Climbing a Good Career?

[Finch12]

I'd totally love to get into the forestry/arbourist gig, but as a union electrician making $38 an hour I doubt I could match that as a tree guy. I'm provincially chainsaw certified through courses that my local gave, as well as fall protection certified, so I just trim and fell on the weekends for firewood or family looking to rid themselves of the odd tree. So far it's kept the itch away for wanting more time on the saws. If I didn't already have 8 years put into a trade I'd totally go for it regardless. I love the work. Good luck in your decision making!

 

[formationrx]

Im a 27 year old account manager in an office job, and im just fed up with the office drama and boredom. Ive always had a Love for trees and the outdoors, and now have an opportunity to join a reputable company as a climber. Of course i will be trained on the job, its year round work with stable pay. Is this a good career to get int, or should i run?

...its funny to me how people talk when they got their legs on the ground.... compare that....to when they are up that tree... ass shaking... eyes bulging... hugging a tree for dear life... taking 5 ##### in their pants at the same time... ill tell you right now you are going to think you made the worst decision of your life... and you really ###### up this time... now if you can repel this fear... fight a war with this fear both mentally and physically... and learn to walk right thru this fear... you got a shot... and ill give ya a cigar...

 

[Lil Red]

I have done some pretty intense things (motorcycle road racing, supermoto, dirtbike, mt. bike - all things with wheels, speed, heights, close quarters racing). Working in a tree ranks pretty high up there in the, "what the F**** was I thinking" category. Every time, it never fails. Good to know I'm not the only one :msp_biggrin:

 

[Youngbuck20]

If I hear you 20 something's say one more time "I'm too old for this" I'm gunna puke! Then I'm going to come down from my lounge chair 40' in the tree where I'm enjoying a nice peaceful night in the dark and bring my 60 year old ass over and kick the #### out of yours!

Im certainly not "too old for this" although my body sometimes thinks so. Ive had a hard manual labour jobs since i was 14 keeping up with the "men" so Its something I can handle some more of.

Sounds like ole smokey has another personality!

Also climbing up a tree to work and climbing up a tree to sit are two different things.

 

[Greener]

I have been a parttime subcontract climber for about 10 years and here is my two cents. If you are able the try it out and keep the office job then do that as a first choice. Someone in this thread said "climbers are born" and that is very true. My humble take is that good climbers do not just decide to get into the business without any experience in it first. They get a taste of it then decide it is for them. I am not sure of your experience, but if you have not done the work a lot and are just deciding to quit the white collar life and start climbing, I would caution against this. See if you can get on parttime, get some work and training in, then decide whether to pursue it fulltime. This would be the best course of action.

 

[Saw Dust Smoken]

Keep your current job. Work into the tree side on the wkends or when you fit it in your schedule. Climbing is not for everyone. Cold and windy days are brutal at times. When the wind moves the tree top 12-18 inches each gust. You are in for a ride. Some climbers cant handle this and walk.

 

[beastmaster]

I always wonder why everyone doesn't want to be a climber. Everyday I go to work it's something new. I like doing challenging trees, I like climbing out further then any one else on a branch, The feeling of catching a big top or chunk, hoping the tree don't break and feeling relief when your still there, adrenaline pumping through your vains, priceless. I like the looks I get when I go into a store, covered in saw dust, twigs and dirt, smelling like gas and oil and tree. I like all the responsibility I have, one mistake, there goes the roof of that house, one missed judgement me or someone could die. I'm not lieing I love that sh_ _ . Do I want my kids to do it, hell no, I want better for them.
Only a few tree businesses are successful in any giving area. Only a small percentage of climbers will break a way from the pack and move on to good wages working for good companys. It a crap shoot at best.
I liked doing trees from the first day, but some claim I may have a few screws loose also. It helps.
I dropped out of school at a young age, didn't have a lot of options, lot of people I grow up with went to prison, were on drugs.
If I had it all to do over again, I would of stayed in school and got a real job, have nice things, have security, retirement, ect.
You have to ask your self is this for me? Am I going to be in the top 20% and make a real career, am I going to like all the things in this buisness that most people shy a way from in a career? I am happy with my job, will you be?
You sound like a smart young man, their are a lot better careers out there.

 

[troythetreeman]

I always wonder why everyone doesn't want to be a climber. Everyday I go to work it's something new. I like doing challenging trees, I like climbing out further then any one else on a branch, The feeling of catching a big top or chunk, hoping the tree don't break and feeling relief when your still there, adrenaline pumping through your vains, priceless. I like the looks I get when I go into a store, covered in saw dust, twigs and dirt, smelling like gas and oil and tree. I like all the responsibility I have, one mistake, there goes the roof of that house, one missed judgement me or someone could die. I'm not lieing I love that sh_ _ . Do I want my kids to do it, hell no, I want better for them.
Only a few tree businesses are successful in any giving area. Only a small percentage of climbers will break a way from the pack and move on to good wages working for good companys. It a crap shoot at best.
I liked doing trees from the first day, but some claim I may have a few screws loose also. It helps.
I dropped out of school at a young age, didn't have a lot of options, lot of people I grow up with went to prison, were on drugs.
If I had it all to do over again, I would of stayed in school and got a real job, have nice things, have security, retirement, ect.
You have to ask your self is this for me? Am I going to be in the top 20% and make a real career, am I going to like all the things in this buisness that most people shy a way from in a career? I am happy with my job, will you be?
You sound like a smart young man, their are a lot better careers out there.

indeed.

