Answers before the questions regarding site safety.

[flashover604]

The lady was sad to see the ash trees go, but they were happy with my work. They want me to look into planting a row of cedar/pine trees to give them some privacy. They had several people at the country club ask them about who was doing their tree work. They said they gladly recommended me. Nice foot in the door. I had to bring the lift through the neighbors behind them so on my way out I trimmed some deadwood out of their four big oak trees as a quick "Thank You.". They've got some dead ash too, and they have my business card.

One hell of a first real job.

I dig this work. It's gonna suck a little going back to phone man land tomorrow.

 

[pantheraba]

Too late...You're hooked! Great story...good share. Glad it worked out.

 

[flashover604]

Thanks. I'm glad it worked out too. The climber was money well spent. I would've been a day behind if he hadn't come out. I'm afraid that's where critical and possibly life-threatening mistakes come from, trying to get a job done in time and taking chances. Now that I have him as a resource it will let me structure my jobs differently and focus more on cleanup after he cuts. He loves to climb and cut, but absolutely HATES cleanup. He was happy with what I paid him and I was happy to pay it. Now I need to figure out a better way to remove brush. I think for the short term we're going to try a load handler in a pickup bed and rent a chipper for a day instead of taking load after load to the mulch place and unloading by hand there.

 

[SeanKroll]

Box in the bed to fit the Load Handler sheet.

Is there a tie -off spot at the mulch place to anchor a rope for pulling the load off by driving away?

 

[pantheraba]

You will end up getting a chipper and then wonder why you didn't get it sooner.

 

[flashover604]

I believe that. I've looked at smaller ones but haven't found one yet that want. I need to get a couple more jobs in the bank before I pull that trigger. I can definitely see how it would save me labor costs vs. loading and unloading a trailer a couple times a day.

 

[Mick!]

About 4 minutes into using my first chipper I knew that was it.

It's a quantum Leap forward.

 

[flashover604]

I believe it. If you had to guess, how much reduction would you estimate you get? In other words, how many truckloads of regular brush do you think you get in one truckload of chips?

 

[Mick!]

Good question, a lot depends on species, how carefully you stack the brush, and if you "rasher" it down.

Somewhere between 3 and 6 times I reckon.

 

[MasterBlaster]

And don't forget that 'rashing it down' is a time waster and a safety hazard.

Chip it, FTW. Or, have a big box and a loader to stuff it into...

 

[Mick!]

Safety hazard maybe, time waster, no.

 

[Bodean]

Bucking brush sucks. It's my motivation to buy a chipper.

If you can, do it.

 

[flashover604]

Another job or two and I think I'll be ready to do that. On a completely different subject, the homeowners approached me about planting some trees as a privacy line. What do you guys do? Avoid dealing with replacements?

 

[Mick!]

Easy work, just make sure it's an appropriate species and the right time of year to plant.

Make sure you plant them well, big enough hole, irrigation, well staked etc.

Not rocket science. Good money.

 

[pantheraba]

A landscaper put in Leland Cypress for us between us and neighbors. They grew well and make a year round barrier.

 

[Altissimus]

Good question, a lot depends on species, how carefully you stack the brush, and if you "rasher" it down.

Somewhere between 3 and 6 times I reckon.

...swore I'd never Haul brush again when I bought the Chipper. Truth is I still Haul brush all the time on small jobs , efficient and a good way out.

 

[Mick!]

How is it more efficient?

 

[Altissimus]

Have a good sized trailer but no box truck , sometimes screwed for discharge. Many times waste has a longer walk to the machine to spew over a rock wall into the woods or some such spot. Can pack trailer and chop it down several times and get out with the check.

 

[Levi]

I can't stand chippers, hopefully I never have to run one again

 

[SeanKroll]

I can get a trailer places that I can't get a chipper, on occasion. We have some steep and long driveways. Small repeat customers' jobs like fruit tree pruning only generate a very small amount of brush. I can move a small, light-duty trailer right to the trees, like a giant wheelbarrow.

With a flatbed trailer, I can load it about 5' tall, all slashed down, then slide off the side walls and rear at the green-recycle dump.

A chipper (or grapple truck) is key overall.

How much waste do you generate, or would you, on these jobs passed up? Can you hire-out hauling by a landscraper or dump-runner?


A rashering technique that helps really pack it in, keep all the bigger stuff out. Layer. Cut out in front of you, so you are on crushing down the previously cut material by standing on it, not standing/ binding the uncut stuff. My bar is mostly buried the whole time I'm slashing it down, with the powerhead resting on the brush. Its a time where I wear chaps. I've had a literal ton in a 5x10x4 trailer, where I couldn't get chipper and chip truck.

Sometimes if the job is near the brush dump, far across town. A load of brush dumps nearby at the same per-pound rate as chips, then there is a low loading-height trailer with ramps for wood with a hand truck. Small rig for solo jobs.

 

[Mick!]

I will never, by choice anyway, stack brush, chainsaw chip, or use any other medieval technique for dealing with branches as long as I have a chipper.

Except for a fire of course.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Its a time where I wear chaps.

 

[Altissimus]

The other time I choose trailer is if work is dead and rotten , only clogs the outfeed anyways.