Backpain

Alloy Bashlins all the way

Been inundated by customers saying they've had unseasonned logs delivered just lately. I suppose it's that time of the year, but I've never known it this bad.

Its Too not To. Just a small gramatical error but lots of complains by the sounds of things mate.

Got a quote today for seasonned cord wood £60 ton + vat I retail at £75 per cude .......not for long at those prices. I can't see how the market can continue in this way. Someone mentioned firewood being a luxury item....it will feel like it when I put my prices up!

You can be the best arborist in the world, but it doesn't necessarily follow that you'll be successfull in business. Running your own business should be the most rewarding thing you ever do, instead of working for some moron who can't put a cheque in an envelope and post it. I've worked for some right tossers some of whome are on here and they know knaff all about running a business. Set your stall out right and have a clear mind of what your objectives are. Think....do people like me. If they don't you'll fail eventually. All your doing is selling a service and whether you work locally or on a contractor you client will suss out that your a tosser eventually. I've grown my business from nothing and it's tripple in size in less than a year, but it's only because I've had sound business experience in other area's in my previous career. If your not sure about something get help. You've shelled out for NPTC ticket and its just important to shell out in business training too. Oh, and don't let the TAXMAN mess with your mind.......

I was just about to say the same. I'd cancel your course in the morning mate and give Suzanne a call. They provide all the kit and their service is spot on. I did my CS38/39 there and you get so much more than just a ticket if you ask the right questions. The trainer is excellent. Also, have you looked into funding from the RDI, I got 70% of my course paid for by them

Day to day I use a short rope which is the remains of my old long rope which has the spliced eye cut off. It needs a knot tying in it obviously so I use a bowline and I've always been in the habit of putting a yosemite tie off. Yesterday it slipped back through and I very nearly clipped into it. The mess wouldn't have been a problem, the chicken's would have cleaned me up! So, my question is - is it better to just tie a bowline (without a tie off) or what other knots do people use on their main line......

It's a pretty sad story when all said and done. There's probably loads of others out there like me. I have enough customers to turn over about 50 tons which is far more than I get from arb waste so I have to buy it in at £50 tons delivered. By the time I've converted it and made the sale I can't see any profit once you take out wages (I don't account for this as it's my spare time). I think the sale price (mine is £75 per split cube) is far too cheap but there's too much competition. Most of the replies on here have really dampened my view of the future because operating on a medium scale doesn't pay. Its either small or big. I do it because its a good way to keep your house warm with a local renewable fuel and if we don't do something about it we'll all be burning foreign wood......must go I've just had an order for decorative logs...again:lol:

It's gonna cost me £30 for the friction cord with 2 sewn ends, £32 for a pulley and £23 for another karabina, that's the best part of 100 notes hanging off the end of my rope.....is it really going to help me climb any better than a piece of cord that costs a fiver. Maybe if I was 20 years younger. I'm going to try some Beal Regate though, I used to work with a lad years ago who used that and he was a fat boy so it's bound to hold me.

Adam, thanks for that mate I'll give them a try. Stay Save.

No, never heard of it to be honest but not been looking around lately. Can you buy it with spliced ends. I really need someone who can splice!

Knocked out 10 orders today, me and the missis. Thought about getting a processor but she's worth £10k easy. And you can't get a machine with the extra's she offers. Have say though things are definitely picking up and more and more people are getting log burners. I've have loads of new customers this year from all over the place.

Just revamping this one because its always on my mind as to whether the old school works best and I hate to be one who's stuck in their ways. Rope wise I use Marlow Geko and I know lots of people don't rate it but I've used Yale XTC and I just don't like it. However, I use Silver Streak 10mm as a prussiks and it works a treat. Never have to think about it. No tending as long as you dress it right. I've tried a hitch and pulley on geko and nothing works the way I like it, but I've only used OP (and very nearly came out of the tree), Silver Streak and Boa. Anyone used Viper 8mm as a VT (or another knot) on Geko. When all said and done I just think I'm old fashioned and these new fandangled ways of doing things will just confuse me.

Hi and welcome to the forum. I wouldn't have thought thinning 47 acres will provide a long term sustainable solution as there's simply not enough timber there and at that size employing staff and investment in equipment wouldn't give you much return either. Probably better to use contractors. My advice would be to look at other way's of using the woodland for leisure or eductional activities. There's a good chance you'll get grants for the thinning work but what happens after that. We run educational programs which provides the funds and resource to help maintain our 45 acres of ancient woods and SSSI called Holly Hayes Woods. Also, have a look at Hill Holt, just google it and it will come up. PM me if you'd like more info.

Hi and welcome to the forum. I wouldn't have thought thinning 47 acres will provide a long term sustainable solution as there's simply not enough timber there and at that size employing staff and investment in equipment wouldn't give you much return either. Probably better to use contractors. My advice would be to look at other way's of using the woodland for leisure or eductional activities. There's a good chance you'll get grants for the thinning work but what happens after that. We run educational programs which provides the funds and resource to help maintain our 45 acres of ancient woods and SSSI called Holly Hayes Woods. Also, have a look at Hill Holt, just google it and it will come up. PM me if you'd like more info.

