# New Jersey Winter 20/21



## iceyman

Were due .. enough said


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## J.Ricci

I can feel a good snow year coming. And by good year I mean I’ll actually drop the blade once this season.....maybe


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## sota

10x. or more.
that's what I want.


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## Mike_C

Snow contracts are coming back in record time this year


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## sota

ooo! can we also get snow/melt/hard freeze events too? that'll really screw with my scumbag neighbor, since I won't be plowing the easement any longer.


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## MGLC

I might have a machine available this winter if anyone needs a sub in Morris County. Lost the account it was used on and I’m not really going after anything that size


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## Mike_C

MGLC said:


> I might have a machine available this winter if anyone needs a sub in Morris County. Lost the account it was used on and I'm not really going after anything that size


What size machine? I may have work for it depending on where in Morris


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## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Were due .. enough said


Sounds corny, but the squirrels here are packing heavy. And I've seen a lot of woolly caterpillars.


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## MGLC

Mike_C said:


> What size machine? I may have work for it depending on where in Morris


JCB 407ZX


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## Mike_C

MGLC said:


> JCB 407ZX


Just messaged you, I should have work for it.


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## V_Scapes

Mike_C said:


> Snow contracts are coming back in record time this year


Same here, I got two back in less than a week.



Randall Ave said:


> Sounds corny, but the squirrels here are packing heavy. And I've seen a lot of woolly caterpillars.


Noticed the squirrels going crazy here also, lots dead on the road.


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## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Same here, I got two back in less than a week.
> 
> Noticed the squirrels going crazy here also, lots dead on the road.


Turkey vultures gotta eat too


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## djt1029

We started our fall displays for customers last week and the squirrels are getting into everything


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## truckie80

I'm even seeing some squirrels in Harlem this year which is a first


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## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> Turkey vultures gotta eat too


Wild turkeys on my property this year.. first time ive seen them in the 5 years ive owned it. No clue what that means exactly lol


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## shawn_

So two things with all the animal theory’s . Good snow season, and or the deadly virus is about to be able to hit wild life now!


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## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Wild turkeys on my property this year.. first time ive seen them in the 5 years ive owned it. No clue what that means exactly lol


Hey, it's, what's for dinner?


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## J.Ricci

shawn_ said:


> So two things with all the animal theory's . Good snow season, and or the deadly virus is about to be able to hit wild life now!


Almost election time, they need to find ways to build up the fear again


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## S_Marino87

truckie80 said:


> I'm even seeing some squirrels in Harlem this year which is a first


Newark too


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## iceyman

J.Ricci said:


> Almost election time, they need to find ways to build up the fear again


Wonder what happens when people start getting the actual flu again.. like every year.. at least the death rate under 70 is a staggering .02. This is beyond absurd now.. millions of jobs gone..


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## HarryTHook

I really think its going to be a good season for snow this time around. I was going to add a truck during the summer, let my son operate it but we "had to have" that 700HP camaro instead. Maybe I should turbo a snowblower for him also.
Upside of all the people out of work is we should have no problem getting shovelers this season.....


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## J.Ricci

HarryTHook said:


> Upside of all the people out of work is we should have no problem getting shovelers this season.....


If only it worked like that


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## Randall Ave

J.Ricci said:


> If only it worked like that


My opinion, people have gotten lazy.


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## sota

Randall Ave said:


> My opinion, people have gotten lazy.


Bro, I could put an army of high school kids to work making some pretty decent pay for unskilled labor, if they'd get off their fat asses and climb out of their parent's basements.

At least my now 13 year old is starting to come around and see that, getting paid $30/hr cash under the table to shovel is a pretty damn good gig when you're not otherwise gainfully employed.


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## truckie80

Just curious how you guys charge your customers for pumpkins and stuff like that. I don't do a lot of the "fall display" type stuff usually just mums and a few corn stalks here and there but I've got a few customers who want to step it up this year


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## shawn_

truckie80 said:


> Just curious how you guys charge your customers for pumpkins and stuff like that. I don't do a lot of the "fall display" type stuff usually just mums and a few corn stalks here and there but I've got a few customers who want to step it up this year


I would imagine just double the cost . I don't know what u really mean tho.


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## rizzoa13

I’d do time and material with a minimum for your trouble.


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## MGLC

truckie80 said:


> Just curious how you guys charge your customers for pumpkins and stuff like that. I don't do a lot of the "fall display" type stuff usually just mums and a few corn stalks here and there but I've got a few customers who want to step it up this year


I do material (retail price) x 2.5 covers the labor for setup since it's minimal anyway for pumpkins, gourds etc. minimum of $250 but most come out to be at least double that


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## V_Scapes

Had a light switch flip here within the past two weeks and had a ton of work roll in, feels like spring again. I got all my snow contracts back, just trying to finish construction before the leaves really start flying.


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## MGLC

V_Scapes said:


> Had a light switch flip here within the past two weeks and had a ton of work roll in, feels like spring again. I got all my snow contracts back, just trying to finish construction before the leaves really start flying.


Hell of a year. I'll be landscaping right up until the new year at this rate, massive flurry of plantings coming in over the last week or so. Just had someone sign on the dotted line for 150 green giants. In October. Madness


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## rizzoa13

We do residential and commercial remodeling, septics, site work and pretty much anything that pays. We’ve kept busy straight through Covid with decks, pools, roofs and exterior work. Now the commercial stuffs starting back up and I don’t know whether I’m coming or going.

Kind of worried the economy will retract after this election pans out but we’re versatile enough to get through.


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## sota

keep working like a madman and squirrel away every penny you can. you're right in there's a massive unknown as to what tomorrow will bring. think another "lockdown" just before elections.


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## rizzoa13

I’ve never specialized and tried to get geared and skilled up for many different things. A lot of older guys have tried to give me “advice” to find my niche and pound it. For one that doesn’t fulfill me and secondly once that niche dries up your screwed. These guys have taken on big debts to open up shops and hire on a bunch of guys. That’s a lot of overhead for when the bottom inevitably falls out of whatever your doing.


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## J.Ricci

MGLC said:


> . Just had someone sign on the dotted line for 150 green giants. In October. Madness


payup


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## djt1029

I got a text from one of my foremen last night when he was parking for the day that the trailer was a little wobbly and needed air in the tire. This is what I found when I got to the yard... everyday is a new adventure


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## S_Marino87

djt1029 said:


> I got a text from one of my foremen last night when he was parking for the day that the trailer was a little wobbly and needed air in the tire. This is what I found when I got to the yard... everyday is a new adventure
> 
> View attachment 207115
> 
> 
> View attachment 207114


Lmao employees are masters of understatement


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## rizzoa13

Daaamn that’s a good one. 
I had a tire disappear on me in Ohio this year (Tandem thank god). Was pulling the skid steer in the dump trailer around from commercial job to commercial job. Went down a real steep decline from a gas station and heard a thud. Drove an hour to the next location and went to unload the machine for the next day. My helper was watching me unload in shock, I got the machine off and he was just pointing at the missing tire. It had sheared all of the lug studs clean off I never saw anything like it!

It was an annoying day finding a place that had replacement studs, rim and tire while I was 800 miles from home.


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## sota

how the hell....


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## sota

so what are people predicting the first day of snowfall to be?

I'm going to be optimistic: 10/31


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## gman2310

sota said:


> so what are people predicting the first day of snowfall to be?
> 
> I'm going to be optimistic: 10/31


You may be on to something


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## prezek

gman2310 said:


> You may be on to something
> 
> View attachment 207161


Stop that...Tony pann is pretty good. The Maryland mountains are a different world compared to the rest of the state...hoping Jan 2 for first snow.


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## V_Scapes

prezek said:


> Stop that...Tony pann is pretty good. The Maryland mountains are a different world compared to the rest of the state...hoping Jan 2 for first snow.


Also hoping it waits till January. I told the guys to stay home tomorrow looks like a soaker.


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## AG09

V_Scapes said:


> Also hoping it waits till January. I told the guys to stay home tomorrow looks like a soaker.


I have been debating that cause i am tired of being burned by these weather people.


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## djt1029

Making the call in the morning here, whenever I tell them a day in advance the rain waits until lunch time


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## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> Making the call in the morning here, whenever I tell them a day in advance the rain waits until lunch time


Definitely looking like a morning loaded rain event so I said screw it. To be honest this might only be our third rain out for this season.


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## AG09

djt1029 said:


> Making the call in the morning here, whenever I tell them a day in advance the rain waits until lunch time


exactly my thoughts...


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## Mike_C

Even the tropical storm in August bit me in the ass, left the guys home and we could've worked a few hours easily.


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## sota

I got my last major I.T. related gig to deal with this week, then it's on to prepping the plow and equipment for the season.


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## truckie80

Took advantage of the weather and got the leaf box set up, the rain seems to be fizzling out here


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## V_Scapes

Rain was on and off all day here, got a bunch of office work done. Hoping the morning isn't too rainy.


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## MGLC

V_Scapes said:


> Rain was on and off all day here, got a bunch of office work done. Hoping the morning isn't too rainy.


I got so much office work done yesterday I have nothing to do today. Which can only mean one thing - something's going to break


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## V_Scapes

MGLC said:


> I got so much office work done yesterday I have nothing to do today. Which can only mean one thing - something's going to break


Thanks for the jinx, had my head buried in my 5500 today replacing both batteries.


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## J.Ricci

V_Scapes said:


> Thanks for the jinx, had my head buried in my 5500 today replacing both batteries.


The jinx also stretched south - my guys hit a deer on the way back home today on route 34. Just a small dent and some scratches but a hell of a mess to wash off


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## V_Scapes

J.Ricci said:


> The jinx also stretched south - my guys hit a deer on the way back home today on route 34. Just a small dent and some scratches but a hell of a mess to wash off


They're running like crazy here too with the heat of the rut just around the corner.


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## J.Ricci

Took about an hour last night to get everything cleaned out of the grill.

Kenworth 1
Deer 0


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## AG09

J.Ricci said:


> Took about an hour last night to get everything cleaned out of the grill.
> 
> Kenworth 1
> Deer 0


yikes....they do a lot of damage...im always worried cause they just pop outta nowhere.


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## V_Scapes

Anyone have a target date to start cleanups?


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## AG09

V_Scapes said:


> Anyone have a target date to start cleanups?


1st or 2nd week of November the latest.


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## Mike_C

Monday November 2nd. Already getting pretty heavy leaves at some locations


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## Petr51488

Lots of new faces in here! Took me a week or 2 to realize y’all moved onto another thread


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## sota

Brite Nites started last night.
Decent turn out reported.


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## Klaibs27

Does any one live up near Landing, NJ? I'm looking for a F450 or F550 chip truck and came across this one but it's about 2 hours from me. Would love for someone up that way to take a look at it and tell me if it's even worth my time heading up that way. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/335492621209956/

Also, since it doesn't have a title. Am I fighting an uphill battle trying to bring this back into PA?


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## Randall Ave

For no title, and about 27 years old, in my opinion he's two grand to high.


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## J.Ricci

Klaibs27 said:


> Does any one live up near Landing, NJ? I'm looking for a F450 or F550 chip truck and came across this one but it's about 2 hours from me. Would love for someone up that way to take a look at it and tell me if it's even worth my time heading up that way. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/335492621209956/
> 
> Also, since it doesn't have a title. Am I fighting an uphill battle trying to bring this back into PA?


Price seems high for no title in hand


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## sota

reminds me... need to call this company about title washing, for a couple cars I'm looking at.


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## Randall Ave

Title washing,,?


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## sota

yea. getting a title for a no-title car, or one with a sketchy out of state title.


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## Klaibs27

J.Ricci said:


> Price seems high for no title in hand


Sorry guys, I got things crossed up in my head. This truck has a title.

So the question stands.. would anyone be willing to go take a look at it that's up in that area?


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## V_Scapes

I'd say we're at peak here and will probably start somewhere the week of the 25th.


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## Randall Ave

Had a frosty windshield this morning.


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## sota

don't park outside?


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## Kevin_NJ

First frost on vehicles of the year here this morning too.


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## sota

we're going to try and get a morning bike ride to the local bagel shop in. this should be interesting.


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## Petr51488

Any of you guys have Fios? They jacked up my bill. Paying $145 for 75/75 internet and tv. These idiots tell me they can’t lower the price to what it used to be last month- $135. They say if I renew the contract- it will be higher. What have you guys done to get it lower?


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## sota

I have FiOS, but only for internet. biz 100/100 w/ 5 static IPs. $130/month
TV is handled by crudcast's basic basic basic package for $30/month.


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## Kevin_NJ

Based on my experiences and research, the only real way to get significant savings is to play their game of switching providers every one to two years. For whatever reason they only care about obtaining new customers, not so much about keeping existing. The cell phone providers are the same way. 

Once my current contract with fios is up I'll be dropping the tv and hopefully the phone, and just keeping the internet.


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## sota

I think it's the TV part of the bundle that's screwing you.
They haven't raised my internet rates in years, and in fact it went down when they "dropped" the 35/35 plan I was on and I switched to a 75/75 (now 100/100) plan, when they did a wholesale back end upgrade.


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## iceyman

Mike_C said:


> Monday November 2nd. Already getting pretty heavy leaves at some locations


Yea the leaves fell hard in the last 2 days


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## HarryTHook

Petr51488 said:


> Any of you guys have Fios? They jacked up my bill. Paying $145 for 75/75 internet and tv. These idiots tell me they can't lower the price to what it used to be last month- $135. They say if I renew the contract- it will be higher. What have you guys done to get it lower?


I had the same problem, 3 TV boxes, internet and phone. Bill kept going up with no explanation. Cancelled everything but internet, now bill is $40. Bought a digital antenna and I get all the local channels (news and sports) so I am good. Why pay all that money just to watch stuff thats gonna depress me anyway???


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## sota

my Comcast (Xfinity) bill is $30.07 currently, and they're creeping it up, to the point where I'm about to cut the cord and start experimenting with antenna(s).
it should be noted: I've the... capabilities... to obtain most if not all of the shows the wife likes to watch, for free, through other avenues. It might be time to explore that avenue more extensively, and automatically.


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## V_Scapes

Prepped the equipment and trucks today for cleanups. It's the beginning of the end.


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## sota

going over some numbers.
Jeep is getting upgrades in the spring.
New A/T non-winter tires.
Re-gear to either 3.73 or 4.10. (still trying to decide)
New tire size (235/75R16 or 245/75R16. related to the aforementeioned re-gear.)
Trying to balance fuel economy, towing, and plowing capabilities (plow tires are 225/75R16 on stock rims).


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## Petr51488

sota said:


> going over some numbers.
> Jeep is getting upgrades in the spring.
> New A/T non-winter tires.
> Re-gear to either 3.73 or 4.10. (still trying to decide)
> New tire size (235/75R16 or 245/75R16. related to the aforementeioned re-gear.)
> Trying to balance fuel economy, towing, and plowing capabilities (plow tires are 225/75R16 on stock rims).


Why don't you just buy a pickup?


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## sota

Petr51488 said:


> Why don't you just buy a pickup?


I don't want to?


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## V_Scapes

Petr51488 said:


> Why don't you just buy a pickup?


Lol I was gonna say the same thing last night.


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## Randall Ave

sota said:


> I don't want to?


You could block your neighbors driveway with it.


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## Mike_C

Petr51488 said:


> Why don't you just buy a pickup?


That would make entirely too much sense


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## treeguyry

sota said:


> going over some numbers.
> Jeep is getting upgrades in the spring.
> New A/T non-winter tires.
> Re-gear to either 3.73 or 4.10. (still trying to decide)
> New tire size (235/75R16 or 245/75R16. related to the aforementeioned re-gear.)
> Trying to balance fuel economy, towing, and plowing capabilities (plow tires are 225/75R16 on stock rims).


If you're towing and plowing I don't see why you wouldn't want a pickup. Why struggle with the wrong vehicle


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## sota

who said I was struggling?


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## truckie80

If you had a pickup, you wouldn't need to worry about what tires you need to plow a few driveways and tow a small trailer around here and there


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## sota

It never ceases to amaze me, how bigotry exudes even from the most innocuous of avenues.


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## Mike_C

SUV lives matter


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## Petr51488

sota said:


> It never ceases to amaze me, how bigotry exudes even from the most innocuous of avenues.


That took a left turn real quick. How is this bigotry? Someone mentioned over working it because jeeps aren't meant to do this work you are doing. You're doing all this aftermarket work to make it to the same level as a pickup would be. Except that pickups are made for this work from the start without any added performance enhancements. At least that's all I meant by it. ‍


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## HarryTHook

I agree with the above. I don't think anyone was busting on you, it was more an observation. If you look at some of the fleets of trucks people have you will notice that snow management is a big part of their income. For me I gotta keep the day job and use plowing as a supplement. But because when it does snow I get a lot of work, so I have to have heavy duty trucks. Different ball game for each of us. If your comfortable working with your jeep have at it. Just don't think that peoples suggestions were in any way demeaning.


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## Petr51488

What ****ty weather this week


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## V_Scapes

Petr51488 said:


> What ****ty weather this week


Agreed. Looks like a wash the next two days. I really hope the pattern trends drier for November.


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## Petr51488

V_Scapes said:


> Agreed. Looks like a wash the next two days. I really hope the pattern trends drier for November.


I think Friday might be a morning rain and dry in the afternoon. At least I was able to get in a half day today


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## V_Scapes

Petr51488 said:


> I think Friday might be a morning rain and dry in the afternoon. At least I was able to get in a half day today


It might stop raining but it certainly won't be dry. Curious if we see any wet snow flakes.


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## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> It might stop raining but it certainly won't be dry. Curious if we see any wet snow flakes.


You should see some tomorrow up where you are.


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## Randall Ave

Snow ️ at the house.


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## iceyman

Radar looks like u northern guys are seeing flakes at least


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## Randall Ave

Snowen here right now.


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## Mike_C

Snowing pretty decent here, starting to coat cold surfaces


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## sota

saw a little something that looked like flakes.
not amounting to anything though.


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## Kevin_NJ

NWS reporting 2.4" at High Point this morning.




__ https://www.facebook.com/


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## sota

Last time I saw that monument, I was doing a bike ride a couple hours later... to Cape May


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## V_Scapes

It was snowing at a good clip this morning when I left my house at 830, some surfaces coated but melted by noon.


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## sota

so when y'all mounting up plows and bolting on the snow tires?
I'm thinking mid-november possibly.


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## V_Scapes

sota said:


> so when y'all mounting up plows and bolting on the snow tires?
> I'm thinking mid-november possibly.


No snow in the forecast why bother?


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## djt1029

Brought my truck in today to get the plow installed, next week maybe I'll see if the other plows work but I prefer to wait until a day or two before the storm, or after we finish cleanups whichever comes first


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## iceyman

What a disaster this election is


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## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> What a disaster this election is


But we can all go get stoned tonight?


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## J.Ricci

Saw this **** show coming since the spring when it was going to be "too dangerous to vote in person"


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## Petr51488

Can trump still win? Is it possible for him to win Nevada?


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## Randall Ave

Petr51488 said:


> Can trump still win? Is it possible for him to win Nevada?


The math says pretty much, no.


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## truckie80

Petr51488 said:


> Can trump still win? Is it possible for him to win Nevada?


Better chance of Arizona, but the election will be decided in the courts, a lot of sketchy happenings


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## Petr51488

Yep, crazy how all day I listened to the radio and nothing was said about corruption. I turn on Fox News when I got home and bam- all over the place. Pretty sick what is going on and what they will do to try and win. ( the dems). Also- how they twist trumps words when he says to stop counting the votes.


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## J.Ricci

If the news makes no mention of any of the various accusations of cheating it’ll be written off by the sheep as a “crazy conspiracy”. Social media started censoring information earlier in the election cycle to get people used to that being a “policy” and not make it suspicious when they started flagging any accusations of cheating. If everything was on the up and up the DNC would have no reason to argue against recounts and investigations


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## Kevin_NJ

I was away from any news (real or fake) most of the day yesterday. Coworker was telling me one state "found" 100k "misplaced" ballots every single one was for Biden.


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## MGLC

Kevin_NJ said:


> I was away from any news (real or fake) most of the day yesterday. Coworker was telling me one state "found" 100k "misplaced" ballots every single one was for Biden.


138,000 all in one shot. Funny how they never find a random truck load of Republican votes, and no dead people ever vote republican.


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## J.Ricci

Also funny is how the only states who couldn’t get their votes counted in a reasonable time frame are all swing states that Trump was leading. It’s glaringly obvious, but the media brainwashed the left to never believe him. Even when he asks a valid question


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## Kevin_NJ

I still believe SCOTUS will play a major role in this election. 

What's really funny is the Dims are freaking out already because they did not sweep everywhere and actually lost some seats. They weren't expecting more people waking up. Not enough, but some.


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## sota

https://monsterhunternation.com/2020/11/05/the-2020-election-****ery-is-afoot/
does a good job detailing some of the "abnormalities."


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## Petr51488

And how as they were calling states- news stations were all SOO quick to give Biden states- but gave trump his states only when they were absolutely sure. Hell, they haven’t even given Alaska to trump yet. And the fact that you won’t find any “ corruption “ stories that are all over social media ( at least the ones that haven’t been censored yet) on the news is baffling. Just like the whole Biden email story.


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## sota

some excitement by my house.
i'll post up the link when/if it comes up on patch, but multiple stolen cars being chased with a multiple MVA
black range rover and blue BMW 4dr sedan.
both got smashed up, the beemer took it the worst though.


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## sota

still haven't found a news report yet.
odd.


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## S_Marino87

Less than 48 hrs since the media decided Biden won, Fauci is saying things should be starting to return to normal by the 2nd quarter of 2021 (about 2 weeks ago he was saying 2022) and today's post election magical vaccine update. What a joke


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## Randall Ave

S_Marino87 said:


> Less than 48 hrs since the media decided Biden won, Fauci is saying things should be starting to return to normal by the 2nd quarter of 2021 (about 2 weeks ago he was saying 2022) and today's post election magical vaccine update. What a joke


Well by the news stations, they are partyen in NYC. Massive groups of people, covid will be over real soon, about the middle of January.


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## V_Scapes

Crushing cleanups this fall, we're just about through our first round.


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## sota

when's the snow gonna hit?


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## Randall Ave

sota said:


> when's the snow gonna hit?


Not for a while, heading to Mahwah to get the new plow frame for the truck I'm making tomorrow.


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## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> Not for a while, heading to Mahwah to get the new plow frame for the truck I'm making tomorrow.


What are ya making


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## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> What are ya making


Got a f250 shell that came from Vegas, kinda building a truck. It's a 2000, but has no rust. I got a v10 thrown in it. Starting the interior. It's kind of a challenge,


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## Petr51488

Any of you guys run walker mowers?


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## Mike_C

Petr51488 said:


> Any of you guys run walker mowers?


I've got a few


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## djt1029

Petr51488 said:


> Any of you guys run walker mowers?


I've got 2 of those money pits


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## Randall Ave

What a rainy crappy day. Got the front seats in the Ford, and me and the boss took a ride to Traffic Safety in Mahwah, which is PowPartsDirect. Got the plow frame and a bunch of extra hoses, solenoids, etc. It better snow.


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## Petr51488

Mike_C said:


> I've got a few


I have a c model. Whenever I do lawns with leaves- the back hopper opens up and leaves get thrown out. It's been doing this since new. The screen gets clogged and there's too much air in there so it pushes the door open. How do I fix it? The screen with the big holes I was told wouldn't work.


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## Petr51488

djt1029 said:


> I've got 2 of those money pits


Haven't had any issues with mine aside from this annoying one. See above


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## V_Scapes

Petr51488 said:


> Haven't had any issues with mine aside from this annoying one. See above


I've heard they're expensive and complicated to repair. I almost bought a Scag Cougar years ago and my dealer told me they wouldnt work on it, so I don't have one.


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## djt1029

Never had that issue, maybe it’s missing a 1/4” long screw that’ll cost $39.99 from the dealer


----------



## iceyman

@Randall Ave hey installing a suburbanite on a tahoe.. as soon as i plug in the power cord from plow to truck the motor starts running. I thought i wired it up same as last truck..


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> @Randall Ave hey installing a suburbanite on a tahoe.. as soon as i plug in the power cord from plow to truck the motor starts running. I thought i wired it up same as last truck..


Is this a FleetFlex?


----------



## MGLC

djt1029 said:


> Never had that issue, maybe it's missing a 1/4" long screw that'll cost $39.99 from the dealer


Lmao ain't that the truth.


----------



## sota

iceyman said:


> @Randall Ave hey installing a suburbanite on a tahoe.. as soon as i plug in the power cord from plow to truck the motor starts running. I thought i wired it up same as last truck..


solenoid?


----------



## Petr51488

Have any of you guys ever get a letter from the DEP "NJ worker and community right to know act? I got a "notice of violation" I guess i didnt fill out a survey? I didnt know if this was real or fake so i never did it. i just sent in a exemption form because its only an office and no hazardous materials are here.


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> Is this a FleetFlex?


Its an older model.. 3 different plugs from plow to truck


----------



## djt1029

Petr51488 said:


> Have any of you guys ever get a letter from the DEP "NJ worker and community right to know act? I got a "notice of violation" I guess i didnt fill out a survey? I didnt know if this was real or fake so i never did it. i just sent in a exemption form because its only an office and no hazardous materials are here.


I got that or something similar a last season, maybe the year before. Same thing addressed to my office not my yard, called the number and the guy said I was good to go


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Its an older model.. 3 different plugs from plow to truck


Take the small wires off the solenoid, see what happens. If it still runs, replace the solenoid. If it doesn't, get out the test light and wiring diagrams. Also disconnect the controller, see if it runs, it could bad, you didn't dip it in the chocolate by mistake now, did ya?


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> Take the small wires off the solenoid, see what happens. If it still runs, replace the solenoid. If it doesn't, get out the test light and wiring diagrams. Also disconnect the controller, see if it runs, it could bad, you didn't dip it in the chocolate by mistake now, did ya?


The only chocolate i dip into is .... ah nvm


----------



## iceyman

Thanks ill check in the am.. im not hooking up any lights or anything


----------



## V_Scapes

Petr51488 said:


> Have any of you guys ever get a letter from the DEP "NJ worker and community right to know act? I got a "notice of violation" I guess i didnt fill out a survey? I didnt know if this was real or fake so i never did it. i just sent in a exemption form because its only an office and no hazardous materials are here.


I've gotten it before but not this year.


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> Take the small wires off the solenoid, see what happens. If it still runs, replace the solenoid. If it doesn't, get out the test light and wiring diagrams. Also disconnect the controller, see if it runs, it could bad, you didn't dip it in the chocolate by mistake now, did ya?


Ok so unplugged little wires and unplugged controller and it still ran as as soon as i plug in main power cable


----------



## iceyman

Ill change solenoid tmrw


----------



## HarryTHook

Feels like winter this morning. Gonna dig out plows this week.


----------



## sota

I was planning on Dec. 1 as my install and leave on date.


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Ill change solenoid tmrw


And????


----------



## sota




----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> And????


Yea got it just havent installed yet.. too dam cold..


----------



## iceyman

Been painting the skid..


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Been painting the skid..


Adding rainbow sprinkles to the lift arms?


----------



## Avalanche 2500

Randall Ave said:


> Adding rainbow sprinkles to the lift arms?


That might be pushing it ??


----------



## Randall Ave

Avalanche 2500 said:


> That might be pushing it ??


The man sells ice cream for a living. Imagine, I'm stopping here.


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Yea got it just havent installed yet.. too dam cold..


When you take the old one off. Drill out the little rivits that hold it together. Take it apart. You will see if the contacts are stuck together.


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> Yea got it just havent installed yet.. too dam cold..


Too cold for the ice cream man??


----------



## iceyman

V_Scapes said:


> Too cold for the ice cream man??


I like 87 and sunny


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> I like 87 and sunny


It's always a beautiful day in New Jersey. Need an emoji with the governor's hand reaching for your wallet.


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> It's always a beautiful day in New Jersey. Need an emoji with the governor's hand reaching for your wallet.


Anything i would post mjd would crucify me for


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> It's always a beautiful day in New Jersey. Need an emoji with the governor's hand reaching for your wallet.


Today was top ten for November. Wish it would stay like this till new years.


----------



## Randall Ave

You young guys better get out this weekend with the ladies, I bet this coming week our Governor starts shutting things down again.


----------



## J.Ricci

Today he said that shutting down indoor dining / retail would be "putting a bullet in them" like that wasn't the case the first time? ****ing scumbag. Also heard Newark is starting their own lockdown right before Thanksgiving


----------



## S_Marino87

J.Ricci said:


> Today he said that shutting down indoor dining / retail would be "putting a bullet in them" like that wasn't the case the first time? ******* scumbag. Also heard Newark is starting their own lockdown right before Thanksgiving


Zero real enforcement, the department cherry picked some koolaid drinkers to fill the roles of brownshirts at some of the check points, but the rest of the department's only involvement in this tyrannical bull**** will be giving people directions on how to bypass the checkpoints.


----------



## iceyman

All because of a .001 death rate .. so comical that its sickening


----------



## sota

utube flagged a video of mine as "Age-restricted video (based on Community Guidelines)"

https://youtu.be/OAjJcAsWveA


----------



## Fourteen Contracting Inc.

sota said:


> utube flagged a video of mine as "Age-restricted video (based on Community Guidelines)"
> 
> https://youtu.be/OAjJcAsWveA


I think it's because you're fingers look like a butt


----------



## treeguyry

iceyman said:


> All because of a .001 death rate .. so comical that its sickening


Just keep thanksgiving to 9 people or less or else Murphy's gestapo will be at the door


----------



## sota

Fourteen Contracting Inc. said:


> I think it's because you're fingers look like a butt


if so, that's the dumbest thing in the known universe... almost.


----------



## truckie80

Anyone give turkeys to their guys as part of a Thanksgiving bonus? I was thinking of doing that this year but I'm not sure if I should just do something else.


----------



## V_Scapes

truckie80 said:


> Anyone give turkeys to their guys as part of a Thanksgiving bonus? I was thinking of doing that this year but I'm not sure if I should just do something else.


8 paid hours is plenty generous.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> 8 paid hours is plenty generous.


You could throw in Friday tooooo


----------



## Mike_C

truckie80 said:


> Anyone give turkeys to their guys as part of a Thanksgiving bonus? I was thinking of doing that this year but I'm not sure if I should just do something else.


Office staff, managers and yard staff get a turkey, foremen and crew members get a gift card. Everyone gets Thanksgiving off with pay, but the little throw-ins do wonders for employee morale. Also the Wednesday before Thanksgiving there's coffee, bagels and donuts for everyone when they get in for the day.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

My wife found an all black Woolly Bear Caterpillar. She claims that means we'll be busy this winter. We'll know how accurate her prediction is in about five months.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

The first "10 days away" of the season.


----------



## Randall Ave

Kevin_NJ said:


> The first "10 days away" of the season.
> 
> View attachment 208823


Noreaster? I hope.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Randall Ave said:


> Noreaster? I hope.


I didn't read into it that much. Just the whole snow will be here in 10 days nonsense again, like a broken record.


----------



## sota

well, I was going to convert to Plow Mode on 12/1 anyways.


----------



## Randall Ave

Kevin_NJ said:


> I didn't read into it that much. Just the whole snow will be here in 10 days nonsense again, like a broken record.


I know, I haven't even dragged out and service a plow yet.


----------



## HarryTHook

The weather weanies are not jumping up and down yet. Always the talk about it might happen. But by the looks of the maps and forecasts its probably gonna get cold. It's a start....


----------



## truckie80

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and hopefully 10+ family members


----------



## Mike_C

truckie80 said:


> Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and hopefully 10+ family members


We'll have about 30 today, if Murph thinks thats bad just wait until Christmas


----------



## iceyman

Happy thanksgiving fellas


----------



## djt1029

Happy Thanksgiving


----------



## J.Ricci

Happy Thanksgiving boys



Mike_C said:


> We'll have about 30 today, if Murph thinks thats bad just wait until Christmas


Around 40 here, let them bring the cavalry


----------



## iceyman

Wat a gorgeous day.. almost hit 70 here


----------



## sota

I'm in in-law hell, with a tooth with an infection, and a 30 year old root canal that appears to need re-doing, which requires a specialist, who can't see me until the 17th.


----------



## LAB INC

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Hope everyone is doing well in this crazy world. Good to be back for another season! Hopefully we have a good season, I wanna break in the new truck.


----------



## sota

I want 100 hours of billable plowing time.


----------



## V_Scapes

We'll be wrapped up with cleanups tomorrow. This is the earliest we've ever finished.


----------



## truckie80

V_Scapes said:


> We'll be wrapped up with cleanups tomorrow. This is the earliest we've ever finished.


End of next week and I should be done, hardly anything left though they'll be a breeze.


----------



## AG09

V_Scapes said:


> We'll be wrapped up with cleanups tomorrow. This is the earliest we've ever finished.


Wow thats awesome! I am hoping by December 12th to be finished up weather permitting which would be record time for us.


----------



## Mike_C

We’re about 2 weeks out on cleanups as well


----------



## sota

I'm looking forward to snow season starting, sooner rather than later.


----------



## gman2310

Thats crazy. We just started our cleanups the week of Thanksgiving. Most people here wait till all the leaves are down and usually only want a onetime job


----------



## V_Scapes

gman2310 said:


> Thats crazy. We just started our cleanups the week of Thanksgiving. Most people here wait till all the leaves are down and usually only want a onetime job


Where are you located


----------



## gman2310

V_Scapes said:


> Where are you located


Toms River


----------



## Randall Ave

To bad this here storm ain't snow, this time of the year it should be, gonna go fire up the generator just in case. We loose power more now than we ever used to.


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> To bad this here storm ain't snow, this time of the year it should be, gonna go fire up the generator just in case. We loose power more now than we ever used to.


I think i had the wiring wrong .. my buddy came over and actually looked at a wiring diagram and figured it out. Im keeping the extra solenoid as a backup cuz i think its still good.


----------



## iceyman

T storms incoming.. on nov 30.. sigh


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> T storms incoming.. on nov 30.. sigh


Its been crappy here all day, T storms just ran thru, I've been on the roof three times today tryen to find the leaks, it ain't leaked all summer. Flat roofs suck.


----------



## CCSnow

Randall Ave said:


> Its been crappy here all day, T storms just ran thru, I've been on the roof three times today tryen to find the leaks, it ain't leaked all summer. Flat roofs suck.


What type of flat roof is it? I will sometimes have trouble with tar ones because the cold must crack the tar then have to wait for summer heat to fix the crack or go up on a decent day and fill the area with new.


----------



## Randall Ave

CCSnow said:


> What type of flat roof is it? I will sometimes have trouble with tar ones because the cold must crack the tar then have to wait for summer heat to fix the crack or go up on a decent day and fill the area with new.


Thats about what I got.


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> Its been crappy here all day, T storms just ran thru, I've been on the roof three times today tryen to find the leaks, it ain't leaked all summer. Flat roofs suck.


Steep a$$ roofs suck too.. my aunt rents a house from me and the roof is leaking.. needs a whole new roof but i guess when they built this house 80 years ago they didnt think about not making the roof straight freakn down.. thing is sketchy as hell


----------



## V_Scapes

Had heavy downpours with thunder and lightning for almost an hour here.


----------



## HarryTHook

Randall Ave said:


> Its been crappy here all day, T storms just ran thru, I've been on the roof three times today tryen to find the leaks, it ain't leaked all summer. Flat roofs suck.


I sucked it up 4 years ago and had the entire roof ripped off, new wood and shingles and of course when they are doing it they find damage. Felt like I bought the house all over again but no leaks.
Just read a winter forecast from a no BS guy, might be a little better season than expected......


----------



## Randall Ave

My house got a new roof this year. The shop roof is getting tared hopefully this weekend.


----------



## djt1029

Had to have 2 trucks towed today.....bring on winter


----------



## Randall Ave

djt1029 said:


> Had to have 2 trucks towed today.....bring on winter


What happen


----------



## BUFF

Randall Ave said:


> Its been crappy here all day, T storms just ran thru, I've been on the roof three times today tryen to find the leaks, it ain't leaked all summer. Flat roofs suck.












Thumbs Up Thumbs Up Thumbs Up Thumbs Up Thumbs Up Thumbs Up Thumbs Up Thumbs Up Thumbs Up Thumbs Up Thumbs Up Thumbs Up Thumbs Up


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> Had to have 2 trucks towed today.....bring on winter


I feel the pain, my vacuum truck got towed twice in one week in the middle of cleanups.


----------



## shawn_

Anyone else getting a ton of commercial accounts just now contacting for estimates ?!? I thought I was done , then all of a sudden I just got bombarded the last 5 days with 10+ Contacting me for estimates .


----------



## UniqueTouch

anyone have any advice on how to price a storage unit. Never have plowed one before and thinking about having to push a long way and limited room to place snow.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

I can't help with pricing, I'm just a driver. That still qualifies me to say that they can be a Royal PIA. 

The one my in-laws have a unit in isn't too bad, plenty of places to stack once you get out of the aisles. The one I had to plow had no room. We'd be pushing long distances to stack. Then the boss came in the next day with a skid to dump the snow over the fence.


----------



## UniqueTouch

I appreciate the reply. I was also wondering about the roofs. Was thinking about hourly but not sure. Also was interested in who everyone used for their GL. I was actually looking to just stick with the landscaping and asphalt and drop my plowing insurance and try to work for someone else. Insurance agent pissed me off after I asked them how much my policy would be if I dropped the snow removal part and she tells me only $700 less. I said what? You want $4000 for GL for landscaping and asphalt policy. I used to pay $1400 from the prior company I was using. My renewal is coming up quick so have to do something soon. I am happy with the price I am paying for everything, just hate how they try to hold me hostage on it if I was to drop the snow part they’ll stick it to me with the rest.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> I feel the pain, my vacuum truck got towed twice in one week in the middle of cleanups.


My service truck has been towed in, twice. That's embarrassing.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Just to add on the storage places... At the time I was running a straight blade, made things even worse since you can't windrow to either side, it all has to come out. Now I've got a V-Blade, but I haven't been there since I've gotten it.


----------



## J.Ricci

UniqueTouch said:


> anyone have any advice on how to price a storage unit. Never have plowed one before and thinking about having to push a long way and limited room to place snow.


Figure out the price you want for it, then add 25% because it's going to be a massive pain in the ass. Anything over 2" at most storage facilities and you're going to have to go back the next day with a skid


----------



## sota

Randall Ave said:


> My service truck has been towed in, twice. That's embarrassing.


the cobbler's children have no shoes...


----------



## V_Scapes

J.Ricci said:


> Figure out the price you want for it, then add 25% because it's going to be a massive pain in the ass. Anything over 2" at most storage facilities and you're going to have to go back the next day with a skid


I've never dealt with a storage place but I would assume they want each unit door shoveled also?


----------



## djt1029

Randall Ave said:


> What happen


U bolt on one of the maintenance trucks went around lunch time, then to end the day the maintenance truck died on a main road about 2-3 minutes away from my yard. Right at dusk, on a blind curve with cars passing at around 50+ mph not even enough power to flip the hazards on. Luckily I was only about 5 minutes away from them. That truck was back on the road by 10:30AM today though an alternator and battery later


----------



## HarryTHook

V_Scapes said:


> I've never dealt with a storage place but I would assume they want each unit door shoveled also?


I dealt with that years ago. Never again. It's not plowing, just get the snow off my property. Outside units had to be cleared to the door with no piles within walking distance. 3X salting by hand in walkways and multiple returns from site manager that lived there. Let a scab with no insurance bid it.....


----------



## Mike_C

If you only have one or two trucks on the road in the snow, you probably don't want to take on a storage facility, they'll eat up way too much of your time to be profitable. That said if you're ok with that, and understand the scope of work you can make a nice chunk of change on them.



djt1029 said:


> U bolt on one of the maintenance trucks went around lunch time, then to end the day the maintenance truck died on a main road about 2-3 minutes away from my yard. Right at dusk, on a blind curve with cars passing at around 50+ mph not even enough power to flip the hazards on. Luckily I was only about 5 minutes away from them. That truck was back on the road by 10:30AM today though an alternator and battery later


It never can happen in a good spot, my last 2 break downs were on route 80 and the turnpike both in rush hour


----------



## iceyman

shawn_ said:


> Anyone else getting a ton of commercial accounts just now contacting for estimates ?!? I thought I was done , then all of a sudden I just got bombarded the last 5 days with 10+ Contacting me for estimates .


