Can you say bad day?

[ropensaddle]

Well I had a doosey week started by loading the tractor to help a friend
out at his farm mow his over grown hay fields, loaded to leave the dern
weld on the springs came loose punctured a tire and had to leave trailer
and tractor until I can get time to weld it!

Today went to a job to try and salvage a blown over weeping
willow, rigged everything up blocks rope pulley etc. Snapped my
old rope twice, finally got it stood up and two guys anchored
now dark as started late. So told the lady it is temporary and I
would be back tomorrow and spooled up the winch and loaded gear!
Told the wife to stop at the store, I wanted a water and snuff
and climbed back in to leave, would not start. So got out checked
connections good, opened hood looked at alternator and the bolts
that hold the back part of the case on had vibrated loose.
So, tightened them and charged batter with boost and hoped
the alternator would charge, no. Well I made it 30 minutes home,
stopped twice to recharge for lights. I have had worse but really
stinks when fuel is eating your lunch already. The alternator is
a blue back I replaced it four years ago and they are hard to find
sometimes so, more fun to come! Blues despair and agony on me,
oh well good days will come, change is the only constant!
I am through with the rant and the lady hopefully is happy her
tree is back up and I hope after all this it lives

 

[TDunk]

Your bad week smokes mine. All i did was take a light post at the end of a driveway right off it's foundation.

 

[mckeetree]

Your bad week smokes mine. All i did was take a light post at the end of a driveway right off it's foundation.

I was served meatloaf that about made me sick yesterday.

 

[ropensaddle]

Your bad week smokes mine. All i did was take a light post at the end of a driveway right off it's foundation.

I don't know that is bad too! My stinkin trailer the builders welds suck,
the dern spring hangers on the right side came off and the friggin axels
crisscrossed. I have never seen anything quite like it,at least it was on his
place so don't have to worry and no accident. Yours sounds like an accident, was everyone ok?

 

[Blakesmaster]

Tough stuff, Rope. Sorry to hear that, but at least you're out there and working. I only got 1 call so far this week for shrubbery removal. grrrrrrrrr.

 

[ropensaddle]

Tough stuff, Rope. Sorry to hear that, but at least you're out there and working. I only got 1 call so far this week for shrubbery removal. grrrrrrrrr.

Yeah,thats bad too but staying at home losing money or working till dark
losing it hmmmm, hard to say I would rather be home though! It has been
definitely picking up indeedee got a full plate these days and am most
grateful for that, hard to make all the payments and expense without
the work which I better get my azz doing.

 

[TDunk]

I don't know that is bad too! My stinkin trailer the builders welds suck,
the dern spring hangers on the right side came off and the friggin axels
crisscrossed. I have never seen anything quite like it,at least it was on his
place so don't have to worry and no accident. Yours sounds like an accident, was everyone ok?

Everyones fine. The limb was about 10" in Diam. and about 40' straight out horizontal. I knew it was going to split on me, but the guy kept trying to jue me down in price so i told him i'll do it for $100. No clean-up and if i hit anything it's not my problem. He said "sounds good to me, you know what your doing from what i've seen" Then sure as sh!t it split about half way threw the cut, when the far end of the limb hit the ground it rolled out of the tree, right over his light post. I would have used my bucket truck but i was already in the neighbor hood with just my dump truck and chipper and he didn't want to pay me to go get it.

There's a guy around here that custom builds trailers. Bubble gum welds, scotch-lock electrical connections, cheap flooring, etc. etc. Seen one of his trailers where the neck of it broke right off. Whether he used cheap steal/didn't re-enforce it or they owners over loaded it i don't know. But i've never seen that happen before.

 

[stihl sawing]

Sounds like ya had a doozy, That's fer sure. It's almost friday so you can chill out then. Unless you are going to work. Ya sure need to get that trailer fixed right.

 

[treemandan]

The fact that you do this alone( with no shotgun rider) well...
It got me looking.

 

[treemandan]

Tough stuff, Rope. Sorry to hear that, but at least you're out there and working. I only got 1 call so far this week for shrubbery removal. grrrrrrrrr.

What are you saying? Need to drum up work? What are you not doing? Strap roller blades on and hit the mailboxes with flyers. Of course i recomend A small 1/3 page leaflet printed of biodegradable recycled paper but if you can skate worth a dam you can get out hundreds and when you get back there will be a message on your machine.
Send one of your partners around to schmooze and scout, schmooze and scout, schmooze and scout. That what you do.
You are a newborn, don't be silly, start running. And of course I know that this shrub job will speak for itself so you will get more work from that. Now go, run! Remember this business isn't ALL books and math.
You will know when you hit your peak and find your mecca when you are working at a golf course and look up to see Ropes smiling down and wanting to play through.

 

[treeman82]

In the past week? between my friends and I...

One guy was using his 10 wheeler to pick up HIS SMALL excavator... forgot to push the latch down all the way for the hitch before putting the pin in... trailer came off the truck. No major damage, but he wasn't happy either. Following day, a cottonweed fell right next to where he parks the 10 wheeler... busted up the hood a bit; new mirror, light, and some other tweaking work.

