Mick Dempsey

Don’t underestimate their ‘can do’ attitude though.

I have no issues with my expat clients, good as gold and an important part of my clientele.

I put a days money on it, he said “that seems a lot” I just shrugged my shoulders. I used the old adage (translated into french) If you think it’s expensive hiring a professional, try hiring an amateur. I normally hate those sort of sayings, but in this case it’s true.

Rich, you have to look to yourself on this one. 20 seconds on a follow up email confirming the prices would have saved all that unpleasantness. Domestic clients only hear the first number, they never see vat on everything else they buy so don’t register it mentally. I have made that mistake too many times.

A year on and there are dozens of them now, it’s mad. Crazy “no reduction” yanks, MS200 fan boys, people losing their shit over little or nothing, shithousery abounds. In a strange way it’s improved this place, there’s less stupid arguments, don’t get me wrong I love a good ding dong, both participating and spectating. But less really personal abuse is a good thing.

20”

Different pinion as I understand it, apart from that you’ll need a chainsaw expert to explain the difference.

I have a 560 and a 562, any difference is negligible, same power unit.

Quite heavy to carry round all day imo.

Bit long winded this one. A few weeks ago a client with whom I’ve had some dealings, disputes with neighbours, that sort of thing called for a quote. I don’t like this guy and I feel it’s mutual. But it’s local so I rock up, it’s a job in two parts, some large horizontal limbs over a garage off a couple of oaks to remove, and a largish oak to take out. I price it in two parts and off I go. A couple of weeks later I see the removal has started with the oak butchered a bit (lot) but it never gets finished. He phones me to do the stuff over the garage, we set a date (yesterday) and I turn up. The client explains that he got someone to do the oak for the butt, however he was clearly out of his depth and ended up cracking his sternum in two places, one break making contact with his heart, lucky to live. Now, I’m reasonably fired up about this, sure the climber or whatever he was bears some personal responsibility for his own safety, but the client looking to save money wherever possible (clearly he’s not without judging by the car/house) has to shoulder some as well. He is anxious to get the tree on the floor and gone, presumably as it’s a smoking gun litigation wise, asked me for another price. I suspect France being France there’s a court case coming.

I have the battery husky, the older one from a couple of years back. 2 fully charged batteries will not get you through a days climbing and cutting.

Horrible! Was there any flow? looks dodgy.

Ok, understood.

Tried to find the right gif to reply, but decided I could improve on yours.

I know.

You’re right Stubs, of course it is! What is Dave’s point do you think?

Health, Safety and Enviroment isn’t it?

Can’t seem to copy and paste on here. It’s Leggett immobilier, easy enough to find

In the Charente, near Angouleme. Not as bad as the UK, but wetter than normal certainly.

More a case of the wet ground keeping us off the more lucrative larger work.

Ok, the job that saved February financially. line of Thuja and a Piscea Pungens Glauca (I think) to come out, grind and replant with laurel. They weren’t tiddlers, all the size of the remainders at the end of the newly planted laurel. Bastards to grind because of the low branches that sit in or just above the ground making the clear around fiddly. Hard graft, and it was a bit of a hard sell to the client, but they were recently moved in and the garden was a nightmare of shade, especially in low winter sun. Anyway everyone was happy.

My old boss used to say “you can work yourself warm” Never liked the bloke.

Nice pics of a very decent tree. Good days work.

Yeah, I was being a bit facetious, if your LRs work for you that’s great, I can see how in the muddy environment of groundworks something you can clean inside with a jet wash would be preferable. My 4wd is my quote vehicle and general runaround so I want it to be reasonably tidy looking and comfortable.

I had a 300tdi defender, they really do tow well, plus when it’s icy the constant spray of hot oil out of the engine/gearbox/transfer box/diffs aids traction. I had two hilux in the late 90s early 2000s, the first normally aspirated, ok but really lacking in power, the second a turbo, much better but terrible lag, neither were a patch on the Ranger I have now 155 hp, pulls my 2.5 tonne machine no probs, all under warranty. ‘Longevity?’ I’ll get a new one in the summer. You know this stuff is tax deductible?