Lack of snow previous years


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Lack of snow previous years


I think people are getting out, lack of snow and higher insurance prices, somewhere I read that we are supposed to make a profit in this racket.


----------



## Petr51488

Thoughts on laying sod at this time of year?


----------



## Mike_C

Petr51488 said:


> Thoughts on laying sod at this time of year?


No reason not to, just need to be sure they'll water it once spring hits


----------



## MGLC

Just laid around 20k square feet today. Just water it in once and like Mike said make sure they start watering as soon as the weather breaks


----------



## iceyman

This looks to be our only chance at a storm in the near future.. yes it is a cutter at the moment but its being ejected out underneath another big cutter which will issue cold air coming down. This storm has been on models consistently whether its been ots, hitting us, or a cutter like shown. Looks like we warm up after this storm.


----------



## prezek

iceyman said:


> This looks to be our only chance at a storm in the near future.. yes it is a cutter at the moment but its being ejected out underneath another big cutter which will issue cold air coming down. This storm has been on models consistently whether its been ots, hitting us, or a cutter like shown. Looks like we warm up after this storm.


Ugh. Sorry. Hope it all stays rain. Not ready for any flakes yet.


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> This looks to be our only chance at a storm in the near future.. yes it is a cutter at the moment but its being ejected out underneath another big cutter which will issue cold air coming down. This storm has been on models consistently whether its been ots, hitting us, or a cutter like shown. Looks like we warm up after this storm.


Bring it, not many people have even bothered with their equipment yet, it would catch some with their pants down.


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> Bring it, not many people have even bothered with their equipment yet, it would catch some with their pants down.


Yea between my festival season being nil and no snow last 2 years, i need something soon. Or i told the gf that she might have to start and onlyfans lol


----------



## shawn_

iceyman said:


> Yea between my festival season being nil and no snow last 2 years, i need something soon. Or i told the gf that she might have to start and onlyfans lol


There's more money in only fans from
Horny dudes then any other business out there . Great idea lmao .


----------



## sota

I have an overweight friend that I keep telling him to setup an onlyfans account. I know there's people like that out there. Might as well capitalize on it.


----------



## J.Ricci

My wife knows a few chicks who are on onlyfans and they're all taking in $10k a month minimum...crazy


----------



## Mike_PS

ok guys, let's not get too off track with regard to some of the last few comments, please 

thanks


----------



## iceyman

Nothing bad was really said .. this is a real insane new industry that are making many people hood rich


----------



## iceyman

Ok fine ill post up this sexy girl then.. things a beaut


----------



## sota

definitely some sexy metal there.


----------



## Pa Plowman

iceyman said:


> Nothing bad was really said .. this is a real insane new industry that are making many people hood rich


Just when I was about to learn something smh


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Ok fine ill post up this sexy girl then.. things a beaut


When I'm done with my Ferd project, this could be my next one. Could be a real game changer.


----------



## LAB INC

iceyman said:


> Ok fine ill post up this sexy girl then.. things a beaut


 Very nice sir, when it's going to snow? What you think on this year?


----------



## Mike_C

Anyone want to start a pool on when LAB decides winter's over this year?


----------



## sota

tomorrow.


----------



## AG09

Mike_C said:


> Anyone want to start a pool on when LAB decides winter's over this year?


January 15th


----------



## Randall Ave

Mike_C said:


> Anyone want to start a pool on when LAB decides winter's over this year?


Are we even going to have one this year, not just a teaser.


----------



## iceyman

LAB INC said:


> Very nice sir, when it's going to snow? What you think on this year?


We have a period around the 15th but if that doesnt hit than prolly in '21


----------



## iceyman

Mike_C said:


> Anyone want to start a pool on when LAB decides winter's over this year?


Classic .. id say by new years eve when its 60* the towel will be thrown in


----------



## LAB INC

iceyman said:


> We have a period around the 15th but if that doesnt hit than prolly in '21


That would be nice, the sooner the better. I am hoping it's not in the 60's with rain on New Years.


----------



## J.Ricci

I hope it doesn't rain on new years, it'll really cut into celebrating it outdoors, 6 feet apart, wearing masks with no one from outside your household.


----------



## iceyman

Last 3 runs for the 15th timeframe
blob:https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/d59005c0-5196-4355-ae2a-9f0d75fcf474


----------



## iceyman

That was gfs.. this is the canuck
.. storms a brewing lets see if we can cash in


----------



## shawn_

Another 10 days out!?!? ....... one of these 10 dayers will pan out in the next few years .


----------



## V_Scapes

Not complaining about these dry stretches, we finished a patio extension last week, going to start another small installation this week and got a couple calls for cleanup, I'll take it.


----------



## Aerospace Eng

shawn_ said:


> Another 10 days out!?!? ....... one of these 10 dayers will pan out in the next few years .


I remember seeing some data a few years ago that once you got to 7 days, the predictions were no better than taking the average of historical data.

Browsing around I found this....

https://www.forecastadvisor.com/
But it only ranks accuracy for 1-3 day forecasts. Still not great. I think that because the models produce pretty pictures we think they are more accurate than they really are.

This is from 2009, which indicates that at that time, precipitation forecasts in the 6-10 day range were only accurate 40% of the time.

https://www.nws.noaa.gov/ost/climate/STIP/RServices/huq_032509.htm
Here's online course material from Penn State.....

https://www.e-education.psu.edu/meteo3/node/2285


----------



## iceyman

shawn_ said:


> Another 10 days out!?!? ....... one of these 10 dayers will pan out in the next few years .


Its just the timeframe when a storm can happen.. if it doesnt here than it might be another 30 days out


----------



## J.Ricci

I would love to just have a couple salt storms until January, currently have 4 jobs going with more on tap


----------



## djt1029

J.Ricci said:


> I would love to just have a couple salt storms until January, currently have 4 jobs going with more on tap


Seems like the switch away from maintenance is treating you really well. Any regrets / things you would've done differently?


----------



## iceyman

Some mood flurries on weds am


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> Some mood flurries on weds am


If it sticks around long enough someone in central nj might get a salt run.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> If it sticks around long enough someone in central nj might get a salt run.


Channel 12 Tonight said North of 78, and west of 287. And the weather guy ain't never wrong. The channel 6 latina weather girl has a better forcast.


----------



## sota

you watch the latin channels for the weather?


----------



## Randall Ave

sota said:


> you watch the latin channels for the weather?


I'm in my sixties, I'm broadening my horizons.


----------



## J.Ricci

djt1029 said:


> Seems like the switch away from maintenance is treating you really well. Any regrets / things you would've done differently?


My only regret is not getting out sooner. I was worried about keeping the guys busy but I actually had to hire even more help this year.



Randall Ave said:


> Channel 12 Tonight said North of 78, and west of 287. And the weather guy ain't never wrong. The channel 6 latina weather girl has a better forecast


Better weather balloons over there


----------



## V_Scapes

J.Ricci said:


> Better weather balloons over there


You would know, your wife is the one with the OF friends


----------



## shawn_

Baby flurries today they are cute


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Should see more tomorrow. No, not a plowable event.


----------



## HeatMiser

Kevin_NJ said:


> Should see more tomorrow. No, not a plowable event.


It'll be here eventually, this is the least snow work I've had lined up for a winter in 30+ years so we should get buried at some point


----------



## shawn_

HeatMiser said:


> It'll be here eventually, this is the least snow work I've had lined up for a winter in 30+ years so we should get buried at some point


Most accounts ever and some bigger stuff then I've ever done... figured It would be crazy year for me lol.


----------



## Randall Ave

A teaser.


----------



## shawn_

This is Mother Nature reminding everyone that don’t have their stuff together like a lot of us, to get it ready because WINTER IS COMING


----------



## Klaibs27

Euro has a Philly special on the way for the 15th showing a fairly significant storm. GFS has nothing. Maybe this year it'll be the curse of the 6-day out storm vs. the 10-day out we had all of last year.


----------



## djt1029

Hope it's a miss, need next week to finish a job then we're basically done


----------



## iceyman

We are looking good accounts wise.. dropped one guy


Klaibs27 said:


> Euro has a Philly special on the way for the 15th showing a fairly significant storm. GFS has nothing. Maybe this year it'll be the curse of the 6-day out storm vs. the 10-day out we had all of last year.
> View attachment 209536


yea gfs says no bueno and euro hasnt been the euro of the past but i said this is a timeframe to watch so we watch


----------



## Klaibs27

CMC picked up on it as well, albeit the timing is off by about a day:


----------



## J.Ricci

I've got a trailer load of sod scheduled for Tuesday, if I call that off we won't see a single flake


----------



## gman2310

And all the phone calls start coming in looking for estimates, along with facebook posts looking. Guess people were trying to wait it out.


----------



## iceyman

#bansnowmaps til we are within 3 days


----------



## Randall Ave

Just had to do an emergency plow repair, replace a blown hose, big storm today.


----------



## Mike_C

Didn't really see it coming, but we salted the majority of the route today


----------



## UniqueTouch

Hey guys can you shoot me some agents contact info for GL. Dont need auto. thanks


----------



## MGLC

Mike_C said:


> Didn't really see it coming, but we salted the majority of the route today


Partial route in here as well, quick and easy


----------



## V_Scapes

MGLC said:


> Partial route in here as well, quick and easy


Kinda jealous. Looks like south of here got alittle more, only got a dusting on colder surfaces.


----------



## sota

287 corridor from 23 down to 24 was sketchy in places.


----------



## iceyman

V_Scapes said:


> Kinda jealous. Looks like south of here got alittle more, only got a dusting on colder surfaces.


We got snow showers.. nice to see


----------



## Randall Ave

Township salted my road, three times. State did Rt46


----------



## HarryTHook

Just a snow show here, ground temps didn't even let it stick on the grass. I'll sit back and watch for the 19th time frame.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

The Weather Weenies are getting excited for something mid-next week.


----------



## shawn_

UniqueTouch said:


> Hey guys can you shoot me some agents contact info for GL. Dont need auto. thanks


Look up @Ben/Insurance


----------



## shawn_

Would love a storm. Just ordered 1200$ in front end parts


----------



## iceyman

Next weds thurs fellas.. would be a perfect xmas present


----------



## J.Ricci

Week away. I’m not touching anything until Monday maybe it won’t get scared off this way


----------



## Randall Ave

Got 4 plow trucks waiting for repairs, still haven't looked at my own stuff yet, and the new [used] project, ain't had the time to play with that in a week.


----------



## sota

jeep is now in plow mode.
so it won't snow.


----------



## S_Marino87

Not sure if any tech guys are on here, but does anyone have a recommendation for a good wifi range extended? I'm trying to get signal into my garage. Any info would be helpful this isn't my area of expertise


----------



## sota

S_Marino87 said:


> Not sure if any tech guys are on here, but does anyone have a recommendation for a good wifi range extended? I'm trying to get signal into my garage. Any info would be helpful this isn't my area of expertise


That would be my biz.
Range extenders are VERY hit or miss, especially ones that rely exclusively on wifi. I'm assuming there's no possibility of pulling an ethernet cable to the garage.
Do you have access to a high point (attic) above where your router is currently located?
I recommend strongly A UniFi Access Point https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Uni...rds=unifi+access+point&qid=1607639071&sr=8-18


----------



## gutter21

I have the eero system and it works great through my house and yard.


----------



## gutter21

UniqueTouch said:


> Hey guys can you shoot me some agents contact info for GL. Dont need auto. thanks


Mike Laglia. State Farm out of hills dale. He beat any other quote with great coverage. Only have a gl policy.


----------



## iceyman

J.Ricci said:


> Week away. I'm not touching anything until Monday maybe it won't get scared off this way


I hear ya .. the pattern evolving looks better than weve had in 2 years so we are looking decent


----------



## iceyman

Oh and possible salt event monday


----------



## srl28

Had a a new truck picked out. Called this morning before making the 2.5hr drive to pick it up and the salesman said when doing the pre delivery inspection his service techs noticed a noise from the trans. Truck has 3 miles on it!! Glad I didn’t go through with the purchase but now scrambling for a replacement. That said, this storm could pass us for now and come back in a few weeks


----------



## treeguyry

iceyman said:


> I hear ya .. the pattern evolving looks better than weve had in 2 years so we are looking decent


Sounds familiar to me


----------



## shawn_

The snow flakes already came off my phone


----------



## iceyman

shawn_ said:


> The snow flakes already came off my phone


Cmon ur better than relying on phone apps lol the last 2 years the pattern was modeled to be better 3 weeks then when it got to 2 weeks out it turned to crap. The models are at least adjusting in our favor in the same time period as of now. I could post different maps as they move up in time but im too busy lol. I have hope right now


----------



## S_Marino87

sota said:


> That would be my biz.
> Range extenders are VERY hit or miss, especially ones that rely exclusively on wifi. I'm assuming there's no possibility of pulling an ethernet cable to the garage.
> Do you have access to a high point (attic) above where your router is currently located?
> I recommend strongly A UniFi Access Point https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Uni...rds=unifi+access+point&qid=1607639071&sr=8-18


That's what I was afraid of, I guess I'll suck it up and run the cable. I get signal in the garage but it's very weak. The main thing I want to use it for is streaming for the TV since I don't have cable out there and spend a lot of time out there building cabinets etc


----------



## sota

if you can run the cable, do it. In the long run it's a better bet, and more flexible. You could install a switch and have many devices running over that cable then, including a wireless access point in the garage if you wanted.

Like I said, this is what I do.


----------



## Aerospace Eng

Cable is the best if you can do it, but at my company, they sometimes use point to point wireless to get where they can't run a wire - from our office to the warehouse across a public street, for example. The antennas on the one we have look kind of like a shotgun, but others look like a small radar dish. Just make sure the mounting is rigid enough so that they don't blow in the wind. They aren't cheap.

One of my reports got out of NYC during the pandemic, but their place upstate had no wifi. The neighbor had satellite wifi, and they were out of state with the house for sale. He asked if he could use their wifi, and they said yes. He sat on their porch a few times, and then put up a point-to-point repeater (about 500') until he could get wifi installed.


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> Cmon ur better than relying on phone apps lol the last 2 years the pattern was modeled to be better 3 weeks then when it got to 2 weeks out it turned to crap. The models are at least adjusting in our favor in the same time period as of now. I could post different maps as they move up in time but im too busy lol. I have hope right now


You'll make yourself sick looking past 5 days.


----------



## Klaibs27

S_Marino87 said:


> That's what I was afraid of, I guess I'll suck it up and run the cable. I get signal in the garage but it's very weak. The main thing I want to use it for is streaming for the TV since I don't have cable out there and spend a lot of time out there building cabinets etc


You can also look at Ethernet over Power or EOP. You use an ethernet injector in a power outlet in the house and you put a receiver in an outlet in the garage and then you can plug your access point in there. That might be WAY easier than running a new line.

Something like this: Powerline Ethernet Adapter


----------



## iceyman

Get ready for the hype train to begin


----------



## sota

"tested" everything just now.
used the plow to deliberately (as opposed to incidentally) move rock around on the driveway, as well as gravel in the swamp that's in front of my shed.
The button repair kit appears to work perfectly; or at least I never had the plow NOT respond to me pushing buttons.

Now for the comings days to actually produce snow so I can piss off my neighbor more.


----------



## V_Scapes

Got a truckload of salt delivered today and will set one of the trucks up in it's winter outfit tomorrow.


----------



## iceyman

Chance for u nw guys monday for a couple inches.. i think it will be a hair warm for us cnj folk


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> Chance for u nw guys monday for a couple inches.. i think it will be a hair warm for us cnj folk


Would be happy with a salt run Monday


----------



## iceyman

Next weds looks absolutely beautiful on all the models.. we shall see


----------



## HarryTHook

iceyman said:


> Next weds looks absolutely beautiful on all the models.. we shall see


I agree, just went through a bunch of the models posted on 33. We should have a better idea Sunday night.


----------



## shawn_

Keep it trending nicely


----------



## iceyman

shawn_ said:


> Keep it trending nicely


Every suite that comes out has been getting better.. lets hope it holds


----------



## shawn_

Hoping my front end parts for my truck come in on Monday . Need to get it installed and over for an alignment . Parts were supposed to be here yesterday and never showed up .... frakkkinnn Ford


----------



## Randall Ave

shawn_ said:


> Hoping my front end parts for my truck come in on Monday . Need to get it installed and over for an alignment . Parts were supposed to be here yesterday and never showed up .... frakkkinnn Ford


Covid stole them, that's everyone's excuse for no parts. I have a wire harness for my project truck coming from a dealer in Dearborn Mi. Only place in the country I could find one.


----------



## shawn_

Randall Ave said:


> Covid stole them, that's everyone's excuse for no parts. I have a wire harness for my project truck coming from a dealer in Dearborn Mi. Only place in the country I could find one.


It's absolutely insane


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Weds chances must be legit. Just got a text asking my availability as I was reading here. Haven't made it over to 33 yet. I thought it was going to be Thursday though?


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> Got a truckload of salt delivered today and will set one of the trucks up in it's winter outfit tomorrow.


Same here- going to be a busy next two days getting things ready


----------



## J.Ricci

Plows & salters are in working order, I'll go over the snowblowers & snowrator Monday. Looks like it could get interesting, but down here I won't believe a thing until I see it sticking.


----------



## Mike_C

The boys will finish cleanups today. Monday & Tuesday will be long days of storm prep. Everything worked when last tested a couple weeks ago...we all know how that goes


----------



## iceyman

Kevin_NJ said:


> Weds chances must be legit. Just got a text asking my availability as I was reading here. Haven't made it over to 33 yet. I thought it was going to be Thursday though?


Weds night into Thursday.. still a long way to go but someone will get alot of snow .. just hope we are apart of it


----------



## sota

just did a short 5 mile bike ride with the family in my Ugly Christmas Sweater cycling outfit.


----------



## shawn_

Driving around my new toy before the salt hits the roads in the next 48
Hours..... and she'll be put away for winter timez


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Weds night into Thursday.. still a long way to go but someone will get alot of snow .. just hope we are apart of it


Weather channel shows 8-12 for Wednesday night. Just finished brakes and Jiffy Lube on a town salter. Got so much stuff to finish by then, unplugged the phone, and locked the door.


----------



## sota

Hey one good thing: we get clobbered with snow, I can go take some more art work pictures of winter scenes.
Need some more big (40x60) prints to rotate out on the walls in the family room, as the seasons change.


----------



## Mike_C

shawn_ said:


> Driving around my new toy before the salt hits the roads in the next 48
> Hours..... and she'll be put away for winter timez


I put my car away back in early November, up here in NJ's version of Canada the salt flies early


----------



## V_Scapes

Mike_C said:


> I put my car away back in early November, up here in NJ's version of Canada the salt flies early


Upstate NJ. 
And car is alittle vague, what you got in the garage?


----------



## Mike_C

V_Scapes said:


> Upstate NJ.
> And car is alittle vague, what you got in the garage?


'19 Quattroporte S Q4


----------



## Pa Plowman

Randall Ave said:


> Weather channel shows 8-12 for Wednesday night. Just finished brakes and Jiffy Lube on a town salter. Got so much stuff to finish by then, unplugged the phone, and locked the door.


Hate to be all negative but the Guessers don't have a very good Record Forecasting Accumulations 4 or 5 days in advance

Let's all hope they are on to something and we can make a few Bucks


----------



## Randall Ave

Pa Plowman said:


> Hate to be all negative but the Guessers don't have a very good Record Forecasting Accumulations 4 or 5 days in advance
> 
> Let's all hope they are on to something and we can make a few Bucks


Weather channel now shows a foot or more for Wednsday night. Who knows.


----------



## Petr51488

My thought is- everyone’s on board- all the models are on board this far away- something is going to shift. I mean when was the last time models agreed 4-5 days away and actually happened?


----------



## HeatMiser

Petr51488 said:


> My thought is- everyone's on board- all the models are on board this far away- something is going to shift. I mean when was the last time models agreed 4-5 days away and actually happened?


I agree. It has to shift one way or another it's way too far out. Our best storms tend to be ones that sneak up more


----------



## Randall Ave

Petr51488 said:


> My thought is- everyone's on board- all the models are on board this far away- something is going to shift. I mean when was the last time models agreed 4-5 days away and actually happened?


So in other words, another dud? Its 8pm Saturday night, I'm getting texts, am I gonna be open tomorrow cause I need parts.


----------



## Petr51488

Randall Ave said:


> So in other words, another dud? Its 8pm Saturday night, I'm getting texts, am I gonna be open tomorrow cause I need parts.


No, lol someone's going to get snow. They're just going bad **** crazy , in my eyes, to get traffic to their sites. Again- it's 4-5 days out- I'm calling bs. If I'm wrong- I'll chime in on Thursday lol


----------



## shawn_

Mike_C said:


> I put my car away back in early November, up here in NJ's version of Canada the salt flies early


Yeah whatcha got? I'm sure maybe a few I think you forgot the (s)

and yeah I just bought this a few weeks ago so no way it's going away if there's snow she gets driven ,such a beautiful piece of art work the GT350 is.

Sorry had to edit seen there was a few more posts I missed before typing this .


----------



## HarryTHook

Well talking about cars.....


----------



## iceyman

The storm is gona happen.. but a 50 mile shift can make or break someones day.. basically if this thing pushes a little north i can go from a forecasted (as of now) 12-16 and end up with 3”.. the “storm” is now coming over land so the models will get a better sample of it and the atmosphere. Its impossible to know down to the mile of where the low will pass and rhat has huge implications on who gets what


----------



## J.Ricci

It would be nice if for once one shifted our way and north jersey only got a few inches or rain. It's been probably like 10 years since that happened


----------



## treeguyry

This is my last winter plowing, just hoping to make it through as smooth as possible.


----------



## Tcp

Mike_C said:


> I put my car away back in early November, up here in NJ's version of Canada the salt flies early


 man drive that **** don't save it for the next guy I don't put mine away to the snow covers the ground they clean up good


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> The storm is gona happen.. but a 50 mile shift can make or break someones day.. basically if this thing pushes a little north i can go from a forecasted (as of now) 12-16 and end up with 3".. the "storm" is now coming over land so the models will get a better sample of it and the atmosphere. Its impossible to know down to the mile of where the low will pass and rhat has huge implications on who gets what


Well I'm two for two, two plows work, two don't.


----------



## shawn_

Nightmare with this front end & brake job. Got calipers that are hung up now instead of putting some good Ford calipers I need to put auto crap in there ......


----------



## S_Marino87

treeguyry said:


> This is my last winter plowing, just hoping to make it through as smooth as possible.


Finally had enough?


----------



## V_Scapes

J.Ricci said:


> It would be nice if for once one shifted our way and north jersey only got a few inches or rain. It's been probably like 10 years since that happened


Sounds good to me. Looking like a solid foot right now for us.


----------



## Randall Ave

shawn_ said:


> Nightmare with this front end & brake job. Got calipers that are hung up now instead of putting some good Ford calipers I need to put auto crap in there ......


Old calipers or new remans, check the brake lines, I have had a lot of calipers that you would think are bad and it is the brake flex hose that is bad.


----------



## rizzoa13

Randall Ave said:


> Well I'm two for two, two plows work, two don't.


Im 3 1/3 out of 4. Got a western striker blowing a fuse and won't have time before Wednesday to mess with it. Truck will at least plow and let the big trucks pick up all the salting.


----------



## iceyman

Gona be a sharp cutoff in nj.. someone will get 14” and 10 miles away will get 4


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Gona be a sharp cutoff in nj.. someone will get 14" and 10 miles away will get 4


I'm in Mine Hill. Last msp I saw this looked like the sweet spot, but things change. Trying to fix a customer's western mount. He's gotta stop hitting stuff.


----------



## sota

Tcp said:


> man drive that **** don't save it for the next guy I don't put mine away to the snow covers the ground they clean up good


I say, it depends.
The MGB doesn't go out in inclement weather any more.
The Neon SRT-4 stays in when it's bad.
The rest of the fleet, can go out any time, although I prefer to keep the lowest mile and cleanest one of the group out of the foul stuff.


----------



## djt1029

iceyman said:


> Gona be a sharp cutoff in nj.. someone will get 14" and 10 miles away will get 4


Typical Jersey storm, Mike gets buried, shore guys get nothing, the rest of us are in play and Lab says winters over


----------



## rizzoa13

14” this early in the season we’d lose everything. Machines aren’t on sites, push boxes not delivered. Remote salt sites not filled. Subs probably aren’t all prepared.

Even 4” right nows gonna be a ****show and long long hours.


----------



## sota

rizzoa13 said:


> 14" this early in the season we'd lose everything. Machines aren't on sites, push boxes not delivered. Remote salt sites not filled. Subs probably aren't all prepared.
> 
> *Even 4" right nows gonna be a ****show and long long hours.*












lowredayup

so... anyone need a scab in western union/eastern somerset/southern morris county?


----------



## treeguyry

S_Marino87 said:


> Finally had enough?


I've gotten to the point where we have 3-4 days of tree work basically all winter long. Combine that with the fact that my guys don't like doing snow, the insurance and wear and tear it's just not really worth it anymore. So many headaches come from it for such a small percentage of yearly profit. I'll probably keep a plow for my personal truck to plow my yard and maybe a few of my neighbors driveways but thats about it. In April I'll have a bunch of snow equipment for sale


----------



## V_Scapes

rizzoa13 said:


> 14" this early in the season we'd lose everything. Machines aren't on sites, push boxes not delivered. Remote salt sites not filled. Subs probably aren't all prepared.
> 
> Even 4" right nows gonna be a ****show and long long hours.


How big of an operation are you?


----------



## Randall Ave

rizzoa13 said:


> Im 3 1/3 out of 4. Got a western striker blowing a fuse and won't have time before Wednesday to mess with it. Truck will at least plow and let the big trucks pick up all the salting.


At three out of four.


----------



## J.Ricci

Stocked my satellite location today, changed the oil in the snowrator also since it got a whole 2hrs of use last year. I just have to move one more site machine into position tomorrow so I can bring it home later this week without having used it.


----------



## iceyman

Half the models have the cutoff at monmouth.. below gets zilch.. above crushed
Other half has cnj as jackpot and snj gettn 12+.. all depends how far north the low goes before it makes a right turn


----------



## rizzoa13

V_Scapes said:


> How big of an operation are you?


I sub for and run a good size portion for a much larger (local only) company. I have about 45 sites to cover ranging in size from Wawas through Walgreens and up to malls in size. Me and my partner will do the salting on those sites between our 6 trucks (5 yard salters and larger) and have around 15 other guys come in to push the snow with us.

Other than our skid Im sure no ones going to have their machines out yet and the salts all going to be at the shop instead of placed around at the drop sites. Its going to be inefficient and slow but as long as its not a blizzard we'll limp through. Were also in the southernmost part of the state between Cape May to Camden, from Camden over to Toms River and back down to Cape May so we might just get the edge of it.


----------



## Mike_C

rizzoa13 said:


> 14" this early in the season we'd lose everything. Machines aren't on sites, push boxes not delivered. Remote salt sites not filled. Subs probably aren't all prepared.
> 
> Even 4" right nows gonna be a ****show and long long hours.


It's pretty late in the season to not have remote sites stocked


----------



## rizzoa13

Your not wrong. Only takes a call to site one to have the tris dropped off just don’t know if it’ll happen or not.


----------



## shawn_

Got everything prepped last night was in a buddies shop for 12 hours working on my stuff . Everything is good to go and ready to roll most accounts I’ve ever had almost 2x more accounts this year then any other year. We’ll see how this goes :hammerhead:


----------



## iceyman

Big north trend last night.. monmouth literaly a stones throw from 2” or 12”


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> Big north trend last night.. monmouth literaly a stones throw from 2" or 12"


Looks like the mixing zone might be alittle farther north too, keeping totals lower.


----------



## iceyman

V_Scapes said:


> Looks like the mixing zone might be alittle farther north too, keeping totals lower.


All about where/when the low heads east and how far north it gets.. brutal.. i just want a nice 6" storm.. is that too much to ask for


----------



## gman2310

Anyone looking for a couple if contracts in TomsRiver/bayville area? Nothing crazy


----------



## Kevin_NJ

iceyman said:


> All about where/when the low heads east and how far north it gets.. brutal.. i just want a nice 6" storm.. is that too much to ask for


6" of powder, count me in.
6" of cement, I'll pass.


----------



## iceyman

rizzoa13 said:


> Your not wrong. Only takes a call to site one to have the tris dropped off just don't know if it'll happen or not.


Where u located


----------



## truckie80

Ready to go here, just have to get the plow on my backup truck but it's in getting new shoes today


----------



## Petr51488

iceyman said:


> Where u located


so what's the scoop? I'm right on the turn pike in Rutherford


----------



## shawn_

6-12 in MOCO , 8-15 up Newark area from what I see on weather works


----------



## Randall Ave

I think it's accu weather, starts off with, biggest snow storm in years to wallop the north east. Ya think that they are trying to get a run on the stores.


----------



## HarryTHook

Something is gonna hit, be ready to saddle up. My area here NW of philly is on the line and its changing pretty quick. Loading salt, because I got 3 new properties asking for help. Amazing how the peeps that laughed at contract prices are now your best friend..................


----------



## Petr51488

Weather Channel ( which I know is bs) has been holding 8-12 for the last 2 days. Hoping the rain snow line pushes northwest so we don’t get that much.


----------



## V_Scapes

Petr51488 said:


> Weather Channel ( which I know is bs) has been holding 8-12 for the last 2 days. Hoping the rain snow line pushes northwest so we don't get that much.


Not exactly looking forward to dealing with 12 plus inches of snow BUT it'll be nice for once to not have sleet/rain mixing in and just plow light fluffy snow.


----------



## Petr51488

V_Scapes said:


> Not exactly looking forward to dealing with 12 plus inches of snow BUT it'll be nice for once to not have sleet/rain mixing in and just plow light fluffy snow.


isn't this storm the mixing type? At least for my area it sounds like it


----------



## J.Ricci

I'd take a foot of powder over 3" of slush any day


----------



## V_Scapes

Petr51488 said:


> isn't this storm the mixing type? At least for my area it sounds like it


Central nj to northern nj shouldn't see much mixing at all, lots of cold air pouring in tomorrow and Wednesday.


----------



## MGLC

Cleanups are done, trucks are in snow mode but tomorrow we're planting 25 norways. Might as well take advantage since we probably won't be able to do much for the next couple weeks.


----------



## Petr51488

V_Scapes said:


> Central nj to northern nj shouldn't see much mixing at all, lots of cold air pouring in tomorrow and Wednesday.


are we looking at the same maps? lol they're saying i95 is where it starts mixing depending whjch way it shifts


----------



## sota

all I can say is, bring it.
I can't wait to see the reaction when I don't plow out the entrance, or the easement.


----------



## Petr51488

sota said:


> all I can say is, bring it.
> I can't wait to see the reaction when I don't plow out the entrance, or the easement.


this is a plan in the making for about a year now no?


----------



## iceyman

Petr51488 said:


> so what's the scoop? I'm right on the turn pike in Rutherford


Ur golden


----------



## iceyman

Petr51488 said:


> are we looking at the same maps? lol they're saying i95 is where it starts mixing depending whjch way it shifts


Its close.. nnj crushed.. if the low scoots off s of nj we all get hammered.. low comes north mixing comes with it


----------



## sota

Petr51488 said:


> this is a plan in the making for about a year now no?


a bit less.


----------



## Petr51488

iceyman said:


> Its close.. nnj crushed.. if the low scoots off s of nj we all get hammered.. low comes north mixing comes with it


what has the trend been? I'm team little snow


----------



## UniqueTouch

Hey guys need your input. I have a wheel cat skid steer. And a gentleman reached out to me requesting two skids for an off 55 complex couple hundred driveways. I only have a bucket on it right now and I rather not run out today and but a pusher in case in goes the way it looks and we dont get much where i am located. Anyone ever use just a bucket ? i was thinking for pulling up to the garage and back dragging would work good but you all know better than I.


----------



## V_Scapes

UniqueTouch said:


> Hey guys need your input. I have a wheel cat skid steer. And a gentleman reached out to me requesting two skids for an off 55 complex couple hundred driveways. I only have a bucket on it right now and I rather not run out today and but a pusher in case in goes the way it looks and we dont get much where i am located. Anyone ever use just a bucket ? i was thinking for pulling up to the garage and back dragging would work good but you all know better than I.


Works great if you have a skid loader back dragging the driveways and a truck with a v plow or another machine with a pusher clearing the roadways.


----------



## shawn_

UniqueTouch said:


> Hey guys need your input. I have a wheel cat skid steer. And a gentleman reached out to me requesting two skids for an off 55 complex couple hundred driveways. I only have a bucket on it right now and I rather not run out today and but a pusher in case in goes the way it looks and we dont get much where i am located. Anyone ever use just a bucket ? i was thinking for pulling up to the garage and back dragging would work good but you all know better than I.


Is this for a place in tinton falls? If it is I heard it's a nightmare ..... I'd run. The HOA people are crazy they'll make u so extra .... I got the same
call a few days ago


----------



## UniqueTouch

Hey guys in panic mode. Would a bad solenoid stop my plow lights and everything coming on and no power?


----------



## UniqueTouch

Ya thanks for heads up I said no before reading that lol. Having issue with my truck . Changed batteries in summer and now no plow function or lights on plow


----------



## rizzoa13

Are you getting power to the controller? My buddy just had a plow go to the shop for same
thing and they finally realized the module under the hood got slightly disconnected. We were testing 12v at the plug to the plow but weren’t getting anything at controller. Turned out to just be loose. I’d chase down wires and check


----------



## Dondo

All dressed up and sitting pretty waiting for the dance.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Thanks rizzo one of the wires got hooked up to the negative terminal by mistake thank god an easy fix. Waited til last minute to hook up


----------



## UniqueTouch

Had some welding to do to frame mount so waited as long as possible


----------



## Kevin_NJ

I'm still catching up, but it looks like the models have the Weds-Thurs storm going NW *AGAIN*.

No worries though, the models are showing the next historic snowstorm is only........

...

...

...

Ten days away.


----------



## J.Ricci

Kevin_NJ said:


> I'm still catching up, but it looks like the models have the Weds-Thurs storm going NW *AGAIN*.
> 
> No worries though, the models are showing the next historic snowstorm is only........
> 
> ...
> 
> ...
> 
> ...
> 
> Ten days away.


Weather models, brought to you by the same people who said 2.3 million American's would die of the Rona by 6 months ago


----------



## Kevin_NJ

I'm hooked up and ready anyway, but I'm starting to think I'll be all dressed up and at the dance with nobody to dance with *again. *

(credit to @Dondo for the analogy)


----------



## shawn_

@iceyman let's get a weather update mannnnn

what times it going to strt here in CNJ ,
How much for Newark area we looking at?


----------



## Randall Ave

Kevin_NJ said:


> I'm still catching up, but it looks like the models have the Weds-Thurs storm going NW *AGAIN*.
> 
> No worries though, the models are showing the next historic snowstorm is only........
> 
> ...
> 
> ...
> 
> ...
> 
> Ten days away.


All this and no snow, OK with me.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Randall Ave said:


> All this and no snow, OK with me.


I think you're still in the Jackpot Zone. It didn't move THAT FAR NW.


----------



## Randall Ave

Kevin_NJ said:


> I think you're still in the Jackpot Zone. It didn't move THAT FAR NW.


Haven't had time to look at nothing, just finished a tornado install, and a truck side plow install. Just getting to old for this.


----------



## UniqueTouch

I should have pretended I never found the issue with my plow and we all would have got a foot, my bad guys


----------



## Randall Ave

UniqueTouch said:


> I should have pretended I never found the issue with my plow and we all would have got a foot, my bad guys


I've been working on everyone else's stuff. Two of mine are still down.


----------



## V_Scapes

UniqueTouch said:


> I should have pretended I never found the issue with my plow and we all would have got a foot, my bad guys


Seems like almost all of us will be busy to some extent. It's certainly going to thump here overnight tomorrow, I'm hoping to hear some thunder.


----------



## sota

J.Ricci said:


> Weather models, brought to you by the same people who said 2.3 million American's would die of the Rona by 6 months ago


kinda wishing now that many had.


----------



## sota

Randall Ave said:


> All this and no snow, OK with me.












if this storm pans out, i'm looking at 12-16 hours pay. I want that!


----------



## LAB INC

Maybe it will snow this time.


----------



## shawn_

LAB INC said:


> Maybe it will snow this time.
> View attachment 209994


Your going to love that XL


----------



## LAB INC

shawn_ said:


> Your going to love that XL
> View attachment 209998


 I know I can't wait to use it. Hope it snows, I honestly missed the Wideout. I had MVP 3 on my last truck. Liked it but missed the Wideout.


----------



## HarryTHook

This is a tough one to call. South Jersey looks like a wash out, the 95 line is holding. West of 95 in north jersey should get bombed. Philly is a break line, only mother nature knows whats gonna happen here.


----------



## shawn_

already trending warmer in MOCO now . I guess we’ll get shafted again....


----------



## UniqueTouch

2 inches of rain for monmouth


----------



## djt1029

Ready to test out the new wideout, hopefully in snow not slush


----------



## V_Scapes

UniqueTouch said:


> 2 inches of rain for monmouth


The tale of two states. Some will be watching green grass and pouring rain and some will be buried.


----------



## J.Ricci

Guess we’ll be back to work Friday, what a waste of time and energy moving machines off projects to snow sites


----------



## Petr51488

Amazing how weather channel hasn’t changed its forecast since Sunday. Never seen anything like it . They usually flip flop every 6–12 hours


----------



## rizzoa13

Same here J.Ricci. We hustled to get a renovation done on a Lowes in CT so we could get home for snow. We'll probably get a salt run out of it somewhere but at least Im not still up there. Calling for 12-16" in Hartford where we were.


----------



## UniqueTouch

I should have been a weather guy myself. Free money no matter what. During the warmer months they screwed me like 5 times. Saying NO RAIN id seal a driveway or parking lot and the rain would come. It was insane. I really dont know why


----------



## UniqueTouch

It’s snowing in ocean township


----------



## UniqueTouch

V_Scapes said:


> The tale of two states. Some will be watching green grass and pouring rain and some will be buried.


sweet rigs


----------



## Mike_C

There should be a do not call list for residential snow removal. Everytime I overhear one of the girls in the office they're telling another homeowner they're barking up the wrong tree here


----------



## Petr51488

Mike_C said:


> There should be a do not call list for residential snow removal. Everytime I overhear one of the girls in the office they're telling another homeowner they're barking up the wrong tree here


welcome to my world. That's all I do. That's why I hate snow


----------



## truckie80

It took a lot of years but I've finally weeded out all the homeowners who call, pay slow, doesn't know how to park their cars or is in any other way annoying. 30 easy residentials and 4 small commercials on this years route


----------



## V_Scapes

truckie80 said:


> It took a lot of years but I've finally weeded out all the homeowners who call, pay slow, doesn't know how to park their cars or is in any other way annoying. 30 easy residentials and 4 small commercials on this years route


When I was younger I was plowing around 45 driveways, easy or not. Once I took on more commercial I got rid of most, now down to ten.


----------



## Petr51488

truckie80 said:


> It took a lot of years but I've finally weeded out all the homeowners who call, pay slow, doesn't know how to park their cars or is in any other way annoying. 30 easy residentials and 4 small commercials on this years route


do you shovel? With sidewalks? Or just plow with the truck?


----------



## iceyman

Sorry been busy.. we are the line in monmouth.. nnj gets crushed .. lets hope I95 is the cutoff and not the dam bridge


----------



## Pa Plowman

It's on the way Guys, it's been Snowing for about 45 minutes over here in Bucks County, PA


----------



## UniqueTouch

I had a lady call me last year to add to her list or the year before i think gave her a great price to do big driveway and walk which i dont do for house. she came out when i was plowing basically when almost done saying oh i didnt want it done blah blah and i was like okay no prob. she called me 3 times aleady apologizing and sorry if she offended me and thought we just sat up calling everyone first lol. I said no thank you.


