Rupe

Well said. I think I may have oto explained myself too well, I didn't mean we charge a fee for removal, we just charge for the time the job takes. So if a job is 6 hours to remove everything or 4 hours to leave on site then the four hour job is obviously cheaper and the difference between the two is the cost of removign it from site. Then that could be discounted if the wood is ash or if the access is really easy etc.

"on more frequent occasions they now keep it for themselves" So do you feel the job is easier when they do this or do you feel hard done by cos you wanted the wood?

No, the price is to carry out the work to whatever spec they want. I don't say I'll charge extra for anything, removal of all debris is all included in the price if thats what they want. But it would be cheaper if they kept the wood, especially if its chestnut. So its more like discount if they keep it rather than extra if they want it removed. It sounds better that way. If the price is right first time round then they shouldn't need to bargain with you, or need you to explain how much hard work processing is, if you sell firewood then the hardwork is your choice. If you price a job for 500 quid and its to remove all arisings then of course you are charging them for moving the wood because its part of the job, your not doing it for free even if its Ash that you are going to sell. You are removing it because that is included in that particular job. Another day the spec will be different and the price different.

Just re read one of your posts. I missed the bit about the 2 year course, that is a better idea than just doing CS units.

FTR record, after 8 years of working as a climber I never believed I would be able to work for myself and make a good go of it. A couple more years and I started to think it was possible and have been doing alright since then (a further 8 years now) but its never been easy. My first 8 years of climbing were tough, but the fact that I stuck it meant I had the ability. If you get your CS units, there is a good chance you will get up your first tree and just sit there wondering what the hell to do next! Go and work for someone!

you dont legally need anything, all you do need is experience. The CS units will not help you win jobs over others that have expierience. You will only get work at first by being the cheapest, but a day job for you might be an hour for someone else. Work with that someone else for a while and you will see what I mean. Good for you for being keen but if you spend a couple of grand on CS units you will not necessarily get any work on your own ever. I would say 8-10 years with a hard working team is about right, some do it in 5, but most that try it in less than that are not around for long.

Sure, I maybe chuck 4-8 chestnut logs into a load, it is a hardwood after all, but I wouldn't go out of my way to take some "free" chestnut away. I charge to take all wood away anyway, but I charge less for good wood and that does not include chestnut.

Good trick but piss poor climbing technique and awful work positioning, hope he's better with a plane!

I know some who burn it, or put it on a fire to calm things down a bit, but if you sold someone a load of just chestnut they would be after their money back!

Oh I see, you getting paid to take it down and then on top of that you could take the wood, that makes more sense! Its not good firewood, I doubt it can be milled as it has no structural strengh or uses, it would probably carve ok. Personally I wouldn't touch it, I would charge extra to cut into firewood for the owner to keep or just leave it as it lands.

I dont understand it either but its not my job to understand. You could go mad gettign too upset by what others decide is a good thing. Chances are the client asked for that, weather they are happy with the result is another thing, they might be now considering other options, but in general its pointless worrying about it, and whilst its not up to me to point out forum guidlines I just thought I would mention it.

We don't do critisising other people work on here, you don't know all the facts so no point in speculating the why and wherefors.

Is this the one that you have to take down? Your being offered it for free if you take it down and away, is that correct?

The GRCS is the winch on my quad! I think its important to keep things in perspective, you cant compare the GRCS to a quad or a trolley. Its earns its keep far better than any of those will do, so its relativley the cheapest bit of kit I have.

Crown cleaning is great, we use it as a term when we cant think of anything better to do with the tree, its very non specific, but it does mean you can make it up as you go along which is great for switched on arb types, but i guess it cant be described well enough to be BS.

Its definatly a good bit of kit, well designed and made like all of reg's stuff. Just dont think its 400quid good. Put it this way, my quad was 400 quid!

I'm not convinced, but what did you say "battery hedge trimmer!!" your kidding!! Its done a good job today, but 400 quid to move one cherry log, its still has a long way to go! I could probably have found a way to move that with two (30 quid) sack trucks tied together to make a trolley or some other contraption but time will tell. I showed it to the guys workign for me last summer and they sdaid no thanks, that was before I saw the price!

Wont work well with a prussik unless you have a pulley under it, the rope will be bending directly out of the bottom of the prussik and heading back up the tree. And it will eat lots of rope. Works well with a hitchlimber set up though as the lack of becket allows the rope to bend right back up wards towards the TIP.

John, I keep thinking thats a cabstar but am I missing the fact that its bigger?

Yes, I guess if I factored in downtime mine would be much more expensive. I think I was without a truck for 2 weeks but did some leave on site work in that time. Once I got it operational I then spent evenings and weekends on it for few more weeks to finish it off.

Aluminium is too expensive IMO, so I made mine with sheet steel on the inside and plastic on the outside, the resulting weight is the equivelant of using ally but at a fraction of the cost. Mine was £700 for the sheet metalwork and another £250 of bits and pieces to finish it off, but I fitted it all myself.

So, who else is going to the comp?

Its not alton towers! Everyone is treated the same. Are you coming then? I guess you will be presenting a prize so you will be there.

Join the queue!!

Yep! All booked in, you coming to watch and pick flowers etc?