Sawdust cleanup??

[haneman]

Just wondering what you guys do to cleanup the sawdust from the lawns after a removal? I like to leave the yard looking as nice as possible afterward but trying to rake up all that mess just seems impossible. Plus I hate raking!!

However it's the little things like this that help give you a good name and keep the customers coming so I do my best.

I was thinking about getting a chipper/vac or a hand held blower/vac, but I'm not sure how they'd work. Any ideas or suggestions???


This site ROCKS!!!

 

[AOD]

Backpack blower works well, you can put a tarp down with chunks of wood for weight and blow the dust onto that. I've found those handheld mulcher vacs are frustratingly underpowered, to the point where it's easier just to use a rake. Small amounts of dust will be history the next time the grass is cut, but it's not good to leave piles around.

 

[Blakesmaster]

I think most customers understand that a little sawdust will be left onsite. I'm not going through their grass with a fine tooth comb. Yes, their yard may look perfect but you won't get any jobs at the price you'd have to charge in order to do that long and perfect of a cleanup everytime.

 

[ATH]

Blower to disperse the dust over a wider area of grass will do wonders.

I'd like to leave no trace...but like Blakesmaster said, that isn't going to be possible (economically so) every time. My rule of thumb is that I want it clean to the point that after one mowing they can't tell we were there.

 

[BC WetCoast]

Rake to get the bulk of it and then blow toward a common point. Which could be a hedge (the arborist's carpet to hide material under), a sidewalk or if the stump is being ground in the near future - the stump.

When you aim the blower, aim it almost vertical downward with a slight forward angle. This way you get the best movement. If you are working the rain, you won't get nearly as good a cleanup.

If you hate raking, either you need to hire someone or change occupations.

 

[haneman]

Thanks guys, I didn't think that those blowers were capable of blowing the sawdust out of the grass. What about the vacuum units? Are they just a waste of time?

Yes, I hate raking but I'd rather spend all day doing that then working just a few hours inside a plant!!!!

 

[limelakephoto]

I used my ECHO SHRED N' VAC for cleaning up. I suck all saw dust up right in the bag and away I go ! It works very well.... but alas no method is perfect.

 

[ozzy42]

All you have to do is rake it,then rake it again,then rake it some more,and then just rake it one more time.WALA.

I don't mind raking too bad,except when it is scattered over a half acre or so. It's good for your upper body strength.

I usually end up raking at least once a day,just to help us all get off the jobsite sooner.

 

[Raymond]

All you have to do is rake it,then rake it again,then rake it some more,and then just rake it one more time.WALA.

I don't mind raking too bad,except when it is scattered over a half acre or so. It's good for your upper body strength.

I usually end up raking at least once a day,just to help us all get off the jobsite sooner.

That's it!
Just a few times with the rake and take the blower and spread it out. I don't ever vacuum anything up.
This method is more than enough to impress the customers.

You say you hate raking, why's that? Raking is the easiest part.
I find it a good way to wind down after doing everything else.

But your right a good clean up is really important. My first residential tree guy I worked for told me.
People are lazy, they don't look up to see how well you did. they look down.

I take the blower to every stump we leave and even around the base of a tree after it's trimmed.

Every customer of mine is a repeat customer and I don't vacuum anything.

 

[familytreeman]

sawdust

When you are cutting the BIG LOG up with the BIG SAW, put a TARP down there on the ground by your FEET.

This will COLLECT THE SAWDUST, and leave the grass all nice and CLEAN like.

 

[Tree Pig]

What ever method you use the most important thing is to not leave clumps or piles which will damage the lawn. I always finish with a blower to insure the dust is distributed enough to prevent damage.

 

[familytreeman]

thats right

you sure like them stihls, they are great saws, i just think its funny when i see people rep so hard a certain NAME BRAND and glorify it, and think anything else cant compare...

i laugh when i see harley davidson stickers, ect... everywhere, also the 'two of each sticker' syndrome ,one on each side of the back window of the pickup, or the giant ARTIC CAT or POLARIS sticker, yeah snomobilin is great fun, but do you rep the company and get into arguements with someone who rides a ski doo?

or how bout the guys with the giant lifts on their pickups? now that is funny!


personally , i dont have a name brand preference, just whatever does the job better

 

[Tree Pig]

you sure like them stihls, they are great saws, i just think its funny when i see people rep so hard a certain NAME BRAND and glorify it, and think anything else cant compare...

i laugh when i see harley davidson stickers, ect... everywhere, also the 'two of each sticker' syndrome ,one on each side of the back window of the pickup, or the giant ARTIC CAT or POLARIS sticker, yeah snomobilin is great fun, but do you rep the company and get into arguements with someone who rides a ski doo?

or how bout the guys with the giant lifts on their pickups? now that is funny!


personally , i dont have a name brand preference, just whatever does the job better

Well I own both a Harley and several Stihl products and I would never buy another brand in either case. I have owned other motorcycles, chainsaws, blowers and trimmers but once I started using Stihl I got hooked.

