Man they cost a lot to rent

[STLfirewood]

I went to look at 3 big trees to take down. The biggest was a cotton wood tree. It is 7ft DBH. I checked into renting a 100ft man lift. One place wanted $1275 for the day. Another wants $1075. That is dropped off and picked up. I had no idea they were so much to rent. I'm glad I didn't bid the job before I called. I was thinking they would be around $700 at the most. Is this price inline with other areas.

Thanks Scott

 

[Wolfking42084]

that sounds high. We got a 100ft lift for 650 a day, and hauled both ways(35miles). It was a life saver though.

 

[motoroilmccall]

If your picking it up and dropping it off it'll be much cheaper, that way they don't have to pay a guy to drive it out, waste fuel, put wear and tear on the vehicle, and so on. That alone would probably chop off at least $200, probably closer to $350.

 

[STLfirewood]

I have never done a tree that big. I won't be the one working the boom. The person I hire has been doing it for years. I won't take on work I don;t feel comfortable with. I am actually meting with another tree company to try and sub the take down to them. By the time I rent a boom and pay my contract climber it might be cheaper to hire them. Main problem is if I misjudge the time it takes and have to pay for another day of boom lift it's $850. That's a big misjudgement.

Scott

 

[A. Stanton]

STL,
I too am amazed at the prices to rent these suckers. I was looking at renting one to redo the crown on my chimney. I use the battery/hydro one to clean my chimney. It's a $170 for 4 hours. I trimmed some trees also when I had it.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I checked into renting a 100ft man lift. One place wanted $1275 for the day. Another wants $1075. That is dropped off and picked up.

Do you think a crane could get 60-75 feet from it? It may pay to have a company look at it if your climber has worked with them.

 

[tree MDS]

Good question Jps, a crane and climber sounds safer to me, I could'nt immagine being up a hundred feet in one of those contraptions-F that I'd rather climb it with a crane.

 

[coolbrze]

That is a GINORMOUS tree - be careful! A man lift goes for $650/day here in VA, but I forgot to ask my buddy what size...

 

[Canyonbc]

Sounds about the same here..

Called them once to see what it cost for reference...

Takes some special equipment to deal with a 7 ft DBH...no 441 of mine will be going through that successfully.

 

[Ghillie]

Good question Jps, a crane and climber sounds safer to me, I could'nt immagine being up a hundred feet in one of those contraptions-F that I'd rather climb it with a crane.

We do it with a climber and a crane. We just priced an oak at the same height .

Our crane goes 75'. We figured riding the crane and climbing the rest. Rigging the limbs down to where the crane could reach them.

I'd rather be hanging from a rope that high also. Just something that I am more comfortable with.

Fred

 

[juststumps]

that sounds high. We got a 100ft lift for 650 a day, and hauled both ways(35miles). It was a life saver though.

If your picking it up and dropping it off it'll be much cheaper, that way they don't have to pay a guy to drive it out, waste fuel, put wear and tear on the vehicle, and so on. That alone would probably chop off at least $200, probably closer to $350.

not for nothing,, a 80 FT genie lift comes in at about 39,000 pounds.. a 100 FT one , comes in at 44,000 pounds...i don't know how you just go to the rental yard and pick it up..... unless you have a SEMI ....

for some reason the boss rented a 50 FT lift on a trailer,,, thats as big as they come... $350/day ,,, you pick it up...

 

[echoman8]

Cottonwood godzilla

Yea, you gotta big one. Those cottonwoods branches have the nasty habit of breaking quick rather than easing down like a mulberry.

Good luck, be careful

de

 

[STLfirewood]

Well I found out this week that I got the job. I'm hiring another company to put it on the ground for me. Kind of pricey but worth it not to have to worry about bringing them down. I also had to get a performance bond for he job. Man the bond company wants everything but your first born. So monster cotton wood here I come. The best thing about the job is that all the material goes to their tub grinder 100 yards away. Make for a cheap fuel bill hauling that much material.

Scott

 

[460magnumMOD]

Big jobs like that we hire in a crane. My boss has been climbing with this particular crane guy for a while. man they are smooth together. The crane and operator is something like $1300 for the day. It reaches up about 145' and when you pick a piece, it gets lowered right to the back of the chipper. But you better have a big chipper and bring your A game as a ground guy if you want to keep up with a crane.

 

[WolverineMarine]

I hate to sound stupid..but what is DBH?

 

[gr8scott72]

I hate to sound stupid..but what is DBH?

Diameter, breast heigth. (That way you're not measuring the root flare.)

Don't worry. It took me awhile to figure that one out also.

 

[Wolfking42084]

I think the one we got did weigh 21tons. A tractor and low boy to haul that. I have nothing that big. It was 4x4 but being so heavy, you have to watch where you take it. Only downfall, but i understand why, is that it will automatically shut down if it gets on a slope over 5 degrees any direction.

 

[460magnumMOD]

I also had to get a performance bond for he job. Man the bond company wants everything but your first born.

Scott

What is the bond for? I'm kinda new to the business end of things and am trying to learn as much as I can. Was that needed to sub out the other company?

 

[STLfirewood]

The city requires that anyone that does work for them be bonded. Which is kind of goofy for this job because they are not paying anything up front. The performance bond pays them if I don't perform. They are used a lot in construction. If guarantees that the contractor does not ruin off with your money. It was a pain in the ass. They wanted a ton of information.

Scott

 

[460magnumMOD]

The city requires that anyone that does work for them be bonded. Which is kind of goofy for this job because they are not paying anything up front. The performance bond pays them if I don't perform. They are used a lot in construction. If guarantees that the contractor does not ruin off with your money. It was a pain in the ass. They wanted a ton of information.

Scott

That makes sense. Especially in construction, there seems to be alot of crooks around here. I didn't do any work for towns or cities when I did construction work. Only residential, and they never required bonds. Its something good to know about though. Thanks for the info.

Andrew