What equipment did you guys start with and what was your progression?

[TreeClimberKP]

Hey guys, been reading this board for a while, finally got a around to posting. Just wondering, what kind of equipment did you guys start out with? I'm referring to truck/trailer/chipper or whatever you used day one to haul away brush for your tree service. After using that for a while, what did you buy next? How long did it take to upgrade? Months? Years? I currently have a Dodge 1500 pickup and built up a 16' trailer for hauling debris, by hand. When I finally decide to go bigger and get more work, eventually i'll have to get something more efficient and figured to ask on here to see what y'all did. I was thinking upgrading to a 2500 diesel truck for more towing capabilities and possibly put a dump bed on it and purchase a cheap chipper. I don't want to use credit, but rather purchase everything cash, so cost is essential. Knowing your guys input would be great! thanks!

 

[Treepedo]

I suggest getting into a chipper as soon as you can.
It is instant validation to ho's and was what I noticed right away
as an improvement to getting more biz on the street.
Makes alot a noise and gets people excited and out the door
to get an estimate.
I started with and still have 12' landscape trailer and had to wait
over 10 yrs for my dump box due to the RopeArmor.
Used loadhandler prior to that and worked fine for me but the
dumpbox sure is a blessing.
i am fine with my2500 and ran with a Dakota for the first 10 plus yrs.
I guess it depends on the work you are going to sell.
For me it is mostly pruning and one removal at a time so it is a good fit.

 

[TreeClimberKP]

Right now I do residential trimming and small removals. Slowing easing myself into bigger jobs in hopes of becoming a full service tree company. Just starting from the bottom and working my way up! Im thinking a 2500 truck with a home made dumpbox and loadhandler would be the most cost effective next option, along with a whisper chipper although I really would rather save up for a 12'' infeed chipper

 

[isaaccarlson]

Chipper is BIG on the list. I hate hauling brush. I have lost more money hauling brush than doing anything else. There is always more than you think.
Dump bed is second on the list. I don't like shoveling, let alone both ways. The dump bed is cheaper than the chipper, but can be used to dump chips, wood or rocks/dirt to patch yards. I am working on plans for my own dump bed.

I have a 1991 f-250 that serves me well. Air spring suspension on the rear axle. I don't know how I did so much work without the air suspension. WOW!!! Put in a leveling valve and a compressor and you have an A-1 setup! It will always ride level even when fully loaded. I can put 9,000 lbs on the back of my truck and still sit level.

I use anything bigger than 2" for firewood(this is where the dump bed comes in handy), so a small chipper would serve me well for a while. Get the size above what you think you will need. I am still working on this part, so I ask the HO what they want to do with the brush, because I charge to haul it out. Luckily, most just burn it.

 

[miko0618]

on larger removals, I get dumpsters. I have people taking the chips so he charges me $125/load. one 15yd dumpster will do just about any tree chips wise. for smaller stuff I have a trailer or I use a box on my pick up. put a tarp in to start and every foot in depth of chips. I can unload the 4 yards of chips in 5 minutes. I got a 6" chuck and duck in good shape for $2500. it tows decent behind a 1500 truck. I have a list of people that come get the wood that I don't want. I try to haul and handle as little as possible. that means all I need is my gear, a pick up and my chipper. no dumping trips. no wood hauling trips. I started hauling EVERYTHING! man does it suck! you'll never understand the value of a chipper til you own 1. a big saw is a must too. taking 10 minutes to get through big logs adds up quick. I wouldn't set your budget too high. a 12" hydraulic fed chipper used is still going to be thousands. buy a used 395 or 660. don't skimp here. get a 90cc saw. my groundie has a 460 with a 25" bar. he can cut 18" logs as fast as my 395 but get him in big wood and its over. patience. keep working hard.

 

[isaacvent]

Skip the 2500. Buy a 3500 dump at a minimum. You have to consider the legal weight. A full load of chips plus all your gear and a chipper in tow is a lot of weight. They can be had inexpensively, and the older ones are easy to work on and parts are cheap and available. From that point you can rent a chipper until you have the cash to buy one. Also if its a small job, you don't even need a chipper, you can pile a lot of brush in there. A chipper is a big deal, as stated above. If you are will ing to do a little work and are handy with a wrench you can pick up an old chuck and duck for $2-3 k and it will serve you well. Mine paid me back 2 times within the first 5 months of owning it. Buy good saws, they are the backbone of the business. Buy a maasdam power puller, it is the most useful thing ever. It takes a while to get everything you need, don't be in a hurry and buy junk. Save up a little and get the good stuff.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

I started out with a old telephone company truck, and borrowed my friends chipper, and chipped into my dump trailer. What a PIA. Now i got more equipment then i know what to do with. Its a good thing when you need it, but it can be a PIA when you have to maintain all of it.

I would say a couple good saws, a truck to chip into that dumps, and a chipper should be high on the list.

How i look at buying equipment, is to look at what takes you a long time, that you are not making money on. They upgrade in that area to be more profitable. For example.

