air compressors

[treebing]

in the market for air compressors for our air spade operation. lots of threads on stump grinders and mini loaders. but nothing about aor compressors. i dont know anything about em. have always just rented. Anything I should look for? avoid?

 

[matdand]

How often are you using the airspade ? I guess often enough to justify buying a compressor. Can't help you with any info but would be curious to know how you're ''selling''airspade work. Ours only goes out a couple times a year.

 

[JD3000]

We have an Ingersoll Rand for my air spade work and for the irrigation guy to winterize irr. systems. Pretty $$$ but it paid for itself quickly. Used ones are out there but Id9 have an experienced mechanic look at it first.

Jobs I use it for include RCX, radial trenching, and compost stirring/amending new large bed areas under trees with compacted soil. Always check that the soil is actually compacted first.

 

[treebing]

How often are you using the airspade ? I guess often enough to justify buying a compressor. Can't help you with any info but would be curious to know how you're ''selling''airspade work. Ours only goes out a couple times a year.

well, the plan is to start selling the hell out of it. the only reason i dont currently is because now I have to rent it every time. I dont see a tree around here that doesnt need it to some extent. mulch volcanoes abound in these parts.

I currently only go out a couple times a year. Im finding almost new in the 17,000 range and a whole variety of used units that look varyimg degrees of sketch. do most people rent them or do they own?

 

[matdand]

For 100$ a day, I stick to renting. If need be you could always line up a weeks or a months worth and the rental price would go down.

 

[treebing]

my plan is to just do it to every yard just have it going. seriously pretty much every yard is compacted and depleted. I feel like I want to sell whole tree anf yard care from the ground up. soil tests, compaction releif, organic and biological, amendments, bio char maybe. syilk in concept stage. pruning is just a small part and i feel we are a net drain on the canopy and the neglected soil and poor planting is the problem much of the time. I also need a stump grinder but I want to pursue the airspade more and removals less. although currently i knkw the stump grinder would pay and the air spade is more speculation. everyone and their mom has a stump grinder and their breaking teeth.

 

[matdand]

I totally agree with you Kevin, I think we are doing much more harm than good with pruning and forget about what the tree really needs. I remember once reading that the most beneficial service to a tree would simply be adding woodchips around the base. It's a tough sell though, people don't feel they are ''getting'' anything for their money, they don't see an immediate result and that just doesn't seem to fly in today's world.

I was thinking of buying a penetrometer and being able to put a number and visual for clients.

I was also thinking about not giving free estimates anymore for anything other than removals. Instead, I would offer a basic consultation, with a pre-determined list of ''test'' that would be done: 360 visual assessment, basic measurement, sounding with a mallet, penetrometer, soil and tissue sampling for test, if need be, all put down on a simple checklist kind of report. This probably could be done for a fixed price in most cases, let's say 100$ for the first tree and 60$ for any other tree after. Just rummaging here....

 

[treebing]

I like that idea. I want a menu where people can pick and choose different levels of total yard care. Im inspired by the limb walkers in Kentucky and some of the work they are trying to do with grass care. Their thought was that people give more of a shit about their grass than their trees. If you can take over their whole yard care you can do a better job of helping their trees than you can just focusing on their trees. Tru- green chemlawn is a bigger threat to America than ISIS is in my opinion. Short of carpet bombing their headquarters and targeted drone strikes tt would be good to offer some kind of alternative management plan at least. I go to houses you would think are environmentally conscientious but they have little keep off the poisoned grass signs all over their yard. The brainwashing is so engrained.

 

[mrtree]

I remember once reading that the most beneficial service to a tree would simply be adding woodchips around the base.

I was thinking of buying a penetrometer and being able to put a number and visual for clients.

I was also thinking about not giving free estimates anymore for anything other than removals. Instead, I would offer a basic consultation, with a pre-determined list of ''test'' that would be done: 360 visual assessment, basic measurement, sounding with a mallet, penetrometer, soil and tissue sampling for test, if need be, all put down on a simple checklist kind of report. This probably could be done for a fixed price in most cases, let's say 100$ for the first tree and 60$ for any other tree after. Just rummaging here....

All ggreat ideas, we can either charge for brain or brawn, if you don't charge for your brain you need to recover any investment in it through brawn or just give it away.

 

[matdand]

Soooo, what would be a decent price for this sort of basic consultation? I have a couple of good techs that could be doing this for around 20-22$/hour. My prices I put in my last post were my first ideas, but that might seem high for someone who called for a free estimate.

 

[DSMc]

You guys really need to go to Sylvia's presentation at TCIA. This is exactly the subject. She is involved in the precon workshop as well (the one with Mike Raupp) which will have even more information. You cannot be an effective steward of trees without understanding the entire ecosystem they live in.

 

[JD3000]

Agreed agreed agreed. Hard part can be convincing some folks to lose some of their bloody lawn.

As I have seen it from a sales and design standpoint, tell them that the lawn should be a "rug" rather than a property "carpet".
Larger beds with understory plantings greatly improves the soil and will end up looking great.

Dont guess...test! Show them results from turf area samples compared to older OM and ornamental beds. Results are usually quite different from a distance of just a few feet.

 

[JD3000]

Soooo, what would be a decent price for this sort of basic consultation? I have a couple of good techs that could be doing this for around 20-22$/hour. My prices I put in my last post were my first ideas, but that might seem high for someone who called for a free estimate.

These prices strike me as fairly unprofitable for consulting once travel and employee costs are considered.

 

[matdand]

These prices strike me as fairly unprofitable for consulting once travel and employee costs are considered.

Well, I'm trying to strike a balance between free estimates and full blown consultations... Trying to weed out low balling customers but not scare off people who have 20 trees to look at (cause that would be a 1240$ ''estimate''). I figure the basic consultation could be done fairly quickly in most cases, maybe 10-15 minutes. If more time is needed on a tree, we would reccomend that with a quote or hourly-rate. Suggestions?

I've totally hijacked this thread, maybe I'll start a new one.

 

[JD3000]

Estimates do have a way of turning into consults. What will the maket bear?

My consult fee is around $79 hour and labor is pretty variable. Difference between "labor" (air spading, mulching, pruning) vs technical labor such as PHC work is quite different. $100 to $200 and hour for PHC work and around $40 to $60 for labor are common rates in my area. Really depends on the market

 

[evo]

I've been charging $125 and hour for the first hour of consults. One hour min... This is for the initial meet and walk through/education. I let the customer lead me around, to what ever they would like to talk about, often pointing things out on the way as I see them. I try to keep things neutral and objective, not a sales pitch. In fact I try to let them know I'm not trying to sell anything at this time, and to digest what we spoke about then once they decide what they would like call me back for a estimate.