Strength of your groundie

[T-rain]

We have this guy working with out crew as a new groundy. So far he has had a great attitude, runs to fill saws and other similar task, he gets along well with the crew, seems like he has good common sense, and is eager overall to learn. But. . . . . he is really lacking muscle mass. While the rest of us are dragging large piles to the chipper he is struggling with a few branches. One day when moving rounds to the fire wood pile he was loading into a wheel barrow. He soon came over to me and asked if he could rake instead because he could only push one round with in the wheelbarrow, of course I said sure and took over. I was able to fill the wheelbarrow with five rounds to his one.

Overall we really like him but a full summer of picking up his slack will surely add up and may cause some frustration down the road. We are hoping that if he is given a few weeks he will build some muscle but that is not certain. I would guess his current weight to be around 125 lbs so how much stronger could he get?

So my question is would you rather have a big dumb ox brush dragger or a pretty smart hard worker who lacks some strength?

 

[Zale]

The strength will come. You can't teach smarts.

 

[treeman82]

I've got one moron who works with me from time to time. The spanish guys who see this kid working all appreciate him... he works harder than they do. If you give him a sledgehammer and a boulder he will sit there all day and beat that sucker into submission without any complaints. However if you asked him to pull weeds from a flowerbed for a few hours... he would probably wind up pulling up half the flowers (in bloom), and half the weeds. Kid can't be taught, no matter how much you might try, he just won't learn. Give him some nasty pricker bushes, and a pitchfork... he'll just bear hug the bushes and carry them wherever you want, no complaints.

 

[Pelorus]

my brute up and quit last week. Finally.
Was dead tired and beat up (hours on spurs, pine removals) and he started giving me The Attitude, so I told him he was gonna get lippy once too often, and that would be the end of him......and I guess it was! I've had words with him before, kinda like a George Steinbrenner - Billy Martin relationship.
This is a guy who was really not interested in learning anything about tree work; he was playing the game solely for the money, and working with someone like him, who truly doesn't care, is a negative energy generator.

 

[joezilla11]

Get him a loaf of bread and some pb and make him eat throughout the day. I've seen similar guys before, the ones that want to work and be there will toughen up soon enough.

 

[Grouchy old man]

I think you are lucky to have him. Get him a membership to a gym to pump some iron. :msp_biggrin:

 

[R2D]

Creatine, lots of water, lots of protein and carbs, has to eat all day long and lots of sleep! The body does most of its growing and repair work at night. 20lbs in 6 months is obtainable.

Keep him.

 

[StrataTree]

I think you are lucky to have him. Get him a membership to a gym to pump some iron. :msp_biggrin:

Maybe he should get a membership to the wood pile and after humping wet rounds for a few weeks he'll be a star, eager to get back on the resi crew...humpin limbs to the chipper. :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Jonsered Power]

tree work+dumb=accident

I have a groundsman that's 125lbs of pure muscle, can handle a 3120xp on spikes, runs a brake with perfection and can drag brush all day! But not all 125lb men are created equally. Also I have a part time guy who you could call and ox "fireman" who works hard, knows rope, can lift a lot, and is eager to learn. It depends on what you need him for... if I simply needed muscle I would buy cheap muscle, but IMO a groundsman should be hardworking, common-sensed, able to perform the tasks the climber needs, and if he can drag huge piles great! Tree work is no place for someone you would call a big dumb ox.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Give him about ten feet of rope....

And a copy of the tree climber's companion, a couple dumbells and a protein shake. Brawn has always been easier to find than brains, and a good attitude even tougher.

"Private Pyle has got guts, and guts is enough!"

Of course, Pyle was a lardass cretin who ended up shooting his DI and then himself..... maybe not the best example, how about Rudy, there ya go

 

[treeman75]

Sounds kinda like hes not putting all he has in it. With tree work you have to reach in yourself and pull out that inner strength.

 

[squad143]

Depends on what your paying him. If he's making the same as the other groundies, then I can understand their displeasure in having to pick up the slack.
Pay him according to skill and ability. When that increases, so does the pay.
I'd keep him.

