Hello Everyone!!

TTS-

What was said about getting some well trained and experienced employees is right.

Don't forget all the PPE, license, insurance, bonding (if required).

Your homework is going to be lengthy. Tree Climber's Guide. Art and Science of Practical Rigging. Certified Arborist Study Guide (and the additional reading suggested). A New Tree Biology. After those, there will be more.

As said, get involved with other local tree workers and arborists.

Bucket trucks won't do it all. You will need a good climber.

Pruning is much, much more than cutting limbs and trunks off of trees. Stick to killing trees that need to be killed. When you have studied enough to get started, and know what trees you have, and what how they respond to PROPER PRUNING, have someone guide you.

With tree work, there are the obvious things that can kill people. More easily avoided are things like don't stand under falling pieces, or rigged pieces until necessary. Less easily avoided things can kill you just as dead. Barberchairs, kickbacks, tipping your bucket truck by not knowing hidden hazards like unconsolidated backfill near foundations of newer houses, falling from your bucket truck for lack of a fall arrest harness and lanyard (different than a saddle).

I think that many think that this is just a troll trying to rile everyone up. If you are sincere, all the same things apply.

You will have enough to learn about running a tree business, even if you have a self-sufficient crew that doesn't need you to be involved at all.

What did all that equipment set you back?
 
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" Fungamentals Of General Tree Work" Gerry Beranek .. the Bible , Welcome to the Buzz Dude ...

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Thanks for your advice, I have ordered the book and I look forward to reading it.

Mike
 
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Join your local arborists association and get involved. You'll meet the best people and make lots of friends.

What specifically are you adding?

What is your skill/knowledge level?

Like Jesse said, take time to go backwards in the archives to see what has been discussed. A lot of your questions will be answered. If not, ask away!

Welcome to TreeBuzz!

I'm waiting for the updated Whammer Jammer.

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I live in a rural area and there is not really a local arborists association. I have looked on ISA's website and I fall under the southern chapter. I am going to join it and also check on the Texas Chapter since I go to Dallas from time to time.

What do you mean about what am I adding?

If you are asking about my arborist skill level, I am a beginner.

Mike
 
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Hire someone who knows what there doing so you don't get yourself killed.

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There is not anyone in my area that is a "skilled" arborist. I have hired a person to come in and teach me for a few weeks. I know I cannot learn it ALL in a few weeks, but everyone has to start somewhere, all of you did too.

I am not planning on getting in my truck and going to a customers house and going to work on the first day.

I have about 30 trees on my land and 10 on a friend's land that we are going to remove. We are not planning on just walking up to the tree and cutting it down. We are going to go through a specific scenario on each tree and make a plan for the removal. I know that I will not be a pro or even a seasoned veteran after 40 trees, but I know it will be a good start.

Mike
 
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You can buy the tools, but you have to earn the skills. And that's the important part.


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I know what you are talking about. I know a guy that has a Snap On toolbox that is about 10 feet long and it is full of tools, but he cannot put a clutch in a pickup.

I am not planning on just buying a truck full of tools, I plan on learning how to use all of them.
 
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Timberjack, you just came out and said it huh? I agree with you. You can't just buy equipment and hit the ground running with little or no experience. Well, i guess you can but you will drive prices way down, you'll break lots of stuff and you might hurt yourself or someone else.

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I will NOT drive prices down! I do not work cheap or bid a job cheap just to get it. I have worked with the public for years and I pride myself on doing good work. My customers know they can count on me to do good work and I plan on being an asset in this industry too.

Mike
 
So much haS haPPend sinCe mi eaRliEr poSt . . . My hEad is pretty tOrn uP aand I have seVEril pUncture woundS in mi thiGhs and buttOcKs . . . I am tiPing thIs on my blAckbeRRy, anD the meDicine Is makIng it hard . . . I will rePOst lAter, wHen I geT homE . . .
 
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I don't know your experience level, but it sounds to me like you need to go to work full time with a quality commercial tree care operation for a good while.