Hi and welcome to the forum. I wouldn't have thought thinning 47 acres will provide a long term sustainable solution as there's simply not enough timber there and at that size employing staff and investment in equipment wouldn't give you much return either. Probably better to use contractors. My advice would be to look at other way's of using the woodland for leisure or eductional activities. There's a good chance you'll get grants for the thinning work but what happens after that. We run educational programs which provides the funds and resource to help maintain our 45 acres of ancient woods and SSSI called Holly Hayes Woods. Also, have a look at Hill Holt, just google it and it will come up. PM me if you'd like more info.

It must have been a massive twister, it went up a field which is 100m wide and it schedded to oak trees on either side. Imagine walking the dog and one of those comes up behind you. I was in the area at the time and we expected rain but nothing on the scale we got.

It must have been a massive twister, it went up a field which is 100m wide and it schedded to oak trees on either side. Imagine walking the dog and one of those comes up behind you. I was in the area at the time and we expected rain but nothing on the scale we got.

It must have been a massive twister, it went up a field which is 100m wide and it schedded to oak trees on either side. Imagine walking the dog and one of those comes up behind you. I was in the area at the time and we expected rain but nothing on the scale we got.

Evening. Been to look at some hurricane damage in some local woodland. The owners are devastated and don't know what to do with it. I too am at a loss as I can't work out how the work could be done without huge costs. There's 3.5 acres and approx 400 tons, 30% maybe hardwood beach/oak and the rest is softwood. Not sure if it''s larch maybe someone can confirm it from the picture. It's all felled but would anyone be able to level it for the value of the timber? The softwood is upto 30"! What prices is softwood fetching? It's all over the place so I can't see how it can be done without a 5 ton forwarder and something to winch or grab through the mess. Access isn't too bad and roadside is about 500m. It's a sad site and I'd love to help but I can't make it pay just for next years timber. Any extimates on volume of timber? Not easy I know.

Evening. Been to look at some hurricane damage in some local woodland. The owners are devastated and don't know what to do with it. I too am at a loss as I can't work out how the work could be done without huge costs. There's 3.5 acres and approx 400 tons, 30% maybe hardwood beach/oak and the rest is softwood. Not sure if it''s larch maybe someone can confirm it from the picture. It's all felled but would anyone be able to level it for the value of the timber? The softwood is upto 30"! What prices is softwood fetching? It's all over the place so I can't see how it can be done without a 5 ton forwarder and something to winch or grab through the mess. Access isn't too bad and roadside is about 500m. It's a sad site and I'd love to help but I can't make it pay just for next years timber. Any extimates on volume of timber? Not easy I know.

Evening. Been to look at some hurricane damage in some local woodland. The owners are devastated and don't know what to do with it. I too am at a loss as I can't work out how the work could be done without huge costs. There's 3.5 acres and approx 400 tons, 30% maybe hardwood beach/oak and the rest is softwood. Not sure if it''s larch maybe someone can confirm it from the picture. It's all felled but would anyone be able to level it for the value of the timber? The softwood is upto 30"! What prices is softwood fetching? It's all over the place so I can't see how it can be done without a 5 ton forwarder and something to winch or grab through the mess. Access isn't too bad and roadside is about 500m. It's a sad site and I'd love to help but I can't make it pay just for next years timber. Any extimates on volume of timber? Not easy I know.

If I see someone parked in a parent and child space I usually point out to them that they've forgotten their child today, it's usually the guy in the shiny pickup that he uses to drive to the office in. I saw a guy with his kids flying a kite next to a 10kv power line, so I pointed out the fact that it was there. The response in both cases was similar, but it was simply a case on my part of obsolving myself of the guilt should anything happen. I won't divulge what I did to his shiny pickup after navigating my six year old daughter across the busy carpark. There's plenty of information and guidance out there so if people choose to ignore its at their perril. Lust my opion and approach to life. Oh, and the guy in the truck was luck it was only his truck I trashed had he not kept walking and I'd left my daughter at home he'd have needed 999 as well as the AA.

For me the satisfaction comes from a combination of things. Being independent and self sufficient is everything to me and so too is doing a good job. Power line work is ok and the banter is good if your with the right blokes. It took me years of preparation before I went on my own. I made sure I had the right kit and a steady stream of work that I did at weekends. As word gets around and people see you working, more work will come your way. Some one will always pop there head over the fence and ask you for a price to do their tree's. Advertising works well for me but it does cost so I have to budget for it. Stick an add in yellow pages, news papers, shop window etc and see what happens. Get a good website designed....this is your shop window and always conduct your work in a professional way and it will serve you well for recommendations.

By being your own boss I take it you mean working for yourself, which in my view isn't about being a "subbi" which is still working for someone else and in most cases as and when they want you and usually you end up doing the jobs no else can do. Therefore you need to behot in and out of a tree. On the other hand, if you want to be your own boss you will need to find your own work, or your work will need to find you which ever way you look at it you will be faced with managing your own new business development through advertising and networking. The up shoot is that you will need to work hard to find work and even harder to secure it against the competition. Can you manage running a business and balance the books? If you can you'll be rich just like me (lol) if you can't you'll need a steady well paid job with some moron! You can obtain business training skill along the way, but along with your tree climbing skills you will need a good professional sales attitude to keep things going. That way people will recommend you and the work will just keep rolling in. Also, look at your business plan.....do you intend to only do tree's. I ask this because I also do some small mowing contracts through the summer which plug the holes and some logs in winter which pay for us to go to Florida. Work your formula out right and you'll be fine. Good luck