How'd it go today?

JFC
this hydraulic shop SUCKS
guy called out sick, gonna be wednesday before my cylinder is back, assuming they are correct, third tried the charm I guess

in order of times ive taken these 2 cylinders to them
first time told 1 week, took a month and it still leaked, and they forgot the pin I was having made at the machine shop
second time, they told me I frigged it up because I dont know how to bleed a cylinder, even tho he has no clue how a holding valve works (I got soaked in oil following his direcitons)
third time now its been over a week, second time ive been told a date, last time was wrong, hopefully they are right this time

found out there is another shop in town that does rebuilds, same company that did my boom return line, taking it to them next
I could have bought a crane already this year if these guys knew how to rebuild a cylinder properly
I might leave a review, only AFTER I get my cylinder back tho, and everyone in town says these guys are so great

rant over, im pissed as all get out right now, just had to cancel this weeks work, one job of which is for one of the biggest attorneys in town and word spreads quick around here
 
Breakdowns to key equipment like that really sucks.
Not that you need my advice, but playing it dead straight with clients is all you can do.
 
Breakdowns to key equipment like that really sucks.
Not that you need my advice, but playing it dead straight with clients is all you can do.
I quit telling people when I will do a job, I kept losing too much work
at this point I go "I will call you the day before"
same as giving estimates, I dont say what time any more, can never be there on time
 
Dunno why the cherries are so small on this tree.
If it is from a pooped seed and not from an orchard, it is most likely an hybrid between two local cherry trees. One can be a "fat cherry tree", maybe your old one, why not, and the other a "small cherry tree", like a wild cherry or an acid cherry (Montmorency here). With the cross-pollination in the nature, you never know what you get as a baby tree, even if you know who is the moma.
 
I cut an hedge of pyracantha. I hate that thing. Howthorn is nicer than this shit. Luckily it isn't a frequent occurrence and this one was relatively young, so it wasn't that bad.
I really enjoyed my chipper to get rid of it along the road. Excepted that it nearly let me down at 2/3 of the job. After running out of gas, it didn't want to start after the refill. I almost emptied the battery trying to crank it. The gas pump didn't seem to prime it back. I guess it was a sort of wapor lock, though it wasn't really hot this day.
Maybe I should buy a spare pump just in case that's a first call, or/and try to insert a hand primer between the tank and the filter (the pump is above, just before the carb). It's a twin cylinders Honda 22hp with just less than 70 hours, so it kind of surprized me. Usually, it starts right again within a few seconds and a little bit of chock to ease the priming. Not this time.
At the last try before giving up, it cought and started, running just fine after that. Pfew!
I'd prime it by wetting the air filter with gas, at least it might run long enough to prime itself without draining the battery.

Just don't get it soaking wet, start with less before using more. Way too much could cause an intake backfire setting the filter on fire.
 
I cut an hedge of pyracantha. I hate that thing. Howthorn is nicer than this shit. Luckily it isn't a frequent occurrence and this one was relatively young, so it wasn't that bad.
I really enjoyed my chipper to get rid of it along the road. Excepted that it nearly let me down at 2/3 of the job. After running out of gas, it didn't want to start after the refill. I almost emptied the battery trying to crank it. The gas pump didn't seem to prime it back. I guess it was a sort of wapor lock, though it wasn't really hot this day.
Maybe I should buy a spare pump just in case that's a first call, or/and try to insert a hand primer between the tank and the filter (the pump is above, just before the carb). It's a twin cylinders Honda 22hp with just less than 70 hours, so it kind of surprized me. Usually, it starts right again within a few seconds and a little bit of chock to ease the priming. Not this time.
At the last try before giving up, it cought and started, running just fine after that. Pfew!
one thing you can do, is wrap your hands around the gas tank filler cap and blow air into it with your mouth (hands as a seal), if its a small tank this can help push fuel to the carb
just be careful to not get a mouth full of gas doing this, been there, done that
generally I alternate full choke and no choke while cranking, say 3 seconds on, 3 seconds off along with half throttle or so, usually gets most small engines going
 
Checked out a Paulownia trim. The tree is massive. My friend in the picture is about 5’9”. It has lots of poison Ivy. I’d like to crown clean it and pull it away from the slate barn roof. It has lots of hollows. Its probably approaching the end of its life but it’s still relatively healthy as far as I can tell.

