stihlmadd

Good stuff mate. Nice edit as well.

 

I noticed you have started to put the contracting parties info on the vids these days. Do you let them be available on their websites etc?

 

Keep at it mate, I always check them and enjoy the vids. Sometimes I forget to give props but that is my fault and not a reflection of the time and effort to produce the vids.

Yes the general idea is that I am making it clear to any viewers that this is a such and such job so if it is used for any kind of representational display the business involved can link with the viewer ,

only fair when you are the contract climber stealing all the glory and swooning women folk any ways.

I let the business know I wish to film on site , ask the staff if they have any disagreement with being put up on youtube and assure the client that their particular personal details will not be released in my videos.

haven't had a problem or any real objections so far and if I feel that the day is not 'right' for filming due to time constraints etc then I leave the cameras in the land cruiser.

don't sweat the props too much the fact that you watch the videos and follow the thread is its own compliment.

cheers Ben.

Yes, great effort as always. Sorry to see you get a relatively cool response throughout your thread (make that pisspoor) for the hard graft you're putting on display here....not to mention the time you put into editing it all. You have my respect at least, for what it's worth. Stick with it mate.

thank you very much Reg, the editing as you know can consume a bit of time.

not a big tree or a hard one just good fun with some lovely sky and sun by the seaside.

I appreciate the props coming from a vet still swinging in the breeze ,

going back to a prior conservation for a sec - doing two jobs this week under MY business name and have another two lined up for next week,

not massive but I am making that transition from contract climber to my own boss.

getting there Brother , I am getting there.

some times guts is enough...

a tip of the cap and a nod in passing good Sir.

Ben.

Cracking mate.

Some top-notch accuracy with the freefall stuff, and top photo-bombing!

Nice lizard.

Thankyou Mark

I am a firm believer in the 'if you don't have to rope it out then why should you' school of thought.

yes Griff is a cheeky sod but I feel he is the first lad I have encountered for a while who is not a climber now but has the real potential to make it as one in the future. but yeah a right cheeky little sod he is at times.

the gecko was a nice little thing at the end - I and many other climbers / ground staff go out of our way to save the geckos on site from all the predators waiting for a easy meal. we just have a soft spot for the harmless wee things.

cheers Ben

Nice work, nicely edited.

thank you very much Mick.

still get a smile out of your avatar picture every time I see it.

same as previous posts, I either wing it and hope it gets allowed , buy royalty free music from a provider service or use obscure music or mashups / remixes of music .

end of the day there is no logic towards youtube copyright strikes and if you are seeking to monetise your work then I would suggest using copyright free music from a provider so you have a document stating the music is copyright free and was legally purchased in order to negate any potential trouble from false copyright claims on youtube which can happen.

By the Hills

dead euc removal down on the coast from Adelaide at a sea side rental house.

the main trunk sections were being retained for milling.

Griff the groundie/ apprentice climber from Wales photo bombed me so I hope he likes his mug all over the net

watch in HD

cheers ben.

Not bad for your first time mate 😏

I liked the balancing at the start Ben, nice work bromie . Ps was that Patrick swayz eat the end ?

aww shucks thankyou Jesse I thought it went pretty swell too.

yeah balancing tricks are fun - helps when you grasp the weight distribution of a particular species - timber vs fluff can be a bit tricky on some types of tree.

I was thinking more Kevin Bacon from footloose ? see my fancy foot work ?

cheers Ben

two day euc removal - big rigging in a rear yard.

watch in HD

cheers Ben

dead or alive they all fall down.

watch in HD

two days of Euc removals at a property outside of MT Compass

cheers Ben.

Dang Ben you got drenched - that bugger was like a giant beer keg

Nice controlled work Ben.

 

Jomoco

thankyou Jono

Nice video Bro, was thinking why are they not chipping as you go till the end when I realized you were leaving it as a cushion to drop the rest onto 👍, did a big euc last week nd it's definitely strange stuff to cut, hard as owt nd piggin heavy!

Hey Gray git yeah you got it in one - the school oval came through undamaged thanks to the pad out and with the bobcat on site lifting things around wasn't a issue.

I run two sets of chains for my saws - ones for soft timbers like pines and oaks etc and a second set for eucs - found it its easier over the years as the pine setting just digs in and chatters on solid eucs.

pro tip eucs generally do not float in water if you are ever considering dumping one into a water course

cheers Ben

Some interesting camera angles....nice rigging.....Cool lid😎😎😎

thankyou silky fox

Hot N' Cold

watch in HD

easy spotted gum removal december 2015

Meant to right something this morning but had to go to work.