 

[Guran]

Absolutely

So under which conditions is it OK to cancel a job? Pouring rain? Really windy? Lightening?
Just curious.

 

[BlackOakTreeServ]

So under which conditions is it OK to cancel a job? Pouring rain? Really windy? Lightening?
Just curious.

Yes, all of the above....safety first!!

 

[chucknduck]

Yes, all of the above....safety first!!

You can make a good living if you have a couple good climbers working for you or with you. and a Good accountant/bookkeeper. If you are a one man show and do all the climbing you will have a hard time making decent money and its a hell of a lot of work.

 

[chucknduck]

You can make a good living if you have a couple good climbers working for you or with you. and a Good accountant/bookkeeper. If you are a one man show and do all the climbing you will have a hard time making decent money and its a hell of a lot of work. climbing is fun, but if you can grow your company to the point where you dont have to climb yourself, you can make good money without taking a toll on yourself.

 

[pro94lt]

I don't think anyone will ever "choose" to do this, most are forced do to this by not being able to work in corporate america or lack of work and end up making a career out of it. like said I truly beleive they are born. I climb but i'm not born to climb. I'll do whatever i can to get my truck in their and if i can't their is always some hack who will undercut everyone with bills and do it for less than he should. I have a couple questions for you. list the kind of work you have done in your life, like laying brick, finishing concrete, framing houses, bailing hay, loading hay... if you've never been on a labor intensive job site you probly won't make it to your first check. these old timer don't like clean cut guys that drive clean trucks without dents... I'm not saying thats what you are but i've seen it way to much. Good luck man...

 

[Goose IBEW]

You are going to have to take a hard look in the mirror and decide this one for yourself. I'm pretty much a rookie climber that's pushing 40 years old with a high mileage body...........yeah, I hurt at the end of the day.

I am a firm believer in this: You aren't going to make money unless its your business. Whether you are a lawyer, doctor, accountant, landscaper, tree climber, doesn't matter. Unless it's your business, you are helping someone else to make money. With that being said, I am up at 6am, work until dark, come home to clean the equipment and sharpen the saws, and usually shut the garage down around 9:30 at night. I work on all of my equipment and trucks, most of everything is from the eighties. Whether its brake lines on a truck or fuel lines in a saw, It's my responsibility to do. Paying shop rate to repair this stuff or having payments on new equipment is not going to happen. This is a typical beginning of a business as far as I know.

I talked to the owner of a tree business that wanted out and was selling. He had a "great climber" and had been with him for 9 years. the climber's salary was up to an astonishing $16.50/hr. THAT does not sound like a good career move. Are you looking to climb for a company? I hope there are companies that pay better than $16.50/hr.

 

[chucknduck]

You are going to have to take a hard look in the mirror and decide this one for yourself. I'm pretty much a rookie climber that's pushing 40 years old with a high mileage body...........yeah, I hurt at the end of the day.

I am a firm believer in this: You aren't going to make money unless its your business. Whether you are a lawyer, doctor, accountant, landscaper, tree climber, doesn't matter. Unless it's your business, you are helping someone else to make money. With that being said, I am up at 6am, work until dark, come home to clean the equipment and sharpen the saws, and usually shut the garage down around 9:30 at night. I work on all of my equipment and trucks, most of everything is from the eighties. Whether its brake lines on a truck or fuel lines in a saw, It's my responsibility to do. Paying shop rate to repair this stuff or having payments on new equipment is not going to happen. This is a typical beginning of a business as far as I know.

I talked to the owner of a tree business that wanted out and was selling. He had a "great climber" and had been with him for 9 years. the climber's salary was up to an astonishing $16.50/hr. THAT does not sound like a good career move. Are you looking to climb for a company? I hope there are companies that pay better than $16.50/hr.

Goose is right . Only the owner will ever make a good living. and lots of the time they make less than you would think. If you think you have what it takes to run a company. You would be better off to stay in your field and try to work your way up. wear nice clothes, work inside a nice office, most of the guys who climb for us wish they could have a job like that.

 

[Blakesmaster]

It's weird reading about people "choosing" to be a climber, or taking climbing up at an old age. More power to ya, but if ya have to ask, "Is it a good idea?", it probably ain't...for you. I climb, because it's what I do, I do it better than anything else I can do. Kinda sad in a way, but also satisfying...hard to describe. I'm 31 years old, been doing this a decade or so, climbing for at least half that full time. I couldn't even fathom doing anything else with the rest of my life. Some days that's a good thing, some days that's a bad thing, either way, it is what it is.