Scaling up

[burtonbc1400]

Hi there,
Last year I upscale by getting a mini skidsteer, and it has been a game changer.
My eyes are open to the benefits of investing in equipment.
My current setup is a f550 dump w/ chipper, f350, dump trailer, dw sk750.
I'm not yet ready for another piece of equipment, but I am looking into the future and wondering what would be the best option.
On my radar are:
~Bucket truck
~Crane
~Spider lift
Anyone have similar set ups, have input?
The obvious drawback of a crane is requiring 2 people. Currently, I work mostly solo.
There are likely other advantages and disadvantages I'm not aware of.
Thanks in advance for the conversation.
James

Home - Burton Tree Service

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Fully Equipped with the right Tools We have the equipment to do the job right. This includes a 14″ wood chipper and 65′ bucket truck, a grapple loader skid-steer and dump trailer. Our staff are experienced climbers, and we do hire a 40 ton crane when absolutely necessary...

burtontree.ca

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[RyanCafferky]

Any chance you could invest in getting some employees to help? Seems like that would be as much or more helpful than more iron.

 

[Serf Life]

Nice looking website, thanks for linking it. A well trained 2nd hand would make life easier and production would jump. By the age of your vehicles, I’d personally set aside the next investment into a new truck and/or the next big maintenance bill. I like having two chip trucks incase one goes down, dump trailer is still regularly used and I’ll will always have one. A second hand and another chip truck..?

 

[flushcut]

A solid guy would be an amazing upgrade, as said above.

 

[Reach]

I like the “newer truck” idea, and the “hire extra hands” idea, but of the machines listed, buy a spider lift. It will do everything a bucket can, and almost as quickly; sometimes even more quickly, and a good one will set up almost anywhere.

Buy bigger and newer than you think you need, you won’t regret that either. Doing that will increase your capacity, and decrease your repair costs and downtime.

 

[burtonbc1400]

Any chance you could invest in getting some employees to help? Seems like that would be as much or more helpful than more iron.

I'm feeling pretty discouraged about staff at the moment. Loyalty to a job is dead.
I had a decent employee last year, I was paying him well. He could climb alright, drive, and showed up when he said he would. We could get things done efficiently.
But over time he just got too comfortable, and couldn't be bothered with the job. Never wanted to work alone, hardly would climb without prompting, wouldn't take accountability.
Previously, I've hired more greenhorn staff, but its expensive to train, and so far no one sticks around. Am I the asshole?
So I'm trying to orient my business towards solo. More predictable, less stressful. My wife can help from time to time, and I have a neighbor I've started employing casually. But this year I've been 95% solo and it's going better.
So, I'm looking to the future, thinking about man lifts (truck,track,or tow) or a crane. Basically to start researching in anticipation.
Right now im leaning towards bucket truck because it has 1 truck solution points.

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[southsoundtree]

Never expect an employee to roll solo.



I'll a solo operator quite often. Makes things chill AF. No distractions. Always high quality. Always safe.

I'm hoping to hire someone worthwhile but am all too frequently discouraged by what I have seen and experienced.

I will pay whatever someone proves they are worth.

Spider-lifts are great and all, but don't reach everything in my area, nor would they access a lot of things. Lots of 5 acre parcels with lots of obstacles for a spider-lift. Being solo, I don't think it would pay off for me to buy a 100k lift.



A Wraptor is very nice.



How big are your trees and what kind?

What kind of work do you perform, and in what quantities?

 

[canopyking]

I'm getting a little off topic here, but in regards to employees, I think it is wise to give good ones some ownership of the business. It creates a different mentality in an employee where they start caring about the numbers and reputation more. I currently just contracting, but I plan on doing this when I do start up.

 

[Mick Dempsey]

M

I'm getting a little off topic here, but in regards to employees, I think it is wise to give good ones some ownership of the business. It creates a different mentality in an employee where they start caring about the numbers and reputation more. I currently just contracting, but I plan on doing this when I do start up.

Mate, you’ll be making a mistake giving someone a piece of it right away.
You’re the one putting your balls on the block, getting into debt, paying insurances, visiting clients, organizing repairs and lying awake at night.
What are they bringing to the party to merit access to your figures?

 

[canopyking]

@Mick Dempsey, Their merit is that they are the workforce, and without them all I have is some fancy equipment. Notice I said the good ones. This offer would not be for everyone. One guy I'm wanting on my team is another small business owner who is very good at sales and customer service, and mechanically inclined, the other is ISA certified and has been working for 15 years. How would make sure these two are dedicated to you and working to their fullest potential on an hourly rate and no insurance or retirement??

 

[Fivepoints]

I dont thing a regular crane is for you. A crane takes a minimum of 3 people to run efficiently. 4 is usually better. Climber, crane operator, sling man/ground, and ground guy. Two to lay down picks is better. One cutting up the picks and untying slings, the other one driving a loader feeding the chipper. We have our own crane a just recently are buying a second.