Another buddy forgot his phone in the morning, was about 1/2 hour from home, with nobody around... truck wouldn't start.

Me...

Last Friday I was doing pretty well cutting my lawns until 4:30 when the main drive belt went on the machine... had to bust my arse to get done. Yesterday I went with my guy to do a nice ornamental pruning job... get there, the job is done already. Her son (a customer as well) came over the weekend and did it for her. Went to look at a tree job yesterday for somebody else... got lost, took an HOUR to get back to where I needed to be. For the past 2 days, I've been working for people who usually pay right then and there if they're around... cash, sometimes check... but AWESOME payers, all of them... NOBODY's home!. Yesterday, we were all set up for ornamentals... a friend calls up, wants to know if I can stop by real quick and bang out his privet hedge. Get over there, get it done... he came out with a soda... "How much?" I told him $20 cash cause he's out of work right now... he gives me a check for $25. Probably cost me at least $10 in fuel to cash the darn thing.

 

[treemandan]

In the past week? between my friends and I...

One guy was using his 10 wheeler to pick up HIS SMALL excavator... forgot to push the latch down all the way for the hitch before putting the pin in... trailer came off the truck. No major damage, but he wasn't happy either. Following day, a cottonweed fell right next to where he parks the 10 wheeler... busted up the hood a bit; new mirror, light, and some other tweaking work.

Another buddy forgot his phone in the morning, was about 1/2 hour from home, with nobody around... truck wouldn't start.

Me...

Last Friday I was doing pretty well cutting my lawns until 4:30 when the main drive belt went on the machine... had to bust my arse to get done. Yesterday I went with my guy to do a nice ornamental pruning job... get there, the job is done already. Her son (a customer as well) came over the weekend and did it for her. Went to look at a tree job yesterday for somebody else... got lost, took an HOUR to get back to where I needed to be. For the past 2 days, I've been working for people who usually pay right then and there if they're around... cash, sometimes check... but AWESOME payers, all of them... NOBODY's home!. Yesterday, we were all set up for ornamentals... a friend calls up, wants to know if I can stop by real quick and bang out his privet hedge. Get over there, get it done... he came out with a soda... "How much?" I told him $20 cash cause he's out of work right now... he gives me a check for $25. Probably cost me at least $10 in fuel to cash the darn thing.

I really couldn't follow this story very well, i was distracted by all the cash being handed around.

 

[TDunk]

In the past week? between my friends and I...

One guy was using his 10 wheeler to pick up HIS SMALL excavator... forgot to push the latch down all the way for the hitch before putting the pin in... trailer came off the truck. No major damage, but he wasn't happy either. Following day, a cottonweed fell right next to where he parks the 10 wheeler... busted up the hood a bit; new mirror, light, and some other tweaking work.

Another buddy forgot his phone in the morning, was about 1/2 hour from home, with nobody around... truck wouldn't start.

Me...

Last Friday I was doing pretty well cutting my lawns until 4:30 when the main drive belt went on the machine... had to bust my arse to get done. Yesterday I went with my guy to do a nice ornamental pruning job... get there, the job is done already. Her son (a customer as well) came over the weekend and did it for her. Went to look at a tree job yesterday for somebody else... got lost, took an HOUR to get back to where I needed to be. For the past 2 days, I've been working for people who usually pay right then and there if they're around... cash, sometimes check... but AWESOME payers, all of them... NOBODY's home!. Yesterday, we were all set up for ornamentals... a friend calls up, wants to know if I can stop by real quick and bang out his privet hedge. Get over there, get it done... he came out with a soda... "How much?" I told him $20 cash cause he's out of work right now... he gives me a check for $25. Probably cost me at least $10 in fuel to cash the darn thing.

I know it's not funny but i had to laugh after reading that.

 

[ropensaddle]

Well better day today not great but better, bid three more finished
guying job and went and finished another 800.00 for the two not
real good for two days but progress, and hour wise not really two
days so all good. Got two to bid when I can, most repeat customers
so things are doing better. Ordered the hard to find blue back alternator
be in tomorrow but got to grind stumps so may be next day! It is just
me and sometimes my wife and hire extra help when needed through
temp service so they cover wc! I am dreading the trailer but my weeds
are growing up ,so; I must take the 45 minute trip as soon as I can and
tack it up good to get home! Opps dern forgot got another big stump job
this weekend may have to get some nanny goats for the weeds.

 

[Blakesmaster]

I actually got a bit o' work done today too. 300 bucks for three hours, sold one job over the phone and pulled the old, "I'm here right now ready to solve all your shrubbery problems so you have a clean slate to start planting in the morning." dealy with the second job. Didn't make what I wanted but at least it's something. And it would seem my brother's on his way here with the new vinyl lettering for all 3 trucks. Hope the rain holds off long enough to attach them. I'll post some pics when they're all done.