What equipment to buy next?

[ITC]

Hello all! I just signed up for this site tonight so I am very new.

I have been in business for about 5 years now and over the course of those years I started doing mowing and landscaping (so I have mowers and other tools for that) and pressure washing (tools for that) and more recently (last 2 years or so, with last year being full time w/ trees) I got into tree removal/trimming.

My question is what equipment to buy next. I have all the important basic stuff: I have all kinds of chain saws, pole saw, pole pruner, big shot, ropes and pulleys, spikes and harness and what other little important stuff I mostly have.

I'm thinking of what larger equipment to buy to clean up work site quicker and for the best value.
I also have 3/4 ton 4x4 truck with trailer
at one time I also had a 10 ton dump truck w/ chipper (don't have that anymore due to theft and other reasons)

So building from here.....

I am looking at buying a 16' dump trailer and build the sides up a little more and also add a winch to help pull logs up. after taxes, sides, tarp system and other stuff its $8,300 for that (but not counting the winch system, that will be added a little later).
which the dump trailer would be used for brush and logs, just everything piled in.
I'm a little concerned the sides might be too high? sides will be 4-5 feet i'm guessing plus the trailer being 1.5' off the ground? Too high of sides for throwing things over (I know I can walk stuff in or throw from the back, but that could be annoying?)

So for $8300 I can get a brand new piece of equipment that will be under warranty and doesn't have many parts to go wrong.

or I could invest in a cheap dump truck and cheap chipper, but then I have all old stuff and wont have a good system to haul logs.

Eventually I would love to have the dump trailer i'm wanting being pulled buy a pick up, and bucket truck ($35k) w/ chipper ($20k) Then further down the road invest in a mini track loader w/ grapple that loads up on the chipper (i've seen it done) and possibly a grapple truck even further down the road and grapple on a tractor or bob cat (bob cat a770)

So main question is dump trailer good next step or what do you consider?

 

[matdand]

Training...?

 

[ITC]

What do you mean by training?

 

[matdand]

You might want to invest in some training; climbing, safety, tree biology, proper pruning, safety, tree ID, PHC, safety. Just saying this because you said you're relatively new to the industry.

 

[ITC]

thanks, I am working on tree safety and training.

 

[BC WetCoast]

You say you do tree trimming, do you know how to prune properly and to ANSI standards? You talk about having spurs, but do can you spurless climb your prunes or do you spur everything?

Have you read tree biology and arboriculture books, or are you selling work to your customers based on by guess and by golly.

Do you know a hazardous tree or just accept the homeowner's "I'm scared" issue and offer removal service.

If you just want to be a removal guy, that's fine, then gear yourself accordingly. If you want to be an arborist and offer a complete range of services, then now is the time to expand your knowledge before you buy more equipment.

 

[ITC]

Yeah I do spur-less climbing and I am constantly trying to educate my self on trees. I was just at the library earlier this week. I also have two climbers working for me who I learn from also. One has been climbing for 25 years and he mostly does larger/dangerous take downs, and the other does more of my pruning and smaller take downs, he will be a certified arborist soon.

 

[PatiotAdam]

ITC, I like your questions and apparent motivation for expanding your skills. I am also new to the arborist field, we sound very similar. I too have had a lawn and landscape business for 15 years, and have done some simple take downs and pruning. When an entrepreneur decides to expand his skills and sellable assets, it is a tough road.

I started by buying the Arborists Certification Study manual, and the Tree Climbers Guide. I realized quickly that I also needed some one on one training. I could not even find training I could pay for. I live in the Dallas area, so that may be a regional problem. My friend has a climber who helps me, and I went and became his ground guy on a part time basis. However, he is very skilled and strong, and doesn't use complex rigging and laughs when I ask him about the procedures in the Climbers' Guide, so he is not going to be able to teach me things that he doesn't do, and he cannot give me his natural climbing strength.

I think I will be able to use him, as you are using skilled guys along the way. I think you're on a great path with educating yourself and not waiting until you know it all before you go get some of them trees..

Now my buddy who has a tree business knows almost nothing of climbing, and doesn't care to. He makes good money. His skills are in selling the jobs and getting the help to do the work. His advice to me was to spend your money on a truck - bucket or dump- because it legitimizes your business. Even if you pull a trailer behind it until you can afford a chipper. Sub out the stumps for a while, a good stump grinder is the last thing you buy because it pays the least per hour, and is seldom needed anyway....20k on a new stumper could buy half a used bucket dump, or nearly so. New BC1000xL chipper, 30K, or about $450per month if you get a loan for it. His advice makes sense to me, but everyone is different with different skills and desires.

BTY, ISA sells a good video set called "Introduction to Arboriculture". I have decided to go with a flat trailer instead of a dump for a couple of reasons...first, I live in a residential neighborhood, and storing the dump in the up position will bring unwanted attention from the city code people. Second, I do not like the height of the side rails for getting logs in, and at the dump, they charge only $15 for a pull off. I would have to have many pull off charges to come up to the difference in price ($2,500 or so). Also, being a landscaper still, the deck height of a dump is no bueno for unloading soil, grass, etc...or trying to get a loaded wheel barrow into a dump trailer, forget about it...

In the end, it is not going to be easy for either of us, Bring It, right? I'd rather set my sights a little out of reach than spend my days wondering if I could have done something....