Bloom

We have a Sherpa 100. Same as the other posts, not out as much as I like but it is devastating on the right job and extremely handy around the yard.

Care to give a little bit more info...

In reality it can't be. When you start out, yes, you might try to undercut or be on par with others. A few years down the line you'll have a better idea of your running costs. So when you quote a job you'll total, subbies/staff + running costs per day + profit + VAT = price to customer. It doesn't matter what others quote.

Sherpa mini loader and operator with log grab and/or volume bucket. Narrow access tyres or larger grass tyres depending on site. Can also provide large tipping trailer if required. 1/2 day as well as full day when required. Available to landscapers, builders, tree work. Happy to bring a few saws and help out on the ground. All necessary tickets and insurance in place.

Narrow access stump grinder and operator available throughout Northern Ireland. Can price per stump.

Job is in NI. Access is good, large digger could get in. The customer has recently moved in and the previous owners were obviously keen gardeners as the place is immaculate. Sounds like a headache to tackle successfully. Thanks for the replies.

What's the most effective way to remove bamboo? This would be on a large scale. I went to the job a few months ago to look at trees, customer came back this week asking to remove bamboo. Bamboo wasn't mentioned to me at the time so I hadn't paid attention to the bamboo but apparently it is rampant and their garden is large +2acres. I've already told them that there will be no guarantee of complete removal but more a case of getting rid of most and deal with it as its pops up.

How long do you have to be under the threshold to deregister? Pandemic pushed me over the threshold last year. However, my main subbie had to take two months off (April and May) which got me looking at how I operate. There was alot of what I would call 'bad turnover' - big turnover days but average profit. In his absence I was able to use occasional subbies and do days by myself. Turnover was down, profit was up, and I worked less. Hard to beat heading out on your own with the stump grinder once or twice a week.

Kinda figured that would be it. Just like using the Sherpa over anything else though.

Any thoughts on the Klou stump grinder attachment available for the Sherpa? I have a FSI B22 grinder so I wouldn't expect it to be better than that, but the thought of pushing a few levers rather than wrestling a stump grinder has its appeal. This comes after a 6 hour stump on Friday that I have to go back to finish off! It was up a bank so I was constantly wrestling the machine to get it on the stump. The B22 is normally a real pleasure to use but on occasions a more lazy approach would be welcome.

Like most have said, just walk away. I wouldn't contact the council as the customer has requested that you don't do this. This is just likely to make the situation worse.

We use the wider grass tyres most of the time. Makes the Sherpa much steadier and more sympathetic to surfaces, and they're ok in softer conditions as they don't sink in. Only put the narrow tractor tyres on when access is an issue. They cut up everything and on soft ground they just dig in.

You should have a good idea on what you need daily from your garden work. As most have said, it'll take years to get your pricing right. Just get out there, f*ck a quote up, do the job, feel shit about it, and learn from your mistakes. Then you'll do it again ... but slowly you'll get closer to everyday being a decent day. Then you'll hit a real winner and think I've got this dialled. Then you'll mess one up. But, a few years in you're bad days will be when you maybe just cover costs rather than taking a big loss. In the meantime at least you'll have your regular garden work to keep things steady. I could say £500/day for two men and a chipper, but that'll not help you when you're looking at how long a job will take.

I'd say there is zero demand commercially for processed softwood in NI. We sell small quantities of firewood as a by product of our tree service business. For processed firewood customers only want hardwood. A few customers will take trailer loads of softwood coming direct off a job, at a very cheap rate, to process themselves. I do know guys that sell mixed loads successfully but they would be in more rural areas. In and around Belfast, it seems to be only hardwood in demand, with 'kiln dried' being the buzz word. Spoke to many customers who will only buy kiln dried hardwood and the prices they pay are staggering. Many believe you can't burn softwood in stoves. Uneducated punters unfortunately.

Boardroom - milled up a couple of oak stems on site for a customer of ours. https://theboardroomni.co.uk/contact