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I am a beginner. If I was younger, I would do what you suggested, but at this point in my life I think it will be better to start a new business instead of trying to hire on as a newbee.

Mike
 
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Where are you from? Are you a removal or preservation oriented company? Regardless of the answer, the best way to "rig a truck" is to put two people who really know what they're doing in the cab. Then add another person who doesn't complain and wants to learn from the other two.
Hubris will get you killed in this business.

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I live in Arkansas. I will be doing removal until I learn more about the care of trees. I am joining ISA and trying to learn more everyday.

I called out 4 tree services that work in the area to do some work on my place, two could not show me proof of insurance, one showed up and told me I needed to remove THREE trees to be able to remove the ONE tree that I wanted to. He said it would be easier on him!! The last one showed up two days after they were supposed to be here and did not understand why I was upset. With that being said, it is hard to find two people who REALLY KNOW what they are doing and WANT to WORK.

I have never had a problem with hubris and I will make sure that does not happen.

Mike
 
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Hire someone who knows what there doing so you don't get yourself killed.

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Not only that, but the arboriculture industry is doing it's best to catch up to other trades in terms of best-practices standards, certification standards, safety, and all around professionalism. The tone of your post implies that you believe you can learn on your own as you go. You might get lucky or you might not, but in the meantime you'll almost certainly give a number of customers a bad impression of our industry. Please don't do that.

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I have been in 4 other industries and I had a good reputation in all of them. No matter what type of work I am doing, it still has MY name on it and that is what I care about.

I am sorry, but you took my post wrong if you thought I meant I can learn on my own. I said I learn fast, not on my own. What I mean by that is, if you had me training with you one day and you went over a lot of different things that day, the next morning I would still be able to do everything that you showed me. It is very seldom that someone has to show me something twice. I do not know what I am that way, but I just look at it as the Lord blessed me with the ability to learn fast and retain it.

Mike
 
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[ QUOTE ]
Hire someone who knows what there doing so you don't get yourself killed.

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X2

im not being a jerk, well, i am, but for good reason

This is serious work, not something you can just jump right into. Hire a professional, learn from them, let them help build your company, both equipment wise and reputation, then fire them after theyve taught you everything they know

maybe dont fire them, maybe make them a partner or something. I dont know, its been a rough day

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I answered the finding a professional around here in another post.
 
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Welcome to the Buzz, what was your prior career?

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I am a Mechanical Engineer. I worked in that industry for 13 years, since then I have owned a WAN Services business, a tire business and a trucking company.
 
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I am making a career change. I have fell some trees in the past, but never as a job. I am new to a lot of this, but I learn fast.

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Welcome to the Buzz! I have also made a recent change and opened a Grizzly Bear Removal Service based on prior contact with an ill-tempered girlfriend who kept her fingernails long. I, too, am a fast learner . . .

I hope to purchase some new equipment: A transport helicopter for relocations, a huge cargo net for same; stun guns and darts and such . . . what else? I know those big bastards can be a handful . . .

Tonight I'm on my second job. I bought a pack of Karelian bear dogs to help me bring down a large bruin who's been menacing a local church group. There have been several picnic baskets go missing. And one horrible mishap resulting in the death of my first dog, an untrained lab named coco-butter who charged recklessly into the darkness and was fired upon in confusion by my associates, who are no longer allowed to drink on these outings.

Anywho . . . wish me luck tonight; I'm going to bait the bear in with a large plate of Hooter's chicken wings (medium hot) and some left over cans of beer. The plan is for me to drop out of a tree, onto the bear and submit the animal with a choke hold. Then we'll relocate him in the mountains where he belongs.

Good times.

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Thanks for all of your great information!!!

If I ever need someone in your line of work, I will know who to call.
 
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TTS-

What was said about getting some well trained and experienced employees is right.

Don't forget all the PPE, license, insurance, bonding (if required).

