Ahhh. Hedge trimming.

[TimberMcPherson]

NZ$1800 in a day is nice. That's what, £700? I'm trying to convince workmate that we need to up rates - he's been charging too little for far too long. But we've got a problem round these parts with some franchise company that goes around bidding peanuts on the jobs that we've been doing for years.

Was a lucky day, we generally shoot for about a grand a day, but I underestimated just how well the power pruner does with the hedge attachment and we got it done in great time. Without it I think it would have taken 2 days. Was a quoted job and the client wanted to pay us more! I was more than happy with what I got.
Win some, lose more!

 

[Pete M]

Is it really all that hard to shape a bush, I think he can handle it.

I've seen some terrible hedge cutting work - right proper gash jobs with parts cut back too much, and parts not cut enough, and sides sloping outward toward the top, and bits sticking up all over the place on top where the guy hasn't reached over the top properly. Generally the result of the inexperienced and ill-equipped bloke, or the guy with all the gear and no idea. Trouble with hedges, they're at eye level - often the first thing the property owner see when they walk onto their property. Might be worth working with an experienced crew to gain some experience before going it alone on such job and mucking it up, or leaving it to the pros

 

[Pete M]

Was a lucky day, we generally shoot for about a grand a day, but I underestimated just how well the power pruner does with the hedge attachment and we got it done in great time. Without it I think it would have taken 2 days. Was a quoted job and the client wanted to pay us more! I was more than happy with what I got.
Win some, lose more!

Love it when one wins one! Lost one yesterday though - priced for a day expecting to be out of there by 3.30-4.00 to go and sort some other stuff out. Still there at 6.00.

 

[pistol pete]

Here are some better pictures of her.

 

[pistol pete]

A few more.

 

[Blakesmaster]

A beautiful ride there, Pete. Don't know much about 'em other than I want one.

To the other Pete. I too have seen some horrible hack jobs on shrubs but they're generally done by the HO that doesn't have the proper tools to get up high or maybe they were blind or something. I don't know. Anyway, I, as I would assume most guys that have been in the tree business long enough, have done more than my fair share of hedge trimming. How do you think I developed such a distaste for it? It wasn't by pickin' my butt, that's fer shure.

To everyone else, I eyed up one of the pole trimmers today whilst shopping but decided to go for the basic hand held model. Well...basic, as in the pro HS 81 T with 30 inch cutters that I scored for around $450. That, combined with a box full of wedges, chains, files, bar oil, mix and a 10 foot step ladder rang today's grand total spent pretty near the $1K mark. Luckily, Saturday's job, even though it'll be a huge PITA, will more than replace 2 fold. I guess I have no room to whine.

 

[scotclayshooter]

I'll put it this way, Dan. The first 30 minutes behind the trimmers is just annoying, the next hour I can get into a zen-like state of peace and let my mind wander, but it's that last damn hour of trimming when I'm sweating my nutz off, my forearms are screaming for mercy and my mind is crying for some sort of challenge that really gets my goat. And DON'T get me started on the cleanup. Dern mulch beds...blah blah...raking this fluffy arborvitae crap...blah blah...blah

+1
I do it for 2 months on industrial estates and hate every minute of it I run a th23 kawasaki its a hedge cutter not a trimmer and the damn thing will cut for a full hour before needing refueling and giving me a rest
A Stihl 45 only runs about 20 mins the tank is lame!

 

[treemandan]

+1
I do it for 2 months on industrial estates and hate every minute of it I run a th23 kawasaki its a hedge cutter not a trimmer and the damn thing will cut for a full hour before needing refueling and giving me a rest
A Stihl 45 only runs about 20 mins the tank is lame!

Ok you win, that sucks. I would want to shy away from that myself BUT I am Treemandan. I like a little bush and I sure know how to keep the trimmed up and looking good, ain't gonna balk at it either.

 

[Lawnmowerboy48]

I was running an older, not sure how old but new this year, Stihl 81 today, it cuts and it is loud. I hate shearing, I think it looks stupid and it is certainly not the way plants are supposed to be pruned. I got into a heated debate about that with one of the sales ladies today about that, I won, she sucks. But when I am using one, more so for the waist high shrubs I stick the rear handle on my inner pelvis near the junk to help support the weight of it. Also in the past week 2 different people on my crew, not the smartest people I might say have nipped their leg with them, nothing too serious, drew a little blood today.

