pulling our plum with that one surely? I mean, having invested in a chipper and truck, why would you put either the tree or chip into an expensive skip? I'd like to see a mornings work fit in a skip let alone a days worth! For your chips, reduce tipping costs by using FREECYCLE and finding local people who will take a driveway full from time to time. We are tipping more at our local council yard as they need 200m3 per year for their gardens and borders. A moot point with us is the 3250euros we spend on an accountant when my accountant wife would do it all for free! This is driving me nuts! The bizzare refusal of my business partner to let go of this responsibility and save us a whopping wedge...In fact every time I think about this I feel a little sick.

Our insurance is 15euros per day (based on average number of days worked) We spend far too much on fuel/travel around 60euros Almost 10euros on publicity It is going to be a real shock to find out in May just how much our new limited company has cost to run. Ty

No, that's what ex-pats do here after they have decided tree surgeons are just too expensive. We are due to work at for a couple who did exactly that. Now the wife has decided that if her husband is to get his health back then economies involving trees are not the way. I even think Normandy Lumberjack has a good image of scaffolding around a Macrocarpa (not his own apparantly but I've not seen him climb yet...hhhh!) Jeremy Vine...the Radios Daily Wail... Ty

Morning, I love pruning these but am wary of peoples reactions. Twice in recent years I've cut Wisterias back for women who have cried when they saw the resulting scaffold. Once a rich American woman at her chateau and a French Countess in Normandy who stormed off telling us we have killed it, vandals and that we where fired! IIn each case I revisited the sites during the summer to see a re-assuring wealth of blooms from the 'vandalised' Wisteria. I feel the key thing for a Wizzy is regular pruning by the same person or at least in the same manner. People tend to do it once then leave it for a few years. I try an leave the flower buds where I can, these are the fat ones also I don't remove all the stems carrying the May early season flowers. (they flower twice a year in general) It may be less tidy than leaving a scaffold but keep some stems carrying flower buds and tie them in well, you can always remove them after flowering if you price a remedial visit into your job. Best of luck and dont worry, you can't kill it! Ty

Something about business costs in France and other stuff. O.K, Now your here, registered with the CCI (Chambre of Commerce and Industry) MSA (Mutual Society Agricole) they will automatically inform 'Les Impots (tax office) After a year you will get a facture (bill) for 300+euros called Tax Professional Fonciere, a local business tax that Monsewer Sarkosy got rid of then re-introduced with a new name only more expensive still. Insurance: As a guide, a one man band micro entreprise may pay around 450euros for general tree work. Our company is Groupama and they are a bit vague about just how much your civil liability is good for but they are cheap and they have paid out without question (or even informing us!) when we killed a lampost with a well aimed branch. However, the French are insurance mad and you even insure your kids to go to school... No-one gives a sh#t if you run a business from home although if you register as a limited company you will get hit for another local tax for waste collection. We appealed and got a reduction to 60euros per year. Most tips now charge about 12euros per m3 of green waste. Your local tip may be more lenient. Land is cheap, your house may come with enough to use as a tip but remember fires are now banned (Tell that to Johnny Onions...hhhh!) If you are in a rural location you may get away with burning in winter but the ban against summer bonfires has always been strictly enforced. Noise... Professionals may continue to work through lunchtime (12-2pm) but civilians must pipe down. Some Gendarmes may get shitty with you regardless if called out by a local especially as you are British. However, just be polite and shut up and shut down for a while and enjoy your 4 course restaurant lunch for under 11euros (tax deductable) Thats what we do here and whats not to enjoy! Sunday working, well, no noise full stop. You can still work but just do it with electric saws and silkies. Fuel... Diesel 140cents litre 95 152cents litre 98 168 cents litre You can buy red (Fioul chauffage) in 2 grades for about 90cents a litre for your chipper. Using for tractors and diggers is now forbidden but does Monsewer care...? (Gallic shrug smilie required) You will use alot more fuel here as the distances to your clients are more. The minimum wage here is 9.43 gross/7.36 nett per hour = 1425 gross/1117 nett per month If you want to earn as your own boss say 10euros nett then you should charge at least 25-30euros per hour for yourself. If you run a chipper and truck then at least 45euros per hour is advised. Pay a self employed groundy 120-150euros per day, own insurance and saw. You can do your own maths to disprove mine but its a fair guess we won't differ by much. Most ex-pat 2 man teams seem to charge out from 350-480 per day. Those who work more for the French 600+ I would be doubtful if in todays climate you could make a living just from tree work for rural based ex-pat clients without doing other things on the side like grass, hedges or even smallbuilding works. As I write, the pound again is dropping against the euro making pensions smaller and second home owners put trees further down their list of jobs to be done. For our company, Brits are merely turnover and the French bring in the profit. Employing some-one... In short, don't. First, you can't as a micro-entreprise. Second, you can't afford it. You must charge out at approx 2.5 times just to cover social charges, taxes, accountancy fees and the various hidden charges that drop through the door and slap you in the wallet. Just find a mate to work with instead. Right... More later. Any thing to add Sanglier? Normandy? VTS?

