You know a while back I tried to get some people out to trim some stuff in my yard.
Well... technically - it isn't my yard. But, it all hangs in my yard. Frankly most of my issue is having a defensible space for fire season. The 20 foot privet's in my neighbors yard had grown within a couple of feet of my roof.
Half the neighbors around me still have shake roofs. Which makes me all kinds of nervous. You have to see fire season in California to understand. These things hop from house to house. And, will pretty much take out a whole neighborhood.
One guy came out and refused to trim them because they weren't in my yard. Despite telling him that he could go over and talk to the neighbors. One guy said he was going to come out and never did. And honestly, I'm just not game lately to put up with the bullshit games contractors play right now. If they act like they don't need the money. Well, I'm not going to force them.
So, I put the whole thing off for a while and debated calling out a whole new set. I eventually said screw that, and decided to rent a chainsaw on a stick. You know you can become a youexpert on anything. Youtube can teach you anything. After seeing girls run these things there, I figured I'd done a ton of things much harder than that.
As it turns out I was right. They are about on the end of the range a girl can operate them easily. Heavy, but not too bad. Mr S. and I switched off. He got the higher areas I got the lower. Which resulted in my thinking that the tree trimming guys in my town are pussies. Honestly, this job should have taken a guy that does this all the time - an hour, hour and a half. He would have made an easy 200 bucks. Which is what I was quoted.
Renting a chainsaw on a stick? 37 bucks for 24 hours. No seriously. I think I more or less will get it all done. But if I don't? I can hack away at it another 3 weekends before it costs what the trimmers wanted.
I say more or less because running this thing is a little fun. Not in a manly way. In a way that I just want to chop a ton of crap down. I got sidetracked by the tree in my front yard. Which looks fabulous now. And I didn't have to consult with any of my neighbors to cut down crap in my own yard.
Seriously Californians are neurotic about their trees. They act like you are killing babies if you trim them. It might take a little while, but they grow back. Thankfully my neighbors have been co-operative. Not that it would have mattered to me. Fire season is a real issue in my area.
Anyway.. turns out I might not really hire any of these guys in the foreseeable future. 37 bucks for 24 hours Yo!
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Yo! You go, girl! This is all kinds of awesome. I wish some of those idiot tree trimmers who were jerking you around a while back could have seen you today, ha!
ReplyDeleteHa ha hah. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI don't even think it would register with them. And, they obviously don't get the feedback loop. Not only am I not hiring those guys, he has just screwed his buddies because I found out it wasn't that hard. So easy - a girl can do it.
I would have happily paid the 2 hundy. To each his own though. I don't mind saving the money, and a little hard work never killed anyone. Well.. barely anyone. ;)
I also want to recommend renting tools from HomeDepot. I can make lots of complaints about shopping at our local HomeDepot, but renting is a whole 'nother story. Every time we've rented something there, it's been a good experience. The people behind the desk are always friendly and knowledgeable and helpful.
ReplyDeleteThere's another tool rental shop in town, one where all they do is rent tools -- that's they're whole reason-for-being a business. But they act like they don't like customers, they resent your stupid-ass questions. Not HomeDepot.
I think it's ironic that I dislike buying things at HomeDepot (I prefer Lowes), but I like renting things there.