----------



## sota

based on the "noise" the wife has been seeing on one of the local facebook pages, I'm wondering if I'll get flagged down at all this year, and what I should charge. Thinking at least $100


----------



## truckie80

Petr51488 said:


> do you shovel? With sidewalks? Or just plow with the truck?


I go out with one shoveler, we do the commercial places and a handful of driveways that have less than 5 mins of shoveling each. The other crew has a lot of hand work and some driveways that have to be done with snowblowers.


----------



## iceyman

Temps are 4* colder than modeled and its coming in quicker.. i think i mentioned the 15th timeframe .. lets enjoy it and make some money


----------



## iceyman

sota said:


> based on the "noise" the wife has been seeing on one of the local facebook pages, I'm wondering if I'll get flagged down at all this year, and what I should charge. Thinking at least $100


Depends what u get.. over 12+ or so $150


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> Temps are 4* colder than modeled and its coming in quicker.. i think i mentioned the 15th timeframe .. lets enjoy it and make some money


Are you finally going to get some work out of this?


----------



## iceyman

V_Scapes said:


> Are you finally going to get some work out of this?


Looks like i might be on the cold side for long enough this evening.. should puke between 6-9ish


----------



## sota

question about tire pressures for my studded snow tires.










outer tread blocks have 3/4 with studs
inner tread blocks have 1/4 with studs
central rib has no studs
placard for factory size (which these are) is 33psi.
I've got 400# of plow, and 400# of ballast
should I keep same, air down, or air up.

or, am I overthinking this (as usual.  )


----------



## sota

iceyman said:


> Looks like i might be on the cold side for long enough this evening.. should puke between 6-9ish


also sufficiently cold that what's coming down is the light and fluffy stuff. I'm seeing it blow off my shed roof. that should make it easier on equipment.


----------



## sota

why the $)%)% are the county plows DOWN!?!?
they're plowing bare asphalt.


----------



## djt1029

Fine flakes coming down pretty good here. Shovelers are lined up for tomorrow morning, not too sure what time we'll start plowing tonight though


----------



## shawn_

Woodbridge


----------



## Mike_C

First bunch of crews are on the road, probably around 10pm we'll really ramp up the manpower


----------



## V_Scapes

I'm thinking around 10-11 I'll head out, told my shovelers I'll see them early in the AM.


----------



## Dondo

Coming down good in Butler for about 2 hours now. Town DPW just came buy and plowed or hill.


----------



## Dondo

They are running doubles in town one behind the other.


----------



## Western1

Be safe out there. Good luck!


----------



## V_Scapes

Dondo said:


> Coming down good in Butler for about 2 hours now. Town DPW just came buy and plowed or hill.
> View attachment 210035


I'm right down the road from you in Ringwood


----------



## Petr51488

Is that dry slot near philly / south west jersey a concern?


----------



## sota

I've got 4 on the deck tables. Looking at the radar I'm betting in an hour the heavy rate will slow, and in 2 hours it'll be stopped completely.


----------



## Petr51488

sota said:


> I've got 4 on the deck tables. Looking at the radar I'm betting in an hour the heavy rate will slow, and in 2 hours it'll be stopped completely.
> 
> View attachment 210044


that would be great. Enough to go out


----------



## sota

yea. as long as all those morons are gone by the time I get out there.
I don't need stupid getting in my way.


----------



## prezek

Hopefully you guys missed the mixing. Like plowing mashed potatoes all day here. Headed back out at midnight. Raining now. Back to snow from 1-4am supposedly.


----------



## MGLC

Commercial crews are out, residential guys will be in around midnight. That's when I'll head out, for now I'm going to try and catch a quick nap


----------



## Petr51488

Hilarious how these weather guys ( weather nj and epawa) will post 15 times a day leading up to a storm- but never as the storm is happening and giving updates or ever owning up mid storm of their inaccurate forecast


----------



## Pa Plowman

Petr51488 said:


> Hilarious how these weather guys ( weather nj and epawa) will post 15 times a day leading up to a storm- but never as the storm is happening and giving updates or ever owning up mid storm of their inaccurate forecast


Ur Weather is coming from over here in Bucks County direction, unless things change, don't expect a lot more Accumulation

We had 4 to 5 inches through the afternoon hours, it then stopped stopped for a couple hours and has been Sleeting since about 9

These Weather Guessers have once again blown another Forecast


----------



## Randall Ave

I got 22 degrees, sleet and wind.


----------



## V_Scapes

Got about 6-8 here, had heavy sleet for a while, absolutely nothing happening now. Looks like the radar is filling back in tho.


----------



## djt1029

I came home from round 1 about midnight, and shoveled my sidewalk before coming in. Just went back out 3.5hrs later and not even another inch since then and TWC app says we’re gonna get less than 1” more.


----------



## Ajlawn1

Randall Ave said:


> I got 22 degrees, sleet and wind.


Well that's good, at least it's not snowing....


----------



## Randall Ave

Ajlawn1 said:


> Well that's good, at least it's not snowing....


Uh , yes it is.


----------



## sota

9.5 hours out.
HVAC failed about hour 3. blower works, I can feel a little bit of heat, but I can't redirect it. that was some heavy suck. home now, having some food, dropping the kid off at a sledding date, coming home, wash down the jeep, then start investigating why things broke.


----------



## rizzoa13

sota said:


> then start investigating why things broke.


It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand...


----------



## Randall Ave

Rt 46 at ,8:00 AM


----------



## HarryTHook

Start time 3PM yesterday, just got home. recorded over 9 inches before the sleet/rain hit. Son on snowblower detail broke shear pin with no spares, so he is still working. Good storm for me.....


----------



## Mike_C

Solid storm but no where near what they said. A lot of properties only got half the forecasted amount. The bright side we'll be done a hell of a lot earlier this way


----------



## sota

rizzoa13 said:


> It's a Jeep thing, you wouldn't understand...


Apparently it's really a jeep thing.
got home, tried to figure it out, ran out of time, had to go see a dentist about a possible re-root canal. On the way there it was overheating. Got the coolant temp back down to normal, did my visit, and on my drive home tried the cabin heat again. )$#()$# it worked fine!


----------



## UniqueTouch

Thank you Icey for the storm I appreciate it very much.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Does anyone know of any locations in monmouth county or somewhat local that you can go and buy rock salt buy bulk just like you do with much. Trying to find a place that I can just drive to and pay for a ton or two and have them dump right in my salter? thanks


----------



## rizzoa13

UniqueTouch said:


> Does anyone know of any locations in monmouth county or somewhat local that you can go and buy rock salt buy bulk just like you do with much. Trying to find a place that I can just drive to and pay for a ton or two and have them dump right in my salter? thanks


Is there a site one near you?


----------



## UniqueTouch

yes there is about a mile away rizzoa


----------



## UniqueTouch

also does anyone recommend an easy install tailgate salter that actually works and does just all start pouring out as soon as you pour in and can hold a lot? have another site about 1.5 acres that i need to use at the location when im not around close enough. thanks


----------



## Fourteen Contracting Inc.

UniqueTouch said:


> also does anyone recommend an easy install tailgate salter that actually works and does just all start pouring out as soon as you pour in and can hold a lot? have another site about 1.5 acres that i need to use at the location when im not around close enough. thanks


Are you spreading rock salt?


----------



## djt1029

For starting out as a powder storm that turned into some heavy snow. Routes are done, just pushing back some piles and calling it quits. Possibly a little machine work tonight


----------



## Kevin_NJ

I am now fully predicting an active Winter.


----------



## V_Scapes

Got 8-9" here but it sure felt like a 24" storm. Definitely going to need a salt run in the morning and some stacking at one site.


----------



## V_Scapes

UniqueTouch said:


> also does anyone recommend an easy install tailgate salter that actually works and does just all start pouring out as soon as you pour in and can hold a lot? have another site about 1.5 acres that i need to use at the location when im not around close enough. thanks


I used snow ex for years. I actually have a 575X with a controller I'd sell you, I don't use it anymore.


----------



## HarryTHook

V_Scapes said:


> I used snow ex for years. I actually have a 575X with a controller I'd sell you, I don't use it anymore.


I have a 575 also, rebuilt it last year. I use bag salt and a kid in the bed feeding it when I do the large lot. 40 foot spread with good coverage but it eats dry salt.


----------



## sota

that was a sucky storm to open the season.
went from light and fluffy to concrete when the sleet started falling.
made life hard as hell.


----------



## prezek

sota said:


> that was a sucky storm to open the season.
> went from light and fluffy to concrete when the sleet started falling.
> made life hard as hell.


Same down here. Worst 4" storm I've ever been a part of. Would've rather had 12" of snow. Had nearly an inch of ice some places. Went from snow to a driving rain to 25 degrees all within about 4 hours.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> Got 8-9" here but it sure felt like a 24" storm. Definitely going to need a salt run in the morning and some stacking at one site.


I was thinking the exact same thing- went from fluff to concrete fast- guys and I are absolutely exhausted... hopefully the next one is 2" of fluff


----------



## J.Ricci

Dropped the blades at our northernmost sites. A Christmas miracle


----------



## MGLC

I’ve got a solid night of machine work at a few sites tonight and possibly tomorrow night. I’m looking forward to a few forced days off though hope this snow sticks around until Christmas


----------



## iceyman

UniqueTouch said:


> also does anyone recommend an easy install tailgate salter that actually works and does just all start pouring out as soon as you pour in and can hold a lot? have another site about 1.5 acres that i need to use at the location when im not around close enough. thanks


Saltdogg tgs07.. can spread bulk with vibrator.. and it still work after falling off my truck at 45 mph.. dont ask me how I know


----------



## iceyman

We finished with like 7 here.. that sleet at 10 pm was completely nuts.. everything is frozen solid here


----------



## UniqueTouch

Icey whens the next one coming????? lol


----------



## UniqueTouch

I have a Lincoln Ranger gxt250 in the bed of my truck that i personally drive for plowing. Its an 8 foot bed and I have it turned currently against the back cab. Are their any spreaders our there that i can put in the bed of the truck that would fit and still hold half - 1 ton of salt?


----------



## Klaibs27

UniqueTouch said:


> Icey whens the next one coming????? lol


The GFS shows a VERY active pattern coming up with a rain to snow line coming through Christmas morning.


----------



## rizzoa13

Check with your site one see if they will load you by the ton or scoop. Our site one supplies us with bulk and then keeps a few piles at the yard to load us and others with if we need it. No ones going to load into a tailgate salter though if that’s what your asking, gotta have a v box they can dump into.

Id think any V box salter designed for a short bed 6 1/2’ bed would work for you. What’s the depth of the welder? My western striker for a 6 1/2’ bed holds 1.5 yards and is really low profile. Thing has been awesome going on 6 seasons.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Okay yes just found a place local for the salt and I am going to look for one of those spreaders thanks


----------



## V_Scapes

Go bulk if you have the work for it. It will give you way better results and you can make more money.


----------



## AG09

V_Scapes said:


> Go bulk if you have the work for it. It will give you way better results and you can make more money.


I saw a couple posts back your from Ringwood. Do you snowplow and cut lawn in Wanaque?


----------



## sota

Klaibs27 said:


> The GFS shows a VERY active pattern coming up with a rain to snow line coming through Christmas morning.


I'd prefer not to have a christmas storm.
mom is coming up to spend from -eve to -day, and if there's a potential for snow she won't come.


----------



## V_Scapes

AG09 said:


> I saw a couple posts back your from Ringwood. Do you snowplow and cut lawn in Wanaque?


I do


----------



## HarryTHook

Hope everyone is recovered from working this storm. There is a possibility for another coming up, but my read on the data available most of us will be holding an umbrella. My read is the day after Christmas, and all you Jersey guys will see a bunch of rain. If it bends a bit western PA into the Lehigh valley up to western NY will see some white stuff. Still way up in the air, temps for the next 5 days will decide.


----------



## shawn_

What a nightmare - heavy wet snow , guys quitting mid storm- in a truck & shovelers 
Completely messed me up ..... I got completely done fixing everything last night ....


----------



## Randall Ave

Got around 9' outside at the moment.


----------



## iceyman

shawn_ said:


> What a nightmare - heavy wet snow , guys quitting mid storm- in a truck & shovelers
> Completely messed me up ..... I got completely done fixing everything last night ....


A driver quit? Jeez.. i had my new skid driver quit after 8 hours but i had a backup driver on site who turned out to be better anyway


----------



## AG09

@shawn_ wtf....why did they quit? i would have been livid


----------



## Randall Ave

AG09 said:


> @shawn_ wtf....why did they quit? i would have been livid


Years ago had one guy didn't show up, later found out that he was in the grey bar hotel. Unfortunately he had took a plow truck home with him the day before.


----------



## shawn_

iceyman said:


> A driver quit? Jeez.. i had my new skid driver quit after 8 hours but i had a backup driver on site who turned out to be better anyway


Yeah he quit after 12
Hours because he was "exhausted" left me
Completely high and dry. One of the guys that been plowing for me for a few years.... text me yesterday "how'd you make out" I replied "still out thanks for leaving me" no response


----------



## sota

shawn_ said:


> What a nightmare - heavy wet snow , guys quitting mid storm- in a truck & shovelers
> Completely messed me up ..... I got completely done fixing everything last night ....


Yea this one changed mid-storm. I kind of wish I had 2 guys with me, to rotate them off every other house, to cut down on the wear. My guy was definitely hurting and slowing down, and so was I. I think next time I'll have to schedule more break time for him.


----------



## MGLC

Hauled snow for 8hrs last night after a full day of stacking and today’s my twins birthday. I guess I can sleep tomorrow


----------



## Mike_C

MGLC said:


> Hauled snow for 8hrs last night after a full day of stacking and today's my twins birthday. I guess I can sleep tomorrow


Winter birthdays and snow plowing always seem to synch up to work against you. I'm in the same boat every January


----------



## rizzoa13

Yup I got my wife Jan 4th and Son Jan 8th. Lets just say im not to popular around here when I miss them.


----------



## shawn_

I got a baby due feb 25th- maybe sooner? I’m sure that day/ week we’ll get a major blizzard and screw everything up.


----------



## V_Scapes

Another busy day yesterday with a full salt run in the morning and some stacking. Another partial salt run this morning and came home to no heat, I need a break.


----------



## djt1029

shawn_ said:


> I got a baby due feb 25th- maybe sooner? I'm sure that day/ week we'll get a major blizzard and screw everything up.


That's my girlfriend's birthday and we're supposed to go to a wedding the next day. Mark it down that'll be a blizzard


----------



## HeatMiser

28th is my wife’s birthday. Lock it in. 2ft of snow in the 25-28th window


----------



## J.Ricci

HeatMiser said:


> 28th is my wife's birthday. Lock it in. 2ft of snow in the 25-28th window


Taking her for her driving test that day or is that next year?


----------



## UniqueTouch

Anyone making a salt run ? Trying not to be greedy but got some snow here


----------



## shawn_

It’s going to be like almost 40° I’d say no ? But who knows how much snow u got


----------



## UniqueTouch

Ya I’m actually glad it just stopped have so much painting to do. Ps I need another salter


----------



## sota

waiting on parts to repair my outside faucet. vacuum breaker failed.
got a new pressure washer, as the old one broke.
soon as everything is here i'll re-wash the jeep down, then break out the fluid film kit i bought and coat the underside of the jeep, and hopefully one of the cars.


----------



## HeatMiser

J.Ricci said:


> Taking her for her driving test that day or is that next year?


That's next year


----------



## Petr51488

I’m trying to find a place to get a flexible hose for my leaf loader. It’s not the suction hose- but rather the exhaust part. 6” diameter. Needs to be flexible but somewhat rigid. I don’t remember where I got my old ones from. I saw some online but there like 110$ for 6 feet


----------



## exclusive

Bro try action rubber in Rochelle park hats where I get all my tubes from


----------



## V_Scapes

Petr51488 said:


> I'm trying to find a place to get a flexible hose for my leaf loader. It's not the suction hose- but rather the exhaust part. 6" diameter. Needs to be flexible but somewhat rigid. I don't remember where I got my old ones from. I saw some online but there like 110$ for 6 feet


Any power equipment dealer should stock them.


----------



## rizzoa13

Can it be flexible metal? Theres flexible chimney pipe in 6" thats pretty thick gauge but still flexible enough to make a wide 90 degree arc. Rockford supply or possibly a Lowes in colder climates may stock it.


----------



## Petr51488

V_Scapes said:


> Any power equipment dealer should stock them.


nope. Nothing in stock. Don't know what it will look like and don't want to deal with returns. Metropolitan rubber in Hackensack has it and any possible hose you might need


----------



## AllAboutGreen

Hey guys, I own a landscaping/snow removal business in Union County, new to the site. I use Weather Works for my forecasting and storm alerts and they are spot on, I don't look at anything else. They have a 24 hour meteorologist that I pick up and call mid storm all the time it is great and worth every dollar


----------



## sota

for those who use the salt away rinse, do you let it sit for a bit then rinse the vehicle? or do you not do another non-salt-away rinse until the season is over.


----------



## Petr51488

AllAboutGreen said:


> Hey guys, I own a landscaping/snow removal business in Union County, new to the site. I use Weather Works for my forecasting and storm alerts and they are spot on, I don't look at anything else. They have a 24 hour meteorologist that I pick up and call mid storm all the time it is great and worth every dollar


great, you can share that info here with us


----------



## shawn_

Yeah cough up the snow totals!


----------



## Petr51488

shawn_ said:


> Yeah cough up the snow totals!


i just noticed that accuweather got rid of them. It used to be in the monthly weather section


----------



## HarryTHook

AllAboutGreen said:


> Hey guys, I own a landscaping/snow removal business in Union County, new to the site. I use Weather Works for my forecasting and storm alerts and they are spot on, I don't look at anything else. They have a 24 hour meteorologist that I pick up and call mid storm all the time it is great and worth every dollar


Weather Pros here, fairly reliable. I do a bit more research on my own which helps. I know a few others in here read the same maps. And definitely post up what you got in here, helps us all.
My call is 01/01/2021 for the next one.........................


----------



## MGLC

AllAboutGreen said:


> Hey guys, I own a landscaping/snow removal business in Union County, new to the site. I use Weather Works for my forecasting and storm alerts and they are spot on, I don't look at anything else. They have a 24 hour meteorologist that I pick up and call mid storm all the time it is great and worth every dollar


Why does this sound like a commercial


----------



## Randall Ave

MGLC said:


> Why does this sound like a commercial


I was thinking that, but I figured, give him some time to return.


----------



## sota

came up with a genius, and reversable, way to disable ABS when I need to.


----------



## Randall Ave

Reversable? And why? Just pull the fuse


----------



## rizzoa13

I like Randalls way, thats reversible.


----------



## sota

Randall Ave said:


> Reversable? And why? Just pull the fuse


Problem is, I'd like to leave it alone most of the time, and only disable it when I need it.


----------



## AllAboutGreen

MGLC said:


> Why does this sound like a commercial


 I promise Im not promoting them bc they are paying me. I've spent many nights worrying about what time to bring my guys in, do i need to salt ect. Ill post some totals later when I get a chance. I also got a chance to use my snowrator for the first time this past storm and it is sick. I would recommend it for anyone who has a lot of sidewalks to take care of. Its a tank....


----------



## MKWL2

Little off-topic, but, anyone running one of the new Bobcat MT100's? About to pull the trigger on one (to replace my MT-52). Have heard they're not quite as agile or strong as the Ditch Witch SK1050, but at almost $10K less, I'm really leaning toward the Bobcat. Plus, I have a very good rapport with my local bobcat dealer and they're closer to me for parts/repairs than the closest DW dealer.


----------



## sota

Got all the data plugged in from the storm.
Our "efficiency" went up slightly, but that could be from the fact we were longer at every site doing work. Our total travel time (slack) was comparable to other "bigger" storms. Going to put in to the 'boss' the idea of a 2nd/backup shovel guy; my 13 year old son is making noise about wanting to get out there and make some $. He's a bit of a slacker, but we'll see if he can do the task one of these days. Need to come up with an equitable pay schedule for him and my current guy, if they're not both shoveling at the same time. Would go well with the ability to keep them both fresh on heavier/wetter storms like this past one.


----------



## Regal Eagle

MKWL2 said:


> Little off-topic, but, anyone running one of the new Bobcat MT100's? About to pull the trigger on one (to replace my MT-52). Have heard they're not quite as agile or strong as the Ditch Witch SK1050, but at almost $10K less, I'm really leaning toward the Bobcat. Plus, I have a very good rapport with my local bobcat dealer and they're closer to me for parts/repairs than the closest DW dealer.


I picked up one of the Bobcat Mt100's earlier this fall.

So far pretty impressed with it, could use a little more power when turning in one spot and when digging into a pile. But for the most part we love the machine and we should have bought it a long time ago. Its miles ahead of the mt55's or dingo's we used to rent when needed.

I was between Ditch Witch and the Bobcat but I bought the Bobcat because my dealer is great to work with, only a few minutes away and we got the machine and all attachments financed at 0%. To me the minor increase in specs from the 1050 was not worth it.

Closest Ditch Witch dealer was over an hour away so anytime we needed parts or service its almost half a day wasted.


----------



## MKWL2

Regal Eagle said:


> I picked up one of the Bobcat Mt100's earlier this fall.
> 
> So far pretty impressed with it, could use a little more power when turning in one spot and when digging into a pile. But for the most part we love the machine and we should have bought it a long time ago. Its miles ahead of the mt55's or dingo's we used to rent when needed.
> 
> I was between Ditch Witch and the Bobcat but I bought the Bobcat because my dealer is great to work with, only a few minutes away and we got the machine and all attachments financed at 0%. To me the minor increase in specs from the 1050 was not worth it.
> 
> Closest Ditch Witch dealer was over an hour away so anytime we needed parts or service its almost half a day wasted.


Good info, thanks. Yup that's my main driver here too- dealer support and hard to beat 0% financing!


----------



## Regal Eagle

MKWL2 said:


> Good info, thanks. Yup that's my main driver here too- dealer support and hard to beat 0% financing!


We got ours as a wide track with forks, smooth bucket, 4n1 tooth bucket, power broom, and auger with 3 bits for around 40k. We have figured it replaces 1-2 guys on most jobs and goes with us nearly everywhere.


----------



## iceyman

Thinking 1/3-1/7 next time frame


----------



## sota

just picked up a new cutting edge.
going to take the old one off and see if I can turn it around and use it as a back drag.
may or may not drill new holes.


----------



## MGLC

Personally I would demo the SK1050 before pulling the trigger on any other machine. It might sway you that way even with the dealer being a bit out of the way. Their power is unmatched


----------



## Mike_C

Regal Eagle said:


> I picked up one of the Bobcat Mt100's earlier this fall.
> 
> So far pretty impressed with it, could use a little more power when turning in one spot and when digging into a pile. But for the most part we love the machine and we should have bought it a long time ago. Its miles ahead of the mt55's or dingo's we used to rent when needed.
> 
> I was between Ditch Witch and the Bobcat but I bought the Bobcat because my dealer is great to work with, only a few minutes away and we got the machine and all attachments financed at 0%. To me the minor increase in specs from the 1050 was not worth it.
> 
> Closest Ditch Witch dealer was over an hour away so anytime we needed parts or service its almost half a day wasted.


One thing I will say about the 1050 is that the specs don't paint the full picture. On most jobs, it seems to significantly outperform what it "should" be able to do.


----------



## V_Scapes

@treeguyry you ready to be back 7 days after tonight?


----------



## treeguyry

V_Scapes said:


> @treeguyry you ready to be back 7 days after tonight?


payup payup Fueled up and ready, I would rather not call guys in on Christmas Day but I'm sure we'll be out at some point tomorrow


----------



## J.Ricci

Merry Christmas boys, remember only 3 fishes this year. Comrade Phil would love to give us the 7, but follow the science we're not there yet


----------



## sota

WAIT WHAT?! SNOW TOMORROW?!?!


----------



## Randall Ave

No snow, it might be raining trees.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> @treeguyry you ready to be back 7 days after tonight?


I think I was just up in your neck of the woods. Wanaque, Ringwood Ave at the Quick Check. Darn CocaCola busted lift gate.


----------



## Mike_C

treeguyry said:


> payup payup Fueled up and ready, I would rather not call guys in on Christmas Day but I'm sure we'll be out at some point tomorrow


Your phone must already be ringing, my tree crew's heading out 7AM tomorrow in hopes of being done by noon


----------



## Randall Ave

Mike_C said:


> Your phone must already be ringing, my tree crew's heading out 7AM tomorrow in hopes of being done by noon


Down pooring and the wind is cranking here.


----------



## treeguyry

Mike_C said:


> Your phone must already be ringing, my tree crew's heading out 7AM tomorrow in hopes of being done by noon


Yeah I broke the news to the guys, we're heading out around the same time for a couple priority jobs, then everything else can wait a day


----------



## MGLC

The wind is pretty intense tonight, lost a good sized tree in my backyard while I was assembling the last few things for the kids tomorrow morning. Power's flicked on and off a few times


----------



## HarryTHook

Merry Christmas to all.............


----------



## iceyman

My farmingdale location


----------



## shawn_

iceyman said:


> My farmingdale location


Wow icy that really sucks bro-


----------



## shawn_

Merry Christmas everyone , stay safe


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> My farmingdale location


Is that the roof?


----------



## S_Marino87

Merry Christmas everyone, looks like a bunch of us are off to bumpy starts to the holiday - I spent Christmas Eve getting stitches after a welfare check gone sideways.


----------



## Mike_C

iceyman said:


> My farmingdale location


Damn, everyone ok? Serious structural damage or is that the facade that peeled off?



S_Marino87 said:


> Merry Christmas everyone, looks like a bunch of us are off to bumpy starts to the holiday - I spent Christmas Eve getting stitches after a welfare check gone sideways.


You got us all beat, you alright?


----------



## rizzoa13

Is that your building or landlord responsibility?

If it’s on you I’m happy to make time to put you back together, you’ve had too rough of a year already. Only an hour away from us.


----------



## J.Ricci

S_Marino87 said:


> Merry Christmas everyone, looks like a bunch of us are off to bumpy starts to the holiday - I spent Christmas Eve getting stitches after a welfare check gone sideways.


Merry Newark Christmas


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> I think I was just up in your neck of the woods. Wanaque, Ringwood Ave at the Quick Check. Darn CocaCola busted lift gate.


Yup! Right down the street


----------



## V_Scapes

Good grief it's like a war zone in here. Watching the news isn't any better. Hope everyone stays safe with the cleanup today.


----------



## truckie80

S_Marino87 said:


> Merry Christmas everyone, looks like a bunch of us are off to bumpy starts to the holiday - I spent Christmas Eve getting stitches after a welfare check gone sideways.


Ah ****, how bad is it?


----------



## HeatMiser

I came on to wish everyone a Merry Christmas not expecting carnage


----------



## Randall Ave

I've been up since 3, that wind was howling up till 4:30.


----------



## MGLC

After catching up here I can't complain about having to work a few hours to kick off Christmas Day


----------



## S_Marino87

I'm alright, bunch of stitches but just a flesh wound. Domestic call ended with me and what I can only describe as a mexican sumo wrestler going through a plate glass door. Wish it wasn't Christmas so I wouldn't have to explain what happened 200 times to everyone all damn day.


----------



## Randall Ave

S_Marino87 said:


> I'm alright, bunch of stitches but just a flesh wound. Domestic call ended with me and what I can only describe as a mexican sumo wrestler going through a plate glass door. Wish it wasn't Christmas so I wouldn't have to explain what happened 200 times to everyone all damn day.


That sucks, but they will probably sue for the price of the door.


----------



## truckie80

Randall Ave said:


> That sucks, but they will probably sue for the price of the door.


Been there


----------



## truckie80

S_Marino87 said:


> I'm alright, bunch of stitches but just a flesh wound. Domestic call ended with me and what I can only describe as a mexican sumo wrestler going through a plate glass door. Wish it wasn't Christmas so I wouldn't have to explain what happened 200 times to everyone all damn day.


I would think he took the worst of it when all was said and done


----------



## Randall Ave

truckie80 said:


> Been there


Me too


----------



## sota

that google maps pic is from august 2019. that means you've just moved in basically.

post up when you're open again. I'll find a reason to come down and make a buy.


----------



## iceyman

Yea it’s basically a facade that is above the restaurant next to us.. the landlord was on site all day cleaning up and trying to button things up without being able to buy any materials.. we will be closed tmrw but hope to reopen on sunday.. im just thankful it happened at 1 am and not during peak traffic time as a nice chunk landed in the street.. I guess it couldve been worse just crazy way to end this crazy year.. and yea we just opened this location in October.


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Yea it's basically a facade that is above the restaurant next to us.. the landlord was on site all day cleaning up and trying to button things up without being able to buy any materials.. we will be closed tmrw but hope to reopen on sunday.. im just thankful it happened at 1 am and not during peak traffic time as a nice chunk landed in the street.. I guess it couldve been worse just crazy way to end this crazy year.. and yea we just opened this location in October.


Hey no one got hurt, let the insurance cover it.


----------



## S_Marino87

truckie80 said:


> I would think he took the worst of it when all was said and done


I'd like to take more credit for it, but I'm 180lbs and this dude had to be 350 at the very least. That said, he looks way worse than me today



iceyman said:


> Yea it's basically a facade that is above the restaurant next to us.. the landlord was on site all day cleaning up and trying to button things up without being able to buy any materials.. we will be closed tmrw but hope to reopen on sunday.. im just thankful it happened at 1 am and not during peak traffic time as a nice chunk landed in the street.. I guess it couldve been worse just crazy way to end this crazy year.. and yea we just opened this location in October.


Good thing it wasn't prime time...if you need any help I've got a few days off PD until the hand specialist clears me for duty, more of an interior remodel guy but we know our way around exteriors also, I could break off our current job for a day.


----------



## iceyman

Honestly out of the 5 locations i have this is by far the most attentive landlord i have. It’s actually refreshing when you have someone willing to do work before insurance adjusters get there just so we can get open again.


----------



## iceyman

S_Marino87 said:


> I'd like to take more credit for it, but I'm 180lbs and this dude had to be 350 at the very least. That said, he looks way worse than me today
> 
> Good thing it wasn't prime time...if you need any help I've got a few days off PD until the hand specialist clears me for duty, more of an interior remodel guy but we know our way around exteriors also, I could break off our current job for a day.


Thanks for the offer. I love this group we have here. Well be okay. And yes thankfully it wasnt in the heart of summer.


----------



## rizzoa13

Glad to hear your landlords on top of it. Like you said a landlord that cares about his tenant is as rare as a tenant who cares about the landlords building. They're out there and its refreshing to see.


----------



## iceyman

The building is from the late 1800s and the wood behind the siding shows it.. he is taking everything off the front of the building and redoing all the plywood. Mjght be a couple days before we can reopen but rather have a solid job done than piece together old wood and new


----------



## rizzoa13

That’s one rough looking building once you peel the makeup off it. He’s using actual plywood too rather than particle board, praise Jesus.


----------



## truckie80

I got a couple calls about branches down today, a little year end billing never hurt anyone


----------



## sota

swapped the new edge on to the plow.
based on measurements, I've worn over an inch off the original one.
also, whoever the pataQ over at western that chose the grade of bolt for the edge, should be shot.


----------



## Randall Ave

sota said:


> swapped the new edge on to the plow.
> based on measurements, I've worn over an inch off the original one.
> also, whoever the pataQ over at western that chose the grade of bolt for the edge, should be shot.


They should be grade 5, I just blow them off with the torch, never use them over.


----------



## sota

I meant the new ones.
some required a little, persuasion to get through the holes, and that resulted in the threads getting chowdered. were they made of lead? they were SOFT.


----------



## rizzoa13

Were you able to rethread them with the nut


----------



## sota

couldn't get a nut to start, as the first thread or two were boogered over at the slightest look sideways.
wound up taking the grinder to them and *just* cleaning up or removing as little damaged thread as possible, to get them on. even with the old blade installed backwards to create a back-drag, i was still able to get more than enough engagement and a bit of poke out the back side of the locknuts, so i'm not worried about the missing 1/6th turn of threads on 2 or 3 threads at the tip.


----------



## Randall Ave

They should fit in with no resistance. What were the bolt grades?


----------



## V_Scapes

@iceyman just saw your place on channel 7


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> @iceyman just saw your place on channel 7


Heck of a way to get free advertizing.


----------



## UniqueTouch

When’s the neck chance for snow? Debating if I wanna take salter off and remove bed to replace bed rails and do a little welding.


----------



## shawn_

Looks like u got sometime do it up


----------



## Randall Ave

We had our storm for the season. Go for it.


----------



## AllAboutGreen

Nothing on the radar for this week


----------



## Mike_C

Unless you have tree work to do, theres nothing holding you back this week


----------



## sota

just let me get back home and we can go balls out with snows.


----------



## MKWL2

Looks like nada for the next 10 days at least... hoping for some nice 3” storms every 4-7 days after that


----------



## J.Ricci

Sort of relieved there's nothing on the horizon for New Years


----------



## iceyman

V_Scapes said:


> @iceyman just saw your place on channel 7


Yea it was wild to see it all over the news.. we are reopening tmrw.. rest if scaffolding will be down in am.. roof to the left over the restaurant is getting replaced. Looks like its been layered more than twice lol


----------



## LAB INC

iceyman said:


> Yea it was wild to see it all over the news.. we are reopening tmrw.. rest if scaffolding will be down in am.. roof to the left over the restaurant is getting replaced. Looks like its been layered more than twice lol


Iceyman, Merry Christmas to you and your family. When do you think it's going to snow again? I see rain on its way, I am getting bored. Hope to see some snow soon.


----------



## Mike_C

Seems we're heading into our usual January thaw.


----------



## LAB INC

Mike_C said:


> Seems we're heading into our usual January thaw.


Yep, that's what I think.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Hey guys have a business question. I was thinking about starting another business but not exactly sure when I want to start it but I would atleast like to register the llc before name is taken. Has anyone done something similar? I am wondering how that would work during tax season. I just want to have everything in place for when and if im ready.


----------



## sota

talk to your accountant, but I guess you'd just have to file a $0 tax return/Schedule C for that biz


----------



## MKWL2

UniqueTouch said:


> Hey guys have a business question. I was thinking about starting another business but not exactly sure when I want to start it but I would atleast like to register the llc before name is taken. Has anyone done something similar? I am wondering how that would work during tax season. I just want to have everything in place for when and if im ready.


I would talk to your accountant


----------



## UniqueTouch

Thanks fellas.


----------



## UniqueTouch

which gentleman on here was looking for a hose? does anyone remember?
I think it was on here I saw something but not sure


----------



## rizzoa13

You could apply for a DBA (doing business as) and use your current FEIN. The that way you wouldn’t have to file a separate tax return but you would have the name. Also let’s one insurance policy cover both aspects of the business. Just make sure before you start running that business you let your insurance agent know what type of work the second business will be so they can make sure your covered.


----------



## Mike_C

DBA is the way to go as long as you talk with your insurance agent and make sure you have the right coverage for everything


----------



## AG09

I never went the DBA route and have multiple companies with separate FEINs all under one insurance policy. You just have to talk to your insurance agent about getting it all put on the same policy. However, I do have to file separate tax returns for each business, but I am sure my accountant doesnt mind charging me extra.


----------



## V_Scapes

AG09 said:


> I never went the DBA route and have multiple companies with separate FEINs all under one insurance policy. You just have to talk to your insurance agent about getting it all put on the same policy. However, I do have to file separate tax returns for each business, but I am sure my accountant doesnt mind charging me extra.


I only file for one entity and get heart palpitations when I open my accountants invoice.


----------



## shawn_

It don’t matter if you register the LLC and not use the business . I have 3 businesses I only use 1 - the other two you just need to file 0 $$ income and pay the state the 100$ or whatever it is too keep the business registered each year through the state if u want too


----------



## sota

depending on the type of work, a separate LLC can help keep assets segregated in case of a lawsuit. one of the whole points of an LLC is to have that corporate veil, so it can make sense to have it between companies, and not just between the LLC and yourself. A 'DBA' would, I think, pierce that veil and hold the 'parent' company liable in case of a lawsuit.


----------



## demetrios007

DBA does not protect the parent company from eachother, amd even LLC has its limitations, hence the abbreviation limited liability company. Forming an S corp or similar is more costly, both in startup amd ongoing acct work, but has much more protection in the corporate veil. For someone with large assets or high risk work it's a better choice than a simple LLC


----------



## iceyman

Mike_C said:


> Seems we're heading into our usual January thaw.


Not gona get as warm as the long range is showing.. once in a lifetime blocking setting up after the first week of January.. we could be in for a banger of a month


----------



## V_Scapes

10 days out


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> 10 days out


10 metric days??


----------



## sota

accurate depiction of me firing the parts cannon at the Sebring.
basically, everything involving the front suspension and steering (minus the actual rack) is getting replaced.


----------



## iceyman

V_Scapes said:


> 10 days out


Hey we had a nice storm for December.. tAlk to me jan. 15th and if u dont like where we are or headed ill eat crow but the pattern is evolving And moving up with the models so its doesnt seem like a hopeless scenario


----------



## iceyman

My latest project
Bought plow for 200 and another 200 for mount.


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> Hey we had a nice storm for December.. tAlk to me jan. 15th and if u dont like where we are or headed ill eat crow but the pattern is evolving And moving up with the models so its doesnt seem like a hopeless scenario


I'm just messing with you. I know you could use it so hopefully you get some action.


----------



## to_buy

Have a Happy New Year everyone and lets do a snow dance.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Thanks for the info guys appreciate it as always.


----------



## UniqueTouch

do you all own your own yards or do you rent space? Looking for places in Monmouth County to park equipment beside the usual place in Ocean Township.


----------



## V_Scapes

UniqueTouch said:


> do you all own your own yards or do you rent space? Looking for places in Monmouth County to park equipment beside the usual place in Ocean Township.


Fortunate enough to own my own property.


----------



## AG09

V_Scapes said:


> Fortunate enough to own my own property.


Thats awesome!! I want to buy property, but everything around me is crazy expensive.


----------



## treeguyry

AG09 said:


> Thats awesome!! I want to buy property, but everything around me is crazy expensive.


Im in the same boat, stuck renting for the foreseeable future


----------



## iceyman

V_Scapes said:


> I'm just messing with you. I know you could use it so hopefully you get some action.


My brother in law asked me if i donated to the barstool fund.. (he makes 150+ In pharma) i said hell i need the funds lol.. all in all we had a great year with our shops and reinvested alot into the business but without my festivals im crying inside lol


----------



## iceyman

UniqueTouch said:


> do you all own your own yards or do you rent space? Looking for places in Monmouth County to park equipment beside the usual place in Ocean Township.


Own property but the town has been up my rear for 4 years.. all bs .. pisses me off


----------



## iceyman

UniqueTouch said:


> do you all own your own yards or do you rent space? Looking for places in Monmouth County to park equipment beside the usual place in Ocean Township.


What are you looking to park


----------



## sota

iceyman said:


> Own property but the town has been up my rear for 4 years.. all bs .. pisses me off


yea, I know that song.


----------



## shawn_

I’m also looking for a place to put 3 plows 2 spreaders & a truck . 

Don’t have the funds to buy nor rent somewhere as all I do is the snow in winter and work my full time job all year long . And it hasn’t snowed lol ...


----------



## shawn_

Icy, how do you like the skid steer with a plow compared to a push box?


----------



## rizzoa13

Im going to end up buying a piece of property and putting up a building. I talked to a guy the other day about buying his 1 acre commercial lot with 2 very small modulars on it. I figured they could be rental income to pay for the property. He wanted 429k... people think with the housing market the way it is right now that they are sitting on a golden egg.


----------



## Randall Ave

Check on the zoning before you purchase. I swear townships hate trucks.


----------



## iceyman

shawn_ said:


> Icy, how do you like the skid steer with a plow compared to a push box?