Ah...Le Sanglier I presume... Large and dangerous trees tackled by tree surgeon - The Connexion

Strange but true, my great uncle George was a specialist at blowing up trees for the Royal engineers. He was captured at Dunkirk having delayed the arrival of the Germans with his felling skills. I never got to ask him what he though of using a Silky... Ty

Cos we is RAYcist... Ty

I 'trawled' through this thread but feel like I 'missed the tide' and won't 'net' anything more. There again, it must be a huge cod to be sold by the cord... Ty

We have plenty, want some? Ty:001_rolleyes:

I may use this as my avatar... Ty:lol:

Encore... So to recap. I can confirm that when you set up as a tree surgeon you do not need to prove diddly squat, either to the Chamber of Commerce or your insurance company. Right, once you have registered at the centre of formalities which is located at the chambre of commerce you will recieve your business registration number and certificates. This you are well advised to carry with you and include the number on your quotes. Written quotes must be in French to be legal by the way... After a short wait you will be contacted by the Mutual Society Agricole (MSA) and it is to this organisation you will pay your 'social charges' too. 'Social charges' are like N.I contributions except very much more, income tax is also charged and is paid to the tax office (Les impots) If you have registered as a micro-entreprise you will be paying charges on your turnover rather than actual profit. This works like this. You earn 100 euros. You are given an allowance of 50% (50euros) with which to cover your business costs. This leaves 50euros of which 50% is paid to the MSA So 25euros to the MSA and 25euros for yourself. Another way of looking at it is 100euros 25euros to the MSA and 75euros to pay your costs and wage. You must keep a basic account of expenses and receipts, all ins and outs in case you are 'controlled' at some point. So...it is in your interest to keep costs low as you can't claim back any expenses to offset costs. Your maximum earning ceiling is 33k If you exceed this then you automatically are transferred to another 'regime' which requires vat, accountancy and a whole world of shoite you really don't want until you are ready. Stay under 33k, do all you can not to exceed this, I'm sure you know how too...hhh! No account is required and when you recieve your 'declaration' frm the MSA at the end of the year you state your turnover. If in doubt about filling it in just visit your local office, they are helpfull if you look sad and sorry and apologise for being British...hhh! I recommend that you help yourself by automatically saving at least 30% of your turnover in a savings account to cover these charges and also local business tax. Don't spend it, you'll be sorry if you do! There are other business models you may choose akin to limited companies in the U.K but frankly, don't go there until you have built the makings of a viable business. Do not employ any-one but find trusted like minded others to work with. As a micro-entreprise you can't actually employ any-one anyway as you can't offset any costs. Now you have registered and have had a beer to celebrate, you need to find clients. There are the traditional sign written vans, roadside signs and or course very important business cards. Choose French over English or go for bi-lingual. There are few Brits here compared to French and so attracting French clients will help ensure a viable future and also you will see they pay far better. There are web sites, newspapers and magazines dedicated to the ex-pat population, all get you exposure, whether they work for YOU is another thing. Web site is de-rigour that is to say an absolute must. Facebook too as studies have shown people trust social media more than advertising. Yellow pages works too but only if you have a decent population around you. This is only my experience and may not in fact be reality...

