Starting a Tree Care Service.

[minifly3]

I have been compiling a list of equipment to start my own tree climbing business. I was wondering it my equipment list and rough cost where accurate or if i was way low or high and any other advice you could provide..

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AloSVqmVl7QVdG5vM0tnWVg3Y2x3ODhMR1M3aEFjVGc


is the link to google docs spreadsheet. I have thought about splitting up the climbing kit and getting a buckinham versatile saddle instead and saving alittle cash.. or is the treemotion harness worth the extra?

 

[VA-Sawyer]

I'm guessing that you are new to the business ?

 

[minifly3]

Ye, the home depot wheelbarrow i was hoping to get some life out of until i find a better option.. I am new to the business, i am currently a college student studying horticulture/arboriculture. I'm hopefully working this summer with davey tree then after college gonna work part time for myself and part time for a tree outfit.

 

[VA-Sawyer]

New guy working for Davey ? Do you have any previous experience doing treework ? If not, all you should need this summer is items 7,8 and 17. Probably a pair of 17 every week.
Rick

 

[minifly3]

Davey in Ontario takes on a few people each year from the colleges for the summer to use as groundies. Most of our schools gear was donated by Davey aswell

 

[Bomber]

Wait until you work in the field prior to buying equipment. You will be a groundman prior to being able to climb. You can see what equipment others use base on their climbing style. You will also see the advantages and disadvantages to some equipment.

 

[minifly3]

Thanks Bomber that is something very smart that never really crossed my mind. I have used the versatile saddle, and rope but i havent really had the chance to try many varietys

 

[minifly3]

I was thinking of maybe just getting the climbing kit from sherill tree this summer so i could practice climbing and throwing at home aswell

 

[VA-Sawyer]

That is very true Del_. I can often talk a green groundie through a new rigging plan while I am in the tree, but there is little I can do except wait, while they try to throw or shoot a line. That is the second thing I work with on new guys, knots is the first.
Rick

 

[Bomber]

I was thinking of maybe just getting the climbing kit from sherill tree this summer so i could practice climbing and throwing at home aswell

Poison Ivy rope is good but can only be spliced on one end. I personely like eyes in both ends of rope. Pole saws I would rather have detachable 6' sections rather then a telescoping one. All just my preferance but I would rather get the right equipment the first time.

 

[minifly3]

That is very true Del_. I can often talk a green groundie through a new rigging plan while I am in the tree, but there is little I can do except wait, while they try to throw or shoot a line. That is the second thing I work with on new guys, knots is the first.
Rick

We are required to learn a good selection of the most common used knots to pass our college course.

 

[dts99]

a big hand truck and a rubbermaid barrel will come in much mor handy that a reg wheelbarrow, other than that id start with basic stuff like a barrel and a rake and go from there, spend the ten grand on a old truck and chipper, thats will make you the money to get the rest, stacking brush on a trailer sucks!!!!, so my 2 cents chipper climbing gear and oh yeah you need work to do i.e. clients, welcome to tree business. i did tree work some 13 years before i started up 3 years ago, and i still spend a ton-o-money on little things that i could use, trying to figure out exactly what you need sitting in your dorm wont work, get your gear and get up in the trees

 

[VA-Sawyer]

Poison Ivy rope is good but can only be spliced on one end. I personely like eyes in both ends of rope. Pole saws I would rather have detachable 6' sections rather then a telescoping one. All just my preferance but I would rather get the right equipment the first time.

Bomber,
That used to be true about PI but, they somehow changed the manufacturing process and it can now be spliced on both ends. Been that way for about 2 years.

( Bomber PM'd me about this statement. I checked the Sherrill website, and as of now they only show one splice available. I'm pretty sure they did offer 2 splices in either '09 or '10 on PI. I will follow up on this and post what I find. Sorry for any confusion I may have caused. )

I agree about getting the right gear the first time. More money upfront, but less money in the long run.

Minifly3,

I looked over the advanced climbing kit you mentioned. Not bad gear, but I think you won't really need a few of the contents and will need a few others not included.

My number one piece of advice on buying a saddle..... physically sit in it, suspended on a rope for at least 15 minutes before buying. Maybe you can get a couple of classmates and 'roadtrip' to a supply store that has a suspended line for trying saddles. I tried 3 or 4 before selecting the one I've been using for almost 4 years. If you aren't comfy in the saddle, you will never get good at treework.

My second suggestion is get a wirecore lanyard for your first one. You won't cut yourself loose with a handsaw, and it gives an extra second of warning if cut with a chainsaw.
Rick

 

[minifly3]

Ye, I have considered breaking up the advanced climbing pack and just ordering most of the stuff from them. I have sat and use this harness everyday in class:
AMT Versatile Harness by Buckingham, Deluxe : SherrillTree Tree Care Equipment so any thoughts on it would be greatly appreciated, as i will probably get it instead of the tree motion for now. We also climb at school with a lanyard like this: 10-ft Wirecore Lanyard Combo : SherrillTree Tree Care Equipment so i was gonna buy it instead of the one in the advanced kit aswell.

