Rigging question

Have not used it for a zip line as yet. Mostly 1/2 or 9/16ths. I would imagine it would do fine for it. Stable Braid has never let me down on speed line apps. Always performs. Use it as the tag or control line though for the speed line. Nice and light up in the tree.
 
Squisher..

We're in the same boat. I can't charge too much because there are plenty of laid off farm hands looking for work this time of year.

SouthSoundTree,

The guys from Devils Lake run a quality business. No doubt about that. They have the equipment and the help to get the job done right, and they do good work. On the other hand, they have a reputation for being high priced. They don't work cheap. This works out in my favor most of the time, because I can charge a fair amount and still come out ahead of them in the bidding game. Time is not a factor. The homeowner was told that the tree has to come down. Our local forestry manager passed my name along to the homeowner, as well as several other tree companies who are licensed and insured to perform the work. Bids were being sought, but I have no idea how many companies actually replied.

I don't know how it works in other States, but here in North Dakota a homeowner can call on his brother-in-law (just an example here) to take down a tree. If the tree ends up in the homeowner's living room, the homeowner's house insurance will pay the claim........so long as the brother-in-law wasn't being paid to do the job. For this reason it's often difficult to convince a homeowner that an untrained farm hand is probably not his best option.

Joel
 
candoarms said:
I don't know how it works in other States, but here in North Dakota a homeowner can call on his brother-in-law (just an example here) to take down a tree. If the tree ends up in the homeowner's living room, the homeowner's house insurance will pay the claim........so long as the brother-in-law wasn't being paid to do the job. For this reason it's often difficult to convince a homeowner that an untrained farm hand is probably not his best option.

Joel
Click to expand...


This is pretty much how it is here. I call it the Ozarks of California. Pretty much anyone with a chainsaw can carve a living up here. But most don't. So they make some beer money, break some shat, charge too much and move on. Or.... Who knows. They come and go. Rep is what sells until you charge too much and then you get that rep and the phone stops ringing. You only get the ones that move up here and don't know any better.
Lights are on. Family is fed. Roof over our heads. Clothes on our backs. Never gonna make me rich. But eventually, comfortable.
 
I was originally encouraged to get into tree work by a dude who claimed its "a license to print money" so all this forum talk about "never gonna make me rich" I keep reading is onwelcomed:cry:
 
Fixing a living room is cheap. Defending against a law suit for an unlicensed person getting a stick in the eye is expensive, and can cause HOs insurance to be canceled. A garage is easy to fix. Fixing the trauma of a serious injury or death at a person's home is not easy to fix.

A customer hired an guy and son to build a fence. Ended up with the guy bleed all over her car on the way to the ER. The skill saw was tougher than his hand. He had a 'yard sale' of tools and materials blocking his truck in, as he wasn't planning for an emergency what-if.

You don't want to be sky high, but must charge enough, which only you might know how much that might be, in your market. If you're wondering about buying a big anchor sling, Maybe not enough in your bid. All I'm saying is to do a professional job for market value, and wishing you luck with it.


Too often the homeowner wins by someone going too low to complete against the drive by tree guy.

This is not an easy flopper, and walk job, without obstacles.

Home owners are hard pressed to get repairs from a farm hand. A small population helps with peer pressure, but good luck for the HO just the same.



Is price the main selection
 
SouthSoundTree,

I think it might help that the homeowner, in this case, is an insurance salesman.......but I don't know. I don't know whether or not price is the primary consideration. The homeowner has been pretty quiet about the whole thing.

It's been rather difficult for me to make the transition from a simple firewood harvester to a professional tree care company. At one time, a few years back, I'd take down a tree for a guy just so I could have the firewood. This HISTORY has been hard to overcome in a small town with a population of under 1000 people. Who can blame the local folks for believing that? It was entirely my own fault.

Though it's been a battle to overcome, every step in the process has been rewarding to me. It was only through the many on-the-job discussions we had with the homeowners, on-lookers, visitors, and my employees regarding the costs involved with tree work that helped get the word out in town that doing this type of work for free is simply not possible.

I have to give credit to Bob Underwood.....known here as Underwor....for his kind and even approach with me. It was largely due to Bob Underwood that I decided to make this business a full-time endeavor. What a great guy. I just can't say enough good things about the man.

Joel
 
Its tough when the homeowner won't share expectations/ criteria/ etc.

Frozen ground...sheet of thick plywood, maybe some hay bales (from Norm Hall on TB), crash land roped wood versus catching it fully?

It sucks to bid to do no damage and have the other guy do it for crash and dash prices, when you could have done it crash and dash. I'd give them a no damage price, and such and such impact to the lawn price.

I specify what they're after, what they'll accept, and who will do the soil/ seed/ sod repair (generally them, in my case).

Remember what you're doing is not cutting down a tree, and certainly not chopping down a tree. Its suspending your life off the ground and dismantling a tree over things the HO says are important to him with tools most people are scared of on the ground, then add rigging complexities and danger.
 
Sounds a bit like the client is getting a bit uppity!
Sometimes you have to tell them how it's going to be.
Useful phrases include, "yep we'll do our best to save that shrub, but no promises"
"Were you very fond of that shed/fence/greenhouse?"
I'm joking but don't let them get too dictatorial.
 
La becasse,

Part of the problem here is the home is located on Main Street.....and one of the most prominent homes in town. Secondly, the new owner has only been in the place for about a year. It's perfectly natural for the new owners to be defensive regarding the appearance of the place when we're done with this job. Knowing and understanding the situation, I promised that I'd do my very best to keep the place looking presentable.

Joel
 
Plan that action with some signage and looking professional, whatever that means. I maybe wouldn't get out of dodge asap while doing it. Serious exposure.

How far do you travel for work?
 
Good signage is in the works. My new signs for the truck are being designed as I type this.

Distance to work is less than a mile. I live 1/2 mile east of town on a 5 acre farmstead.

And yep.....I usually end up with more work on the schedule after doing a job in town.

The tree in question.....should I be fortunate enough to get it.....will be something that I'd like to have an action camera for, so that I can post the videos. I'm looking for a GoPro, Virb, or something similar for future tree work. More than anything, I'm anxious to get this winter behind me. I feel cooped up and tied down. Not my style at all......drive me nuts....cabin fever.

Joel
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #116
SouthSoundTree- said:
Remember what you're doing is not cutting down a tree, and certainly not chopping down a tree. Its suspending your life off the ground and dismantling a tree over things the HO says are important to him with tools most people are scared of on the ground, then add rigging complexities and danger.
Click to expand...

I have a spot for this on my flip up lid in my estimate book;)



All things heavenly rarify to air. Trèès pŕoduce that heavenly air. Breathe air and take care.
 
Do you chop down trees?

No, I don't even have an ax.




Can you imagine trying to chop down a tree with a maul?:whine:
 
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