Dbikeguy

I love mine, super comfy ideal for pruning jobs, hedge cutting etc why wear big clumpy chainsaw boots if you don’t need to? Lovely for SRT climbs

Nikka from the barrel and Coffey malt are my fav two at the minute, Japanese, slightly sweeter than Scottish whiskies. Highland park i have 2 of too. Sheepdip is a good cheap easy drinker

Definite waves, have done 30 quotes in just over 10 days, a mix of tree and landscape/garden room builds. Hardest part is having time to work out the none tree ones! Quietened off a little this week but had 4 more messages yesterday. Some clients get pissy when you tell them July now for big projects (i try to do 2 big builds a month leaving time for the 1 day jobs as living in a village 95% of my work is word of mouth so if you get a reputation for being expensive/cheap/bad work or not being able to do stuff timely that word of mouth will disappear) Spend £20 on business cards when i setup 18mnths ago nothing since. Doing similar to above and now busy enough to select work i want/don’t want and push jobs towards other firms, like huge clearance jobs (i’m not geared up for them) rather than take them on and muddle through.

So you had a delivery of ‘dry’ wood but it wasn’t split?

I have just got a 4srt solo strap i think it’s called, clips to the front and back of the harness and goes over your shoulder. Clip the ZZ to that to advance your system, helps with the weight of bigger saws on the harness too lol. Knee and foot ascender and you are away.

I always worked on 1/4 to1/3rd of the post should be underground depending on wind exposure and ground conditions. ie 6ft post above should be 2ft in min

Same training, say your climber cuts rope one and falls onto his asap tether pops. To get him down you would have to go up to him as the device is now 8ft from him. Do you want to cut a second climb line or have the knowledge to release it and save the kit? If doing a rescue does everyone carry a knife? I know as climbers we normally have a silky but would you remember to put it on when rushing to gear up to rescue climb? To me an asap type device seems the most logical for two rope working especially if climbing SRT.

Been advised it’s fine, only crossover would be the Hilux as tree kit doesn’t get used in the other stuff we do, bar maybe a chainsaw very occasionally. would mean i can’t claim the vat back on the truck though... Staff wouldn’t cross over just me.

I’m just over a year into my own setup,45% tree work 55% timber based landscaping I always keep a good few k in the bank for materials on the build side, have invested most of the profit back into tools and stock (fasteners, brackets, sealants etc) to enable faster working and less downtime hiring stuff part way through a job. plus obv a pickup and trailer. I’ve covered my personal bills and the odd toy but not taken a proper wage yet. Post April i am going to move to running more like a ltd company and pay myself a set wage and then dividends, with the knowledge i will need to go vat registered and limited by the middle of the year. Will also be buying a new truck so going vat registered will mean a lovely rebate hopefully! Then the old chestnut of do i make 2 companies,keep the tree side vat free and have the build side vat registered etc. For tree only i would work out your running costs, setting a day rate for yourself, with profit on top. Day rate is your wage each month, profit sits in the company for new kit or a bonus for yourself come the end of the year, but leaving enough to cover breakdowns, theft (could you keep running if you got broken into ie could you go buy 2 saws, basic climbing kit and hire a chipper?)

Only issue you may have with the Asap is it’s designed to be used with a shock absorbing tether, they rip on force falls, that would drop you further and potentially into stuff below you. They are also a locking device so to release you have to lift the casualty up to take load off the asap to then be able to descend. That may show up a problem to your employer in that we as 38 ticket holders are not specifically trained to deal with that problem. It requires more kit and ideally a pulley and ascender to make life easier. of course you could attach them to your harness in the usual way then cut away their asap rope but it’s not ideal as they will jerk when you do this. If going down that route it would be worth practicing with your usual crew on how to unload it.

Get rec climbing whilst you wait to do the course, gets you confident being up there and you will find the course easier and learn more if you have the basics. Can you afford to work for £90 a day covering your travelling to various firms and potentially direct to site. As a good ground guy with basic climbing skills you should be over £100 just be honest with your abilities when talking to firms.

Not to mention if it falls the opposite way to where you are tied in with a lanyard as you were cutting, it will slam you into the trunk or launch you up the tree as the limb you removed falls away and the rope gets caught over decent limb potentially pinning you until the rope/harness/you snaps

i have a 525 blower on aspen no issues at all

just got a positioner 2 and it’s bloody ace, so simple, small, harder to catch than a zillion (zig zag user)

Do you get a better weight limit on the 450? it can’t be a 3.5t truck it must weigh most of that

I went a similar way you you, was doing some part time arb work, then tried to go full time employed but wages offered were not sustainable £75 a day starting (with tickets and own kit) minus the drive it wasn’t affordable. So bought a chipper/trailer/hilux and have been busy since. I don’t take on huge jobs or site clearance etc as it’s just asking for pain being a small 2man setup. Being sensible enough to walk away from jobs beyond you, subbing in climbers as needed for jobs beyond my climbing skills but within the scope of my kit. Read lots, plenty of online courses to take (i’m doing arb level 3 remotely currently) The issue with some companies is the knowledgable folk arnt on the job day to day, sure the fast skilled climbers are but you don’t get to learn much feeding the chipper, won’t learn the biology side without the boss about and a lot of firms send 2-4 man teams out while the boss quotes etc.

Yeah unless you are able to never touch anything with the visor and clean it super carefully and keep it in a fluffy bag they are useless after a couple of days. Mesh visor for the big chunks, safety glasses or inbuilt ones for the smaller bits and blower dust!

I have the sunnies in mine, great when climbing or working and needing to look towards that currently missing bright orange thing in the sky. Also helpful for dead dusty cutting

Protos 32SNR Ear Defenders & Bracket Bundle - Clothing & PPE from Gustharts UK WWW.GUSTHARTS.COM Buy Protos by 32SNR Ear Defenders & Bracket Bundle from our Clothing & PPE range - @ Gustharts Not had an issue with them coming off?

Protos 32SNR Ear Defenders & Bracket Bundle - Clothing & PPE from Gustharts UK WWW.GUSTHARTS.COM Buy Protos by 32SNR Ear Defenders & Bracket Bundle from our Clothing & PPE range - @ Gustharts

I really like my Protos, not too warm as the vent system works well, bin the std ears and replace with decent ones, built in sunnies help when climbing and having to work into the sun. Visor is a little short compared to other lids. Tuck away ears when climbing into tangly trees are ace! Only time i don’t wear it working is silky prune jobs where i have a petzl super light thing with no visor or ears on it.

562 all the way, lives with an 18” on it, pulls a 24 well too even fully buried in wood. great combo with the 550 i just got to replace a run over saw...

Belt grinder in the workshop for the major work, slack top puts a lovely quick edge on it, then a puck for the final dress work. Worth persevering with the puck it’s small and easy to move around for field work if you test something other than wood with the axe.

If you go down that route then what about other tools? circ saws, chopsaw, ladder, nail gun etc etc Just giving money to get a certificate saying on the day you were coached through a test. someone does a chainsaw ticket then doesn’t touch one for 4yrs... still technically ‘competent’ but would doubtfully remember how to be safe with one

dewalt flexvolt sds drill. clutched so if the bit snags you dont break a wrist!