Shop made RCX tool :Home Spade Homespade Shopspade

so tc262 is saying all or nothing and Jeff is saying flow can be controlled with just a ball valve? which is it fellas? I need to build one to prove to my employer that this is profitable and saves trees. tc262 have you built yours? how does it perform? thanks guys!
 
Have one and a compressor, try to sell the work on a "when we can get to it" basis and when the slow season hits we do rcx/sgrs etc
 
Owner of the company isnt willing to spend $1200 when he doesnt see an easy roi. Sooo i gotta build one so i can sell the work and prove its a worthy service. Exactly like Tom had to do when he started this thread.
 
In the amount of time sourcing all the parts, fittings, and build I can sell a job that would pay for the airspade it's self and turn a wee profit. I love making things, and using tools that I have made..

If you can just buy your self a spade, and roll with it on the weekends. Since the boss man can't see the ROI on it you would not be competing, and it can be a win win...
 
I worked 6 or 7 days a week for the last 2 years. I dont want to do that anymore and thats why i have a boss again. Im getting paid to source it, build it, sell the work, do the work, and make commission on it so im not too worried about it. I would be interested to hear how all of you have so much success selling the work though. It seems if people cant actually see it they dont believe me or dont think its worth the investment.
 
I do have to admit that it's not a easy sale. I spoke to a few clients with trees which really needed it. I did a manual rcx to show the need, it took a little while to come around. But the logic is simple, the tree was starting to decline, the twig elongation dated the impact. I simply stated that we can whack off limbs, but until the cause is addressed pruning is just going to exasperate the issue. I charged a hefty deposit which covered most of the cost of the Airspade kit, and managed to get a hefty discount.
The job was very much a learning curve, but they had us back within a few weeks for more trees! Even though I can do quite a bit better (daily rate) than other tree work I avoid over diagnosis, and only use it when I know there is a NEED for the tool. Still I have been using the spade once or twice a month. It has been frequent enough that my compressor rentals would be about the same as payments for a compressor.
 
One technique I've used to good advantage is to take my nice clean Air-Spade in it's own blow-molded case with all it's accessories, along with a saddle, a throw bag and cube and a few other items, whenever I'm giving a presentation at a garden club or other speaking opportunity. I just open the case, and casually mention that I brought a few of the items that arborists use to care for trees. It always generates questions and referrals.

I keep a couple small brass brushes in the case and after I'm done with an excavating assignment I brush off all the threads and connections and put new teflon tape on the threads. That keeps it presentable for showing to prospective clients.
 
I sell the hell out of it. So many mulch volcanos and species prone to sgrs around here. I keep before and after pics on my phone and pointing out visible sgrs helps too.

Selling large bed installations and decompaction or trenching work is higher dollar and more difficult to sell but I've found keeping a shovel in the truck and making people try to dig a hole in construction compacted soil really helps. Comparing that area to nice soft bed soil is a great comparison.Trying to use a soil probe or a fert injector (at 150 to 200 psi mind you) unsuccessfully while they watch or do it themselves can also work. Soil test in hand showing bulk density can also help.
 
A soil penetrometer is a great tool for illustrating compacted soil. I give my clients a 1 minute run down on how to use it, and let them go at it for a couple minutes. They may not trust your findings, but they'll always trust their own!
 
I'd like to know more about the process, containment, expected hourly rate for 1 or 2 person crew.

Pictures on phones are better than nothing. Take a notebook/tablet along instead. So much easier.

In all my spare time, I keep meaning to make a slideshow of applicable pictures to bids. I bet it will help people understand more, and shorten up explanations, saving time.


I've done manual, hydraulic (water) and shop air compressor rcx. I am ready to move forward.
 

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I don't know about your area, do you have anyone around who already sells the work? Here there is one company who comes from off island some times. I think they are in the $2400 per day range. If you have a mini with a bucket I can see that expediting the process greatly.
Spade work for me was a HUGE learning curve, I wasted so much time on the first job just getting the hang of it. My 45 degree adapter was stuck on, so I just went with it for the day. The kickback from that made it exhausting trading off every 10 minutes, at lunch time I manged to get the adapter off and just went straight. I finished the blowing on my own no breaks, day and night difference.
The glacial till here is interesting when trenching, have to clean out fist sized rocks from the bottom every so often. It's a very effective tool for loosening soil, but not so much for moving soil. I could see the vacuum changing that, but that's more so for trenching work. It destroys PEDS so when back filling it needs to be amended. Grass sod sucks! All the literature says to apply herbicides a week or two before, or to remove the sod first. The root mat of the sod remains intact and inhibits the movement of soil. Literally turning a swift process into nearly a snail pace. Vertical mulching in sod is a breeze.
 
southsoundtree said:
I'd like to know more about the process, containment, expected hourly rate for 1 or 2 person crew.

Pictures on phones are better than nothing. Take a notebook/tablet along instead. So much easier.

In all my spare time, I keep meaning to make a slideshow of applicable pictures to bids. I bet it will help people understand more, and shorten up explanations, saving time.


I've done manual, hydraulic (water) and shop air compressor rcx. I am ready to move forward.
Click to expand...
Give me a call or shoot me a note. I can give you as much notice as I can and see if you want to come up and observe the job. Either that or you sell a RCX and I'll come down with my spade. I will need to be comped for it but I won't ding ya full rate. That way I can show you what I know, you can see the tool in action, give it a shot, and you can try before you buy.
 
Yes, thinking of looking at one from a auction. However, 120 per day plus fuel 1-3 times per month isn't too bad. It is however equal to a payment on a new compressor. Just unsure if I want to invest in another piece of equipment. I rather put my $ into a mini.
So if I came to you, you would need to provide a compressor, and depending on the job, guards for the dirt. Stump grinder style, or plywood on edge is enough
 
A good start is just a RCX. It will give you a good idea. A little vert mulching, just for show and tell. Radial trenching requires too much foresight and planning.
 
A good start is just a RCX. It will give you a good idea. A little vert mulching, just for show and tell. Radial trenching requires too much foresight and planning.
 
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