x mas lites

[juststumps]

last week i had to put lites on a tree,, of course it was next to the power lines... 25 strands, 28 ft long, 700ft... they are 2 strand short to finish the tree...ground level, people will get 2 more strands and finish job...

get in this morning,,have to go back,, something wrong.. customer plugged the strands in the wrong way , took a male end and piggy backed it on the new strand, ending up with a female plug at the power source... clueless !!! quick fix..

go to next job, got pulled to do another lite job... of course it is next to the power lines... 16-20 100ft strands... got 8 up today, looks more like the full 20 strands 2000ft...

does anyone like doing this ?

got 10 man hrs on the first job, 10 on the second job so far.... have to go back in the am.

i hate it, bah humbug !!

 

[Slvrmple72]

Where's your holiday spirit?

 

[arbor pro]

I spent 4 1/2 hours with the aerial lift last week stringing 4000 lights on a 40' spruce. Did it in the evening so the air was crisp and chilly but sure was pretty seeing the results when finished. The strands were spaced about 10" apart so it looked just like a big christmas tree.

I don't mind doing christmas lights when my toe and hand warmers are doing their job to keep my toes and fingers from going numb. It's not much fun handling lights when your fingers are aching but when they're warm, I rather enjoy it - and the money.

 

[John464]

always thought of advertising for this so I can keep a few extra guys busy. Never really thought it was profitable, is it? I mean how much can you charge? Ive done it at my own house before once. Never did it again since it took much longer than I thought.

Say you spend a whole day doing 30-50ft trees. With two men, and an aerial lift. How much are going to charge?

 

[Saw Bones]

last week i had to put lites on a tree,, of course it was next to the power lines... 25 strands, 28 ft long, 700ft... they are 2 strand short to finish the tree...ground level, people will get 2 more strands and finish job...

get in this morning,,have to go back,, something wrong.. customer plugged the strands in the wrong way , took a male end and piggy backed it on the new strand, ending up with a female plug at the power source... clueless !!! quick fix..

go to next job, got pulled to do another lite job... of course it is next to the power lines... 16-20 100ft strands... got 8 up today, looks more like the full 20 strands 2000ft...

does anyone like doing this ?

got 10 man hrs on the first job, 10 on the second job so far.... have to go back in the am.

i hate it, bah humbug !!

As long as you're getting paid its just another day in the great outdoors.
It sure beats working behind a desk. Enjoy the ride. Ho ho ho Meeerrry Christmas.

Also good Customer Relations if you work it right.

 

[arbor pro]

always thought of advertising for this so I can keep a few extra guys busy. Never really thought it was profitable, is it? I mean how much can you charge? Ive done it at my own house before once. Never did it again since it took much longer than I thought.

Say you spend a whole day doing 30-50ft trees. With two men, and an aerial lift. How much are going to charge?

I charge the same hourly rate for labor and equipment as I do for tree work. Since I'm not using saws, rigging gear, etc, I only charge $50/hr for labor vs the normal $65/hr which includes a fee for small equipment (saws, rigging gear, etc). Add $50/hr for the aerial lift and it's $100/hr.

 

[juststumps]

always thought of advertising for this so I can keep a few extra guys busy. Never really thought it was profitable, is it? I mean how much can you charge? Ive done it at my own house before once. Never did it again since it took much longer than I thought.

Say you spend a whole day doing 30-50ft trees. With two men, and an aerial lift. How much are going to charge?

i get paid by the hr,, so work is work... i hate it !!!!! me and my guy got sent out on this tree... 2000 FT of lights... 26 man hours....in house landscaper set up the job... in house care taker showed up and asked, why we are decorating that ugly tree,,, it should be cut down and replaced !!!! 50 ft blue atlas cedar , really not a good looker...

just found out i have to go back to the other job, because there is another problem...

 

[Greenleaf]

We charge by the strand for light installation....profits can be really good if you are in the right market.

 

[arbor pro]

I spent 4 1/2 hours with the aerial lift last week stringing 4000 lights on a 40' spruce. Did it in the evening so the air was crisp and chilly but sure was pretty seeing the results when finished. The strands were spaced about 10" apart so it looked just like a big christmas tree.

I don't mind doing christmas lights when my toe and hand warmers are doing their job to keep my toes and fingers from going numb. It's not much fun handling lights when your fingers are aching but when they're warm, I rather enjoy it - and the money.

Another customer saw the aforemention tree this week and was impressed. Now he wants me to do the same thing to his tree this Thursday evening. Temps are supposed to be in the single digits with windchill below zero. Brrrrrrrr. I can keep everything warm with heavy clothing except for my fingertips. I need small gloves to handle the lights.

Anyone have any suggestions (other than hand warmer packs) for keeping fingertips warm when heavy gloves or mitts are not an option?

 

[treeslayer]

this might be kinda hard on your lift, but working as an electrician, we used to run an extension cord up, and hang an incandescent 100 watt bulb (or higher) on the rail. we would be working outside all day or night, and cold is a big issue.
makes a really good hand warmer with thin gloves, just wrap your hands around the bulb.

 

[arbor pro]

this might be kinda hard on your lift, but working as an electrician, we used to run an extension cord up, and hang an incandescent 100 watt bulb (or higher) on the rail. we would be working outside all day or night, and cold is a big issue.
makes a really good hand warmer with thin gloves, just wrap your hands around the bulb.