Ill let u know next storm lol.. just put it together.. that skid is in a hoa kinda development with a good amount of streets. Hoping to cut down time clearing streets compared to when using the box


----------



## iceyman

rizzoa13 said:


> Im going to end up buying a piece of property and putting up a building. I talked to a guy the other day about buying his 1 acre commercial lot with 2 very small modulars on it. I figured they could be rental income to pay for the property. He wanted 429k... people think with the housing market the way it is right now that they are sitting on a golden egg.


They are lol


----------



## HarryTHook

Randall Ave said:


> Check on the zoning before you purchase. I swear townships hate trucks.


Agree. Where I live everyone thinks its Beverly Hills. The township actually came out and measured the International 4300 flatbed that was in my driveway when I moved into this house.
Happy New Year to all....................


----------



## rizzoa13

iceyman said:


> They are lol


I promise you they are NOT lol. I might be the one in 10 million buyer for his property around here as I don't need a storefront, am willing to renovate and upkeep 2 crappy houses, am willing to be a landlord for my shop property, have the equipment to replace the 2 hillbilly septics he installed and don't mind the area it is in. I left it civil with him and wouldn't be surprised if he didn't reach out to me in 6 months with a fresh perspective on it.


----------



## iceyman

Oh and the pattern looks to be moving up in time.. possible 8th-9th storm to start us off


----------



## V_Scapes

I'll be happy to get a salt run in this afternoon.


----------



## AG09

V_Scapes said:


> I'll be happy to get a salt run in this afternoon.


That would be nice


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> I'll be happy to get a salt run in this afternoon.


Weather channel site shows rain tonight at 31' outside. Then for Sunday 1-3 inches mixing.


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> Weather channel site shows rain tonight at 31' outside. Then for Sunday 1-3 inches mixing.


And that's why we don't use the weather channel.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> And that's why we don't use the weather channel.


My phone weather is better, says heavy snow for one hour, ain't doing nothing at the moment.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> 10 days out


Haha if this ain't the truth - story of every winter


----------



## MKWL2

Just got in from a salt round in NW Warren County- sleet and some freezing rain.


----------



## sota

we did a 10 mile bike ride today. starting the year off right. 
got home, showered, put the bikes away, went to pull the car in and it started to sleet.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Skid steer trailer, sealcoating trailer mason dump . Really need a little square footage so I can dump a little bit of asphalt and then load up and recycle every once in a while so I don’t have to go to dump all the time


----------



## V_Scapes

Salt run here around 6pm when temps where marginal but turned into a steady rain later.


----------



## AG09

Looks like a little something coming in tomorrow for guys north of rt 80 and nw of 287


----------



## V_Scapes

AG09 said:


> Looks like a little something coming in tomorrow for guys north of rt 80 and nw of 287


Another nuisance.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> Another nuisance.


I'll take a nice 2-3" storm- love little storms


----------



## sota

wish I was going to get it.
south of 80 is looking poor.


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> I'll take a nice 2-3" storm- love little storms


I do as well but my overall enthusiasm for snow is diminishing quickly year after year.


----------



## Randall Ave

I just got done putting a transmission in a chevy 6500 plow truck. So it ain't gonna snow.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> I do as well but my overall enthusiasm for snow is diminishing quickly year after year.


Glad I'm not the only one!


----------



## rizzoa13

Randall Ave said:


> I just got done putting a transmission in a chevy 6500 plow truck. So it ain't gonna snow.


Ouch what's that run someone? Asking because I've got a few of those trucks and always wondered what a tranny job cost.


----------



## Randall Ave

rizzoa13 said:


> Ouch what's that run someone? Asking because I've got a few of those trucks and always wondered what a tranny job cost.


Warrenty freebie. It is a 5 speed Eaton. Will have to pull the paper work tomorrow. It was alot, the trans was destroyed.


----------



## HarryTHook

V_Scapes said:


> I do as well but my overall enthusiasm for snow is diminishing quickly year after year.


I would not put the equipment away yet this year. Mid to late January at least one more storm workable. My prediction is at least 6 plowable events in my region, one has already happened.
I'll make a bet. Its 6 workable events (2" or more) or I will buy everyone a banana split at Icy's newly renovated shop. If I am right, its shots and beers at the Deauville Inn early May, on you.


----------



## Randall Ave

Snowing here now.


----------



## MGLC

Snowing pretty good here


----------



## UniqueTouch

Get that money Yall. Happy for ya. I have a snow flake on my phone for saturday. If this one hits us Im gonna start asking ICEY for lotto numbers to play.


----------



## Randall Ave

Already stopped


----------



## UniqueTouch

second batch coming later i think


----------



## UniqueTouch

im looking for property to purchase as well. I keep being late to the party and they sell before i have a chance. I have inside info from my families friend who owns a couple acres on highway 35 in holmdel. zoned light industrial. trying to get a partner to go in with me. Potential to make a lot of money just in parking without even putting storage units up. That could be done in the future but its ready to make money or pay for itself right away. Has store front on it as well. Not a the market either so we can avoid realtor fees


----------



## djt1029

Just ran through the route and spot salted, no real snow here though


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> Just ran through the route and spot salted, no real snow here though


We had a coating then some very light rain. Sitting around waiting and getting impatient.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> We had a coating then some very light rain. Sitting around waiting and getting impatient.


I locked up at ,4:30. Getting up around 2 and take a look.


----------



## iceyman

UniqueTouch said:


> Get that money Yall. Happy for ya. I have a snow flake on my phone for saturday. If this one hits us Im gonna start asking ICEY for lotto numbers to play.


Only question with the 8/9th is supression to the south.. but another storm right behing it on the 12th


----------



## V_Scapes

So much for 2-4. Salted my lots, I'll check everything again in the morning.


----------



## shawn_

Where was 2-4”
Projected


----------



## sota

couple area in the north, up on rt15 it looked like. east of hopatcong.


----------



## V_Scapes

shawn_ said:


> Where was 2-4"
> Projected


Western passaic,sussex maybe warren.


----------



## Mike_C

Anywhere from a salt run to a few inches here


----------



## shawn_

Is it snowing in Newark?


----------



## V_Scapes

shawn_ said:


> Is it snowing in Newark?


Do you always use plowsite for all of your weather info?


----------



## shawn_

V_Scapes said:


> Do you always use plowsite for all of your weather info?


Yeah figured we were a tight community , I know u guys are there figured u could just give me an actual live weather update . My bad for assuming it wasn't a big deal to ask if it's snowing on a snow plow site


----------



## V_Scapes

shawn_ said:


> Yeah figured we were a tight community , I know u guys are there figured u could just give me an actual live weather update . My bad for assuming it wasn't a big deal to ask if it's snowing on a snow plow site


I was just curious. Looking at the radar I would assume there's literally no snow work going on in newark since there's wet pavement up where I am.


----------



## shawn_

I prefer live update only because I’ve been burned by “weather on my phone” or even live on the news . What’s better then an actual live report . 

Thank you for the update . The guy that lives up there was not answering the phone & my phone shows 80% snow flake until 3 am.


----------



## S_Marino87

shawn_ said:


> Is it snowing in Newark?


Wish I could help they won't let me back until later this week


----------



## MKWL2

My brother said they got just a light dusting and some drizzle in NW Bergen co, so they’re not going out unless some back end snow flies, might scrape a few places out here in NW Warren co though, we’ll see if anything more comes down in the next couple hours.


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> My brother said they got just a light dusting and some drizzle in NW Bergen co, so they're not going out unless some back end snow flies, might scrape a few places out here in NW Warren co though, we'll see if anything more comes down in the next couple hours.


So he's not that far from me. We had a period of light snow but it didn't amount to much. I laid salt down to burn off accumulation overnight.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> So he's not that far from me. We had a period of light snow but it didn't amount to much. I laid salt down to burn off accumulation overnight.


Yeah they're in Mahwah- looks like you guys might see a quick band go through around midnight but seems like it would have to dump pretty hard to see enough to plow there


----------



## shawn_

Anyone selling a skid 70+ HP budget up to 25k..... let me know


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> Yeah they're in Mahwah- looks like you guys might see a quick band go through around midnight but seems like it would have to dump pretty hard to see enough to plow there


I'm not the kind to rag on meteorologists but two blown forecasts in a row is a problem.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> I'm not the kind to rag on meteorologists but two blown forecasts in a row is a problem.


Agreed- gets everyone on edge and nothing much really pans out.


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> Agreed- gets everyone on edge and nothing much really pans out.


Yup. The weather advisory still states 2-3". That should've been changed to coating to 1" hours ago.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> Yup. The weather advisory still states 2-3". That should've been changed to coating to 1" hours ago.


Agreed, this one seems to have been a flop for NJ- sounds like up in Orange County NY they got a couple inches out by Middletown- 20-30
Miles makes all the difference


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> Agreed, this one seems to have been a flop for NJ- sounds like up in Orange County NY they got a couple inches out by Middletown- 20-30
> Miles makes all the difference


Absolutely and it looks like alot melted during the day light today.


----------



## AllAboutGreen

We got a light coating maybe .25-.5" in Union County, did a quick salt of all my high priority places 10am-1pm. Rest of the day was light rain, went back out this mrng was a waste of time.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> I'm not the kind to rag on meteorologists but two blown forecasts in a row is a problem.


Only two, better off with tree frogs


----------



## UniqueTouch

Shawn you looking for wheeled or tracked


----------



## djt1029

Anyone use the zip level? Think I might finally going to spring for it, but $900 is hard to justify


----------



## AG09

djt1029 said:


> Anyone use the zip level? Think I might finally going to spring for it, but $900 is hard to justify


Yes I have one. It is very convenient especially when checking grades solo.


----------



## J.Ricci

All my crews have one and I have one in my pickup for estimating. Well worth the money. You'll be amazed at how much time's saved especially not breaking out the laser/transit on every little thing


----------



## UniqueTouch

You guys use those levels for hardscaping I assume?


----------



## UniqueTouch

I need your guys help. I am finally ready to hire someone or someones and I honestly have no idea how to do it. We mainly do lawn maintenance on the landscaping side but want to do more now that I’ll be hiring help. I also do asphalt sealing and repairs. Hate doing lawns but have had them so long and cherry picked them I hate to give them up especially if it can pay my labor expense. The only issue is with me it seems to be feast or famine a lot of the time. Well not a lot of the time but sometimes. Do you guys pay your guys a weekly price no matter the amount of hours or up to 40 and then hourly added to that or do you do straight hourly. I could have my business 5 times the size it is now if I would have just hired folks sooner so I can have more time going out estimating but like an idiot I burnt myself out over the last 15 years.


----------



## AG09

UniqueTouch said:


> I need your guys help. I am finally ready to hire someone or someones and I honestly have no idea how to do it. We mainly do lawn maintenance on the landscaping side but want to do more now that I'll be hiring help. I also do asphalt sealing and repairs. Hate doing lawns but have had them so long and cherry picked them I hate to give them up especially if it can pay my labor expense. The only issue is with me it seems to be feast or famine a lot of the time. Well not a lot of the time but sometimes. Do you guys pay your guys a weekly price no matter the amount of hours or up to 40 and then hourly added to that or do you do straight hourly. I could have my business 5 times the size it is now if I would have just hired folks sooner so I can have more time going out estimating but like an idiot I burnt myself out over the last 15 years.


Yes we use the zip level for our hardscapes.

To answer your question about paying employees. My main employee gets a salary and the rest of our employees are paid by the hour and get 1.5 times their hourly rate for anything over 40 hours. They typically work between 50-60 hours a week during the season.


----------



## MGLC

djt1029 said:


> Anyone use the zip level? Think I might finally going to spring for it, but $900 is hard to justify


I just bought one this year and have to say it was one of the better purchases I've made in a while.


----------



## MGLC

UniqueTouch said:


> I need your guys help. I am finally ready to hire someone or someones and I honestly have no idea how to do it. We mainly do lawn maintenance on the landscaping side but want to do more now that I'll be hiring help. I also do asphalt sealing and repairs. Hate doing lawns but have had them so long and cherry picked them I hate to give them up especially if it can pay my labor expense. The only issue is with me it seems to be feast or famine a lot of the time. Well not a lot of the time but sometimes. Do you guys pay your guys a weekly price no matter the amount of hours or up to 40 and then hourly added to that or do you do straight hourly. I could have my business 5 times the size it is now if I would have just hired folks sooner so I can have more time going out estimating but like an idiot I burnt myself out over the last 15 years.


If you'd be that much busier with employees why haven't you hired help yet? You'd fill the downtime easily and they'll always hit 40hrs. None of my guys are salary, they all make an hourly rate + OT and all of them hit 50hrs even on a slow week


----------



## Mike_C

UniqueTouch said:


> I need your guys help. I am finally ready to hire someone or someones and I honestly have no idea how to do it. We mainly do lawn maintenance on the landscaping side but want to do more now that I'll be hiring help. I also do asphalt sealing and repairs. Hate doing lawns but have had them so long and cherry picked them I hate to give them up especially if it can pay my labor expense. The only issue is with me it seems to be feast or famine a lot of the time. Well not a lot of the time but sometimes. Do you guys pay your guys a weekly price no matter the amount of hours or up to 40 and then hourly added to that or do you do straight hourly. I could have my business 5 times the size it is now if I would have just hired folks sooner so I can have more time going out estimating but like an idiot I burnt myself out over the last 15 years.


No offense but you ask this every year. Even if some guys pay cash OT or something aside from the answers you get, they're not going to be dumb enough to post that


----------



## herb1001

Euro 12z showing some snow finally for Tues/Wed next week.


----------



## Randall Ave

Employees are paid by the hour, over 40 its time and a half.


----------



## shawn_

UniqueTouch said:


> Shawn you looking for wheeled or tracked


Don't matter just needs to be enclosed with heat


----------



## AG09

Mike_C said:


> No offense but you ask this every year. Even if some guys pay cash OT or something aside from the answers you get, they're not going to be dumb enough to post that


Now that you mention that I think I respond every year....


----------



## J.Ricci

Mike_C said:


> No offense but you ask this every year. Even if some guys pay cash OT or something aside from the answers you get, they're not going to be dumb enough to post that


Don't speak for us all, I started paying my guys in hand sanitizer and toilet paper this year.


----------



## MKWL2

herb1001 said:


> Euro 12z showing some snow finally for Tues/Wed next week.


Hearing murmurings in that- seems like it would be a SNJ special with the blocking in place though, at least as it stands now- a lot can change in a week though!


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> Hearing murmurings in that- seems like it would be a SNJ special with the blocking in place though, at least as it stands now- a lot can change in a week though!


Good I have a flight booked to Florida next week.


----------



## J.Ricci

MKWL2 said:


> Hearing murmurings in that- seems like it would be a SNJ special with the blocking in place though, at least as it stands now- a lot can change in a week though!


That'd be nice, can't remember the last South Jersey storm. I'm in DC now, maybe I should extend my trip so I don't scare it away


----------



## shawn_

SNJ storm is usually good for us around the 109 exit . I can’t remember the last time my oakhurst/ Allenhurst accounts actually got a decent snowfall.


----------



## V_Scapes

J.Ricci said:


> That'd be nice, can't remember the last South Jersey storm. I'm in DC now, maybe I should extend my trip so I don't scare it away


Trump rally?


----------



## J.Ricci

V_Scapes said:


> Trump rally?


Yeah, watching the party of "love and tolerance" and open borders lose their minds over us "invading their city" and not wearing masks will never get old


----------



## S_Marino87

J.Ricci said:


> Yeah, watching the party of "love and tolerance" and open borders lose their minds over us "invading their city" and not wearing masks will never get old


I heard the DC mayor's going full on communist and has checkpoints set up checking peoples hotel itinerary etc


----------



## HeatMiser

J.Ricci said:


> Yeah, watching the party of "love and tolerance" and open borders lose their minds over us "invading their city" and not wearing masks will never get old


They never cease to amaze. The left has truly become a cult of anger and hatred with nothing else to offer. JFK must be rolling over in his grave daily


----------



## shawn_

What suppliers do you guys use for your salt?

I am looking to order two more truck loads of treated salt and in the past have used central salt , but they are not responding to my emails as of the last 6 days.....


----------



## truckie80

S_Marino87 said:


> I heard the DC mayor's going full on communist and has checkpoints set up checking peoples hotel itinerary etc


I heard about that as well as shutting down restaurants etc for the day today


----------



## shawn_

Looks like dems won GA. Not looking good, not sure if you guys seen this .
But it's no longer chairman, it's chair, The words himself and herself will be replaced with themself.

It's insane ......

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.mi...pNK4aThnMz8JPfgfE-FKQyOezOthFaSsBQmS5st9o7PKQ


----------



## V_Scapes

shawn_ said:


> What suppliers do you guys use for your salt?
> 
> I am looking to order two more truck loads of treated salt and in the past have used central salt , but they are not responding to my emails as of the last 6 days.....


If your close to newark why not hire a truck to run a couple loads from the port? Probably the cheapest option.


----------



## Mike_C

V_Scapes said:


> If your close to newark why not hire a truck to run a couple loads from the port? Probably the cheapest option.


Direct is the way to go


----------



## iceyman

shawn_ said:


> Looks like dems won GA. Not looking good, not sure if you guys seen this .
> But it's no longer chairman, it's chair, The words himself and herself will be replaced with themself.
> 
> It's insane ......
> 
> https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.mi...pNK4aThnMz8JPfgfE-FKQyOezOthFaSsBQmS5st9o7PKQ


Insanity has arrived .. only going to get way worse now.. gas is already up


----------



## treeguyry

I've been listening to Trump speak in between estimates, he's really ripping into everyone this is great


----------



## J.Ricci

Not sure what the media's saying about how many people are here, but don't believe them. There has to be easily a million here and that's probably a lowball number


----------



## sota

thank you for representing, J.Ricci


----------



## rizzoa13

Wish it mattered but it seems inevitable that they/ them take over now.


----------



## shawn_

A million!!! That’s a super spreader event LOL 

Enjoy wish I was there


----------



## shawn_

One of my friends just went live on fb said don’t let the media lie to you there’s at least 2-3 Million people there


----------



## truckie80

Woman shot inside the capital building....so suddenly now cops are doing something about protestors after an entire summer of riots


----------



## AllAboutGreen

shawn_ said:


> What suppliers do you guys use for your salt?
> 
> I am looking to order two more truck loads of treated salt and in the past have used central salt , but they are not responding to my emails as of the last 6 days.....


I used East Coast Salt, untreated was $79 a ton. They are very reliable, pick up the phone and within a day or two I get what I need.


----------



## S_Marino87

truckie80 said:


> Woman shot inside the capital building....so suddenly now cops are doing something about protestors after an entire summer of riots


I'm ashamed of this job right now. Absolute lawless liberal madness for months, fine. One day of the right saying enough is enough and this. Can't pick and choose who you let push things


----------



## treeguyry

Heard the woman who was shot died...so she was executed. Communism kicked in real quick


----------



## HeatMiser

Unfortunately this is what happens when the government is against the people. There is no platform left for conservatives due to censorship and the media. This is a way to have voices heard that are marginalized on a daily basis


----------



## Mike_C

treeguyry said:


> Heard the woman who was shot died...so she was executed. Communism kicked in real quick


Shot heard 'round the world


----------



## MGLC

Trump's social media accounts are all locked. Full on socialism


----------



## V_Scapes

MGLC said:


> Trump's social media accounts are all locked. Full on socialism


Total bs


----------



## Mike_PS

if you want to discuss politics, please go to the politics thread


----------



## iceyman

Michael J. Donovan said:


> if you want to discuss politics, please go to the politics thread


Seriously.. We cant have a conversation within our thread? Can you move us out of a weather thread and into a less moderated one?


----------



## iceyman

Hell put us in banter... we have the group here we want


----------



## Mike_PS

iceyman said:


> Seriously.. We cant have a conversation within our thread? Can you move us out of a weather thread and into a less moderated one?


yes, seriously...and you surely can, just don't want this thread to turn into a political discussion


----------



## Petr51488

We talk about current events, weather, politics, all types of things. Not once has it gotten heated in this thread. Most of us are on the same page anyway


----------



## S_Marino87

iceyman said:


> Hell put us in banter... we have the group here we want


Careful apparently we'll all end up in social media jail like the president


----------



## Mike_PS

again, fine with the discussion just don't turn this thread into a complete political discussion...


----------



## Petr51488

Nice sunny day on tap for tomorrow.


----------



## V_Scapes

Petr51488 said:


> We talk about current events, weather, politics, all types of things. Not once has it gotten heated in this thread. Most of us are on the same page anyway


Never heated, actually it's been the best group of contributers that I can remember.


----------



## truckie80

To be fair this ain't a normal weather thread, we have a real good group here and that's why we talked about it here, with each other, and not some random schnooks. I don't know much about the rest of this site, but I doubt there's a tighter group. Show me another thread where guys offered up spare trucks when others had issues (Mike's done that multiple times) Marino offering to help Icey rebuild after the storm a few weeks ago or the whole group coming together when Ricci's sister got hurt in Vegas years back and a couple summers ago when I had thyroid cancer. 

Anyway. Back to regularly scheduled weather report - chilly night here


----------



## Mike_C

truckie80 said:


> To be fair this ain't a normal weather thread, we have a real good group here and that's why we talked about it here, with each other, and not some random schnooks. I don't know much about the rest of this site, but I doubt there's a tighter group. Show me another thread where guys offered up spare trucks when others had issues (Mike's done that multiple times) Marino offering to help Icey rebuild after the storm a few weeks ago or the whole group coming together when Ricci's sister got hurt in Vegas years back and a couple summers ago when I had thyroid cancer.


I'd like this a dozen times if I could. Really strong group has been built here.

Getting a bit windy here tonight. I'd say 10-12mph winds roughly. Wind chill in the upper 20s, no snow though. Bit cloudy


----------



## iceyman

Mike_C said:


> I'd like this a dozen times if I could. Really strong group has been built here.
> 
> Getting a bit windy here tonight. I'd say 10-12mph winds roughly. Wind chill in the upper 20s, no snow though. Bit cloudy


Hahaha best weather update in 5 years


----------



## MGLC

Mike_C said:


> I'd like this a dozen times if I could. Really strong group has been built here.
> 
> Getting a bit windy here tonight. I'd say 10-12mph winds roughly. Wind chill in the upper 20s, no snow though. Bit cloudy


What's the weekend outlook? Lol


----------



## shawn_

Can I get live weather update for Newark
LOLOL


----------



## UniqueTouch

okay yall so heres the deal. Have any of you used the y adapter to use both fleet and 3 plug western plows on your truck? My whole reasoning for going this route was because the company who did my install(Trius) did such a nice job hiding everything I would have to take half my front end apart to get to where the isolation module is and I am obviously afraid to do that and screw something up which I know is inevitable. I wont get into too much detail because I should prob be on the truck thread but Just wondering if any of you specifically have done it and have been successful. thanks


----------



## Mike_C

MGLC said:


> What's the weekend outlook? Lol


I'm glad you asked. 39 degrees and sunny here in Sussex County Saturday and more of the same Sunday. I'll be at my place down the shore though, where temps look the same but with some clouds.



shawn_ said:


> Can I get live weather update for Newark
> LOLOL


I actually have a crew down in Newark today, I'll see if they can go live from location with more information after a brief commercial break


----------



## UniqueTouch

Anyone have a non ac skid steer that has added after market ac?


----------



## MGLC

UniqueTouch said:


> okay yall so heres the deal.  Have any of you used the y adapter to use both fleet and 3 plug western plows on your truck? My whole reasoning for going this route was because the company who did my install(Trius) did such a nice job hiding everything I would have to take half my front end apart to get to where the isolation module is and I am obviously afraid to do that and screw something up which I know is inevitable. I wont get into too much detail because I should prob be on the truck thread but Just wondering if any of you specifically have done it and have been successful. thanks


I've phased out all my old 3 plugs


----------



## S_Marino87

Mike_C said:


> I actually have a crew down in Newark today, I'll see if they can go live from location with more information after a brief commercial break


Steve here with Plowsite NJ weather network. It's 32 and sunny here in Newark at 08:30 going up to 45 later. Does anyone else have updates on their locations?


----------



## djt1029

Latest update from Bergen County - not a cloud in the sky leaving the yard today. I think we should go to Icey with the long range


----------



## shawn_

Shawn here going live from Middletown NJ, here in Middletown it is sunny and currently 34° out , NNW winds at 6mph , air quality is good , UV INDEX 0 & 63% humidity currently .


----------



## HeatMiser

Sunny day here at the office although there is a bit of a chill in the air


----------



## HeatMiser

djt1029 said:


> Latest update from Bergen County - not a cloud in the sky leaving the yard today. I think we should go to Icey with the long range


Beautiful clear sky


----------



## V_Scapes

Mostly sunny with a chance of meatballs in beautiful upstate NJ!


----------



## treeguyry

Lmao love this site

Anyway I’ll do my part - Working in West Caldwell today, thought I saw a snowflake earlier turned out to just be sawdust.


----------



## iceyman

djt1029 said:


> Latest update from Bergen County - not a cloud in the sky leaving the yard today. I think we should go to Icey with the long range


Seasonal temps with dry skies should dominate nj for the next 5 days.. we see the potential for wintry weather on the 12/13th.. the pattern locking in after the 15th or so should bring plentiful cold and multiple chances to see white stuff flying. Long range models have almost unprecedented agreement that blocking will occur to our north and the pv split could send arctic air spilling into our region. Exciting times here ladies and gents. Ill be back tmrw with another exclusive nj weather update.. thanks for watching and god bless


----------



## J.Ricci

This is absolutely hilarious, I'll have an Ocean County report shortly


----------



## S_Marino87

Wind picked up. Downright blustery out here for the corner boys


----------



## Mike_C

Does anyone have a ski report?


----------



## truckie80

I’m actually heading upstate tomorrow so I’ll be on location


----------



## Randall Ave

S_Marino87 said:


> Wind picked up. Downright blustery out here for the corner boys


You could have dropped me off a coat.


----------



## HeatMiser

truckie80 said:


> I'm actually heading upstate tomorrow so I'll be on location


Do you have a place up there? I've been toying with the idea of getting a place up in the sticks and selling my place down the shore


----------



## Randall Ave

HeatMiser said:


> Do you have a place up there? I've been toying with the idea of getting a place up in the sticks and selling my place down the shore


I told the wife and kid I wanted to get a little vaca house up north, a place to go winter or summer, that was a big, NO. I could live up there year round, be away from people, news channels, did I say news channels.


----------



## J.Ricci

I'm going to South Dakota in a few weeks for my buddy's bachelor party (never would've guessed that would be a bachelor party location before all this BS) but I plan on looking at some land while I'm out there. Just wish I wasn't tied down with work here in Murphy's wasteland 

Sorry this post isn't about Jersey or weather. Hope it's allowed.


----------



## sota

When you do, post up what you find.
Would love to know what 200 acres in the middle of nowhere costs.


----------



## djt1029

30 degrees and foggy in Sioux Falls as we speak. You're good now


----------



## J.Ricci

sota said:


> When you do, post up what you find.
> Would love to know what 200 acres in the middle of nowhere costs.


I saw 160 acres for $ 104k


----------



## J.Ricci

djt1029 said:


> 30 degrees and foggy in Sioux Falls as we speak. You're good now


Lmao Awesome now I should live to post another day.


----------



## S_Marino87

Randall Ave said:


> You could have dropped me off a coat.


My bad, next time



J.Ricci said:


> I saw 160 acres for $ 104k


Marone


----------



## djt1029

J.Ricci said:


> I saw 160 acres for $ 104k


Time to move


----------



## LAB INC

For those of you who can recall today is the 25 Anniversary of the blizzard of 1996. Great storm.


----------



## Mike_C

LAB INC said:


> For those of you who can recall today is the 25 Anniversary of the blizzard of 1996. Great storm.


I knew we could count on you for the historical weather report.

That was a hell of a storm


----------



## LAB INC

Mike_C said:


> I knew we could count on you for the historical weather report.
> 
> That was a hell of a storm


Haha yes it was, I was young but can remember it well. I am pretty sure if I can recall 97 was a bust.


----------



## truckie80

I was a junior in high school so I just remember a couple days off and shoveling some neighbors driveways


----------



## truckie80

HeatMiser said:


> Do you have a place up there? I've been toying with the idea of getting a place up in the sticks and selling my place down the shore


My parents do, we go up every few weeks especially now that the kids have a lot less going on thanks to the cold, I mean corona


----------



## djt1029

truckie80 said:


> I was a junior in high school so I just remember a couple days off and shoveling some neighbors driveways


Think I was in Kindergarten, maybe pre-school


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> Think I was in Kindergarten, maybe pre-school


Ya I was in first grade we had off school for a week, the roads where one lane. My dad was a pharmacist the police had to come pick him up for emergencies in the 4wd trucks they had.


----------



## J.Ricci

I was in middle school, my brother and I buried our sister up to her neck. Did not go over well


----------



## iceyman

The 12/13 just doesnt want to interact with rhe northern stream energy.. if it were to phase we would hAve a nice storm on our hands.. o well onto the rest of the month


----------



## Mike_C

iceyman said:


> The 12/13 just doesnt want to interact with rhe northern stream energy.. if it were to phase we would hAve a nice storm on our hands.. o well onto the rest of the month


Bring on LABs end of winter predictions. He's fought the urge this long it can't last forever


----------



## iceyman

Mike_C said:


> Bring on LABs end of winter predictions. He's fought the urge this long it can't last forever


Lol thank god he doesnt have my cell number.. longgg way to go this winter

just finished painting another plow to mount to a skid.. just gotta pray my welds hold up


----------



## LAB INC

Mike_C said:


> Bring on LABs end of winter predictions. He's fought the urge this long it can't last forever


 Give me until the end of this month then I will start complaining, for once I am actually enjoying the time off from snow.


----------



## J.Ricci

Not sure if we're allowed to talk about hockey here - but Corey Crawford's gone indefinitely. The Devils really love to find new ways to have wheels fly off


----------



## rizzoa13

iceyman said:


> Lol thank god he doesnt have my cell number.. longgg way to go this winter
> 
> just finished painting another plow to mount to a skid.. just gotta pray my welds hold up


My two checks for whether a weld will hold are:

-did you stick weld it?
-is it ugly?

If yes to both you should be fine!


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Ya I was in first grade we had off school for a week, the roads where one lane. My dad was a pharmacist the police had to come pick him up for emergencies in the 4wd trucks they had.


You guys kill me, I woulda been 37, I remember when we used to have real snow storms all winter.


----------



## V_Scapes

J.Ricci said:


> Not sure if we're allowed to talk about hockey here - but Corey Crawford's gone indefinitely. The Devils really love to find new ways to have wheels fly off


Pumped to have hockey back on.


----------



## shawn_

I was 4 years old ,

Also since we switched topics to sports , how about the Mets getting a few studs!!!! LFGM!!!


----------



## djt1029

shawn_ said:


> I was 4 years old ,
> 
> Also since we switched topics to sports , how about the Mets getting a few studs!!!! LFGM!!!


It's the Mets, so somebody's probably going to have a season ending injury in spring training


----------



## shawn_

Come
On!


----------



## truckie80

djt1029 said:


> It's the Mets, so somebody's probably going to have a season ending injury in spring training


Sounds pretty accurate. Come Bobby Bonilla Day we'll see how it's going


----------



## S_Marino87

truckie80 said:


> Sounds pretty accurate. Come Bobby Bonilla Day we'll see how it's going


They're still paying him???


----------



## shawn_

Yeah until 2035 he collects 1.5M a year


----------



## Petr51488

Anyone into stocks here? Got any good ones to buy?


----------



## Mike_C

Petr51488 said:


> Anyone into stocks here? Got any good ones to buy?


I've been playing it fairly safe since October but about a week into the "lockdown" BS I bought a bunch of stock in shopify and amazon, both are around tripled now. Bitcoin's been a good buy for a really long time also but I've mostly cashed out of it since I can't shake the thought that eventually the rug will be pulled out from under it


----------



## shawn_

Petr51488 said:


> Anyone into stocks here? Got any good ones to buy?


Yes your a year late, but there are tons that are still climbing for ex- last April I bought Exxon at a 17 year low 18$ it's up to 45 ish , bank of
America 18.25$ it's up to around 30ish. penn gaming at 5 it's in the 80s last I checked.

Did very good following the pandemic collapse, now I have been kind of swing trading stocks , but a decent amount when it goes up a few pennies sell it.

IMO oil companies and bank stocks that pay dividends those are pretty safe investment d

Exxon , Phillip66

Some tech stocks such as Qualcomm could be a decent investment too .

Just remember right now the market is at its highest and eventually the market will fall when it falls hit it hard

I am not smart nor a stock broker so don't take what I say as a professional opinion I'm an idiot that gets lucky. Lol


----------



## Petr51488

Mike_C said:


> I've been playing it fairly safe since October but about a week into the "lockdown" BS I bought a bunch of stock in shopify and amazon, both are around tripled now. Bitcoin's been a good buy for a really long time also but I've mostly cashed out of it since I can't shake the thought that eventually the rug will be pulled out from under it


bitcoin was a huge deal at 20,00. A few weeks later it's 40,000 lol . Why on our taxes- the first question is have you traded in any crypto currency?


----------



## Petr51488

shawn_ said:


> Yes your a year late, but there are tons that are still climbing for ex- last April I bought Exxon at a 17 year low 18$ it's up to 45 ish , bank of
> America 18.25$ it's up to around 30ish. penn gaming at 5 it's in the 80s last I checked.
> 
> Did very good following the pandemic collapse, now I have been kind of swing trading stocks , but a decent amount when it goes up a few pennies sell it.
> 
> IMO oil companies and bank stocks that pay dividends those are pretty safe investment d
> 
> Exxon , Phillip66
> 
> Some tech stocks such as Qualcomm could be a decent investment too .
> 
> Just remember right now the market is at its highest and eventually the market will fall when it falls hit it hard
> 
> I am not smart nor a stock broker so don't take what I say as a professional opinion I'm an idiot that gets lucky. Lol


I just started in November. My argument is that everything was once at its high. I wanted to buy Tesla at 500 and everyone said no- no way- don't do it. I bought in at 700 and made a nice amount so far.


----------



## rizzoa13

If you’ve got balls and money to lose some of the smaller crypto currencies look primed for a 10-50x on current price. I’ve been in 2 of them since 2016 and bought them very low. Watched them climb to astronomical numbers and didn’t sell. If they come back to half of all time high again I’ll be wealthy.

But very seriously you need to be ok with losing everything you invest in crypto because it’s irrational and volatile to the max.


----------



## Mike_C

Petr51488 said:


> bitcoin was a huge deal at 20,00. A few weeks later it's 40,000 lol . Why on our taxes- the first question is have you traded in any crypto currency?


When I originally bought into bitcoin, I knew there was a good chance I'd never see that money again. Since that day, it's up over 12000% You just have to be prepared to never see that money again


----------



## Petr51488

Mike_C said:


> When I originally bought into bitcoin, I knew there was a good chance I'd never see that money again. Since that day, it's up over 12000% You just have to be prepared to never see that money again


yea but it's a little different when it was 2,000$ vs 40,000 today lol


----------



## sota

so tuesday is looking like a bust. is friday going to be a fail as well?
need to figure out if I can kick the jeep & plow out of the garage for a couple days, and do some major wrenching on one of my cars.


----------



## rizzoa13

It could pretty easily go to $100,000 but that’s still only 2.5x opposed to some better opportunities.


----------



## shawn_

I use coin base app to trade crypto . I don’t really like crypto because it’s not an actual item. But it is being used in a lot of countries & expanding here in the US. It’s a good investment if u do some research on it and really understand that your investing into Computer made algorithms that convert into cash I don’t know much about it I do know I made some money two years ago and then lost about 2000 on lite coin, You never truly lose until you pull out though and I never pulled out still down about 1000 but it’s all coming back


----------



## djt1029

J.Ricci said:


> Not sure if we're allowed to talk about hockey here - but Corey Crawford's gone indefinitely. The Devils really love to find new ways to have wheels fly off


And now he's retired. Great signing. Impressive NJD career - not a single goal against. Amazing even Marty couldn't pull that off


----------



## shawn_

Isles sign barzal which is big for them !


----------



## iceyman

sota said:


> so tuesday is looking like a bust. is friday going to be a fail as well?
> need to figure out if I can kick the jeep & plow out of the garage for a couple days, and do some major wrenching on one of my cars.


I said the 15th is when that pattern would set it and it looks like we wont get a freebie before then.. i have a feeling we track something big next week


----------



## shawn_

iceyman said:


> I said the 15th is when that pattern would set it and it looks like we wont get a freebie before then.. i have a feeling we track something big next week


I hope so I am starting to lose hope, I've been extremely optimistic the last 3 seasons and now I feel like Labs ! Lol losing faith daily


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> I said the 15th is when that pattern would set it and it looks like we wont get a freebie before then.. i have a feeling we track something big next week


Lol a feeling


----------



## UniqueTouch

Buy alibaba , China owns Biden and tariffs will be lifted


----------



## djt1029

iceyman said:


> I said the 15th is when that pattern would set it and it looks like we wont get a freebie before then.. i have a feeling we track something big next week


No complaints here, other than taking some extra days off for Christmas and New Years I've been steady with work since the first storm melted off


----------



## MKWL2

For those of you guys who work landscaping through the winter (not including snow) do you find yourself coming out ahead in the spring? I.e. making more on the bottom line versus just stopping before Christmas and picking back up again mid March? We worked straight through winters for a few years to help keep the guys working, but I found after careful analysis it really didn’t pay off- we were just as insane in the spring, guys would still walk for $.25 more per hour after I kept them on all winter, and we just didn’t see much of a financial benefit working through the winter- jobs take longer, guys get cold and fatigued faster, workmanship isn’t quite up to par with “in season” work, etc. curious to see what others are doing. I always feel bad for not working through the winter landscaping, but then again it gives us time to get everything prepped for spring, work on marketing plans, and gives me time to work on a long laundry list of things on my farm I don’t get to work on spring-fall.


----------



## J.Ricci

MKWL2 said:


> For those of you guys who work landscaping through the winter (not including snow) do you find yourself coming out ahead in the spring? I.e. making more on the bottom line versus just stopping before Christmas and picking back up again mid March? We worked straight through winters for a few years to help keep the guys working, but I found after careful analysis it really didn't pay off- we were just as insane in the spring, guys would still walk for $.25 more per hour after I kept them on all winter, and we just didn't see much of a financial benefit working through the winter- jobs take longer, guys get cold and fatigued faster, workmanship isn't quite up to par with "in season" work, etc. curious to see what others are doing. I always feel bad for not working through the winter landscaping, but then again it gives us time to get everything prepped for spring, work on marketing plans, and gives me time to work on a long laundry list of things on my farm I don't get to work on spring-fall.


Honestly I haven't really stopped in about 4 years and I haven't seen any issues with quality. The guys do pack it up and go home early on the colder days but that's the only real difference between winter and the rest of the year. At this point I've almost always got at least one project going at a time thats a few months long so we'd never stay on track if we didn't work straight through.


----------



## truckie80

I usually scrape together a few days of billable work in January but that’s about it.


----------



## MKWL2

J.Ricci said:


> Honestly I haven't really stopped in about 4 years and I haven't seen any issues with quality. The guys do pack it up and go home early on the colder days but that's the only real difference between winter and the rest of the year. At this point I've almost always got at least one project going at a time thats a few months long so we'd never stay on track if we didn't work straight through.


That's exactly what I used to do- book a few month long job to start late fall, wrap up early spring- but found everything took longer than it would "in season" and most of the guys didn't actually want to work straight through the winter (even though they wanted the paychecks).


----------



## J.Ricci

For the most part my guys who stay on for the winter are pretty good with the cold as long as they've got a heater on site. In season I've got between 18-20 guys daily but in the winter it's about 10-12


----------



## djt1029

I usually work a few days a week most of the winter but take a couple full weeks to recharge


----------



## V_Scapes

We've never worked through the winter. I usually finish cleanups then complete any small jobs after and that's it. Everything becomes increasingly more difficult in the cold. I take the time to recharge, work on equipment and in the office and snowmobile.


----------



## Mike_C

We work through at about half staffing


----------



## iceyman

I think the next 3 weeks the models wont know what to do between the blocking and multiple waves coming across the map.. i expect to get at least one of those nothing to wow we have a storm coming in 3 days .. well see .. weve got time for now


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> I think the next 3 weeks the models wont know what to do between the blocking and multiple waves coming across the map.. i expect to get at least one of those nothing to wow we have a storm coming in 3 days .. well see .. weve got time for now


This has been discussed for a while should be interesting to see if anything materializes. I need it to stay calm for the next week and a half.


----------



## HarryTHook

iceyman said:


> I think the next 3 weeks the models wont know what to do between the blocking and multiple waves coming across the map.. i expect to get at least one of those nothing to wow we have a storm coming in 3 days .. well see .. weve got time for now


Icy, your spending too much time on the weather sites..


----------



## S_Marino87

HarryTHook said:


> Icy, your spending too much time on the weather sites..


We're only allowed to talk about weather on this thread, what else is he going to do?


----------



## shawn_

28-0 browns .... insane first qtr


----------



## sota

so what's the best place to find good quality *******?


----------



## J.Ricci

shawn_ said:


> 28-0 browns .... insane first qtr


But whats the real feel in Pittsburg?


----------



## Mike_PS

J.Ricci said:


> But whats the real feel in Pittsburg?


- 28, hahaha


----------



## J.Ricci

Michael J. Donovan said:


> - 28, hahaha


Lmao MJD has jokes this is great


----------



## iceyman

.


----------



## iceyman




----------



## iceyman

Well if ur wondering where our snow is just check out madrid


----------



## shawn_

Atleast he got the joke , it went right over my head LoL


----------



## UniqueTouch

This is the one I bought thinking it was you guys


----------



## herb1001

Is there life in the models for Saturday? GFS and Canadian today.


----------



## V_Scapes

herb1001 said:


> Is there life in the models for Saturday? GFS and Canadian today.


Nope.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Nope.


We had our storm, put everything away, we're done for the season.


----------



## LAB INC

I lose faith every day, I am only sticking around maybe two more years and I am done with snow. 


Randall Ave said:


> We had our storm, put everything away, we're done for the season.


----------



## Randall Ave

LAB INC said:


> I lose faith every day, I am only sticking around maybe two more years and I am done with snow.


Japan gets over three feet, there having snow ball fights in Madrid Spain. Here we are farther from the equator, but we are always just ten days away from the big one.


----------



## V_Scapes

Good keep those three feet storms over there.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> Good keep those three feet storms over there.


Yup- imagine that nightmare


----------



## gman2310

I feel like its gonna be like this winter is gonna be like last year, alot of good set ups and it craps the bed last minute. How much longer can people keeping maintaining snow fleets with no snow


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> Yup- imagine that nightmare


Had one here March 2018, would much rather not do that again.



gman2310 said:


> I feel like its gonna be like this winter is gonna be like last year, alot of good set ups and it craps the bed last minute. How much longer can people keeping maintaining snow fleets with no snow


Good question. Especially the amount of prep time before a storm that ends up being a bust. You would think it would start to thin out the amount of people who plow yet I've never seen so many plows on the road.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Good keep those three feet storms over there.


But they do make things interesting. And the guys with the junk trucks doing drives for thirty bucks usually don't make the whole storm.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Had one here March 2018, would much rather not do that again.
> 
> Good question. Especially the amount of prep time before a storm that ends up being a bust. You would think it would start to thin out the amount of people who plow yet I've never seen so many plows on the road.


I think it was year 2003, the news weather stations were going on about the perfect snowstorm was going to hit. The state, townships, guys like me were getting prepared for days, of course it was a dud. There were state road department guys on the news who wanted to sue the weather guessers.


----------



## LAB INC

Randall Ave said:


> Japan gets over three feet, there having snow ball fights in Madrid Spain. Here we are farther from the equator, but we are always just ten days away from the big one.


Yep, always ten days out then a bust. Soon Jan will be over and it will be Feb, maybe Feb it will snow. All my fault I should of not bought a new truck and plow, I had a feeling if I did it would turn out to be a bust. I recall the years when we had snow and I wish it would stop.


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> I think it was year 2003, the news weather stations were going on about the perfect snowstorm was going to hit. The state, townships, guys like me were getting prepared for days, of course it was a dud. There were state road department guys on the news who wanted to sue the weather guessers.


There was also a storm maybe 2012 or 2013 we were slated to get crushed with around 30" or something crazy, I think we got 3". Contractors spend thousands getting ready for stuff like that, stupid business to be in.


----------



## MGLC

V_Scapes said:


> There was also a storm maybe 2012 or 2013 we were slated to get crushed with around 30" or something crazy, I think we got 3". Contractors spend thousands getting ready for stuff like that, stupid business to be in.


I rented 2 additional machines for that storm, we ended up with about 6" after originally being in a 3ft + zone


----------



## MKWL2

Gets harder and harder to justify doing snow when it doesn’t really snow reliably, the insurance sure isn’t going down like the average snowfall totals!


----------



## shawn_

I’m not sure how much longer I can maintain being that it’s the only thing I do cash flow has been super tight the last few seasons . Only good thing is all my trucks/ equipment is paid off . But still insurances, registrations, maintenance , salt etc is all tough to keep covering with no snow . 

I’d imagine everyone is in the same boat dome different then others


----------



## rizzoa13

All you do is snow? What do you do the other 9 months ??

I don’t know your business and you may just do resi drives but you might want to get into some seasonal commercials to balance it out, if you already don’t. Just saying that’s what a lot of people do in order to keep afloat.


----------



## Randall Ave

Same here, it is almost not worth it, last night the wife even said to sell two of the plows.


----------



## shawn_

rizzoa13 said:


> All you do is snow? What do you do the other 9 months ??
> 
> I don't know your business and you may just do resi drives but you might want to get into some seasonal commercials to balance it out, if you already don't. Just saying that's what a lot of people do in order to keep afloat.


I work for the railroad 12 months out of the year, I do snow as a side gig but it seems to become a personal hobby the last few seasons .

I'm small scale I picked up a few seasonal spots this year but they are small so they are enough to
Float it for a little (if they pay)


----------



## UniqueTouch

shawn_ said:


> I work for the railroad 12 months out of the year, I do snow as a side gig but it seems to become a personal hobby the last few seasons .
> 
> I'm small scale I picked up a few seasonal spots this year but they are small so they are enough to
> Float it for a little (if they pay)


same here. I have more accounts than I ever had but for 1/4 of them its the same "if they pay"


----------



## iceyman

If they pay??? Seasonals shud be paid by dec 1st... then every 1st after that.. if the year is crap we take off last month.. also have a cap to prtoect us ..so they cant try to rework the deal half way thru.. its gona snow again guys.. still 2 months easy left this winter.. this year is lightyears better than last year


----------



## UniqueTouch

sorry I was agreeing on if they pay part. I do not have any seasonal accounts wish I had a few but after these last few years I have been struggling to get anyone on board with it


----------



## MKWL2

UniqueTouch said:


> sorry I was agreeing on if they pay part. I do not have any seasonal accounts wish I had a few but after these last few years I have been struggling to get anyone on board with it


Yup same dilemma here- no one wants seasonal contracts after the last few years we have had squat for snow. I try to sell it as an insurance policy but only had a handful of people who went that route this year...


----------



## rizzoa13

Bigger corps want seasonal so they can budget their costs. Thing is that grass usually comes with the snow, a full maintenance package. We don’t do grass we’re a carpentry company so that doesn’t work for us. Have to sub out the grass when the time comes.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

I think the one big bust people were thinking of was January 2015 "Juno". NYC shutdown the subway system in advance (apparently for the 1st time ever shutting down for snow). The fat man running NJ at the time shut down the entire State, including NJ Transit, long before the snow started. Both created expected havoc for people attempting to get back home, or other destinations. Police departments, politicians, media, etc... were telling people roads would be closed for days so they needed to stock up and be prepared to not be able to go anywhere.

We went out early planning to stay as ahead of the snow as possible; pretty much as soon as we had enough to push. I spent more time sitting in parking lots waiting than plowing. I did plow, but I think we made one pass through the accounts vs the multiples were figured on. The first few we hit might have needed a second pass to clean up.

While that storm was a bust for our area, it was a significant storm further North.

I remember, but cannot locate now, a day or two after the miss, someone from NWS came out and said they "knew" it was going to shift and not have the impact in this area they had warned about in advance. Someone made the decision not to update the public on the shift. They felt that would undermine confidence. Not sure how holding back that information, then coming out later and saying, yeah, we knew, but didn't want to tell you is better. <any similarity to more recent events?> The NWS doesn't/didn't seem to care about the economic impact of shutting down States and businesses, or the amount of money Contractors lay out in preparation for warnings that they knew were no longer valid <again, sound familiar?>.


----------



## J.Ricci

Kevin_NJ said:


> I think the one big bust people were thinking of was January 2015 "Juno". NYC shutdown the subway system in advance (apparently for the 1st time ever shutting down for snow). The fat man running NJ at the time shut down the entire State, including NJ Transit, long before the snow started. Both created expected havoc for people attempting to get back home, or other destinations. Police departments, politicians, media, etc... were telling people roads would be closed for days so they needed to stock up and be prepared to not be able to go anywhere.
> 
> We went out early planning to stay as ahead of the snow as possible; pretty much as soon as we had enough to push. I spent more time sitting in parking lots waiting than plowing. I did plow, but I think we made one pass through the accounts vs the multiples were figured on. The first few we hit might have needed a second pass to clean up.
> 
> While that storm was a bust for our area, it was a significant storm further North.
> 
> I remember, but cannot locate now, a day or two after the miss, someone from NWS came out and said they "knew" it was going to shift and not have the impact in this area they had warned about in advance. Someone made the decision not to update the public on the shift. They felt that would undermine confidence. Not sure how holding back that information, then coming out later and saying, yeah, we knew, but didn't want to tell you is better. <any similarity to more recent events?> The NWS doesn't/didn't seem to care about the economic impact of shutting down States and businesses, or the amount of money Contractors lay out in preparation for warnings that they knew were no longer valid <again, sound familiar?>.


Yep. Another example of those "in power" withholding the truth from the general public. There are no coincidences with the US government, **** like that helped them see just how easy it is to play games with peoples lives and even more importantly - how quickly the general public forget their BS


----------



## AG09

rizzoa13 said:


> Bigger corps want seasonal so they can budget their costs. Thing is that grass usually comes with the snow, a full maintenance package. We don't do grass we're a carpentry company so that doesn't work for us. Have to sub out the grass when the time comes.


Where are you located?


----------



## rizzoa13

South Jersey as it gets. We do Atlantic, cape may and Cumberland county mostly.


----------



## V_Scapes

rizzoa13 said:


> South Jersey as it gets. We do Atlantic, cape may and Cumberland county mostly.


So you haven't plowed snow in like 15 years


----------



## rizzoa13

We’ll have a storm, coming in 10 days...


----------



## truckie80

rizzoa13 said:


> We'll have a storm, coming in 10 days...


That should really be the name of the thread next year


----------



## AG09

rizzoa13 said:


> South Jersey as it gets. We do Atlantic, cape may and Cumberland county mostly.


Do you even remember what snow looks like?

I remember one year that North Jersey got screwed on every storm and everywhere else south of like i78 kept getting it with snow.


----------



## J.Ricci

I'm 60-70 miles north of that and I barely remember


----------



## V_Scapes

AG09 said:


> Do you even remember what snow looks like?
> 
> I remember one year that North Jersey got screwed on every storm and everywhere else south of like i78 kept getting it with snow.


Hoping every winter is like that until I retire.


----------



## rizzoa13

J.Ricci said:


> I'm 60-70 miles north of that and I barely remember


Jesus your practically in Canada how can you say your from New Jersey??


----------



## iceyman

AG09 said:


> Do you even remember what snow looks like?
> 
> I remember one year that North Jersey got screwed on every storm and everywhere else south of like i78 kept getting it with snow.


S nj can snow.. 2 years ago they got a norlun that set up and a decent swath hit 6-8" ... 2015ish during the eagles game they were forecasted 1-3 and got 8-10.. its def a tough area to be in the last couple years(so is monmouth county (i hate that dam bridge))


----------



## rizzoa13

My main area actually gets more snow than you think its strange. Vineland, Millville and bridgeton is where the accounts I personally service are and for some reason it gets hit. Obviously last year was a bust but the year before I got maybe 150 hours between snow and ice. Couple 5'+ storms and a bunch of little stuff.

2018 we got over 24" on my sons birthday (jan 5th I think it was). My trucks were out for 40 hours for that one.

This last one we went between Cherry hill, Trenton and Wilmington DE so I saw some action helping out everyone else


----------



## Mike_C

I'm in the market for a larger excavator (25 ton), if anyone's selling / knows of one let me know. Budget is around 90k


----------



## rizzoa13

How many hours are you comfortable with? Quick search is showing a few thousand hours on anything that size from a good brand at that price.


----------



## LAB INC

Looks like we have a storm coming in for Friday, Saturday. Oh wait, it will be all rain not snow.☔


----------



## AG09

LAB INC said:


> Looks like we have a storm coming in for Friday, Saturday. Oh wait, it will be all rain not snow.☔


What else is new....Story of our lives....


----------



## domguise

LAB INC said:


> Looks like we have a storm coming in for Friday, Saturday. Oh wait, it will be all rain not snow.☔


Haha yup I was hoping for snow. But nope.


----------



## domguise

Both this year and last year didn’t have that much snow. ***Oh nooooo global warming***


----------



## Mike_C

rizzoa13 said:


> How many hours are you comfortable with? Quick search is showing a few thousand hours on anything that size from a good brand at that price.


Few thousand hours is fine, just need something bigger than my 138 and midi's. Would like to stretch the budget a little more, but already made a ton of equipment purchases over the last few months and need to reel it in for a while


----------



## UniqueTouch

Damn 90k budget wish I had paper like that


----------



## UniqueTouch

Will keep any eye out for ya.
Also iceman when we getting some snow. Mama needs a new pair of shoes


----------



## LAB INC

AG09 said:


> What else is new....Story of our lives....


Yep sucks, I remember as a child and I am not even that old. We used have good storms. Heck even when it would not snow we could skate, ponds would always be frozen over. Can't recall the last time one has been.


----------



## V_Scapes

Mike_C said:


> Few thousand hours is fine, just need something bigger than my 138 and midi's. Would like to stretch the budget a little more, but already made a ton of equipment purchases over the last few months and need to reel it in for a while


Are you big into excavating?



UniqueTouch said:


> Will keep any eye out for ya.
> Also iceman when we getting some snow. Mama needs a new pair of shoes


Next timeframe I've seen is the 20th but even then who the hell knows.


----------



## rizzoa13

If you can find yourself a kobelco in your price range they are sweet machines. You’ve already got a komatsu 138? Want to sell it ??


----------



## rizzoa13

https://www.machinerytrader.com/lis...t/for-sale/199923585/2014-kobelco-sk210-lc-10
Nice looking machine in North Carolina. I don't like seeing a freshly painted machine it screams "something was wrong with me" but could be worth the look. Has a hydraulic thumb too.


----------



## Mike_C

V_Scapes said:


> Are you big into excavating?


Getting into it more over the last few years, started out with mainly pools and in relation to our construction projects but it's taken off a bit. We work with a few builders as well who feed us a bunch of sitework.



rizzoa13 said:


> If you can find yourself a kobelco in your price range they are sweet machines. You've already got a komatsu 138? Want to sell it ??


I'm keeping the Komatsu, I bought it new so I know it's as well maintained as possible. Hope to have it at least another 10 years.

Kobelco makes a real nice machine, but I'm with you about fresh paint. Price is right though


----------



## rizzoa13

Is that Komatsu a zero tail with rubber tracks and front blade? Thats my next machine just need to have a banner year and not invest in other things for the business so I can justify the purchase in my head.


----------



## J.Ricci

rizzoa13 said:


> If you can find yourself a kobelco in your price range they are sweet machines. You've already got a komatsu 138? Want to sell it ??


I called dibs on that machine a few years ago


----------



## iceyman

V_Scapes said:


> Are you big into excavating?
> 
> Next timeframe I've seen is the 20th but even then who the hell knows.


21/22 25/26 atm.. long way to go


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> 21/22 25/26 atm.. long way to go


The weather channel site is showing something for the 21-22. That's only 7 days out, now if it was ten days???


----------



## shawn_

If the cold air pushes in we’ll get a shot ....


----------



## LAB INC




----------



## Mike_C

rizzoa13 said:


> Is that Komatsu a zero tail with rubber tracks and front blade? Thats my next machine just need to have a banner year and not invest in other things for the business so I can justify the purchase in my head.


Yes on all fronts. It's a great machine you won't regret it, does everything we ask it to


----------



## rizzoa13

What do you intend to use a 25 tonner for then? Are you doing deep roadwork or something? That size is going to need a lowboy instead of a triaxle to move too, sounds like a headache.


----------



## sota

guess i better get cracking on the car then, so it can get out of the bay I keep the jeep in.
finished the last of the 4 ceiling fan installs today.


----------



## shawn_

Always working on that keep


----------



## Mike_C

rizzoa13 said:


> What do you intend to use a 25 tonner for then? Are you doing deep roadwork or something? That size is going to need a lowboy instead of a triaxle to move too, sounds like a headache.


Scope of work is growing every year. We hire a lowboy a fair amount to move the bigger loaders around, it ain't the end of the world. Ideally we'd do it in house but that's a few years away still


----------



## sota

looks cold and grey. like it could snow.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Oakhurst NJ - 50 degrees, no wind, cloudy


----------



## Tony_D

Hi guys; I'm a new guy here from Hudson County hoping to learn from everyone here. I'll be 21 in a few weeks and want to learn as much as possible. I just bought my first plow last year before that I was doing everything with snowblowers unfortunately most of my customers still need to be done with snowblowers I've been following these post since last winter


----------



## treeguyry

Tony_D said:


> Hi guys; I'm a new guy here from Hudson County hoping to learn from everyone here. I'll be 21 in a few weeks and want to learn as much as possible. I just bought my first plow last year before that I was doing everything with snowblowers unfortunately most of my customers still need to be done with snowblowers I've been following these post since last winter


Welcome aboard. Where in Hudson County? I'm originally from Hoboken


----------



## Tony_D

treeguyry said:


> Welcome aboard. Where in Hudson County? I'm originally from Hoboken


Secaucus. My whole family pretty much lives in town, most within walking distance haha


----------



## J.Ricci

Tony_D said:


> Hi guys; I'm a new guy here from Hudson County hoping to learn from everyone here. I'll be 21 in a few weeks and want to learn as much as possible. I just bought my first plow last year before that I was doing everything with snowblowers unfortunately most of my customers still need to be done with snowblowers I've been following these post since last winter


Welcome to the group, great timing to buy a plow lol hopefully you get a few chances to use it


----------



## Randall Ave

Tony_D said:


> Secaucus. My whole family pretty much lives in town, most within walking distance haha


Welcome to the site. I'm in the west side of Morris County, get out your some. Spent some time this morning on Rt 21 on a service call. Dumb woman missed me, but she got my creeper.


----------



## Mike_C

Tony_D said:


> Hi guys; I'm a new guy here from Hudson County hoping to learn from everyone here. I'll be 21 in a few weeks and want to learn as much as possible. I just bought my first plow last year before that I was doing everything with snowblowers unfortunately most of my customers still need to be done with snowblowers I've been following these post since last winter


Welcome, I'm pretty sure you're our youngest member now. Lot of good information here but mostly just a bunch of guys bs'ing and complaining about snow, lack of snow, and our governor


----------



## Tony_D

Thanks guys. I'll try not to ask a million questions about everything no matter how much I want to lol


----------



## Randall Ave

Ask whatever you want, and remember here, the next storm is always 10 days out.


----------



## LAB INC

Tony_D said:


> Thanks guys. I'll try not to ask a million questions about everything no matter how much I want to lol


Welcome to the site and the NJ form where the next storm is always ten days out and never comes. Hopefully you get a few shots this season, best of luck.


----------



## sota

raining like mother out there.
why it not snow!?!?!


----------



## iceyman

sota said:


> raining like mother out there.
> why it not snow!?!?!


Cold is coming.. snow is coming.. patience .. my "winter" boss shattered his ankle playing for our minor league mens team thursday night.. surgery on tuesday.. and its hit right ankle.. no bueno.. ill have to pick up the slack big time but ill rise to the occasion lol


----------



## V_Scapes

Mike_C said:


> Welcome, I'm pretty sure you're our youngest member now. Lot of good information here but mostly just a bunch of guys bs'ing and complaining about snow, lack of snow, and our governor


I finally graduated!


----------



## HarryTHook

iceyman said:


> Cold is coming.. snow is coming.. patience .. my "winter" boss shattered his ankle playing for our minor league mens team thursday night.. surgery on tuesday.. and its hit right ankle.. no bueno.. ill have to pick up the slack big time but ill rise to the occasion lol


Right ankle makes it tough. Just informed my plowing company I will be out of town Feb 10th to 13th. They will adjust as will you. Good luck


----------



## HarryTHook

Tony_D said:


> Hi guys; I'm a new guy here from Hudson County hoping to learn from everyone here. I'll be 21 in a few weeks and want to learn as much as possible. I just bought my first plow last year before that I was doing everything with snowblowers unfortunately most of my customers still need to be done with snowblowers I've been following these post since last winter


Welcome to the site.


----------



## shawn_

If you have a truck with a bench seat he can plow, I broke my tib, fib & heel ankle completely behind my back In 2014 I plowed that year with my left foot and my right ankle up on the seat , not ideal but if there’s a will there’s a way!!! Best of luck I hope he has a speedy recovery , it’s a crappy injury that’s for sure 3 surgeries, 2 plates and 12 pins later ..... I’m still out playing football


----------



## exclusive

Welcome to the site I’m only about 10-15 mins from you in Bergen county if you need anything give a shout


----------



## Tony_D

Thanks again guys. The biggest thing I could use advice on is if college is worth it. I need a few more credits for my associates but didn't go to school this year because of no in person school. Since I wasnt in school I went from 23 accounts last year to 43 this year which I'm pretty happy with I know its a long way to go still but I don't really think school is going to help me. idk how big I can get without going to college i don't think it matters though


----------



## UniqueTouch

Stay in school you’ll regret it in 10 years


----------



## UniqueTouch

Especially with open borders landscaping will
Make no money


----------



## UniqueTouch

unfortunately all these big guys are fine. 20-30 years ago anyone could have 500 accounts in no time. Or really any business you started back then would be extremely successful. Those days are gone.


----------



## UniqueTouch

I don’t mean unfortunately. I’m glad your successful, I meant not as easy now as it was back then.


----------



## djt1029

Tony_D said:


> Thanks again guys. The biggest thing I could use advice on is if college is worth it. I need a few more credits for my associates but didn't go to school this year because of no in person school. Since I wasnt in school I went from 23 accounts last year to 43 this year which I'm pretty happy with I know its a long way to go still but I don't really think school is going to help me. idk how big I can get without going to college i don't think it matters though


A few credits short might be worth just finishing up but with that said, I took a few classes at Bergen Community (landscape / business related) for a year and quit to work full time. Anything you want to learn, you can teach yourself if you're willing to do the work. College is becoming more of an indoctrination scheme than anything. Landscaping's a pain in the ass, someone will always work cheaper, theres a lot of overhead and moving parts, but you just have to find your niche.


----------



## fireball

Stay in school. Learn to be a NSP snow provider screw everyone. Summers in Maine, winters in Bermuda Play Bedminister during the week


----------



## rizzoa13

If you don't intend to use your degree, really use it then its a waste. I've got a science degree and own a construction business. Im much more fulfilled being a carpenter and businessman and I make a hell of a lot more money to boot.

My kids will have a college fund waiting for them and if they decide not to use it it'll be their startup money for whatever they want to do with their life.


----------



## V_Scapes

If it's only a few credits just finish it up and use your degree as positive credibility.


----------



## UniqueTouch

I got that feeling we are going to get smacked with that next storm coming


----------



## UniqueTouch

A little nervous though if we get a big one. I took on probably a little more than I can chew. Trying to get a side walk crew but I guess the money everyone is making on unemployment with the extra money they give no one is interested. In the past when I threw out offers like this I had a bunch of inquiries. I didn't get one response this time


----------



## Mike_C

I dropped out of high school because I had more work than I could keep up with while going to school. I have multiple employees with degrees, some in the landscape field, some in completely unrelated fields. If you’re going to continue your education in the field by going to college, it can’t hurt but if it’s unrelated there’s no reason to just have a piece of paper. My kids, similar to Rizzoa, all have college funds. If they decide not to go to college; it’s starter money for them once they show they’re working to make their own way.

If you can finish up the few credits and it’ll only take a semester, do it just so you have your associates already taken care of in case you ever change your mind about going back to college. But you don’t need a degree to be successful just a work ethic and never quit attitude


----------



## Hydromaster

A degree, even if you don’t work in the field of study is not a total waste of time. 

Collage is to prepare you for a life of fallowing threw. It shows an employer that you have goals and you achieve them.
School is a proving ground where you show your work/ ethics. , as grades.

Is it nesary, no, will it make somethings easer to obtain, yes. A tec school or a collage deg,
Is always looks good on any application/ paperwork, even when talking to your bank.


----------



## shawn_

UniqueTouch said:


> A little nervous though if we get a big one. I took on probably a little more than I can chew. Trying to get a side walk crew but I guess the money everyone is making on unemployment with the extra money they give no one is interested. In the past when I threw out offers like this I had a bunch of inquiries. I didn't get one response this time


Sent u a msg


----------



## J.Ricci

I went to college briefly - a semester in between tours and then a year after getting out of the Marines. I took some classes that helped me in the field mainly planning / design based courses everything else was a huge waste of money. At this point college is a total waste of money if you're going into a trade. Never once has a bank asked me about college


----------



## Hydromaster

technology-based risk assessment and analytics companies that banks use to issue loans. a college education was one of those data points that gave lenders confidence.
in general, a college degree, in what and from where, can make someone a better loan candidate.

Banks / saving & loans are useing a model that crunches in excess of 1,500 data points. As such, it’s impossible to say how significant a factor college is to the final outcome.


----------



## Hydromaster

It’s difficult to go into some trades without a education. 
Sure you can be a grunt for life but why?
A licensed Plummer or Electrician went to school.


----------



## Tony_D

Thanks guys



djt1029 said:


> A few credits short might be worth just finishing up but with that said, I took a few classes at Bergen Community (landscape / business related) for a year and quit to work full time. Anything you want to learn, you can teach yourself if you're willing to do the work. College is becoming more of an indoctrination scheme than anything. Landscaping's a pain in the ass, someone will always work cheaper, theres a lot of overhead and moving parts, but you just have to find your niche.


I don't know if it counts as a niche but I'm working on getting my pesticide license so I can do everything myself for my customers. I know it's wrong but I started doing treatments last year for customers and really enjoyed it. I'll have my license by the time we start spring this year. I'd like to do more hardscape type of work but haven't been able to get into that much yet other than a few little things



rizzoa13 said:


> If you don't intend to use your degree, really use it then its a waste. I've got a science degree and own a construction business. Im much more fulfilled being a carpenter and businessman and I make a hell of a lot more money to boot.
> 
> My kids will have a college fund waiting for them and if they decide not to use it it'll be their startup money for whatever they want to do with their life.


Thats how I feel..I don't want to throw away the money. My parents basically did the same for me and I've used a little of the money with the business. They mean well, its mostly my mom who wants me to go, my dad didn't go to college and has done really well



V_Scapes said:


> If it's only a few credits just finish it up and use your degree as positive credibility.


I guess finishing the associates makes sense I just really don't want to cut into time I could be working.



Mike_C said:


> I dropped out of high school because I had more work than I could keep up with while going to school. I have multiple employees with degrees, some in the landscape field, some in completely unrelated fields. If you're going to continue your education in the field by going to college, it can't hurt but if it's unrelated there's no reason to just have a piece of paper. My kids, similar to Rizzoa, all have college funds. If they decide not to go to college; it's starter money for them once they show they're working to make their own way.
> 
> If you can finish up the few credits and it'll only take a semester, do it just so you have your associates already taken care of in case you ever change your mind about going back to college. But you don't need a degree to be successful just a work ethic and never quit attitude


How many employees do you have? Do you prefer to hire with a degree or not really care? My parents point about school is that it's a fall back but I feel like it's more of a waste of money than a fall back. I could always go to trade school if I wanted to change paths I like working with my hands not sitting in class.



Hydromaster said:


> A degree, even if you don't work in the field of study is not a total waste of time.
> 
> Collage is to prepare you for a life of fallowing threw. It shows an employer that you have goals and you achieve them.
> School is a proving ground where you show your work/ ethics. , as grades.
> 
> Is it nesary, no, will it make somethings easer to obtain, yes. A tec school or a collage deg,
> Is always looks good on any application/ paperwork, even when talking to your bank.





J.Ricci said:


> I went to college briefly - a semester in between tours and then a year after getting out of the Marines. I took some classes that helped me in the field mainly planning / design based courses everything else was a huge waste of money. At this point college is a total waste of money if you're going into a trade. Never once has a bank asked me about college


Would not having gone to college delay me me in getting a mortgage eventually? My goal is to not have to rent an apartment and be able to buy a house when I move out of my parents. There's no huge rush we have a good relationship and I know it'll take a few years still to be able to afford a house but I really don't want to rent in between


----------



## Tony_D

Hydromaster said:


> It's difficult to go into some trades without a education.
> Sure you can be a grunt for life but why?
> A licensed Plummer or Electrician went to school.


I don't mean to be disrespectful, but that's not true. My dad's a licensed electrician and didn't go to college


----------



## Hydromaster

Tony_D said:


> I don't mean to be disrespectful, but that's not true. My dad's a licensed electrician and didn't go to college


Lol

Did he get his lic from a box of cracker jax?
No disrespect...

Today, some sort of schooling is required
Along with a 6 year apprenticeship.

Maybe the word licensed was a bad choice,
Generally speaking, a license allows electricians to do their work, while certifications prove their competency and accomplishments.


----------



## Fourteen Contracting Inc.

Tony_D said:


> I don't mean to be disrespectful, but that's not true. My dad's a licensed electrician and didn't go to college


I think hydro is taking about electrical college and plumbing college.


----------



## Hydromaster

Fourteen Contracting Inc. said:


> I think hydro is taking about electrical college and plumbing college.


Ha haha. Ha

No,








Electricians usually must complete a minimum number of continuing education hours every year to maintain their license, as well as periodically pass another examination. In some states, an electrician must also earn certification with approved organizations before earning a license.

Like a trade school????


----------



## rizzoa13

College is wasted on the young. It takes a special kind of person to have the focus and forethought to really get the most out of college when your in yo it early 20s.

Get your pesticide license and hook up with a local realtor that does a lot of volume. They will keep you busy in termite treatments and inspection work. Learn some structural framing skills and you’ll be able to fix the rot on top of it. You’ll be very well off.


----------



## Tony_D

It's a real license, he went to trade school, that's not college. He passed the test worked for someone else for a while and my whole life he's owned his own business and I'm sure made a lot more than 56,180 a year....The thing you posted says nothing about "college" just training


----------



## Mike_PS

Hydromaster said:


> Lol
> 
> Did he get his lic from a box of cracker jax?
> No disrespect...
> 
> Today, some sort of schooling is required
> Along with a 6 year apprenticeship.
> 
> Maybe the word licensed was a bad choice,
> Generally speaking, a license allows electricians to do their work, while certifications prove their competency and accomplishments.


this thread is for those in New Jersey, which you are not...there's plenty of other threads for discussion, especially when going off topic

thanks


----------



## Hydromaster

Michael J. Donovan said:


> this thread is for those in New Jersey, which you are not...there's plenty of other threads for discussion, especially when going off topic
> 
> thanks


It's also supposed to be about weather which this topic has nothing to do with.

And I've noticed other interlopers interjecting their two cents without the hammer coming down on them, I was not being disruptive or causing a fight, I was adding to the topic at hand and I respectfully will,bow out,..


----------



## Mike_PS

yes, and we've also allowed the weather threads like this to become more networking, etc., for people within their areas. I didn't check everyone's location but know you are not in jersey


----------



## shawn_

You will not have a harder time getting a mortgage down the line. All banks care about is your income, debt to income ratio &’how much money your putting down on your new home.... 

If you can finish up your degree with being debt free at the end of it , I would 100% do it. There is nothing wrong with having that piece of paper, say the business don’t work out &
You go get a job with the state etc,’when u go to move up you’ll automatically have a upper hand wether your degree means u know more or not. They like to hire managers, foremen , supervisors with that piece of paper over someone that knows more then them thag don’t have that paper .


----------



## S_Marino87

rizzoa13 said:


> If you don't intend to use your degree, really use it then its a waste. I've got a science degree and own a construction business. Im much more fulfilled being a carpenter and businessman and I make a hell of a lot more money to boot.
> 
> My kids will have a college fund waiting for them and if they decide not to use it it'll be their startup money for whatever they want to do with their life.





Michael J. Donovan said:


> yes, and we've also allowed the weather threads like this to become more networking, etc., for people within their areas. I didn't check everyone's location but know you are not in jersey


MJD earning the honorary admission to this thing of ours. Haha


----------



## S_Marino87

Tony_D said:


> It's a real license, he went to trade school, that's not college. He passed the test worked for someone else for a while and my whole life he's owned his own business and I'm sure made a lot more than 56,180 a year....The thing you posted says nothing about "college" just training


Not really sure what the other guy was talking about, most electricians get into the trade the same way your dad did.


----------



## AG09

I would say even if it is only a few credits left I would finish up and get your associates degree. You can take the classes at night.

I have a 4 year degree, but in this business it doesnt matter unless your are becoming a Landscape Architect. My degree did not benefit me in any way towards this career. The only reason why I got the degree was because my parents wanted me to. I also worked full time throughout college so it is possible for you to finish up your degree and still take care of your existing clients.

I feel in this industry you learn the most by working for someone else and then going off on your own, reading trade magazines, taking continuing education classes. or trial/error. The downside to trial/error is it better be on your own house not a clients. Rutgers also offers a bunch of classes geared toward this industry over the winter months which is great.


----------



## djt1029

The classes are Rutgers are great. Also since you mentioned having a lot of family local, you should be able to learn through some trial and error working there. If things go sideways, you can fix it and not have a paying client breathing down your neck. Theres a ton of information online now to read or watch videos of as well, way more than when I was first starting and that wasn't even that long ago.


----------



## Mike_C

Tony_D said:


> How many employees do you have? Do you prefer to hire with a degree or not really care? My parents point about school is that it's a fall back but I feel like it's more of a waste of money than a fall back. I could always go to trade school if I wanted to change paths I like working with my hands not sitting in class.


In season just over 100. Honestly the only positions I really care about a degree for are my landscape architects and my controller. Some of my managers have degrees in landscape/construction fields and some don't. Hands on experience is the priority and work ethic. Specific classes related to the industry are also helpful, and you should look into them through Rutgers as mentioned above. Every year I have a few seminar days in the winter where some of my staff will go through some continuing education programs.

To really succeed in this industry, hands on experience is #1. In the field, in the office, thats the key. If you're really interested in getting into hardscapes - DM me. We have a project in your area coming up in about 2 weeks. You can get on site with the guys for a few days and learn some basics.



Hydromaster said:


> It's also supposed to be about weather which this topic has nothing to do with.
> 
> And I've noticed other interlopers interjecting their two cents without the hammer coming down on them, I was not being disruptive or causing a fight, I was adding to the topic at hand and I respectfully will,bow out,..


Don't play that ah shucks crap you said the kids dad had a cracker jack license.


----------



## truckie80

Jump on that offer, hands on experience working with an experienced construction crew is priceless


----------



## V_Scapes

truckie80 said:


> Jump on that offer, hands on experience working with an experienced construction crew is priceless


I second this. Don't pass that offer up.


----------



## AG09

V_Scapes said:


> I second this. Don't pass that offer up.


I third that offer. You can definitely learn a lot.


----------



## J.Ricci

Once you take Mike's crash course, I've got a crew in Upper Montclair all winter which shouldn't be too bad of a ride for you. Spend a week or two with my guys and you'll learn a lot.


----------



## sota

wish I could send my kid to go learn, but he's got *(useless) school.


----------



## treeguyry

The chance to learn from an operation like Mike's is priceless. I'm not even in the landscaping business and would jump on that offer even now


----------



## Mike_C

@Tony_D



J.Ricci said:


> Once you take Mike's crash course, I've got a crew in Upper Montclair all winter which shouldn't be too bad of a ride for you. Spend a week or two with my guys and you'll learn a lot.


If hardscape is a direction you really want to push into, work with my guys a few days and jump on this. Jason and his guys build award winning 6 figure backyards day in day out and that's all they do. The scale may be overwhelming but it's all the same principals


----------



## MGLC

I have a masters in landscape architecture and bachelors in horticulture. It's helped me tremendously, however that's because of the direction of my business. 
You can definitely be successful without a degree though.



Mike_C said:


> In season just over 100. Honestly the only positions I really care about a degree for are my landscape architects and my controller. Some of my managers have degrees in landscape/construction fields and some don't. Hands on experience is the priority and work ethic. Specific classes related to the industry are also helpful, and you should look into them through Rutgers as mentioned above. Every year I have a few seminar days in the winter where some of my staff will go through some continuing education programs.
> 
> To really succeed in this industry, hands on experience is #1. In the field, in the office, thats the key. If you're really interested in getting into hardscapes - DM me. We have a project in your area coming up in about 2 weeks. You can get on site with the guys for a few days and learn some basics.


Do not pass that up.


----------



## Tony_D

Mike_C said:


> In season just over 100. Honestly the only positions I really care about a degree for are my landscape architects and my controller. Some of my managers have degrees in landscape/construction fields and some don't. Hands on experience is the priority and work ethic. Specific classes related to the industry are also helpful, and you should look into them through Rutgers as mentioned above. Every year I have a few seminar days in the winter where some of my staff will go through some continuing education programs.
> 
> To really succeed in this industry, hands on experience is #1. In the field, in the office, thats the key. If you're really interested in getting into hardscapes - DM me. We have a project in your area coming up in about 2 weeks. You can get on site with the guys for a few days and learn some basics.
> 
> Don't play that ah shucks crap you said the kids dad had a cracker jack license.





J.Ricci said:


> Once you take Mike's crash course, I've got a crew in Upper Montclair all winter which shouldn't be too bad of a ride for you. Spend a week or two with my guys and you'll learn a lot.


This is so awesome. I messaged you both, I think I did it right I'm still pretty new to the site. Thank you guys so much this is such an amazing opportunity that I never would have expected.


----------



## truckie80

MGLC said:


> I have a masters in landscape architecture and bachelors in horticulture. It's helped me tremendously, however that's because of the direction of my business.
> You can definitely be successful without a degree though.
> 
> Do not pass that up.


Off topic, but do you do any design work for other contractors? I've got a good long time customer who's moving into a new house they had built. The builder already did the hardscape and I met with them about the landscaping. There's a lot of space, with a few grade challenges and a lot of different moving parts going on which is above my design capabilities. We can handle the actual install, but the planning phase is probably better to farm out


----------



## V_Scapes

Wow, awesome group here, still amazes me and it's really inspiring to see established people wanting to help the upcoming generation, it's something that this industry needs more of. I truly applaud you guys.


----------



## J.Ricci

Free labor - working on an April 1st deadline on this one haha


----------



## Tony_D

Btw guys sorry to sort of take over the thread for the day today...I didn't think there was going to be drama from asking a question and saying that my dads an electrician and really didn't expect the offers and help. This place is awesome


----------



## sota

the word you're looking for is "community."


----------



## Randall Ave

Tony_D said:


> Btw guys sorry to sort of take over the thread for the day today...I didn't think there was going to be drama from asking a question and saying that my dads an electrician and really didn't expect the offers and help. This place is awesome


All is good, we seem to get real active when decent storms hit. Or if.


----------



## UniqueTouch

awesome offer from MIKE C. That's why I love this site. guys helping each other and not trying to put others outa business.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Had a dream last night we are getting snow. I just got that feeling we are going to get it here in Jersey


----------



## eastendpm

Hey guys good to be back! Hope everyone has done well despite the crazy year.