Ran a 011AVT for giggles. He said I could buy it but I’m set on the models needed to fill out the collection. No distractions.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5267.jpeg
    IMG_5267.jpeg
    7.4 MB · Views: 10
  • IMG_5259.jpeg
    IMG_5259.jpeg
    2.9 MB · Views: 10
I ran an 011 for a long time, good saw as far as it goes.

Nice tree
 
Well, if anyone cares I'm recovering from another cataract surgery... seems like all is going good but I will have an evaluation tomorrow. Wednesday I have yag laser procedure for a secondary cataract in my other eye. Don't take your vision for granted is the moral of the story I guess.
 
Mother in law just had one of her eyes done for Cataract, and now she can see proper colour and clearly again, and is looking forward to the other being done. Hope yours is just, if not more successful Stikine, rest up mate.
 
I quit telling people when I will do a job, I kept losing too much work
at this point I go "I will call you the day before"
same as giving estimates, I dont say what time any more, can never be there on time
I have heard of people that do that.
Unworkable for me otherwise I’d only ever do the sweet stuff and keep delaying the rubbish/difficult work.
 
I have heard of people that do that.
Unworkable for me otherwise I’d only ever do the sweet stuff and keep delaying the rubbish/difficult work.
I price the sweet jobs like I want them, and the bad jobs high enough thats its worth it if I get them
about 3 months ago I would have told you it was stupid to not give a customer a time and day of a job, now I would never go back, did that for a year and it sucks!
some jobs I have to say, like when I schedule a crane just due to the fact he needs paid and its going to be blocking in the customers garage so they have to move their car

for the most part I just show up and do the job, unless they ask me to call ahead, so far I close more jobs, have less cancelations, and seemingly happier customers
 
Got off work early, split some firewood, and brought it home. I didn't feel like using a maul/wedges, and just used my light splitting axe. Cherry's kind of a bastard to split. It's either super easy, or a super PITA, and it isn't always easy to know which by sight. There'll be a hidden knot inside that glues everything together, and it doesn't want to come apart. Bury the axe, lever it out, and try again. Even with wedges, it sticks together splitting radially, which is my preference for shape. Works better slabbing it off around the edges, but then you get board shaped pieces rather than prisms.
 
got a call for an estimate at 2, did that on the way to my job at 3
ended up doing the one job, $400 to pop 2 limbs off a poplar, no cleanup
then 2 small oaks, just got home at 10PM
had to start work late today, hopefully not so tomorrow!
 
Finished a job we started mid afternoon the day before and then over to remove six maples, one pin oak, and one large dead ash. Stripped four with the bucket, pulled one over with the mini, and craned the ash and two maples out. Back at the shop at 5:02 pm. Then picked up a gallon of cookies and cream (kids keep eating it all) on my way home. Dinner and then back outside to clean up some things. Ended up lighting a fire
IMG_6686.jpeg
Burnt down pretty good now with a nice glow. It was still daylight when the flames were 30’. No visit from the FD yet so I think I’m safe.
Also forgot that I finished (for now) my wife’s garden
IMG_6674.jpeg
She sprayed the weeds around the outside with some non chemical weed killer concoction. They seem to be yellowing out. I’ll work on the outside bed in a week or so
 
Re your sig, WoodCutr, IMO one can't be productive without being fully comfortable most of the time, js.
 
Re your sig, WoodCutr, IMO one can't be productive without being fully comfortable most of the time, js.
so, im not productive lol
sent another climber up for one limb today because I wasnt comfortable with it, I couldnt get a good spot to stick my feet and stuff, plus hes a foot taller so that helped him some

how long has it been bugging you? I knew someone would mention it some day LOL

I dont like big trees, 100+ft noodle im fine with, but when I am in a tree with limbs bigger than my thigh I start getting nervous/frustrated
 
Back
Top