Rupe

No skin off my nose what you do, but in general terms I stand by what I said. We've had this conversation on here for a while about companies getting in others to do work that they can't manage. I have some problems with that and I highlighted them here. I am also a reaslist. I have said all along (maybe not so much in this thread) that if times are hard then folk need to take whats offered and at the same time I know that companies need to make savings where they can and extra profit where they can. I hope you find someone and its mutually agreeable for both parties. I'm not telling anyone what they can or cannot do, but I'm pointing out that you do seem to want a lot. Whats the PLI for? Of course its of no interest to me, location obviously not right, but if someone near me asked the same I'd give a rate but I wouldn't take someone elses rubbish off site unless they provided a tipping site. Thats the real clincher, if someones got a yard for thier own work then why would they fill it with your rubbish?? Rates would have to be something like 200 a day plus 150 per load away. A day being 8 hours including travel time and tipping time during the day. Otherwise its not worth it. I think what your asking is unreasonable.

90% of the time i convince client to lose on site or burn I'm sorry but! You don't have the facilities to remove from site so you want to offer that as a service but get someone else in to do it, and they must have their own PLI!!! AND you want them on site for 8 hours so that means the actual drivign away of the waste (which is why you want them there in the first place) has to be done on their own time plus disposal. You don't want much do you! And I'm guessign this is so that you can undercut companies that do offer this cervice and look as though your providing a complete tree service all the while!. ANd on the pretence that your helping some one out with work! I think your actually depriving some one better suited of work. MAkes me MAD!!!!

Calm down dear!! Yeah, and then the police came and arressted everyone cos its the LAW!! I was just being righteous!! Don't take me too seariously!

Another thing- having all the materials and bits and pieces in one place before the start would have been a good idea of course. I spent a lot of time drivign round for nuts/bolts/ rivets extra aluminium wiring supllies etc. One day I'll have a fully kitted out workshop and spares/supplies etc.

Difficult question. I had hoped to do it an a week off work but the week flew by, after that I spent another three days and three weekends on it. Not full days at the weekend though. I'm makign it up as I go also, I'm not expert at this kind of thing. But with what I now know I reckong I could have done it in a week. There was actually three days when I had no truck and work booked in. Other than that its has all fitted around the work/spare time that I have. The plan would be to do it again in a few years time with a later model LDV. That should be much quicker and easier.

Rule- I guess you mean me? Just shows, experience is what earns you (us, all of us) a living. Retrainign after thirty is a very risky move IMO.

When i was thirty I started re trainign as an electrician so as to have something to fall back on. I passed the first year easy but didn't do the second year. I reaslised that even with a qualification I would have no experience of actually doign the job in a persons home. So if I set up on my own I would not be able to compete with the guys who have been doign it forever. They might charge a lot per hour but its the experience that allows them to get a to done in the time. Sound familiar? So I realsised that the years invested in tree work were for a reason. And thats why I'm still here. PLus trees are more fun.

Finally got the white board up on the other side of the truck. Just some minor finishing to do now and sign writing and tool lockers to go under the bed.

Well done Steve. My prediction was right!! Did you all use you own friction hitch set ups or was it the same for everyone?

Who won?

Just a quick question....For that £250/day, would you expect them to remove all the debris created from the job? i.e. have a truck and chipper etc? If so then you def need to hiring a company, even a small one, and paying a lot more than 250 a day.

Ok I understand your point of view then. But as a member of the public you would need to be hiring a tree company not an individual climber. That company would of course have insurance for the climbers and crew. The company may only be a one person sole trader but the insuracne should cover the ground crew also. You may find yourself a single climber to do what you want and thats fine, and I would expect them to charge you 200-250. Weather they are insured or not depends on the person, but the insurance is not valid if they don't have qualified rescue climbe ron site, hence the need to hire in a company that covers all this. So individual climbers don't tend to have (and IMO don't need) indivual liability insurance. If they have life insuracne than thats up to them. Climbing trees with chainsaws has hazards and risks to be aware of and probably more than most jobs. But if its only dangerous if you disregard all the safety guidelines. Some poeple make it more dangerous than necessary. With regard to the point of view of this thread, i.e. tree companies paying for climbers, the climbers are covered by the comapanies insurance and as the work (should/could be more regular) then 200-250 is unlikely.

60bpm is nearly asleep!!

What danger? And what insurance? We are talkign about companies hiring climbers not the public. Hired in climbers are (or should be in theory) trained, qualified, experienced so there shouldn't be any "danger" involved, some calculated risk factors maybe but these are managed to illiminate risk and don't get me started on insurance!

You should be paying freelancers more than you pay yourself, they are only there for the day at your convenience not contracted etc. You get the benefits of their work further down the line with repeat work and referals yet they get nothing. Of course you pay yourself little if its your business, thats what we all do but that does not mean you shouldn't pay a good climber more than you! Thats just tight! If you got climbers already and then hiring one in your making a lot more than 100 a day, even if you only "pay" yourself that much, the rest is still your money! I pay my self 100 a day, every day of the week if I'm working or not, but I know I can take extra money to pay for holidays, or whatever, thats my perogative. Responsibilty has little to do with it. I pay more for good climbers, I don't compare there responsibilites to mine, they are making me moeny and get paid accordingly.

17 years. I'm 40 next year!!

Kylie just shouted up from the dungeon and said that was huge whatever it was!

Youngish looking branch, probably just growing quicker than it can strengthen itself, i.e. its too heavy!! Is it reachign out of the crown for light? Possible increased rate of growth due to the old stem removed (last photo). Just cut it off and look out for others while up there.

IMO opinion Yes, and I have said so before. BUT if you need the work then take whats available! Especially if a climber is going in with riggign gear etc to do work for companies that can't do that kind of thing. I've worked before for tree companies that don't have nay climbers and it is wrong. Sometime you take the money and other times say no.

My mums got one like that in her yard but the rails are wooden not that modern steel stuff.

Do you need the work? Tell them to go get there own mog or leave jobs like that for those that have the right kit. You'll end up making someone else look good due to your investment and hard work, they'll rag the hell out of the mog compared to what you need it to do per day, ie they'll get it in for one day of a four day job and expect it to work flat out all day to catch up. My old boss used to do it and we ended up with no mog for the day and a blunt chipper the next day.

Pulling trees over is a good use for old ropes. Don't need loler for that. If pulling with something big then pull on a double line. Drift lines for rigging too, or retrieval lines for rigging.

Sure, we try and do everything right and look respectabel etc and it all works if you've been recomended, but IMO as soon as someone gets your number form YP they just want the cheapest. We see if I can improve things with just sign writting etc, my work is fine and that has got me this far, just a liitle extra push required but I'm still figuring out how to get it as well.

I should say that maybe I was lucky. In the 10 years I was employed I got to know a lot of poeple and that has helped me when I started on my own. I'm not saying I stole customers, but the company I last worked for went bust so I contacted as many as I could and it paid off to start with then I picked up more form there. If I was startign from fresh now, or in a new area, I guess I would have to advertise.

Zero zero zero. I have no advertising budget . I am going to make some effort this year, when the new truck is done it will get sign written much better than the old one and I have new business cards and letterheads that actualy match. Then hopefully I'll feel like I have an image worth promoting, along with the good work that I know I do. I know I've been complacent over the last few years and work has come my way. I'm now intrigued as to what I could achieve if I made more effort. I get work from council recomendation and word of mouth really thats it. All the money I spent on advertising was IMO wasted. It got me a few one off jobs that led no where and didn't pay for the adverts if you use the calculations above. I could have gone for a long walk and got more excercise for less cost.