One Man Band- climbing and rigging, groundwork, business mgmt.

[Mick!]

Oh yeah, I remember that, there was a big thread on arbtalk about it.
Bloody worlds gone mad.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Whoa!

 

[Ian Harrison]

It's part of the life of an arborist over here. The health and safety we have to follow gets changed all the time and it is not getting any easier. But they do love their fines here

 

[MasterBlaster]

So, you can't (by yourself) cut firewood in your own backyard?

 

[Ian Harrison]

Yes you can cut logs but I wouldn't put It past someone to try and stop you by complaining as the backyards here are small and the houses are packed in tight.

 

[canadianclimber]

Good Thread Sean.

I work alone about 60% of the time. I have a handful of friends I can call upon when I need an extra hand. Luckly they are self employed as well and seem to enjoy the odd change of pace to come drag some branches. All of them have a general understanding of rope work from there outdoor pursuits. When they are not available I use the temp agency. All the wcb and what not is covered then. As well I have made relations with some small landscapers around town to do clean up for me when I'm feeling lazy or lend out there staff when they are slow. Again all wcb and crap is covered. Sometime it's nice to just whip up a tree and walk away instead of dragging and chipping. I make a decent living, not killing it, but good. Low stress is key for me.

If I can't park my chipper or trailer right by the tree I call in the help.

The one thing I often think about is the end game. I think at some point it will be beneficial to train a lead hand to takeover and potentially by me out, ideally. Most likely for beer money. But at least something. Can't climb forever. I'm enjoying it for now though. It's a roller coaster. I work hard, do a good job and charge accordingly for it.

 

[Stevo]

Good post. I hope I'm sipping whiskey when I'm his age!

 

[treebilly]

This thread has had me thinking more about going solo. That and the lack of enthusiasm my ground men have had lately. I stripped down a 70' spruce today, and made it a point to not one hand the saw and flip the limbs to face the same way. Three groundies were busy talking instead of chipping. It took them all of twenty minutes to clean it up. I figure that I could have done it by myself in about an hour. Man hours would've been the a bit lower and pay out a lot lower. The safety issue is probably what really bothers me about it. I think when I do leave the company I'll have one full time employee for that reason.

 

[MasterBlaster]

All you really need is one good man.

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

And a mini and wraptor.

 

[DMc]

All you really need is one good man.

Or woman. It is amazing how much better having someone to share the load can make a job.

 

[squisher]

For me the more the merrier. We've been running three to four people in big jobs lately. What a difference. No endless raking/clean-up.

 

[treebilly]

And a mini and wraptor.

Mini for sure. It's gonna be bought next year if I don't end up buying a stump grinder. The guy who I sub stumps to is 74 so I can't count on him forever. Wraptor someday. Our trees top out around 100' around here and I'm still young enough to climb with out much wear on me

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

You can buy a grinder for a mini, bit a grinder is only a grinder. You might be able skid branches, maybe.

You've got a bucket truck already, right?

Wraptors preserve the body and make money.

 

[MasterBlaster]

So does a mini!

 

[stig]

Yes you can cut logs but I wouldn't put It past someone to try and stop you by complaining as the backyards here are small and the houses are packed in tight.

I think we need the Germans to bomb the shit out of you again, so the population will have something else on their minds than complaining about the neighbour sawing wood.
Be a good thing if they did the same here.

 

[Mick!]

So does a mini!

So does a groundy.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Doesn't a mini require a groundie?

 

[Raj]

I think we need the Germans to bomb the shit out of you again, so the population will have something else on their minds than complaining about the neighbour sawing wood.
Be a good thing if they did the same here.

Here too, only problem is that it usually goes the opposite direction and things get worse. ie "cutting wood in your backyard provides a good aiming point for enemy bombers"... "ummm they would use GPS"... "well then, it MIGHT provide a good aiming point so let us not chance it."

 

[stig]

Got a point there.

 

[Ian Harrison]

That's the problem they don't need to bomb us now. They took over with the EU and there is no going back from that...

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Doesn't a mini require a groundie?

An operator.

If you pile up a bunch of brush by free falling it from the tree, it sucks to pull apart by hand. A machine doesn't care. An owner can do so much work with a machine that previously was hand-work.

Sometimes, you need the operator to work with the climber, like lift and lower tasks. Some jobs are going to remain climber with groundie jobs.

 

[Tarzan]

My mini is my groundy! Just think what us solo guys could do if we got our hands on a remote control kit for the mini

 

[SouthSoundTree-]

Ya, no kidding. They have them for stumpers. What does it take?

 

[MasterBlaster]

About 10 grand added to the price!