forestboy1978

Yeah it's a real conundrum. My van is awesome cos it's 200ps and rigged really really well for jobs but obviously no good for tree surgery. Another option is to winch a chipper onto the trailer and then leave someone with it while I do disposal. Trailer is a beast and will take 2.5 tons+ Perhaps if I only take local work it's an idea as the recycling centre is within a few miles. I may go chipperless for a while as the trailer takes a lot if it's processed decent. Then the option might be to get rid of my beloved little smart car and buy a 4x4. I do like the Ford Ranger wildcat but I'd need to be getting at least a few decent tree jobs a month to pull the trigger on the that.

Cheers mate. :-) Do you think something like this would be better than a slap round the face with a wet fish for about a year? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bear-Cat-5-SC5614-Gravity-Fed-Wood-Chipper-Shredder-timberwolf-greenmech-jensen/322887247775?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

Cheers for all the imput lads. Right... so... I've climbed 30 or 40 trees myself already with no training. I've dismantled 20 or so ranging from small to 10 maybe at about 30 ft. I did all that with no training and harness and lanyard and NO top handled chainsaw. Obviously it was hairy to say the least. I work for myself doing fences. I work all year with no downtime. I DO NOT need the tree work but I quite like it and I want to learn (for the first time in my life) the text book stuff. Rigging, feeding, different cut, techniques etc. I am a self teacher. Never been taught anything in my life so this will be a first but cos it's practical I think I will be OK. Do I like heights - Not particularly! I'm not comfortable on cliff edges etc. I wont be comfortable 60 ft up a tree and that's a fact. That said I've always had massive balls and I know I'll get used to it. Bottom line.. trees fit well with my fencing work which is 90% of what I do. Trees require minimum materials so contribute less to VAT threshold. Trees pay better. A lot better. Certainly so when you are in my position in that you just don't "need" to win the work. And finally trees offer more potential for growing a business than fencing alone. I could expand now if I took on landscaping but I hate it. Sky opens up and you're doing nothing until it stops or you're wallowing around covered in shit making a total mess. A lot of people don't want to pay for it either and quoting complex landscaping projects is massive admin and massive rapport is needed cos there is always a hidden x, y or Z in the job that needs addressing. I intend to basically take on smaller stuff to begin with and sub contract for the bigger stuff. I have good contacts with a couple of guys who are practically legends in my area at what they do. Re the chipper. Surely a small chipper I can winch into my van that'll chip to 5 inches is better than chipperless? I mean, I can't afford another vehicle yet and my van is absolutely essential as it's rigged for fencing. My trailer is 6 1/2ft x 11ft caged 3 way tipper so it's useful but obviously I can't tow a trailer and a chipper. I'll post a pic of my setup.

OK mate I'll look into it. How about something like this to get me by for a couple of years until I updgrade my little car to a 4x4 and perhaps take someone on who can drive the 4x4 and chipper in. Don't need B&E to tow as long as chipper is below 750kg. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hyundai-HYCH1500E-2-420cc-14hp-Electric-Start-Petrol-Wood-Chipper-Shredder/302411090194?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908131621%26meid%3D8c432a3372a24d18ac8a11185e13b4ea%26pid%3D100678%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D302411090194&_trksid=p2481888.c100678.m3607&_trkparms=pageci%3Aa9dce885-f056-11e7-a116-74dbd180ee7b%7Cparentrq%3Abae520e21600a9c56bb0f739fff2d437%7Ciid%3A1 Yeah I know... Hyundai etc etc but I do have a Hyundai post hole borer and 4000psi jetwasher and both have stood up to a lot of s***. Just looking for something for the small bits 4 inches and below to begin with.

Oh, yeah I have a lot to learn alright.. Van is twin rear wheel... 1.05m width between the arches is a problem.

The what?? lol I'm semi logistically screwed as I have a bad ass trailer and great Van but that's not much good for a chipper vehicle combo. I'm considering the possibility of winching a chipper into the van but it's tight! I've got about 12 ft length in space by 4 ft width by 6 ft height.... If it can be done I can take 2.5 tons n the van... Care to enlighten me?

Unfortunately I don't have a chipper mate. That and a top handled saw and rigging is about the only thing I don't have. I would also need to convert the cage on my trailer for chip perhaps. It's not gonna be cheap.

yeah. Multiple people have told me he's like a squirrel with a chainsaw. Apparently have can fully dismantle a 40 ft tree in a matter of hours, literally half a day or less.

Here's a couple of small trees I've done. I know it's not the same ball park

Well.....! Thanks :-)

That's exactly the plan actually. And yeah I do get those, tree, fence and hedge jobs come along. A LOT. I'm currently average 9.9 on checkatrade with 121 reviews and some tree work in there. 2/3 of my reviews have before, during and after photos too with the dog or my vehicle in them etc cos I'm just think a lot of people on there are BSing. So yeah I'll definitely get calls. I don't advertise apart from Checkatrade now and I work all year. Happy new year to you

I use a few people now as and when. As rarely as possible to avoid VAT. The guys I work with have some experience from working for a friend of theirs who is a tree surgeon but not self employed. He just runs the odd job on weekends. He's exceptionally good though and is the top tree surgeon for a very large outfit in our area. Tiny slip of a guy. I will probably pay him once in a while to help me out and learn what I can as though we haven't met, they are all old school friends and he's said he'd be happy to work for me. We'll see how it goes.

Thank you :-) I will!

And yeah I think it is worth investing in x to get y. Currently I just de registered from VAT because I was running a team and finding I was having to work all week, and do quotes and send emails in evening and half the weekend for not great money so I let them go. The margins for landscaping are too tight with VAT unless you've won the chelsea flowering show and cater to high end. Trees is FAR fewer materials so alone I can earn more before hitting the threshold but if I do hit the threshold it's not so bad when you're putting the hire on for chipper and billing yourself out as a tree surgeon. It's a risk but I'm a determined person, I think I can do it.

Yeah well I do intend to drop the landscaping but keep fencing, and add trees. Biggest thing for me is that landscaping is an utter nightmare in the rain where as fences, though not easy, are doable, as is hedge and tree work. Also my vehicle set up might transfer over quite nicely. I have twin rear wheel 3.0 iveco daily van and tow a 3.5 ton 3 way caged tipper with 3.5 tons ramps stowed underneath. I can move quite a lots of waste compared to the average 3.5 toner and the van is racked out already with hedge cutters, saws, all sorts of tools etc. I do have this niggling doubt but I'm gonna go for it. Proclimber do some 100ft trees in the training if you want to give it a go so I guess I'll soon see what's what.... Cheers

Hi guys, Yeah basically I'm 40 in March and 99% certain I'll be doing the fast track 6 week course with pro climber this year. What's different in my case is I run my own company which is a fencing company and landscaping company so I'll be qualifying and going straight into self employment for myself. Now that's the question really. Am I taking this ****? I do have A LOT of experience with saws and doing hedges and stump grinding and a little with climbing. I'm one of those people who just does things if you know what I mean but there is a part of me that's thinking hmmm I'm pretty fit and often work alone banging out fences so obviously I'm not shy of hard work. I'm gonna do it whatever anyone says but I'm interested to hear views. Cheers