whadja do today?

[tree md]

Trimmed up a few crabs this morning. Picking up my new harness I had buckingham custom make me tomorrow, right now I'm drinking beer and doing yard work. Not sure which is taking precedence at this point. Guess I'll find out in the morning.

Any pics of the new harness? How did you have them customize it?

 

[tree MDS]

New estimate/delivery rig (Shh,lol)!!

I think she blends in nicely with the "company" color scheme!! Lol.. :hmm3grin2orange:
View attachment 239990

 

[NCTREE]

I just got hollered at by an old lady for butchering her rhodies so I threw my stuff in the truck and left. I was getting pissed and knew if I had to hear anymore of that crap I would have freaked like a cat that's just been thrown in a tub of water.

Now she did say she wanted them lower than the roof, that they were severely cut back before and wanted it done again. I do refer to it as "hackin em back" and they look like crap for awhile, this I know. But I also know what an overgrown bush is and how to rejuvenate one.

During our initial conversation I did make sure I heard " take half off" right. I hate to do it for the simple reason people say its been butchered and it does indeed look that way. that is what she said and I went over where I was going to be cutting and showing all manner of broken branches that had to come out and dead branches too.

I had pretty much finished the initial hack job with a chain saw and chipped the brush then split like a cockroach in sunlight when she opened up her mouth.

And you know what? I don't even care. I am tired of people wanting " below the roofline" and complaining when they get it.

[video=vimeo;10066677]http://vimeo.com/10066677[/video]

 

[tree md]

Curious as to what you guy's opinions are on using a car to do estimates... I did one in my Cadillac this week but it was for a previous client that I know and lives in my area... When I dedicate a full day to just doing estimates I usually put on a nice shirt and Khakis when I go... I'd like to use my Cadillac but I wonder if it would be a little much. I tend to do better when I show up in the truck with saw dust coming out of my ears after I have been working all day...

Any of you run estimates in a car?

 

[Blakesmaster]

Any pics of the new harness? How did you have them customize it?

I'll get some pics tomorrow when I get it. It's basically from their arbormaster series I just meshed the features I wanted. Full seat, grommet style waist belt, floating and solid bridge, big d rings and had them incorporate removable suspenders with fall arrest attachment point. I hope they got it right, I'm really pumped for a new harness. Their plant is right around the corner from my old apartment so custom orders are pretty simple for me.

 

[no tree to big]

New estimate/delivery rig (Shh,lol)!!

I think she blends in nicely with the "company" color scheme!! Lol.. :hmm3grin2orange:
View attachment 239990

Curious as to what you guy's opinions are on using a car to do estimates... I did one in my Cadillac this week but it was for a previous client that I know and lives in my area... When I dedicate a full day to just doing estimates I usually put on a nice shirt and Khakis when I go... I'd like to use my Cadillac but I wonder if it would be a little much. I tend to do better when I show up in the truck with saw dust coming out of my ears after I have been working all day...

Any of you run estimates in a car?

I haven't seen to many co's with a car for estimates but if you had a nice economy car that had a nice wrap on it or lettered real nice I wouldn't see a problem with that but I think if you show up in a expensive car like a BMW or a Cadillac you might have people questioning your prices even if your prices are still competitive people might think you are overcharging just because of your "estimate" car maybe a nice dodge neon :cool2:

 

[mattfr12]

I haven't seen to many co's with a car for estimates but if you had a nice economy car that had a nice wrap on it or lettered real nice I wouldn't see a problem with that but I think if you show up in a expensive car like a BMW or a Cadillac you might have people questioning your prices even if your prices are still competitive people might think you are overcharging just because of your "estimate" car maybe a nice dodge neon :cool2:

whats funny is people will see a say cadillac and say wow look at all that $$ money that guy has. but when they see a one ton with dual wheels they never figure it out. which really cost more? they put a price tag of 65k on my new pickup:bang::bang: freakin insane.

