Tree business without a climber?

[boda65]

I am looking at things I can do in the event of a layoff. I am not an arborist but I do have decent knowledge of proper pruning techniques. I have trimmed my own trees with a cherry picker, and have cut a fair amount of trees for firewood. When I first looked into this, I was thinking small, a bucket truck and chipper/dump unit. 1, maybe two helpers. And insurance,of course. After many hours spent on this forum, it seems all tree trimmers either climb, or have climbers. After some thought, I realize there are many trees in backyards,etc that are simply inaccessable to a bucket truck. I am too big and clumsy to be 50' up a tree. My question is: Can a guy get by without climbing, with just a bucket truck? Do any of you have a full time business w/out climbers? Thanks.

 

[ddhlakebound]

Sure, you can get by without a climber....It's called landscaping.

 

[Raymond]

What's your beef with climbers?

 

[JeffL]

You could always do utility work.

 

[Labman]

I think I would rather hire somebody like you than the local butchers I never see doing anything but topping trees from a bucket truck. The only climber I have seen working had an orange truck parked out at the road.

 

[Blakesmaster]

You could always hire a sub for climbing jobs.

But, with this economy, I doubt you'd get many jobs. I don't quite understand your logic about starting your own business in the service sector because you lost your job. A lot of other people have already lost/will lose their jobs and the last thing they'll want to spend money on is unnecessary things like tree work. Unless a tree is on their house, which the big boys with tons of equipment, a huge client list and thousands in advertising a month always get. Plus, there's a HUGE difference in cutting a few trees for firewood/doing some trimming at your house with a "cherry picker" and actually operating a tree business. In order to be productive and safe you have to know what your doing. Get a job draggin' brush for one of the big boys and you'll find out pretty quick that you and craftsman don't have what it takes.

 

[Tree Pig]

I am not an arborist but I do have decent knowledge of proper pruning techniques. I have trimmed my own trees with a cherry picker, and have cut a fair amount of trees for firewood. When I first looked into this, I was thinking small, a bucket truck and chipper/dump unit. 1, maybe two helpers. And insurance,of course. After many hours spent on this forum, it seems all tree trimmers either climb, or have climbers. After some thought, I realize there are many trees in backyards,etc that are simply inaccessable to a bucket truck. I am too big and clumsy to be 50' up a tree. My question is: Can a guy get by without climbing, with just a bucket truck? Do any of you have a full time business w/out climbers? Thanks.

I am not an arborist but I do have decent knowledge of proper pruning techniques
you may regret that statement in here.

I am too big and clumsy to be 50' up a tree
too clumsy maybe but never say too big, there are some true giants in here that climb, of course there are also some of them tall skinny guys (you know the one you always see at walmart with the fat woman)

 

[Raymond]

I am not an arborist but I do have decent knowledge of proper pruning techniques
you may regret that statement in here.

I am too big and clumsy to be 50' up a tree
too clumsy maybe but never say too big, there are some true giants in here that climb, of course there are also some of them tall skinny guys (you know the one you always see at walmart with the fat woman)

You come to Missouri to go to Walmart?

 

[tomtrees58]

Sure, you can get by without a climber....It's called landscaping.

+ 1:homm3 grin 2 orange: every buddy thinks they can do tree work not you cant get to far with a bucket 55' truck 100' tree :monkey: tom trees

 

[boda65]

Get a job draggin' brush for one of the big boys and you'll find out pretty quick that you and craftsman don't have what it takes.

There is no need to talk down to me. Yes, I know my crapsman is not suited for professional use. I'd be gittin' one o them thar orange and white wuns. You can judge my saws but don't tell me I don't have what it takes. You don't know me nor my work ethic. I intentionally stated up front my limited experience and lack of professional experience. I have been in a number of different professions and have succeeded and excelled at them. I am currently in manufacturing, which needless to say is in perilous times.

I am not pretending to be a "big boy". I am just at the beginning stages of looking into things I have SOME knowledge of, and the viability and expense of trying to feed my family by doing them. I would imagine most of you who own your own business didn't start out with a fleet of equipment and a couple dozen employees. We all have to start somewhere.

As far as dragging brush with the "big boys", If no one is hiring, how do you propose doing that? I would rather try and fail on my own merits, than sit around bemoaning the economy and relying on the government and others to take care of me.

What's your beef with climbers?

I have no beef at all with climbers. It's just my idea of starting small, with as little hired help as possible. If things went well, I'd absolutely hire a climber.

Sure, you can get by without a climber....It's called landscaping.

LOL good one, that did give me a chuckle

 

[Tree Pig]

You come to Missouri to go to Walmart?

Missouri... what does Missouri have to do with it. I actually refuse to step foot in a walmart but I love that line so I had to use it.

 

[Blakesmaster]

There is no need to talk down to me. Yes, I know my crapsman is not suited for professional use. I'd be gittin' one o them thar orange and white wuns. You can judge my saws but don't tell me I don't have what it takes. You don't know me nor my work ethic. I intentionally stated up front my limited experience and lack of professional experience. I have been in a number of different professions and have succeeded and excelled at them. I am currently in manufacturing, which needless to say is in perilous times.