I do more removals then anything. I get alot of times the ho wants the tree removed, stump ground and the grindings removed, and topsoiled and seeded. I would do everything in one trip. I had a small Rayco RG1625A SJR grinder. I would have two guys standing around for hours on big stumps while i ground them out. I upgraded this last spring to a Carlton SpP8018 TRX grinder. I can now grind a stump that would have taken me 2 hours to grind before in 20 mins, if that.

Went out to grind this stump, and Ho left a 5' stump for me. Didnt have a saw with me so i did it anyway. Couldnt have done that with my little grinder.

 

[mckeetree]

I started 27 years ago with a 1980 F250, a little bit of gear, couple of saws, a 16ft trailer and a 1970 Chevy C60 with a 50ft. pittman hotstick. The main thing is, knowing what I know now after 27 years, there is no way in hell I would get in the tree business if I could go back in time and anybody else that wants to get in it either does not know what they are getting into or they are really, really, really out of options.

 

[imagineero]

The main thing is, knowing what I know now after 27 years, there is no way in hell I would get in the tree business if I could go back in time and anybody else that wants to get in it either does not know what they are getting into or they are really, really, really out of options.

It's not too late mate, and it's only going to get worse. Sell up and do something else ;-)

 

[mckeetree]

It's not too late mate, and it's only going to get worse. Sell up and do something else ;-)

It's pretty damn late in the game for me. If I can stick it out for about five more years I'm going to hang it up anyway.

 

[ducaticorse]

Hey guys, been reading this board for a while, finally got a around to posting. Just wondering, what kind of equipment did you guys start out with? I'm referring to truck/trailer/chipper or whatever you used day one to haul away brush for your tree service. After using that for a while, what did you buy next? How long did it take to upgrade? Months? Years? I currently have a Dodge 1500 pickup and built up a 16' trailer for hauling debris, by hand. When I finally decide to go bigger and get more work, eventually i'll have to get something more efficient and figured to ask on here to see what y'all did. I was thinking upgrading to a 2500 diesel truck for more towing capabilities and possibly put a dump bed on it and purchase a cheap chipper. I don't want to use credit, but rather purchase everything cash, so cost is essential. Knowing your guys input would be great! thanks!

POS Dodge 1 ton dump and a POS bandit 150 gas job. Pick ups are good for hauling gear and a trailer. No good for actual tree work unless your doing cut and leaves. Get a 1 ton dump and a chuck and duck chipper and get on with it.

Your questions on time/upgrading are completely relative to the individual.

 

[treeman82]

Started with a few pick-ups, F150, F250, 2500, and a 16' trailer. Got a dump truck as soon as I could afford one, F350, 3500, really saved my back and increased productivity. Rented or borrowed chippers until I had enough work to justify the cost of owning. Rented a brand new chipper to own, which had both its good points and its bad.

In my opinion, 1 ton dumps can always be found for a descent price, but be ready to work on it yourself, or have friends who can help you out.
On the other hand, a friend of mine has an F350 pick-up with dump insert. You could definately find a used 1 ton for less money, but if you want something smaller and less conspicuous, that might be the way to go, as you can put on a chip box whenever it's needed, and remove it when it's not. Typically a much more economical vehicle to drive than a dump truck.

 

[TreeClimberKP]

A 3500 sounds like it would be the best option since it would be my daily driver as well. Renting a chipper seems like a waste of money, what do they run for a day? I'm guessing $150-$200? Maybe more? I can't justify spending that if I would only save maybe an hour a day compared to hand loading and unloading a trailer.

 

[treeman82]

A 3500 sounds like it would be the best option since it would be my daily driver as well. Renting a chipper seems like a waste of money, what do they run for a day? I'm guessing $150-$200? Maybe more? I can't justify spending that if I would only save maybe an hour a day compared to hand loading and unloading a trailer.

Rental depends on your locale, but I've spent anywhere from $200 - $400 per day renting. For a small job, hand loading might be your best option (from a financial standpoint) but on a larger job, you'll save a LOT more than 1 hr by using a chipper.

 

[ATH]

Renting a chipper seems like a waste of money, what do they run for a day? I'm guessing $150-$200? Maybe more? I can't justify spending that if I would only save maybe an hour a day compared to hand loading and unloading a trailer.

I agree...especially if you have a dump trailer (much much less than a chipper). The only way a chipper really saves time compared to a dump trailer is if you are filling the thing up on a regular basis and having to take time to smash them down/make more room. Otherwise, throwing stuff on a trailer or feeding it into a chipper is the same amount of time. What I really want is a faster way to get brush from the back yard to the vehicle. A mini or articulated loader are pretty big additions, and they just about need a second truck which really increases the investment...but I tend to think that will increase efficiency more than a chipper vs. trailer???

 

[isaacvent]

A 3500 sounds like it would be the best option since it would be my daily driver as well. Renting a chipper seems like a waste of money, what do they run for a day? I'm guessing $150-$200? Maybe more? I can't justify spending that if I would only save maybe an hour a day compared to hand loading and unloading a trailer.