 

[mattfr12]

Curious as to what you guy's opinions are on using a car to do estimates... I did one in my Cadillac this week but it was for a previous client that I know and lives in my area... When I dedicate a full day to just doing estimates I usually put on a nice shirt and Khakis when I go... I'd like to use my Cadillac but I wonder if it would be a little much. I tend to do better when I show up in the truck with saw dust coming out of my ears after I have been working all day...

Any of you run estimates in a car?

i usually take my wifes explorer because it came with the built in gps. the screen for it is a lot bigger than the window mount ones so the maps easier for me to read. but as far as mpg it sucks the gas pretty good.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Curious as to what you guy's opinions are on using a car to do estimates... I did one in my Cadillac this week but it was for a previous client that I know and lives in my area... When I dedicate a full day to just doing estimates I usually put on a nice shirt and Khakis when I go... I'd like to use my Cadillac but I wonder if it would be a little much. I tend to do better when I show up in the truck with saw dust coming out of my ears after I have been working all day...

Any of you run estimates in a car?

Hey Larry, do you have a pick-up as a service truck? I would dress like you said and maybe wash a service truck, but hey, if you drive up in a Caddy, they must think you are a successful business.
Jeff

 

[tree md]

whats funny is people will see a say cadillac and say wow look at all that $$ money that guy has. but when they see a one ton with dual wheels they never figure it out. which really cost more? they put a price tag of 65k on my new pickup:bang::bang: freakin insane.

Funny, I had this conversation with one of my stump subs a few years back. His BIL's and FIL have been in the tree business for ever. One of his BIL's has climbed for me a couple of times... Dam good climber... Anyway he was telling me how his BIL shows up in a beat up pickup on all of his estimates and they seem to think they get more jobs like that. I have run into all types. Some folks seem to like the Joe Dirt type some seem to want the biggest and flashiest. I try to be somewhere in the middle.

My Cadillac is an older model and not that expensive but I am still hesitant to take it out to do bids... I just think it does not project the image I am trying to get across. I wouldn't mind having a small economy car to run estimates in. My buddy got a new Ford Fiesta to drive to work last year and was saving $200 a week after switching to that and leaving his truck parked (he was having to travel about 200 miles a day). I wouldn't mind having something like that myself. I will be buying a 3/4 ton truck in the next month... I am considering converting whatever I get over to propane or CNG... It will be nice to have a new truck to work out of but I cringe when I think of fuel costs. Right now I usually run estimates in either an explorer or an F150.

 

[Groundman One]

Any of you run estimates in a car?

If we know it's an estimate for a big job, we'll take my climber's pickup. But gas here is over $5 a gallon so we often use his car, a 1998 Honda Civic; the little hatchback, not the sedan. I don't think we've ever lost a job on account of it.

A few years back we went to do a takedown of a big maple (maybe 30") right beside a guy's house and we showed up in the little Honda. The guy looked at us like we just landed from planet Bonehead.

"Where's your truck?"

"Don't need one."

"Where are all your tools?"

"In the back."

It's amazing what you can fit in a little Honda. :msp_thumbup:

 

[jefflovstrom]

If we know it's an estimate for a big job, we'll take my climber's pickup. But gas here is over $5 a gallon so we often use his car, a 1998 Honda Civic; the little hatchback, not the sedan. I don't think we've ever lost a job on account of it.

A few years back we went to do a takedown of a big maple (maybe 30") right beside a guy's house and we showed up in the little Honda. The guy looked at us like we just landed from planet Bonehead.

"Where's your truck?"

"Don't need one."

"Where are all your tools?"

"In the back."

It's amazing what you can fit in a little Honda. :msp_thumbup:

You are weird!
Jeff :msp_tongue:

 

[superjunior]

Curious as to what you guy's opinions are on using a car to do estimates... I did one in my Cadillac this week but it was for a previous client that I know and lives in my area... When I dedicate a full day to just doing estimates I usually put on a nice shirt and Khakis when I go... I'd like to use my Cadillac but I wonder if it would be a little much. I tend to do better when I show up in the truck with saw dust coming out of my ears after I have been working all day...