I am not pretending to be a "big boy". I am just at the beginning stages of looking into things I have SOME knowledge of, and the viability and expense of trying to feed my family by doing them. I would imagine most of you who own your own business didn't start out with a fleet of equipment and a couple dozen employees. We all have to start somewhere.

As far as dragging brush with the "big boys", If no one is hiring, how do you propose doing that? I would rather try and fail on my own merits, than sit around bemoaning the economy and relying on the government and others to take care of me.

Sorry for talking down to you. I should have said you WITH your craftsman don't have what it takes. Seriously though, you just learned what DBH was and how to noodle a week ago, I would highly doubt your skill in this field. You can have the work ethic of a pack mule but when the rubber hits the road you need experience, period. Have you tried calling the local players? You never know, they might be hiring. And there's nothing wrong with starting small, my biz is still in the embrionic stage but ya gotta know what you're doing. I'm a newb compared to most but can cut circles around anyone in this town who figured they'd buy a "cherry picker" and be a tree man. And there's A LOT of those guys and I must admit, they get under my skin. So, hat's off to your venture, but you should think about learning this trade from the ground up.

 

[treemandan]

Sorry for talking down to you. I should have said you WITH your craftsman don't have what it takes. Seriously though, you just learned what DBH was and how to noodle a week ago, I would highly doubt your skill in this field. You can have the work ethic of a pack mule but when the rubber hits the road you need experience, period. Have you tried calling the local players? You never know, they might be hiring. And there's nothing wrong with starting small, my biz is still in the embrionic stage but ya gotta know what you're doing. I'm a newb compared to most but can cut circles around anyone in this town who figured they'd buy a "cherry picker" and be a tree man. And there's A LOT of those guys and I must admit, they get under my skin. So, hat's off to your venture, but you should think about learning this trade from the ground up.

What is the hell is " to noodle"?

 

[Raymond]

Missouri... what does Missouri have to do with it. I actually refuse to step foot in a walmart but I love that line so I had to use it.

You described most couples there and everywhere around here for that matter.

 

[treemandan]

You described most couples there and everywhere around here for that matter.

Yeah, it didn't take long to figure that.

 

[treemandan]

What is the hell is " to noodle"?

answered the question myself. OHH, that's noodling! Rip cuts? I never knew. Thanks A.S.! Good shavings to toss in the fire box in the morning.
I only have a 9 inch chipper so I tend to do some nooddling on some pine here and there.

 

[tree md]

I had a carpenter working with me last year who did tree work on the side. He had some equipment, a good working knowledge of ground work and was a decent salesman for this area. We worked well together, got along OK and worked together for a good while. Deal was, I do all the climbing on the jobs with my gear, my insurance and make half the money. Things didn't work out forever and now he still does tree work but it is either he does what he can reach from a ladder or he spends a large portion of his profit paying a climber. Me, I make all the profit and pay out little for ground help. I guess you could have a tree service without being a climber but unless you have deep pockets I can't see you lasting very long in this economic environment or being very profitable. The guy that I worked with will always be a carpenter trying to be a treeman whereas I'll always be a treeman doing my thing. Treework is the only thing I know and has been a full time gig for me for many years. No carpenter, landscaper, guitar picker, professional wrestler will ever be able to compete with me on my level.

 

[Raymond]

Boda65 you'll have to excuse my tree buddies here.
A third of our reason for lack of work is because of new guys thinking just because they have a pickup, chainsaw and rake they can do tree work.

If you get any good responses you should feel lucky.

 

[boda65]

Sorry for talking down to you. I should have said you WITH your craftsman don't have what it takes. Seriously though, you just learned what DBH was and how to noodle a week ago, I would highly doubt your skill in this field. You can have the work ethic of a pack mule but when the rubber hits the road you need experience, period. Have you tried calling the local players? You never know, they might be hiring. And there's nothing wrong with starting small, my biz is still in the embrionic stage but ya gotta know what you're doing. I'm a newb compared to most but can cut circles around anyone in this town who figured they'd buy a "cherry picker" and be a tree man. And there's A LOT of those guys and I must admit, they get under my skin. So, hat's off to your venture, but you should think about learning this trade from the ground up.

I'm sorry if I took you wrong. You just sounded very condescending to me personally. I understand what you were trying to say now.Actually, your post quoted here is exactly the kind of info I want. I can take the cold hard truth. I just bristled a little because I thought you were attacking me personally.

I tend to do lots of reading and research before I do anything. Every tree I've taken down has fallen exactly where I intended. Again, I know this by no means makes me an expert, and adding roofs and power lines into the mix makes it a whole different ballgame. If I could find a part time brush dragging job now while I've still got a job might be a wise choice to get more experience.

 

[tomtrees58]

:hmm3grin2orange:

What is the hell is " to noodle"?

that's what we called the drunks at 11 pm your { noodle} :hmm3grin2 tom treesorange: