oldwoodcutter
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Everything posted by oldwoodcutter
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Does your Facebook business page bring you in work?
oldwoodcutter replied to Steve Bullman's topic in Business Management
Odd 1 or 2 off it , but as above, want done for next to nothing, they all seem to have a mate who could do it for £50 but is a bit busy at the moment. -
I’m glad it all worked out well. Anyone that says they’ve never dropped a clanger hasn’t been in the front line for very long .
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If the yanks drag us into it, any arbtalkers between 18 and 45 had better soon learn how to stand up straight, chin in, chest out
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I went back on three separate occasions in the first year, bent firebars, cracked glass, etc. Woodwarm so well known brand, fitted by stoveshops own bloke. The miserable old bag behind the counter simply kept saying no to everything I asked,pointed out, or suggested.
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Most commercial mills will refuse to accept roadside or backyard trees even if it was mahogany, let alone cedar. They don’t want to wreck their bandsaws and suchlike by picking up 6” nails, or lucky horseshoes embedded,and having the mill stopped is the last thing they want.
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I did this last year, we were dismantling a tree just inside our customers boundary, and a very loud and aggressive old bag came from a property at the back giving me a right old ear bashing. I managed to keep my cool in front of my lads, and when she produced a note pad and demanded my company details I gave her a fictitious name n address. Not something I normally do, but couldn’t resist winding her up. After she cleared off my crew were in stitches for long enough.
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I’ve seldom known it so quiet, the halcyon days of answering 5 messages off the landline every night and calls for quotes on the mobile all day seem a long way off at the moment. And I’m not the only one neither, judging by the number of late night calls I’ve received from other tree firm owners who don’t know exactly what to do for the best. The general consensus is, to use a modern term, hang in there.
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13 stitches and out of work for a few weeks. Thanks silky!
oldwoodcutter replied to Gardenscape's topic in Climbers talk
When I started working for other firms, we had stone axes and flint knives [emoji846] -
Same here Andy, 4 years with the 6+ the case has saved its bacon several times, but I don’t keep my cards in the case, just the phone.
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Never put a lightbulb in your back pocket [emoji846]
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Never cut anything that’s been underground, neighbour or best mate, unless you like to look at ruined chains and bars after 2 minutes trying.
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I can sympathise with you there Spuddog , I’ve given climbers a trial who took til 11 o clock to ascend and make their first cut, and then the first branch going straight through a pantile roof, and others who claimed to be fully competent but constantly ask down to me what boughs to cut and where to cut them. Needless to say I didn’t invite them back . On the other side of the coin I have had the utmost respect for the climber who does the job safely and seemingly effortless, with all the branches coming down almost into the chipper hopper, and who doesn’t casually drop 100 kilo chogs without looking beforehand, with an early finish for everyone. That’s the diff between £100 and £200
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13 stitches and out of work for a few weeks. Thanks silky!
oldwoodcutter replied to Gardenscape's topic in Climbers talk
God almighty, I often think the Silky is the deadliest weapon in the truck. Hope you heal up soon. -
Just recently I can’t believe what some firms are quoting, I’ve looked at several nasty dismantles or removals and quoted accordingly, only for the would be clients to talk to me dismissively, or briskly bring the conversation to a close. And when I have tried to justify my price, they have named other firms who have quoted half my price. I’m not prepared to offer prices that were the going rate 20 years ago, but it seems some are willing to work for absolute peanuts. As above try getting an electrician or bricklayer at 2000 rates, you could have a long wait.
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Stihl Photo Competition - Win a Model Stihl MS500i
oldwoodcutter replied to Steve Bullman's topic in General chat
660 with 36” and 462 with 30”
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£180 is the going rate for someone who’s really on top of their game. Ditherers and slow coaches considerably less.
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As forestboy hinted at in his opening comments, he’s giving that fellow all the help he can. I can sympathise with his trying to keep his worker, as it’s the same old story, you try and train them to the way we work, simple stuff like loading the truck, refuelling saws, to a little more advanced than just raking up, like keeping a straight line with an HS45, or putting him through a CS31. And then out of the blue all that’s down the drain,with a ban and lost license. And the next contestant turns up at the yard to join life at the sharp end, with his arse hanging out of his joggers, his dads oversized boots on, unlaced, and it soon turns out his only real ability, is nothing like he claimed to me on his facebook message, but never the less, an amazing knack of quickly producing hand made cigarettes, and necking cans of energy drinks, invariably at the same time.
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The bigger players with all the large fast processors, tractor grapple, and storage building have gone through the eu grant system, that farmers have taken full advantage of for their stuff. The ordinary guy can rarely justify splashing out their own savings on tackle like that.
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I gave up firewood 3 years ago. A friend and quite a big player with his finger in lots of pies, orders in 1000 ton a year, still runs out, but he’s unsure whether the labour and equipment he’s got tied up in it, is really worth bothering with another year.
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Maybe Red Oak, definitely on the way out.
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Can you pick out the ‘faults’ in the image ?
oldwoodcutter replied to a topic in SRT (Single Rope Technique)
His ear muffs don’t match his helmet [emoji846] -
I’ve had them all at one time or another, because I’m old they think I’ve no idea about drugs but I know more than they think. Some have been reformed users , and good workers, while some others get so wacked at night that their mums call me at 7 o clock of a morning to say their little whatshisname is too stoned to come to work, and anyway he’s locked himself in his bedroom cause he’s scared of his dealer that he owes money to. And so it goes on. One day they’re with you, the next they say they’ve been banned for drug driving and can’t come anymore. And at the moment one lad (who at least can graft) gets his mum to bring him to the yard every morning, and I run him home of an afternoon, not far, but as you say it’s another half hour out of my day. Employees, who’d have them.
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You may have a long wait finding someone to accept those terms, even if your place was beside the M25 , let alone Devon.
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I know the teeth nuts are imperial, not metric.
