Am I a wuss?

Can't get a bigger chipper? Vermeers 6"'s bite the big one.

EDIT: Just remembered you'd prob want the wood.

But the 625 is terribly terrible.
 
If the stumper is decent and sharp you should have no trouble with the 3 hour window
 
Yup, the 625 is about worthless. It's better suited for landscapers chipping up hedge trimmings. You'd almost be better off stacking and chopping the brush in the dumpster by hand unless you get a bigger chipper.

Whatever size it's rated for, divide by 2 and that's how big you'll actually be able to chip with a typical rental unit.
 
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  • #54
And here I was exicted it was a Vermeer! Shows what I know! Guess I need to call a couple of other places tommorow.
 
Just my .02...

For what it'll cost you to rent the stump grinder plus your time, you may be better off just hiring a guy who does stumps, if there's any in your area.

I use a sub myself, and I've never paid fore than $100 for a stump for him to come in with the RG50, grind, and backfill.

Just a thought.

And Brian's about right on the chipper... even if it's a little more, if you can rent a REAL chipper, you'll save LOTS OF TIME.
 
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  • #57
I've had Dave do the few that I have needed ground before. But he's so busy right now I don't know if he could get to it in the next year!
 
Andy, sounds like you have a good plan working. Re: chipper....I have not taken advantage of this yet, but I have a guy that says he will do chipping for $200 (or maybe $250) per day...his chipper and he feeds it is how I understood it. Maybe you can find someone like that and you won't have to mess with it?

Hope your planning works out and you get the job.
 
Wish i had a chipper guy like that, wonder how he makes any money. I just rented a Bandit 1290 and it was a bad mofo.....almost a grand rental for three days though.
 
I'm guessing you've never loaded a chipper with the Thomas?

Get a big chipper, and load that thing, you'll have wood in your pants the whole day. :P
 
I think its out of your league Andy, and for these guys to give you advice as how to do it safely and efficiently based on a few pictures is ill advised IMO. Fact is, you have too many questions about the job and your abilities, if it werent out of your league you would know what you need to do and how.
My apologies, but it is inexperienced weekend warriors and guys who "have run a saw" such as yourself who drive our comp rates up and god forbid get injured or killed trying to make a few extra bucks. I'll give you props for asking the questions, but come on, really? Your gonna take advice over the internet on how to tackle one of the most dangerous jobs in the nation, which most of us here have been doing for years and are still learning?

Dont take what I say personally, but your on your way to becoming an arborist's arch enemy. A low balling, inexperienced, unskilled, uninsured wood tick.
 
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  • #67
I am going to break this down and respond as best I can:


I think its out of your league Andy, and for these guys to give you advice as how to do it safely and efficiently based on a few pictures is ill advised IMO. Fact is, you have too many questions about the job and your abilities, if it werent out of your league you would know what you need to do and how.

You are right on. I think it's out of my league as well. I am VERY limited in my abilities, training and knowledge. This is why I post questions here. You will be honest and real in the answers you give. And I have seen the work you all do so this is the best resource I have.

My apologies, but it is inexperienced weekend warriors and guys who "have run a saw" such as yourself who drive our comp rates up and god forbid get injured or killed trying to make a few extra bucks.

Yes, I am all of those, but I am trying to learn, and have been trying to learn this field. Yes, my mainstay may be cutting firewood, but I have done more than just that. Not really sure what else to add to that without being a dick, and I don't want to do that.


I'll give you props for asking the questions, but come on, really? Your gonna take advice over the internet on how to tackle one of the most dangerous jobs in the nation, which most of us here have been doing for years and are still learning?

Again, YES! This has been one of my greatest resources. Anytime I hear or read of someone trying to learn this themselves I discourage it all I can! I know how hard and dangerous it is learning this solo.
This group of people has been nothing but helpful along my journey. They laugh at me a lot I am sure, but if I were to watch myself I probably would laugh as well.
ANY opportunity I get to work with someone I do it for free just to add to my knowledge base. These opportunities are few and far between unfortunately.

Dont take what I say personally, but your on your way to becoming an arborist's arch enemy. A low balling, inexperienced, unskilled, uninsured wood tick.

