This guy just don't get it!!!

[Timberhauler]

Now that the busy season has kicked in,every week I try to take Friday's off since we're usually out from daylight til' dark every other day..It gives us all time to handle our business,personal affairs...ect....So this means that all of my equipment gets brought in for the weekend..This morning I get a phone call from a guy who has just began doing tree work in this area.I'm not above helping people,but this guy has crossed the line...This morning he calls to see if he can borrow my grapple truck....Borrow it....there was no mention of him wanting to compensate for it at all.I flat told him no,well then he wanted to know if since he was working so close to my house and my New Holland was already on the trailer if I could bring it to his job site and let him get up some wood with it.....Long story short...I'd likely loan him my wife before I would any of my equipment...Especially after seeing the shape his stuff is in..This makes many times in a couple of months he's done this.The first time,he had a bunch of poplar logs,I was kinda slow then,so I hauled them to the sawmill for the wood,and only because they were big logs and I made a decent chunk.I mentioned this in another thread,but he showed up one morning and tried to talk one of my guys into coming and climbing for him that day..To make a long story short,Steve worked for him from 8 that morning until 6 that evening.I don't remember exactly what he paid him,but it was like 50 or 75 bucks.75 is less than half of what I pay him a day.I could go on,but to shorten this,he's tried to borrow everything from a big saw to my grapple truck,then he's tried a couple of times later to steal my help...I've all but been just down right rude to him,and he doesn't get the message.I don't mind helping people,but no one can either work for nothing,or just hand out their equipment.I've also told him several times that for an hourly fee,I wouldn't mind bringing whatever he needed and doing whatever he wanted...But he doesn't want to spend any money,he basically wants a free ride.So should I just lower the boom on this dude or what?I'm not sure why I'm even posting this other than the fact it's really getting annoying.To credit the guy a little,he does good work,and is bidding honest.Otherwise,I never would have even thought about helping him.

 

[yukiginger]

Free rides

I'm not in the business so I have no idea what it costs, but he clearly has some idea, and all he wants to do is take advantage of your good nature. I think you've been exceedingly nice by the time you've spent dealing with him, given his intentions. Next time he calls you should tell him that you have no more time for him; if he wants to offer you a fair fee then perhaps you would consider helping out. Otherwise he needs to figure out on his own how to equip his business with human and mechanical resources.

MarkG

 

[Timberhauler]

One morning he showed up after I had already left out.My wife usually leaves about an hour after I do,and she was walking down the sidewalk when he pulled up...She said when he saw her(in full uniform) that he acted weird,but she says that about everyone..Anyway,he asked HER if he could borrow my 660 because he had to fall a big trunk.He knows she helps me,it was actually her that loaded the poplar logs for him that day while I sawed them to length.....I had turned him away a week or so eariler,so I guess he thought he could by-pass me and go through her..She explained to him in her subtle as a plane crash little way that he needed to take that up with me,but she called me while he was still here to ask me...I was feeling overly generous and told her to get the saw for him..I guess maybe that was a mistake,maybe if I would have cut him off then he still wouldn't be bugging me..He brought the saw back that evening,and it was as dull as a butter knife,and the chain was hanging off of it.

 

[OTG BOSTON]

no more Mr. nice guy!

Send the guy packing. Don't be nice about, it be blunt and to the point. Maybe type up a list of services you offer with pricing based on the day/hr.

And for petes sake, don't lend out your climbers for half a days rate. If he tried that with me I'd have beat the snot out of him and taken his wallet.

 

[Timberhauler]

Send the guy packing. Don't be nice about, it be blunt and to the point. Maybe type up a list of services you offer with pricing based on the day/hr.

And for petes sake, don't lend out your climbers for half a days rate. If he tried that with me I'd have beat the snot out of him and taken his wallet.

I let him hold it this morning...I doubt he'll ever come back.The day I let him use my climber,I really didn't have much going on that day,so I left it up to Steve....Steve took him up,I guess thinking maybe he'd pay him a good price for bringing down those big trees he climbed....Oh well,lesson learned....

 

[Canyon Angler]

"Sorry, no tools are to be lent out or borrowed. Company policy."

End of story.

 

[treeman82]

I've got a couple of companies that I climb for when I don't have my own stuff going on. Low end of the pay scale is $200 per day for not even 8 hrs. High end of the pay scale is $500 for 10 or 12 hrs. Anywho... one guy who I work for has no clue about how to run a tree company. He and I were talking the other day about how much I charge per day for doing tree work. I told him I try for anywhere between $1,500 and $1,700 with wood and chips staying for 3 guys, truck, chipper. Obviously if nothing is going on I have to take what I can get. So this guy says to me that he is going to have to change his pricing structure. Worked with him 2 days this week. First day we worked from 9:30 - 4:00 which included a 1 hr lunch he paid for... and I dragged no brush or moved any wood. He gave me $300. The second day, we worked from 10:00 (he forgot the keys to the chipper at his house) until 6:00... the last 2 hrs it was raining. He gives me $200. Really nice guy, but he has no clue.

 

[hornett22]

i lent my 395 out once to a climber i used.

came back dull and with the chain hanging off.never again.

i won't even let my partner borrow my equipment now.one buddy i would but i know how he is.he has his own though and never would need to.well,he owns stihls so he may need to now that i think of it.

otherwise,if you want to borrow my stuff,you have to leave enough of a cash deposit so i can go buy another,tax included.

 

[Mtnman4ever]

Timber hauler . You sound likea really decwent guy . Sadly thereare too many who takeadvantge of decent folks
I have post iwantrto make on it .
iwould stop lending equipment and suggest he rent it ourt or pay yopu for yourtiem he seems to know what things cost andhasan idea of what he isdoing it is time for him to take out ahuge laon and get his own stuff .

