Sequoia

Hi Benarb, I have quite a lot of experience in attempting what you are currently considering. I've been in the industry just over 30 years and my business is 20 years old. We run similar kit to you, 3 arb trucks, Hilux, 2 chippers (one tracked) 2 grinders (big and small), mulitione and tipper trailer. I have waxed and waned over the years between 1 and 3 teams and the limiting factor has always been staff. The work I can find, the staff is the difficulty. If you are going to stay with the domestic and occasional commercial job then you will struggle to maintain the quality of work combined with throughput necessary to make it finacially viable. Sure, you will have days when all goes to plan and will even mutter the words 'this time next year Rodney....' however it doesn't take much to absorb the cash reserves you have built and maintaining the continuity is utterly exhauting. I concluded that I would rather have a life, give energy to my family, limit the stress I was inviting into my life and be comfortable with the person I am and the small business I was running, rather than chase the opportunity to have a masive ego. The concern for us all is how long our bodies will enable us to continue at this pace. I am fortunate that my mortgage is mostly paid off and the persistent financial pressures are waning and therefore when I chose to not work, that little voice in my head no longer bothers me. There has been some sage advice before my post, so cherry pick what you want to hear and make your decision. I wish you the best of luck.

We have an opportunity for an experienced and conscientious climber to come and join our team. We are a small company based in Petersfield. Most of our clients are domestic and so the quality of work we deliver is high and the effort rewarding. The salary will be based on qualifications and experience and ideally the successful applicant would have a broad range of tickets, however training and development is also on offer. Please contact Matt on 01730 260001 or 07713575398.

Thanks Steve

Hello gents and ladies, Can you tell me where on here to advertise a job? And any recommendations for other sites to try. Had little joy with Arbjobs. Thanks

Someone has already referred to Vincent Thurkettles book and for me it is the definitive gospel - although he has some funny thoughts about softwood taking longer to dry than hardwoods (free and bound water and all that...) I split oak smaller now than I ever used to - because in 2 years could never achieve 20%mc. A clenched fist is the largest I will go for now and then I give it 2 years. Log shed must me open to the breeze but keep rain off the top - deffo no tarp wrapping, which is pointless. In the season that you are going to use it, protect it from all driving rain as when logs are dry they do tend to lap this up.

Option 1 but instead of VW go for Isuzu Crafter swb. Fab turning circle, narrow, great for access. Integrate a locker into the back - you'll lose some chip capacity but will be grateful for security.

You'll struggle to make profit if they are all bespoke. Come up with a good design and churn them out and then offer optional extras to suit different trades. By all means get involved in odd bespoke canopy, but the time and materials involved in getting it perfect (you're the perfectionist) will eat profit.

Woodfire handbook - not wildfire!

Better than Norwegian Wood is Vincent Thurkettles book, The Wildfire Handbook. My first stove was Clearview 500 - loved it and bought another when I moved house. I've just installed another stove which is a Contura. It's expensive and not as good as the Clearview but I'm still very happy with it.

I was at Dartington 90-92. Also had digs at High Cross, which has now been restored as fine art deco example. Fond memories.

Hi Dan, I have a danequip grinder which is pretty much identical to your Dosko. If it is the hydrostatic belt that you are wearing through then it is likely to be a tensioning issue. I had the same problem and was using a new belt in about 1 hour until I got the tension right, which took about three attempts.

Hello Gents, I run a small tree business in Hampshire and give a lot of wood away to various friends and organisations. Admittedly, this is green and directly from site as I don't have the yard space (or desire) to process logs for sale. I am looking for someone in Leeds to offer something similar for my sister. She's a midwife at LGI and so is careful with her money. No Lawson, Leyland, Cypress or Hemlock. It can be in cord as I will process when visiting and can be tipped on private drive. If cash is a factor, then I shall pay you for it. Thanks for reading this. Matt

We use these https://www.zappmat.com/ Eye-wateringly expensive but very good and eliminate ground damage. I would source a cheaper brand next time but these do have good handles (cut outs) on side and ends rather than just small holes, which really help when lifting alone.

We used to get Junipers this size in East Africa, but the growth rate rules it out. Deffo not Yew, Cherry, Arbutus, Hawthorn, Lonicera. Good suggestion of Cryptomeria.

Hi Chris, Welcome. From your profile photo you look like a handy fella. Don't offer your services for free (beyond a couple of days) as any ground labour is appreciated and the company should benefit from it. Love the idea of heading to Canada - if I had time on my side I would be doing the same. Getting climbing experience is going to be your challenge, and previous rock climbing exploits are not really going to help you. I think there are 3 important elements to tree climbing. 1) Climbing the tree effectively with ropes and harness with whatever paraphernalia (spikes, strops, footlock, friction savers, redirects SRT etc) you favour. 2) How the tree is going to behave. Are you felling, dismantling, branch roping, cut and drop, cut and hold, snatching/chogging? How can you minimise ground damage? Make life easier for groundies? Keep you as a climber safe. This is a big topic as even same species will behave differently depending on their health/condition. 3) Using a saw at height. This photo is me at the end of 2 very knackering (and wet) days dismantling a split and extremely decayed Labanon Cedar. There was no crane or mewp access. This job went well as there was a very experienced crew on site and we all had input into the process. Find a good crew to work with and accept that your first year may well be on the ground, working and observing. Good luck.

This is great info guys. Thank you.

Optomistic maths. You won't be working 5 days a week 52 weeks a year. That would be 260 days. Base it on 220 days max (200 to be safe) and you get down days and holidays in there also. When you have staff you can base your year on 240 days, but that is because you have others to keep a team out there. Good luck with it.

I am considering a loader for this reason. Can you give me the pros and cons of Avant over Multione (or vice versa!). Thanks

I started trying a few echo saws 3 years ago as was fed up with Stihl and Husky. If you accept that they are heavier, then you should get on fine with them. It's 70's and 80's technology but (seeing as current tech has not improved saws) there's nowt wrong with that. I now have a mix of Echo (esp, toppers) and Husky.

If someone is adamant that they want to tree out, then I'm afraid my morals don't go as far as turning work down any more, although I have done in my altruistic youth. However I do take the time to sus out clients and get enormous joy from identifying those nightmare twat individuals who enjoy making peoples lives miserable - and telling them that we are not the company for them and suggest that they call one of our competitors.

Matt, welcome to the forum. You are welcome to ask these questions and it's good that you do - I didn't mean to be rude, just curious. I run a Pred 50XC which cost £32K+VAT. Needs a trailer and truck to get to site and if grindings are coming off site then that requires a chip wagon and another bod to assist with barrowing mountains of grindings away. Stump grinding is an expensive service to offer and I charge at least £600+VAT per day, without another bod to assist (if I need them it gets added to the cost). A set of teeth, which generally get damaged in a full days grind will cost £90 and fuel will be £30. Then there's the other maintenance on top of that. I am unapologetic about what I charge. The grinder goes out about 6 days a month, so those costs are not daily earnings. I hope the machine will last 10 years (with good maintenance) and so paid for fully in under 3 at the rate we use it. We are based in SE. Yes, stump grinding makes more money than other areas of tree work, but if far less interesting.

Appalling for everyone involved. The coroner's verdict was correct.

That's good. We should all be offering this kind of money, as the recipient will certainly be earning it.

Yes, for another 2 years. That was 27 years ago.

Grindings off site or left in situ? And to echo the above, how do you have this grinder and not know what to charge? I'd be looking for £600 if I could complete the task on my own within the day.