jfc
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Everything posted by jfc
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Bump. I had a really busy summer/autumn but it's quiet now, getting 1-2 enquiries a week, still got several weeks work booked in but my lead time is dropping significantly. I've started making a list of possible jobs clients talked to me about as well as some stuff I didn't fancy at the time but needs must. I gave my mowing round away (to one of my team) a couple of years ago and contemplating asking for it back (as the he now works for SSE doing line clearance). How's it going for other folks? j.
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Me "Is that fuel cap on the combi can properly, it looks cross-threaded" "what's cross threaded mean". Me " dont put that ivy (we just pulled off a wall) through the chipper, it's got mortar on it". He gives me a confused look - Me "Mortar as in sand and Mortar", He's still confused. Me "mortar for laying bricks and pointing" - Oh I've never heard it called that. (he worked for a hard landscaper before me). My wife rolls her eyes when I come home each day with another one.
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I'm afraid that might be the case... as said there have been a number of other similar instances.
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Yeah, you'd have thought it, but I had to sort his spreadsheet out for doing his hours on, so not great with IT either. On a Games console I'm sure he is awesome compared to me (I never play computer games), but that's not what's needed in my job.
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Fair enough , but at 16 doing my A levels I had more hands on skills than this guy at 21. Partly my fault for assuming he would know how to put a bit in a keyless chuck, I'm pretty sure my 17yr daughter could do it, and she has no interest in doing a manual job. But she has used drills when younger, helping me do DIY. Just asked my 13yr old son. who described it perfectly - but he did say not many other kids his age would know that, as I have had him using drills before. This guys dad is a tradesman as well though, but not shown his son who is in a manual job, how to use tools.
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Aye, maybe I'm just a grumpy old git moaning about the youth of today. Time to resurrect the 50+ thread!
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Slight derail but gotta post this... So the young guy (21) who started in Aug was asked to drill and Eco plug a couple of small stumps. 15 mins later he comes back with drill,bit and plugs and asks "Can someone show me how to put the bit in the drill, i've never done it before?". I'm up a tree and can't believe he's asking this, it's just putting a drill bit into the chuck. I say for him to try working it out, and all you need is to undo, put it in and tighten it." "which way do I undo it?" he asks. FFS, really - I think. "Please don't ask me which way you need to undo something!". "have you never used a drill before?" No he says. 21 and he has never used a drill. This guy is really testing my patience and I'm not sure he's cut out for Arb. There have been a number of other similar issues!
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I changed careers about 10yrs ago and very happy I did, I was about 43, I had rock climbed a lot and was reasonably fit and enjoyed diy/hands on work and had a chainsaw already for firewood. As others have said trying a few days helping out a local company is a good idea. I got my basic chainsaw and aerial rescue/chainsaw tickets then got a job locally. Probably could have got a job with just the chainsaw ticket, and then got to see the job from the ground more. Basic chainsaw ticket is about £1K+/- and I really enjoyed doing it, you'd be unlikely to regret having it even if you didn't pursue arb as a career. It is likely to be a tough time in arb with the probable recession, however they say in the ads There's never a perfect time, just the Right time! Only you will know that. All the best, J.
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Sorry mate but... you should use Husk 2 stroke, if not available you can use other oil (but XP is widely available). Therefore, you should be using XP oil(unless you run out one day and put a few tanks through before ordering XP oil). I'm not sure where that puts you in relation to your warranty, especially if that wasn't explained on handover. Perhaps when you go back in you might clarify that you used stihl oil when XP wasn't available but you were using it regularly otherwise! j.
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I don't know the rates down south, but I wouldn't be paying you any more than that with 3 mnths experience. You will be slow and cautious (hopefully - which is what you need to do until you have years of experience). After a year you should be OK speed wise, after 5yrs+ fully up to speed. Have you asked what you need to do to earn more? You are getting paid reasonably to learn your trade (that is worth a lot), with experience other better paid options will become available or they will pay you more to keep you. Hope you are enjoying it.
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Sorry to hear about you saw. I was told by my Husky dealer that I had to run the saw with Husk XP oil to comply with the warranty. Not sure if that is true but that is what I put in all my saws, as I didn't want to invalidate the warranty.
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I have found that my total costs run at about 65% of turnover, excluding vat. I'm assuming you're not reg yet. I have relatively low overheads, but pay staff well. 35% of 500 is 175 profit. I could earn that subbing without all the hours and stress and financial commitment of running a business. Your costs may be a greater or lesser % than mine, time and experience will tell. J.
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Henchman Ladders have snapped off - are these worth getting welded?
jfc replied to Treepigmatt's topic in Picture Forum
Accidents happen, stuff gets broken. Only if you were messing about and being reckless (being a d!£k), would i ask you to pay for it. If you are a conscientious employee who takes care of tools and equipment you shouldn't have to pay. -
Client is keeping them, storage place looked nice and dry. Wish I had space to to store boards.j.
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Panther Mill, as supplied by Rob at chainsawbars.
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Here's a weeping ash with Adb we took down and milled today. Looks pretty good I think, crown was 90% dead.
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After 20yrs as a nurse I was in a dead end job, which I wasn't enjoying. Resigned and became a stay at home dad for a couple of years. I had done rock climbing/mountaineering since my teens and had a aldi chainsaw to do logs for our stove. Wondered if I could therefore do tree work, spent a lot of time reading up on courses what was involved and did my basic felling, then climbing. Got taken on as a subbie to local firm, after a year we parted company, only option was to set up for myself. Its now nearly 10yrs since I started all this.
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Chip goes to various gardens, allotments, orchards, farmers and golf courses. Used as mulch, for paths, in muddy gateways by them. Rarely sell any. Logs - hardwood has plenty of takers, generally sold or swapped for storage space. Softwood - some sold or swapped. Bags of non chippable stuff taken by some who get logs and burnt etc. Sometimes have to pay to dispose of at local green waste facility. Generally have an empty van at end of day for free.
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300 a day gardening??? Nae chance getting that for gardening. This gives people unrealistic expectations of what they can earn. There is also the fact that hand cutting I assume you would get 1wk or 1 month of work or more. How many gardens/homeowners would take you on for a week at 300 a day? Regular work/employment is worth a lot in its own right.
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Looks quite like black poplar to me?
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Planning advice, protected tree on a building site has died.
jfc replied to Clutchy's topic in General chat
I'd get the clientscarchitect to deal with it. Planning dept should give you the ok to remove it but let them sort it out. -
I get to store similar giving them good quality hardwood logs and use of the chipper when available. I have tried offering money but they were happy to carry on this arrangement, which works great for me.
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I had a quiet spell may/june but since back from hols in july it's been really busy. We do a lot of hedges this time of year and tend to just get called back each year so it's good repeat business. Also had a lot of tree work come in, so got about 6wks work booked and it keeps coming. Lots of my work comes from recommendations I am lucky in not having to advertise really. Hope it's getting better for other folks. j.
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What to replace burnt and stolen chippers with...?
jfc replied to benedmonds's topic in Large equipment
Horrendous, sorry to hear this. Scumbags. -
Not sure what the green omega symbol is. Meindl airstream suit me/my feet, although people say the soles don't last as well these days. Guy I work with bought stein defenders and is happy with them and the price, fair bit cheaper than mine. There have been other fairly recent threads, in ladt couple of years, on other options for climbing boots. Do a search for meindl boots or new boots. All the best, J.