 

[Pete M]

one of our bods a few years ago chopped off half a finger.

Re shearing/hedgecutting, of course it's not the natural way, but very often it's unavoidable, like to keep screening hedgerows under control, to keep pathways clear, to stop hedges taking over a garden. And of course some people love sculpted shrubs - not my cup of tea, but it's their choice.

 

[scotclayshooter]

My other hedge trimmer, this one is way more fun!

 

[Ironbark]

:yourock: When can you come round and do my hedge?


:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[scotclayshooter]

:yourock: When can you come round and do my hedge?


:hmm3grin2orange:

At 26 mph quite a while lol the pics dont do it justice! spearhead is the rolls royce of flail arms

 

[HolmenTree]

I have an old Stihl HT 75 polepruner which has a 45degree hedge trimmer attachment head for it , works great on those high hedges while on a orchard ladder, but yeah this heavy unit while kill your arms. I had an old HT 75 bent shaft kicking around the shop. So I cut it off short [18"],put the 45 trimmer head on it and stuck it on the HT 75 powerhead. Now I got a lightweight powerfull hedge trimmer.

 

[Slinky]

A beautiful ride there, Pete. Don't know much about 'em other than I want one.

To the other Pete. I too have seen some horrible hack jobs on shrubs but they're generally done by the HO that doesn't have the proper tools to get up high or maybe they were blind or something. I don't know. Anyway, I, as I would assume most guys that have been in the tree business long enough, have done more than my fair share of hedge trimming. How do you think I developed such a distaste for it? It wasn't by pickin' my butt, that's fer shure.

To everyone else, I eyed up one of the pole trimmers today whilst shopping but decided to go for the basic hand held model. Well...basic, as in the pro HS 81 T with 30 inch cutters that I scored for around $450. That, combined with a box full of wedges, chains, files, bar oil, mix and a 10 foot step ladder rang today's grand total spent pretty near the $1K mark. Luckily, Saturday's job, even though it'll be a huge PITA, will more than replace 2 fold. I guess I have no room to whine.

I was going to tell you that you definately want to go with a hedge trimmer that has the swivle handle. I have an Efco TS327(i think thats the number) and a Stihl HL75....i use both of them to there highest potential...but the swivle handle on my Efco makes trimming so much easier....you cant go wrong with taht HS 81....i've heard a lot of good things about it.

 

[belgian]

I have both the HS81R for my hedge and HS81T for trimming the small buxus hedges. Excellent machines, but I would no longer take the 30" blade on the 81R, since it's really too heavy.

all the comment made about hedge pruning are correct : it's dull work, you forearms hurt like h@ll after a while, and the cleaning up afterwards is a paint in the butt. Dangerous too, while loosing a finger is a real possibility if you are not careful imo. A swivel handle is indeed a must.
Since I have started wearing hearing protection a few years ago, the work has become less tiring. It's amazing how a constant noise can wear you out.

 

[Slinky]

Since I have started wearing hearing protection a few years ago, the work has become less tiring. It's amazing how a constant noise can wear you out.

I've always worn hearing protection while working...my main business is mowing and I would go crazy without some sort of hearing protection.
I do have to say one thing though, if you havent tried a set of ear muffs with the built in radio, go get a set. I find the time of doing work to fly by 10x faster than when i was just wearing ear plugs. The ones i have also can have an Ipod plugged into them.

 

[Pete M]

Slinky, which ear muffs have you got? I'd like to get some radio ones that will fit on a helmet. Think Husqvarna do them but they ain't half expensive.

 

[Slinky]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=230276512571

Radians Sound FX Hearing Protection Earmuffs. NRR 22

they work pretty good...dont know if they will mount to a helmet or not or how they will work over in the UK.

 

[scotclayshooter]

I use peltors

http://www.peltor.se/int/Product.asp?PageNumber=152&ProductCategory_Id=43&Product_Id=17