Falling dangerous trees

[softdown]

Yesterday was the first time I did it for someone else. The homeowner had cut most of the trees without a lean toward the house. Guess I need to study dropping leaners away from the lean - they all wanted to fall with the lean no matter what I did. Except for the winch that is - the winch was used on all leaners and may have saved me when an aspen snapped prematurely before any wedging could be done.

One of his trees snapped last month in a windstorm and took out a nice carport built into the house deck. Appears to be riddled with very small holes in the core. Some type of termit? I think that also caused the premature aspen snap about 20' away.

It was a great day - pretty exciting and I get satisfaction from removing unwanted trees. The homeowner loved the peace of mind obtained from safely removing about 8 substantive leaners. Of course many others had to be falled to accommodate the leaners. Dropping the trees is ridiculously easy when there is no lean - of course.

I had no real idea what to charge - we met at a picnic the day before. A LOT of equipment was used. The trip was an 1 1/4 hours. The risk was very high. The wear and tear was substantial - stuff happens as a rule. Lunch was great, the company was awesome. Then it came time to name my price. I had enjoyed the day and I gained significant experience with dangerous trees. I quoted $300 for about 7 hours of very hard though rewarding work at 9700'. They insisted on paying $500 which I accepted knowing that the more experienced would have charged at least double that.

They left their vacation home and went back to Arizona today. But first gave me the key to their garage so I can safely store my hydraulic sawmill and maybe mill some good lumber if I can get around tuit. My neighbors both have proven histories of combing my lot for valuables. Then my ISP provider took out the tall electric fence with their ladders racks. Always something!

Pricing formulas for "dangerous trees"?

 

[capetrees]

any pics of the trees you took out?

 

[lfnh]

It was a great day - pretty exciting and I get satisfaction from removing unwanted trees. The homeowner loved the peace of mind obtained from safely removing about 8 substantive leaners. Of course many others had to be falled to accommodate the leaners. Dropping the trees is ridiculously easy when there is no lean - of course.

Disagree. There is no such thing as an easy tree.

 

[softdown]

any pics of the trees you took out?

Didn't think of that. Must have been 50 + items to load back in the truck. I was pretty elated at leaving the house standing while 1/2 surrounded with leaners. Part of me thinks I should take pics. The rest of me thinks:
1) Nothing really special about some felled trees. The standing leaners would have been of interest.
2) Pics contain coded address info - with plans to store a hydraulic sawmill there. Plus I just said the owners left. If it wasn't for that...

The garage is 27' inside. The sawmill is 26' 2" - yikes.

I remember you actually trying to help with the mulcher choice. That was - different. And appreciated. You recommended a dedicated machine as I recall. Makes a lot of sense if land clearing is the main business. Though the consequent need for a dually truck and very heavy duty trailer and CDL is of note.

I will also likely get an ~10,000 skid steer for tighter spots and skid steer general purposes. I can't use the 9' mulching head (dedicated machine) on much of the above property because it is laced with both live and dead trees. A real challenge.

 

[softdown]

lfnh -I see your point. Perhaps falling trees is a bit of a gift to me. I'd probably do it for $1/inch with no houses around. It agrees with me. Bucking is also fine. Branch clean up sux. Big chippers and excavators are also very expensive of course.

 

[northmanlogging]

since your scared of photos, take videos, that way when you do something real special we can all see it on YouTube.

 

[softdown]

since your scared of photos, take videos, that way when you do something real special we can all see it on YouTube.

Having been robbed several times/year I recognize that criminality exists.

Ingsoc is more interested in controlling and excising fiscal responsibility via labeling such interests as "extremist"

 

[northmanlogging]

Having been robbed several times/year I recognize that criminality exists.

Ingsoc is more interested in controlling and excising fiscal responsibility via labeling such interests as "extremist"

Sounds like you should maybe move, and re read 1984

 

[softdown]

Sounds like you should maybe move, and re read 1984

There is only Ingsoc. Damn shame on a "logging board".

 

[northmanlogging]

There is only Ingsoc. Damn shame on a "logging board".

