Am I a wuss?

sawinredneck

Treehouser
Joined
Mar 24, 2006
Messages
8,527
Location
Kansas
Went to look at the "Just show, no bid" job just to CYA. Well it looks like the gas line runs under it and they want the stump out so I am calling Dig Safe. No biggie.
Got another call last night, guy got bid $4k for a removal of a large Locust. Around 60" DBH, a few small branches over the neighbors house (my buddy) and a few over some small droopy trees (sorry, I don't know the names). The rest is pretty straight foreword, slice it and chunk it. Then grind the hell out of his front yard to get rid of the stump.
I took the guy I used to do the concrete work for with me (he's bored and likes this stuff and offered to help groundie for free for something to do). He thinks it's cake and is all for jumping on it around $2500ish. I will have to call on renting a chipper and a roll off to get rid of the brush. I made sure to tell the HO I was not insured or licensed and it didn't bother him. So that is out of the way. (Hey, I am at least honest OK?)
Anyway, really shouldn't be all that bad, but a BUTT LOAD of climbing. I do REALLY need the money, bu am thinking about walking. WHY?
What say the experts here?
 
I'm not trying to hurt your feelings Andy but a 5 foot diameter trees seems a bit out of your league from the picks you posted here. Big trees are different, specially if your completly comfortable on hooks in smaller trees
 
If yo feel that you can do the job with no problems then why not.Get your costs for hiring what ya need to do the job and give him your price, just make sure it's worth your while
 
Oh let him at it , make the money Andy , make the money.
Cant you find a climber to help ?
 
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  • #6
I'm not trying to hurt your feelings Andy but a 5 foot diameter trees seems a bit out of your league from the picks you posted here. Big trees are different, specially if your completly comfortable on hooks in smaller trees

You are not huring my feelings at all Willie, this is why I am asking. No, my skill set is not that high yet, and I fully know it
Yes Dark, I know a climber I can hire to help. I am also kicking around seeing how busy Dave (DTW902) is and see if might be able to clear the problem areas for me?

It's another one of those "save a buck" jobs. He got bid a $4k and wants it for half (really not unreasonable from what I've seen) and was not comfortable with the other guy that bid it.
 
If your asking then your 2nd guessing yourself.

I used to think I had to do everything, now I feel if I am thinking about it the jobs not for me.
 
Shop around for a freelance climber. Pay in your area is as low or lower than here, so $250-$300 should get you a decent climber for a day. Call around and find somebody with a good reputation. If he's any good at all he should have his own climbing gear and at least two chainsaws. If you find somebody good, pay him well for his time and talent since climbers never make enough anyway.

You'll have plenty of work chunking up that 5' trunk into pieces your mini can load.
And if his other bid was $4K then you need to be closer to $3K. Heck, bid your $2500 plus $300 for your climber = $2800.
 
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  • #10
I know a good climber as I already said, and I TRUST him, that means a lot. I've worked with him a couple of times and he knows what he's doing and he's hungry. So yes, I can probably get him cheap.
Yes, the additional costs are what I need to really factor in. I wont have any prices until probably Wensday, I have to go out of town again Tuesday. But until I know what the chipper and roll off cost I have no idea where I am cost wise!
I wanted to take pics but the damn phone is smarter than I am! I am sure I will go by at least once more before I bid it. I'll take the good camera one of those trips.
 
Lol, I know I suck with cameras myself bigtime. Took it out once last week and have no idea where it is now.:D

Just remember to factor in money for the time that you're going to be investing in this job on the set-up and make it a go end. Sounds like a damn big tree. 3g.:D
 
Can you get all that wood in one roll-off? It's going to be a LOT of wood.
 
I remember my first BIG tree I under bid. You'll never do it so cheap again, I guarantee it. ;)
 
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  • #16
I THINK I can get all the chips in a roll off. The wood will come home, probably two trailer loads, to be sold this winter.
I drove back out to look ati t again and re-think it, 45min. each way. Pictures will be up latter when mama gets home then I will post. I am all for the help/ideas I can get.
No, I do not want to under bid this one, and I do not want to tear anything up either!
 
The thing I always keep in mind is that wood still grows when it's on the ground. :P

Vanderbilt01034.jpg
 
Yes, 5ft seems like a very large locust. If you need info on how to bid large ones? Give me a holler.
 
Hey just a thought, dont know about Kansas but round here all big locusts (Im thinking black locust) are hollow and have bad pockets of decay. If the tree has a bunch of those shelf like fungi growing on it beware. For some reason locusts seem to be able to compartmentize decay well in the vertical plane so the rot doesnt spread down the trunk but not horizontally so you will get an area of decay the entire width of the tree:( Not good for climbing above. As I said thats in black locusts on the east coast........
 
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  • #22
OK, pics. And I said 56"DBH, not across!!!
 

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