Smallest Crew

[ZandarKoad]

Hello! I'm completely new to the entire industry. I'm looking into the field because I won't have to work against my conscience to do it (it's honest work), it's high risk/responsibility/liability (generally, these all translate into higher pay), and I'm not afraid of heights. I've got a friend who's been doing this kind of work for a city municipality for three years, and he thinks it would be a perfect fit for me. I'm personally interested in doing it on my own (rather than on someone else's crew) and I currently have one question for all you veterans:

What is the smallest crew possible?

Can two men handle, say, 80% or 90% of the work out there? Or do you need 3 or more guys for most of the work? How much work can ONE man do alone? Etc...

 

[Job Corps Tree]

it will all depend on what the job is. if you go after the biggest d*^&* Tree in the county just for the Rep or if you do 5 or 6 little trim jobs for the same money. Trimming can be done with 2 good guys 1 climber and a good ground person. you can even do some small tree removals with 2 ,you just work harder. depending how new you are to this work you may want to work for someone for a bit just to see how it is done

 

[fireman]

crew

the most important thing is experience and training and how well you know how to do a job and bid it.i run one crew with 3 guys on larger jobs 4 guys.the problem is the more work your guy does that is the climber or trimmer the more he is going to be wore out which is a safety consern.my guy or myself if im cutting do not do any ground work until the tree is on the ground.the other thing if it is two guys your branches are going to stack up and get tangeled which will cost you more time and money.be safe use the right amount of man power for the job you are doing safety first

 

[Mikecutstrees]

This is a topic which unfortunately I have alot of experience with. I have taken down trees by myself ( cut/ throw branches till it's a huge pile under the tree, come down / chip/ repeat). I work mostly myself with one groundie. Which means I either have to do some waiting in the tree or more commonly he stacks stuff and I come down a few times to chip and clean up. I used to work by myself because I was just starting out and didn't have enough work to hire someone. Sometimes I have to fire a groundie or they get hurt like today (Slipped on ice) So then I gotta work by myself. I have pruned trees where stuff needed to be lowered by myself (Lower a piece on fig 8 then use other end of rope to lower another, Go down and untie/ clean up and repeat.) This year I'm hoping to have enough work to hire a 3rd person. You gotta do what you gotta do. Is it the safest way of doing things? NO..... But to build a company sometimes you have to work hard and be creative. You need experience before you can run a crew or work by yourself except on the simplist of jobs. I don't think that starting your own company with little or no experience is a smart idea though.

 

[2FatGuys]

We are a 3 man crew. However, there have been many jobs that we have done with just 2 of us. We do almost exclusively removal jobs. Once a "team" gets to know each other, they learn work patterns that can mesh smoothly. I do probably 75% of the climbing. My main partner is one of the most intuitive groundies I know. We have been cutting together for almost 20 years. I rarely have to come down to help clean up, and then go back up to work again. He can read when he should be cutting things up and when he should just be throwing stuff out of the way.

The real key to your question is: "How good of a groundie can you find?"

Your efficiency is only going to be as good as your support on the ground. If you get an average groundie, you better get a spare. If you find one like my partner, then he'll wear you out keeping up with him.

 

[newb]

I think anyone who climbs alone is an accident waiting to happen. Any job were on is a minimum 2 preferably 3. Work smart not harder. Pete

 

[TDunk]

On certain jobs i'll work by myself, but that doesn't happen to often. Other than that it's usually a 3 man crew. Finding good groundie's is something that has plagued many tree co's. Luckily i have a good crew. Climbing is dangerous enough, let alone doing by yourself. Work safe..........

 

[Grace Tree]

I work alone about 70% of the time. I think a 2 man crew is about 3 times as efficient as working alone. Climbing solo is risky but I'm willing to accept the risk.
Phil

 

[MS TreeMonkey]

I run a 2 man crew about 85% of the time with me doing 100% of the climbing. Certain trees "require" a 3 man crew - but that's the most i've ever had. When i have several trees to cut for the same customer I get my part-timer to come in and it speeds the process way up!!! I agree with Smallwood - an extra man makes you almost 3x as efficient! I'm climbin', one guy's workin' the rope and draggin' limbs, and the other guy's draggin' limbs and running the chipper.

 

[fireman]

crew

your ground crew makes you or breaks you.thank god i have an excellent ground guy he knows just what to do and when to do it makes your life allot easier.this is where you make your money is on a good safe ground crew who knows the equipment and knows how to work.if it wasn't for mark i don't know what i would do hardest working guy i know.but to keep your guys and not burn them out you need 2 guys.{wdchuck thanks for stepping up brother when we need you.}the way i look at you are only as good as the guys that work with you.stay safe please don't work alone.we had to rescue a guy out of a tree that was by himself that past out that almost took off his arm and was in the tree for few hours until the homeowner finally seen him.we had to fly him to level 1 trauma center stay safe please

 

[Canyonbc]

your ground crew makes you or breaks you.thank god i have an excellent ground guy he knows just what to do and when to do it makes your life allot easier.this is where you make your money is on a good safe ground crew who knows the equipment and knows how to work.if it wasn't for mark i don't know what i would do hardest working guy i know.but to keep your guys and not burn them out you need 2 guys.{wdchuck thanks for stepping up brother when we need you.}the way i look at you are only as good as the guys that work with you.stay safe please don't work alone.we had to rescue a guy out of a tree that was by himself that past out that almost took off his arm and was in the tree for few hours until the homeowner finally seen him.we had to fly him to level 1 trauma center stay safe please

First...i def. agree...everyone work safe, and careful....its more important then making a few extra bucks....

but i think a good way to make a 2 man team...great with out burning anybody out is a mini skid steer in res. work...something similar to what EKKA has, his Kanga in his videos...they have grapple units that can save backs i think in a lot of situations..

they are pretty easy to operate too...

They now even have stump grinding attachments for alot of the different companies.

JMO, what does everyone think about it.

Canyon

 

[Themadd1]

You need to have two experienced climbers on any work site involving climbing via rope. This is ANSI reg. If you get hurt someone has to climb up and get you down.

Thats my 2 cents...

 

[beowulf343]

Crew size? Depends on job being done and quality of workers (both climbers and groundies.) I do nothing but climbing removals usually with a three man crew. Climber, rope/groundie, and another groundie. I'll grab an extra guy or two if i have a really long drag, but two good groundies works well for me.

 

[John464]

I did a removal today that required. 1 guy(me) in spider lift, 2 men on lowering lines at once, 1 guy on a roof for stuff that couldnt be swung away from the house and 2 men on the ground. 1 with the pole hook, the other guiding the pieces in between the house. I had 5 guys on this job and everyone one of them was important. Ive also done jobs were Ive had 3 crews of 4 men each working in different work stations of the same job. Thats 12 men. One job.

Minimum. Like its been said. Depends on the scale of the job/rigging involved. I won't send a crew out without 4 men. Sometimes that is over kill, but they get the job done faster and on to the next.. normally 4 is the perfect number.

 

[treeclimber jul]

Wow, wish I had enough work to support a full time groundy. I do most of my work alone, even when I worked for a local company they would send me off by myself to do a prune job, than the ground men would come later and clean up