OHIO new business

[daddycoop]

Ok, guys really looking towards the break of winter here.
I have a big question for you guys, you do this everyday, I am going to open up here a tree cutting business, since I am a union pipefitter, TIRED of the lay offs, getting older, and LOVE this business of tree service and think I am quite good at what I do on tree work.
I have been cutting trees on the side here, and insured YES, so I am no over nighter, just right now part time.
I have accumulated everything I need to cut and trim trees, from rope to saws I have it all.

THE QUESTION is, I am going to buy a bucket truck, YES a used one, and I am steering towards like a 40 ish footer.
I can buy any truck I want, but am looking at big vrs smaller.
I think I can do about it all with a smaller truck and about 40 ish foot bucket.
Now I can have any bucket I want to buy but right now kinda settling on that because, I can get into more places, most of my stuff is going to be around yards, tree trim out and such, with occasional near roundway top outs. I am afraid if I get a bigger truck, like asplundh size with a chipper bed on back, which I could buy, I just think it will be to big for my needs, and am looking at getting around easier. I may be able to get into more yards with a smaller boom and a lighter truck if I had to vrs bigger and tearing up the yards.
Then there is getting a CDL for the bigger trucks, and more insurance and more upkeep, more dollars on parts, ect.

Buying a FIRST truck, that kind of do it all truck, what would you guys buy and why if you went independent, and went into business.

I can see that going smaller I would also need a trailer or a dump truck for the wood or chips, just trying to get the first thing right here, I cannot do anymore right now without a boom truck, or something similar, your thoughts please..............

 

[formationrx]

truck

not sure about the truck question... but if you carry 1/2 inch plywood you wont tear up any yards regardless of what truck you get...

 

[superjunior]

If your dead set on a smaller boom then you might want to look into one of those trailer mounted booms. Not sure who makes them but I see em around, a lot of rental places have them. All you would need is a full size pick up to pull it and your all set, no cdl.

Personally I think you might regret going with a smaller boom. I wish I had a 60 ft instead of a 55, never enough reach. And I like having a chipper bed (forestry package) so there's another truck to chip into if the chip truck fills up. Whatever you choose your gonna need plywood, especially in Ohio. This place is never gonna dry out

 

[2treeornot2tree]

Sounds like you may want to learn how to climb. I wouldn't get a 40' truck. I got a great deal on my 1998 55' altec truck. I only paid $14,000 for it. Even with this truck it seems like all the time, I dont have enough height. I want badly to upgrade to a 75' truck but I just cant seem to justify spending $145,000 on a new one. They are very hard to find. If you do get a 40' truck be prepared to bounce stuff off of it all the time.

 

[lxt]

What is your budget?

I agree on the small boom..... you will regret it!! if you are doing alot of yard work look into the towable units....they`re light & the boom height is 50ft+, but your budget will dictate what you end up with!!

good luck


LXT.................

 

[daddycoop]

Did look into some of the tow behinds and they looked feasible BUT did not ask anyone yet but they look like they have to have a pretty level spot, see they have outriggers and that may do it, and yes I can climb, not bad for a 55 year old, you won't catch many of them in the trees but I still do, and enjoy doing so, body kinda talking back though. Did consider some forestry trucks to, just to many choices and can ONLY start out with ONE boom truck.........................

 

[mckeetree]

Did look into some of the tow behinds and they looked feasible BUT did not ask anyone yet but they look like they have to have a pretty level spot, see they have outriggers and that may do it, and yes I can climb, not bad for a 55 year old, you won't catch many of them in the trees but I still do, and enjoy doing so, body kinda talking back though. Did consider some forestry trucks to, just to many choices and can ONLY start out with ONE boom truck.........................

Let me tell you something there cowboy, if you are 55 years old and know as little about the business as you seem to and wanting to start new in the tree business you might want to spring for a good mental evaluation.

 

[tree MDS]

Let me tell you something there cowboy, if you are 55 years old and know as little about the business as you seem to and wanting to start new in the tree business you might want to spring for a good mental evaluation.

Lol! I had a feeling your response to this was going to be brutally hilarious!

 

[lxt]

55yrs old & just starting in a full time biz? wow..........not that it cant be done, but if your body has taken a beating as you say from plumbing/fitting..............you are in for a rude awakening in this trade, many of my friends work for local 47 plumbers & fitters union & those are some well paid (yes many lay offs unless you like to travel) non hard working people!!!!! pretty nice job really

anyway........ya gotta do what ya think is best for you.....now about your budget??? what are you looking to spend? & then add about $2000 to that figure for fixing what the salesman told ya was brand new & top of the line!



LXT................

 

[mattfr12]

40 foot bucket is no good enless your cutting pretty small trees we use a 75 foot elevator and are always wanting more reach still after that. 40 foot is pretty short because side reach is as important as verticale.

your probably not gonna save any money by buying a 40 foot. vs 55.

 

[superjunior]

Altec TA40- 1999 Freightliner FL70 Flatbed Bucket : Bucket Trucks

At this price I would have jumped on this truck if it had a real boom on it. might be right up op's alley though

 

[treemandan]

Lol! I had a feeling your response to this was going to be brutally hilarious!

I am totally scared crapless to see what X said, I am sure it was doozy, I mean it dam well have better been.

