Cash Discounts

[tree MDS]

Good point withthe attitude thing. The funny thing is any real actually good tree guys that I work with like on weekends and such-we get along great. Takes one to know one I guess. For what its worth I've been told that I can work with anyone-meaning its not me. That was good to hear anyway. I'm sensing a "New help might have to go #3" thread starting soon, lol. Lol, no just shoot me now! is it winter yet??

 

[highasatree]

In Ontario we have to charge 5% GST.(goods and service tax). There is not sales tax because we are only charging on the labour costs. Most of the cash money goes into buying fuel, and beer.

 

[Groundman One]

Do you guys have tax on tree work up there?

Sorry TMD, I didn't see this until right now.

Yes, we have taxes on everything. A 5% federal goods and service tax followed by a 7.5% provincial tax which also taxes the 5% federal tax. We tax taxes! Shmucks.

Hey look at the way I mispelled about... I didn't do it on purpose but since you are from Canada I will leave in your honor.

Honor is spelled honour up here.

Really, you are truly THE MAN. What's this? Groundman 1? Well ,right on. Just from the short time I have read you I have a picture in my mind of you and that picture is , well I guess it would bear the resemblence of some almighty figure which represnts the epitomy of what a GROUNDMAN looks like... I guess.

All groundmen look like me. Rugged, intellectual chick magnets.

Trust me, I wish I never started climbing, I know I would be much better on the ground cause I know exactly what to do and WILL do it... quickly. Now where in the heck is Groundman 2?

I'm glad I'm not a good climber. All the guys we hire as GMs want to climb to avoid carrying stuff. So they learn to climb, they buy gear, they realize they can't even come close to the two full time guys we have and they don't want to carry anymore, so they leave the company and do small-fry climbing jobs on their own part time. Meanwhile I just keep carrying and pounding the ground and my salary goes up every year. Ten-years later I make more as a groundman than most climbers.

GM2? Most of the time we don't have one. 75%+ our jobs can be done with myself and my climber.

 

[memetic]

"A little here, a little there..."

That's what I'm talking about.

 

[tree MDS]

Two guys on the ground is my general rule of thumb. Unless its pruning or something small. There are alot of obstacles and good sized trees around here, so I often have to use one guy to lower and another to pull a leader away from flowers or some crap. Plus I dont like cleanup all that much anymore really. Alot of times lately one guy will lower and the other will slap the winch cable on the but of a limb and lower it right in.

 

[memetic]

All groundmen look like me. Rugged, intellectual chick magnets.

Or maybe you look like all groundmen. It sounds like you're describing me. Maybe you look like me.

 

[pdqdl]

I don't know how you get by with only 2 groundmen. Most of our work requires 3-5 men to keep up with a good climber.

But then again, we have lots of back yard removals.

 

[tree MDS]

I don't know how you get by with only 2 groundmen. Most of our work requires 3-5 men to keep up with a good climber.

But then again, we have lots of back yard removals.

So do we. I have a forth guy called John Deere.

 

[gink595]

I got one helluva discount from my local small town friendly Bobcat dealer when I told him I was paying cash for my machine. It seemed as though he wanted to invite me over for supper and meet the wife and kids He told me afterwards it's about the only way they can stay in buisness, kinda sad really.

 

[Wortown Mick]

I don't know how you get by with only 2 groundmen. Most of our work requires 3-5 men to keep up with a good climber.

But then again, we have lots of back yard removals.

3-5 men to keep up with a good climber

What do you have a 300 foot drag?? Sounds to me like you need alturna mats or plywood to get that chipper closer. IMO if theres no crane around anything more than 2 men on the grounds innefficient. Bucket, climber, or otherwise.

5 men to keep up with a climber... unheard of. Even tight fenced in backyards need 2 guys.. one on each side of the fence, handing shouldered bundles of brush to the other if its super tight. If you absolutely cannot get the chipper closer maybe a third is in order, but certainly not a 5th. Kansas is flat too you dont even have an uphill drag to factor.

 

[tree MDS]

3-5 men to keep up with a good climber

What do you have a 300 foot drag?? Sounds to me like you need alturna mats or plywood to get that chipper closer. IMO if theres no crane around anything more than 2 men on the grounds innefficient. Bucket, climber, or otherwise.

5 men to keep up with a climber... unheard of.

Right! Payrolls gotta be a real hoe at that rate, lol.

 

[Wortown Mick]

I guess if your climber moves like a crackhead on meth, and theres no hazads letting everythin fly you could keep 4..maybe 5 guys busy but damn.
Thats like 6-700 an hour on the job

 

[skyhightree1]

No cash Discounts from me.. my job price is bottom line...

 

[Groundman One]

I don't know how you get by with only 2 groundmen. Most of our work requires 3-5 men to keep up with a good climber.

But then again, we have lots of back yard removals.

Two guys, experienced and motivated. Keep each other laughing. Know what the other guy needs and when he needs it without asking. Know the other guy's job so you understand his challenges and risks and headspace. Throw in good coffee, a lot of independence and good money, and you can handle almost any job without further help.

 

[treemandan]

Two guys, experienced and motivated. Keep each other laughing. Know what the other guy needs and when he needs it without asking. Know the other guy's job so you understand his challenges and risks and headspace. Throw in good coffee, a lot of independence and good money, and you can handle almost any job without further help.

I love this guy, I sure as **** do.

 

[memetic]

Keep each other laughing.

That's what I miss. My partner swears by Guatemalans. They sure do work hard, but I am bored as poopoo doing groundwork. Maybe if my Spanish was better. But, they should be at least trying to learn English. Seems like most are good guys, but they just don't care about learning English. When my wood guy sends a worker over to load his trailer it is such a treat. Not just because it is free labor, but because I have someone to talk to and joke around with.

About the cash discount, sometimes I get customers who ask if they can have a discount if they pay cash. I usually just take off 6%. It saves me a trip to the bank and I don't have to write checks for the workers for the job.

 

[pdqdl]

Ok, for all you super-duper groundmen, here is how I do tree work:

Small trim jobs, cleaning up small storm damage: chipper truck, climber & one groundman.

Medium trims & removals, easy work or more than 2 hours on site: bring two groundmen. Get it done quicker!

Bigger jobs, including all day at one site for removals, multiple trims, or technical work involving extensive roping and dragging: 3 groundmen. two to drag & chip, one to rope and do extra work. Add a truck to haul logs or swap into the chipper if volume is high. Make SURE you get done in one day.

Large removals: Add a Bobcat A300 to haul brush and logs to the truck. Why kill off the groundmen hauling 5 tons of wood?

Apartment complexes, land clearing, major projects: 2 climbers, 2-4 groundmen, not less than two trucks to haul wood/chips, A300 to move large volumes of wood, perhaps a rented aerial device to speed up the climbers. Add a tree shear, and bring along the 5603 John Deere tractor with the brush grapple to handle large volumes of trees, or long hauls to the brush pile.

Every project gets what it needs, guys. I'm not so dumb that I throw the same amount of people & equipment at every job we do.

 

[tree MDS]

Thanks for clearing that up pdqdl. Lol.

 

[memetic]

...perhaps a rented aerial device to speed up the climbers.

Like a helicopter? Isn't that a bit much?

 

[pdqdl]

Oh no. I like those mega cranes to just lower my climbers into the tree from 250' away. We just hate to slow down a tree trim by doing all that extra work to miss the truck parked beneath.