V-scapes I think I just bought you that week of vacation time.

Did a little back reading to catch up. It's awesome that some of you are offering to help the guys who are looking to learn and inviting them to work with your crews to gain experience. That's the best schooling you'll get.


----------



## truckie80

eastendpm said:


> Hey guys good to be back! Hope everyone has done well despite the crazy year.
> 
> V-scapes I think I just bought you that week of vacation time.
> 
> Did a little back reading to catch up. It's awesome that some of you are offering to help the guys who are looking to learn and inviting them to work with your crews to gain experience. That's the best schooling you'll get.
> 
> View attachment 211977


I think that's the third or fourth new wideout on here this winter. Goodbye to our winter, maybe 21-22 will be better. Haha


----------



## V_Scapes

eastendpm said:


> Hey guys good to be back! Hope everyone has done well despite the crazy year.
> 
> V-scapes I think I just bought you that week of vacation time.
> 
> Did a little back reading to catch up. It's awesome that some of you are offering to help the guys who are looking to learn and inviting them to work with your crews to gain experience. That's the best schooling you'll get.
> 
> View attachment 211977


Thanks man! 70 and sunny in southwest florida currently, about to head out for some fresh lobster.


----------



## LAB INC

eastendpm said:


> Hey guys good to be back! Hope everyone has done well despite the crazy year.
> 
> V-scapes I think I just bought you that week of vacation time.
> 
> Did a little back reading to catch up. It's awesome that some of you are offering to help the guys who are looking to learn and inviting them to work with your crews to gain experience. That's the best schooling you'll get.
> 
> View attachment 211977


Very happy with my XL even know I only used it one time this year.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Thanks man! 70 and sunny in southwest florida currently, about to head out for some fresh lobster.


Where are ya down there? And have a beer on us!


----------



## HarryTHook

V_Scapes said:


> Thanks man! 70 and sunny in southwest florida currently, about to head out for some fresh lobster.


Just got confirmation from my son he has a ticket back from West Palm Beach. He has been down there since the 2nd of the month, and guess who has been working up here all that time? Must be a great life......


----------



## demetrios007

I'm in morris county Roxbury area. Guy I've been subbing for has run things to the ground. I finally got paid from the December storm after pressing hard and getting piece payments. I ended things nicely because my skidsteer was onsite for a few days after the storm (inside locked garage) and had 7 hours on it I didn't put on or authorize. So if anybody ends up needing help for rest of year if we ever get snow reach out. I have a skid and a plow truck free rest of the season


----------



## J.Ricci

V_Scapes said:


> Thanks man! 70 and sunny in southwest florida currently, about to head out for some fresh lobster.


Jealous. Enjoy it. How long are you there for?


----------



## Mike_C

V_Scapes said:


> Thanks man! 70 and sunny in southwest florida currently, about to head out for some fresh lobster.


My wife and I have been thinking of a trip to Florida...or really any red state. It would be nice to see people living again. How was the flight with the mask BS?


----------



## Mike_C

demetrios007 said:


> I'm in morris county Roxbury area. Guy I've been subbing for has run things to the ground. I finally got paid from the December storm after pressing hard and getting piece payments. I ended things nicely because my skidsteer was onsite for a few days after the storm (inside locked garage) and had 7 hours on it I didn't put on or authorize. So if anybody ends up needing help for rest of year if we ever get snow reach out. I have a skid and a plow truck free rest of the season


I've got some work that way but everything's locked up for this season. Might have work for you next season if you haven't found something long term before then


----------



## MGLC

truckie80 said:


> Off topic, but do you do any design work for other contractors? I've got a good long time customer who's moving into a new house they had built. The builder already did the hardscape and I met with them about the landscaping. There's a lot of space, with a few grade challenges and a lot of different moving parts going on which is above my design capabilities. We can handle the actual install, but the planning phase is probably better to farm out


Yeah I can help you put something together, I've got about a dozen designs I'm working on right now for spring but theres plenty of time. Shoot me a message and we'll talk.


----------



## demetrios007

Thanx mike. Probably wont be much again this year anyway.


----------



## MKWL2

Looks like another week of seasonal temperatures and not a snowflake in sight... should be some good deals on like new and new snow equipment forthcoming shortly


----------



## djt1029

A storm sure would be nice, we haven't stopped working yet I'd like a break while waiting for things to melt off.


----------



## V_Scapes

J.Ricci said:


> Jealous. Enjoy it. How long are you there for?


I have a flight back Thursday morning, then driving upstate Friday morning to snowmobile.


Mike_C said:


> My wife and I have been thinking of a trip to Florida...or really any red state. It would be nice to see people living again. How was the flight with the mask BS?


I absolutely hate wearing a mask but to be honest it wasn't bad at all. The county I'm in mandates a mask but some don't abide by it and no one cares, it's awesome. Regardless, the bars and restaurants are 100 percent open and packed. I wouldn't hesitate on coming down the weather is incredible.


----------



## J.Ricci

V_Scapes said:


> I have a flight back Thursday morning, then driving upstate Friday morning to snowmobile.
> 
> I absolutely hate wearing a mask but to be honest it wasn't bad at all. The county I'm in mandates a mask but some don't abide by it and no one cares, it's awesome. Regardless, the bars and restaurants are 100 percent open and packed. I wouldn't hesitate on coming down the weather is incredible.


I'm flying to South Dakota the end of the month, not looking forward to the mask for the flight, I don't even wear them to stores anymore but I can't wait to spend some time in a "normal" world again


----------



## shawn_

J.Ricci said:


> I'm flying to South Dakota the end of the month, not looking forward to the mask for the flight, I don't even wear them to stores anymore but I can't wait to spend some time in a "normal" world again


All you gotta do is be eating or drinking, the entire flight I just kept asking for water, soda , coffee whatever I could too keep unmasked . also I would recommend a mask that has material u can breath through easily .

i cansend you a Amazon link of the ones my wife bought for our trip to Florida . It wasn't terrible


----------



## Mike_C

V_Scapes said:


> I have a flight back Thursday morning, then driving upstate Friday morning to snowmobile.
> 
> I absolutely hate wearing a mask but to be honest it wasn't bad at all. The county I'm in mandates a mask but some don't abide by it and no one cares, it's awesome. Regardless, the bars and restaurants are 100 percent open and packed. I wouldn't hesitate on coming down the weather is incredible.


Might have to do that, I really don't want my kids having to wear a muzzle for that long but they have to do it in school too so they can tolerate them more than I can. Even looked in to South Dakota but I don't really know if there's enough for the kids to do there


----------



## AllAboutGreen

Tony_D said:


> Hi guys; I'm a new guy here from Hudson County hoping to learn from everyone here. I'll be 21 in a few weeks and want to learn as much as possible. I just bought my first plow last year before that I was doing everything with snowblowers unfortunately most of my customers still need to be done with snowblowers I've been following these post since last winter


Welcome! Im located in eastern Union County. As everyone else has already mentioned take up these guys on the work experience opportunities. I went to college and ran my business while I was away at school in PA. I have a business degree and it has helped with some aspects but experience is key.

Got a weather update from Weather Works LLC this mrng, call for enhanced snow showers/squalls very late tonight/tomorrow am that will more then likely bring a coating to 1" (for Union County) hoping to get a salt run in......


----------



## AllAboutGreen

LAB INC said:


> Very happy with my XL even know I only used it one time this year.
> View attachment 212010
> View attachment 212010
> View attachment 212011


Beautiful truck


----------



## LAB INC

AllAboutGreen said:


> Beautiful truck


Thank you so much.


----------



## AllAboutGreen

I had all the bobcat services done last week, had been trying to get the tech out there since Nov 1


----------



## iceyman

Possible salt run tmrw am


----------



## J.Ricci

shawn_ said:


> All you gotta do is be eating or drinking, the entire flight I just kept asking for water, soda , coffee whatever I could too keep unmasked . also I would recommend a mask that has material u can breath through easily .
> 
> i cansend you a Amazon link of the ones my wife bought for our trip to Florida . It wasn't terrible


Yeah send me the link. I've only worn gaiters a few times and still haven't worn a real mask yet even as we come up on the 11 month anniversary of "15 days to flatten the curve"


----------



## J.Ricci

Mike_C said:


> Even looked in to South Dakota but I don't really know if there's enough for the kids to do there


We should just organize a plowsite meetup in South Dakota where living is still legal


----------



## sota

... but I don't/won't fly.


----------



## eastendpm

Who was dreaming of snow last night? Whoever it was should buy a lottery ticket.

Flurries here in Bergen. Don't know if you can catch em in the pic. Camera doesn't do it justice.


----------



## treeguyry

A few flakes briefly here also


----------



## sota

it flaked here too.


----------



## eastendpm

I need bed space for 2 toro's right by the tailgate since this truck runs a resi route. Got creative with the counterweight!

Allows the tailgate to drop no problem, and my truck won't get light when we've blown through most of our bagged calcium. Kinda doubles as a tough bumper & is quickly and easily removed between storms.


----------



## Mike_C

Off topic but who's this kid wearing 86 for the Devils tonight?


----------



## V_Scapes

Mike_C said:


> Off topic but who's this kid wearing 86 for the Devils tonight?


It's killing me not being able to watch.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Lol ya I grabbed a couple lottos earlier lol. I got ya guys with a little if I hit


----------



## UniqueTouch

That’s a great idea for a counter weight


----------



## sota

eastendpm said:


> I need bed space for 2 toro's right by the tailgate since this truck runs a resi route. Got creative with the counterweight!
> 
> Allows the tailgate to drop no problem, and my truck won't get light when we've blown through most of our bagged calcium. Kinda doubles as a tough bumper & is quickly and easily removed between storms.
> View attachment 212079


I'm dense. what is it?


----------



## MGLC

Mike_C said:


> Off topic but who's this kid wearing 86 for the Devils tonight?


He came a long way in a year



sota said:


> I'm dense. what is it?


Looks like JD counter weights


----------



## eastendpm

Weight bracket for the hitch. Holds tractor suitcase weights.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

I'd looked into something like that in the past; over budget for me. Can't deny the benefit of keeping the bed open though. I've got too many tight properties to fit into also.


----------



## shawn_

snow is falling in Middletown NJ, don’t know what’s to come but it’s nice seeing some flakes .


----------



## Randall Ave

shawn_ said:


> snow is falling in Middletown NJ, don't know what's to come but it's nice seeing some flakes .


Got a real light dusting here this morning.


----------



## djt1029

Quick salt run here for a patchy dusting


----------



## sota

snowing actively right now along rt. 78.
enough to cover the mulch and grass in white, but the roads are clear.
very gentle falling snow.


----------



## sota

that heavy hitch thing is pretty neat, but i'm a cheap bastard. and that'll cost a lot.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Haven't cried in over 20 years and watching Trump leave after the biggest fraud ever I truly had to fight back the tears. Sad where this country is headed. Sorry for the off topic comment but needed to be said. Thanks for everything PRESIDENT TRUMP.


----------



## eastendpm

sota said:


> that heavy hitch thing is pretty neat, but i'm a cheap bastard. and that'll cost a lot.


yeah it wasn't the cheapest set up the hitch Itself was reasonable at $175 but those JD weights are $90 each. I searched all over CL and FB market but they apparently don't lose much value lol. They were all the same price as the dealer. You could prob get away with the 42lb weights on the jeep. Which are cheaper.

I was actually thinking how clutch it would be for a jeep due to the fact that there isn't too much room behind the rear wheels for weight. Plus effect of the weight is increased due to it being further behind the rear axle. Also adding a little length to an already really short rig is not too much of a problem.


----------



## MGLC

eastendpm said:


> yeah it wasn't the cheapest set up the hitch Itself was reasonable at $175 but those JD weights are $90 each. I searched all over CL and FB market but they apparently don't lose much value lol. They were all the same price as the dealer. You could prob get away with the 42lb weights on the jeep. Which are cheaper.
> 
> I was actually thinking how clutch it would be for a jeep due to the fact that there isn't too much room behind the rear wheels for weight. Plus effect of the weight is increased due to it being further behind the rear axle. Also adding a little length to an already really short rig is not too much of a problem.


Might have to add this to one of my residential trucks


----------



## Western1

Pricey but nice set up


----------



## Kevin_NJ

That burst of snow accumulated pretty quick. I went from nothing to a coating on driveway in under 5 minutes. I can't believe how many people were salting parking lots for it though, goes to show the need for billing or doubting the weather guessers I suppose; also CYA from the ambulance chasers. Even Bucky didn't have a million salt and brines trucks out for it like he would have in previous years.


----------



## J.Ricci

UniqueTouch said:


> Haven't cried in over 20 years and watching Trump leave after the biggest fraud ever I truly had to fight back the tears. Sad where this country is headed. Sorry for the off topic comment but needed to be said. Thanks for everything PRESIDENT TRUMP.


Welcome to sleepy Joe's handler's America.


----------



## MKWL2

J.Ricci said:


> Welcome to sleepy Joe's handler's America.


Yup- it's going to be a rough next couple years...


----------



## shawn_

I pray for america & all you guys that rely on the economy that they do not ruin what we just got done the past few years ...... 

Market stays up and these idiots succeed as leaders . Because if everything crashes well the. It’ll all be obvious .


----------



## Randall Ave

Anything that goes south, it will be blamed on Trump. Biden is just the dog in the show anyway. 
Cold and windy up on the hill here today.


----------



## Randall Ave

I no it will fall apart, but I'm seeing some snow for Monday.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Two *potential *systems next week. 26th-ish & 29th-ish.


----------



## Randall Ave

Kevin_NJ said:


> Two *potential *systems next week. 26th-ish & 29th-ish.


There coming, every job I have next week will not fit in the garage. So it has ta snow.


----------



## V_Scapes

Kevin_NJ said:


> Two *potential *systems next week. 26th-ish & 29th-ish.


Forget it at this point, would rather see a early spring.


----------



## sota

eastendpm said:


> yeah it wasn't the cheapest set up the hitch Itself was reasonable at $175 but those JD weights are $90 each. I searched all over CL and FB market but they apparently don't lose much value lol. They were all the same price as the dealer. You could prob get away with the 42lb weights on the jeep. Which are cheaper.
> 
> I was actually thinking how clutch it would be for a jeep due to the fact that there isn't too much room behind the rear wheels for weight. Plus effect of the weight is increased due to it being further behind the rear axle. Also adding a little length to an already really short rig is not too much of a problem.


I have about 550# of patio blocks in the back right now. They're in a box in the back, just aft of the rear axle. Cost about $50. 
Told ya I was cheap.


----------



## rizzoa13

1. Get shovel
2. Shovel dirt into truck.
3. ?????
4. Profit.


----------



## eastendpm

That sounds painstakingly slow and I guess you just shovel it all back out when we don’t get the snow they forecasted lmao!


----------



## UniqueTouch

I have a ranger gxt250 and tailgate spreader this year. Haven’t really had any testing except that girls December storm but first time having some decent weight in the back. Amazing the difference


----------



## shawn_

I haven’t plowed in a truck without a v box in the back in about 3 years , so that December storm I got into one of my trucks without one and i hated it . Haven’t turned 4x4 on in my personal plow truck in forever that was dreadful


----------



## iceyman

Monday night looks solid with a bigger one behind it


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Monday night looks solid with a bigger one behind it


Sounds like a blind date I once had.


----------



## sota

eastendpm said:


> That sounds painstakingly slow and I guess you just shovel it all back out when we don't get the snow they forecasted lmao!


While I know you're talking about dirt boy, I've taken to this year, just leaving the jeep in plow mode the whole time, and driving the minivan around, since the wife has her car, and mine is down (or rather up, in the air) for suspension bits.


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> Monday night looks solid with a bigger one behind it


Looking like billable work for someone in the state.


----------



## MGLC

Any of you guys have a contact for snowrator parts? Takes forever to SiteOne to get them in


----------



## AG09

V_Scapes said:


> Looking like billable work for someone in the state.


Hopefully a it comes up north more.


----------



## m_ice

MGLC said:


> Any of you guys have a contact for snowrator parts? Takes forever to SiteOne to get them in


I think some of the parts the guys at steel green can get...
@Ajlawn1


----------



## V_Scapes

AG09 said:


> Hopefully a it comes up north more.


Still a few days away but could be a south jersey special.


----------



## Mike_C

V_Scapes said:


> Still a few days away but could be a south jersey special.


It's been probably about 10 years since the last true south jersey special


----------



## V_Scapes

Mike_C said:


> It's been probably about 10 years since the last true south jersey special


Welp, not sure that Jason would really want it now but for @iceyman sake I hope so.


----------



## J.Ricci

I’m down my main salt truck. It'll snow


----------



## MKWL2

Looks like a mix of snow and sleet for us up north- Monday night into mid day Tuesday... we shall see... would love a nice 3” storm Ideally not 3” of concrete though...


----------



## UniqueTouch

Hey yall. any monmouth county guys. You guys know any places that have nice top soil that is covered and not subject to the weather? I know rysers has a cover on theirs wondering if their are anymore. Need a tandem full and want it to be spreadable as possible when we get some warmer weather.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Would be nice to get some snow this up coming week. Have 3 new accounts that I need to stake out but don't want it to be the kiss of death to the storm. lol


----------



## J.Ricci

UniqueTouch said:


> Hey yall. any monmouth county guys. You guys know any places that have nice top soil that is covered and not subject to the weather? I know rysers has a cover on theirs wondering if their are anymore. Need a tandem full and want it to be spreadable as possible when we get some warmer weather.


Pantano


----------



## UniqueTouch

Thank you J.R


----------



## Ajlawn1

MGLC said:


> Any of you guys have a contact for snowrator parts? Takes forever to SiteOne to get them in





m_ice said:


> I think some of the parts the guys at steel green can get...
> @Ajlawn1


Yes they have some but... Actually Siteone has been rather quick on getting stuff that I've needed...


----------



## eastendpm

Got the back rack mounted up and tool box sitting on the mounts going to lock down the placement tomorrow and get it mounted, using stainless wing nuts so it's quick and easy to detach if need be. Then it's onto some auxiliary lighting.

Was driving across the Tappan Zee today and there were some crazy snow squalls approaching the river heading back into jersey the bridge was barely visible, but to the left and right side the sun was shining. Looked like something out of a movie.


----------



## HarryTHook

eastendpm said:


> Got the back rack mounted up and tool box sitting on the mounts going to lock down the placement tomorrow and get it mounted, using stainless wing nuts so it's quick and easy to detach if need be. Then it's onto some auxiliary lighting.


I'll take a pic of the backrack on my truck, has the strobe and lights on it. I used the extra mount on the top for ease of removal and wired it all in with weatherpac connectors. Local wash wont run the truck through with lights on it so I pop them off for the cleanup.


----------



## UniqueTouch

whats up guys. Another off topic question. sorry to the moderator in advance. Looking to buy another mason dump used. Don't want to go crazy spending money. would like to get something under $25k but I want a gas engine. Anyone have any input on which maker makes the best gas engine?


----------



## iceyman

Monday night trending south but now it may be a salt run maybe a lite scrape. Still 2 whole days of model runs and on silver lining is it may be possible to get the next storm up to our area with a sheared out monday storm.. but being from nj we know how thats gone the last 2 years


----------



## iceyman

My wife just remjnded me.. last night that guy on news 12 showed a likely snowstorm for Monday night.. this is the same cackbag that would do a live weather report from local county fairs telling people thunderstorms were likely and basically telling people to stay home.. all the while being only surrounded by vendors at the time of taping.. lets just say im not a fan of his. So yea hes our person to blame


----------



## rizzoa13

What’s Atlantic and Cumberland county looking like? I don’t have time to check 33andrain until tomorrow.


----------



## eastendpm

@iceyman

yes snow totals have dropped on here in NE NJ, who knows maybe this one will surprise us since they aren't blowing the totals out of proportion like they usually do.

Still time for things to change, only time will tell!

On a secondary note, I have always done large residential drives but looking into picking up a few local & manageable commercial accounts. Do you guys find that people are still paying upfront for a set price through the winter or does everyone want "per event" now cuz it hardly ever snows.

would like to sell just enough accounts to pay for owning this snow equipment and maintaining it but have an odd feeling that no one pays up front anymore.

If that's the case I'll stick to my $400-500 driveways. Less headache and less liability.


----------



## S_Marino87

I’m supposed to be on midnight Monday, so I’m trying to decide if I should find coverage so I can plow or just gamble


----------



## Randall Ave

S_Marino87 said:


> I'm supposed to be on midnight Monday, so I'm trying to decide if I should find coverage so I can plow or just gamble


If it don't snow, at least you will be home, and up every hour looking out the window.


----------



## sota

Randall Ave said:


> If it don't snow, at least you will be home, and up every hour looking out the window.











like this?


----------



## MKWL2

Snowstorm lol I’m betting on 4” max Monday night for us NNJ guys, that’s a far cry from a snowstorm,
Or at least it used to be...


----------



## truckie80

eastendpm said:


> @iceyman
> 
> yes snow totals have dropped on here in NE NJ, who knows maybe this one will surprise us since they aren't blowing the totals out of proportion like they usually do.
> 
> Still time for things to change, only time will tell!
> 
> On a secondary note, I have always done large residential drives but looking into picking up a few local & manageable commercial accounts. Do you guys find that people are still paying upfront for a set price through the winter or does everyone want "per event" now cuz it hardly ever snows.
> 
> would like to sell just enough accounts to pay for owning this snow equipment and maintaining it but have an odd feeling that no one pays up front anymore.
> 
> If that's the case I'll stick to my $400-500 driveways. Less headache and less liability.


Most of my work is residential, just a few smaller lots to go with it, but everything is per push


----------



## V_Scapes

eastendpm said:


> @iceyman
> 
> yes snow totals have dropped on here in NE NJ, who knows maybe this one will surprise us since they aren't blowing the totals out of proportion like they usually do.
> 
> Still time for things to change, only time will tell!
> 
> On a secondary note, I have always done large residential drives but looking into picking up a few local & manageable commercial accounts. Do you guys find that people are still paying upfront for a set price through the winter or does everyone want "per event" now cuz it hardly ever snows.
> 
> would like to sell just enough accounts to pay for owning this snow equipment and maintaining it but have an odd feeling that no one pays up front anymore.
> 
> If that's the case I'll stick to my $400-500 driveways. Less headache and less liability.


Damn if that's what your getting for driveways why bother with commercial.


----------



## eastendpm

@vscapes - 

Commercial work usually gets done over a longer period of time, more plowing/shoveling while its snowing, to keep places open and safe, when they are getting the most traffic. This would help get my guys more hours during a snow event, not just waiting to go out and clear the driveways.

Unless its going to be more snow than is manageable, I usually will try to only run the driveway route one time once the snow has started to taper off. I used to go do open ups, but with our weather last few seasons the storms are constantly changing over in the middle to ice. The driveways that I would clear would have a solid sheet of ice on the surface rather than atop the snow. Keep in mind this is less of an issue at a commercial account because I can use an excessive amount of salt and not worry to much about the surface damage where that is not the case on the large paver driveways with bluestone steps etc. For this reason, & the fact that I dont have to have to shovel everything 2X. I have moved towards trying to wait it out if timing works out. 

I could see myself doing some plowing at commercial sites while its coming down, keeping them open and clear during the day, hitting my driveways in the middle and then swing back past the commercials to clean up for a second time after we run through our resi's.

I also have 2 spare trucks to cover the commercial work if the timing wasn't going to work out, or it was going to be a ton of snow. 

Im not looking to do huge commercial lots, just some convenient local lots that are for the most part easy pushes, with minimal hand work.


----------



## sota

so what are people thinking about along the 78 cooridor.


----------



## eastendpm

looks like well be lucky if we get accumulating snow lol


----------



## HarryTHook

eastendpm said:


> I could see myself doing some plowing at commercial sites while its coming down, keeping them open and clear during the day, hitting my driveways in the middle and then swing back past the commercials to clean up for a second time after we run through our resi's.


I used to do that, kinda a PITA. More miles to and from then pushing snow, and 3 shovelers in the truck. Now I have two commercial lots, one that is mid to large with supermarket and stores. Start at 1 inch and out till its over. Coffee run every now and then for shovel guy, let him warm up. Easy work other than vehicles left on lot, which get buried.


----------



## Randall Ave

Cold and the wind is cranking. 6' wind chill here. If it does anything, it should stick.


----------



## MGLC

I’ve got a mix of similar high end driveways and mid size commercial. Bouncing trucks from residential to commercial, back and forth will get old pretty quick. I did it that way for a while but now I’ve got 4 trucks dedicated to the residential route and the rest strictly commercial


----------



## UniqueTouch

ya cold here in Monmouth County, but we know how that goes. As soon as moisture approaches warm air comes in.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Which one of you gentleman were thinking about or asking about getting snow insurance? Pm me if you are in the market. My guy save me 30 percent. Thanks


----------



## sota

does your guy do non-snow insurance as well? I need a better (re: cheaper) auto policy than what USAA provides, for someone with 5 vehicles (soon to be more) and 2 drivers.


----------



## rizzoa13

If your broker can get insurance through New Jersey Manufacturers see what they can do for you. My commercial auto policy with 3 class 7 and 8 trucks and a policy on my work trailer is $5k for the year. When they switched over to NJM it dropped by about half so may be worth it.


----------



## UniqueTouch

yes he does both. But rizzoa is correct I got NJM for my auto policy Million dollar for under $1000


----------



## UniqueTouch

I never asked him for auto just because I knew no one was going to beat NJM. The only ones who are cheaper for auto is USAA which I have for personal vehicles. Unfortunately they do not do commercial auto(they send you through progressive when getting commercial quote) which is a no go for me.


----------



## S_Marino87

NJM saved me a bunch of money too, my pickup, a box truck and cargo van for 30% less than my previous policy


----------



## djt1029

Looks like just a coating to an inch or two here for Tuesday even though it seems to be almost an all day deal


----------



## rizzoa13

My bad thought you meant commercial auto!


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> Looks like just a coating to an inch or two here for Tuesday even though it seems to be almost an all day deal


Yup just another pain. Going to be warm hopefully salt can burn it all off.


----------



## Tony_D

I like the little 1" storms I can get done solo


----------



## iceyman

This us funny lol.. first part goes south .. 2nd part goes north.. me


----------



## iceyman

The only hope is wave after wave comes across the country into feb.. gota get lucky eventually


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> The only hope is wave after wave comes across the country into feb.. gota get lucky eventually


Thursday might be your better shot.


----------



## iceyman

V_Scapes said:


> Thursday might be your better shot.


Ahh thats one for virginia


----------



## truckie80

Is Thursday completely out of the picture now?


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> Ahh thats one for virginia


Oh really? I'm out of the loop alittle I was upstate all weekend.


----------



## treeguyry

iceyman said:


> Ahh thats one for virginia


Works for me, I've got a busy week coming up still getting calls from the Christmas Eve storm


----------



## sota

iceyman said:


> This us funny lol.. first part goes south .. 2nd part goes north.. me


gonna frost my bushes.


----------



## shawn_

:hammerhead: Unbelievable


----------



## sota

tell me about it.
I dropped $ on snow tires last year before the season started, thinking we'd be getting the goods. at this rate i'll be looking at a decade+ of use on them.


----------



## Mike_C

My main mechanic just walked into my office to let me know everything is in working order for the storm and they have no snow equipment left to work on. That’s a first for the morning before a storm


----------



## iceyman

Mike_C said:


> My main mechanic just walked into my office to let me know everything is in working order for the storm and they have no snow equipment left to work on. That's a first for the morning before a storm


You guys will be more tuesday\night storm.. first part just dies out then the low comes across and gives nnj a couple inches


----------



## iceyman

The euro still spreads an inch around close to cnj so maybe a salt run or scrape here


----------



## shawn_

Hoping for a salt/ scrape on all the accounts*trucewhiteflag*


----------



## J.Ricci

This time I'm not pulling machines off any jobs, we'll just make due with what we have if it accumulates


----------



## V_Scapes

J.Ricci said:


> This time I'm not pulling machines off any jobs, we'll just make due with what we have if it accumulates


I wouldn't. Even up here it'll be marginal.


----------



## treeguyry

I put the plows on this morning so it’s one less thing to do tomorrow, we’ll be working until (if) the snow gets too heavy tomorrow 2 jobs on the schedule.


----------



## S_Marino87

Not looking too promising


----------



## V_Scapes

S_Marino87 said:


> Not looking too promising


Hope to at least scrape the lots instead of sitting around all night staring out the window.


----------



## djt1029

Seems like a lot of looking out the window on tap for tomorrow, looks like I'm too far east to really get anything


----------



## LAB INC

iceyman said:


> The only hope is wave after wave comes across the country into feb.. gota get lucky eventually


What thinking for Sunday-Tuesday I see it says snow.


----------



## Mike_C

LAB INC said:


> What thinking for Sunday-Tuesday I see it says snow.


Don't get too excited, like the "lockdown" bull**** the goal posts just get moved day after day from the start of winter until April.


----------



## MKWL2

Looks like up to 2" of slippery cement with a little crust possible through the day tomorrow and tomorrow night- nice long drawn out event  Would be nice to wind up with a good 2" tomorrow night though so we can go through most of the routes- plow trucks have been sitting a lot more than working this year.


----------



## HarryTHook

What a dud so far....


----------



## shawn_

My wife is getting induced February 2nd, it’s a Tuesday I see snow in the forecast .... it should be like clockwork storm of the year coming soon ......


----------



## J.Ricci

Laying bluestone today, all covered from the 1/32nd of an inch of snow we might get



shawn_ said:


> My wife is getting induced February 2nd, it's a Tuesday I see snow in the forecast .... it should be like clockwork storm of the year coming soon ......


The way the last few years have done it'll probably just be a miserably timed salt run. The weather gods and your kid are probably syncing their watches as we speak


----------



## MKWL2

Starting to snow out in Warren County right now... we shall see what happens, looks like a long drawn out 1-3 incher lol


----------



## sota

windy here, but nothing falling.
5 county plows are across the street in the park, doing nothing but burning my tax dollars.
correction: make it 6. and a comcast bucket truck. guess he's staged for lines coming down?


----------



## UniqueTouch

sleet here


----------



## Dondo

Started snowing pretty good here in Butler about 15 minutes ago. Let's see how long it lasts.


----------



## UniqueTouch

anyone have an information on the weather in Holmdel?


----------



## djt1029

Snowing in Bergen County, TWC app shows it already starting to mix in a few hours though


----------



## shawn_

UniqueTouch said:


> anyone have an information on the weather in Holmdel?


Holmdel is a sleet / rain mix

glad I pre salted everything


----------



## UniqueTouch

Yea I was thinking I would do that last night but never know with these weather morons on tv. I am debating on if I should drive out there now or if it will be raining by then. So hard to tell these guys literally know nothing


----------



## shawn_

UniqueTouch said:


> Yea I was thinking I would do that last night but never know with these weather morons on tv. I am debating on if I should drive out there now or if it will be raining by then. So hard to tell these guys literally know nothing


I did everything last night, almost all lots by me & everywhere I drove by today was pre treated .


----------



## Tony_D

Snowing here in Secaucus, sticking a little here and there


----------



## J.Ricci

Pre-treated everything above exit 105, that's probably all my billing for this one


----------



## shawn_

Coming down now big flakes , hazlet/ key port area .


----------



## truckie80

Fine flakes up here in Montvale


----------



## V_Scapes

On and off light to moderate here.


----------



## UniqueTouch

VScapes. Where are you located?


----------



## Mike_C

We had a moderate band come in to kick things off and drop a quick dusting in about 5 mins, it's been lighter since then


----------



## V_Scapes

UniqueTouch said:


> VScapes. Where are you located?


NW passaic


----------



## HeatMiser

Fine flakes and what sounds like a little bit of sleet hitting my window at the moment. My municipal trucks have been on standby since 9AM...taxpayer money at work.


----------



## shawn_

HeatMiser said:


> Fine flakes and what sounds like a little bit of sleet hitting my window at the moment. My municipal trucks have been on standby since 9AM...taxpayer money at work.


To be fair their on straight time.....


----------



## shawn_

Hoping temps continue to trend cooler then anticipated might be able to squeeze another salting out .


----------



## Randall Ave

On and off here, just an anoying wet mess.


----------



## AllAboutGreen

Snowed at a moderate rate for a while between10-12:45 here in Union County


I pre treated everything last night. everyone around me did the same. Looks like over night salt run is all this storm has left.....


----------



## HeatMiser

shawn_ said:


> To be fair their on straight time.....


I mean my trucks that are sub contracted to the county. My guys are getting paid and its not out of my pocket, so I'm not complaining I just think its pointless


----------



## djt1029

Just looked out the window, not too sure how it's possible but even though it's still snowing light almost everything melted off my walkway already


----------



## sota

grass, walkway, deck, driveway, all have coating.
for a bit there the roads had definite white untraveled stripes, but that all dissipated within an hour.
sleet came down at just before 1, but it's doing nothing of note as of now.


----------



## sota




----------



## Mike_C

Radar looks pretty weak


----------



## V_Scapes

I just checked the radar also, doesn't show anything coming in from the west??


----------



## Tony_D

I just went out and salted my dads building in Carlstadt, mostly just some slush around. I need to get more commercial work I don't think I'll get to do most if any of my houses this storm


----------



## eastendpm

Nothing noteworthy here in NE Bergen. Snowed at a good clip for a while I was hoping it dropped more than it did... 

They did say it was supposed to sputter out mid day and then another wave rolling in later in the day but for some reason I feel like thats not going to happen! 

Hoping we can get at least an inch to clear all the drives and get in another round of billing in!


----------



## djt1029

If the radar's accurate, I should go out now and salt so I can be done and home to watch the Devils


----------



## eastendpm

Im all the way in the top right corner of NJ I can hit NY state with a golf ball, I’m like 10 min from the Tappan Zee. Radar is showing a break from now till about 5pm and then some blue rolling back into the forecast till about 9pm.

Undecided as to weather I should go out salting & scraping now or wait till the whole mess is over with. Hate jumping the gun and then getting another coating and having to loop back through the route for basically nothing.

My phone says it’s 29 degrees so I don’t know how it’s not snowing. Seems like this mixing bull**** is the new normal for us. We can never just get pure snow!


----------



## eastendpm

@djt1029 where are you located?


----------



## V_Scapes

Tony_D said:


> I just went out and salted my dads building in Carlstadt, mostly just some slush around. I need to get more commercial work I don't think I'll get to do most if any of my houses this storm


Consider working for a reputable company as a sub. Sometimes I wish I wouldve stayed working as a sub, let someone else handle the headaches.



djt1029 said:


> If the radar's accurate, I should go out now and salt so I can be done and home to watch the Devils


Philly is always a good game. I might head out shortly, its barely doing anything here.


----------



## djt1029

eastendpm said:


> @djt1029 where are you located?


The bulk of my plowing is in Paramus, Hackensack & Tenafly


----------



## Randall Ave

Just a little misty here.


----------



## Tony_D

V_Scapes said:


> Consider working for a reputable company as a sub. Sometimes I wish I wouldve stayed working as a sub, let someone else handle the headaches.


I really want to sub for someone to get some experience but I haven't had any luck finding someone local and reputable. I talked to one guy this fall but he seemed to be really odd and I felt like it would be a fight to get paid


----------



## djt1029

I just took a quick ride through some of my route, we're not even going to get a full salting in tonight. Pre-treat worked well I've got a little slush in some cold patches and that's it


----------



## iceyman

V_Scapes said:


> I just checked the radar also, doesn't show anything coming in from the west??


The low is way north .. no precip here


----------



## iceyman

Check out this forecast.. geez


----------



## J.Ricci

iceyman said:


> Check out this forecast.. geez


Holy cow, where's that?


----------



## sota

and why isn't it here.


----------



## MKWL2

sota said:


> and why isn't it here.


Keep that forecast far way from here... that's a nightmare come to life for someone unless they're plowing with tractors and loaders exclusively...


----------



## Randall Ave

sota said:


> and why isn't it here.


Roofs would be caving in. And anything half ton and under would be hurting unless you were going constantly, and even then who knows?


----------



## Mattymax

That looks miserable. Gives me chillz


----------



## MKWL2

Randall Ave said:


> Roofs would be caving in. And anything half ton and under would be hurting unless you were going constantly, and even then who knows?


Completely agree- that's a nightmare type situation right there!


----------



## MGLC

Even skids and small loaders would be near useless in that mess


----------



## V_Scapes

Salt run for all the sites, didn't bother with the driveways. I'll check everything in the AM.


----------



## Mike_C

Anywhere from just rain to a few inches, everyone should be done and parked by 2am


----------



## truckie80

My guys just got back from running through my picky residential customers, I'll head out to salt commercials at 10


----------



## MKWL2

Salted a couple places out here in Warren but my guys said they got less than an inch in NW Bergen so unless they get more overnight not really much to do on resis there unless people call in the AM wanting salt... looks like 38-40 and partly sunny tomorrow so most will burn off on its own. Cold after that though!


----------



## sota

at least it'd be something.
god you people are such negative nancy's


----------



## djt1029

Full salt route in the books. For less than 5 mins it was a borderline whiteout on Route 80 then it shut off completely


----------



## eastendpm

Well we went out around 7-8pm ended up scraping 17 out of 25. We did anything that was steep & our zero tolerance clients. 

The snow kept turning on and would dump for 15 min lay down another 1/4”- 1/2” then stop again. Hoping the calcium i layed down will burn it right up if we get some morning sun!

Coffee is just wearing off now getting ready to pass out and I get an alert on my phone that another inch might come down! lol 

Looking ahead, anybody know what the deal is with this late weekend storm? My phone says watching a potential winter storm from Sunday night- Tuesday?


----------



## MKWL2

Yup I’m hearing murmurings of a “winter storm” Sunday through Tuesday... that would be one heck of a long duration event... temps look marginal though unfortunately which means... snow to rain to snow to ice to sleet to rain to snow... so it would probably be some nice cement to push around. Anyone remember when we used to get actual SNOW storms?


----------



## Mike_C

That time frame will definitely tighten up


----------



## AG09

no complaints about yesterdays bs. Got in 3 salt runs


----------



## AG09

MKWL2 said:


> Anyone remember when we used to get actual SNOW storms?


feels like ages ago....just let us get a nice 4-6" fluff to push for once.


----------



## Randall Ave

MKWL2 said:


> Yup I'm hearing murmurings of a "winter storm" Sunday through Tuesday... that would be one heck of a long duration event... temps look marginal though unfortunately which means... snow to rain to snow to ice to sleet to rain to snow... so it would probably be some nice cement to push around. Anyone remember when we used to get actual SNOW storms?


 It will change ten times before then, but a normal snow storm like years ago would be nice.


----------



## V_Scapes

Another salt run here too.

Monday has the potential to be a decent storm but lots of moving parts that need to come together. Still a ways out.


----------



## MKWL2

Fingers crossed for a nice 6-8” storm with at least relatively fluffy snow... one can dream


----------



## Klaibs27

The Euro had a nice storm for the past 3-4 runs and it went "poof" on last night's 00z run. The GFS didn't have anything until this morning and it's "decent" but the mixed bag of precip chance is still there. So of course, we're in a wait and see mode.


----------



## MGLC

3 saltings in on commercials, one on driveways. No complaints.

My guess for early next week, a long drawn out mix of rain/sleet/snow ending up with a few inches of slush


----------



## Tony_D

I did a few of my houses this morning but not even half. Oh well


----------



## AG09

MGLC said:


> My guess for early next week, a long drawn out mix of rain/sleet/snow ending up with a few inches of slush


So tired of these mix bag storms! Is it too much to ask for just one nice powder storm?


----------



## MKWL2

AG09 said:


> So tired of these mix bag storms! Is it too much to ask for just one nice powder storm?


Agreed, I can't remember the last time we had a nice 4" or more storm where it didn't mix and turn to cement...


----------



## Randall Ave

MKWL2 said:


> Agreed, I can't remember the last time we had a nice 4" or more storm where it didn't mix and turn to cement...


A own DPW says its coming, just dropped off a tetnus shot off for a bunch of hydraulics lines.