Yes, they are expensive to rent. Around here they cost me $250-$300 per day for a 12 inch capacity. Once I started spending $6-7000 on rentals in one season it was a no brainer to buy one. But, if you are doing a couple removals at a time you can easily cover the cost. Believe me its worth it. Go and do all your cutting and stage all the brush then come back a day or 2 later and do all the chipping. I can fit an entire 40-50 foot blue spruce in my one ton dump with the chipper. Without a chipper, its 4 or 5 loads on the same truck. If your pricing it well, 2 decent removals will justify a rental.

 

[imagineero]

I agree...especially if you have a dump trailer (much much less than a chipper). The only way a chipper really saves time compared to a dump trailer is if you are filling the thing up on a regular basis and having to take time to smash them down/make more room. Otherwise, throwing stuff on a trailer or feeding it into a chipper is the same amount of time. What I really want is a faster way to get brush from the back yard to the vehicle. A mini or articulated loader are pretty big additions, and they just about need a second truck which really increases the investment...but I tend to think that will increase efficiency more than a chipper vs. trailer???

Are you serious? Are you saying that a dump and a mini, are more efficient than a dump and a chipper?

Depending on the species, you can get between 8~15x the volume of brush into the same space with a chipper as compared to just loading the brush. It's a massive difference, it means that if you have only a 10 cube dump, loading brush in... if you had a chipper, 1 full truck load of brush would chip down to about 1 cube. Not to mention, that you don't need to slash it all up to make it fit, and you can easily get rid of the chips which saves money on dumping. Giving chip away often leads to more work also.

Shaun

 

[sgreanbeans]

I started with a 75ft 4x4 International Bucket Truck, 12" chipper, 14ft 7 ton dump trailer, Dodge 3500, 14' dump trailer, New Holland skidsteer with grapple and auger, 20ft. equipment trailer, F-Super Duty chip truck, F-250 with 8.5 western pro, with dump insert. 088,2-066, 020T, 044,036, 2-026,2-009, 2-019 and no clue! Why mess around, if ya going to do da stuff, go get da stuff to do it. Its only money.
Just kidding, I know its hard to build. I was fortunate (or screwed depending on how ya look at it) that I was almost fully equipped from the get go, when I got into this full time.
Wife's family bought the business from my conman cousin.........when they didn't know how to do it (snake oil salesman was involved) So I had to grab the bull by the horns and bail them out:bang: and things went from there. Straight jumped into the fire. I was supposes to be a Architect not a Arborist! Yes I know, its not too late! But for you OP..........GET OUT WHILE YOU STILL CAN!
I've tried and once ya get in deep, there is no return!

 

[isaacvent]

Are you serious? Are you saying that a dump and a mini, are more efficient than a dump and a chipper?

Depending on the species, you can get between 8~15x the volume of brush into the same space with a chipper as compared to just loading the brush. It's a massive difference, it means that if you have only a 10 cube dump, loading brush in... if you had a chipper, 1 full truck load of brush would chip down to about 1 cube. Not to mention, that you don't need to slash it all up to make it fit, and you can easily get rid of the chips which saves money on dumping. Giving chip away often leads to more work also.

Shaun

I agree here. A chipper is a better investment then a mini to start. A mini may be handy sometimes, but a chipper is always needed. Labor is cheap, drag the brush I say. You can't use a mini in someones yard if it is soft or wet, also there are times when you have to take a tree out thru a fence or over the deck around the pool. But, a mini may be handy for rounds on large trees at times. Im about to put a deposit down on a new 15,000lb dump trailer just for rounds. I think it will be easier to load by hand and it will free up the chip truck for just chips.

 

[ATH]

Are you serious? Are you saying that a dump and a mini, are more efficient than a dump and a chipper?

.....

I was asking if that was the case (note question marks). I would say it depends on what you are doing. I do a lot of pruning, and not many removals, so there are a lot of jobs where I don't even fill up a dump trailer. I'd argue that I got rid of the brush quicker than I would have had I brought a chipper along. For removals, there is no doubt this doesn't work...unless you have really big trucks.

There is a large firm in the state (think they run 12-15 crews) that owns one chipper...and he says the crews gripe when they have to use it. They load everything onto large dump trucks (20 yard truck pulling 20 yard trailer) with grapples and do it quicker than could be done with a chipper...but they spend more money on one of those outfits than a dump bed and chipper, so it is not a money savings investment - just pointing out that chipping is not the only way to go.

Of course, another wildcard is disposal. If nobody around takes brush, you have to chip.

Just food for thought. My point is, don't assume you have to have a chipper to do tree work. The point is doing the tree work. The brush is an inconvenient side effect of that, and a chipper is one efficient way to get rid of that. To me, doing good work has always trumped good disposal (not implying somebody who disagrees with me doesn't do good work...just saying that a guy who is just starting out needs to keep his expenses in balance with what he is trying to do).