to bucket or not to bucket

[ROLLACOSTA]

Originally posted by MasterBlaster
I'll never argue that a bucket isn't quick, and quite efficient. But the original question was 'what you would start with'.
If you can afford to 'start' with a bucket, go for it. But most two or three people companies starting out can't afford that.
I still stand by my original 'hirearchy of needs' when it boils down as to what piece of heavy equipment to purchase.

trouble overhere is we have got a saturated market too many arbos and not enough trees...our rates simply arent going up..but anyway bucket go for it if you can afford it

 

[Greg]

If you get a bucket you have to focus on selling bucket work which is much more commercial. For residential work I think a bucket would help about 30% of the time. A bucket helps get the tree down, but not out. A chipper or loader truck will be much better to help get the job overwith. I use a loader truck on about 70% of my work and a chipper about 30% of the time. The loader is much faster most of the time, and my loader will take a pile of brush much larger than what would fill a 14yrd chip box. If you go the chipper route you need to think about size if you are doing a lot of commercial work (more trim than removal) a smaller chipper will be ok, but if you are doing a lot of removals a bigger chipper will reduce the amount of logs you need to haul off. A loader will take the brush and logs -- might be 2 trips on a big job, but you'd be dumping chips anyway. Another nice thing about the loader is that you can do work for other tree guys. I get about 3 jobs a week from other guys where I just show up at the curb and load the truck. 45 mins later I've got a check for $300 and I'm on my way (I can dump any amount I can stuff in my truck for $60 at a private recycle yard).
Greg

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

Originally posted by Greg
If you get a bucket you have to focus on selling bucket work which is much more commercial. For residential work I think a bucket would help about 30% of the time. A bucket helps get the tree down, but not out. A chipper or loader truck will be much better to help get the job overwith. I use a loader truck on about 70% of my work and a chipper about 30% of the time. The loader is much faster most of the time, and my loader will take a pile of brush much larger than what would fill a 14yrd chip box. If you go the chipper route you need to think about size if you are doing a lot of commercial work (more trim than removal) a smaller chipper will be ok, but if you are doing a lot of removals a bigger chipper will reduce the amount of logs you need to haul off. A loader will take the brush and logs -- might be 2 trips on a big job, but you'd be dumping chips anyway. Another nice thing about the loader is that you can do work for other tree guys. I get about 3 jobs a week from other guys where I just show up at the curb and load the truck. 45 mins later I've got a check for $300 and I'm on my way (I can dump any amount I can stuff in my truck for $60 at a private recycle yard).
Greg

could any of you post a picture of what you call a loader truck ..and a prentice loader oh and a truck crane ..thanks

 

[Koa Man]

If not buying new, you can get a much newer and better chip truck than you can a bucket for the same money. A chip truck with a knuckle boom crane is very nice. I sold my Altec material handler bucket when I gave up a hotel and a hospital contract, since most all of my other jobs could not really use/fit a bucket.
Now, if I had one of those spider lifts........OH YEAH! Fit thru a 36 inch gate, work on 28 degree slopes, be useful for 90% of my jobs.

 

[Abbershay]

When using the bucket truck as a crane you use the bottem part which is steel and very strong... everyone i have seen with a bucket truck uses their bucket in this matter saves a ton of cutting . It also allows you to make lumber out of the tree trucks.. winwin .

 

[MasterBlaster]

'Very strong' don't cut it.

Sure, you can do it. I've done it in the past. But unless you keep the load within the regular working limits, you're putting improper stress on nutz 'n bolts 'n sheet.
Doing this routinely would not be a good thing to do to your equipment. When I used to do that , it was with somebody else's truck. Abuse...

 

[a_lopa]

bucket or not

you should buy a decent chipper at least a 9 or 12 inch machine buckets are not neccesary in residentual tree removing only hedge triming and anyway you can hire a tower for a week solid and it would cost less than maintaining paying one off for a year i only use a tower about once a month ring around find out who will do you a good deal i get a day rate where i pick up and drop off truck this alows owner to do it cheaper as there is no wages 4 him

