Winter Work

[BillC]

Hello all, great site here. I am new to the industry and was curious as to how the work tapers off in the winter. I am in NY so anyone in the Tri-state area with some info to share would be greatly appreciated. I know some sell the wood from the prior season but I have none seasoned yet. Thanks again.

 

[Climb020]

Generally the small, new guys take off for the winter and maybe work a day here and there and maybe do some firewood or snow removal. Most of the work I do in winter is usually contract stuff set aside to do in the winter to stay busy. This is usually at golf courses and housing developements.

Only thing you might want to try is to talk ppl into waiting on certain removals til winter. If the tree would be easy is you could drive to when ground hard and stuff like that to save your self some work. Also another customer incentive would be to offer a 10% discount on work done during the winter. That way you can space your work out more and try to keep a steady pace and income.

 

[beowulf343]

Where in ny are you going to be working? I've spent the last 12 years working the western part of the state and haven't had to take any time off during the winters yet. Helps if you can climb though. Around here the buckets will take some time off during the winter now and then but the climbing crews are out every day. There always seems to be a pine tree in someone's backyard that can't stand up to the snowfall. White pines are a good chunk of my winter work. But 020 is right, if the outfit is small, you will probably be cutting wood or plowing snow instead of doing much treework. And depends on where you are in the state, but we usually try to get the jobs where we need a bucket in the backyard done before november. Sure, the ground may be frozen, but hard to launch a bucket through 3 feet of snow. (Although the winters have been pretty mild the last couple years.) Have worked buffalo, rochester, syracuse, and nowdays chautauqua and cattaraugus counties throughout the winters-all i can tell you is get used to wallowing through snow. If your outfit can get some trimming contracts for villages or towns, that is usually a good way to keep the buckets going throughout the winter.

Too be honest, if you don't have to do tree work throughout the winter, you should probably be grateful. Sucks-working on road and pulling stuff up over the snow banks to get to the chipper. Working off road and either shoveling paths or dragging stuff though snow three feet deep. Climbing and getting snow inside your arm sleeves and down your back. The warm days where it's 30 degrees and the snow just melts on you and you're soaked all day. The cold days where it's well below zero and your nose hair is freezing. The days it snows so hard you can't see your groundies from 20 feet up. Glasses fogging up and freezing up. Soaked gloves. Frozen feet. Trying to do any equipment work where you can't use gloves and it's cold enough you are leaving skin on the bolt heads. Icicles hanging off your beard. Chapped hands from finger tip to wrist. Dealing with groundies who don't bring extra gloves so borrow a dry pair of yours and accidently chip them. Blood being very visible on snow banks (long story involving the cops.) Getting dragged out of bed at 2 am cause YOU ARE GOING ON STORM. Welcome to NY, man. It's a blast!!:biggrinbounce2:

 

[timber12]

I operate a $300k snowcat at a local ski resort for three months. It is warm and easy on the bod. I am also available for emergency tree work, but hope that there it'nt any.And firewood

 

[Canyonbc]

A nice break on the body....

and

still pays the bills....Firewood just gives a nicer cushion

 

[timber12]

Ya it pays the bills and my wife and I get full season ski passes. The cats are sick, 440hp benz. I get my thrills as well, pushing massive piles of snow around on steeeep slipery ski slopes.Great views!

 

[Canyonbc]

ah that is awesome...season pass's is a great perk.

And your def. right...running those Cats looks like a awesome job...you can pretty well go up or down over anything you..want

so wide and powerful your def. not going to roll it

 

[treeman82]

I try to push whatever I can back till the winter... explain it however I have to. Don't need to work every day, nor do I want to... but having something to do is a nice feeling, especially at the end of the month when bills are coming in. Where in NY are you at?

Last winter I only sold a few cords of wood... but I spent 2? COLD days spreading 100 yards of chips for a customer with a friend and his loader. Did a few tree jobs...

This winter I have a couple of pruning jobs coming up... 1 or 2 actually need prices... the others are pretty much worked out... I just have to say when I am coming. Then there's maybe 2 clearing jobs... gotta see when the people will actually get their permits approved

 

[BillC]

Thanks for all the great information so far. I appreciate it. For those who asked I am in Putnam County, working Putnam, Southern Dutchess and Fairfield County, CT. Trying to stay local and starting to talk with the condo's, clubs and town government for some steady winter work. Thanks again.

 

[treeman82]

Where are you located in Putnam? I'm down in Y-town and work certain parts of Putnam, Duchess, and Fairfield.. and of course Westchester. If you ever need a dump spot for wood or chips... drop me a line, I've got more than I know what to do with... especially in Putnam and Duchess.

 

[BillC]

Live in Brewster, moving to CT in the Winter or Spring to get away from the taxes probably. Thanks for the dump spot offer. Nice Web site also. If you ever have too much work (No such thing right, like too much money) I would be happy to take your left overs and will give a percentage back to you for the referral if you are interested.

 

[alanarbor]

Those southern NY areas aren't too bad in the winter. They dont get snow like upstate does. Build a winter backlog in the summer and fall and then be happy..........

Or there might just be a nice early snow storm that hits in october and keeps you busy for the whole winter.......

 

[AngelofDarkness]

I sit around and collect unemployment all winter. I feel ungrateful and I want to get out and do some work, especially in milder weather, but jobs are hard enough to find in MI when the weather is nice, let alone in the dead of winter. I do little side jobs, snow blow for little old ladies, work on my house. I'd like to have year round work, making ends meet on $850 a month is really tough!

 

[TradeSources]

Branching out on your thoughts on work.....

Hello all, great site here. I am new to the industry and was curious as to how the work tapers off in the winter. I am in NY so anyone in the Tri-state area with some info to share would be greatly appreciated. I know some sell the wood from the prior season but I have none seasoned yet. Thanks again.

Have you considered moving to a State with a more moderate climate and year 'round tree work? We are a young and rapidly growing tree and shrub care business with crews working every day near Seattle and could use several more crews of certified arborists and tree climbers. Our TradeSources administrator is working through her aol address to bring in large contracts with corporations, complexes, cities, and utilities.

 

[beowulf343]

Have you considered moving to a State with year 'round tree work?

Who said ny doesn't have year around tree work? You just have to hook up with the right outfit and make sure you are man enough to handle it. Cause when a storm hits in January and you are working 18/7, you will start wishing ny didn't do year around tree work.

 

[AngelofDarkness]

I'll work in the cold, it really doesn't bother me. If I have the right gear its not a big deal, good boots make all the difference.

But finding ANY job in MI is hard enough, even in the winter.

 

[Industry]

17/7s kick azz! I love storm. :chainsawguy:

 

[Canyonbc]

17/7??

What excatly is that?

 

[beowulf343]

17 on-7 off.

Lol-just noticed i messed up an earlier post, 18/7.

 

[Canyonbc]

o gotcha...

thanks mike