likeitorlumpit

big agree:thumbup:

Interesting you tube video Tony. Stated that no sexual stage found in UK. So all these trees were imported or infected from windblown spores. If this is the case then next year I guess will likely see a massive increase in cases found.

always plus and this is a warning when you get your tyres replaced on wheels a lot of tyre companies advise checking your nuts (ha ha) after 50 miles. I never did this but we've had 2 cases in the last 10 years of wheels coming loose- they didn't fall off but they knackered the wheels. These cases were after having work done on the wheels. So I advise- check your nuts!! Older mechanics say you don't need a torque wrench - just a good spanner and a good mechanic- we may have good spanners but who amongst us is really that good a mechanic.

You see- Andy has hit nail on head. Given a cheaper product and easier supply chain I suspect everyone on here would use Aspen. At the moment the cost and difficulty of obtaining supplies/ storing supplies make it a non starter. I would need about 5 cans a week just for 2 stroke. My nearest supplier is 15 miles away. It costs £16 for 5 litres. Storage of a pallet load just gives me a massive risk assessment headache. Disposal of the cans again becomes an issue as we have no plastic recycling. Aspen should get one of the multinationals on board- say BP- then this would roll

Out of interest= how much aspen can I store at our unit and still be insured- any ideas because if a pallet load went up in flames that would be bad.

loving the overloaded trailer:biggrin:

Course provider supplying kit? I wish

I've always considered glyphosate applied in a cut just behind the bark all round and then capped with a sliver of the tree cut from the stump previously to be fairly contained and protected. I think so called eco plugs are a way of making us spend unnecessarily though I like the idea of not carrying liquid glyphos about. I still find glyphos extreemly effective. I am worried that it causes cancer. If it causes cancer. This has yet to be proved I assume. Lets get it in perspective - beer causes cancer and you wouldn't worry about necking 10 pints of the stuff. In fact salt causes cancer. Most chemicals get taken off the market and I think this is often down to detection in the water supply. It is important for anyone using chemicals to use them responsibly- not the old fashioned way. I can understand why farmers use glyphos 3L per hectare= about £8 - pretty cheap weed control. Try weeding by hand- I've done it- =hard work

Given the choice between an hour behind the controls on a mini digger and an hour on a stump grinder. I know which one I'd choose- Unless the stump grinder was one of those tracked all singing ones.

Funnily or coincidentally I was thinking almost exactly the same thing. In the great scheme of £20 per man hour what extra cost is aspen. It puts it into perspective. There must be other luxuries we could afford now looking into the whole costs issue. certainly- doesn't pay to use old knackered kit that plays up constantly. Definately pays to keep all kit serviced. Avoid traffic jams.

I remember it very well Being woken at 4am to go to a tree in nearby that the fire brigade wouldn't attempt to get to (according to the screeming customer). If I'd gone I may well have been killed as trees were falling all round there. I never made much money from this storm as I was busy keeping existing customers happy. Certainly didn't rip anyone off. What came later was a problem as there was a glut of chainsaws around and loads of free firewood. I believe the accidents that happened with inexperienced chainsaw users at the time led to the current certification trend though I may be wrong.

Good luck with your future Tony. Great to meet you. You must move on and make your living in the knowledge circles which is totally understandable though our loss, which is what I think people will mourn.

I guess we've each got our own perspective and business model. It's just necessary that whatever level you operate at you sit down and assess occasionally. Not anally although sometimes it's easy to get obsessed. The point with the large kit is valid and I agree micro diggers and even chippers to a point should be charged out per job otherwise they inflate the costs of the small mowing job. But £15K for a micro plus attachments over 15 years because we don't use it every day/ or even every month does not affect the day rate that much. I'll redo the equation and leave out big plant and get totally confused. We'll end up with rates we need per job per hour. I can feel a migraine coming on. I only speak from where I am at present. 30 years ago the figures would have been much different. But then again I would have loaded 3 skips by hand in one day after digging out a patio by hand. Seemed easy at the time. I'm actually going to move away from this worry now- go with the flow and price by gut instinct which has served me well over the years. Maybe this is the lesson from our little chat.

me too

Yes- very true I hadn't included profit nor my costs (quoting/ management)but it was scary when I did. Almost got to the point where private clients can't afford us though as you say, when you present the right image then it's possible to add perceived value. Our image tends to be unsignwritten/ unadvertised/ humble. In fact we have been established 30 years and I guess 99% of the people in Folkestone don't know we exist. We tend to work away bringing money home to our local town. There's an untapped market here.

I've used my own name for 30 years but still wish I could hide under an anonymous- tangerine moon/ green dream style name as this would allow me to cover a wide range of work. if your name is too tree related then you look wrong doing fencing/ grass cutting and if your name is landscape then it looks a bit wrong when tree cutting. I still haven't found a solution though something with solutions in it seems to work. Or maybe .............. Definately get the client list and go round and introduce yourself possibly with your old boss in tow for authenticity. Maybe take a pressie. You can't overestimate the value of regular clients over the years they will serve you well. Oh ... and look after your back.

clever bit of kit methinks

Thats brilliant!!!!

The stupidity of stupid. I tend to prefer bog standard £5 ones - green for petrol. Clear for 2 stroke. C/S oil cans Not fussed about no spill as they are awkward and often end up causing spills. Much better to have a steady hand and pour sideways to prevent air locks. Then again- I'm old school. We've spent nothing on fuel cans in the past 5 years. They last for ever.

loving the guilotine

Well- mine works out at £60 per man per day overheads so thats almost exactly spot on. You must be running a similar setup. Or maybe this level is pretty standard. Add £60 onto your wage then add profit/quoting per job. Hmm..... Pedroskis £1 per minute for a 2 man crew is about right then. Makes a slow start in the morning pretty expensive. Also makes travelling very costly- the fuel costs are nothing to the wasted time spent in the truck not producing. 1 hour travelling is £40 in wages/overheads whereas fuel costs would be maximum £20. Theres just no point in going easy on the gas! That £1 per minute really focuses the mind doesn't it.

I've worked with a few who have been over the limit. Usually work sobers them up but they are useless first thing and don't remember stuff.

Had a couple of hours with my 'supervisors' this morning nailing down business costs. Including such fascinating thoughts as cost to finance trucks/chipper/JCB micro/big mowers. We just added up all the running costs Including annual insurance/fuel- usually averages out over the year/ ppe/training/rent on premises/business rates/waste collection/fixing machinery/replacing machinery/ recovery/ fortunately we don't advertise/ book keeping/ accounts/bank charges/ small tool replacement/ = covers most of it. Shocking- works out as £20+VAT per man hour worked including wages. Thats without quoting costs. So 2 men in a truck need to bring in £320 + VAT per day just to pay all the bills. Has anyone else done this calculation and what did you conclude?

I wondered if anyone would say that. We find them brilliant especially for reductions of small ended stuff. Adjustable infinately and with the anvil cutter on very accurate and light. Obviously not as long for the ground pole pruning of high up branches but you could always use a ladder:biggrin:

Thats the way we all get Squirrelling the stuff away in every conceivable place