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[tree MDS]

I’ve been teaching my new kid to do quite a bit over the last month or whatever it’s been. Have him running the mini giant a little, even loading it (forks bucket and claw) in the dump trailer and tying it down. Showed him how to grease the lift yesterday too. Seems like a good kid. Like I said, public schooled, so not all namby pamby and petunia like lol.

Really happy about the way he’s just flowed in naturally. I was thinking I was going to have a hard time replacing the last one when he left me like that, but me and the other guy both agree that this is a much better fit.

Now I’m supposed to write a letter and fax it to my old ground guy’s parole officer before his upcoming hearing stating that he has a job when he gets out, etc. Definitely feels like owning a tree service lately lol.

 

[Helmstein]

I’m still not sold on the mats, even though they are temping. I am like the plywood king. After 20 years or so of dealing with it, it’s down to pretty much a science.

I’m pretty sure standard black mats and plywood can be left down for three days without burn (in ideal conditions). I think the white (clear) ones boast four days (from memory).

One time I burned a lawn after a day and a half, but that was because it was like 100 degrees out and it had just rained before we put it down and after we pulled the wood up I left a guy with the blower to stand the grass back up while I went for the log truck, but it ran out of gas right away. I think it only took like 40 minutes baking in that sun plastered down like that to kill it (steam was coming off it when we got back lol). I noticed it a few days later driving by. It came back pretty quickly, of course, but I still felt bad. Live and learn. Now we make sure we hit it up with the blower immediately.

Ya MDS if it ain't broke don't fix it. The other pro I forgot to mention is they slide very easily against each other. Plywood tends to grab one another.

 

[Helmstein]

I’ve been teaching my new kid to do quite a bit over the last month or whatever it’s been. Have him running the mini giant a little, even loading it (forks bucket and claw) in the dump trailer and tying it down. Showed him how to grease the lift yesterday too. Seems like a good kid. Like I said, public schooled, so not all namby pamby and petunia like lol.

Really happy about the way he’s just flowed in naturally. I was thinking I was going to have a hard time replacing the last one when he left me like that, but me and the other guy both agree that this is a much better fit.

Now I’m supposed to write a letter and fax it to my old ground guy’s parole officer before his upcoming hearing stating that he has a job when he gets out, etc. Definitely feels like owning a tree service lately lol.

Glad to hear your plugging right along. New guys are always a question mark if they will work out.

 

[Helmstein]

MDS did I ever tell you about the avant 528 lug nut tie downs that make securing the giant down on a trailor a breeze. It also gives a great low tie in point for getting the machine unstuck if you ever really get it buried. I think they were $300 for 4

 

[tree MDS]

Ya MDS if it ain't broke don't fix it. The other pro I forgot to mention is they slide very easily against each other. Plywood tends to grab one another.

See, that’s part of why I like plywood, because it sticks together. There’s two stacks of 24 good sheets under there and one stack of like 14 “**** sheets” (retired) for dropping stuff on. I can telescope Pa giant and pull them off with the bucket without unhooking the tilt deck trailer. I’m in the process of implementing a smaller system to go with the ram and mini/dump trailer, just haven’t wanted to spring for more wood yet.

 

[Helmstein]

Ya with those plastic mats they are like ice. They would never stack like that. You wouldn't be able to transport them like that. It's funny what works for me doesn't work for someone else. That's why I like these forms, you learn a lot.

 

[Haplo]

Worked 11 hours today grinding stumps with a rayco rg55, a good bit of that was drive time between jobs

 

[tree MDS]

Ya with those plastic mats they are like ice. They would never stack like that. You wouldn't be able to transport them like that. It's funny what works for me doesn't work for someone else. That's why I like these forms, you learn a lot.

They’d be a lot heavier too, even if they were forced to stick together, say with D rings and a couple straps. Lifting them out would still be an issue. So I guess that’s pretty much the main reasons I stick with plywood. There are more too, of course… like using the **** sheets to shim over roots, etc.

 

[Helmstein]

Worked 11 hours today grinding stumps with a rayco rg55, a good bit of that was drive time between jobs

Saturdays are for stump grinding.

 

[tree MDS]

Worked 11 hours today grinding stumps with a rayco rg55, a good bit of that was drive time between jobs

Damn. You like that machine?

I sold four days work and am waiting to hear on another real promising weeks worth of work we come highly recommended for. Got another four day tree customer marking his stumps for CBYD and all that in order too. Plus I got the old groundy’s parole hearing letter pretty much worked out. Not a bad Saturday overall. And I still had time to **** off here lol.

 

[tree MDS]

The MDS plans to have teeth in this game for a long time. I got just the dogs to do it with too. Lol.

 

[tree MDS]

Hey, at least our waterspout on the ass of tree work has disappeared,,, oh crap, not supposed to acknowledge the absence!! Lol.

It has been nice though.

 

[Haplo]

You like that machine?

It's nice. Better than the stx 38 for not much extra and the 38 does not have a push blade. Wanted to run the 165t but that was out 3 weeks

 

[tree MDS]

It's nice. Better than the stx 38 for not much extra and the 38 does not have a push blade. Wanted to run the 165t but that was out 3 weeks

Good for you on testing them before you buy!! I wish I had the patience!!

 

[ZinTrees]

Hey, at least our waterspout on the ass of tree work has disappeared,,, oh crap, not supposed to acknowledge the absence!! Lol.

It has been nice though.

nah im here, just gained enough sense to not give input to the ****wit we call "quesadilla"

 

[Rabid K9]

Ya with those plastic mats they are like ice. They would never stack like that. You wouldn't be able to transport them like that. It's funny what works for me doesn't work for someone else. That's why I like these forms, you learn a lot.

Don't run many mats, but do like the 19mm formply (with the black anti-stick coating), not sure what you guys would call it.

Slides, easy to clean, durable. Not cheap for new sheets, but can be salvaged from large concrete builds. Damn slippery though, good for turning skid steer on but treacherous underfoot.

Have my limited collection on the tipper trailer for tomorrows job, it's a whole another equipment item to load & get to the job.

 

[Rabid K9]

MDS did I ever tell you about the avant 528 lug nut tie downs that make securing the giant down on a trailor a breeze. It also gives a great low tie in point for getting the machine unstuck if you ever really get it buried. I think they were $300 for 4

Do they make them for other wheeled machines?

Trying to come up with a faster system for craning the stump grinder on & off truck. Has no crane point on machine, so currently basket slinging, but it's an awkward shape, with hoses everywhere underneath. Being able to lift off lugs nuts on each corner could be an option.

 

[Rabid K9]

Worked 11 hours today grinding stumps with a rayco rg55, a good bit of that was drive time between jobs

What do you think the return per machine hour was on a day like that?

Asking because am still fine tuning way run my grinder, so far has been pretty good, but feeling like am charging to much some of the time, too little other times.

Nature of tree works I guess.

 

[Rabid K9]

Not many photos lately, getting into winter in earnest, often raining, generally running out of light, keep leaving camera bag behind.

Dealing with lots of manky marri last couple weeks, decay, root uplift, storm damage etc etc.

Usually the Mansons get all the nerve wracking ones.

So we just potter around the edges with our kindergarten skills & known unknowns....

 

[Haplo]

What do you think the return per machine hour was on a day like that?

It ended up being about $330 USD / machine hour.

Good for you on testing them before you buy!! I wish I had the patience!!

The rg55 does seem to be a much better value over the stx38, the problem is I am starting to get spoiled on the 165t, it gets the job done so much faster, but its an extra 40k on the price tag.

But what I really want is a pre emissions rayco rg100 good luck finding one of those