Any of you run estimates in a car?

no sir, nice shirt and khakis yes, car no.. better with a pick up with your logo on the side

 

[tree md]

To tell the truth I miss my old little GMC Sonoma with the camper shell. I used to use it for running bids before it started nickle and diming me to death. It had a V6 and got excellent gas mileage. Had a camper shell to keep my climbing gear dry and out of the weather. I would drive it and make my groundy drive the dump to the job site. It always kept me freed up so I could leave the job site to run a quick estimate when I needed to. Would love to get another small truck but I need something to tow with.

I used to work out of a Datsun B210 with a hatchback about 20 years ago... Held all of my climbing gear and would only have to fill it up once a week... Of course that was when I was just climbing for someone else and doing the occasional side job on my own.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

Demoing a new morbark model 14 chipper tomorrow. Wanna see what this baby will do.

 

[Groundman One]

no sir, nice shirt and khakis yes, . . .

And no sandals!

My boss picked me up one Saturday morning without any warning to help him do an estimate for a French customer. I told him I needed to get my shoes, he said no, just get in truck and let's go. We get to the guy's house (serious cash) and when he opens the door, he looks at me, looks down and my sandals, and I knew we lost the job right there and then. We went throught the motions of the estimate, but I knew he'd never call us back and he never did. $3000 estimate blown to smithereens beause of a pair of sandals.

Now, company t-shirt, tucked in, Carhartts and belt, and work boots, always.

And a little green Honda of course. :msp_tongue:

 

[jefflovstrom]

Demoing a new morbark model 14 chipper tomorrow. Wanna see what this baby will do.

You will like it.
Is it like this?
View attachment 240015
View attachment 240016
Just added this one to the fleet about 6 months ago because of palm and podocarpus clogging. The one roller on top helps some because you don't have a Belly Pan to clean. It shoot's pretty good if you got a 20- 25 yard dump you will like it. Jest remember, do not feed round's over 8-10" ( depending on what you are chipping. ) The one roller on top is what I like because we do a lot of palm and the bottom roller seems to fill the belly pan and also clog.
Can you take pic's of the demo?
Jeff

 

[newsawtooth]

no sir, nice shirt and khakis yes, car no.. better with a pick up with your logo on the side

I humbly disagree, why a pickup? You hauling that many business cards and estimate sheets? Estimate vehicles don't sell jobs, salesman do. Coffee is for closers!

 

[formationrx]

Curious as to what you guy's opinions are on using a car to do estimates... I did one in my Cadillac this week but it was for a previous client that I know and lives in my area... When I dedicate a full day to just doing estimates I usually put on a nice shirt and Khakis when I go... I'd like to use my Cadillac but I wonder if it would be a little much. I tend to do better when I show up in the truck with saw dust coming out of my ears after I have been working all day...

Any of you run estimates in a car?

i do... nobody seems to mind...

 

[2treeornot2tree]

You will like it.
Is it like this?
View attachment 240015
View attachment 240016
Just added this one to the fleet about 6 months ago because of palm and podocarpus clogging. The one roller on top helps some because you don't have a Belly Pan to clean. It shoot's pretty good if you got a 20- 25 yard dump you will like it. Jest remember, do not feed round's over 8-10" ( depending on what you are chipping. ) The one roller on top is what I like because we do a lot of palm and the bottom roller seems to fill the belly pan and also clog.
Can you take pic's of the demo?
Jeff

Yeah, its just like the one in the pics, but i believe it has a winch. It is gonna have to speed up my production alot for it to be worth the price tag. I normally just have another guy and me out doing tree jobs. I have a 85 morkbark mobel 200. It feeds really well ( since i replaced the infeed roller teeth) and it keeps up to two of us feeding it. The only down fall is that it jams up sometimes, and you have to back the piece out and run it in again. Also on Big diameter wood (8"-12"), you have to stop the infeed sometimes to let the disc catch up. The best part is its paid off and i can work on it because its almost all mechanical vs the new everything electronic.