Your homework is going to be lengthy. Tree Climber's Guide. Art and Science of Practical Rigging. Certified Arborist Study Guide (and the additional reading suggested). A New Tree Biology. After those, there will be more.

As said, get involved with other local tree workers and arborists.

Bucket trucks won't do it all. You will need a good climber.

Pruning is much, much more than cutting limbs and trunks off of trees. Stick to killing trees that need to be killed. When you have studied enough to get started, and know what trees you have, and what how they respond to PROPER PRUNING, have someone guide you.

With tree work, there are the obvious things that can kill people. More easily avoided are things like don't stand under falling pieces, or rigged pieces until necessary. Less easily avoided things can kill you just as dead. Barberchairs, kickbacks, tipping your bucket truck by not knowing hidden hazards like unconsolidated backfill near foundations of newer houses, falling from your bucket truck for lack of a fall arrest harness and lanyard (different than a saddle).

I think that many think that this is just a troll trying to rile everyone up. If you are sincere, all the same things apply.

You will have enough to learn about running a tree business, even if you have a self-sufficient crew that doesn't need you to be involved at all.

What did all that equipment set you back?

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I have already ordered some PPE.

A license is not required in my state.

I have a two million dollar policy already.

Bonding is not required in my state.

I am not a troll, but I am a person that was asking a serious question on a forum that I have been reading for a few months and I thought it was the best one that I have been able to find.

Thanks for your other advice and information.

Mike
 
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Welcome to the Buzz, what was your prior career?

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I am a Mechanical Engineer. I worked in that industry for 13 years, since then I have owned a WAN Services business, a tire business and a trucking company.

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Mike,

Engineering and vector analysis and such skills do transfer over to tree removals and rigging, to a point. An important thing to always remember is that trees are biological organisms, with irregularities, and characteristics that some people neglect to account for, such as differing wood characteristics by species and time of year, etc.

Sounds like you are starting with some good ideas, and know that there is a long way to go with tree knowledge acquisition.

And welcome to the Buzz.

Sean
 
hey mike, dont get angry, they are just pushing you around a bit. no worries. im 21 an am perusing a certification in hawaii. dont let otheres discourage you. id say make it your priority to pickup the ISA study guide and the ANSI z333 saftey manual. the guys are only pushing you round a bit becuase the way you said everything sounded like your a noob to tree care and dont know what you are doing. now im not saying you dont but there is alot of safety factors in rigging techniques and reactive forces in the tree and on the ground. please consider everyone, even though some people can sound harsh they have a point. dont be a cowboy with a chainsaw, do it right and take the ISA courses. it will help you in the long run majorly. aloha

joshua
 
There are arborist training courses that you can pursue, and some distance learning classes through University of North Dakota, I think, that I've only heard a bit about.

S.T.A.R.R.S.

And

N.A.T.S. are two.
 
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hey mike, dont get angry, they are just pushing you around a bit. no worries. im 21 an am perusing a certification in hawaii. dont let otheres discourage you. id say make it your priority to pickup the ISA study guide and the ANSI z333 saftey manual. the guys are only pushing you round a bit becuase the way you said everything sounded like your a noob to tree care and dont know what you are doing. now im not saying you dont but there is alot of safety factors in rigging techniques and reactive forces in the tree and on the ground. please consider everyone, even though some people can sound harsh they have a point. dont be a cowboy with a chainsaw, do it right and take the ISA courses. it will help you in the long run majorly. aloha

joshua

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Joshua,

I did not get angry about anything. There is NOTHING on this board that could ever make me angry. I have and ISA study guide ordered and I will get the safety manual.

I have been involved in rigging pieces as heavy as 245 tons. I know trees will not be handled the same as piping, but the basic techniques that I have learned in the past will be helpful.

I was raised in the country and I have been around chainsaws for about 30 years and I respect them very much. I have seen what they can do to human skin, muscle and bone. It is NOT pretty.

Thanks,
Mike
 
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