A big tree story

[Limbrat]

Big trees may equal big money, but without big equipment, they equal big work. Slinging a big saw on spikes is definitely big work regardless of the size of the rest of your equipment. My hat's off to you Joel

 

[mistahbenn]

Basically without going into numbers 4 small pruning jobs a day ($400 each) are way more profitable than a two day takedown. Big trees = time, dump fees, stump grinding, cleanup etc.

 

[PCTREE]

I live for big TDs and make good money on them even though we are the cheap guys. Got the iron though. Fired a customer few weeks ago when he said he wanted the firewood to stay and he considered anything bigger than his wrist as firewood, not how we roll

 

[woodworkingboy]

I like big trees because you get to use saws with skip teeth.

 

[squisher]

I live for big TDs and make good money on them even though we are the cheap guys. Got the iron though. Fired a customer few weeks ago when he said he wanted the firewood to stay and he considered anything bigger than his wrist as firewood, not how we roll

Lol, that was something I learned to always be real clear on beforehand.

When customers used to call and say the tree was really big I used to say "The bigger the better". When they asked why that was I'd apologize and then say "Well better for me.........not for you".

Bad treeguy joke but I'd pull it off, could never resist.

I always found bigger jobs(trees) more profitable.

 

[stig]

Nope.
Too much work and you only make salary in the end.
Once in a while I get one where the client is dumb enough to tell me that they've had a couple of other outfits look at it, but none of them really felt up to doing it.
I even had 2 different ones say that they got my number from another outfit, that bowed out.

Those are profitable, since they don't question the price.

Justin, I still like doing big removals, just for the tecnical pat of it all, but usually don't make much money on it.
Everything paid for, but nothing to do the little dance on the eway to the bank over.

 

[squisher]

Each market is different. I was the only outfit here with a mini skid. I was competitive price wise to my comp, but raked it in on the heavy jobs as everyone else was for the most part using backs to hump the heavy stuff out.

 

[Jomo]

Basically without going into numbers 4 small pruning jobs a day ($400 each) are way more profitable than a two day takedown. Big trees = time, dump fees, stump grinding, cleanup etc.

Don't know about NYC Ben, but here in SoCal? My removal crew with an in house crane makes about 3-4 times more than a 4 man trim crew does, about 4-5K a day.

Jomo

 

[rskybiz]

That is another value to me in doing the big ones, the sale and barter of the big logs and crotch wood for turners and my friend with the Lucas mill

 

[pantheraba]

Is crotch wood preferred by turners? Minimal knowledge here...I know they like burls...that is the extent of my knowing.

 

[stig]

We like wood with figure, Gary.
Crothwood certainly has that.
Also a lot of included bark on occasion, it takes a bit of practice to spot the good crotches.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Ain't THAT the truth! :>)

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Also a lot of included bark on occasion, it takes a bit of practice to spot the good crotches.

Sounds a life lesson to me.

 

[Raj]

I know I've done stupid things for bad crotches.... wait, what are we talking 'bout?

 

[stig]

When I wrote that one, I figured this would be the outcome, then couldn't be bothered to change it.