finding help

[arborworks1]

Mini for sure. Adds productivity of at least 3 people or better.

 

[lumberjack]

I hauled a goodly bit to the dump today, but I wasn't earning chicken scratch.

My helper has mentioned that he wishes there'd be enough work for him to work full time and quit working at the hospital. I don't think he realizes just how much work it would take to justify him full time for 3 months. As it stands, he worked today, and I have another 3-4 days I need him on the books.

The next big thing I want is a mini excavator. Either a 3.5 or 5 ton.

Employees are versital assuming they are a quick learner. Equipment is versital assuming the owner/operator can find/develop more uses for each piece.

 

[Paul B]

grrr. my guy asked for yesterday and today off a few weeks ago, no problem. I text him an hour ago witha start time for tomorrows 2 jobs and he texts back "oh, I am taking tomorrow off too, I am still in whistler". FFS, one job Ican do alone but the other I dont know, its got some heavy lifting that would have been a lot easier with two guys vs just me.

I bend over backwards trying to get work to keep this guy around but he doesnt give a flying rats about helping me out. pisses me off.

I wish a machine could replace what I need in a worker but it cant at this point.

 

[lumberjack]

Sounds like a mini would get you through tomorrow?

 

[Paul B]

unfortunately no, I have to get a couple pieces of a fountain / water feature down 7 steps from carport to back yard courtyard, a dolly or fridge cart would do me fine I think. Might have to go buy one on the morrow and just git'er done.

The second job I dont really need help but it would have made my day easier.

 

[squisher]

Ahhh ramps and a mini would truck right through for ya!

I love the mini, love it. Irreplaceable at this point. Now I'm just dreaming of bigger material handling devices. I'm thinking I need a big grapple/dump next.

 

[Paul B]

nope, not thinking so, its through a garage, through an interior passage door and down 7 stairs. not sure a mini could carry the heavy part (a stone column) through that scenario.

Oh well, I wil bearhug it and lug it down old school style, or use a dolly to clunk it down the stairs.

 

[squisher]

Well that's what ya get for living/working in the city.

 

[Paul B]

ha! indeed!

 

[Frans]

I'm thinking I need a big grapple/dump next.

What about a Swinger?

 

[sotc]

nope, not thinking so, its through a garage, through an interior passage door and down 7 stairs. not sure a mini could carry the heavy part (a stone column) through that scenario.

Oh well, I wil bearhug it and lug it down old school style, or use a dolly to clunk it down the stairs.

if a dolly will lift it a mini will lift it

 

[Paul B]

no doubt. but does a mini carry said object down a stairway and through the house?

physically its possible but realisticaly I dunno....

 

[sotc]

yeah might stain the carpet

 

[squisher]

What about a Swinger?

No more swinging for me..........I'm married.

 

[treetx]

The most difficult, most unpredictable, most expensive and least reliable aspect of treework is your employees. In order to be successful, you either need to be so big that individual employees cannot hurt your bottom line or else you need to focus your business on generating dollars without using employees. I'll never be a millionaire but I've found a way to do better than average by focusing on my strengths and steadfastly refusing to weigh myself down with high overhead employees. I've also discovered that the least profitable aspect of treework is hauling crap to the dump, yet there are hundreds of guys out there looking for hauling work and they will work cheap. So why do I want to climb down out of the bucket truck in order to pick up debris and haul it to the dump? Or even worse, hire expensive employees so I can supervise them picking up debris and hauling it to the dump!!

I agree 100%, wise words

Most tree companies here are really Tree Part Disposal Companies. No one care about the quality of the work, they just want the bodies gone and the drive blown off.

A chipper and massive truck have never made sense to me for a crew. Even with a large removal, they only run a few hrs a day. A lot of kit to just sit there.

I really liked the claw type trucks like a prentice loader on a cab over truck. (Hiab claw). Do your work, have the crew stack stuff and then have the loader haul it away. Crew then can move from job to job in a Sprinter, etc - doing what they do best.

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