Now this I take offense to! No, I am not insured and all that wonderful stuff. I don't do enough, hell I don't make enough right now to survive without unemployment let alone have enough to pay for insurance. I would love to though! I do not ever want to be the guy you just described! If I can't make money on it, I won't go. I don't even bid climbing to remove one branch for less than $200. If I go up the tree it has to be worth my time!
This is a huge job for me. I've never looked at anything this size. Hell I don't even know if my fat ass can hang in the tree for for hours! But I think the bid he got was outrageous, I have the opportunity, and I believe, the people to throw at it and do it safely, cleanly and walk away. And at this point $2500 is as low as I would do it. Is that a low ball bid? Hell if Dave wasn't so busy I'd throw this at him as he also has a female Hedge he at least wants trimmed and it's all Spider lift!

Sorry for my rant, I just will never be "that guy". I've had to go rip out the concrete "that guy" put down and re-pour it. Mom and dad hired "that guy" to do some tree work years ago, three weeks later a six hour job was done!
I waned to climb this one, I waned to rig it and learn. It's not worth it, I can bring in a good climber and there will be no problems there.
 
Top Hopper i think you r a serious doubter
Why would you trash Andy ? hes been here forever ,
That tree is not very big and he stated he can get help.
Yeah man we all hate the low ballers , but most tree service owners were low ballers to at one time .
How else is he gonna learn ?
The man has a right to try the job and succeed .
If he makes it happen, he gets the money.
Andy i think you can do the job with help. Some of these people make tree work seem like rocket science, dude its not .
Its has more to do with commom sense IMo than anything else.
Thats tree looks way way easy.
I say you get a good climber and go for it , but try to negotiate you price higher.
You deserve at least 2900.00 looking at the pics
But honestly around here it looks like a 1900 doller tree plus stump fee
Sorry if i offened u top hopper .

""""
My apologies, but it is inexperienced weekend warriors and guys who "have run a saw" such as yourself who drive our comp rates up and god forbid get injured or killed trying to make a few extra bucks. I'll give you props for asking the questions, but come on, really? Your gonna take advice over the internet on how to tackle one of the most dangerous jobs in the nation, which most of us here have been doing for years and are still learning? """""

I think Andy could do the job with a good out sourced climber.

Andy go for it , nothing in this world is to big for any man, you just need some help perhaps.
My 2 cents, we are all making a mountain out of a mole hill.
Get err done andy take you time and all will be well .
 
Hi post may have been poignant, but I understand where he's coming from, dark. If you pull your head out just a tad, you'll see it, too.
 
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  • #71
Thank you Dark, but I know he wasn't trashing me either. He made a lot of valid points, as did you. I get where he's coming from. He's tired of "Trees fo' less" lowballing jobs they have no buisness even thinking about. And it's VERY tough times, hell I've been majorly underbid on a couple of jobs!
Then he is worried about my safety, rightfully so, and expresed it in his way.
 
I wish I had the time Andy I would come out and get er done with you. Seriously.... I ain't got as much time in the TD's as some of these fellas, but I think doing it together would be a blast...
 
I agree with top also. I undertand where Andy's coming from but in this economy I encourage all my clients to verify my liscence and anyone elses who is bidding and tell them how to do it. I agree from pics it seems like 4k is a high bid but insurance, liscencing, equipment, comp, marketing etc. all add up. I hate losing a job to an illegal, especially a nice sized one like that. Before top's post I was thinking " no way I would sub my chipper or climbing to an illegal contractor". Sorry Andy, thats just the view from my side of the fence
 
yeah
well how many of us started the same way andy is?

all arguments are valid...period

he could use a hired gun of his own
and probabally needs to limit what size trees he does
hows the old saying about experience go?
i sold a chipper to a guy from whicita ks
who hit a house drop, pulled the neutral wire and fried the clients appliances
couldnt pay the balance for the chipper because of it
screwed his whole gig in a matter of minutes
ya gotta have ins,
and then pandora's box is opened
lic, ins osha comp dot...it goes downhill from there
stay small and renegade andy
find a small but good tree service to help you out once in awhile
i salute you for trying
you just might be biting off a bit too much too soon
 
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