How'd it go today?

Bucked up the rest of a downed toilet poplar. It ate the whole 54” bar at the root flare. The biggest thing I’ve cut so far. My youngest came to see me.

Dressed my 36” bar as it was cutting very crooked even with a new chain. Cleaned air filters in all the saws.

Met with potential customer and quoted a job which is more than likely ours. We had a good 20 min conversation after price/scope discussion. 6 trees total. Nothing massive. Quoted 2 of the worst first as well as all together. The “all together“ reflects a price break for volume.

Friend of the family agreed that I could dump wood on his farm. All the hardwoods go to a firewood guy but now we have a place for rotten stuff and softwoods.
 

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Started wrecking a rare Chestnut Oak yesterday. About 95' at the tips, 2 tops, and a side limb that started at 45' and went up another 30'+. I was up about 65-70', depending on which top I was on. Nasty location (between 2 yards, on a slope covered in rocks, and leaning towards neighbor's yard). Rigged almost every major piece and 1/3 of stem wood, as it needed one on the porty rope, one retrieving as the pieces were lowered off the top nearest the edge.. Finishing up on Saturday, when I have another 3rd guy to work (as all my summer help is heading back to school, and my other part timers and I had a falling out). More prunes and smaller takedowns on this job, so Zach and I will be busy tomorrow. See pics in work pics thread.
 
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Emergency Bass player gig last night.

Got a call to play bass for a gig at our county fair.

Two hours before the gig. Never even got a set list until I went on stage.



Was very nervous...have not played in public for a long time.


Turned out well enough that we have been hired for next years fair.


I don't know how.....had never heard a bunch of the songs and had never played the majority.



Maybe I should charge double.
 
I went and did an estimate last weekend .
A couple had bought what was basically a botanical garden that had run wild, and was cleaning it up.
My veterinarian friend had recommended me to one of his nurses, who was the owner..
3 easy take downs.
Once I told the client the price ( 2 guys, one day, no cleanup) he said he had a large Beech that he was saving up to have removed.
I looked at it and said, no charge!
I'll drop that when we are here anyway.

It had lean towards the lay and I had at least a foot of room on both sides.
Big tree for sure, but I kill plenty of those every week.

A 4 minute job.

So, today my vet friend called me and told me that before I came by, they had been given a bid from an arborist company for taking that tree down..................2 grand!

That, gentlemen ( And Fiona) is the difference between pro fallers and arborists.

They were going to piece that tree out, because they didn't have the guts to just drop it.
 
He was already there and it took 4 minutes for the ego boost. Fair price
 
I just think Stig should get out more.

This world is thick with tree guys and if you apply the 80/20 rule, that leaves thousands of highly competent arbs who can fell a big tree leaning toward a tight lay.
 
I’m a piecer. May be my whole life. I’d absolutely go ape to have a chance to practice a ton of felling in situations where property won’t be damaged or destroyed. I have to prove things out before implementing them. I’m envious of the guys who log as well as climb. The logger & arborist hybrid is a rare breed indeed.
 
The Man Behind The Concept


Vilfredo Federico Damaso Pareto was born in Italy in 1848. He would go on to become an important philosopher and economist. Legend has it that one day he noticed that 20% of the pea plants in his garden generated 80% of the healthy pea pods. This observation caused him to think about uneven distribution. He thought about wealth and discovered that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by just 20% of the population. He investigated different industries and found that 80% of production typically came from just 20% of the companies. The generalization became: 80% of results will come from just 20% of the action.

Re my contention- of all the tree guys, if 80% possess only average skill and could not drop the large tree in question, and 20% possess high skills and could drop that tree successfully and quickly, then, because there are....um, how many tree guys are there? Idk, in the US maybe 50,000? which means that 20% of them, or 10,000 could do it. :drink:

No disrespect to our esteemed Stig, but I disagree his suggestion that all arborists can't do what pro fallers can do. At least I think that's what he meant
 
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Thanks for the enlightenment Cory. Perspective changing.

Re: Unsmart and unskilled felling- When you only charge $350.00 for full removal you just gotta drop it. Risks be damned.Ain’t got no munny for no rope either!
 
Went to Darien Lake amusement park with the lady and kids. Good time, some crazy roller coasters.
Was kinda bizarre, this local car dealership, gave all his employees the day off and bought them a private concert there starring Blake Shelton. We were just there for the rides, but got to listen to the music anyways.
What a cool boss those people got!
 
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