access

[treeman82]

I was doing a job yesterday, where there is pretty much no access. I spoke with the neighbor later in the day over the phone, and he wanted a quote on some work. So today I walked the property... there's a parking area, and then a "driveway" to get right down to the house. I have to say though, I don't think that it would be a good idea to drive a truck, or ANY equipment down that driveway. STEEP, NARROW, and plenty of bends.

Now I have to ask you guys, in situations where you MIGHT be able to get a truck or machine into an area, do you give it a shot and hope for the best, or do you play it safe?

 

[clearance]

Explain that if you need a big tow truck, you ain't paying for it. All goes well, good, if not, so what.

 

[tree md]

I get the new guy to drive it in so if something goes wrong I have an out by telling the homeowner I was so pissed at what he had done that I let him go.


If there is a woman on the crew I have her do it because everyone knows women can't drive.


If there is no new guy or woman I drive in myself and get a good running start so I'll make it over any obstacles. If it goes bad I explain about my hangover.

LMAO!

I personally have been in enough tight spots that I know where I can go and where I can't. If I have access great if not I charge accordingly... Trees in no access areas are actually my specialty...

 

[NeTree]

I'd try to back it in. If it starts to look like it'll go bad, I can always yank it out with the tractor. I've gotten my bucket in many places it probably shouldn't have been able to. It's also why our chip trucks are 4 wheel drive.

That's assuming they want my lower price, where lawn damage may occur. If they want "no blade of grass bent", that's a lot more moolah.

 

[EdenT]

Now I have to ask you guys, in situations where you MIGHT be able to get a truck or machine into an area, do you give it a shot and hope for the best, or do you play it safe?

If you have to ask, then you don't have the confidence to do it. Don't take the risk! Looks awfully amateur when you have to hire a chinook to retrieve your truck from a jobsite. Get your groundies to haul the stuff up. They love steep bendy driveways. Cone half it off to really make them earn their pay. They'll love you for it!:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[NeTree]

If you have to ask, then you don't have the confidence to do it.

Some truth in that statement, for sure.

Ask Bren to give you a hand.

 

[treeman82]

Ask Bren to give you a hand.

When hell freezes over.

A tracked skid steer would get in and out, but the guy doesn't want anybody driving anything on his "thin" driveway... the reason I called him originally was to find out if it would be ok to drive a small tractor down his driveway to get to his neighbor's trees... nope, driveway is thin. I'm working by the day for the neighbor... so if it takes a day to get the wood out, so be it.

As far as getting a running start goes... that would probably help me to go through the house as opposed to just into Another nightmare property, but they pay.

Also, I'm not afraid of having to get a wrecker in there, as much as I am of destroying the truck, machines, or having somebody get hurt.

In all honesty, I detest these situations. I'd much rather have it where "no way you're getting a truck or machine in there" or "we can get right in there with the truck" Takes a lot of the guess work and stress out.

 

[NeTree]

Didn't know you two were at it.

Thin driveway? That's an interesting excuse. But yeah, looks like you're better off to just hump it out and be done.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

We have this problem alot. I have a isuzu NPS 4x4 tipper cabover, it can get into places my 4x4 nissan ute cant.

I dont know the size of your gear but you can generally get a 6 inch chipper into most places with a heavy duty quad or suzuki jeep and know your putting less stress on the surface than a standard car.
You might have to put high sides on a trailer to get the mulch out though.
We have chainsaw winched chippers in and out and one of my chippers have done more helicopter flights than most people.

We often give "if we have good parking and access" price and a "if we have to walk from home carrying limbs" price if its going to be an issue.

 

[treeman82]

That would be pretty darn cool to see... airlifting a chipper onto the job. How much do they charge you for that? I looked into moving a stump grinder on a barge a year or two ago, and it was $350 each way, that's child's play though compared to a helicopter.

I kind of like it though when I show up to look at a job and it's "ok, park on the road or parking space and start going down the stairs" I like that it's so upfront about everything. Whereas these ones with grass, or goatpaths, who knows what could be laying in store.

 

[EdenT]

We have this problem alot. I have a isuzu NPS 4x4 tipper cabover, it can get into places my 4x4 nissan ute cant.

I dont know the size of your gear but you can generally get a 6 inch chipper into most places with a heavy duty quad or suzuki jeep and know your putting less stress on the surface than a standard car.
You might have to put high sides on a trailer to get the mulch out though.
We have chainsaw winched chippers in and out and one of my chippers have done more helicopter flights than most people.

We often give "if we have good parking and access" price and a "if we have to walk from home carrying limbs" price if its going to be an issue.

WOW! I was only jesting earlier. Given the normal power and violence of a chipper, the thought of an airborne one is slightly discomfiting.

 

[treeoperations]

sounds like a helicopter job mate, its easy as either lifting trees out or chipper in, it makes for good interesting jobs haha

 

[TimberMcPherson]

Used to be only 800 an hour for something that could do 600kgs lifts until the tanks got closer to empty then it could manage over 700kgs, but they dont stick around much after that.

Heres them removing stumps for us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPgdWDSn964

 

[EdenT]

Very cool. I hope some day....:yourock: