whadja do today?

[treeclimber101]

Right now, I'm still feeling pretty beat. Half of it I'm sure is the winter hibernation needing to get beat out of me but half is the upper body deal. Climbing is more about your leg strength and overall endurance while cutting and chucking all day is all arms and chest. Just different muscles that need to learn their place. lol

Its like night and day on those hot 90* days and those cold winter days , I will take the truck where ever I can get it anymore , thats why I have them , I think you will appreciate what I am saying as you get older as well or have employees that climb or run the truck its just safer for them and a lot of piece of mind for you ...

 

[treeclimber101]

There is no climber alive that can match what a truck with a good operator can accomplish in a hr. a day or even a week but from one climber to another trucks and lifts have also opened the door for guys with less experience and balls to also take there share of work that youst to only be a select few ...

 

[ducaticorse]

It scares me a little to go over center sideways the truck just seems to make a lot of noises , you'll be happy with that Hi Ranger boom my buddy has one and loves it , I have the LR3 and the ALC booms and the ALC boom is my least favorite that I have ever owned ...

Hey Tree,
I just sold my LR3 and replaced it with a newer truck outfitted with an ALC 50-55. You're the first person out of all I have talked to to say they liked the ALC the least. Can you explain, I'd like to hear your thoughts purely out of curiosity.
Thanks!

And nice truck Chris!

 

[Blakesmaster]

Hey Tree,
I just sold my LR3 and replaced it with a newer truck outfitted with an ALC 50-55. You're the first person out of all I have talked to to say they liked the ALC the least. Can you explain, I'd like to hear your thoughts purely out of curiosity.
Thanks!

And nice truck Chris!

Thanks, Ryan. My main beef with the ALC personally was the over center issue of the upper boom. It just doesn't go as far. I forget the exact figures but they weren't small, think I sent you an email about it. Prior to getting my Highranger the only boom I flew was the ALC and from what I could tell, it was a good boom. I do like the pistol grip controls of the Highranger much better though. Much more intuitive.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Its like night and day on those hot 90* days and those cold winter days.

I can feel you there, 101, and obviously speed is a HUGE factor. Seeing the amount of work I can put down in a day now, compared to 1 week ago is pretty ####ing amazing.

 

[ducaticorse]

Thanks, Ryan. My main beef with the ALC personally was the over center issue of the upper boom. It just doesn't go as far. I forget the exact figures but they weren't small, think I sent you an email about it. Prior to getting my Highranger the only boom I flew was the ALC and from what I could tell, it was a good boom. I do like the pistol grip controls of the Highranger much better though. Much more intuitive.

I remember getting that email from you. There are things about the ALC that I like less than the LR3 too. Like the fact that you cant flip the top boom over both sides of the lower, also, I like the "heft" of the Altec better than the ALC. The ALC however is WAY more smooth than the LR3. All in all I think they are both good booms, but I do think will end up liking the LR3 better in the long run. I've just never heard otherwise from people until now.

 

[ducaticorse]

I can feel you there, 101, and obviously speed is a HUGE factor. Seeing the amount of work I can put down in a day now, compared to 1 week ago is pretty ####ing amazing.

Ahh, yeah.. Now you can outbid easier, increase production and in turn make more money... If you can afford a good bucket, DO IT. If you buy it right, it'll pay for itself in no time.....

 

[Blakesmaster]

Ahh, yeah.. Now you can outbid easier, increase production and in turn make more money... If you can afford a good bucket, DO IT. If you buy it right, it'll pay for itself in no time.....

Kinda struggling with that issue right now. I DON'T want to lower my prices but I keep looking at trees, like, "DAMN, that's gonna be a cakewalk with the bucket." I gotta rethink my bidding strategy a bit but I don't plan on coming too far off my normal price, simply because my overhead just got bumped up quite a bit. It'll be a learning curve, but I'm sure I'll figure it out.

 

[ducaticorse]

Kinda struggling with that issue right now. I DON'T want to lower my prices but I keep looking at trees, like, "DAMN, that's gonna be a cakewalk with the bucket." I gotta rethink my bidding strategy a bit but I don't plan on coming too far off my normal price, simply because my overhead just got bumped up quite a bit. It'll be a learning curve, but I'm sure I'll figure it out.

You have to look at it like this. Increased production=More work able to be done in the same amount off time=slightly lower prices than the other guys=more bids you will win=MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKET.

 

[ropensaddle]

You have to look at it like this. Increased production=More work able to be done in the same amount off time=slightly lower prices than the other guys=more bids you will win=MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKET.

Yeah or you could look at it like I got to keep this thing in the air to make payments insurance and tags,parts ,fuel,hydraulics lol it is easier than the big old gum I climbed today!

 

[ducaticorse]

Yeah or you could look at it like I got to keep this thing in the air to make payments insurance and tags,parts ,fuel,hydraulics lol it is easier than the big old gum I climbed today!

Buy em right, and take care of them good, you can reduce overhead considerably. The Bucket I bought last year paid for itself in 2 months, and I sold it this year for what I paid for it.... They're not too hard to convert into profit very quickly.

 

[ropensaddle]

Buy em right, and take care of them good, you can reduce overhead considerably. The Bucket I bought last year paid for itself in 2 months, and I sold it this year for what I paid for it.... They're not too hard to convert into profit very quickly.

Lol you guys have all the luck lol. I see what you get on trees there it don't happen here bro

 

[ducaticorse]

Lol you guys have all the luck lol. I see what you get on trees there it don't happen here bro

Sorry to hear that Rope... If it's any consolation, my cost of living is a wee bit higher where I reside, and doing tree work in the city of Boston can be a huge PITA.

 

[treeman82]

Today was a miserable continuation of yesterday.

Yesterday I started by dropping off 150 gal of waste oil for a friend's neighbor at a client's garage. From there I went to a job I started in December... there was 1 tree in that had fallen into a pond but by the time I was called to clean it up the pond had frozen over. So I did a bunch of other work there and got paid for the day. Went back yesterday morning to pick the tree out of the pond. Just a matter of hooking up the rope I tied off in December to the chipper winch cable. The guy's father was there and gave me $50, which was something I hadn't expected. Went to look at a few jobs later in the afternoon, 1 of them was for the guy's father, I got that one... $600 for 2 easy blue spruce that have to go. Also looked at some pruning that I was referred to by a friend who doesn't climb anymore, have yet to see on that one. Checked out a storm damage job that I was referred to by a lunatic that I worked for in February. Have yet to hear back on that. While I was there though I went to the loon's house to check on this stump that I am supposed to grind, but have access issues due to their property being VERY wet. The lady came out and we spoke briefly, and then I finally took off. Bid a red maple for another guy, have to see on that. Looked at some stumps for the HOA, one guy on the board cheaped out, however I have friends on the board who are overruling his decision. Looked at a spruce tree for a friend of mine, gave him a cheap price... he'll get back to me. Checked in with another good client about some stumps and dirt at his house. Got into a HUGE arguement with the people with the willow tree, so I lost that job... that guy's a "HOLY SCUM TURD!"?

 

[ropensaddle]

Sorry to hear that Rope... If it's any consolation, my cost of living is a wee bit higher where I reside, and doing tree work in the city of Boston can be a huge PITA.

Oh yeah Rodger that bro except cost part we are the most derned tax poor :rant: state I've been in lol but I love the country

 

[treevet]

Yeah or you could look at it like I got to keep this thing in the air to make payments insurance and tags,parts ,fuel,hydraulics lol it is easier than the big old gum I climbed today!

what kinda gums you got out there Rope? Tupelo/sourgum? Sweet gum. Sour gums got pretty big in Jersey when I lived there but not here. Sweet gums here and there get as big as any of the biggest.

Working on a deal to buy some land for firewood and maybe a mill and garage.

You guys that wish you had a bigger bucket would find it difficult to fit it in some places. Best set up is the small one first and then get the big one when you got some extra bucks. My 75 foot wh gets to some amazing places. No elevator just straight reach.

 

[treemandan]

The game was called on account of the rain so I drove towards the N. W. outskirts of Philly to the Morris Arboretum. Not a far drive, its just that dam expressway, in a rainstorm too!
I sat for a 30 minute lecture on EAB, interveiwed the speaker and met with the marketing director in regards to the article I am going to try to write.
I also met a couple cool folks and obtained the education directors contact info. He was there at the lecture but afterwards it disbanded quickly. Maybe it was me.
The lady who gave the lecture mentioned something about a bar. I also met a aimiable gent who ran a tree service with his son in New Jersey. We swapped cards, he said he would be badgering me shortly.
The arboretum has surely changed since I was last there over 10 years ago. I signed up as a member again so I could take my kid , they have some awesome stuff for kids.

 

[tree md]

Nice job Blakes.

Got two large prunes tomorrow and 3 small ones and one small removal. Two to fertilize. Then I have to prune my dad's ornamentals and do some phone business. Turning out to be a pretty busy week.

 

[tree MDS]

Kinda struggling with that issue right now. I DON'T want to lower my prices but I keep looking at trees, like, "DAMN, that's gonna be a cakewalk with the bucket." I gotta rethink my bidding strategy a bit but I don't plan on coming too far off my normal price, simply because my overhead just got bumped up quite a bit. It'll be a learning curve, but I'm sure I'll figure it out.

At first when I got my bucket, I planned on pricing the jobs as though I still had to climb them. I found it awful hard to stick to that though. I guess part of the reason for that is I know everybody else has one too, so they're gonna be looking at it pretty much the same way. I guess (for me) what it comes down to is how much work can you get done in "a day". The more you figure can get done in your "day", the more bids you can win. The problem I have alot of times, is growing a set of balls big enough to try and price the job as a "day and a half". I keep thinking I'm Super MDS or some ####. lol.

Hope that made some sense...

 

[treevet]

uh uh :confused2: