Subbing out cleanup

[Raven27]

Great input from all. Hadn't thought about mini first, really never even prices out a good used or new one. I do know I'm spentbfrom picking up a ton of Apple logs today, that shit is heavy, mini would have been sweet and saved a ton of time, on this job though, utveould have destroyed the yard, it was a very weak lawn, just taking in done spots, tore up the grass, and the client was picky about his lawn. Mini with the grapple would have helped grab brush too.

 

[southsoundtree]

Mini's tear the snot out of stuff when you try to tear stuff up.

If you are a good operator, and use good judgment and protection, its not that hard on stuff. Drive straight to a piece of plywood, spin, drive straight to the next piece of plywood, spin, grab your material, reverse the course.

Arcing paths can spread the minimal impact of tracking over more area without abrupt turning.

Plywood can be stacked on top of the mini to move a lot at once, laying it out as you go. Even could be pushing a trailer of plywood.



Any powered material mover is better than no powered material handler. It will make you money, not cost you money.

You're spent, but not hurt. First injury that it prevents, since its going to be you or your partner hurt, could save your business. If one of you can't work, the other can't be very productive, by comparison. When its only one of you working, you won't be able to get by without powered material handling.


If you have a mini available for rent, you can buy a BMG (with tow hitch) for $3K, and rent a mini until you can buy one. The clam shells are on my 'to-buy' list. High side of a grand, I think.

 

[Raven27]

If you have a mini available for rent, you can buy a BMG (with tow hitch) for $3K, and rent a mini until you can buy one. The clam shells are on my 'to-buy' list. High side of a grand, I think.[/QUOTE]

Forgive my stupidity or brain fart but what's a BMG

 

[islandarb]

If you have a mini available for rent, you can buy a BMG (with tow hitch) for $3K, and rent a mini until you can buy one. The clam shells are on my 'to-buy' list. High side of a grand, I think.

Forgive my stupidity or brain fart but what's a BMG[/QUOTE]

Branch Manager

 

[hseII]

If you have a mini available for rent, you can buy a BMG (with tow hitch) for $3K, and rent a mini until you can buy one. The clam shells are on my 'to-buy' list. High side of a grand, I think.

Forgive my stupidity or brain fart but what's a BMG[/QUOTE]

Branch Manager Grapple

If you do buy one, make sure you decide which machine you will eventually own, & which machine you are renting: there are multiple attachment patterns.

1. Bobcat Bobtach Mini
2. Universal Mini
3. Some Articulating Wheel Loaders

https://www.branchmanagerusa.com/product-category/rotating-grapples/

 

[Raven27]

I've got a little experience with the Toro mini when I worked with another tree company several years ago and it was awesome and that had the grapple on it which we used for brush and picking up logs

 

[CutHighnLetFly]

I bet if you got in cahoots with a landscaper you could start renting / borrowing their mini. Or get an arbor trolley to help move wood and pay someone to load and remove.
I tend to always start st the cheapest point and work forward. Blessing and curse.

 

[Raven27]

We have a sort of arbor trolley. I wanted the trolley and my partners wife found a cheap knock off on Amazon, then he spent $150 on welding it into a more durable device, and upgraded tires. It works great, but you're still picking up heavy logs onto it and having to sometimes take 2 guys to push and pull it to dump trailer or truck. It definitely helps from lugging one piece at a time, but I feel it's time to step up, but with a bucket truck and mini or a regular skid steer with proper attachment.

 

[evo]

Around here the rental companies wont let you put your own attachments on.. not really fair... they would hardly rent me the machine "oh tree work? we know what your going to do!"

 

[southsoundtree]

A small mini-x is not a lot of money for a bigger removal job.




RE: a piece of equipment, like a mini,
Check in with Carl/ @Lumberjack and Dave/ @tntree.



Dave designed the BMG Branch Manager Grapple, and is an equipment dealer... Top Notch Equipment in MN.

Carl is a dealer and experienced tree worker as well. He's an iron-heavy operator. He sold me my mini.




Maybe some veteran business financing options are out there.

If you have the properly priced work, and work efficiently, the machines pay for themselves.