 

I too contract climb and put vids on youtube accrediting the companies i am working for. I am also slowly setting up by myself and reg is right if you are staying put you will end up with more money, the only issue i find is getting the phone to ring (i live in a small rural community where word of mouth and being local are important neither of which i have, well a little word of mouth very powerful in fact). Also on the days that a contract climber is in they are one of the main assets, but you will not need one of them.

 

I don't begrudge anyone for having work, and i work for many different firms, but it seems a bit wrong that there are so many about that can't handle the "difficult" jobs. At the end of the day they are businesses using their assets to get the job done, and as fun as climbing trees is it is about earning money to pay the bills really.

The times I do work on my own bids I am surprised on how much money I can make doing (in my eyes) a relative easy and not dangerous job) for the same time spent contracting to another company.

the real kicker is the truck and chipper and while I can organise a skip bin or another company to chip for me it adds extra levels of complexity and costs to the job again dropping the chances of a successful bid price when competing with other tree companies who own the plant / equipment.

climbing skills is not the issue the money def is.

whats your youtube channel called OllyB?

my mobile tool box and tree puller

I'm surprised you find conifers that challenging Ben.

Jomoco

Not challenging its the trust factor - I trust a dead euc a lot more than a dead fir or pine due to the ageing factor - the longer a Euc is dead and still standing the harder it gets unless the rot killed it the tree can be trusted to a greater degree than a dead pine of the same time span dead.

Dead pines can get poopy real fast depending on what killed them reducing the options when it comes down to the removal where as you can still rig out big sections on a dead euc even if it has significant internal rot and has been dead for donkeys.

given a choice between climbing a Euc or Pine it will be Euc every time for me regardless of the heavier timber or more unpredictable tearing and hinging factors.

it comes down to the fact I am a lazy bugger at times and there is less effort in a euc than a pine, the bark is generally smooth there isn't horrible clusters of dead pine cones persisting through the bloody tree and all the dead little snags every where not to mention and don't get me started on the bloody SAP I fuggin hate the sap and what it does to my kit fuggin hate it.

If I hear people complaining about climbing Eucs I think they have rocks in their head but thats my opinion.

gotta confess I don't know how to load pics onto this site Jon

Loving the vids dude.

There's one quote that has really helped me settle a shoulder imp for me;

at 34 and starting my career change / leap, it's always good to hear of late bloomers.

Thankyou diervek always good to hear from a fellow tree person who digs the time and effort spent on the videos.

as to climbing at or after a certain age my personnel belief is it comes down to a variety of factors including your attitude and prior history.

any one who went and shagged out both their knees playing rugby and then spent every night down at the local drinking will struggle to get into and keep climbing - not impossible but the cards are stacked against them.

also your genetics do come into play - I am lucky to have a good physical size / body weight and metabolism that lets me production climb others I know haven't been so fortunate and are now feeling the effects of the years spent pounding those spikes in.

playing into that is the improvements in climbing kit that make it easier / less damaging on your body that I am putting into place when others around me are still climbing on standard prussic setups with no mechanicals - old school and aint going to change it up so the wear on their bodies is accelerating .

anyhoo thats my two cents for what it is worth take advantage of anything that makes it less of a strain on you whenever you can and look after yourself to keep in the game.

Apples and oranges really Jon. The most complicated jobs I've done have been hardwoods without a doubt....but the most dangerous have been some of the dead firs I've done out this way through the last 4 and a half years.

I am with Reg on the dead firs thats some puckering poopy time climbing when you can't ride the hook and can't get a crane or bucket out to the tree.

Jon for my money I would rather do a big Euc over a big pine any day if for nothing else my kit doesn't end up all coated in bloody sap.

Having rigged out both massive Eucs and pines into confined spaces I would pick the Euc every time dead or alive.

These days it is rare for me to see a job that is not doable in some way shape or form if you are creative enough but the deciding line still seems to be the customers budget and what they are willing to sacrifice in order to have the job fit their budget.

heck if you are willing to pay for the helicopter removal and my time then I am willing to play.

I contact climbed for over 20 years, previous....because the convenience suited me for one reason or another. A big part of that was because I moved around a bit and always had one eye on the door. I only just closed the curtain on it early last year.

 

My advice is that's what you should do also.....if you planning on staying at your current location. You'll make twice the money, and get to keep it too. I can't say enough about what a relief it is to be negotiating and doing my own jobs. Meanwhile, your saving for a GRCS among other things so that these companies you're involved with can reap the benefits. It's not right, and just one example.

