Cobleskill
Treehouser
Those magnetic balls work on my log splitter. Can't see it back there when you are backing up and once it starts to cut it goes in a hurry.
5 Foot Wide Utility Trailer?
- Thread starter rfwoody
- Start date
- Replies 160
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The back-up camera I had put on my truck lets me put the hitch EXACTLY over the ball, each and every time.
Impresses the hell out of people who don't know I have it.
Cost about $550, probably be cheaper in the US.
Most things are.
Impresses the hell out of people who don't know I have it.
Cost about $550, probably be cheaper in the US.
Most things are.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
Except for health care.
That, is.
Most physical things.
That is why we used to buy a pallet full of stuff from Bailey's once every second year.
Now they set their home page so it can't be accessed from Denmark, that probably put and end to that.
Most physical things.
That is why we used to buy a pallet full of stuff from Bailey's once every second year.
Now they set their home page so it can't be accessed from Denmark, that probably put and end to that.
Burnham
Woods walker
Wonder why Bailey's would choose to do that?
No idea.
I've always been very polite in my dealings with Sam Bailey, so it can't be because of me.
I'll call him up next time I need some stuff and see what we can figure out.
I just needed some hickory shirts for us all for the upcoming season.
Mine are in tatters.
I've always been very polite in my dealings with Sam Bailey, so it can't be because of me.
I'll call him up next time I need some stuff and see what we can figure out.
I just needed some hickory shirts for us all for the upcoming season.
Mine are in tatters.
rfwoody
Treehouser
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #109
Yeah, that's really good, Sean... and I'll definitely be looking at those tow-hitch alignment balls.
Where I live seems to be just at the outskirts, "gray area", for people using firewood (not like up north where it is life and death).
There are 3 main terms and there is some vagueness among them:
A true cord of wood is exactly 4'x4'x8' = 128 cubic feet
A "rick" is 4'x8'x(length the firewood e.g. 18").
A "fireplace cord" is 2 ricks.
So when people say "cord" it could just about mean any one of those, or even something else........ and too much talk just confuses things.
Sending them the picture is a great idea.
Yeah my buddy that got me started has a Mack rolloff, so I just call him, he drops it, I fill it, then he gets it. I pay him accordingly, but saves me the trouble of trucking if I have a bunch of jobs or a large removal. A 30 yard tub has 6 foot sides I think, and it's 20 foot long. He's got a cable deadlift one tho, he explained it to me that the hooklift ones have no balls, they work ok for the lighter weights, but the cable rolloff is needed for the heavy stuff. He takes it to his yard, so there's no such thing as overfilled. Wood is fairly light, so get a 30 yard one.
SeanKroll
Treehouser
Let someone else be the big truck's provider and driver. Smile as the waste goes away.
Doesn't firewood become more valueable as the temperature drops? There are always people looking for dry wood too late, it seems. Sell at the peak! You've made that potential-customer contact for tree work. Now find another person who may also need some treework.
While working out details/ exchanging information on the firewood for sale, during the phone call, you might ask if they have any trees that might need to be removed, so you'll plan time for more than just delivering firewood into your schedule.
Doesn't hurt to say, "I'll have to check my calendar for availability" when they ask if you can deliver firewood on Tuesday. When scheduling, first try to make it easy on you, and them them. When they say when can you do it, suggest two somewhat specific times. I could drop the wood Wednesday around X:00, and also Thursday around X:00. If they ask for another time, see how it works for both of you.
rfwoody
Treehouser
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #115
Thanks a lot Sean!
This is very good and valuable information! .... and for affirming (again) about the waste handling.
speaking of trailers........ my son made an observation about the wire sides.
>>> per your comments.... the totally flat bed with removable wooden sides seems to be the ideal.....
however I haven't seen any totally flat beds with the necessary sockets for holding 2x4 posts. (and at this point I don't have the heart/determination/drive to fabricate my own metal sockets).
I told him what you/y'all said about the wire sides hanging up in every little twig.
But he suggested that the wire sides would be much easier to attach wooden sides to...
...e.g. a short bolt with big washers on each side.
Short wire sides (e.g. 1') .... attach side boards/plywood to match the side height.
Then the 4' plywood pieces strapped inside that (e.g.). when needed.
