Tools of the Trade: Money Does Grow on Trees

Raymond Lineau, owner of Rayal Tree Care, hates to see trees damaged by ice storms that are not uncommon during Yorktown, N.Y. winters. But he’s been wishing for them this year.

“Business has dropped off a cliff,” Lienau says of early 2009 sales, adding his 40 years of experience in the tree care industry have taught him that a couple of good ice and wind storms can always boost a tree care company’s bottom line.

Albert Godec wholeheartedly agrees. As president of Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Rundo Tree Surgeon, and a 33-year veteran in the industry, he’s seen slow seasons before, and he knows situations can change practically overnight. A December 2008 windstorm increased his income by approximately $15,000, despite the fact that he only has about 75 percent of the staff he had at this time last year. While he’s expecting flat profit this year, he’s hopeful to increase his $500,000 revenue as people stay home more this summer, spending money to improve their backyards vs. travel.

Notwithstanding slow starts, both companies have specific purchasing and maintenance preferences when it comes to their bread-and-butter equipment for the work they do most – chain saws for tree pruning and removal.
Rayal Tree Care employs 18 people, who are divided into five crews. To handle pruning or removal on trees of various sizes, Rayal crews use Stihl chain saws – typically four models per truck, including one topping saw (the Stihl 200T), one light-duty saw for ground cutting (a Stihl 290) and two medium to large chain saws for cross-cutting logs (a Stihl 046 and 044). This ensures crews don’t waste time going back to the shop for the right chain saw to complete a specific or unusual job.

Rundo Tree Surgeon also prefers to use a variety of saws. During the season, the company will have up to 18 people in the field – each two- or three-man crew will take three top-handle saws (one as backup in case the first one is damaged) and one medium, 18-inch saw on the job. Godec prefers Husqvarna saws for handling large trees – these more expensive saws are kept in the shop and then checked out if a job requires it. For everyday pruning, top handle saws manufactured by RedMax and Echo fill the bill.

While Echo and RedMax chain saws have less power than comparable Stihl or Husqvarna saws, according to Godec, the biggest reason he uses them daily is because of their lower overall costs. When repair costs are as much as 60 percent of the price of a new saw, Godec would rather buy new and then save the old equipment in case he can use the parts for repairs to his other saws. “Saws can be easily damaged during climbing or through carelessness on the job,” he says, adding that he usually gets 12 to 18 months of use out of these saws without significant maintenance problems. “Replacing a chain saw costing around $120, like the RedMax or Echo, is much easier on the budget than buying a more expensive one.”

Godec is partial to the top handle variety saw because the weight of the saw is underneath the hand, giving the user the ability to make cuts on top of a tree, all while putting less stress on his or her joints. “You can use a wrist action with much less strain,” he says, adding that while both his Echo and RedMax saws are about 8 pounds in weight, his Echo 360T has a 16-inch bar, while his RedMax has a 12-inch bar. The latter with a shorter bar comes in especially handy in confined spaces.

Since chain saws keep his business growing, Lineau requires his crews perform daily maintenance on each saw at the end of every shift. They blow out the air filter and the areas around the engine, sharpen or replace the chains, and check for any other problems. By performing daily maintenance, the company can keep the equipment in top condition and also enhance the lifetime of use for each chain saw.  

Keeping the chain sharp is a critical safety issue, so Lineau adds that to the daily maintenance routine. Chains are replaced before their dullness can endanger the user or force a crew to return to the shop for a new one. Lienau buys chains in bulk, keeping several hundred in stock.

Ron Greene also never waits until the chain is completely worn to replace it – preferring to sharpen chains when they are 75 percent worn. “I don’t want any problems, especially with safety,” says Greene, the fleet supervisor for Walpole, Mass.-based D. Foley Landscape, who uses 353 model Husqvarna chain saws in the 16-inch and 18-inch bar sizes. By performing this maintenance, Greene says the lifetime of a saw can easily be four or five years.

To ensure daily and quarterly chain saw maintenance is completed, Rundo Tree Surgeon adds daily maintenance to the end of crews’ shifts and schedules a date or week on the calendar to perform overall inspections every four or five months. High wind or rainy days that happen near these dates are perfect for fitting in this necessary maintenance.

The author is a freelance writer based in Colorado Springs, Colo.