Ian C

I never ask for more money, i may tell them i under priced and they got a cheap job but i put it down to experience and lean not to make the same cock up again, I have never gone back and asked for more..... but thats just me. ya live and learn

just seen it, god what a mess and the council woman called him a tree surgeon!

Trouble is, alot of domestic work is based on price alone eg, i have a customer booked in this week to prune a cherry tree, this has been done before by pikeys really badly (terrable pruning, tears etc) and she loves this tree, it's only small quoted the £100, gets a call the other day saying she had a flyer through the door saying a "tree surgeon" has quoted £40 to do it! i told her either he's not trained or insured or he wont do it properly with the correct equiptment etc take your pick but the cheap work over the years is spoiling her tree.......she picked me but it does come down to price with so many people. also the pikeys/cheap untrained firms de value us, knocked on one door to do a quote for the wife to shout to her old man "darling the wood cutter man is here"!!! just got a flyer through MY door saying "Clarks Tree services, cheap no job to small or large, trees topped and lopped, conifers and trees cut down, garden work etc"! thought he must be a pro then........ actually when it said topping i thought Dean was coming round!!! (only joking dean)

Thanks pete, that looks nice will check it out:001_smile:

Thanks guys, checked out the snake bark maple and sorbus, both good and look about the right size, right for the conditions etc so might be one of those.

juat a thought, does it matter what flavour pastie it is? minced beef might be better at holding temp for longer ...... Another person maimed for the sake of a couple hundred quid!

Need some advice, did a quote the other day, small oak tree in a garden next to customers, only young 30 foot, totaly wrong tree wrong place etc, we have all seen it before. The owners rang me to day for advice(they rent it out) "i want it lopped in half" says the guy, we dont want it out as we like it' i said no and explained why, re growth, will look awful etc, think i did right? Any way i said the best option would be to remove it and plant a more suitable tree, what do you suggest. The soil is good, med/heavy, good dranage etc but its next to a 6' fence so nothing that growns too big and will be able to stay for years to come. thanks Ian

got it, Bear cat humped by a timberwolf= Bear wolf!

Looks a bit like a bear cat to me, just a thought:001_smile:

nice bit of work, looked a big mother. looked a nice day to be doing it aswell.

i would be careful, get the council building inspector involved they will point you in the right direction, any cost then add on to the job for a building report. not an expert on these matters but thats what i would do, hope it helps.

Dean, thats 2 dealers round me that have said that, both pukka dealers, the one up the road i dont go to as when i asked if the had a 20" chainsaw scabbard in he had to ask what one was, then replied ohh yes a blade cover thingy! think i must live in the wrong place for consistant advice.......i'm just gonna stick too 40/1 stihl oil and see how i go, must admit i had no problems with 50/1 stihl till last year when after 20 mins with a 64 it blew the top end, then i got worried and just went to 25/1 to cover me fat ass, but it is a bit mutch really.

always thought you had to be ever so slightly nuts to work with chainsaws in trees.........now i know why..........it's the food we eat lol

this oil thing is starting to do my tree in, sorry bad joke. just been on to another stihl dealer round me for some carb settings for a saw while i was on the blower i asked them what mix they use "we always use stihl oil at 25/1" is what i got and tune by ear, when i mentioned a tacho he thought i ment one for a tractor lol. i do agree that 25/1 is a bit high now so im going to 40/1 so i have a bit of a safety margin.

You have to have it no matter what you carry, scrap metal, paper or in our case wood chip, the coppers now check not the EA so they pull you check your vehicle to see if it's legal then ask for your handlers license if you dont have it you get a fine. you dont need one if it's domestic but being in a 3.5t tipper it's hard to get away with that line. As for LOLER, NO TICKETS etc i have em and always do, yes we all push the rules a bit but there are limits. The gypos will always under cut us but there work is crap, can only do small jobs and alot of people won't have them now just incase there casing the place out to see what you have.

Stick to your guns Dean, really he should have red hot pokers slowly pushed up his ass for what he has done, get the trees you want and don't let the **** off.

Am gob smacked, cheeky bunch of b######S:ohmy: i find i have more hassle with the rich customers than the guy in the street, the rich ones always want things for NOWT and think cos they have a bit of brass they can walk over people. The other pains in the ass are the ten bob millionaires, think they have money but don't.

i got mine last year after hearing about it on the net, called em up spoke to a woman and she relieved me of £150 and sent me a carriers lience that i keep in the truck. there not bothered what you carry waste is waste so she told me, so i got it rater than get nicked, just another excuse to tax!

Any one had a dad day today? I HAVE got to the job, med size cherry tree to take down, got going, it rained, got a load of brash down went to fire the chipper up.....NOWT....went through all the checks traced it to a flat battery, out with the tools to rob the battery off the truck, got it going, groundy on a go slow........later went to back the truck up and ran over an ms440!.......totally knackered......so went home and cried..... any body had worse today?

Most do free quotes, i do but what i have started doing is charging 25 quid for written quotes and tell them i will knock it off the job if i get it. this is because i have to go home type it out (half hour) post it off or deliver it then not get it. The last person used my written quote to give to the solicitors he was buying a house through to get half the money for the job then gave the job to a cheaper quote..... so hew was quids in and i lost a job my time and 2 journeys to his house!

If i'm out and it starts raining i will crack on and get it finished, if it's raining to start with im at home, hate it when all the kit is soaking laying around to dry saws chocked up with wet crap etc then feeling ill all weekend, i'm a northen softie i guess:001_tongue:

WOW Steve, and i thought conifers were crap jobs, rather do a good toppin any day LOL:001_tongue:

Just re built on 084 with a blown engine, got it for a song from last owner as a non runner, honed the pot, new piston and rings and she's a belter. he ran it on 50:1 i think it might be something to do with them being older saws and needing that bit more oil.

Guess that has a 20horse v twin on it then.... mans chipper that 1

your right about TW back up like em or not you can't knock the parts and aftersales service might give em another look next time i change, open mind and all that.