This is very good and valuable information! .... and for affirming (again) about the waste handling.
speaking of trailers........ my son made an observation about the wire sides.
>>> per your comments.... the totally flat bed with removable wooden sides seems to be the ideal.....
however I haven't seen any totally flat beds with the necessary sockets for holding 2x4 posts. (and at this point I don't have the heart/determination/drive to fabricate my own metal sockets).
I told him what you/y'all said about the wire sides hanging up in every little twig.
But he suggested that the wire sides would be much easier to attach wooden sides to...
...e.g. a short bolt with big washers on each side.
Short wire sides (e.g. 1') .... attach side boards/plywood to match the side height.
Then the 4' plywood pieces strapped inside that (e.g.). when needed.
Most smaller (made for pickup trucks) utility trailers use the sides as a beam for strength/cheapness of materials. By having a 2' angle iron or square tube, or expanded metal side they have created a beam that is stronger than those materials alone. A true flatbed will be more expensive because they need to use bigger materials to achieve this strength. I repeat, for the last time, if you have a thousand or more to drop on a trailer, don't buy those lightweight brand new mower trailers. You will completely destroy them, or you will work so gingerly around them you lose any advantage of using them in the first place. If you want to make money doing tree removals, you need to buy a used trailer that is on the upper limit of what your truck can pull. Dump is ideal, lacking that, get one that is even bigger, and preferably a flatbed for ease of unloading. If you don't want to do that yet, rent a trailer, they rent cheap. I rent a 12k dump trailer all the time. Just figure it into the bid. Doing that you will be way ahead of using a mower trailer you bought for 1k+
SeanKroll
Treehouser
1' sides are too short.
If you're buying new, they can make it any way you want.
My flatbed didn't have 'stake pockets', nor chain hooks. My welder bought a piece of 2x4 tube steel, and cut the pockets.
If you are going to have 4' stationary sides, just buy a metal sided trailer. It will look better, be more sturdy, and you won't be spending time and money futzing around.
Again, this is just another tool in the toolbox. I use this as a labor saver, ONLY when its is a labor saver. I know that this doesn't look fancy, but I don't like hauling brush farther, especially steeply uphill, than need be. That load is still sitting in my trailer, waiting for a convenient time for an employee to take it to the dump. I have 4 trailers. One tiny 4x8x2', one tandem HD, one 5 lug, and one 6 lug.
The 6 lug has 4' stationary wood sides that I use as a 5 yard chip box moved by the mini-loader., which also hauls the mini-loader, stump grinder, mulch, soil, brush, etc. Last time I used it that way was about a year ago. Moved the chipper and then the trailer to within 15' of the tree. My chip truck would have been a 100'+ drag. I can move the trailer to make many small dump piles on a property where people will use the mulch, rather than one big pile in the driveway, where they won't want it, so it will have to go offsite.
Also, for me, I can drop that trailer off in a tight spot for a friend to unload mulch when they can get to it.
My point is that may tools in the toolbox help you work different situations different ways. Multi-purpose gear is great. Figure out how to make things work for YOU. You have to find a niche, or you're competing against everyone, and they are better equipped and have more man-power.
The more you can be good at the technical stuff, and make a mess for the homeowner to clean up, the better off You'll be, IMO. You're not in shape, or age for hard physical labor. It will make you strong, if you don't get an acute injury in the process, but the wear and tear will catch up to you. Mick, Marc-Antoine, and I all have sore shoulders at the moment. I'm only 44. Strong for my age. My shoulders are very strong. Strength doesn't prevent inflammation.
Niches! Another niche I exploit in my market is making habitat snags. The taller the snag, the less wood for me to handle, plus a value-added service (IF I'm using that term correctly). That tree hugger thing separates me from many places in town that are just removal services.
$0.02
If you're buying new, they can make it any way you want.
My flatbed didn't have 'stake pockets', nor chain hooks. My welder bought a piece of 2x4 tube steel, and cut the pockets.
If you are going to have 4' stationary sides, just buy a metal sided trailer. It will look better, be more sturdy, and you won't be spending time and money futzing around.
Again, this is just another tool in the toolbox. I use this as a labor saver, ONLY when its is a labor saver. I know that this doesn't look fancy, but I don't like hauling brush farther, especially steeply uphill, than need be. That load is still sitting in my trailer, waiting for a convenient time for an employee to take it to the dump. I have 4 trailers. One tiny 4x8x2', one tandem HD, one 5 lug, and one 6 lug.
