Pay rate to have a chainsaw at work?

canadianclimber

TreeHouser
Joined
Sep 23, 2010
Messages
204
How much would you pay for a staff member to have there own ground saw? How much extra per hour?

A part time staff member is inquiring and I am open to the idea just not sure what to pay. I would still provide fuel.
 
That's a tough one. I've heard between $2/hr to $5/hr extra, depending on the saw, but I've also heard the guy would take the extra pay and not use their own saw on the job.
 
At $2hr part time you are buying them a bottom of the line good saw every 2 months, or a 660 once per year, maintenance included.

I bring my own saw for my own convenience knowing I have something that will run and cut well. But, I usually don't because I've gotten good at making poor running saws work well, and there's little respect for other's things.
 
In here all saws are mine, freelancers that bring their saws need also: 1# enough spare chains to not slow down the job, 2# gas & oil, 3# a 2nd saw case 1st breaks.
Failing any of these points the extra is not payed.
 
So, Rajan...you'd pay extra for an employee whose job is cutting, that sucks at cutting? Seems counterintuitive.
:D
 
Small operation here and do most of my jobs alone , that being said I do have one friend that I hire and mutually he hires me ... he gets a fair rate including two saws (he grew up logging and has taught me much). My job with him and his saws goes fine including filing or the odd broken saw every so often. He hires me same with my saws as he doesn't climb but is awesome at lowering , I'll usually bring two climb saws plus a mid sized. Keep the pay fair and everyone is happy.
 
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I run similar to Altissmus. Most jobs by myself with the help of the odd friend who has there own gig(not tree related). I figure this is a good way to pay a little extra. $2-5 is what I was thinking. In the whole financial part of it would end up be very little off the top.
 
My hourly = my hourly. My groundie = his hourly. If the groundie makes 20.00 hr. Thats what he should charge with his own saw. He makes 20.00 per based on his skill. Just like a guy making 25.00 or 30.00 per with a saw. Paid accourding to skill set.
Entry level groundie, no saw, starts at 15.00. ONCE
I see safe practice, feeds chipper. Can you run a rake with out levers?. Great!
Maybe you now get 17.50 to learn how to use CS.
The better you are and your more experienced, wood cuts faster. Worth the price index.
 
I'm along Stephen's line of compensation. You get training for up to a week at entry level rate ($15-18/hr, depending on drving skills; if you've never driven a large, heavy-duty pickup, you're at the bottom). The more you learn and can do (learn knots/run the ropes/porty/other rigging; drive bigger truck/trailer; learn to drive stick for my chip truck and move it and chipper; run a jobsite so I can go dump (or better, learn how to dump for me)). All those things will earn an increase. As for another guy wanting to use his own saw, unless I've known him for a LONG time, and have an idea of his skill and how well he would keep his saw, I have no need for him to bring it. I have plenty of saws that can do every job I need almost 2x over, and because I live in this ridiculous nanny-state/insurance hellhole, I would not want an unknown saw on my jobsite that may be the source of a problem (only possibly another climber's saw, and even then, I would give it a serious once-over before approving or handing him/her one of my saws). If climber used their's, it would be accounted for in the rate I would pay him/her.
 
My rule is the same , have a hard time even using a Homeowner's rake ... that being said , had one high end customer that was responsible for most of my living at the time. Historic spread with nice restored house , horses , pond , remote cabin , large garage w car collection , stuff like that. One hundred acres back then and I rather enjoyed the little hike with gear to work wherever we were tasked. Customer bought the new Polaris Side by Side and insisted we use it which isn't my style , we weren't the only contractors that did so ... of course someone somehow did something to the Winch , was asked if it was us and I told him the truth that we never ever used that feature , awkward as I believe he really thought it was us.
 
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And never use the HO's saw or equipment. You break it, chances are you really did not, but you get to own it. Just a rule of thumb.
Tell us the story of how you came buy this rule of thumb, if there is one. Smart rule regardless.

We had a job where for some reason the customer was using his tractor to pull the tree over. I think the track must have come off the mini. The tree was hollow, the guy felling it didn't aim his face properly, I told him, but he's a know it all who never trusts my judgment. I told him where it was going, and it went there. Right at the tractor. Close enough, but also far enough.
 
A weed eater comes to mind. Head burned up. Replaced it. Just to keep in good standing. Like a transmission going out After 150000 miles, but you were the last guy driving. About 6 hours.
Never went there again.
Friend of mine back in the day, lent me his car. Motor blew up on the freeway. Said he had checked the oil. I should have double checked I guess. He was cool about it. I paid the towing. I always have anxiety driving someone elses car. That was in '79.
 
I'll take the use of the customer and tractor to bring my tirfor and heavy line out to the pull tree but not to pull the tree. Tirfor is heavy , slower , safer , and much more reliable
 
I feel like it depends on the position. Is this a daily employee? Then why would he be asked to spend hundreds of dollars for a saw when most hired people don’t even have the money to buy nice ppe like chainsaw pants and a Sena kit. Are they a subcontractor? Then yeah they should bring what they need to complete the job. Rigging gear and saws. We start our guys at $16 an hour. They will stay there until experience is gained and they are an insured driver. Then they go to $18. Once they start learning machinery, felling trees, and can teach others. Then $20+ is possible. Only person that brings a personal saw to the job site is me and that’s because I want them to make my job easier. My boss will pay for any damages and maintenance on it. Just bought myself a new 25in bar the other day with the compant card 😁😁😍
 
When working for other companies I brought my own saw to work also. When landscaping I brought my own weed eater. Having done the same, there's only 2 reasons an employee would want to do this. 1.) Your equipment is poorly maintained. Which I doubt it is. Just stating this is a good reason an employee would bring his own tools. or 2.) He's more comfortable with a certain tool or model.

Your not in business to make someone else comfortable and as high as the turn around rate is with employees I would not be buying equipment specially to make him comfortable at work.

The way I would handle this is bring your own chainsaw if you want, you don't pay extra for their chainsaw. It's your company, you invest in the tools, and make the choice of what tools to buy.

The exception would be the guy works with you for 365 days. After 1 year of showing up every day on time, buy him the saw that makes him comfortable if you feel he will continue to be a long term employee.
 
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