jose

While a lot of what has been said is true if you need your machine out everyday to make the numbers work you have gone wrong somewhere in your planning. You know you are going to lose days to weather and breakdowns. How you go about managing a long period of time is another matter though dont agree at all with this. We are all here to make profit, not work to cover costs of living and thats it, nothing left over. Its the profit that allows things like toys, holidays or what ever else we strive for. If you employ people and they dont work/ cover their wages then any profit is very quickly lost. So unless you dont employ people your gonna lose out. If we could all add on loads of extra money on every job to cover days off great but there is a lot of competition for work and it doesnt allow the job price to be loaded up in our favour! Breakdowns happen yes, but i invest a lot into my equipment ( mainly keeping it as new as is reasonably possible). I cannot remember the last time i had to not work due to kit failing. literally years. In 15 yrs i can count one 1 hand days not worked due to weather. it sucks but thats the pros with the cons of working outside! Dont get me wrong i hate it but life can suck sometimes.

Sounds like a decent place to work, I had a job and knock policy if it was a large specimen. Nothing worse than finishing a three day job at 12 on the 3rd day and the starting another large job immediately, everyone just drags their feet. Yes i used to work for a firm where it was job and knock but when the new boss took over ( who was a good friend) we would knock the work out then then an 'emergency' job would come in. after this started happening every time we all got peed off as we were not busting our ass and then getting just more work. Wouldn't mind if a bit of love was spread around ( if i get my guys doing extra above and beyond i tend to chuck them an extra £20 each) but all we got was more work for working hard. We all ended up slowing down as there was no benefit to us. I dont want that situation in my work place.

Unless I'm catching up on some work that over ran I do job and knock. If it's early they still get paid. I could make them Do extra work but I know from my days of working for someone it's nice to see an end of the day come sooner if u knuckle down. I know some will say u should be working every hr but we don't stop for breaks, MAC we take is 10 minutes throw a quick a sandwich down and off again. If I put more work on they would slow right down and take longer breaks, which they are entitled to but personally I find it drags the day out and u end up getting cold. I'm a believer of treating people fair( hopefully my guys would agree).

Im in Berkshire, south east england. It is an expensive part of the country. I must say that there are a lot of the travelling community in my area, though technically the are settled as they dont actually travel. They come out doing tree work mainly in the summer, seem to disappear in the winter months. Not actually sure where they go. easy to work for less when you dont buy the kit in the first place. ( and i know ive suffered at there exact hands). Throw in they dont pay tax and its easy to see why they all roll around in brand new vehicles. No such thing as a poor one round here. Throw in the next generation of tree surgeons that are coming through that have had enough of working for someone else that come in sooo keen on the price and it does seem to limit the top price people pay. I definitely find big trees dont pay at all. can make as much doing small trees without breaking a sweat as i do with with 1 big tree with all the headaches it brings ( cranes road closures timber etc). very basic maths i pay around £15 per hr ( but i have 2 employees) but they get all the benefits ( holiday sick pension contributions etc). We do a standard 8 hr day but can knock off once the job is done. not into forcing more work on top. I really dont think they know how much it costs just to keep things insured and running tbh. Sometimes i envy there lack of responsibility! Though got to say France sounds terrible!

i find that there is a limit on how much we can charge in my area. As soon as you go over it the work stops coming in. If thats the case then it keeps the wages lower as running costs are not cheap. it does annoy me as id love to be able to pay my guys a better wage. But im not going to pay them all the profit, when i got the expenses to pay ( new truck chippers etc). thats just stupid. cant see a way around it tbh. Fair play if you can get $500 a day and cover a months rent in 2 days! explains why so many rent in the states.

Thanks i will let you know. It would be a different story if that flail hit the rear, that would reduce the overhang and weight massively.

now that is an option. Question is can i hire it? dont want to be buying one for a one off job.

that looks wicked! thing is its not the cutting thats the hard bit, its getting it out to the chipper. the side im working from is neat and tidy, easy access to the trees, its getting it out when its tangled up after growing that way for years thats the issue. Its on Wokingham, Berks so any local to that way that may be interested in subbing in or hiring a machine please let me know.

"Get a digger with hedge cutter attachment to smear the thinner stuff. Cut the thick bits with a pole saw. Use the digger with bucket to pile it up and burn it. Most important part is to price it sky high and be relieved if you don't get the job. i think thats the best bit of advise lol! i can have a big burn up pile unfortunately, going to chip it . its just getting it out onto the road thats that ball ache.