 

[daddycoop]

Well let me say this, I WAS BORN AND RAISED ON A FARM FOR 40 YEARS, BUT NO COWBOY! Wish you were here so I could show the the appreciation of that insult! The age has not a dam thing to do with anything, the world and the people change to adapt to society changes and the economy, you sound like one that still lives at home, and has no expenses and cannot appreciate doing whatever it takes to feed your family, so YES I will take that kick in the back offensively! So you all laugh and poke fun with your net buddies while on the internet, but because you have some friends that are fitters and you can insult me for not liking it here in Ohio, well the economy may be good there, well it SUCKS HERE, we lost all all steel mills, and that was Pittsburgh to Steubenville, that took a huge loss, I have many that worked the steel mills for 20-30 years to say one day sorry, you have NO RETIREMENT, no annuity, no insurance and NO JOB. And you have the balls to set there and question me what I want to do with my life at 55, this is the last dam thing I will EVER post on this site, cause I found it, thinking there we better people in wood cutters, but I see the same #######s as any other site, so tonight when you lay your stupid heads down that made these stupid comments here today about someone that is trying to ask REAL questions about what may be the difference in feeding his family or not, then maybe it will come to you, YOUR THE ---HOLES THAT RUIN THIS WORLD AND THIS SITE...................

 

[treemandan]

Let me tell you something there cowboy, if you are 55 years old and know as little about the business as you seem to and wanting to start new in the tree business you might want to spring for a good mental evaluation.

I charge 5 cents for the evaluation which you can't beat no matter where you look. Since I don't have a license, any education and just recently paroled I can't write prescriptions for the drugs but I can still get em if we decide to take that avenue. From the looks of it I know I am gonna need some kind of antipsychotic. You?


Now Shigo is pretty good, you'll get a lot out of his books , Vonnegut would be a better choice. But heed this warning, reading him can be deadly, just ask Prentice. Oh wait, you can't ask Prentice. See what I mean? Anyway, just be careful, be very ####ing careful. That's sound advice for someone going into this business right? Well, I try to help as best I can.

Also being full of #### isn't good. So make sure yer not. That's a big one. I just had a conversation with my wife about people who are full of ####. She was telling me about her job interveiw today, said it didn't go well and why so. She said it was because of " this and that", I told her it wasn't any of that it just was cause they were full of ####. She didn't beleive me right away but when I asked her why she didn't take the job she got it. Then I told my daughter not to reapeat the word ####.

Now as far as buying a bucket truck?

Ok, I am sorry... well actually, no I'm not, I guess I was saying sorry for not being sorry? I dunno but I dug a couple rifles out. I am going to build a case for em, maybe even take the .22 up to the range. Snow is coming, just finished up another yard reclamation job and have tawlets to scrub so I might not make it. Its Ok, I like to jess hold em while I sit on the sofa and watch The A Team.

 

[formationrx]

there goes another one...

"There's only one rule I know of, babies-- God damn it, you've got to be kind."
--Vonnegut

 

[2treeornot2tree]

It's like tree work, you gotta be thicked skin to post in here. You should be smart enough to know that people are gonna give you a hard time when you post stuff like that. Deal with it or dont post on a forum. I cant believe other forums arent just as bad. Just the way people are.

 

[tree MDS]

It's like tree work, you gotta be thicked skin to post in here. You should be smart enough to know that people are gonna give you a hard time when you post stuff like that. Deal with it or dont post on a forum. I cant believe other forums arent just as bad. Just the way people are.

You ain't seen nothing yet!

 

[superjunior]

You ain't seen nothing yet!

uh oh.. run formationrx.. run for yer life :msp_ohmy:

 

[tree MDS]

This thread reminds my of that kid with the 78 F 350 with the cable TV bucket from a couple years back. That was a good one!

 

[Bomber]

Well let me say this, I WAS BORN AND RAISED ON A FARM FOR 40 YEARS, BUT NO COWBOY! Wish you were here so I could show the the appreciation of that insult! The age has not a dam thing to do with anything, the world and the people change to adapt to society changes and the economy, you sound like one that still lives at home, and has no expenses and cannot appreciate doing whatever it takes to feed your family, so YES I will take that kick in the back offensively! So you all laugh and poke fun with your net buddies while on the internet, but because you have some friends that are fitters and you can insult me for not liking it here in Ohio, well the economy may be good there, well it SUCKS HERE, we lost all all steel mills, and that was Pittsburgh to Steubenville, that took a huge loss, I have many that worked the steel mills for 20-30 years to say one day sorry, you have NO RETIREMENT, no annuity, no insurance and NO JOB. And you have the balls to set there and question me what I want to do with my life at 55, this is the last dam thing I will EVER post on this site, cause I found it, thinking there we better people in wood cutters, but I see the same #######s as any other site, so tonight when you lay your stupid heads down that made these stupid comments here today about someone that is trying to ask REAL questions about what may be the difference in feeding his family or not, then maybe it will come to you, YOUR THE ---HOLES THAT RUIN THIS WORLD AND THIS SITE...................

You have to understand that most arborists on this site have studied arborculture in school or learned from another arborist and read Shigo and Dirr on their own time. When you spend years learning the business and physiology of trees you take pride in the field. It seems that many will post on this sight saying they cut wood before and can climb, learning from Utube, so they want to jump into the business. They don't really care about the field they just think its fun climbing a tree and hacking off limbs. Arborists have seen 100 year old trees ruined by hacks taking off large limbs. Thats why you get some negative feedback. If you really have an intrest in the field and asked what you need to learn to do tree work properly then you probably would get more help.

Most unions in my area will strike at a business if they don't hire union workers and obstruct "scabs" from doing the job. I am surprised you cant handle a little banter, I am sure you can dish it out.