mike515
ArboristSite Operative
I bet it would still lift it if it were red oak. That's a sweet machine!
whadja do today?
- Thread starter treevet
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I bet it would still lift it if it were red oak. That's a sweet machine!
treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
I think I made the right move with the dump body. That boom is 31’ 6” too, so it still has good reach compared to a shorter one mounted behind the cab. All part of my MDS master plan lol. And yeah, it nice just pulling the lever and dumping instead of climbing up on the thing, setting the outriggers and all that.
Climbed up a decent size pine and topped half of it. More confident everyday.
Spending time with friends at the golf course!
How did it go when you submitted your bid? Hear back yet?
gorman
Addicted to ArboristSite
I picked one of these today to help with streamlining z rig or rad systems and I noticed that Petz has now “appropriated” the I beam construction that DMM has been using for years.
mike515
ArboristSite Operative
I did hear back from him on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon. He said they hoped to make some decisions by the end of the week but I haven't heard anything since then. He asked me about a couple of things their lawyer wanted to know about contractual language so that made me think they are planning on some type of contract with us. He also had some questions about what I was expecting the work to entail. I definitely got the feeling that we got underbid but he may be trying to frame it (to the board) that we are charging more but they are also getting more....which they are. So that's where we are. I've done the best I could do and I'm prepared to walk away if that isn't good enough.
mike515
ArboristSite Operative
Got a contract today. Looks like they backed off the lump sum idea (at least for us) and are staying hourly. I have a few things to clarify but it looks like we're moving in the right direction.
I was also doing some climbing training with some guys today. While having lunch, one of the guys was talking about an old boss he had that acted like she was above everyone else, yelled at people, assigned the crap work to everyone "below" her, etc. I casually said that I do whatever needs to be done if I'm on the job site. I'll rake, chip brush....whatever.....I just do it to help get it done. The same guy said "That's why I respect the hell out of this company and love working here!" So that was nice.
I was also doing some climbing training with some guys today. While having lunch, one of the guys was talking about an old boss he had that acted like she was above everyone else, yelled at people, assigned the crap work to everyone "below" her, etc. I casually said that I do whatever needs to be done if I'm on the job site. I'll rake, chip brush....whatever.....I just do it to help get it done. The same guy said "That's why I respect the hell out of this company and love working here!" So that was nice.
Killing it MDS!!
That’s Mr. Plywood to all us Peasants [emoji23][emoji12]
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Oh, stop!!
treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
That plyboard doubles in weight with ice on it :-(.
These things are just so easy even Mrs. MDS could use one....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAETzk5bYJY
These things are just so easy even Mrs. MDS could use one....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAETzk5bYJY
treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
Why can't you link youtubes anymore?
treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
nevermind
Sorry. It was an EAB death. You’re just the undertaker
Also: It was a beautiful day
Also: It was a beautiful day
mike515
ArboristSite Operative
What did I do today.....
So if anyone is still interested in knowing how our LC contract worked out.....I finally had a chance to talk this out with them. I only bid 3 out of 9 subs. I got beat on all 3 subs (which I expected but he said I wasn't too far off). The same large(st) company got all 9 subs but only the trimming (not removals?). That company's name starts with an A. But he told me that the reason this is happening has nothing to do with us. He said we aren't the problem at all. The other company was always skipping stuff and now they aren't going to be paid for subs until they are completely inspected and everything is done.
But for us....we are going to be paid hourly. We will be doing work orders, outages/emergencies, new construction and rebuilds and removals. So that's all fine because we've always been the guys they send out on all of that stuff anyway because they know they can just give us a sheet of paper and forget about it and we will make sure everything gets done the right way (again....office people). We will also be going back to get to lines that got skipped or missed in the past and there are plenty of them. So this really worked out to be the best I could have hoped for. We have been their go-to guys for a lot of years so I was going to be surprised if they just cut us free.
One issue that I think hasn't been completely resolved is that we are supposed to be doing all of this stuff plus (I think) the removals on the 9 subs. It would be really easy for the other guys to just skip all the hard stuff (that's what they do) and say it all needs to be removed so we have to do it. But I'm not going for that if they try it. For one thing, I know many of these customers and it would be just as easy for me to talk them into refusing removals as it is for me to get them to agree to removals. Then they can go back and climb and trim. Second, they don't get paid until the sub is done. We get paid by the hour and have a lot of other more important things to do. So...maybe we get back to your lines so you get paid or maybe we are busy with other spots and you have to do it yourself if you want to get paid at all. But I don't really care because we get paid the same amount whether we are in the air, raking yards or hauling logs or doing their heavy lifting .
I'm pretty pleased with this right now. Our LC guys go back out starting on Monday and I hope to be getting them new equipment by the end of the month. I was waiting on new equipment until I saw how this all worked out. I'm glad I didn't give up on this contract. I definitely have my hands full between our LC guys, residential guys and tree sales but I enjoy keeping my brain busy all the time. I'm the kind of person who thrives in chaos and I love that much more than not having much to do.
So if anyone is still interested in knowing how our LC contract worked out.....I finally had a chance to talk this out with them. I only bid 3 out of 9 subs. I got beat on all 3 subs (which I expected but he said I wasn't too far off). The same large(st) company got all 9 subs but only the trimming (not removals?). That company's name starts with an A. But he told me that the reason this is happening has nothing to do with us. He said we aren't the problem at all. The other company was always skipping stuff and now they aren't going to be paid for subs until they are completely inspected and everything is done.
But for us....we are going to be paid hourly. We will be doing work orders, outages/emergencies, new construction and rebuilds and removals. So that's all fine because we've always been the guys they send out on all of that stuff anyway because they know they can just give us a sheet of paper and forget about it and we will make sure everything gets done the right way (again....office people). We will also be going back to get to lines that got skipped or missed in the past and there are plenty of them. So this really worked out to be the best I could have hoped for. We have been their go-to guys for a lot of years so I was going to be surprised if they just cut us free.
One issue that I think hasn't been completely resolved is that we are supposed to be doing all of this stuff plus (I think) the removals on the 9 subs. It would be really easy for the other guys to just skip all the hard stuff (that's what they do) and say it all needs to be removed so we have to do it. But I'm not going for that if they try it. For one thing, I know many of these customers and it would be just as easy for me to talk them into refusing removals as it is for me to get them to agree to removals. Then they can go back and climb and trim. Second, they don't get paid until the sub is done. We get paid by the hour and have a lot of other more important things to do. So...maybe we get back to your lines so you get paid or maybe we are busy with other spots and you have to do it yourself if you want to get paid at all. But I don't really care because we get paid the same amount whether we are in the air, raking yards or hauling logs or doing their heavy lifting .
I'm pretty pleased with this right now. Our LC guys go back out starting on Monday and I hope to be getting them new equipment by the end of the month. I was waiting on new equipment until I saw how this all worked out. I'm glad I didn't give up on this contract. I definitely have my hands full between our LC guys, residential guys and tree sales but I enjoy keeping my brain busy all the time. I'm the kind of person who thrives in chaos and I love that much more than not having much to do.
Sweet deal. Trying to figure out where the "magical cow kingdom" is!
treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
I personally would rather NOT work on an "hourly" basis. It makes people feel compelled to watch you. Tree work is a job of surges in effort with periods of recovery or reorganization or organization and sometimes people don't understand that lag period. Often clients will say to me that everything was quiet and nothing appeared to be getting done and then BAM...everything went flying and blasting and WOW...it was all done. I hate being watched for production...love being watched for proficiency and expertise.
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