Ultimate Set Up for Residential Tree Work

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undercut

ArboristSite Operative
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I want to know peoples opinions on the ultimate set up for residential tree work.
Bucket trucks, manlifts, chippers, stumpers, cranes, what ever it is you think allows you to maximize profit and productivity. Include tools that have made your life easier that you couldn't live with out since you used them. I know there are endless combinations. I just want see different scenarios so i can brain storm and get my gears turning. It doesn't have to be a little or a lot of equipment, just what you think the most efficient set up is. I am talking climbing gear to tub grinders, a to z :)

Can't wait to see some ultimate set ups.

Thanks
 
here i go

i think #1 is a real good,safe,well educated & reliable climber. #2 a kicka$$ rope man that is top of my the list.:clap:
 
where you at in PA ill come do the rope for you i hung my spikes up and went to ropes. if you can work a rope you can get just about anywhere in a tree.
 
I agree with the climber, ropeman, and a good chipper/truck combo.

Once you get going and making some money, get yourself a bucket truck. The rear mounts are cheaper and are still worth their money in tight settings.
 
Chipper w/ winch, 40hp Kubota with forks and Farmi winch & The Wheeler log trailer.
 
thanks

I'll make a list but i want to see others lol

teupen 70 footer, 110 foot 30 ton hydraulic truck, small insulated bucket truck for working around lines 55ft plus. big international chip truck with a 12 inch minimum chipper with a winch, morbark vermeer ect. (what is the best medium size chipper anyway?) 40hp+ tractor with turf tires or aws a300 with grapple and bucket. good climber, ropeman, additional ground man quoter, office manager, mechanic, nice tri axle with a log loader, small deisel self propelle 4x4 high horse power stumper, large towbehind stumper. few acre lot with a 400hp tubgrinder, firewood processor, mulch bins, nice loader, timber wolf t-6 log splitter. some how i feel like i am losing effeciency here lol. Prius to quote, deisel 3/4 ton to tow stuff. rigging systems, ropes, rakes, blowers saws, t200 to a 3120 gear and more gear... god when is it gonna end.

Is a dump truck, chipper, good climber, and good rope man the most efficient way? Two, three, four man crew? What truely is the ultimate set up.. hmm
 
I think what works best is a mini loader, a 15 inch chipper with winch, good rope man, climber. A Grcs and and lots of ropes. You can get some very large pieces of wood great distances up or down if you think about your setup carefully.

Three people on a residental crew should be plenty unless your sporting a crane in your setup. If you keep it simple it works alot smoother
 
interesting

what kind of mini loader do you use in you set up? small equipment is much better suited for certian jobs. maybe the ultimate set up is a chain saw and a pick up truck. lol :)
 
To me the ultimate set up would be a circus full of trained monkeys (literally), that i could just turn loose on a job and have them do all of the work, then go back to their cages for after work bananas.:monkey:
 
what kind of mini loader do you use in you set up? small equipment is much better suited for certian jobs. maybe the ultimate set up is a chain saw and a pick up truck. lol :)

Mini Loader...well i get Tree Service magazine and started reading about the Mutli Trac Extreme Loader...which some of there units can still make it in a 36'' gate.

I like the Ram Rod mini skid steer...i have looked at Ram Rod, Boxer, Bobcat, Kanga...

I like Ram Rod the most then Kanga second.

All the companies excluding bobcat...have inner changing system for attachments. Ram Rod 1150 has the ability to carry the most..and full rubber tracks with supper low weight...on turf.
 
As for my ultimate setup...

Well of course a good climber, with 2 good groundsman who can run ropes an etc. GRCS, full line of Stihl chain saws...from 200t to 660s.

Then a Ram Rod mini skid 1150 taskmaster.

65 ft bucket/chip truck. Pulling a Bandit 200xp 12 inch chipper with 100 hp John Deere on it.

Stump grinder Bandit model 2800 self propelled with the 61 hp Cat diesel engine.

I think that would do it for me.

Canyon
 
I think it depends on what work you do. If you want to be able to do anything, some of the guys here with more equipment can clue you in. I do residential work 3 days a week as a second income. For me it is a good friend that can man the ropes for me, a BC625a, climbing saw(s) felling saw(s) pole saw and pole pruner (fiberglass multi-section, I prefer ash but don't have space for the long ones) ropes, slings, blocks etc. an Alpine Magnum, and yes........my pick up. I do mostly small removals, pruning, cabling and stump grinding. I firewood anything the chipper can't handle and use one of those roller tarps to empty the chips out of my truck. Don't forget insurance. I turn down the big stuff :)mad: ) but I own all my equipment and don't sweat it when the weather is bad or I want a day off because my only fixed expense is my insurance. Around me, this works well, I would like to step it up a notch and make it full time but right now it helps out with the bills (and helps me buy toys:cheers: ) so this is MY ultimate set-up.
 
nice fast

some times simple is better. I wonder what is more efficient a small chipper and an easy way to move logs, small dump with a grapple or skidsteer to load a trailer for example or a large chipper and that same equipment to move the big stuff. Is it more productive to get the trees down and chip more wood or to take it back and split it to sell as fire wood. I guess the only way is to keep trying different set ups and look at your profits. trial and error type of thing. It seems like you can get more work done just chipping large wood then getting on to the next job and making mulch later. Any one sell wood chips for fuel to power companies with those power generation furnaces? Any one think it is better to own or rent a tub grinder to make mulch versus firewood. Maybe just mulching softwood and splitting the hard wood. So the deal with attachments is that new holland, gehl, john deer and others are all universal with attachments and bobcat is different of did i get confused?
 
optimal setup

as far as making money with minimal tools/ equipment my setup seems to work well, although my back could use a tractor or skidsteer. I climb and I have a groundsman who does the ropes/ chipping/ cleanup etc. I have a F450 dump BC1000 12" vermeer chipper, Vermeer SC252 stumper, Stihl ms 200, 260 pro, 361, 056 and ms 880. ropes, port-a wrap and a ton of ropes etc. We chip the brush and load the wood on the truck. Big rounds get loaded on ramps. Wood gets split on the back of my property and then sold next year. Seems to work well and make good $ for now. I havn't passed up a tree yet because they were too big. Did a 42" maple and 44" hemlock this year. So thats it. My first post here on AS thanks for all the good info. Mike
 
Power companies are profitable if you have good access, a decent amount of room and very sharp chipper blades. They dont take chips that have birds nested, it gets caught in the equipment. Call around to the power companies and they should put you in contact with the drivers. The easiest way to do this would be to have your own front loader. They pay by the ton and you have to have a full load to get a good price.

Although, it is quicker money that firewood or mulch, less work for you as well.

Firewood pays for itself in most cases, it doesnt make a lot of money unless you do the splitting yourself on the weekends. I deliver and that is where you make your money. Charging for delivery and extra to stack the wood. Again, if you have some large moving equipment it will save your back.

:greenchainsaw:
 
Ultimate setup? Depends on what type of residential work i'm doing. Usually we are on removals-an excellent climber, a good rope man, groundies who aren't afraid to hump. Lots of rope, lots of blocks, big saws. Big chipper with a winch, and a big chip truck(so you don't have to keep running to dump.) And a big dump with a prentice.
 
my ultimate set up would be a frontmount log truck with the sides all steeled up with an open end and a winch. just load brush right in and put the logs on top. and for a chase vehicle a 1 ton with the tool box setup with a very well equipped rigging bag, ropes, and saws from climber to stumper. and a couple poles along with the big shot. and of course all the tools needed for field maintenance.

no chipping mess to clean up with this set up but you would need to somewhere to get rid of the brush.


oldirty
 
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