Starscream
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Everything posted by Starscream
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Why does tree work pay so bad in comparison to other trades?
Starscream replied to RexPayne's topic in General chat
Oh mate, they're in abundance! There's one lad at work who can drive but won't drive for the firm, which would put his wage up by at least £50 a week instantly... Yet he's always telling us how skint he is! Just doesn't want any responsibility I suppose. But then again, we need people like him.. Too many chiefs and all that. -
I'm sure the mechanic at FR Jones told me the newer ones now have been sorted. I can't remember what the reason was but this was one of my concerns and he assured me this wasn't the case. Mine hasn't gone yet and I've had it for about 6 months with fairly regular use. I really like mine to be honest; definitely my go to saw, but horses for courses and all that!
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A while back when I purchased my first saw, I got an MS211. It's in the same category as the 181 (homeowner) but has a few more cc and was around the 250 mark I think; was a decent little saw actually. Next stage up, maybe a 251 - that's pretty good at around the 400 mark. But, if you wanna get something that's gonna kick ass, you need to look for the 261 or the Husqvarna 550xp. Both great saws, well balanced in the hand, enough power to do whatever you're gonna contemplate doing, with better components and the ability to run an 18" bar, one of these would be your best bet; they're around the 500 mark. I say, "buy nice or buy twice", future proof yourself, you won't regret it. Hope this helps
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I didn't say they were ripping the customer off, but I, nor you, know what they charged or what was agreed; so they could have been ripping them off. In fact, forget the price of the job, if you or I had carried out the work it would have been reduced properly and not left with puncture wounds. So yes, the customer got ripped off. The situation? Spiking a tree that's being retained in a conservation area is the situation. There's not really a grey area. It was poor practice at best. Blatant disregard at worst. Why shouldn't they be held accountable? Maybe that will help change their ways, but probably not. I would have probably been met with hostility had I approached them.
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Erm, that's what I'm trying to find out.
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No not at all! just a figure of speech to illustrate a point! My boss is 55 and climbs better than most.
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That's cool, I think you summed up this thread quite well. I wasn't particularly stressing about what I saw, just wondering if anything could be done. But it's all good, another learning curve from the Arbtalk masses!
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Yet you're wearing one in your avatar. Chopping a log. It's not a legal requirement you know, safety goggles would suffice.
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Isn't it just? I was hoping for pats on the back all round and maybe even a few cheers! 'Twas not to be mick, Twas not to be. Nope, just wanted to see what the general consensus was and whether it was worth a phone call. Why not? It's not a bad request. Maybe I should just leave it, but then again, screw em.
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He was 20ft in the sky wielding a polesaw. Everyone needed a helmet
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A helmet?? He was dropping bits on his head
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Don't talk so much I can smell the garlic from here.. Of course you are not single handedly responsible, it's a collective conscience of plonkers with a laissez-faire attitude. Was just gonna make a quick phone call and see if they wanted to do anything about it.
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But is it ok for me to care and want to do something about it? I suppose I was hoping for a unanimous decision but it seems a mixed camp, of which I don't quite understand.
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That's fair enough, but I would have thought trees are in a conservation area to be conserved. Not butchered with spikes and a pole saw.
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Haha, I know, I know.. I don't know what the industry is like over there but where I am in London it's rife with gippos, carrying out poor work. It's responses like yours that have let it get like it is. If more people were willing to do something about these unqualified gardeners then there'd be more work for the professional, better kept trees and less old people getting ripped off.
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Ah fair enough.. Was a more productive post than old froggy anyway
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Ha! I did it on my 150!! I rinsed it out as best as poss but it smoked like a goodun for the whole job!
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Sorry just re-read that... Phone the council obviously
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Yeah fair one.. They weren't even wearing any PPE so stands to reason that if they don't even care about their own health why would they care about the tree?!
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I saw a gardening firm working on a big birch tree in a conservation area on the grounds of a private (nice) block of flats. The guy climbed up in spikes and only a flip line, his groundsman then passes up a pole saw and he starts cutting away. At first I thought, 'ok, whatever works' until I realised he wasn't removing it but was reducing it. So he basically tops it, albeit carefully and he didn't seem like a gypsy, but in the process he's spiked the hell out of it. My question is this... I feel like reporting it to the tree officer to stop people like this. Would they do anything? Would I just be being a grass or would I be doing the right thing? What would you do? The reason I ask is that I know for a fact these trees are in a conservation area and they would have had to be granted permission to carry out the work. Would the officials be interested in who had undertook the work?
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I think this works 2 fold.. If you use the wrong spout (when using combi cans) it won't matter if you put petrol in the oil reservoir as much as it will matter if you put chain oil in the fuel reservoir!!!
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In fact, a lot of my hardware is rock exotica; I really like their karabiners.
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I've got a rock exotica one and its pretty sweet
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Whenever you're not cutting make sure that chain brake is on
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From what I can gather you are saying you have been offered 4 years work 5 days a week. You have built your business up to a point where you have a good reputation, good word of mouth business and a solid summer... And you wanna throw that away on the promise of 4 years work? What happens in 2020? Your business will be defunkt in 4 years... So, you just gonna start again? Nah. You continue to build on your business for another 4 years and with the right direction you could be smashing it. It's a no brainer to be honest mate. Get your tickets by all means, but bin all your hard work building up a reputation, only to still get phone calls and have to tell them that you can't come and quote their job? Your business will never recover