----------



## MKWL2

Randall Ave said:


> A own DPW says its coming, just dropped off a tetnus shot off for a bunch of hydraulics lines.


I sure hope so, would love to get a nice SNOW storm for a change... nothing crazy, 4-8" of fluff preferably ending around 9-10pm


----------



## Randall Ave

MKWL2 said:


> I sure hope so, would love to get a nice SNOW storm for a change... nothing crazy, 4-8" of fluff preferably ending around 9-10pm


48", sure.


----------



## MKWL2

Randall Ave said:


> 48", sure.


Definitely not 48" lol that's a nightmare come to life


----------



## Mike_C

When the December storm turned into a wet mess we probably missed our chance for powder for the year


----------



## MKWL2

Anyone else seeing their GL and Commercial Auto premiums increasing like 15-20% each year? No claims, no changes to coverage, just premiums skyrocketing. Speaking with my agent, apparently there are only a handfull of carriers who will even write snow in NJ anymore, and of those, premiums surge up each year. Getting to the point where we're really questioning if it's worth it to do snow in future years, premiums surging up and average snowfall getting less and less each winter. Anyone else running into this?


----------



## UniqueTouch

Hey guys anyone have any good spots to buy black aluminum fence need 30 line posts , 30 4ft sections, 5 foot gate. Looking for a place to buy them.


----------



## MGLC

If we just got a normal amount of snow, the overhead that comes with snow wouldn't sting as much. Just wait until next winter when gas is $4/gallon on top of the usual garbage. After this year I'm scaling back my snow operations no more plowing for any properties that we don't also maintain year round. That's always been my residential policy, but it will go for commercial next year as well. Just not as worth it as it was years ago



UniqueTouch said:


> Hey guys anyone have any good spots to buy black aluminum fence need 30 line posts , 30 4ft sections, 5 foot gate. Looking for a place to buy them.


Where are you located?


----------



## eastendpm

Just got back in from double checking my residential accounts. Mostly everything was melted off, except for the few clients who don't take calcium, even those I layed the shovel back down quick and cleaned them up nice.

It was like ghost town out last night, not a lot of contractors did anything about the 1" that came down. With the upcoming temps I think it's going to cause some really slippery situations for untreated/scraped locations

Here is a shot of a driveway across from one of my accounts. Taken 3:30pm today. This stuff if gunna freeze up real nice and make for slippery conditions for the remainder of the week/weekend.


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> Anyone else seeing their GL and Commercial Auto premiums increasing like 15-20% each year? No claims, no changes to coverage, just premiums skyrocketing. Speaking with my agent, apparently there are only a handfull of carriers who will even write snow in NJ anymore, and of those, premiums surge up each year. Getting to the point where we're really questioning if it's worth it to do snow in future years, premiums surging up and average snowfall getting less and less each winter. Anyone else running into this?


I believe I am one of the fortunate few that still have snow as a rider on my GL policy. That being said I will NEVER change that policy if I don't have to.


----------



## J.Ricci

UniqueTouch said:


> Hey guys anyone have any good spots to buy black aluminum fence need 30 line posts , 30 4ft sections, 5 foot gate. Looking for a place to buy them.


Precision fence in Barnegat


----------



## iceyman

J.Ricci said:


> Holy cow, where's that?


Tahoe


----------



## iceyman

Mike_C said:


> When the December storm turned into a wet mess we probably missed our chance for powder for the year


Until monday that is


----------



## truckie80

It's hard to get excited about any potential storms with the way the last few years have gone.


----------



## V_Scapes

truckie80 said:


> It's hard to get excited about any potential storms with the way the last few years have gone.


How about the last few storms? Apparently 8-9" is the new 18-24" and .5" is the new 2-4".


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> I believe I am one of the fortunate few that still have snow as a rider on my GL policy. That being said I will NEVER change that policy if I don't have to.


I have a road policy on my pickup truck, my writer told me if I ever give it up, I will never get it back.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

The weather weenies over at 33andrain seem to be getting excited. Time will tell.


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> I have a road policy on my pickup truck, my writer told me if I ever give it up, I will never get it back.


A rider? My agent told me the same thing.



Kevin_NJ said:


> The weather weenies over at 33andrain seem to be getting excited. Time will tell.


Too early yet.


----------



## shawn_

I was surprised I let me insurance laps (took advantage of COVID) and my insurance when I got the policy re-written it dropped $4500 between both GL & Auto . Which I thought was insane but I did not argue or question. The only question I had was that I had the same coverage as my previous policy and it was a YES .

sign me up


----------



## UniqueTouch

Thank you J.R


----------



## Kevin_NJ

V_Scapes said:


> Too early yet.


I agree. Just passing along my observation.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> A rider? My agent told me the same thing.
> 
> Too early yet.


I guess that's what the agent called it, I have had this policy for a long time. But if this an next year do not get any better, I'm done, I will just hang out here for tech service, and the comedy.


----------



## djt1029

V_Scapes said:


> How about the last few storms? Apparently 8-9" is the new 18-24" and .5" is the new 2-4".


Cut the forecast in half and that's generally more reliable. That's been the case for a few years here on the eastern edge of NJ


----------



## MKWL2

eastendpm said:


> Just got back in from double checking my residential accounts. Mostly everything was melted off, except for the few clients who don't take calcium, even those I layed the shovel back down quick and cleaned them up nice.
> 
> It was like ghost town out last night, not a lot of contractors did anything about the 1" that came down. With the upcoming temps I think it's going to cause some really slippery situations for untreated/scraped locations
> 
> Here is a shot of a driveway across from one of my accounts. Taken 3:30pm today. This stuff if gunna freeze up real nice and make for slippery conditions for the remainder of the week/weekend.
> 
> View attachment 212552


My guys salted a couple steep ones that get salt but most people would refuse to pay for scraping an inch when contract calls for 2" minimum


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> I believe I am one of the fortunate few that still have snow as a rider on my GL policy. That being said I will NEVER change that policy if I don't have to.


Who's your carrier?


----------



## MKWL2

shawn_ said:


> I was surprised I let me insurance laps (took advantage of COVID) and my insurance when I got the policy re-written it dropped $4500 between both GL & Auto . Which I thought was insane but I did not argue or question. The only question I had was that I had the same coverage as my previous policy and it was a YES .
> 
> sign me up


Wow that's some dumb luck right there


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> Who's your carrier?


The Hartford.
Right now I have them for WC and GL. My agent called me spring 2019 and said my commercial auto was going up almost 5k with them or something crazy so he found me a new policy thank god. They say to shop around for insurance every few years but my agent is awesome.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> The Hartford.
> Right now I have them for WC and GL. My agent called me spring 2019 and said my commercial auto was going up almost 5k with them or something crazy so he found me a new policy thank god. They say to shop around for insurance every few years but my agent is awesome.


Gotcha, I have the Hartford for WC and they've been pretty good but Merchants is killing me on auto and GL... who's your agent?


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> Gotcha, I have the Hartford for WC and they've been pretty good but Merchants is killing me on auto and GL... who's your agent?


G&S Financial from Totowa.


----------



## rizzoa13

My commercial auto cut in half going from merchants to NJM see if you can find someone who uses NJM.


----------



## MKWL2

rizzoa13 said:


> My commercial auto cut in half going from merchants to NJM see if you can find someone who uses NJM.


I've heard that, which agent do you use?


----------



## rizzoa13

I’ll pm you his number. He’s far from you but does an insurance guy really need to be close?


----------



## treeguyry

When my policy's due up I'm going to check out NJM, I'm really getting whacked over the head. I know 4 class 7&8 trucks drive the price up but I'm sure I'm overpaying right now


----------



## iceyman

saddle up boys


----------



## Mike_C

We shall see. If NJ misses the brunt of it next week, we're heading up to New England for a couple days. Need to make some snow money somewhere


----------



## MKWL2

It’s definitely looking like we’re going to see something in the Sunday night-Tuesday timeframe... hopefully it stays as all snow... the models seem to be waffling on that a bit...


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> saddle up boys


The weather channel upped its totals, and channel 12 this morning said south jersey should see some also.


----------



## HarryTHook

Randall Ave said:


> The weather channel upped its totals, and channel 12 this morning said south jersey should see some also.


If you go through all the models there is a chance south jersey could get whacked.


----------



## rizzoa13

treeguyry said:


> When my policy's due up I'm going to check out NJM, I'm really getting whacked over the head. I know 4 class 7&8 trucks drive the price up but I'm sure I'm overpaying right now


Ive got 3 class 7 and 8 and a $50,000 work trailer on my policy and am paying right at $5k per year for auto as reference with NJM.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Merchants was killing me too so I left them and saved two grand on general. Never had them for auto but I don’t think anyone can beat NJM for auto


----------



## UniqueTouch

Looks like the weather temps went up a little bit as they always do for next week


----------



## eastendpm

Totals are up a good bit from yesterday. That’s not to say it won’t turn out to be nothing, but a man can dream lol.

We all have plenty of expensive snow equipment sitting around so would be nice to get out there and make some money with it. Only time will tell!

Happy that I went out and cleared my driveways tue night, driving around looking at all the accounts that didn’t get serviced and they are pure sheets of ice. Have fun plowing 6-8” of heavy and wet on top of that!

Anyone notice the full moon last night. I walked outside around midnight and between the moon and the snow covered ground it was like broad daylight outside it was crazy!


----------



## shawn_

Anyone follow the market? It’s going insane right now ..... follow along on Reddit for the next wolf of Wall Street move


----------



## MKWL2

shawn_ said:


> Anyone follow the market? It's going insane right now ..... follow along on Reddit for the next wolf of Wall Street move


Yup it's going to be interesting to see what today brings by close


----------



## V_Scapes

eastendpm said:


> Anyone notice the full moon last night. I walked outside around midnight and between the moon and the snow covered ground it was like broad daylight outside it was crazy!


I saw that too, pretty cool.

Whether it's a lighter or heavier event it's going to be long duration which sucks.


----------



## shawn_

MKWL2 said:


> Yup it's going to be interesting to see what today brings by close


Robinhood banned trading of multiple stocks, TD Ameritrade crashed again like yesterday trading is haulted . Wallstreetbets is going nuts...

this is so much fun


----------



## J.Ricci

shawn_ said:


> Anyone follow the market? It's going insane right now ..... follow along on Reddit for the next wolf of Wall Street move


I jumped on it late last week...if I keep playing my cards right I'll be retired from plowing & construction in a year and I'll just come on here to talk **** with you all


----------



## shawn_

J.Ricci said:


> I jumped on it late last week...if I keep playing my cards right I'll be retired from plowing & construction in a year and I'll just come on here to talk **** with you all


Thanks for sharing the info LOL next time let us know


----------



## J.Ricci

shawn_ said:


> Thanks for sharing the info LOL next time let us know


Haha I was 50/50 if it'd work out or I'd take a bath. I almost sold on Tuesday


----------



## Mike_C

I moved a little over to GME yesterday about an hour before the bell. The desperation from wall street right now basically shutting down everything across the board is hilarious. Hopefully most people are smart enough to hold the line


----------



## Petr51488

shawn_ said:


> Robinhood banned trading of multiple stocks, TD Ameritrade crashed again like yesterday trading is haulted . Wallstreetbets is going nuts...
> 
> this is so much fun


which is total bull. Can they do that? I tried looking at it- and it won't even show up.


----------



## Petr51488

shawn_ said:


> Anyone follow the market? It's going insane right now ..... follow along on Reddit for the next wolf of Wall Street move


weather related topics only. Thank you.


----------



## MKWL2

Petr51488 said:


> which is total bull****. Can they do that? I tried looking at it- and it won't even show up.


I was able to squeak in a few AME shares on Chase Uinvest this morning right after opening- so far not looking great but we'll see what happens... Apparently chase is limiting it also though couple buddies couldn't buy on the chase platform either.


----------



## MKWL2

Petr51488 said:


> weather related topics only. Thank you.


Speaking of weather- looks like we're looking at something coming early next week, weather.com is all over it with 12+ for most of NNJ by the time it's all said and done... looks a little warm though...


----------



## J.Ricci

Petr51488 said:


> weather related topics only. Thank you.


Weather report on wall street today - chilly with a chance of a jumping broker


----------



## Mike_C

MKWL2 said:


> Speaking of weather- looks like we're looking at something coming early next week, weather.com is all over it with 12+ for most of NNJ by the time it's all said and done... looks a little warm though...


I never have any faith this far in advance when they're throwing out big numbers like that. They usually turn out to be significantly less


----------



## MKWL2

Mike_C said:


> I never have any faith this far in advance when they're throwing out big numbers like that. They usually turn out to be significantly less


No doubt, if we wound up with half of what they forecasted we would be lucky.


----------



## S_Marino87

December my area was in an 18-24" zone this far out, we ended up with just shy of 6" I'll take plowable snow and I think we should get it but I'm not buying the big numbers


----------



## V_Scapes

S_Marino87 said:


> December my area was in an 18-24" zone this far out, we ended up with just shy of 6" I'll take plowable snow and I think we should get it but I'm not buying the big numbers


Same here, we ended up with 8. We'll be working for sure, hopefully under 12".


----------



## Mike_C

Sorry to get off the topic of weather and stocks, but does anyone know a good hardwood floor guy? The guy I dealt with in the past moved out of state. Job's at a flip house in Newton


----------



## Mattymax

Very clean work


----------



## shawn_

Petr51488 said:


> which is total bull. Can they do that? I tried looking at it- and it won't even show up.


No their not allowed to do that, it's free trade for a reason. Everyone is going nuts , I held the line I won't back down to these billionaires . I got small skin in the game tho. A few thousand spread out between express , AMC & nakd


----------



## djt1029

Mike_C said:


> Sorry to get off the topic of weather and stocks, but does anyone know a good hardwood floor guy? The guy I dealt with in the past moved out of state. Job's at a flip house in Newton


Any advice for someone trying to get into the house flipping game?


----------



## rizzoa13

djt1029 said:


> Any advice for someone trying to get into the house flipping game?


Don't do it right now. House prices are exorbitant and everyone thinks they have a goldmine on their hands. You'll be buying high and hoping the market doesn't dip the whole time you are working on it.

Residential remodeling is booming though I'd suggest remodels over new construction.


----------



## V_Scapes

Miserable cold coming in, anyone still working? One of my buddies in paving and site work said they're done after today.


----------



## J.Ricci

djt1029 said:


> Any advice for someone trying to get into the house flipping game?


If you find the right property for the right price there's never really a bad time, especially since you're right outside NYC and people are fleeing the city in record numbers



V_Scapes said:


> Miserable cold coming in, anyone still working? One of my buddies in paving and site work said they're done after today.


Still working, taking tomorrow off though


----------



## Petr51488

Mike_C said:


> Sorry to get off the topic of weather and stocks, but does anyone know a good hardwood floor guy? The guy I dealt with in the past moved out of state. Job's at a flip house in Newton


wow, you guys are playing with fire today .


----------



## S_Marino87

Mike_C said:


> Sorry to get off the topic of weather and stocks, but does anyone know a good hardwood floor guy? The guy I dealt with in the past moved out of state. Job's at a flip house in Newton


New install or refinishing?


----------



## sota

there's no way in hell...


----------



## MKWL2

sota said:


> there's no way in hell...


Nope, it'll shift inland about 30-40 miles or more, bringing most of NNJ a nice blend of snow to ice to rain to sleet to snow back to rain back to ice... a nice settled 6" of cement to push around and shovel... before it freezes. Fun times


----------



## Mike_C

shawn_ said:


> No their not allowed to do that, it's free trade for a reason. Everyone is going nuts , I held the line I won't back down to these billionaires . I got small skin in the game tho. A few thousand spread out between express , AMC & nakd


Crypto is probably going to see a big influx since a lot of people are going to lose faith in wallstreet after this BS even if it is just for a short period of time.



djt1029 said:


> Any advice for someone trying to get into the house flipping game?


As was mentioned above, house prices are insane at the moment and will be for a while, in general I would say wait for the wave to break and swing back the other way then pounce. The full ramifications of the shutdowns aren't fully being felt yet and the bottom will fall out eventually, it's inevitable. How that impacts real estate remains to be seen but it's likely going to mean a lot of foreclosures which means a lot of opportunity. If you have a realtor you already have a working relationship with, talk to them and lay groundwork. You're going to want to get something before its listed so you can beat the rest to it. Also they can tell you what sells/what doesn't in your area. Once you find a property, budget room by room and never go over budget. Like anything else planning is just as important as the execution



V_Scapes said:


> Miserable cold coming in, anyone still working? One of my buddies in paving and site work said they're done after today.


Still working, even tomorrow but only a few crews.



S_Marino87 said:


> New install or refinishing?


Refinishing. Found mahogany on the first floor under cheap peel and stick tile



sota said:


> there's no way in hell...


That eastern edge of the 12" line is moving up to Sussex or at the very least western Passaic when all is said and done like it always does. Wouldn't be surprised if it goes even a little further than that 6" of slop incoming


----------



## Randall Ave

Nice full moon out there this morning, it is dam cold and windy. Mabey things will fall together and we will get a decent storm.


----------



## shawn_

@Mike_C crypto is going nuts check out the new bull run on doge coin .... just bought 15k shares they're trying to make it a dollar per share get on the run


----------



## UniqueTouch

shawn which one company do you use robbinhood or another?


----------



## djt1029

UniqueTouch said:


> shawn which one company do you use robbinhood or another?


If you're not already using it, don't sign up for robinhood. They're the bottom of the barrel in this mess


----------



## UniqueTouch

Ok appreciate it. What other sites are good


----------



## rizzoa13

Do not go long on doge its seriously a memecoin, it has no actual use. Like get out right this second and put it into something else. Unless theres some coordinated pump planned take that 800% gain and get out asap.


----------



## shawn_

rizzoa13 said:


> Do not go long on doge its seriously a memecoin, it has no actual use. Like get out right this second and put it into something else. Unless theres some coordinated pump planned take that 800% gain and get out asap.


They are pumping it .... even Elon Musk is involved , they are looking to get it to 1$.... I'll take it lol.

DO NOT SIGN UP FOR ROBBIN HOOD IJUST CASHED OUT MY STUFF AND CLOSED MY ACCOUNT, the actions they did yesterday need consequences and worked better way to punish them then to lose customers .

I have TD Ameritrade but I was looking at alternatives to use,going to be between Erade , webull


----------



## sota

what's wrong with TD?
I've had an account before they were TD and were just Ameritrade.

plow related:
so I bought a new edge for the Suburbanite, took the old one, turned it around, put it behind the mold board, and made it into a back drag blade. Interesting bit, it's about 1" shorter in height than the new one, due to wear. I'm wondering, if I put my gravel edge on the back drag instead of the new front blade for when i'm doing gravel drives, if it'll do a better job. have to stick it on there and see what's what on my drive.


----------



## J.Ricci

MKWL2 said:


> Nope, it'll shift inland about 30-40 miles or more, bringing most of NNJ a nice blend of snow to ice to rain to sleet to snow back to rain back to ice... a nice settled 6" of cement to push around and shovel... before it freezes. Fun times


Down here it'll just be 2" of snow followed by rain washing it away completely and the weather guessers claiming we'll see "wrap around" backend snow that never happens


----------



## S_Marino87

Mike_C said:


> Refinishing. Found mahogany on the first floor under cheap peel and stick tile


----------



## Tony_D

Mike_C said:


> Crypto is probably going to see a big influx since a lot of people are going to lose faith in wallstreet after this BS even if it is just for a short period of time.
> 
> As was mentioned above, house prices are insane at the moment and will be for a while, in general I would say wait for the wave to break and swing back the other way then pounce. The full ramifications of the shutdowns aren't fully being felt yet and the bottom will fall out eventually, it's inevitable. How that impacts real estate remains to be seen but it's likely going to mean a lot of foreclosures which means a lot of opportunity. If you have a realtor you already have a working relationship with, talk to them and lay groundwork. You're going to want to get something before its listed so you can beat the rest to it. Also they can tell you what sells/what doesn't in your area. Once you find a property, budget room by room and never go over budget. Like anything else planning is just as important as the execution
> 
> Still working, even tomorrow but only a few crews.
> 
> Refinishing. Found mahogany on the first floor under cheap peel and stick tile
> 
> That eastern edge of the 12" line is moving up to Sussex or at the very least western Passaic when all is said and done like it always does. Wouldn't be surprised if it goes even a little further than that 6" of slop incoming


How many are only a few crews? Lol


----------



## treeguyry

Real feel -4 here 9:30AM and that's up from when I left the house...I'm going home soon screw this


----------



## V_Scapes

The euro currently has a more flattened solution, pushing higher totals to central and southern nj, GFS is similar. Canadian is the only one showing northern areas getting hit.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> The euro currently has a more flattened solution, pushing higher totals to central and southern nj, GFS is similar. Canadian is the only one showing northern areas getting hit.


So we are sitting this one out?


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> So we are sitting this one out?


I wouldn't say that. Unless the euro shows the storm getting suppressed even further.


----------



## shawn_

Looks like a south jersey special ?


----------



## V_Scapes

shawn_ said:


> Looks like a south jersey special ?


That's what the models are suggesting now, could very well change as we all know.


----------



## J.Ricci

But I don’t know if I remember how to plow


----------



## truckie80

I'm good with a south jersey special, I'm sure Icey would be happy and we could still get some work up here. Seems like over the years the majority of storms that are projected that way tick up our way eventually one has to stay down there


----------



## V_Scapes

J.Ricci said:


> But I don't know if I remember how to plow


I'm sure mike could send you a truck to help out.


----------



## Mike_C

Tony_D said:


> How many are only a few crews? Lol


About a dozen guys in the field



treeguyry said:


> Real feel -4 here 9:30AM and that's up from when I left the house...I'm going home soon screw this


I sent my tree crew out for one job, what a rag tag group of muppets. Hope you're working out of a bucket today miserable out there



V_Scapes said:


> I'm sure mike could send you a truck to help out.


A few of my guys were already talking this morning about if we're going to go south with the storm or not


----------



## HeatMiser

If it's a true South Jersey special I'm going to just stay down the shore for it, It's been 40 something years since I could just watch a storm without having to stress out.


----------



## rizzoa13

Ugh it’s the beach not the shore.


----------



## Tony_D

V_Scapes said:


> That's what the models are suggesting now, could very well change as we all know.


Where do you find these models? All the models I follow just look good they bring nothing else to the table lol


----------



## Petr51488

shawn_ said:


> Looks like a south jersey special ?


they deserve one. Let them have it. Give me a half inch- I'll take it


----------



## J.Ricci

Petr51488 said:


> they deserve one. Let them have it. Give me a half inch- I'll take it


Things you overhear in a chinese household


----------



## V_Scapes

Tony_D said:


> Where do you find these models? All the models I follow just look good they bring nothing else to the table lol


I watch daily forecast videos every morning from EPAWA.



Petr51488 said:


> they deserve one. Let them have it. Give me a half inch- I'll take it


Agreed.


----------



## Mike_C

EPAWA's the only social media page worth watching for weather. He'll hype things up too sometimes and his totals tend to be a little high, but in general he's far more reliable.


----------



## treeguyry

Mike_C said:


> I sent my tree crew out for one job, what a rag tag group of muppets. Hope you're working out of a bucket today miserable out there


Unfortunately no bucket access, I was climbing. Took down a 50ft norway and called it a day. Frozen and covered in sap, what a way to kick off the weekend


----------



## djt1029

treeguyry said:


> Unfortunately no bucket access, I was climbing. Took down a 50ft norway and called it a day. Frozen and covered in sap, what a way to kick off the weekend


That sounds absolutely miserable on a day like today.


----------



## LAB INC

Did I see snow in the forecast? Icy, what we going to get? I am wondering if I should mount my plow before I go home for the weekend or hold off until Sunday.


----------



## shawn_

LAB INC said:


> Did I see snow in the forecast? Icy, what we going to get? I am wondering if I should mount my plow before I go home for the weekend or hold off until Sunday.


Hold off!!!!!


----------



## rizzoa13

I’ve had a full load of salt in the truck since Monday when they were calling for ice. Had my PTO and electric to my control box go out so figured ‘it was finally the 80amp solenoid giving up the ghost. Replaced and still wasn’t working. Found a nice hidden inline fuse that had blown which was my problem.

Seeing as the township was already brining figured no harm salting my street to make sure the spreader wasn’t bound up. Going to be some confused neighbors for sure.


----------



## V_Scapes

LAB INC said:


> Did I see snow in the forecast? Icy, what we going to get? I am wondering if I should mount my plow before I go home for the weekend or hold off until Sunday.


Where is the ice cream man anyway?


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Where is the ice cream man anyway?


The last wind storm, he the front of the building, mabey this time he lost his rear?


----------



## Tony_D

Early map from channel 7 I would be happy with 3-6


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> The last wind storm, he the front of the building, mabey this time he lost his rear?


Lmao


----------



## sota

so, do any of the 10+ people need a scab crew of 2 from up north?


----------



## Randall Ave

sota said:


> so, do any of the 10+ people need a scab crew of 2 from up north?


You still might get 6 plus.


----------



## MKWL2

Looks like it’s trending south- could be a SNJ special for you guys down that way


----------



## iceyman

V_Scapes said:


> Where is the ice cream man anyway?


This thread is on fire lol.. between opening another new location and this storm i missed alot here


----------



## Mike_C

MKWL2 said:


> Looks like it's trending south- could be a SNJ special for you guys down that way


That seems to be the case, wouldn't be surprised if some of north jersey sees almost nothing


----------



## iceyman

MKWL2 said:


> Looks like it's trending south- could be a SNJ special for you guys down that way


I believe this is an I95 special when all said and done.. i think everyone will have plenty of powder to deal with n and s


----------



## iceyman

Mike_C said:


> That seems to be the case, wouldn't be surprised if some of north jersey sees almost nothing


It trends south and the last 36 hrs you get the NW ticks.. everyone shud buckle up.. at least it will be a cold snow for a change


----------



## Mike_C

iceyman said:


> This thread is on fire lol.. between opening another new location and this storm i missed alot here


Seems like someone needs to get their priorities in order


----------



## S_Marino87

Mike_C said:


> Seems like someone needs to get their priorities in order


Lmao


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> This thread is on fire lol.. between opening another new location and this storm i missed alot here


Listen, next time you wander off, you better leave a note!


----------



## eastendpm

Seems like the temps declined for sunday/monday time frame which hopefully will keep all the precip snow. With the current ground temps everything is going to stick immediately.

In other news I Brought the 2021 to the dealer because I couldn't figure out why it was chiming at me every time I put the truck into reverse, when I was out salting the other night! I disconnected the exterior factory back up alarm, but an interior noise remains.

Apparently if you order the "factory backup alarm option" which I didnt but it just happened to come on my truck. Ford thought it was a good idea to add interior reverse chime as well. Basically constantly reminding you that your in reverse. Its the same sound as door ajar!

On top of that my dealer is now claiming it is a "safety feature" and will not disable the chime. Put an official complaint in with ford. Just a heads up anyone shopping for a new superduty, if it has a back up alarm, this will also be engaged from the factory. Now I am forced to order OB2 Link and download FORscan to turn the chime off! What a joke.






Fast forward to 6:30. showed this to the dealer and they wouldnt even make the change.

They had it for a day and a half, and had no idea why it was beeping. Once I didnt have it back after the first 6 hours i started searching online. I figured out the issue using google and Forscan forums, before the techs could with the truck in their possesion. I should send them an invoice for extended education.


----------



## HarryTHook

eastendpm said:


> Put an official complaint in with ford.


Good luck with that, same issue on 2021 QX80. Horn beeps when getting out of front seat, reminding you to check back seat for kids. Neighbors call it the "you forgot the case of beer" alarm.

The weather weenies are all over the place on this storm. Some calling for 30" plus in my area. My paid for weather service is being non-committal right now other than saying white stuff is coming. As long as the temps stay low this is gonna be a long ugly thing but good for the bank account.
Key Marathon mid to late April if this storm works!!


----------



## shawn_

Typical weather reporting 1-24” of snow is forecasted along the coast ..... 

I told y’all it’ll happen MAJOR snow storm because my daughter is coming , been saying it since July too a few of my buddies & here it is lowred::hammerhead:


----------



## Randall Ave

The weather channel up the totals some, but who knows. Channel 12 this morning showed central Jersey getting the most. It's 9' here at the moment.


----------



## MKWL2

Looks like it’s shaping up to be a CNJ storm and a coast hugger, of course it seems to change trajectory slightly each model run- looking like up to a foot around Bergen County and 5-8” in Warren County- hopefully relatively fluffy snow both places so the guys abs I aren’t shot at the end of it... shoveling wet snow is no fun. These storms to tend to seem to track a little further NW than the forecast models show, so I’m hoping we wind up with closer to 8” in Warren and about the same in Bergen... we shall see!


----------



## Tony_D

Anyone see the fire in Passaic? My weather app is actually showing smoke all the way here


----------



## Mike_C

Two years to the day of the Marcal Fire and within a couple weeks of the huge apparent fires in Edgewater and Fort Lee. North East NJ has at least one of these every winter now


----------



## UniqueTouch

Where is Weatherman Icey at? What are you thoughts for Monmouth County


----------



## demetrios007

I have the cable and forscan if you need it or if anyone needs something adjusted. 
[email protected]

I split up from the guy I subbed for last month. If anyone in Morris city area needs help reach out. I'm in Roxbury I got the truck and the bobcat free


----------



## V_Scapes

Heavier snow totals trending slightly farther north. Whoever gets the CCB will get smoked for a period of time.


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> Looks like it's shaping up to be a CNJ storm and a coast hugger, of course it seems to change trajectory slightly each model run- looking like up to a foot around Bergen County and 5-8" in Warren County- hopefully relatively fluffy snow both places so the guys abs I aren't shot at the end of it... shoveling wet snow is no fun. These storms to tend to seem to track a little further NW than the forecast models show, so I'm hoping we wind up with closer to 8" in Warren and about the same in Bergen... we shall see!


Wouldn't even worry about that, it's gonna be cold.


----------



## treeguyry

I hope its powder and the temperatures look good for it, but its incredible how often that's the case and then suddenly - sleet, slush and mess


----------



## iceyman

UniqueTouch said:


> Where is Weatherman Icey at? What are you thoughts for Monmouth County


Unless something drastic changes this is a 12-16 event for much of nj


----------



## iceyman

treeguyry said:


> I hope its powder and the temperatures look good for it, but its incredible how often that's the case and then suddenly - sleet, slush and mess


Shouldnt be the case here .. before the low wraps up maybe snj mixes for a short period but this should be a nice powder


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Unless something drastic changes this is a 12-16 event for much of nj


Where did you open the new store at?


----------



## S_Marino87

Tony_D said:


> Anyone see the fire in Passaic? My weather app is actually showing smoke all the way here


Coldest night of the year, ever fails. I'll be thawing out for the rest of the day


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> Where did you open the new store at?


This new one is Hightstown.. just finished painting and waiting for the landlord to fix the floor then i can start bringing in equipment .. the last one i opened in oct was farmingdale


----------



## iceyman

i cant rely on festivals anymore so more shops it is


----------



## iceyman

So the storm comes across with some snow initially then may shut off for a couple hours until the low cranks .. dont be alarmed is this happens especially the farther north u go


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> This new one is Hightstown.. just finished painting and waiting for the landlord to fix the floor then i can start bringing in equipment .. the last one i opened in oct was farmingdale


Wasn't there a dirt track by there years ago, East Windsor I think?


----------



## Mike_C

iceyman said:


> This new one is Hightstown.. just finished painting and waiting for the landlord to fix the floor then i can start bringing in equipment .. the last one i opened in oct was farmingdale


How many locations are you up to now?


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Wouldn't even worry about that, it's gonna be cold.


Heading to Hewitt on a call, your neck of the woods?


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> Heading to Hewitt on a call, your neck of the woods?


Yup, 5 minutes away.


----------



## Petr51488

MetLife stadium area- is this a light and fluffy snow? Or- the one I’m used to?


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Yup, 5 minutes away.


At the dollar general store having fun. Dam coca cola union drivers


----------



## iceyman

Mike_C said:


> How many locations are you up to now?


Will be 6 this sprjng


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> Wasn't there a dirt track by there years ago, East Windsor I think?


Yea probably been gona 15 years at this point


----------



## V_Scapes

So much for escaping this one, 12-18" for a large portion of the state. Whoever is under the CCB will get a good thumping.


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Yea probably been gona 15 years at this point


When I was younger and had a life I worked on a few stock car teams, that was a nice track to go to.


----------



## Petr51488

V_Scapes said:


> So much for escaping this one, 12-18" for a large portion of the state. Whoever is under the CCB will get a good thumping.


Fml. I'm hoping there's some serious dry slots like the last one and we end up with half of what they say


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> So much for escaping this one, 12-18" for a large portion of the state. Whoever is under the CCB will get a good thumping.


Just got back, 55 miles to pop a door roller out. Still don't have any of my stuff ready, tomorrows gonna be a long day.


----------



## V_Scapes

Petr51488 said:


> Fml. I'm hoping there's some serious dry slots like the last one and we end up with half of what they say


One can only hope.


----------



## shawn_

Ut-oh


----------



## Randall Ave

I don't no the alphabet. What is CCB?


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> I don't no the alphabet. What is CCB?


Cold Conveyor Belt. Westerly flow of cold and moisture loaded air that sets up narrow banding of heavy snow, sometimes 1-3"/hr.


----------



## J.Ricci

shawn_ said:


> Ut-oh


Looks like your wife's gonna be on her own


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Cold Conveyor Belt. Westerly flow of cold and moisture loaded air that sets up narrow banding of heavy snow, sometimes 1-3"/hr.


Oh joy.


----------



## shawn_

J.Ricci said:


> Looks like your wife's gonna be on her own


It's looking like she's going to have to wait until Wednesday haha . Even then that might not be enough


----------



## Mike_C

shawn_ said:


> It's looking like she's going to have to wait until Wednesday haha . Even then that might not be enough


You should be alright Wednesday later in the day unless you have another sh*tshow like last time


----------



## shawn_

Mike_C said:


> You should be alright Wednesday later in the day unless you have another sh*tshow like last time


I don't think they are going to stop her appointment , best case they tell her come on Wednesday instead of Tuesday..... but it's a baby I don't think they push things like that back. My guys know Tuesday at 8pm she goes in I gotta be there . They should be OK for a few hours without me .... Ha


----------



## prezek

shawn_ said:


> Ut-oh


Good luck to you guys...I'm in that dark pink in bel air...local news just put up that we may be in the 12-18...sounds like we wont see more than 6-8 tomorrow though, if there is a bright spot...


----------



## MKWL2

Sounds like it’s trending more NW, puts most of NNJ and CNJ in the “jackpot” zone up to 18”+... really ready hoping it stays at least relatively light and fluffy, 18” or more of cement is going to be no fun at all... not really surprised and wouldn’t be that surprised if it keeps trending NW... they all seem to do that about a day or two out and wind up hooking a little further inland that forecasted. So we sit, wait, nervously waiting to see what this one brings. Anyone else out there not able to sleep well before a storm like this?


----------



## MGLC

shawn_ said:


> I don't think they are going to stop her appointment , best case they tell her come on Wednesday instead of Tuesday..... but it's a baby I don't think they push things like that back. My guys know Tuesday at 8pm she goes in I gotta be there . They should be OK for a few hours without me .... Ha


Good luck, you've got a hell of a week ahead of you that'll involve almost zero sleep haha


----------



## shawn_

MGLC said:


> Good luck, you've got a hell of a week ahead of you that'll involve almost zero sleep haha


Honestly been working 90 /100 hours a week at work for the last 3 weeks... sleep hasn't been there for me lately prepping for the life changing event .


----------



## MKWL2

shawn_ said:


> Honestly been working 90 /100 hours a week at work for the last 3 weeks... sleep hasn't been there for me lately prepping for the life changing event .


Best of luck man, exciting stuff!


----------



## Petr51488

We still have 24 hours till this starts. I saw on news 12 that some rain is going to push in around 8pm on Tuesday by me. Nyc area


----------



## MKWL2

Petr51488 said:


> We still have 24 hours till this starts. I saw on news 12 that some rain is going to push in around 8pm on Tuesday by me. Nyc area


Yup that's what I was afraid of for my guys in Bergen... F! Gonna be cement


----------



## Randall Ave

shawn_ said:


> Honestly been working 90 /100 hours a week at work for the last 3 weeks... sleep hasn't been there for me lately prepping for the life changing event .


You need to be there for that, it's a very important time in your life. And she will kill you if you don't.


----------



## truckie80

Petr51488 said:


> We still have 24 hours till this starts. I saw on news 12 that some rain is going to push in around 8pm on Tuesday by me. Nyc area


Bergen County always gets screwed and stuck with the heavy nasty ****


----------



## Mattymax

I’m in Morris and we usually get a mixing of sleet that makes everything very heavy even when the radar still shows snow. It’s that upper atmosphere temps. I expect a busy few days ahead


----------



## HarryTHook

shawn_ said:


> life changing event .


Good luck, been there before. Wonderful thing.

Latest shows 12 to 18 Philly area over 24 hours. Tracking a bit north right now but the guru's are in the background saying this ***** can turn on a dime and its here for 30 hours. A guess what is a probable, we packed for the worst case.


----------



## iceyman

Petr51488 said:


> We still have 24 hours till this starts. I saw on news 12 that some rain is going to push in around 8pm on Tuesday by me. Nyc area


Doubt it


----------



## iceyman

Mattymax said:


> I'm in Morris and we usually get a mixing of sleet that makes everything very heavy even when the radar still shows snow. It's that upper atmosphere temps. I expect a busy few days ahead


Cold airmass in place


----------



## Petr51488

iceyman said:


> Doubt it


common- give me some hope here lol I prefer the 1-3" storms.


----------



## Randall Ave

Just got a warning on my phone for 11 to 15 inches and up to 35 mph wind gusts. I gotta say this is going to be a long drawn out pain.


----------



## MKWL2

Randall Ave said:


> Just got a warning on my phone for 11 to 15 inches and up to 35 mph wind gusts. I gotta say this is going to be a long drawn out pain.


Indeed, truth be told though I would rather have it drawn out over 24-36 hours than have 24" fall in 12 hours.. at least we have some chance of plowing with this beast... hopefully


----------



## djt1029

MKWL2 said:


> Indeed, truth be told though I would rather have it drawn out over 24-36 hours than have 24" fall in 12 hours.. at least we have some chance of plowing with this beast... hopefully


I'm with you. Hate long duration storms but it's easier to keep up with than getting dumped on in a short time


----------



## MKWL2

djt1029 said:


> I'm with you. Hate long duration storms but it's easier to keep up with than getting dumped on in a short time


Yup, there was one I would say around 2015-16 maybe where we got a solid 18" in NW Bergen in like 12 hours or so, was impossible to keep up with it... rather spread it out a little, if it's really going to snow 12-18"


----------



## truckie80

I’m with you guys. Hit the lots 3-4 times, the driveways 2-3. Long hours but less stress and once it shuts off you’re way ahead of the game


----------



## treeguyry

Looks like my tree schedules going to be all sorts of F’d this week, basically losing 3 days


----------



## Tony_D

How often do you guys do your residential houses in a storm like this? Say we get 12"


----------



## MGLC

Tony_D said:


> How often do you guys do your residential houses in a storm like this? Say we get 12"


Houses you should be fine if you hit them twice in a storm like that


----------



## HarryTHook

Tony_D said:


> How often do you guys do your residential houses in a storm like this? Say we get 12"


You might want to treat "salt" your resi's on this storm if you do a lot of walkways. Should be cold enough for the first flakes to stick but the temps are close. Makes life easier.


MGLC said:


> Houses you should be fine if you hit them twice in a storm like that


Glad to see others are up early like me. I am back to bed at noon, get some sleep before our overnighter.


----------



## MKWL2

Looks like the totals keep climbing for NNJ- hearing anywhere from 15-22” depending on the source- looks like most of Bergen, northern Passaic and part of Morris is right in the crosshairs for the top accumulations, followed by the balance of Morris, Warren, Hunterdon and Somerset. Stay safe guys, this is looking like it’s going to be a big one.


