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maybelateron
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Everything posted by maybelateron
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My little finger could lift that lego crane.💪 Oh yes, and I am applying for a government grant to set aside part of my brain (🧠) to not think about trees.
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Totally agree with you on these points, and well said.
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I am not familiar with GP locum rates, as I left medicine nearly 9 years ago. I would not go back, no matter how much was on the table.
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Agreed in principal, I always want to pay my staff as well as possible. However, there is often more than just the hourly rate to consider. My employed donkey has twice put metal through the chipper - once it was an electric fencing stake, second time a steel carabiner, plus various other errors that cost me money. The young lad is a star, and he gets other benefits - on the rare occasion he is off work with sickness he gets full pay from day one, although this is not in his contract. When he was furloughed in early 2020 I made his pay up to 100% at my own expense, after claiming the 80 % from the government. If he asks to finish early so he can be at school to see his young son collect a prize, he can be there. There are many ways of rewarding good workers. Also remember that South Cheshire is not the same as North Staffs, and we are over subscribed with tree surgeons in SOT.
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I am in the unusual and fortunate position that I no longer depend on the business for my sole income. I can therefore pick and choose which jobs I want.
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Ideally yes. However, we are oversubscribed with tree surgeons in our area, which makes it very competitive.
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Seems a lot of people don't want to open up on this one. I am comfortable with answering. I have a very hard working 28 year old who is a complete asset. He is a very good groundie, and a good second climber. I pay him £13 per hour. I have a loyal, trustworthy, employed reliable donkey who I pay £10 per hour. I also have a subbing donkey who I pay £80 - 100 per day. I work on the basis of £30 + VAT per man per hour on site, plus travel and fuel costs. For fixed cost quotes, if there is a job I want I may quote at £550 - 600 + VAT per day for three men, or £650 - 800 + VAT for four men. For jobs I don't want I quote higher. This is in the north midlands.
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Agreed with all above comments. I am on my second Disco 2 auto, had this one for over ten years. I regularly tow 2.5 - 3.5 tons with it. When it is time to change it there is no question at all, auto every time.
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That's what I would do if I had to do the job, but haironyourchest's suggestion makes sense. From the point of view of running a business and wanting to enjoy the work I do, I don't feel bad turning down some jobs. For example, I declined to quote for dismantling a decent sized Beech recently, because it was over the road, power lines, and BT cables. I am an older climber, and while I am able to do that job by climbing (road not wide enough for my MEWP with traffic lights in place), I would not want to have to do it on a foul wet day - you can't really postpone just because it is wet and unpleasant; need sever gales or snow to justify not turning out. Sorry for the derail, but just giving another perspective on awkward jobs.
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Only went there once, years ago, but was good. Wonder if the ghost torched it.
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Where's that then eggs?
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I bought my digger two years ago. Maybe it is since then that they are not insuring them for arb work?
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Yep, I would agree with Big J on this, and I am not a great fan of being superwoke.
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Not offended me with this one, but I think in the current climate it may come in for raised woke eyebrows?
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NFU for all my insurance except EL and PL. Can't fault them.
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My neighbour has a sign in his porch that reads "Dogs welcome, people tolerated". Likewise, the more people I meet, the more I like my dog, oh and the neighbour's goat and alpacas.
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As a fit teenager working on a dairy farm I would struggle to outrun the Friesian milkers, let alone heffers. No chance now I am in my 60's. BUT, if people could stay calm and remember they can out manouevre cattle it would help, unless surrounded by them. I was cornered in my yard late last year by the bull that broke into our field when feeling interested in the cows. I stayed calm, knowing I could jump over the gate in a flash.
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I have a dedicated works washing machine for such things (after a bollocking for using the domestic one for the task🤣) I use non biological detergent and the ropes come out perfectly clean even after the stickiest of trees, even monkey puzzle.
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I'm not sure what eagle claw gaffs look like/are. Mine are the standard short gaffs they came with. We also use a pair of pretty new Panther ally spikes, velcro top and bottom - the long gaffs on those are like eagle claws, ideal for Poplar, mature Oak bark and Ivy covered trees, but not much else.
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I am 5ft 5 or 6 (shrinking with age!). I have had the Distel Geckos for 3-4 years. Ultra comfortable, no foot or leg pain with a prolonged climb. I find they gaff out more easily than my old steel Buckingham ones, so on some trees i have to make a conscious effort to drive they in hard.
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1) Blades should always be kept sharp - even if it does not seem to make a difference to the speed of chipping it is important because it reduces stress on everything else. Imagine trying to fell a tree with a blunt axe - your joints take more of a hammering. 2) Check the manual. PTO speed is likely top be 540 or 1,000 I would expect. 3) Most chippers I have used will get small whippy shoots around the top roller just reverse it every so often to get them off. 4) Consult the manual. All the chippers I have owned need the gap between the blade and anvil to be pretty tight; I can't imagine there would be any reason for any chipper to need a big gap.
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Especially with a big saw discing a trunk or cutting a stump.
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Nah, should be a 2 stroke Wartburg from the 70's, nice emissions.
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As a local to Stoke on Trent I can agree 101% with Eggs on this. I can also say that for someone who has always voted Tory , except Lib Dem last time, I now despise the Tories more than I had thought I could. That said, like in every party, there will be some decent backbenchers trying to genuinely do their best for people, but not getting any recognition.
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Yes, quite right. Honda V twin, driving a multi tip wheel, on the arm of a Bobcat E10z.
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