 

[Raven27]

I've been trying to look into using some of my VA financing options but it's always a run around with them. I definitely agree with machines paying for themselves quickly we paid off our chipper and two and a half months and have our dump trailer paid off quite quickly too

 

[chep]

I bought a used boxer 320 from Dave @ top-notch 5 years ago (I think). Bought a bmg with it. Best move i ever made. Think all said it was 11k and they shipped it to me. Paid for itself in 2 months. For a 1 man operation it saved my back and all it ever asks for is grease and fuel

 

[southsoundtree]

I've been trying to look into using some of my VA financing options but it's always a run around with them. I definitely agree with machines paying for themselves quickly we paid off our chipper and two and a half months and have our dump trailer paid off quite quickly too

VA is probably a good option.

I got hooked up with Western Equipment Finance in ND, IIRC. Easy enough to deal with.

 

[RajElectric]

In my area I tried to get some clean up and landscape guys, it never worked out.

 

[southsoundtree]

Thought about this thread last week. My firewood pick-up guy was having vehicle issues.

Searched CL for "firewood wanted". Ended up with an established landscaper/ hardscaper/ landscape supply person who has a mini-loader, mini-x, dump trailer, crew. Easy Peasy. Good connection.

 

[Raven27]

The job we started today is a huge silver maple, lots of firewood. O have people who what the wood and will come get what we don't take, problem is, lawn is super sift. couldnt even get the chipper balced into the yard, it sand 6" as app. As we hit the edge, so we went the more difficult route and used the driveway. No way I'm letting people go in with traiwlra to pick up wood to help with cleanup, unless we get more of this cold weather ,but I don't think not will happen fast enough. HO didn't want ruts, which is why he load us more than the next quote because they said they wouldn't take the time to climb it, only bring in a bucket truck. Myblartner took this photo of me stretching to get a rigging line a out a bit on a limb we were swinging around away from the garage roof, not a very think limb and I was stretching my reach and angle a bit from my TIP. It swing around perfectly, plenty of clearance from roof. Not off subject, but I liked the photo, don't get many of me in the tree.

 

[southsoundtree]

Mats and/ or plywood are necessary investments. There's a local plywood mill, so buying defect plywood is cheaper near me. Maybe $15 for 5/8" CDX.



You can drag/ winch much bigger logs on plywood than grass, with no impact. I pulled out an oak mill log that I could barely lift with my mini, drug it on dry, clean plywood, by the smallest margin.

 

[TopNotchEquipment]

If you are worried about the cost of mini skid or Loader.
Now could be the best time to invest in one for next, check with your accountant but with sec 179 saving of up to 35% based on your tax bracket
a $30,0000 loader after tax savings would end up costing you around $19,500.00. so you can either pay $10,500.00 in taxes to the government or buy a loader and save on taxes.

We have new used demo and rental fleet machines in stock and ready for you. Also there is Factory warehouse inventory with a few of the lines we carry ready for shipment as soon as next week.
I have also put together some special finance programs to help with deferring cost this time of year by giving no payments for 90 days and low interest rates in lieu of factory rebates:
90 Day deferred Terms

3 + 12 Months = 1.09%

3 + 21 Months = 2.99%

3 + 33 Months = 3.25%

3 + 45 Months = 3.90%

3 + 57 Months = 4.25%

SO if you have been procrastinating on this purchase or wanted to get into an articulating loader instead of a mini skid. Now may be the best time with the tax savings to get into a loader for not much more than a mini when you consider potentially saving upwards of $10K on your income tax.

TNE has Avant, Boxer, Cast, Gehl and Giant mini's and loaders and Branch Manager Attachments, all ready to save you time, $ and go to work.

Visit our website http://topnotchequipment.com/ to view equipment, remember to like and follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/topnotchequipmentinc as well as we do put up new products and specials on our FB page feel free to call my cell 612-454-9191 or our sales department with any Questions or to get the price of the year on a New machine.

Happy Holidays from TNE
Harry Fleegel
Sales Manager

 

[JD3000]

 

[CaPowell]

Minis go way more places than bucket trucks. I started making way more money with a mini than without.

I have way more energy for climbing and life, and way less body impact with a mini.

Investing in any iron will pay off.

A new mini is way more affordable than a reasonable, used bucket truck (lots more expenses), or a used lift.


Wraptors go anywhere, for under $3k.

What is a wraptor mini? Are you missing a zero? Thanks.