TTS North

That's what I was looking at - but it would take a two way winch to do the job of on and off safely and you'd need to tie the winch off in such a way so you could wind it on its side otherwise the handle wouldn't go all the way round, if you get my drift.

As others have said that's a good deal with the blades thrown in (I'll buy them off you :-)). I have the same model - its heavy - takes a winch to get it on the trailer if you're on your own, and a rope/pulley to get it off safely, but well balanced when moving it around, eats like a lunatic, and the build quality feels spot on. Never regret buying new - you just don't know the quality life 2nd hand ones have had. And watch for the power of the thing shooting to direction nozzle off into the air if it's not secured tightly enough. Ours took a ten foot journey over a fence first time out.

I don't use any livery on my normal 4x4 or trailer - don't want the wrong people seeing it and following me home to scope the place. Perhaps I'm being paranoid!

Do children get in free?

Screwfix - although they're six sided and designed for impact wrenches but work just as well with a hand wrench. They fit your nut/bolt exactly. I'm a brute with a wrench and always rounding off the teeth on my other ones. These have never rounded a nut or bolt, never slipped. Best purchase I ever made. Impact Socket Set 37 Pieces | Air Tools | Screwfix.com

I'm seeing a lot of cherry trees in similar condition up in the north east this year. Some are pretty bad and in a lot worse condition than yours. Not much help, but you're not alone.

I don't pay them a year, it's per job at the rates I mentioned. If there was a years worth of work then I suppose that's what they'd get. I think 40k pro rata is about right. My guys are self-employed and have to cover their own business costs and don't have the security of regular employment from me. I've been doing this for seven years up north and it's a model that works well for me. I probably charge a customer less for a job than most because the business is operated on a very lean basis and costs are under tight control, I just pass more of the fee onto the boys than others might.

The longer you leave it to jump out of the aircraft, the more doubts about your parachute you will have! It is possible to become institutionalised to working for someone else. You're unhappy as you are and you're asking a question to which you already know the answer. The right time is now. You're better qualified than I am. I had less than you when I went it alone. Get on with it.

I think £9 p/h isn't much above minimum wage, and a qualified cutter is worth more. At all levels this is a hazardous, and very demanding job. FWIW I pay (on self-employed basis). £10 per hour - Unskilled groundsman (no tickets bar first aid, just manual labour - not even allowed to fuel saws). I provide safety gear and restrict what they can do. My main groundie has never had a running saw in his hand. After 8 hours on site they go to a flat fee of £100. I expect very hard work from them. £15 per hour - qualified on the ground cutter. £20 per hour - qualified climber. I use another qualified climber and two groundsmen - but I do have to mix and match carefully to protect my profit on a job. I expect everyone to do their job and the jobs below them as well. e.g. If I'm up the tree then the other climber is dragging brash out with the groundie or feeding the chipper. No work to rule here. Everyone pitches in. If it's predominately a ground cutting job, or there's only a small fee, then I might negotiate the climber down to £15 per hour. It's up to him if he wants it. For the qualified guys I provide fuel but I expect them to have their own saws and kit. (Doesn't stop them using my saws when my back's turned, but hey!). If it's a short job and some travelling involved by the guys using their own transport I may give them an added payment to help out with that. I hear tales of qualified people working for £75 a day, or being kept as an 'apprentice' for years to keep their salary down. I don't think it's right. People work harder and smarter, and they are more committed to you and your business if they can see that you value what they do and reward them at a level which demonstrates that. But I expect a level of effort in return which reflects their appreciation of the fact. It goes both ways. One more thing - the guys I bring in know exactly how much a job is worth, and how much we are making from it on an individual basis - including my own profit. I mainly do residential work, which can pay quite well. Don't know if this is of much use to you.

It's fiddly. Lots on you tube. Can we post links on here ? [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuQ_73jqiRE]Stihl Chainsaw Fuel Line Repair - YouTube[/ame] Regards.

Thanks. The thing I always find surprising is that customers don't appreciate that a tree shaped hole in the air, right in the spot where a tree once stood, is actually pretty good evidence of the fact that a tree is no longer there. Bootneck - you could try wondering out loud whether the local authority stores old google earth satellite data as evidence that trees once existed and then watch your customer's reaction.

Sounds familiar. I had an identical sounding request last month. Big eucalyptus, TPO's to the houses left and right - but the owners instructed me (tried to anyway) to not contact the LA to see if there was a TPO on it because a) they were 'pretty sure' there wasn't, and b) they didn't want to draw it to the LA attention in case they 'decided to stick a TPO on it'. So I checked anyway - and guess what ......... Wouldn't be the first time a home-owner has unsuccessfully requested work on a TPO'd tree then kept quiet about it and subsequently tried to stuff a tree surgeon with the work, liability and a huge fine - they never realise that they can be fined as well, and have covenants put on the property so when they do sell they have to cough up a %. Sometimes I feel like adding 'wasn't born yesterday' to my business card. Check - always. It only takes a call to your local tree guys.