I would buy a bucket truck in your position. We do a lot of very small removals and pruning jobs with just bucket truck and chipper. Gives you a second chip truck for when the f550 breaks down. We have a 2001 550. Its great truck and we take very good care of it but stuff is going to happen. Ours broke down last week. This is provided your trees can be accessed with a 60 to 75 ft bucket truck.

 

[Mick Dempsey]

@Mick Dempsey, Their merit is that they are the workforce, and without them all I have is some fancy equipment. Notice I said the good ones. This offer would not be for everyone. One guy I'm wanting on my team is another small business owner who is very good at sales and customer service, and mechanically inclined, the other is ISA certified and has been working for 15 years. How would make sure these two are dedicated to you and working to their fullest potential on an hourly rate and no insurance or retirement??

Well, if you employ someone, you are paying for sick pay and retirement, what we’d call on the books, all legit.

Its all very well saying you’re going to do this and that when you’re a still a contract climber, you’re giving away what you don’t even own yet.

It’s a different story when you’ve taken the leap.

Of course the best people should be rewarded, with pay rises and bonuses etc. and maybe, just maybe, many years down the line you might consider what you’re thinking of.

 

[Vicente]

You've got a decent amount of equipment, without people to run it you're just paying to have it sit there. I'd make getting another guy my priority, even if they're just a good dedicated ground guy no climbing who Anaya works with you it's going to increase your productivity a lot and make things safer.

 

[Jehinten]

Hi there,
Last year I upscale by getting a mini skidsteer, and it has been a game changer.
My eyes are open to the benefits of investing in equipment.
My current setup is a f550 dump w/ chipper, f350, dump trailer, dw sk750.
I'm not yet ready for another piece of equipment, but I am looking into the future and wondering what would be the best option.
On my radar are:
~Bucket truck
~Crane
~Spider lift
Anyone have similar set ups, have input?
The obvious drawback of a crane is requiring 2 people. Currently, I work mostly solo.
There are likely other advantages and disadvantages I'm not aware of.
Thanks in advance for the conversation.
James

Home - Burton Tree Service

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Fully Equipped with the right Tools We have the equipment to do the job right. This includes a 14″ wood chipper and 65′ bucket truck, a grapple loader skid-steer and dump trailer. Our staff are experienced climbers, and we do hire a 40 ton crane when absolutely necessary...

burtontree.ca

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

For solo work, perhaps a grapple truck towing a spider lift? Big investment, but it's everything you need apart from stump grinding on one truck. I recently went the route of the grapple truck for debris hauling and haven't looked back. With the right trailer, a lift, mini, and grinder might all fit. Just look at your terrain and side streets to determine if that's a trailer you can actually get to your jobs.

 

[Z'sTrees]

If you're working solo I'd buy a good set of ramps to get your mini in the back of that 550. That way you can stay competitive on the small easy jobs and not work as hard or spend as much time shuttling equipment.
Otherwise maybe a forestry bucket so you can blow chips into it as well, depends on how many trees you can reasonably get your truck to.
Without help your very limited to what jobs you'll be efficient on, basically anything that requires any amount of rigging (yes there are ways...) is going to be out of your wheelhouse.
Simple notch and watch or climb and bomb everything, then use your equipment to clean up are going to be your bread and butter.
I have a very similar setup and one full time guy. It's really tough to do treework alone. Two guys you're at least 3x as efficient on most stuff. 3 guys can take on almost any job but then you really have to feed that beast.

 

[burtonbc1400]

If you're working solo I'd buy a good set of ramps to get your mini in the back of that 550. That way you can stay competitive on the small easy jobs and not work as hard or spend as much time shuttling equipment.
Otherwise maybe a forestry bucket so you can blow chips into it as well, depends on how many trees you can reasonably get your truck to.
Without help your very limited to what jobs you'll be efficient on, basically anything that requires any amount of rigging (yes there are ways...) is going to be out of your wheelhouse.
Simple notch and watch or climb and bomb everything, then use your equipment to clean up are going to be your bread and butter.
I have a very similar setup and one full time guy. It's really tough to do treework alone. Two guys you're at least 3x as efficient on most stuff. 3 guys can take on almost any job but then you really have to feed that beast.

Thanks yes ramps are awesome

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[burtonbc1400]

I dont thing a regular crane is for you. A crane takes a minimum of 3 people to run efficiently. 4 is usually better. Climber, crane operator, sling man/ground, and ground guy. Two to lay down picks is better. One cutting up the picks and untying slings, the other one driving a loader feeding the chipper. We have our own crane a just recently are buying a second.

I would buy a bucket truck in your position. We do a lot of very small removals and pruning jobs with just bucket truck and chipper. Gives you a second chip truck for when the f550 breaks down. We have a 2001 550. Its great truck and we take very good care of it but stuff is going to happen. Ours broke down last week. This is provided your trees can be accessed with a 60 to 75 ft bucket truck.

Thanks yes a bucket seems like the sensible option.
A second staff can run the 550 miniskid&dump trailer

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