 

Buy a truck and chipper, then get out there. You'll never look back. If you can't afford to buy one after all these years of graft, then it proves a point really. Don't believe anyone who tells you how hard it all is. That's BS.

I am planning on staying here permanently (Adelaide) it is a little bit small town minded but I enjoy aspects of the knowing everyone factor and have lived in tiny settlements so have a perspective on size versus comforts.

Melbournes weather and driving sucks, sydney is too over blown and brisbane is too tropical for my liking so it really comes down to climate and variety of work.

Adelaide has a good cross section of work, I enjoy the opportunity to be in a Euc one day and a Oak the next and the plains versus Hills work is also an attractor.

I am near the point of paying off the land I own in the hills (20 acres)

that will give me back capital and a fee free yard / dumping spot where I can store mulch ,dump what ever green waste I want and store for processing into fire wood or salvageable timber.

currently another tree company is dumping fire wood for a fee on my site.

the wood sales and mulch sales will form a small part of my income stream.

You are bang on about the equipment for other companies but honestly most of the companies I contract to will never spend their own money on this kind of kit and I am trying to make my life easier and safer/ more efficient with an eye to the future when I will want to be using this kit to my advantage.

I have been climbing for twelve years now and started late at 31 so the window of opportunity is starting to close.

some companies would rather use a younger climber who is more willing to take risks for the profit of the bossman when I am not willing to loose a days pay to save some arsehole a few bucks on a job He never quoted properly and wants to still make a profit on being totally unrealistic about the situation.

Putting my ego aside has been the hardest part for me- it is not that I can't do the job it is the financial pain / physical pain component that puts me off the stupid jobs now. sure I 'might' win but I know the odds of walking away unscathed are low so I would rather decline to climb such **** sandwiches and so have lost a percentage of business because of this.

on the other hand I have built a good reputation for the quality of my work and while I am not perfect my success rate is pretty high.

It will be another 12 months of graft before I am in a position to purchase a truck/chipper - when it is a cut and leave gig I can quote effectively against other companies out there but the waste needs removal the jobs are generally out of my reach as you can only cut/slash so much into a trailer and the time factor versus the bloke with a chipper on site means you rarely get those jobs.

So yeah I hear you loud and clear on points but it will be good to clarify with you where I am at and what I am thinking with you as you have already been down this road.

as I tell the young fella's always ask a old lag about how to do things as you can make your own mistakes or learn from theirs for free.:big grin:

Well done Ben, as always. Hope you get paid enough to put some away after the work you do to enhance the reputations of all these tree companies. You gotta have a plan mate.

G'day Reg, thankyou for the props

I do get paid fairly well for a contract climber and do charge extra for really big or dangerous trees and for crane work.

as to having a plan No, other than short term purchases I wish to make to increase my equipment range (ms150, grcs and a whinch for the cruiser and of course more ropes and toys)

I am not with a longer term plan for my future and am starting to feel the need to create a more sustainable future for my self.

I have registered my own business name but if I am contracting as you have pointed out I am not using my own name on my videos as I do not feel it is entirely fair and also would like to keep my business name separate from the other companies work.

but yeah am making some guys look real good when the reality is less so.

any advice you have I am all ears.

cheers Ben.

Loved the last shot Ben.

 

Impressive combination of work and art mate!

 

Jomoco

Thankyou

turns out a 45 mm by 90 mm framing beam is just the right height to prevent a go pro from becoming a expensive pancake.

really appreciate the props , I think things are coming along quite nicely and coming from a fellow Euc man it means that little bit more:laugh1:

but seriously did you get a butchers at the size of that citridora and it was only 60 years old according to the local residents and council officers.

Hope you have a hale and hearty one in 2016.

Ben.

Looks like you had a great year mate.

it was a good one for sure made some strides but still have to nut out all this SRT thing the young ones are raving about :big grin:

hope to do even better this swing around.

may you and yours be on the upside of 2016.

cheers Ben

Enjoyed that, cool editing really need to learn the overlay technique!

thankyou Graygit, final cut pro has some great native effects on board out of the box and I am unabashed just messing with the program being self taught so I can explain what I am doing to achieve the overlays but I have no idea if it is supposed to do them but hey I no complain.

any questions you got just ask away I will help out where ever I can.

Ben

`some big trees and cool editing there, thanks for sharing

Cheers Steve, it was def overdone in a few spots but tried to reign it in overall.

the software is final cut pro x 10.2 running on a mac platform with a few plug -ins from pixel software.

Ben