- (2) 150 ft Neon 3 Throwline (part# NEON-150)
- (2) 14 oz Weights(NEO-14)
- (1) 12 oz Weight (NEO-12)
- RopeBoss™ Cube (32443)
- TreeMotion Saddle (31311)
- (2) Large Caritool (CARI-L)
- Silky Zubat Handsaw (20686)
- Flipline with Rock Grab (31785
- Split Tail (2-eye), 10MM Beeline (31296)
- RopeBoss™ Deluxe 250 Bag (32376)
- RopeBoss™ StretchTop Bag (32379)
- RopeBoss™ Drawstring Bag (32380)
- (2) Am'd Carabiners (15972)
- (2) Petzl OK Carabiners (31527)
- Hitch Climber Pulley (31315)
- 150ft. of Poison Ivy® Rope, Spliced (PIVY-150-S) (or High-Vee/Safety Blue)

 

[Zale]

OP- if you are going to work for Davey, hold off on buying all this gear. If you show up with all your new fancy toys, be prepared to get a lot of #### from the crews. Davey will give you the basic equipment that you will need. Just watch and learn from the other climbers. Crews tend to give a cold shoulder to college kids but hang in there and be safe.

 

[minifly3]

I wasn't planning on taking this gear to Davey, Considering most of the people at Davey branch i would work at came from my school/its sister schools it wouldn't be to bad. The gear i plan on getting for summer is so i can practice at home and do work for family.

 

[VA-Sawyer]

minifly3,

How about telling us more about the job with Davey. It sounds like it might be some kind of co-op work study deal, where they apprentice you, rather than just making you drag brush the first two years.

While many on here will say 'dragging brush' is the only way to pay your dues, I think a student in an Arborist program should get a break there. You do need first hand experience dragging brush so you understand just what it takes to do it well. You need to understand the importance of proper routing, chipper location, remaining clear of the drop zone etc. You may also learn something about optimum branch size for dragging. Two weeks to a month should give you the needed knowledge on the subject.
It will also give you a chance to observe how the rest of the crew works together. A good groundie can be just as important as the climber, to getting the job done quick and safe. Maybe another month of handling ropes and some easy rigging. Some hands on training with a port-a-wrap or GRCS. Then if you are still interested, maybe a few climbs in a work enviroment. Everybody waiting on you, while you try to figure out which side of the limb you want to cut from. Trying to figure out which cut to use, while your heart is pounding at 180 bpm. Good times.

So, is this job part of an organized program ?
Rick

 

[lxt]

Thanks Bomber that is something very smart that never really crossed my mind. I have used the versatile saddle, and rope but i havent really had the chance to try many varietys

We are required to learn a good selection of the most common used knots to pass our college course.

I am always amazed at those who are in college or just outta college that the simplest things just dont play into their thinking process & even more amazed that someone in college would basically shelve their college education to start climbing/tree service.

If this is really where your interest is? you would have been better off to just get hired on with Davey & go through an apprenticeship, college education in arboriculture will not land you the high pay that a degree should, however having a degree in general will get you many jobs, If the field tree work side is your forte? & you will know soon enough....you might have been better off selecting a different educational route???

Good luck,


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

 

[Kottonwood]

You forgot one major large ticket item on your list..... LIABILITY INSURANCE- $1000/yr how bout workers comp if you want to hire a guy 5-900 per month

Just wanted to throw that one in there.

I agree with what some of the other folks on here have said, work first then decide what you need. School is going to give you some really great knowledge about trees and tree work but it ain't gonna show you a goddamm about what really goes on on a job site and what things you need to run a profitable service..... like the ability to estimate trees properly for instance

I started my business less than two years ago, IMO you need a minimum of $25000 initial investment and at least $5000 in the bank to start a tree service that you can actually turn a profit with.... and that is if you are a BADASS climber that can do any tree to extremely high standards in a short amount of time because you are going to be spending five times what established companies are doing on groundwork and you are not going to be able to afford to hire a climber. I now have about ten times that invested in my business and we are just now getting to the point where I feel we are efficient and I don't have to climb every tree myself.

I suggest you buy your equipment one piece at a time as you work, find things that work well and purchase them. The climbing kits from sherrill are OK but like others have said they all have something you don't need and are missing things you do.

If you find a comfy saddle, buy it and use it at work. The more you use it the better you'll be in it. You can make things like loop slings yourself and save a bit of cash..... and the knotless rigging kit is kind of silly... just tie your damn bowline and buy a 200t instead of that echo.

Focus on your climbing and rigging equipment first, let your boss worry about the clean up equipment.

 

[VA-Sawyer]

Update on splicing PI on both ends as promised in earlier post:

Sherrill did offer PI spliced on both ends for a while, but stopped due to milking problems.

Knot and Rope Supply will still sell PI with 2 splices, but they charge extra, due to the extra time spent milking rope before splicing.
Rick