CJM

When you say self employed do you mean starting up with a van and doing your own work or being a freelance climber? I went self employed as a freelance climber I already had a climbing kit and saws so my start up cost were zero. Do the pros out weigh the cons of being self employed?? Yes/no it depends on your situation, if you are in a job the pays ok and you have a good working relationship with your boss but you get perks like holidays, pension, bonus, overtime, etc then I'd say no. I think a lot of people see the day rate and think your making mega bucks, but once you take off tax NI repairs put a bit back for slack days and holidays, you've also got to remember the invoices so paper work when your not at work, tax returns ect. Also it's hard to get credit no matter how good your credit rating is. Then self employment seems less desirable On a side note It helps a hell of a lot if you know and are friends with lots of company's in your area (Note to self; why am I self employed?? Haha)

I was told it's the colour, snazzy colours instead of basic green or red. That's what my local arb shop told me

Maybe sthil should set up some kind of network for warrenty. If a saw was bought from gustharts but needed repair work at your place you could do the warrenty work and bill gustharts and likwise if one of your saws were taken to gusthearts. It would make everything fair in long run

Yeah that makes sense I know the kind........, I suppose you could help depending on the circumstances I.E a professional in desperate need of fuel tank replacement for a 201t because his has failed or am I not getting it and being to soft haha

That's a fair point and I agree, but in the long run if you fix a saw that you didn't sell but it was still under warrenty you'd instantly build of trust with that customer and it's opened to door to future custom and he'll give you a good review to his other arb/forestry mates. Obviously I'm speaking as a customer and I have no idea how to run a shop/dealership I also try my best to make my saws last (it's an expensive affair to replace haha) so I have limited dealings with warrenty. But saying that the crank seal on my 560xp has went and it's leaking oil so I might find out about warrenty sooner than I would want.

It's the throttle linkage on the carb that's a pig to fit, if you take it off or it drops off warn your missus that she'll be hearing lots of profanities for the next 30 mins haha

The way I see it is if you bought a car from the biggest ford dealer in the country because it was cheap than your local ford deal then went home found out you had a problem then took it to your local ford dealer, this dealer that's local you might be the smallest dealer in the uk but you'd expect them to fix the issue with the car without a question. I feel this is no different to buying a chainsaw or any other piece of sthil machinery. These guys became sthil dealers to sell quality machinery to professionals we expect a professional service in return.

Most of the weird specs have been mentioned that I've had to work to but I like the terminology that people use like ' I want that tree crowning' wtf?? Then you ask them what crowning means and they have no idea themselves

It's hard to tell which way it's leaning if it's away from the road i'd just dead wood it once it dies then he can get you back in to fell it. You said he'd like to keep the tree so give him what he wants and eventually you'll get an extra job out if it in stead of one.

Looks like it in a field, I'd remove that lowest limb overhanging the road and dead wood the rest. Nature will take it course after that at least it can slowly die without dropping a limb on the road

I went to renew my spikes a few months back, I looked at these tree hogs they felt heavy the gaffs looked weird like some kind of pencil point and the straps look and felt like they were made from cheap plastic and wouldn't last. I just bought what I know and what I've been using since I started many years ago, steel bashlins

Tbh I think you'll get a dog of a pick up for the money you want to pay, it might end up costing you more in the long run how about a trailer and use the current vehicle to tow it some thing like this Countryman : Whitemoss Gardening, for gardeners and landscape professionals alike Much more versatile it'll get you going and you'll have £500 spare to get you started so you can make more money to buy something better

Who ever buys that pink rope other than women will always be referred to 'the guy with the pink rope' doesn't matter how good you are that will be the only thing that gets you remembered

You'll still be able to grind them, I've been sent to building sites to grind out rootballs because it was far more cost effective than taking them away. Btw it was tedious job haha

Ask the nearest log/coal merchant if they want to collect some free fire wood I bet they'd bite your hand off as for the rootball forget the crane idea see if you can get a stump grinder in and grind it

Just make sure the hi viz garment complys to BS EN 471 because if it goes tits up on a roadside for example and the hse investigate the hi viz vest you thought was hi viz won't be classed as hi viz in their eyes if it didn't comply to those regs

Anyway it's Xmas I couldn't careless how this guy makes his money I'm just pointing out a few things

For a start I said slightly misleading but never mind that because I'm presuming you've not read the advert because we like to presume things here, at the end of the day if I replied to that ad and actually wanted a tree taken down he'd come and take it down but if I wanted the wood keeping off my tree he'd charge me for it he's ad doesn't say that

His ad is slightly misleading I posted to set the record straight Everyone can presume things and most of us gussed right. You never know he might of had some great idea haha:001_smile:

The fella says so I suppose

I wasn't giving him a hard time, I could if I wanted to but I was merely inquiring about his services and thought I'd share his money making secret with my fellow arb talkers

Have a good Xmas Paul Steve tomlin sends he's 'hellos' haha

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This was mainly for my own personal enjoyment before I hit the pub take it how you like