All right, I'll try it myself, maybe I'm missing something, it will be fun anyway, I've got lots of spare lengths of pipe around the barn. Ty

Make sure you copyright your design, wouldn't want our Asiatic cousins ripping that one off! Ty

Surely just notifying the HSE is sufficient to close this guy down? I mean, if it was an imported teddy bear stuffed with materials that had the potential to harm then there would be a whole watchdog programme on the subject but this machine REALLY could harm some-one, both in pocket and reputation if seen towing it! Ty

The topped out section is as large as the trees we normally get to work on! Just how long did it take for him to climb that? I would love to see the kit used. Ty

How come we don't have the same issues... Are you just perhaps a little bit fussy about 'dust'...'dust' any-one 'dust'?...hhh! Come on, where are the others who shout the same story here? Ty

I have read that the designer is called 'So Wong'... Ty Any-one used this joke before or can I patent it...?

Cardinal sin...? Oh, I thought it was a thread about a churchman/choirboy/Pope coverup scandal Regardless of that, now I'm here, don't do it again, go and ask about benefits and get well soon, best of luck. Ty

O.K... So you want to come to France and 'live the dream'... 1st thing is. Until you know you can make it here, rent don't buy. Don't sell up in the U.K, rent it out. Don't get off the property ladder if you can help it. That delt with, finding work here can be easy...or it can be hard. First, there are no specific requirements for tree surgeons to show they hold any certificates pertinant to the trade. Insurance is reasonable enough, I paid under 500 euros per year for civil liability as a one man band. There are very few rules and regulations regarding trees. However it is always good practice to ask at your local Marie (town hall) if there are any 'zones' where tree work is regulated. To date, I have only worked on 2-3 protected trees and even then, short of felling them the owner could commision any works they felt where required. How to 'register' as a tree surgeon. Now here is a pretty can of worms... Or not. Simply, France is complicated beyond all ken. There are no less than 5 business models BEFORE you get to one that is akin to being self employed in the U.K. One that concerns you is a status known as 'Micro entreprise' (micro-bic) You register first at the Chambre-de-commerce (Chamber of commerce) The formalities take under an hour cost perhaps 75euros and leave you thinking "well that wasn't too bad eh?" Tip: ignore any demands to register at the Chambre-de-metiers (Chamber of trades) If you do fall into this trap then you will complicate your life but it is not the end of the world. Bascially, We offer a service, we are traders as a result NOT artisans/tradesmen. If 51% of your work is cutting trees down and 49% is laying patios then you are a 'commercant' if the opposite is true then you are an artisan and you are FCUKED. Artisans are more tightly controlled than commercants and the first nightmare you will go through is an obligitory 5 day business course in business level French...which YOU WILL PAY FOR my friend. So just tell the sour faced bitch at the desk your a simple tree feller and smile ALL the time. So we have got you as far as the registration process. More later.

Sorry for your loss...I really feel for you. When on a visit to the U.K my J.R.Terrorist 'Milou' (Tin-Tins dogs name in French) ran onto a Southern railway line whilst chasing a fox. I was screaming his name and trying to fight my way through the 3m tall brambles frantic with fear. I was close to tears when he came back, squeezing through the mess of briars and under a 2m wire fence limping heavily. He was filthy, stank of fox but I took him in my arms like a small boy with his soft toy and carried him home crying most of the way...little bstrd! I was 40 years old and the thought of losing my closest companion had utterly destroyed me for a moment. I still wonder to this day if he got a belt off the live rail as he jumped it...? Ty

I can't be bothered to read this thread tonight so just tell me where I can get some drugs or I'll pop a cap in your ass... Ty:001_smile:

Do these need to be LOLERED...? Ty