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

Re: bucket or not

Originally posted by aussie_lopa
you should buy a decent chipper at least a 9 or 12 inch machine buckets are not neccesary in residentual tree removing only hedge triming and anyway you can hire a tower for a week solid and it would cost less than maintaining paying one off for a year i only use a tower about once a month ring around find out who will do you a good deal i get a day rate where i pick up and drop off truck this alows owner to do it cheaper as there is no wages 4 him

if you need a bucket for hedges why wouldnt you need one for large removals ..if you had the room..buckets save time and earn $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[a_lopa]

depends on climbing ability and what staff you have,i personally think half the cost of a tower is advertising people want to see a big truck arrive to do the work but if you are starting out and can climb better off cheap towers can keep you working just to keep them on road diffrent strokes 4 diffrent folks

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

Originally posted by aussie_lopa
depends on climbing ability and what staff you have,i personally think half the cost of a tower is advertising people want to see a big truck arrive to do the work but if you are starting out and can climb better off cheap towers can keep you working just to keep them on road diffrent strokes 4 diffrent folks

we had report carried out in england by a govermant agency that showed tree work carried out in a hydraulic platform/bucket is 74% quicker..in germany 90%of tree work is carried out in a bucket ...i got the last arbor age and a firm had just bought a snorkel bucket ..16.5 meters...platforms and equipment in general looks exspensive down under..i do agree about chipper size 12 inch is a must..what type of trees do you work on???
species?

 

[rborist1]

:Eye:

 

[Koa Man]

That 74% quicker has to depend on the job. I seriously doubt a guy in a bucket can do a large tree takedown faster than me climbing if there is no rigging involved. (all free drop) The more rigging or tip pruning involved, the faster the bucket will be.

 

[Ax-man]

Originally posted by ROLLACOSTA
could any of you post a picture of what you call a loader truck ..and a prentice loader oh and a truck crane ..thanks

___________________________________________________

Go to www.treetrader.com ---- Plenty of pictures there.

Prentice is the name of the manufacturer who makes grapple ( clam) loaders for trucks. You probaly have the same equipment on your side of the pond, only we call it some thing your not used to hearing.

I would post picture, but am technically challenged, no scanner and haven't had time to play with digital camera to post any pictures.

This is usually MB's job, but in light of his recent promotion to live broadcasting, he is busy working on next Friday's script, and keeping his beard trimmed nice and neat. Just kidding MB, Fridays video, was a big hit keep it up.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I was pouting cause nobody's giving me no props over my first BIG saw.
But, I'm okay, I'll just look at my Orange Power Station...

 

[NeTree]

Originally posted by Koa Man
That 74% quicker has to depend on the job. I seriously doubt a guy in a bucket can do a large tree takedown faster than me climbing if there is no rigging involved. (all free drop) The more rigging or tip pruning involved, the faster the bucket will be.

I'm surprised you say that.

My experience has shown the opposite to be true.

Get a 6' stick saw, and you'd be amazed how fast you can tear a tree apart, with the increased work radius.

 

[a_lopa]

i totally agree that even if a few limbs need tieing off a climber will do the job quicker,i personally would rather climb up bomb limbs off without worrieing about a truck underneath,saying that thou a 40 foot versalift rear mounted on truck is quick for a take down but one man bucket and height restriction.on my crew it is a fight to climb not a right guys will put there climbing bag under tree b4 we start as they dont want to do clean up.im not a very hard boss but ive been round a bit and only hire the best they will climb a 100 foot eucy anyday rather than chip.also where is truck when up flat stick i think these british german figures regard line clearing along roadside,light trimming

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

give me a 22 meter tracked go anywhere [through a1.6 meter gate ] bucket and on a take down id thrash the worlds best climbers rigging or no rigging..and on avenues of trees well i think well say no more..i lkie a good climb as much as the next man but id rather just get on to the next job ..its bad enough batteling the weather..overhere and world wide time is money

 

[rborist1]

:Eye:

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

Originally posted by rborist1
74% quicker then what? I run multiple climbers on just about every job..............good luck in 1 bucket and 1 operator beating us in production.

if you run multiple climbers youve just agreed with me

 

[ROLLACOSTA]

Originally posted by rborist1
LOL whatever. How many companies use tracked lifts that fit through a 3 ft gate? Half the tree will be removed by a decent climber by the time you get that thing set up in the back yard. A climbing crew will be home for the night and the next day will you are repairing massive turf damage from a tracked machine.

im pleased our ancesters wernt all like you ..why bother with a wheel ..who needs matches when yove got 2 sticks