I lied.

MasterBlaster said:

That is a minus...

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I can see how you would see it like that, but humor me...

If you were hiring a production climber, yeah. It's a problem. I'm not a production climber. I don't want to climb as high as I can. I want work that I can either get to on the ground, get to with a pole saw from the ground, or get to from close to the trunk from a comfortable-to-me height. I would not be a good employee for you, but I'll be a great one for me because I won't be working above my pay grade. If it's too high for me, I don't have to do it. What am I going to do, fire myself for refusing to do work that I don't feel safe doing?

Low and slow. Fine with me.

I'll throw a couple things out.
Get great, not good, with a chainsaw, it's one thing doing it on the ground and something completely different! Believe me! You really have to think ahead on how this is going to affect that, "slow and low" as it was told to me.
People suck! I got a call to bring the mini out for a small stump removal, hubby had had a heart attack and wife figured he was going to die getting it out. I told her $45hr 2hr min, cheap right? I show up, pop the stump out and load up. She starts both Bing I was only there 20min! "I shouldn't have to pay that, that's just not right!" After another 20min of this shit I told her I had to load everything, drive across town, do the job, drive across town, and unload everything again! Hubby finally jumped in, "Just pay the man, it's what we agreed on!"
They have no concept what this equipment costs or how expensive it is to maintain it! Two months ago I dropped $450 to put tires on my trailer, last week was $250 to redo the deck on my trailer, it goes on. Chains, tires, filing time, clean up, dump time, bid time, driving here and there.
For a weekend warrior I'd look at clean up and home owner drops. Quick and dirty work you can get in and out of. Show up, slice a little, throw it on the trailer and out in a couple hours. Drop the gnarly tree for the HO and let him clean up the mess type work. You can't afford to get tied to a job that runs long because it was bigger than you thought. That wears you out, leaves a pissed customer waiting until next weekend, kills your rep and screws you for the next weekend. Remember, things do go wrong!
You are also going to have a bigger fight with weather being a weekend warrior, you've got a two day window, full time crews have seven days.
Also, this is a big one for me at least, bid the job for you! Meaning you are part time, sometimes you'll have help, sometimes you won't! I had a smallish concrete job once, buddy swore he'd help. I told him when and where, he showed up two hours later, right as I was pulling the forms off the steps. It was only 10yds, but some flatwork, steps and it all had to be wheelbarrowed in! I was flag I'd figured that job alone, if it had been much bigger I was screwed!
Just some food for thought.

No one will appreciate a part-time competitor that just picks off the creamy easy ones. I sure didn't, but I never lost any sleep over it. I approached guys like you all the time to try to make nice so that they'd refer the bigger or harder jobs my way. I'd always dangle the carrot of sending easier smaller jobs their way but I actually only ever passed on hedges.

If you want to do the work and make a little jingle, then hang that shingle!

If you're good with that - cool. It just limits your options somewhat.

don't like a lot of height

One thing it consider is that a fall from 22 feet could be fatal or cause serious injury. saince you already have some climbing experience, you should consider getting more, via training, or perhaps requesting to work part time with a competent company. I would be surprised if you didn't soon feel comfortable working at greater heights.

An interesting anecdote: Manjy years ago, the boss's son retired from his NAVY career, where he was a crack pilot--mostly flying A-6's. He described to me what it is like landing on a carrier--at night. Yet, he had an inordinate fear of heights, would get sweaty in a tree..of course, he got no training other than working with us. After a year or so, he was forced to climb a fair bit more, as I used to take a lot of time off and ski in the winter. He got over his fears, which would leave him very sweaty! Then, he got a job as a commercial pilot.

MasterBlaster said:

If you're good with that - cool. It just limits your options somewhat.

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I am. Like I said, I'm not looking to do anything big. I'm looking for the stuff that's too small for the big guys. Maybe after doing it awhile 40' will be the new 30'. For now I'll be content with small bites.

The whole heights thing is weird. I know some people can't climb a step ladder to change a lightbulb and others can change the bulb on a 1600' tower like its nothing. I can concentrate and overcome it, but it's not easy. I was able to pass the Air Force fear of heights test 20 odd years ago by watching others and TRUSTING my trainers. You had to clip in to a tower safety cable, climb to 50 feet, lean back with your hands off of the ladder rungs as far as you could and touch your nose with both hands. I've had to take tools up to antenna troops at 250'. I was shaking like a poodle pooping peach pits, and couldn't open a can of pop because of arm pump, but I did it. That said, I don't take unnecessary chances. I would rather just work where I'm comfortable yet cautious, and push my limits for fun.