I would say Icannot dothat any more and be up front and polite simply say it cost mealot of money to own and maintain this stuff i cannot be lenmding it out . I am really sorry but there isa good renal oplace down the raod or I will do it for you at a price . You basicaly helpiing him have a free ride . and start up his bussiness with out comentstion anbd he alos is gwtting free use if equiment . You paind a mint for it . you shouild prbably not lend it ourt and d finda way to be po polite about saying no.

 

[jmack]

no borrowing subbing yes for an hourly fee, taking your climber wow hes cruising for an industrial accident!

 

[Adkpk]

Timber you sound like a guy with more sense that what I am reading here. I going to to figure you are leaving something out for the sake of us being AS buddy posters. In 30 years of owning a chainsaw the only other hands that have touched my saws would be my brother. The liability is beyond what my conscience could handle if an accident would occur.
I am a professional and before any of my workers get to use a machine they get a course on the maintenance of the machine. I make it there responsibility to keep it in good shape. If I catch someone using a machine that they haven't been briefed on using it's my job to straighten out the problem. I don't make that person comfortable while I do my job. Those machines are my livelihood and I don't take the use of them lightly.
This guy sounds like a bum and you should use him as a doormat not sending him out with an 066.

 

[Timberhauler]

Timber you sound like a guy with more sense that what I am reading here. I going to to figure you are leaving something out for the sake of us being AS buddy posters. In 30 years of owning a chainsaw the only other hands that have touched my saws would be my brother. The liability is beyond what my conscience could handle if an accident would occur.
I am a professional and before any of my workers get to use a machine they get a course on the maintenance of the machine. I make it there responsibility to keep it in good shape. If I catch someone using a machine that they haven't been briefed on using it's my job to straighten out the problem. I don't make that person comfortable while I do my job. Those machines are my livelihood and I don't take the use of them lightly.
This guy sounds like a bum and you should use him as a doormat not sending him out with an 066.

Believe me...I've kicked myself in the ass over and over again over letting him use that saw....I guess the bottom line is that I hate hurting someone's feelings,I let him use the saw because I've been in his shoes before...But here is the difference...When I was at the stage he is at,we did most every single job by hand.On occasion if we had a big take down or several trees coming out,I would rent a Bobcat...I was already having a bad morning when he called today,so again,I doubt he'll ever call me back for anything else.

 

[Adkpk]

Believe me...I've kicked myself in the ass over and over again over letting him use that saw....I guess the bottom line is that I hate hurting someone's feelings,I let him use the saw because I've been in his shoes before...But here is the difference...When I was at the stage he is at,we did most every single job by hand.On occasion if we had a big take down or several trees coming out,I would rent a Bobcat...I was already having a bad morning when he called today,so again,I doubt he'll ever call me back for anything else.

I look at it this way, do anybody a favor and don't lend any tools period.

 

[treevet]

I m all with OTG Boston and I might add "beat the snot out of him and take his wallet" , gob in his face and laugh at him while he drags his self to his ride. This guy is not just borrowing stuff from you but probing you for weakness. Man up and straighten his ass out.

 

[kennertree]

I'd keep my stuff locked up as tight as possible, he might be lookin to take something and not ask.

 

[clearance]

I m all with OTG Boston and I might add "beat the snot out of him and take his wallet" , gob in his face and laugh at him while he drags his self to his ride. This guy is not just borrowing stuff from you but probing you for weakness. Man up and straighten his ass out.

Counselling someone to commit criminal acts, robbery and assault. Is that not a crime in itself? Now, if his woman sees that happen, does she not have to arrest him and take him to jail?

 

[Adkpk]

Counselling someone to commit criminal acts, robbery and assault. Is that not a crime in itself? Now, if his woman sees that happen, does she not have to arrest him and take him to jail?

Ummm.

 

[treevet]

Counselling someone to commit criminal acts, robbery and assault. Is that not a crime in itself? Now, if his woman sees that happen, does she not have to arrest him and take him to jail?

Come on clearance. Haven t seen the counselling statute lately. Is that a local ordnance? His wife s going to arrest him? Citizen s arrest, citizen s arrest, like Gomer Pyle? Anyway Clearance, buddy I ll just have to tattle on you for counselling our student Arb 101 ers yesterday to wear spikes in live trees bcs it doesn t do any harm to trees. Which indescretion is more criminal?

 

[clearance]

Come on clearance. Haven t seen the counselling statute lately. Is that a local ordnance? His wife s going to arrest him? Citizen s arrest, citizen s arrest, like Gomer Pyle? Anyway Clearance, buddy I ll just have to tattle on you for counselling our student Arb 101 ers yesterday to wear spikes in live trees bcs it doesn t do any harm to trees. Which indescretion is more criminal?

Counselling to commit a criminal act is hardly a local ordnance, it is a federal or at least a state offence. Spiking trees is not any sort of crime, nowhere in the statutes of this province or country anyways. But thats easy to understand, treehuggers think more of trees than people and laws, thats why they break court orders and lay down in front of bulldozers. The rule of law, Treevet, something to understand.

 

[treevet]

Counselling to commit a criminal act is hardly a local ordnance, it is a federal or at least a state offence. Spiking trees is not any sort of crime, nowhere in the statutes of this province or country anyways. But thats easy to understand, treehuggers think more of trees than people and laws, thats why they break court orders and lay down in front of bulldozers. The rule of law, Treevet, something to understand.

Thanks for schooling me on the "rule of law" clearance, or at least state offences. I m still all up for bopping the guy a good one and prob would if in Timberhauler s dilemma. Would be my 3rd assault and battery and I would proudly serve my sentence as I have the other 2. As for indifference to spiking live trees not being a crime, I think it might be a moral crime to boast of this on a tree care forum.