The 6 lug has 4' stationary wood sides that I use as a 5 yard chip box moved by the mini-loader., which also hauls the mini-loader, stump grinder, mulch, soil, brush, etc. Last time I used it that way was about a year ago. Moved the chipper and then the trailer to within 15' of the tree. My chip truck would have been a 100'+ drag. I can move the trailer to make many small dump piles on a property where people will use the mulch, rather than one big pile in the driveway, where they won't want it, so it will have to go offsite.
Also, for me, I can drop that trailer off in a tight spot for a friend to unload mulch when they can get to it.
My point is that may tools in the toolbox help you work different situations different ways. Multi-purpose gear is great. Figure out how to make things work for YOU. You have to find a niche, or you're competing against everyone, and they are better equipped and have more man-power.
The more you can be good at the technical stuff, and make a mess for the homeowner to clean up, the better off You'll be, IMO. You're not in shape, or age for hard physical labor. It will make you strong, if you don't get an acute injury in the process, but the wear and tear will catch up to you. Mick, Marc-Antoine, and I all have sore shoulders at the moment. I'm only 44. Strong for my age. My shoulders are very strong. Strength doesn't prevent inflammation.
Niches! Another niche I exploit in my market is making habitat snags. The taller the snag, the less wood for me to handle, plus a value-added service (IF I'm using that term correctly). That tree hugger thing separates me from many places in town that are just removal services.
$0.02
SkwerI
Treehouser
Robert,
To sum up what Sean is saying, you have to outsmart the log. Many (most) people try to out muscle the log. I think you began this journey with the idea that you could out muscle the log. Hopefully you are beginning to see that is not a very fruitful method of doing this work long term. Poor people out muscle the log. The guy with money has figured out how to outsmart the log.
To sum up what Sean is saying, you have to outsmart the log. Many (most) people try to out muscle the log. I think you began this journey with the idea that you could out muscle the log. Hopefully you are beginning to see that is not a very fruitful method of doing this work long term. Poor people out muscle the log. The guy with money has figured out how to outsmart the log.
sawman
TreeHouser
Great post Brain
Raj
TreeHouser
Good post Brian!!
My method of saving some energy.
My method of saving some energy.
Yep, dump trailer or get and older F350/ F450 with dump bed...you will thank us later
That trailer your looking at is not a good choice...anything that dumps is king
dstimber
TreeHouser
Dump trailers are hard to beat. I'd really like to move towards a chip truck and chipper soon. If it all pans out like I hope it will. And if dreams really do come true. A tracked lift and mini skid. But for now it's me the tundra and my homemade dump trailer.
SeanKroll
Treehouser
Gravity and friction NEVER get tired, EVER.
It was painful for me to watch my friend unload logs off my trailer this morning at his house. I gifted him a bunch of 8-13' doug-fir logs, small diameter, some dry, some green, some in the middle. 12"(-) diameter.
He was telling me that his body hurt from carpentry/ sports.
It was painful to watch because he was doing 3-4 times the work I'd have done if I were doing it. Efficiency, and machines (preferably self-powered machines).
I used to build granite retaining walls on trails in the backcountry. Sierra granite is about 175-200#/ Cu.Ft. Efficiency of action is crucial. The stone never ever got tired. We used to move big stones, only though efficient teamwork, and big levers, and a grip-hoist. You can't be sloppy when dealing with those masses. Have to be smart and strong.
It was painful for me to watch my friend unload logs off my trailer this morning at his house. I gifted him a bunch of 8-13' doug-fir logs, small diameter, some dry, some green, some in the middle. 12"(-) diameter.
He was telling me that his body hurt from carpentry/ sports.
It was painful to watch because he was doing 3-4 times the work I'd have done if I were doing it. Efficiency, and machines (preferably self-powered machines).
I used to build granite retaining walls on trails in the backcountry. Sierra granite is about 175-200#/ Cu.Ft. Efficiency of action is crucial. The stone never ever got tired. We used to move big stones, only though efficient teamwork, and big levers, and a grip-hoist. You can't be sloppy when dealing with those masses. Have to be smart and strong.
Burnham
Woods walker