That would also provide a rather nice working light considering that I will be installing the christmas lights in the evening! I've been using a small cap-mounted led light like those you use for fishing or hunting. Since my towable genie lift is already wired for 110v, plugging in a heat bulb or 100w outdoor bulb at the basket would be very easy to do. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Rookie1]

I work for a small village in the shop and love my XM radio, they are playing Christmas music all day till Christmas. The crew that hangs the lights on all the towns buildings,trees and shrubs hate me for playing it. They for sure arent happy doing it. So I can see your bah humbug attitude must be common in light hangers.:blob4: Hey we need some Christmas smileys

 

[B-Edwards]

I've been doing this for years now using my bucket. I still do it even though I closed my tree biz. I charge just like I would by the hour for any bucket work. I wanted to ask how you guys attach the lites to the tree? I use bread ties and they seem to work pretty good so as not to cut into the limb or branch. I think there is a better way and would love to hear any suggestions you might have. Thanks

 

[arbor pro]

I worked for about 4 1/2 hours last night stringing another 3500 lights on a spruce tree. Cold as all get out but I actually stayed marginally warm by plugging in a heat bulb with reflector shield at the basket of my genie towable boom and clamping it on right by the controls so that, every time I put my hands there to move the boom, they got a quick dose of heat. It worked brilliantly! Thanks treeslayer for the idea. It enabled me to wear the thinner gloves that are needed for unwrapping, untying and placing lights without freezing my fingers off.

Only problem with this setup is that a couple of times, I found my gloves smoking a bit from accidently getting to close to the bulb. Acutually got some very very hot hands at times in near zero degree weather!

 

[BC WetCoast]

What about a small infrared heater?

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I saw on the news this morning that there is a huge increase in hospital visits because people who were paying for the service area going DIY this year.

 

[Dadatwins]

Another customer saw the aforemention tree this week and was impressed. Now he wants me to do the same thing to his tree this Thursday evening. Temps are supposed to be in the single digits with windchill below zero. Brrrrrrrr. I can keep everything warm with heavy clothing except for my fingertips. I need small gloves to handle the lights.

Anyone have any suggestions (other than hand warmer packs) for keeping fingertips warm when heavy gloves or mitts are not an option?

Try the atlas insulated gloves, similiar exterior to the blue atlas but have an insulated liner. Not as much bulk as some other gloves.

 

[arbor pro]

Try the atlas insulated gloves, similiar exterior to the blue atlas but have an insulated liner. Not as much bulk as some other gloves.

That sounds about like what I wear when doing lights - except black in color. Got them at a farm supply store for about $4 a pair. That rubber grippy material gets hot quickly though when you put it too close to a heat bulb!

 

[juststumps]

last week i had to put lites on a tree,, of course it was next to the power lines... 25 strands, 28 ft long, 700ft... they are 2 strand short to finish the tree...ground level, people will get 2 more strands and finish job...

get in this morning,,have to go back,, something wrong.. customer plugged the strands in the wrong way , took a male end and piggy backed it on the new strand, ending up with a female plug at the power source... clueless !!! quick fix..

go to next job, got pulled to do another lite job... of course it is next to the power lines... 16-20 100ft strands... got 8 up today, looks more like the full 20 strands 2000ft...

does anyone like doing this ?

got 10 man hrs on the first job, 10 on the second job so far.... have to go back in the am.

i hate it, bah humbug !!

i get paid by the hr,, so work is work... i hate it !!!!! me and my guy got sent out on this tree... 2000 FT of lights... 26 man hours....in house landscaper set up the job... in house care taker showed up and asked, why we are decorating that ugly tree,,, it should be cut down and replaced !!!! 50 ft blue atlas cedar , really not a good looker...

just found out i have to go back to the other job, because there is another problem...

UPDATE: find out my GUAT, put all 25+2 strands together, end to end.. fuses started popping ...told people to go to the store and get some fuses, i'll fix it... call when you get them...

go in this AM ,, get a work order to take the lites down ( wife ((not bad looking older bird)) was all excited about the lites) (hubbys ill father died over the weekend) so, F the lites , no time to go fuses... went there in the AM to take the lites off...

had 5 strands popped.. figured out it was easier to make it work, than take them down... so now they have 22 strands, all sloppy,, but the tree is lit..they can fix the blown 5 strands and finish the bottom at thier leisure..

she was happy... DID MY GOOD DEED FOR THE MONTH !!!! try to do one a month,,, usually on the first, so i can by a prick the rest of the month...DAMN 8 days late !!! LOL

 

[treemandan]

UPDATE: find out my GUAT, put all 25+2 strands together, end to end.. fuses started popping ...told people to go to the store and get some fuses, i'll fix it... call when you get them...

go in this AM ,, get a work order to take the lites down ( wife ((not bad looking older bird)) was all excited about the lites) (hubbys ill father died over the weekend) so, F the lites , no time to go fuses... went there in the AM to take the lites off...

had 5 strands popped.. figured out it was easier to make it work, than take them down... so now they have 22 strands, all sloppy,, but the tree is lit..they can fix the blown 5 strands and finish the bottom at thier leisure..

she was happy... DID MY GOOD DEED FOR THE MONTH !!!! try to do one a month,,, usually on the first, so i can by a prick the rest of the month...DAMN 8 days late !!! LOL

I think you can only put so many starnds together before you need to use another power source. That is why the fuses pop.