CRANE!! AM I DREAMING?

With that kind of back log in the winter, I would defiantly think about starting a small second crew asap otherwise you will miss out on a lot of business in the busy season. There are a lot of customers who will wait for quality work. There are just as many customers who want it done now, you need to be able to service both. Long term if you only want to run a single crew, I would raise your rates going into this season to help the backlog.
 
TheArborMan said:
With that kind of back log in the winter, I would defiantly think about starting a small second crew asap otherwise you will miss out on a lot of business in the busy season. There are a lot of customers who will wait for quality work. There are just as many customers who want it done now, you need to be able to service both. Long term if you only want to run a single crew, I would raise your rates going into this season to help the backlog.
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Starting a second crew is very difficult. Its hard to find good people. Then your just this big company with employees that are not skilled. I get what your saying. I am looking into possibly doing two small crews with the guys I have. Split up into two, two man crews. Then, for the bigger jobs we would combine into one. Or, three men and one guys runs around with the log truck for a day or two picking up logs.
I just like buying iron and the one thing I don't have is a crane. I am trying to convince myself that it's the best decision. Don't take that away from me:)
 
pctree said:
You might notice that nobody who has made the jump and got a crane is on here saying they regret the purchase......

Just saying
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Very good point.
I did a job today. Four hemlocks. Broken tops from a recent wind storm. I priced it to take all day, then added another 4 hundred on top. Guy signed on the line right away. We were there all day, Log truck, bucket, dingo, chipper with winch and chip truck. I could of done this job in 4 hours with a crane. Then had time to do one more, instead. I have to work tomorrow to keep up with the calls.
 
Royce, what kind of terms is the guy offering? Think about meeting him at 75k, or take it for 80 now but no waiting. Sounds like you need this boom. Like others have said, run it for a few years, and if it's too small upgrade.
How much difference will the payments be? Can you swing that comfortably?
I am about to jump on the k-boom, mill, land thing. I just can stop thinking about it, so it's worth it to keep the voices quiet.. Seeing about setting up some sort of partnership with a cabinet maker. Sort of shop trade/collaboration
 
TreelineNH said:
What would you do for an operator? Just curious. I gave my crane guy so much money last year, I was probably doing atleast one a week. Cranes are awesome.
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I would operate to start with. See how it goes, then try and hire a full time operator. I also have a good friend who has close to 30 years as an operator doing tree work. He would come in and help to train me and fill in when I can not operate. He is also an amazing climber so he will do the high work and I will run the crane. That way we can talk through radio communications about things.
I have developed a plan with my business coach and I am gong to pull the trigger on a crane in September. I am also waiting for some rates from my insurance company.
 
Another thing. If I purchase a crane for 80-90K, what is a reasonable down payment and how long should it be financed for? obviously the shorter the better. But some of you crane guys who have purchased them in the past how long did it take you to pay them off?
 
ROYCE said:
This is the one I have my eyes on right now. I have looked into about 5 so far. The issue is we are locked in on a few large jobs where we don't need a crane. If I purchased a crane right now it would just sit. But that is okay, because these joe are profitable and it gives me time to save as much as I can for a down payment.

http://www.machinerytrader.com/list...-1195?dlr=1&pcid=2024&sfc=0&ssc=0&src=0&ftr=0
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That looks like a nice one Royce and good price, if our dollar was better I'd jump all over that one! I'm looking also but nothing up here even decent to look at! All the good used cranes are down south !
 
ROYCE said:
I would operate to start with. See how it goes, then try and hire a full time operator. I also have a good friend who has close to 30 years as an operator doing tree work. He would come in and help to train me and fill in when I can not operate. He is also an amazing climber so he will do the high work and I will run the crane. That way we can talk through radio communications about things.
I have developed a plan with my business coach and I am gong to pull the trigger on a crane in September. I am also waiting for some rates from my insurance company.
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One if things about buying now is that the buyer has more leverage in the slower months in the north than in the busy work times. You can get a better price and be able to have more practice time before everything speeds way up. At least that's what I told my wife when I spent $ in January
 
I bought a swing cab and was going to sell it and smaller crane to off set that, but now I'm just going to sell either 30 ton or 14 ton so I have a spare, we run 6 boom trucks daily so pays to have a spare .

US dollar should make it a pretty good buy for you , lol
 
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