Starting a Tree Care Service.

[minifly3]

Saywer ~ It's not really an apprenticeship officially, it's just the way things have been here for years. Davey tree's local branch always takes some of the students if any are interested for the summer and we still start as groundies but after the first month if you show interest they let you climb the odd tree and learn other things. It's a pretty good deal. Alot of the kids that do this end up working for Davey after school so it's a win win for both student and Davey.

My college degree is in Horticulture but my focus has been on landscape/tree care. Money isn't everything, I didn't go to school to be a tree climber. I will be finishing college before starting it


Is the 200T really that much better or is it just a matter of who prefers echo who prefers stihl.

 

[Buzzkill]

Is the 200T really that much better or is it just a matter of who prefers echo who prefers stihl.

Thread Death.

 

[minifly3]

Thread Death.

It's an honest question, We have each at school, but I believe our stihl is a 192t which is in the same price point as the echo. I have no problem paying more for a better saw but at x2 price i wanna make sure it is a better saw. Even compared to its 192t

 

[millbilly]

I didnt see the echo at top sorry patriot

 

[VA-Sawyer]

Is the 200T really that much better or is it just a matter of who prefers echo who prefers stihl.

I don't want to get another Ford - Chevy war started but, let me ask you this....... Do you think many folks would pay 2X the money for the 200 if it wasn't worth it ? And yes, I use a 200T.


A month dragging brush sounds about right, as a minimum. It sounds like the job could be a fair opportunity for the students.
Rick

 

[minifly3]

Yep, its a really good deal for students. I will change to the stihl 200t, out of curiosity what is it going for in the states? It is $709, same with the 201t.. 200T is better then the 201T?

 

[millbilly]

I don't want to get another Ford - Chevy war started but, let me ask you this....... Do you think many folks would pay 2X the money for the 200 if it wasn't worth it ? And yes, I use a 200T.


A month dragging brush sounds about right, as a minimum. It sounds like the job could be a fair opportunity for the students.
Rick

Ever run a muffler modded cs330? It shocked me. I don't think a ms200 in the hands of a novice makes sense.

 

[Kottonwood]

It's an honest question, We have each at school, but I believe our stihl is a 192t which is in the same price point as the echo. I have no problem paying more for a better saw but at x2 price i wanna make sure it is a better saw. Even compared to its 192t

I believe the general consensus amongst the arborist community is that the 200T is God's gift to tree climbers.... whether you're a husky guy, stihl guy, or for some unknown reason an echo guy.... you should have a 200T, there really isn't a comparable saw. The 192 is comparable to the husky and echo tophandles.... not to the 200t

 

[minifly3]

So would it be reasonable to have a 200t with a 192t as a backup or just get two 200t

 

[Kottonwood]

I started with a 200t and a 460. One day I pinched my 200t in a big cut on a large cottonwoood. It was close to the end of the day on a very long day.... I really did not feel like using the 460 in the tree at that point. The next day I went out and bought a 192T as a backup. One of my climbers actually prefers the 192 when trimming, other than that it doesn't get used much. I have four 200s now so there is always a backup but at the beginning that 192 saved me a few times when the ol 200 went down for any reason. The 192 is still a good saw, so is the husky and the echo, there really just isn't any replacement for a 200 though. JMO

Honestly though it sounds like you really need to work with a crew for a bit, you will start to get a good feeling of what equipment works and what doesn't. When working for Davey you will not be equipped like you would probably like to be if you're on your own. As you work think about all the tools that would make your life easier and then start compiling your list..... I imagine first thing on it is gonna be a truck and chipper... ####### tree work sucks without a chipper.

 

[tree md]

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. )

You can get PI spliced on both ends. I've got one. I called them and asked for that option I believe. They used to offer it in the spliced eye options drop down menu but not sure if they still do. I had called them with a question about a spliced eye prussic and asked them to send me a 150' PI spliced on both ends. They said no problem.

To the OP. Nothing wrong with dreaming and having yourself a wish list. I would upgrade to Stihl saws though. And get a couple of years of experience under your belt before trying to go it on your own completely. There is still tons of stuff you can learn by working for experienced groundsmen, climbers and salesmen. Lots to know when going it on your own... And it's not all just knowing how to climb. However, it's never too early to start accumulating your equipment and gear.

 

[tree md]

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

Just saw this one. It has been over a year since I bought my PI line so I stand corrected.

 

[minifly3]

Yep TreeMd, i planned on working for a company for a few years first for sure, plus i need time to save up money/ slowly purchase gear.

What stihl saw would you guys recommend for the takedowns where a 16" bar wont cut it? 460?

 

[superjunior]

Yep TreeMd, i planned on working for a company for a few years first for sure, plus i need time to save up money/ slowly purchase gear.

What stihl saw would you guys recommend for the takedowns where a 16" bar wont cut it? 460?

you can't go wrong with a 460, well unless they started putting those silly caps on those too, mines an older one

 

[minifly3]

you can't go wrong with a 460, well unless they started putting those silly caps on those too, mines an older one

What size of bar do you run?

25,000 budget ain't gonna cut it with a chipper in there lol..

 

[VA-Sawyer]

Just saw this one. It has been over a year since I bought my PI line so I stand corrected.

I know just how you feel. It's ok, Bomber got me straightened out too.
Rick

 

[superjunior]

What size of bar do you run?

got a 24 inch on it, I think its a good size for the power.

 

[tree md]

Yep TreeMd, i planned on working for a company for a few years first for sure, plus i need time to save up money/ slowly purchase gear.

What stihl saw would you guys recommend for the takedowns where a 16" bar wont cut it? 460?

If I were just starting out and cash was tight I would go with a 2 saw plan. The 200T and 460 would be a good choice. I prefer the 440 over the 460 myself as it is a little lighter to use in the tree and very little power trade off. They had started making them again but I'm not sure if they are still available. I have an older 044 (same saw but older model) and I just cannot kill that thing. I dropped it off a roof doing a hairy crane job on some storm damage last year and it just keeps on ticking. 460 might be a better choice for the two saw plan though. It would be a little beefier on the ground. I have always gotten by with the 044 for most of my work. I have a 660 if I need to go larger. I have every Stihl saw in the pro lineup except for the 460 and 880. I like putting my money into my gear. You will never go wrong doing that.

 

[minifly3]

I figured for the extra $400 I would go the 3 saw plan. 200T , 460T, 192T.

Is it stupid to get a dump trailer instead of chipper for a startup? Money is still a wee bit of an issue. Decent Chippers are $12,000 ish here. 5 ton dump trailer is little over $4000..

~ Once revenue was coming in, I would purchase a chipper within a 2 years if business was good.

 

[tree md]

A trailer is better than a pickup or minivan. You've got plenty of time on down the line to buy a chipper. First you need to make the money for one.

I would not go with a 192 and a 200. Both are arborist saws and too redundant. For a three saw plan I would go with a 200t then a 260. They don't make a 460 T. T stands for top handle, which denotes arborist saw.