I'd tell you to google "functional Literacy" but I think it would be lost on you.

 

[catbuster]

We like talking about logging and silviculture here. Not George Orwell or conspiracy theories.

Ooh ooh ooh at least I’ll post a picture of a new (to us) piece of iron I picked up. Still looking forward to seeing the mulching tractor.

 

[slowp]

We like talking about logging and silviculture here. Not George Orwell or conspiracy theories.

Ooh ooh ooh at least I’ll post a picture of a new (to us) piece of iron I picked up. Still looking forward to seeing the mulching tractor.

YES! There is an appropriate forum for that other stuff. Get out the can of Troll Be Gone!
I visited with relatives last week. The 4 year old was actually BELLOWING. Not typical 4 year old yelling, but a bellowing fit for a landing discussion. He was inquiring as to why a cable laying crew was not using their Escavater, which was parked nearby. He thought using the escavater would increase efficiency. He's part of The Next Generation and has a good start.

 

[catbuster]

YES! There is an appropriate forum for that other stuff. Get out the can of Troll Be Gone!
I visited with relatives last week. The 4 year old was actually BELLOWING. Not typical 4 year old yelling, but a bellowing fit for a landing discussion. He was inquiring as to why a cable laying crew was not using their Escavater, which was parked nearby. He thought using the escavater would increase efficiency. He's part of The Next Generation and has a good start.

I look forward to finding people in the next generation like him so I know my outfit will be in good hands once I’m ready to retire. Downshot is that excavator will flat out destroy about anything it will hook into. Thankfully we’ve not had anything befitting a landing discussion on this project yet.

Not moving back there, but still miss the woods.

 

[northmanlogging]

I look forward to finding people in the next generation like him so I know my outfit will be in good hands once I’m ready to retire. Downshot is that excavator will flat out destroy about anything it will hook into. Thankfully we’ve not had anything befitting a landing discussion on this project yet.

Not moving back there, but still miss the woods.

Hrm, perhaps I need to seriously think about hiring someone... Get me some snot nosed idealistic upstart, mold them into a fine specimen of a gyppo logger, the kind that questions all authority, including my own, can't stand still on concrete slabs, is genuinely curious about how things work... one can hope...

Problem is all the ones that use their brains are already doing work that uses their brains... leaving the knuckle heads that only know how to hit things harder.

 

[jpenney]

Yesterday was the first time I did it for someone else. The homeowner had cut most of the trees without a lean toward the house. Guess I need to study dropping leaners away from the lean - they all wanted to fall with the lean no matter what I did. Except for the winch that is - the winch was used on all leaners and may have saved me when an aspen snapped prematurely before any wedging could be done.

One of his trees snapped last month in a windstorm and took out a nice carport built into the house deck. Appears to be riddled with very small holes in the core. Some type of termit? I think that also caused the premature aspen snap about 20' away.

It was a great day - pretty exciting and I get satisfaction from removing unwanted trees. The homeowner loved the peace of mind obtained from safely removing about 8 substantive leaners. Of course many others had to be falled to accommodate the leaners. Dropping the trees is ridiculously easy when there is no lean - of course.

I had no real idea what to charge - we met at a picnic the day before. A LOT of equipment was used. The trip was an 1 1/4 hours. The risk was very high. The wear and tear was substantial - stuff happens as a rule. Lunch was great, the company was awesome. Then it came time to name my price. I had enjoyed the day and I gained significant experience with dangerous trees. I quoted $300 for about 7 hours of very hard though rewarding work at 9700'. They insisted on paying $500 which I accepted knowing that the more experienced would have charged at least double that.

They left their vacation home and went back to Arizona today. But first gave me the key to their garage so I can safely store my hydraulic sawmill and maybe mill some good lumber if I can get around tuit. My neighbors both have proven histories of combing my lot for valuables. Then my ISP provider took out the tall electric fence with their ladders racks. Always something!

Pricing formulas for "dangerous trees"?

I wouldn't charge less than 100 bucks an hour for something like that. Go look at insurance and bonding prices too, and look around your neighborhood to see what the going rate is - you don't want to screw up the market prices.