The fear of heights faded pretty quickly. The fear of TIP failure never did. . .

Or rope failure, or 'biner failure, or saddle failure or.........

Those failures are very uncommon. Rope, biner, saddle.

I totally understand that. I understand that every part of my set up will hold a truck. At 50' though, I might as well be climbing on dental floss. It's just doubt and worst case scenario. Self preservation at its finest!

Remember, gravity isn't just a good idea, it's the LAW!

If it's dental floss it might as well be considered dental floss at 30' too. Dead is dead. It sure ain't gotta be 100' to be dead.

(Edit) and I know that no one said 100'... Cause I'm sure somebody will jump all over the "I didn't say 100'" game...

I'd much rather be tied into a tree than standing on ANY ladder!

Fear of heights goes away with the more heights you do.

If I'm on a ladder, I've got a belt around a telephone pole, telephone cable and a steel strand. The ladder is hooked over the strand and cable and its lashed. If it comes down, some serious poop hit the fan. I'd dance a jig on a ladder over strand. I wouldn't put a ladder on a tree though. Apples and oranges. And I never said 100 ft...lol.

So cool how everybody's comfort level is so different respective to the scenario. You wouldn't catch me being too comfy 30' in the air on a ladder.

Wild isn't it? I've got a nephew that literally won't climb a stepladder to change a lightbulb, but will use a climbing tree stand to hunt. Apparently the thrill of hunting will overcome the fear of heights. He stopped by work one day when I was in my bucket and couldn't physically watch me at 28'. Freaked him out.

I love heights.

The higher, the better. No bugs to mess with you...

Or people!

I was a carpenter by trade for 23 years. It seems like I was kneeling down half the the time and up in the air the other half on ladders or trusses etc. I never thought about the heights, just concentrated on the work. It's pretty much the same with me while tree climbing. I enjoy it so I don't really think about the height. As stated before, the TIP is my concern. That and my own unawareness. I've caught myself hooking into my lanyard while changing my TIP and not putting my weight on the lanyard first. And vice versa with the climb line. Rode a piece of metal off a roof and nothing but the wind knocked out of me, and fell 6 feet off a ladder and broke my collarbone. Both caused by my own mistakes. I wish you the best in whatever you decide to do. Good luck! Lots of good advice from the professionals here. I love it! The treehouse rocks!

I agree, Guy!

mistahbenn said:

Or people!

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No one looking over your shoulder, for sure!

tree bizz can be harsh on the wallet as well, before you know it you'll spend 2 days on a $600 job and bust yo azz for 10 bucks an hour... not trying to discourage... under quotes can happen very easily. Like someone else mentioned, it sounds like it was boom time in your local tree market-prices will fluctuate through these cycles. Any professional training will be well worth it.

Chris, this is something I've been concerned with. I'm sure experience will shape my bidding down the road as I get more of a handle on the "how long will this REALLY take me to do?". With minimal expenditures right now I can afford to be a little low occasionally, but I can definitely see how a two hour job can end up eating up a whole day. Or two. I think one of you guys has a perfect signature that goes something like this:

Experience is a mean teacher. She gives the test first and the lesson second.

It's fitting.

I'm a little late to the party here, haven't been on the forum lately, been busy. It sounds to me like you have a very good handle on what you know how to do and are not looking to venture much beyond that anytime soon. I say go for it, but talk to your insurance guy first. The place I started with for mowing could bump me up to "landscape gardening" which would cover limb removal and cutting up trees already down, but would not cover removing the main trunk of a standing tree. I had to switch companies just to get a policy, and it is over 2 grand. I'm curious to see what it changes to next year as they just did an audit (how much did I make, do I have a bucket truck, etc.).

You will underbid stuff, it happens, it sucks, I remind myself that its all part of the learning curve. That helps me deal with it and not get bogged down and grumpy. "How long with this REALLY take?" is indeed the hardest part for me. Part time scheduling is my next biggest challenge. I'm not saying that should deter you, just be aware that it can get to be a problem, especially when the weather messes with you.

On the ladder subject, I'm with Ben, I am not comfortable at all in a tree on a ladder but I'll flip and swing around like a monkey on crack if I have a rope. And its not that I don't like ladders, I use them all the time around my house and I used to work for a roofer, I just don't like them in a tree.
And another +1 on fear of TIP failure. I never have any concern over my gear, but I always worry about my TIP breaking, and I'm always sure my climb line and rigging line stay separate.

Have fun and stay safe