 

[mr. holden wood]

We have this guy working with out crew as a new groundy. So far he has had a great attitude, runs to fill saws and other similar task, he gets along well with the crew, seems like he has good common sense, and is eager overall to learn. But. . . . . he is really lacking muscle mass. While the rest of us are dragging large piles to the chipper he is struggling with a few branches. One day when moving rounds to the fire wood pile he was loading into a wheel barrow. He soon came over to me and asked if he could rake instead because he could only push one round with in the wheelbarrow, of course I said sure and took over. I was able to fill the wheelbarrow with five rounds to his one.

Overall we really like him but a full summer of picking up his slack will surely add up and may cause some frustration down the road. We are hoping that if he is given a few weeks he will build some muscle but that is not certain. I would guess his current weight to be around 125 lbs so how much stronger could he get?

So my question is would you rather have a big dumb ox brush dragger or a pretty smart hard worker who lacks some strength?

Seen this before, the kid sure isnt stupid thats a veteran move to hit the rake when it comes time to moving wood. The answer is in your post, the crew will resent him and it will it make for a long summer.When it comes to moving material intelligence is not a high priority.He would prolly be descent climber, keep his number and send him on his way.

 

[T-rain]

thanks for the replies, ultimately it is not up to me but the influence of my coworkers and I can help decide this guys fate. It seems the next few days at work will be a big deciding factor for him, I'll do what I can to help him but if he does not make it then I guess he does not make it. such is life.

 

[himiler]

Why don't you ask him?
Assuming you can smell a line of bull when it's handed to you, it may be that he does want to be a climber and knows the only way to break into the business is on the ground. When I was a young man I was 125 lbs., and didnt' have that much strength and stamina. I had the will but just couldn't keep up. Find out what he wants and find out what he's willing to do to get it. He may end up making the decision for himself one way or the other with a little wisdom and advice. If he really does want it bad enough then he'll man up, and learn what it takes to develop muscle mass and stamina (after all this is the age of GOOGLE), if not then you'll smell the BS soon enough.

 

[treesmith]

just worked out what 125lbs is in English, bloody hell, is that all of him? I've got 40lbs on him and I thought I was skinny, no wonder he can't move a half full barrow. Feed him well and work him hard. Can he hold up a saw?

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Sometimes I wish I could be a little guy. I just have to drive passed a McDonald's and I swear I put on 5 lbs.

Though I guess it's ok to be big too. Heck I use a Stihl 460 as my "small" limbing saw.

 

[treeslayer]

So my question is would you rather have a big dumb ox brush dragger or a pretty smart hard worker who lacks some strength?

no, you want both in one guy.
I have a half dozen+ young men who all just graduated high school with my son, (who's an excellent rope/saw man in training) and these guys are all jocks who are going to college next year, and it plain amazing what they can do when motivated. a couple of them move wood out I dont even want to roll over...

don't accept attitude, morons or scrawny specimens on your job, the potential for getting hurt is too high, AND YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!!!!

 

[himiler]

no, you want both in one guy.
don't accept attitude, morons or scrawny specimens on your job, the potential for getting hurt is too high, AND YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!!!!

Now this I gotta agree with. It's not about you or him, it's about the job at hand and the continued success of your employment. As I said, I was that scrawny guy that couldn't hang with the big dawgs but that's life. You get the best team you can and you drop and drag. That's real life no matter how much I want to be a bleeding heart. But . . . you gotta know there has to be more than meets the eye if he was hired in the first place. Maybe not much of an employment pool to start with or maybe he talked what he can't walk. This ain't South Texas where you have more MexiCans than you have MexiCan'ts.
Steve

 

[Typhke]

Keep him, if his attitude and motivation is good, and the brains are there. My nephew was a skinny guy too till he worked for a bricklayer for 2 months. He had to bring him the bricks all day long and he is more than twice of what he was. You can't teach him common sense, but you can help him get more muscle. I agree about the pay, if he can't follow the rest of the crew, the pay should be lower.