Koa Man
Kahuna giganticus
I just read the "Why I Am Charging $10" thread.
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4492
Decided to start a new one since that one was so long. In Hawaii, spiking coconut palms is an accepted method of climbing them for trimming and all tree companies here do it. Most cannot be accessed by a bucket truck and those suggesting the use of a ladder, well how short are the palms you are doing??? Many here are 60 ft. or taller. I have done thousands of coconut palms. I charge between $30 to $125 a palm, depending upon amount of growth, location and height. My average palm charge is $37.50 for a 50 ft. with 6 months of growth. I use a cane knife for cocos, many guys are starting to use chainsaws, but the fiber clogs them up and the final job is not as clean and neat, not to mention all the sawdust. Using a chainsaw on cocos at the resorts are unacceptable. Too much sawdust and too much noise. My average time to trim a coconut palm with 6 months growth with a cane knife is 5 minutes. I have been timed as fast as 3 min. 47 sec. up and down. If SpikedSupra was doing coconuts and they did not have more than 6 months of growth on them and it was all a free drop, $10 is a decent price, although I charge $15 for cut and free drop, no hauling. $20 to $25 a tree if I have to cut, hold and toss the fronds and other debris to avoid understory damage. I would like to know how other guys trimming palms are doing so if they are too high for a ladder and cannot be reached by a bucket.
Please don't think I am a lowballer, quick buck artist. I am not new in this business, started in 1984, I am a certified arborist WC2191A, and have more work than I can handle. Doing a job today where my bid was $890 and the largest tree company here bid $600 for pruning a mango tree. New customer told me they went with me because of my explanation of how I was going to do it and my reputation.
http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4492
Decided to start a new one since that one was so long. In Hawaii, spiking coconut palms is an accepted method of climbing them for trimming and all tree companies here do it. Most cannot be accessed by a bucket truck and those suggesting the use of a ladder, well how short are the palms you are doing??? Many here are 60 ft. or taller. I have done thousands of coconut palms. I charge between $30 to $125 a palm, depending upon amount of growth, location and height. My average palm charge is $37.50 for a 50 ft. with 6 months of growth. I use a cane knife for cocos, many guys are starting to use chainsaws, but the fiber clogs them up and the final job is not as clean and neat, not to mention all the sawdust. Using a chainsaw on cocos at the resorts are unacceptable. Too much sawdust and too much noise. My average time to trim a coconut palm with 6 months growth with a cane knife is 5 minutes. I have been timed as fast as 3 min. 47 sec. up and down. If SpikedSupra was doing coconuts and they did not have more than 6 months of growth on them and it was all a free drop, $10 is a decent price, although I charge $15 for cut and free drop, no hauling. $20 to $25 a tree if I have to cut, hold and toss the fronds and other debris to avoid understory damage. I would like to know how other guys trimming palms are doing so if they are too high for a ladder and cannot be reached by a bucket.
Please don't think I am a lowballer, quick buck artist. I am not new in this business, started in 1984, I am a certified arborist WC2191A, and have more work than I can handle. Doing a job today where my bid was $890 and the largest tree company here bid $600 for pruning a mango tree. New customer told me they went with me because of my explanation of how I was going to do it and my reputation.