The part you obviously fail to grasp is that the pride in brand and debate between different brand owners is part of the fun in participating in a community like this.

 

[Tree Pig]

personally , i dont have a name brand preference, just whatever does the job better

Well obviously its a STlHL®

 

[ozzy42]

you sure like them stihls, they are great saws, i just think its funny when i see people rep so hard a certain NAME BRAND and glorify it, and think anything else cant compare...

i laugh when i see harley davidson stickers, ect... everywhere, also the 'two of each sticker' syndrome ,one on each side of the back window of the pickup, or the giant ARTIC CAT or POLARIS sticker, yeah snomobilin is great fun, but do you rep the company and get into arguements with someone who rides a ski doo?

or how bout the guys with the giant lifts on their pickups? now that is funny!


personally , i dont have a name brand preference, just whatever does the job better

I tend to agree with you .People go overboard sometimes on the brand loyalty thing,although i do have all stihl saws at the present time.It didn't use to be that way. I used to buy the old poulan micro 2000s for climbing saws.At the time they were light ,and well balanced.[and cheap].Funny thing,I saw one at a yard sale a while back,picked it up with one hand,and strecthed my arm out,OMGit felt like a mason block LOL. My how times have changed.
I buy stihl saws because of their perfomance,and relabilty.If they changed ,or somebody comes out with a better saw,I will switch in a heartbeat.
I have never owned a stihl leaf blower.Too much money for something I use 5minutes a day.69$ wallmart blower.If it breaks in less than a month ,I take it back to them. If after that,toss it ,and buy another.

Oh ,on the harley.Their bikes are the bomb i will agree,but I never could realy figure out the harley ford truck thing.
Never could make the connection between the two.

 

[Kogafortwo]

Bosch rocks

I tend to agree with you .People go overboard sometimes on the brand loyalty thing,although i do have all stihl saws at the present time.It didn't use to be that way. I used to buy the old poulan micro 2000s for climbing saws.At the time they were light ,and well balanced.[and cheap].Funny thing,I saw one at a yard sale a while back,picked it up with one hand,and strecthed my arm out,OMGit felt like a mason block LOL. My how times have changed.
I buy stihl saws because of their perfomance,and relabilty.If they changed ,or somebody comes out with a better saw,I will switch in a heartbeat.
I have never owned a stihl leaf blower.Too much money for something I use 5minutes a day.69$ wallmart blower.If it breaks in less than a month ,I take it back to them. If after that,toss it ,and buy another.

Oh ,on the harley.Their bikes are the bomb i will agree,but I never could realy figure out the harley ford truck thing.
Never could make the connection between the two.

All those Stihl saws, Harley bikes, and Ford trucks are fine for what they are. But they're all SQUAT without Bosch spark plugs and, in the case of the Harleys and Fords, Bosch fuel injection, too.

"We don't need no stinkin' bailouts."

 

[Tree Pig]

All those Stihl saws, Harley bikes, and Ford trucks are fine for what they are. But they're all SQUAT without Bosch spark plugs and, in the case of the Harleys and Fords, Bosch fuel injection, too.

"We don't need no stinkin' bailouts."

pffft no bosch injectors on my Harley just a big old SS super E. But of course the Dodge has some bosch injectors in it so you got me there

 

[haneman]

Kinda strayed off the subject here, but thanks for all the advice!!!

 

[limelakephoto]

I personally think that all those stickers on back windows are actually saying "Follow Me Home ! I have some great stuff worth stealing !" I also refuse to pay for a sticker so a company can advertise their product on my truck while I pay them for the privilage !

 

[Tree Pig]

I personally think that all those stickers on back windows are actually saying "Follow Me Home ! I have some great stuff worth stealing !" I also refuse to pay for a sticker so a company can advertise their product on my truck while I pay them for the privilage !

Thats about the time were this sticker comes in handy