[zesty]

Got the tree fellas coming today, to cut back an oak tree just over the boundary of our garden.

Got me thinking, at £700, they must earn good money. Obviously the overheads are huge compared to ours.

I’ve always thought If I wasn’t a window cleaner, I’d probably look at taking it up as job/business.

Hard work, but keeps you fit, and you’re always busy. Also, working with wood is quite nice in many ways.

Would probably do it for a week and then then say ‘get me back window cleaning’. 

[Slacky]

We had one here last week. They took the neighbours Ash tree down. £800. Two of them, gone by 2. Impressive.

[Slacky]

Im waiting for them to get back to me regards taking down a Silver Birch in the back garden. Its big as birches go. Probs 45'. Id take it down myself, but its the wood thats left I'm focused on. Need that cleared too. Im not paying £800 just to have them take some wood away though, might have to have a feck off big bonfire on bonfire night.

[lal]

Got the tree fellas coming today, to cut back an oak tree just over the boundary of our garden.

Got me thinking, at £700, they must earn good money. Obviously the overheads are huge compared to ours.

I’ve always thought If I wasn’t a window cleaner, I’d probably look at taking it up as job/business.

Hard work, but keeps you fit, and you’re always busy. Also, working with wood is quite nice in many ways.

Would probably do it for a week and then then say ‘get me back window cleaning’. 

Good money to be made,  but using Chainsaws makes it a dangerous job.

[NWH]

As you say a lot more overheads and as for keeping you fit I don’t think so,keeping fit gets you lungs and heart working not swinging about in a harness all day putting strain on you’re hips.
It’s only in recent years they use a full harness I know tree surgeons that are barely 50 and their hips have had it using a chair most of their working life,running a truck and chipper and at least 1 member of staff isn’t cheap out of that 800 he’ll be worse of than you doing a decent day pushing a Pole up and down colouring in glass.

[NBwcs]

No thanks, neighbour had two popular trees taken down recently, both well over three times the height of my house, charged £2k,took two of them 4 half days and they earnt every penny. Genuinely think you need a screw loose to be that high upwith a chainsaw. We had a chap do a tree in our garden a few years ago, his nickname was monkey for obvious reasons, I read he was killed falling from a tree about a year later. I'll stick with the glass, moneys not everything.

[NWH]

If you think WFP is hard on the body it’s nothing compared to what they do loads of em suffer with carpal tunnel due to 1 handed chain sawing even though they are smaller and lighter due to the vibrations,a bloke I know has so much work but he said he’s knackered it’s not easy money.

[zesty]

If you think WFP is hard on the body it’s nothing compared to what they do loads of em suffer with carpal tunnel due to 1 handed chain sawing even though they are smaller and lighter due to the vibrations,a bloke I know has so much work but he said he’s knackered it’s not easy money.

Who said it was easy? I even said in the original post ‘hard work’ cos it is .

Still, does look exciting. You’ll never meet a poor tree surgeon.

You’ll also never meet a poor window cleaner 

[zesty]

We had one here last week. They took the neighbours Ash tree down. £800. Two of them, gone by 2. Impressive.

That’s good going.

They earn their money, that’s for sure!

[EandM]

Weirdly, I was discussing this with my tame Pathologist.

He informs me that, from a 'trade' point of view, Tree Surgeons make excellent donors.
They're generally very fit and internal organs are normally in very good condition - apart from damage inflicted by chainsaws and the odd fall from great height.

Motorcyclists are still favourite though.

[NWH]

They make good donors that did make me lol yeah I know a few that smoke 30 a day and normally drink 4-5 pints a day during the week 10-15 pints on a Saturday and Sunday 🤣🤣🤣,did you mean good finger donors when they slip with the chainsaw.

[deeege]

My cousin is one. It’s a hard graft, far harder than window cleaning. Also the overheads are huge compared to window cleaning. Decent chainsaw trousers £200, chainsaws £600+, chippers £18K+. Once you’ve got a good name the work comes rolling in but initially you’ll be competing against the travellers and other new start ups.

I used to do a Saturday morning with him when I was getting started out in window cleaning, definitely couldn’t hack the physical side of it full time.

You also don’t see many that are still climbing when they pass 40, body’s are shot. It’s a young mans game.

[NWH]

It’s hard work tree surgery don’t forget the hard work on the ground also chopping up for logs loading and stacking em,that’s the thing people get blinded by price it’s the same in this job I remember someone saying to me X for cleaning them in 20 odd minutes etc,they just think you turn up and clean like a rag and bone man they don’t think it takes years to build it up.

[EandM]

They make good donors that did make me lol yeah I know a few that smoke 30 a day and normally drink 4-5 pints a day during the week 10-15 pints on a Saturday and Sunday 🤣🤣🤣,did you mean good finger donors when they slip with the chainsaw.

 

The 'customers' he gets are usually the younger variety.

Presumably, they haven't had enough time to damage themselves irreparably - apart from no longer being alive of course.

[Bungle]

Imagine felling a tree in this heat in all that clobber? No ta.

The travellers tend to sell chainsaws rather than use them  They make me laugh with their sign written pickups 'local' this that and the other  . One of my customers had a small pathway slabbed by a gang of them. £1800 for cash and he thought he got a bargain  and put me down to 2 monthly from monthly a couple of years ago as he couldn't afford it!

[JandS]

Friend of mine does this......he paid I think 10 grand for the course..............bought a tipper truck so not cheap and I think he spent another 10 grand on gear.

[James 77]

I spent 21 years as a tree surgeon, started aged 18. Loved the job, ran my own business but hard work. Not something you want to be doing in your 40’ / 50’s.

The kit is a fortune and likes to go missing too   

I’ve been windows cleaning 4 years now and it’s a doddle in comparison.