Hi guys Got a horrible established Hawthorn hedge the owner wants reducing from 20ft to 6ft. Been sided up the road side for yrs but left to grow out into the field on the rear side in places up to 15ft. some parts have brambles and wild rose mixed in too. Was thinking would a digger ( 3 ton perhaps or bigger?) with a timber grab be a good way to do it? it is working from a tarmac road, no ditch in the way either. Have man cut the limbs and the digger grab them and drag it out. Its a long hedge and i reckon its 5-6 days with a 3 man team getting spiked stabbed scratched and generally pi~~ed off! its too thick for a flail ( some trunks are 6-10 inches thick). i really would prefer to work smart than hard. Already got tennis elbow and react to spiky stuff these days. any advise or recommendations greatly appreciated Many thanks

Yes had a look at amorgard, they were the only decent looking equipment suppliers i could come across. If fact i did email a company who put me onto the manufacturers who were very helpful on the phone. Dont know what prices are like as i didnt know which would suit me best. But getting somewhere! Not sure about the safe, wont get many saws in that and need a forklift to move it i bet lol.

i like your thinking. my problem is dont have welding experience or kit, dont have time and from minor experience trying to get hold of any sheet metal seems to cost a fortune! in my head i think yes i should have a go, in practice it never happens. Ive killed many an hour on pintrest looking at great things and thinking one day when i have the time... never started/finished 1 thing to date!

thanks guys. Will look into them all. Cheers

Hi all i had a look and cant see anything in the search section. I am toying with getting some security storage cabinets to hold saws etc. I remember a few years ago at the Saltex show a firm that had these cabinets that looked the dogs ( as did the price tag!). But dont know who they are. Anyone point me in the right direction. Cheers

i did the tough mudder with a personal trainer, 10 yrs younger than me ( wrong side of 30 i am). Well lets just say i had to wait for him to catch up a few times and my brother ( also a tree surgeon) had to relieve him of his log on the log carry section. But if tshirts are off hes like a Greek god and im edging towards Buddha! so yes i think we build up a good inner core strength and stamina

looks like another day at the office! lol

ive got a little br and a old 600. the 600 has massively more grunt ( air displacement) but all of us go for the little one these days. Does everything u need it to do unless your moving loads of leaves or masses of sawdust. plus it smaller and so much lighter so less space taken up!

Seen them on the news today. Anyone else? ultimate useless bling? or do we think they may actually be decent Think they said coming next year. ( or was that my imagination?)

Thanks for the replys guys. Its a pig of a job tbh. It may be one i pass up on as i am crazy busy and the last thing i need is a headache of a pond full of big fish croaking it! Cheers for the advise! Jose

Got a job to fell a load of trees over a pond that is full of Koi's. There are some big ones in there ( at least 20). I am however not sure if chain oil is potentially lethal to them? Also i am under the understanding that any vibrations from dropping logs is also potentially a killer offish. Can anyone confirm this this? Many thanks

man that would be perfect for the horrible knuckled pile of dog turd willow trunk i looked at last night thats over a brand new patio and wall. whats that cost a day?

sounds like my home insurance. Wouldnt cover any out buildings ( sheds) because i have a petrol lawn mower. Petrol= instant incineration of everything on my property. And once its mentioned doesnt matter what u say they will not listen. Computer doesnt allow for any common sense.

Off chance i know but if anybody has one and looking for a days work tomorrow ( tuesday the 12 july) in Bracknell, berks please drop me a pm or call 07867523823 Short notice i know but u never know! cheers Jose

Mate of mine sent this to me this morning. Will carry 10 Tonnes appraently! 2011 FORD F250 in CHESTER on Auto Trader Vans

ive got one of these, so far i love it over the ms150 ( though that chain is a cleaner cut). noticed it started running like it was badly out of tune. Then i remembered i had read on here that the air filter needs a air line clean to keep it good. quick clean and its running great again. Ill be honest ikeep meaning to read the whole of this thread, not random posts days apart lol. what i did have yesterday though was one of the guys started it up and it was screaming away, chain racing very fast with out the throttle on. took the rear off and couldnt understand why. then noticed a spring just sitting inside, to the left of the carb. after a while the only thing i could figure it was was a spring to keep constant pressure on the idle adjuster. Once i screwed the idle down it was fine again. anybody else had this happen