----------



## MKWL2

Tony_D said:


> How often do you guys do your residential houses in a storm like this? Say we get 12"


Yup probably 2-3 times- we shoot for every 6" or so (ideally) to try and keep them from getting out of control (although that might not happen this storm if we end up getting closer to the 2' mark).


----------



## Randall Ave

I'm looking at the weather warning now, 15-19 inches. I'm Morris county, next town west of Dover. I'm heading out to the shop to regroup and gotta get on the roof of the shop, find and fix a leak.


----------



## Western1

Randall Ave said:


> I'm looking at the weather warning now, 15-19 inches. I'm Morris county, next town west of Dover. I'm heading out to the shop to regroup and gotta get on the roof of the shop, find and fix a leak.


B safe and good luck with the storm


----------



## truckie80

MKWL2 said:


> Yup probably 2-3 times- we shoot for every 6" or so (ideally) to try and keep them from getting out of control (although that might not happen this storm if we end up getting closer to the 2' mark).


Shoot for every 6" here on residential as well, sometimes if it's powder I'll let it stack a little more overnight and just start at a time I know gives me time to get through the route before morning.


----------



## HarryTHook

DISCUSSION-MAJOR NOR"EASTER SOON! == The GFS & European hammer Philly and points N & W with heavy snow but the S & E of Philly is going to have some sleet mix but not as much as the previous model runs. == PART I The snow gets going 3-4pm today and we may see a little lull sometime between 2am-7am as the storm re-forms off the coast. Expect the entire region in a 2-4" snowfall before 7am tomorrow. == PART II The snow really gets poppin' 7am to 9pm Monday with 1"+ an hour at times. This is the core of the storm with some sleet in the yellow box. == PART III We may get another lull from the snow berweem 4am and Noon Tuesday as the storm wobbles but more snow showers after 12noon. Storm end Tuesday night. == TODAY Cloudy Skies Snow By 3-4pm ACCUM: 1-2" By Dark Highs 29-31 Winds 6-12mph == SUNDAY NIGHT Snow, Moderate 3-5" Total By Daybreak Lows 25-27 Winds 10-18mph GUST 25mph == MONDAY Heavy Snow! Blowing Snow Some Sleet S & E of PHL Highs 30-32 Winds 12-25mph GUST 31mph == MON NIGHT More Snow 2-4" More Lows 29-31 Winds 15-30mph == TUESDAY PM Snow Showers Snow Ends at Night Highs 33-35 Lows 25-27 == NEXT UPDATE 6:00PM TODAY


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Timing sure could be better. At least there's still a good amount of people working from home and off the roads.


----------



## Randall Ave

Kevin_NJ said:


> Timing sure could be better. At least there's still a good amount of people working from home and off the roads.


I'm surprised that we don't have a state of emergency yet.


----------



## Mike_C

Unless we have a repeat of the January 2015 storm, it's going to be a long 48hrs


----------



## treeguyry

Mike_C said:


> Unless we have a repeat of the January 2015 storm, it's going to be a long 48hrs


That's one of my favorite storms we ever had...I think it was the year before that when we had a similar one that shifted north and we went from what I think was a 6-12 range to just a partial salt run on a coating. So glad this is my last winter plowing


----------



## djt1029

treeguyry said:


> That's one of my favorite storms we ever had...I think it was the year before that when we had a similar one that shifted north and we went from what I think was a 6-12 range to just a partial salt run on a coating. So glad this is my last winter plowing


I'm jealous you're getting out. I remember that other storm also, every time the news cut in with a weather update they were bumping us down from 6-10 to 4-8, 3-6 all the way down to a coating to 2


----------



## sota

this one will be interesting.


----------



## Mike_C

djt1029 said:


> I'm jealous you're getting out. I remember that other storm also, every time the news cut in with a weather update they were bumping us down from 6-10 to 4-8, 3-6 all the way down to a coating to 2


My wife and kids were watching the oscars or something that night, Lee Goldberg was on almost every commercial break pushing the snow further away. In the end it shifted so far we ended up getting in a salt run after an original call of 12+.

I swear forecasts have become less reliable over the last 10 years or so. Not related to tomorrow's storm, just in general


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Good chance this will be my last Winter as well. I did not get called out at all the last two. During the event last month I remembered I said I was going to stop after the 17-18 Winter. I almost retired this summer/fall but I felt it was too short of notice to give. 

Light Flurries started in Western Monmouth about 20min ago. Temps in the mid 20s, it doesn't have that "Snow Smell" though.


----------



## V_Scapes

Hopefully we end up with the lower end of the totals. Not looking forward to this.


----------



## Randall Ave

I just got back from fixing trailers. Took a look, the warning now is for 18-22.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

I'm worried about the mixing and heavy cement. I won't mind 12"+ of powder nearly as much as 6" of cement. 

I'm seeing calls for wind gusts of 50mph+ also.


----------



## Mattymax

Miserable few days ahead. 

Be safe everyone wherever you are


----------



## UniqueTouch

any last predictions for Monmouth County before the site goes dark for a couple days lol


----------



## rizzoa13

If anyones still around:

Thoughts on why my XLS won't go down? I have every other function and it'll even call for the down (real quick tries then stops). My thoughts are a clog in the line but I wanted to bounce it off you guys.

Going to take off the hose and try to muscle the cylinder down. Then clean out the hose and see if I find any junk. The plows only a year old so it hasn't been opened up for a fluid change but I guess its getting one today.

edit- anyone know which valve controls down? could be bad or clogged also


----------



## UniqueTouch

post this on truck repairs guys will answer immediately and they are from other states who may not be getting snow now and have more time to be online


----------



## truckie80

@Randall Ave is your guy for this but he's probably drowning in last minute work right now


----------



## rizzoa13

I’m not going to try to explain it but it’s working atm. Keep my eye on it it guess


----------



## UniqueTouch

I got ya. maybe a ground issue?


----------



## sota

did ya hit it with a hammer?


----------



## Petr51488

Is anyone seeing any different trends in hopes of less snow? Dry slots? Anything good for a snow hater like myself? I don’t know how to read those maps


----------



## gutter21

rizzoa13 said:


> If anyones still around:
> 
> Thoughts on why my XLS won't go down? I have every other function and it'll even call for the down (real quick tries then stops). My thoughts are a clog in the line but I wanted to bounce it off you guys.
> 
> Going to take off the hose and try to muscle the cylinder down. Then clean out the hose and see if I find any junk. The plows only a year old so it hasn't been opened up for a fluid change but I guess its getting one today.
> 
> edit- anyone know which valve controls down? could be bad or clogged also


 Check all your electrical connections. Put some dielectric grease on them also. Happened to me and it was the connection


----------



## rizzoa13

I did all of the obvious electrical things and it m didn’t do anything.

Looked at it sideways and it started to work. Can’t explain it.


----------



## sota




----------



## Kevin_NJ

Randall Ave said:


> I'm surprised that we don't have a state of emergency yet.


Bucky announced SOE goes into effect 7:00 tonight; all State offices closed tomorrow. Commercial vehicle travel ban was declared much earlier today.

Hope you made out well with roof repair & storm prep.


----------



## Western1

rizzoa13 said:


> If anyones still around:
> 
> Thoughts on why my XLS won't go down? I have every other function and it'll even call for the down (real quick tries then stops). My thoughts are a clog in the line but I wanted to bounce it off you guys.
> 
> Going to take off the hose and try to muscle the cylinder down. Then clean out the hose and see if I find any junk. The plows only a year old so it hasn't been opened up for a fluid change but I guess its getting one today.
> 
> edit- anyone know which valve controls down? could be bad or clogged also


Future ref. Drop is the s2


----------



## rizzoa13

Alright that’s awesome thank you for that. Is the speed of the drop something I can find on there to tinker with also? I’d like it to go down slower if possible.


----------



## Randall Ave

truckie80 said:


> @Randall Ave is your guy for this but he's probably drowning in last minute work right now


I gave it a quick look, S-2 is the lowering valve, it is a dark green wire. Put something under the plow so you don't have the plow drop on your feet, remove the valve and clean it, then put the magnet on it, put current to the valve and make sure it is shifting. If I remember correctly some of the units had not been cleaned very good, still had some shavings in them, and Crewn is the site expert, I make it up as I go.


rizzoa13 said:


> Alright that's awesome thank you for that. Is the speed of the drop something I can find on there to tinker with also? I'd like it to go down slower if possible.


There is a Quill adjustment. See the one picture to the left, see S-1 valve, below that is the quill adjustment, just give it a 1/8 of a turn in at a time till you get what you want.


----------



## sota

I remember tinkering with my quill, to keep the plow from making the massive gong noise every time it dropped.


----------



## m_ice

Randall Ave said:


> I gave it a quick look, S-2 is the lowering valve, it is a dark green wire. Put something under the plow so you don't have the plow drop on your feet, remove the valve and clean it, then put the magnet on it, put current to the valve and make sure it is shifting. If I remember correctly some of the units had not been cleaned very good, still had some shavings in them, and Crewn is the site expert, I make it up as I go.
> 
> There is a Quill adjustment. See the one picture to the left, see S-1 valve, below that is the quill adjustment, just give it a 1/8 of a turn in at a time till you get what you want.


@cwren2472


----------



## Western1

B safe out there!


----------



## rizzoa13

sota said:


> I remember tinkering with my quill, to keep the plow from making the massive gong noise every time it dropped.


Yea it's earthshaking when it goes down for sure.


----------



## Randall Ave

sota said:


> I remember tinkering with my quill, to keep the plow from making the massive gong noise every time it dropped.


So you tinkered with your quill till it dropped?


----------



## Western1

Yes


----------



## djt1029

Got that sick feeling that only comes around ahead of a storm like this. First time in about 5 years


----------



## Mattymax

djt1029 said:


> Got that sick feeling that only comes around ahead of a storm like this. First time in about 5 years


Got that same feeling. Miserable


----------



## Randall Ave

djt1029 said:


> Got that sick feeling that only comes around ahead of a storm like this. First time in about 5 years


Ain't had a storm like this since? Channel 12 just used the term, pooring snow for tomorrow morning.


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> Got that sick feeling that only comes around ahead of a storm like this. First time in about 5 years


All day long.


----------



## sota

Going to bed early tonight.
Up at 5am probably, and get cranking on the plowin'.


----------



## Mike_C

djt1029 said:


> Got that sick feeling that only comes around ahead of a storm like this. First time in about 5 years


Woke up with it this morning, looking forward to Wednesday.


----------



## Tony_D

I feel the same way. I was excited up until I got up today now I feel ****ty. Any advice from the veteran guys on dealing with the pre storm stress?


----------



## cwren2472

m_ice said:


> @cwren2472


The S2 valve itself is almost certainly bad and needs to be replaced. If it happens again, the lift cylinder may need to be replaced also


----------



## truckie80

Tony_D said:


> I feel the same way. I was excited up until I got up today now I feel ****ty. Any advice from the veteran guys on dealing with the pre storm stress?


Wish I could be of more help, I've been plowing 20 years and haven't figured that out yet when it comes to the big storms. Fight fires for a living but the stress of an impending big storm like this hits me harder. Lot of moving parts to worry about but just breath and relax. In the end everything gets done


----------



## MKWL2

Randall Ave said:


> Ain't had a storm like this since? Channel 12 just used the term, pooring snow for tomorrow morning.


Sounds like the brunt of it is going to be just about all day tomorrow... it's going to be a wild ride the next few days guys, stay safe!


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> All day long.


Glad I'm not the only one... probably driving my guys nuts too giving them updates and making sure they're all set to go


----------



## Dondo

My contractor I sub for is calling me out to be on my first account in Totowa for midnight.

Its snowing pretty good now since about 2:30. Probably about inch and a half on ground. Nice slick and fluffy for now.

stay safe everyone!!


----------



## sota

Tony_D said:


> I feel the same way. I was excited up until I got up today now I feel ****ty. Any advice from the veteran guys on dealing with the pre storm stress?


I was standing in the local NAPA at about noon, with flakes starting to fall outside, trying to pick up a grease tube. I was stressing myself out. Finally just started talking to myself... no point in getting wound up; they're not going to move any faster, I'll get home when I get home, it'll be what it'll be.


----------



## treeguyry

Mike_C said:


> Woke up with it this morning, looking forward to Wednesday.


If you still get that feeling there's probably very little hope for the rest of us to shake it. I actually enjoyed plowing when I was just a sub with no accounts of my own just me in my truck by myself no shoveling or any other BS. Ever since I had my own accounts, I've hated it


----------



## MKWL2

treeguyry said:


> If you still get that feeling there's probably very little hope for the rest of us to shake it. I actually enjoyed plowing when I was just a sub with no accounts of my own just me in my truck by myself no shoveling or any other BS. Ever since I had my own accounts, I've hated it


Yeah, I have only every done my own accounts but it definitely brings plenty of stress!


----------



## Dondo

I’ve been doing this since 98 and this will be my 12th year subbing. It’s definitely a ton less bs to deal with when it comes to customers but you still get that pre storm “feeling” worrying about your truck and equipment plus all the crap we deal with going through the route.


----------



## Petr51488

truckie80 said:


> Wish I could be of more help, I've been plowing 20 years and haven't figured that out yet when it comes to the big storms. Fight fires for a living but the stress of an impending big storm like this hits me harder. Lot of moving parts to worry about but just breath and relax. In the end everything gets done


"at the end of the day everything gets done." That's what I tell myself lol. And it's true.


----------



## MKWL2

Petr51488 said:


> "at the end of the day everything gets done." That's what I tell myself lol. And it's true.


Yup- one way or another by Wednesday we should be buttoned up and sleeping for the duration of the week lol


----------



## S_Marino87

I’m a sub, I still mostly enjoy it. Still some stress but when you’re just putting in hours in your truck without anything else it ain’t bad.


----------



## sota

I'm a sub. One thing I've learned is, my "boss" doesn't know how to handle people.


----------



## J.Ricci

Tony_D said:


> I feel the same way. I was excited up until I got up today now I feel ****ty. Any advice from the veteran guys on dealing with the pre storm stress?


As hard as it is, with all the hurry up and wait in the lead up to the storm try to just relax and keep your mind off it. After a pair of rough days, you'll be able to chill out and sleep away all Wednesday's daylight


----------



## eastendpm

Damn this thing escalated quickly. Yesterday 6-12" today I'm in the 16-22" inch range. As per the map above that @sota posted, 28.5.

stay safe out there everyone. Lots of caffeine!


----------



## sota

J.Ricci said:


> As hard as it is, with all the hurry up and wait in the lead up to the storm try to just relax and keep your mind off it. After a pair of rough days, you'll be able to chill out and sleep away all Wednesday's daylight


... it's gonna snow through wednesday it looks like.


----------



## Petr51488

S_Marino87 said:


> I'm a sub, I still mostly enjoy it. Still some stress but when you're just putting in hours in your truck without anything else it ain't bad.


I wish I just sat in the truck and plowed. I'm 99% residential. All blowers and shovels. We go out when the snow stops


----------



## truckie80

TWC app shows it snowing through late Tuesday but the worst of it seems to be done in the early morning hours of Tuesday AM. Back end light snow / snow showers is no big deal after tomorrow’s mess. Wednesday AM should be time to sleep for a few days


----------



## rizzoa13

Drink less coffee and more water. Eat decent food if you can and listen to your body. If you heed a power nap take it, the snow will still be there when you wake up.


----------



## Tony_D

Thanks guys glad I'm not the only one but unfortunately it seems like it doesn't get much better over the years.



Petr51488 said:


> I wish I just sat in the truck and plowed. I'm 99% residential. All blowers and shovels. We go out when the snow stops


I'm almost all residential also just one commercial place. Do you do your houses half way through in a storm like this where they're calling for like 18" or just once at the end of the storm?


----------



## djt1029

About an inch down so far in eastern Bergen County. I'd like to get some sleep but easier said then done


----------



## Klaibs27

Tony_D said:


> Thanks guys glad I'm not the only one but unfortunately it seems like it doesn't get much better over the years.
> 
> I'm almost all residential also just one commercial place. Do you do your houses half way through in a storm like this where they're calling for like 18" or just once at the end of the storm?


Communicate with your customers to set expectations. Snow is a side gig for me so i have to try to balance when I get out and when I actually make my real money. I've texted, emailed and called everyone of my customers today to make sure they didn't need to leave for any reason tomorrow or even Tuesday. I too only do snowblowing and shoveling so doing it once is the way to go.

Good luck and stay safe.


----------



## Petr51488

Tony_D said:


> Thanks guys glad I'm not the only one but unfortunately it seems like it doesn't get much better over the years.
> 
> I'm almost all residential also just one commercial place. Do you do your houses half way through in a storm like this where they're calling for like 18" or just once at the end of the storm?


At the end. My pricing is from dusting to a foot, foot to 2 feet, and over 2 feet- hence why I love the 1-3" storms lol one time I tried going out mid storm for something like this- and it sucked. Everyone gets pissed off, wet, tired faster, wind is whipping. So much easier when it's not snowing and sometimes the sun comes out.


----------



## Randall Ave

Just got done replacing a battery for a customer, its snowing pretty good. Got 18 degrees here.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Getting ready to head out for Round 1.

Stay safe all.


----------



## sota

mornin' laddies.


----------



## rizzoa13

Good evening! Was going to get some some sleep but we got a call for emergency work in north Jersey. Hope it’s not any if our guys in here’s accounts!


----------



## Ajlawn1

Randall Ave said:


> Just got done replacing a battery for a customer, its snowing pretty good. Got 18 degrees here.


You should be out practice plowing...


----------



## V_Scapes

About 3-4" down here, going out for a first run through.


----------



## djt1029

A little over 6" down here so far, just finished the first trip through the route. Trying to decide what time to bring in some extra labor


----------



## truckie80

djt1029 said:


> A little over 6" down here so far, just finished the first trip through the route. Trying to decide what time to bring in some extra labor


Same here probably my least favorite part of every storm. I might bring them in mid afternoon and we'll run through everything walkways included to lighten the load for when it ends. Just finished my commercials and the driveways that can be done with a truck heading home to get a little rest


----------



## Tony_D

Klaibs27 said:


> Communicate with your customers to set expectations. Snow is a side gig for me so i have to try to balance when I get out and when I actually make my real money. I've texted, emailed and called everyone of my customers today to make sure they didn't need to leave for any reason tomorrow or even Tuesday. I too only do snowblowing and shoveling so doing it once is the way to go.
> 
> Good luck and stay safe.





Petr51488 said:


> At the end. My pricing is from dusting to a foot, foot to 2 feet, and over 2 feet- hence why I love the 1-3" storms lol one time I tried going out mid storm for something like this- and it sucked. Everyone gets pissed off, wet, tired faster, wind is whipping. So much easier when it's not snowing and sometimes the sun comes out.


Thanks guys. I don't have anyone who needs to get out today I just want to make sure I get everything done as quick as possible after the storm. This is the first big storm I've had to deal with so I'm paranoid and don't want to make the wrong call


----------



## S_Marino87

I'm just heading home now from the first round, 6hrs in so far looks like I'll be going back out sometime between 3-4


----------



## Mike_C

A foot at most locations already give or take


----------



## treeguyry

This sucks


----------



## truckie80

Tony_D said:


> Thanks guys. I don't have anyone who needs to get out today I just want to make sure I get everything done as quick as possible after the storm. This is the first big storm I've had to deal with so I'm paranoid and don't want to make the wrong call


It's powdery which is the silver lining


----------



## V_Scapes

Plowed a couple lots twice already. Just stopped home for lunch, it's dumping now.


----------



## Petr51488

truckie80 said:


> It's powdery which is the silver lining


amen. But Suppose to be another 8" of powder lol. I have about 9 now


----------



## Petr51488

Please make it stop.


----------



## Randall Ave

16 at the shop.


----------



## Klaibs27

I know we're all worried about this one but the Euro has two more storms hitting the area with in the next 10 days. 

We're stuck under a heavy area of sleet (since at least 7 am this morning) so it should be a BLAST to move tomorrow when I do the residentials. Going to go do some sub work tonight for some extra money.


----------



## Randall Ave

Ajlawn1 said:


> You should be out practice plowing...


Well let's see, that truck for the battery, that's a 1992 gmc c,6500 gas motor. Needs an alternator. At 5:39 this morning that battery I put in was dead, I had to go to the next town over, I was able to jam two batteries in there, ain't no one open today to get anything. That new tornado salter I installed before the last storm, ain't new now. He backed into something. I used the torch and the porto power, got him going. Another guy, blown hose on a Western. And the township called me out to plow. Fun times.


----------



## Mountain Bob

WOW


----------



## Randall Ave

Mountain Bob said:


> WOW


The guy with the bad alternator just called, truck is dead again. I'm getting to old for this shiz


----------



## Western1

Randall Ave said:


> The guy with the bad alternator just called, truck is dead again. I'm getting to old for this shiz


How much snow now? Did it slow up at all?


----------



## Mountain Bob

Please don't tell me you just dropped in batteries and sent him on his way, without replacing the bad alternator?


----------



## djt1029

Measured 20” in River Vale. Absolutely insane


----------



## Ajlawn1

Randall Ave said:


> Well let's see, that truck for the battery, that's a 1992 gmc c,6500 gas motor. Needs an alternator. At 5:39 this morning that battery I put in was dead, I had to go to the next town over, I was able to jam two batteries in there, ain't no one open today to get anything. That new tornado salter I installed before the last storm, ain't new now. He backed into something. I used the torch and the porto power, got him going. Another guy, blown hose on a Western. And the township called me out to plow. Fun times.


Sooooo do you need to post a a "it can stop now?"


----------



## Randall Ave

Ajlawn1 said:


> Sooooo do you need to post a a "it can stop now?"


I was texting that phrase to someone


----------



## Tony_D

I went through all my houses, just got home going to shower and watch the weather. This is a ruff one


----------



## S_Marino87

Should be done with this round around 11 then back out tomorrow morning. Probably 2 feet most locations


----------



## MGLC

Hit 30” at some locations here. Absolute madness


----------



## sota

out at 7, home at 12 (broken heating system), out again at 1:30 with a fix, fix didn't work, thought about it some more and realized, the a/c core was probably frosting over, blocking all air flow. unplugged the a/c compressor (because the jeep is weird), and 5 minutes later I had working heat again.


----------



## Mike_C

I just ran about an 12 hour route myself, I haven't ran a full route myself in years usually in the office managing everything in a storm


----------



## Randall Ave

Still going, plowing snow listening to disco, I need help.


----------



## Western1

Randall Ave said:


> Still going, plowing snow listening to disco, I need help.


How much snow now? Did it slow down?


----------



## Randall Ave

Western1 said:


> How much snow now? Did it slow down?


Yes it slowed, and it just picked up again, but nothing like yesterday my guess is two feet.


----------



## Randall Ave

Just got on the couch, and heading back out for a busted plow.


----------



## sota

Randall Ave said:


> Still going, plowing snow listening to disco, I need help.


----------



## sota

soon as the wife vacates the bathroom, I'm getting my morning done and we're going out there for day 2.
and of course it's snowing, again.
maybe it'll stop before I get moving.


----------



## Klaibs27

Did 7 hours of snowblowing and shoveling last night. Most lots weren't cleared yet and roads were atrocious. My HOA road wasn't plowed (private contractor) since 7AM yesterday so there was a LOT of skinny pedal just to get back to my house at 2AM. 

Stay hydrated, stay fed and be safe!


----------



## LAB INC

Western1 said:


> How much snow now? Did it slow down?


Have 30 inches at my house in Mendham, love this!


----------



## V_Scapes

23hrs and counting, slept about 3 hours the past two days. I hope you snow junkies are happy.


----------



## HarryTHook

V_Scapes said:


> 23hrs and counting, slept about 3 hours the past two days. I hope you snow junkies are happy.


35 hours then the freebies. Gonna get 3 or 4 hours sleep, throw dinner together for the son who is out with shovel/blowers. Then its back out because its snowing like crazy here.


----------



## S_Marino87

Around 30 hours total so far back out tonight for a couple hours of cleanup


----------



## S_Marino87

Btw @shawn_ good luck tonight


----------



## rizzoa13

43 hours in the seat then I got a nice 6 hour sleep in. Back out touching everything before it freezes up tonight.

Hows north jersey looking we were up in New Brunswick helping out yesterday and it was horrendous.


----------



## sota

Feces show this morning. Running the route again, first house, off camber driveway with a steep drop off and no guard rail, jeep slid sideways and I had the right front drop off. Spent an hour digging out all 4 corners enough to finally get it to move under its own power, and out of danger. The "Boss" was on his way to help and give me a tug if needed when it finally got free and moved in the right direction.
Stuff is heavier now than it was last night.


----------



## V_Scapes

Finally back home. Salter loaded up for the morning freeze. Lots of machine work for tomorrow, have a loader subbed out for my largest site, Ive never had snow piles so big there.


----------



## J.Ricci

Full route in other than a few on the islands that just needed salt.

@shawn_ Goodluck tonight, hell of a 48hrs for you


----------



## djt1029

I just got home, hell of a storm but the routes finally completely done. A little machine work tonight, solid day tomorrow and I need to haul offsite for one place. Checked my office line to see 85 messages, God forbid anyone plan for snow before 2ft of snows on the ground.


----------



## truckie80

I finished a little before 4 today, tomorrow I have to bring the machine around and push back a couple piles


----------



## treeguyry

Worst storm I can remember, both my two stages broke so my sidewalk guys were stuck with a couple single stages vs 2ft of snow. What a ****ing mess. At least its done


----------



## V_Scapes

treeguyry said:


> Worst storm I can remember, both my two stages broke so my sidewalk guys were stuck with a couple single stages vs 2ft of snow. What a ******* mess. At least its done


Seems fitting for your last year in snow!


----------



## rizzoa13

I bet you looked like all the homeowners using blowers that throw it 6” to the side. Makes my day every time I drive by one of them!


----------



## UniqueTouch

Finally home after 60hrs straight . Exhausted. Makes me kick myself for all the times I got pissed off at the weather guy for lying


----------



## treeguyry

V_Scapes said:


> Seems fitting for your last year in snow!


Anyone wanna buy 2 broken snowblowers? Lol


----------



## UniqueTouch

IF for somehow this possible storm comes next week I am in trouble. NO room for any snow.


----------



## Tony_D

Out early today for the second trip through the route, then spent about an hour and a half at my dads yard plowing while a couple of his guys moved trucks out of the way. Glad its over


----------



## MGLC

Just need to widen some places out still but we're mostly done. Other than what I would guess is going to be a good 3 days of machine work


----------



## V_Scapes

UniqueTouch said:


> IF for somehow this possible storm comes next week I am in trouble. NO room for any snow.


Gotta have stacking/relocating/removal in your contract, it's always the cherry on top.


----------



## djt1029

Can’t beat relocation money


----------



## J.Ricci

Heading out at 11 for a few hours of stacking, back to construction tomorrow


----------



## V_Scapes

J.Ricci said:


> Heading out at 11 for a few hours of stacking, back to construction tomorrow


Guy doesn't miss a beat. How much snow did you get down there?


----------



## iceyman

Just got home.. 48 hrs .. can we get a dam storm without sleet. In freehold is sleeted for 5 hours.. in old bridge way more snow.. o and who needs an edge anyway


----------



## J.Ricci

V_Scapes said:


> Guy doesn't miss a beat. How much snow did you get down there?


My sites ranged from around 8-9" on some to just some patches of slush...Typical shore.


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> Just got home.. 48 hrs .. can we get a dam storm without sleet. In freehold is sleeted for 5 hours.. in old bridge way more snow.. o and who needs an edge anyway


Is that a blizzard straight blade?



J.Ricci said:


> My sites ranged from around 8-9" on some to just some patches of slush...Typical shore.


Sounds like a walk in the park.


----------



## Mike_C

18-34" here, 80% in the higher end of that range. One of the longest duration storms I can remember for sure. Accounts are done other than some detail work that'll be done by sunrise. More calls for emergency work this storm than ever before, somebody in Hunterdon County really dropped the ball on about a dozen locations. Hopefully nobody on here 

Shawn - keep us posted


----------



## MKWL2

That was a wild one- most snow I have every dealt with in one storm for sure. We wound up with 32” in NW Warren County, about 28” in NW Bergen- my guys ran almost continuously in Bergen keeping driveways open, I did the same in Warren plus the roads I handle. Glad I did- anyone who didn’t keep their places open through the storm is screwed- unless the driveways are all pitched downhill and didn’t drift. Had a 5’ deep drift on one driveway. Hopefully no more snow for a while though, running out of places to stack the snow on a couple accounts.


----------



## Petr51488

All you guys saying there’s no room for more snow- how about just plain and simple- no one ever needs this much snow?? f this . Back out tomorrow to finish


----------



## sota

Got a good 25+ hours in for the 2 days.

Sooo many people trying to flag me down.
One I gave the "boss"'s number to, they called him, and it was a cluster as expected.
They clearly thought I was going to plow their drive BEFORE negotiating price, OR having cash in hand. No, I don't think so.

It's basically the reason I realized, being a "wildcat" plow jockey wouldn't be worth it. Too much hassle.

And yea, I have a couple places where, this supposed next weekend storm could be a big problem.


----------



## sota

Also...
Plow was acting up today; I'd press 'right', and it'd go 'left'.
She was dripping pretty good these past 48 hours, and I haven't checked yet but could that be a low fluid issue? Also didn't want to drop quickly sometimes. Thinking that could just be packed in snow, as I was doing a lot of pile moving
and back dragging at the time.


----------



## HarryTHook

Up and ready to go out and check the one site. It has a supermarket and a booze store in it. Amazing how many people came in at the height of the storm.
Sunday/Monday looks like it might be another hit.


----------



## shawn_

thanks guys! I was at my regular job 3 am Sunday - started my stuff around 1 pm Sunday fell asleep Tuesday at 2pm until 5pm before the hospital . My guys all went home during/ after storm I stayed up making sure stuff got done , still wasn’t enough. Sidewalks were screwed regardless so much snow with the drifts / plowed out. I got a few guys out trying to get some last minute stuff open / salting now.

Wife is doing good they say maybe by this afternoon she will be here .

hope everyone had a good storm


----------



## Randall Ave

So ya notice getting up this morning every muscle hurts. Ran about 150 miles plowing for the township. Dam I'm 62 but feel like 80 today.


----------



## MKWL2

I hate to even mention it, but is anyone else hearing murmurings of another one Sunday and Monday? Thinking I’m going to need to rent another skid steer to get started on push backs Friday if that’s the case- a lot driveways would be completely impassible if we got another 30” on top of what we already have- banks are already 8-10’ high on a few of our properties


----------



## Kevin_NJ

I haven't bothered to total up my hours yet. Thanks to the plandemic I had to head home Monday to do my day job from home even though the office was closed, so I lost hours there. 

There's been chatter of a Sun-Mon storm since this past weekend. As of this morning 101.5 said it was a likely near miss. Still way too early to know. 

I can't remember the last storm we had that sleet was not an issue/concern.


----------



## gman2310

Whats everyone use for keeping their batteries charged while trucks are sitting? Before this storm, 2 of our trucks were dead, but once started they were good to go. We have used battery tenders in the past, just looking to see if there is some new, better battery tenders out there. Looking for like 5 or 6 trucks


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> I hate to even mention it, but is anyone else hearing murmurings of another one Sunday and Monday? Thinking I'm going to need to rent another skid steer to get started on push backs Friday if that's the case- a lot driveways would be completely impassible if we got another 30" on top of what we already have- banks are already 8-10' high on a few of our properties


Euro has it but GFS and canadian do not. As of right now if it verifies it would be a quick mover, 4-8 5-10 sort of non sense.


----------



## Klaibs27

Euro backed off of it in the last run. The two pieces of energy don't sync up so the southern stream low goes right out to sea. I've done 18+ hours in the past two nights of snow blowing. My hands feel like rocks and everything aches but I still have 3 more sidewalks to get done tonight. Should be a blast.


----------



## V_Scapes

Klaibs27 said:


> Euro backed off of it in the last run. The two pieces of energy don't sync up so the southern stream low goes right out to sea. I've done 18+ hours in the past two nights of snow blowing. My hands feel like rocks and everything aches but I still have 3 more sidewalks to get done tonight. Should be a blast.


Hopefully it keeps trending that way


----------



## sota

24h 23m logged over 2 days.
Yea, I hurt like hell, and it would be an amazing disaster if we had another big storm right after this one, but i'm crazy enough to say, bring it on. 

Damn... I'm so tired i'm repeating myself.


----------



## iceyman

Going to get xrays on my foot.. was on my bed loading salt and i slipped.. caught myself by jumping down but landed on my left heel.. cant touch it to the ground.. bad news


----------



## Mattymax

iceyman said:


> Going to get xrays on my foot.. was on my bed loading salt and i slipped.. caught myself by jumping down but landed on my left heel.. cant touch it to the ground.. bad news


Sorry to hear that. Hoping for the best


----------



## Randall Ave

Let the employees do that stuff.


----------



## Mattymax

I’m new to the commercial game and it being such a large storm. What do you guys charge for relocating ? On site. Rental is about 400$ For the day for a skid


----------



## shawn_

Mattymax said:


> I'm new to the commercial game and it being such a large storm. What do you guys charge for relocating ? On site. Rental is about 400$ For the day for a skid


At least 225 an hour


----------



## shawn_

iceyman said:


> Going to get xrays on my foot.. was on my bed loading salt and i slipped.. caught myself by jumping down but landed on my left heel.. cant touch it to the ground.. bad news


Icy bro feel better in 2014 I slipped and fell on ice at my job, broke tib, fib & heel ...... 3 surgeries and 2 plates 11 pins later .
Hopefully it's nothing that will require a surgery . Praying for you.

BABY UPDATE wife is 7Cm and my guys got everything complete with NO complaints today. That's a WIN!!


----------



## J.Ricci

Mattymax said:


> I'm new to the commercial game and it being such a large storm. What do you guys charge for relocating ? On site. Rental is about 400$ For the day for a skid


I'm at 250 for any of my smaller machines, 300 for the backhoe



iceyman said:


> Going to get xrays on my foot.. was on my bed loading salt and i slipped.. caught myself by jumping down but landed on my left heel.. cant touch it to the ground.. bad news


Ah ****. Good luck


----------



## MGLC

Moved mountains of snow today, finished some cleanup. More to move tonight then tomorrow we start hauling off a few sites



iceyman said:


> Going to get xrays on my foot.. was on my bed loading salt and i slipped.. caught myself by jumping down but landed on my left heel.. cant touch it to the ground.. bad news


Best of luck, keep us in the loop



shawn_ said:


> BABY UPDATE wife is 7Cm and my guys got everything complete with NO complaints today. That's a WIN!!


Almost game time. You've slept more in the last 4 days than you will in the next week. Lol


----------



## sota

Babies come with hats


----------



## eastendpm

Went out around noon on Monday and got the first round of pushes in. Wish i went out a few hours earlier so I would have had time to take a break before the guys started working.

Man, was that some deep snow 22.5-24" in my area. The 6.7 and the wideout blasted right through it!

Had 2 guys following me in the other truck with 2 stage blowers + back up plow. Watched a lot of other companies suffering through sidewalks by hand or just not doing them because they were 4' high.

We had all the accounts clean and clear, by 7am on Tuesday. Spun through the route again afterwards to re-open mouths and put down some calcium. We had everything complete by 3:00pm.

Was back out this morning for a few calls that trickled in, and then opened up some additional parking/mailbox's for my really good clients this afternoon.


----------



## HeatMiser

Klaibs27 said:


> Euro backed off of it in the last run.


Lets hope it stays that way.


----------



## iceyman

shawn_ said:


> Icy bro feel better in 2014 I slipped and fell on ice at my job, broke tib, fib & heel ...... 3 surgeries and 2 plates 11 pins later .
> Hopefully it's nothing that will require a surgery . Praying for you.
> 
> BABY UPDATE wife is 7Cm and my guys got everything complete with NO complaints today. That's a WIN!!


Awesome congrats man!


----------



## iceyman

2 fractures as of now.. getting a catscan tmrw to see how deep the fracture is .. in a boot.. brutal


----------



## djt1029

10 hours today moving snow and touching up sidewalks that the town plowed back in. Back out later tonight when some more places close, then another full day tomorrow.



iceyman said:


> 2 fractures as of now.. getting a catscan tmrw to see how deep the fracture is .. in a boot.. brutal


Ouch. Sorry to hear it


----------



## shawn_

Icy feel better brother, you’ll be back on the ice in no time!


----------



## iceyman

shawn_ said:


> Icy feel better brother, you'll be back on the ice in no time!


My team has hit the injury bug bad.. now 3 guys in the last month with broken ankles or feet.. hopefully it comes in 3


----------



## Aerospace Eng

iceyman said:


> 2 fractures as of now.. getting a catscan tmrw to see how deep the fracture is .. in a boot.. brutal


Although it will be long and painful no matter what, I hope that is a complete recovery.


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> Let the employees do that stuff.


Im am employee in the winter.. except for this storm cuz the boss got pins and rods in his ankle last week.. spent 15k+ in shovelers


----------



## shawn_

iceyman said:


> My team has hit the injury bug bad.. now 3 guys in the last month with broken ankles or feet.. hopefully it comes in 3


Mine too , it's been an injury type 1.5 years ..... 1 Achilles , 1 torn rotator cuff & one MCL ACL Meniscus .... all 3 great athletes all 3 can play elite level flag QB . All 3 done 2 are now retiring lol. Injuries suck


----------



## HarryTHook

iceyman said:


> 2 fractures as of now.. getting a catscan tmrw to see how deep the fracture is .. in a boot.. brutal


Good luck dude, and here I felt bad breaking my plow yesterday. If you need it, I can put you in touch with a driver/operator. He is down here in Philly so he would need a room when traveling, you guys can work out the rest. Or I'll trade you the driver for 6 shovelers, they are dropping like flies down here.......


----------



## djt1029

Question for you guys, I’ve been doing some sub work yesterday and more today with my mt85 opening up sidewalks where other contractors dropped the ball, not sure how much different the hourly rate I should have on that vs my normal relocation work with the full size skid


----------



## truckie80

djt1029 said:


> Question for you guys, I've been doing some sub work yesterday and more today with my mt85 opening up sidewalks where other contractors dropped the ball, not sure how much different the hourly rate I should have on that vs my normal relocation work with the full size skid


Also curious, we're pushing back piles and widening out a few driveways with my ditchwitch all day today and I haven't figured out how much I'll bill it out for yet


----------



## sota

Sounds like something that should have been worked out before hand.
If there's a contract, it should be in the contract, much like most people have surcharges for snowfall above a certain mount. Either bake into the surcharge snow hauling fees, or explicitly list them as being chargeable at your discretion.
There's obviously a balance that needs to be struck, between being compensated fairly for work performed, and not pissing off the customer.

Luckily for me, I don't have to think about these things.


----------



## srl28

What is everyone getting for a skid steer and an operator or a backhoe and an operator for all of this relocating on site? Seeing a lot of price gougers out there and my buddy told me the line at the rental place this morning was about 20 people deep


----------



## V_Scapes

sota said:


> Sounds like something that should have been worked out before hand.
> If there's a contract, it should be in the contract, much like most people have surcharges for snowfall above a certain mount. Either bake into the surcharge snow hauling fees, or explicitly list them as being chargeable at your discretion.
> There's obviously a balance that needs to be struck, between being compensated fairly for work performed, and not pissing off the customer.
> 
> Luckily for me, I don't have to think about these things.


Listen to you.



srl28 said:


> What is everyone getting for a skid steer and an operator or a backhoe and an operator for all of this relocating on site? Seeing a lot of price gougers out there and my buddy told me the line at the rental place this morning was about 20 people deep


250/hr for skid steer.


----------



## J.Ricci

sota said:


> Sounds like something that should have been worked out before hand.
> If there's a contract, it should be in the contract, much like most people have surcharges for snowfall above a certain mount. Either bake into the surcharge snow hauling fees, or explicitly list them as being chargeable at your discretion.
> There's obviously a balance that needs to be struck, between being compensated fairly for work performed, and not pissing off the customer.
> 
> Luckily for me, I don't have to think about these things.


Bailing out other contractors usually doesn't involve contracts, generally you're helping a buddy out. To answer the original question not sure on mini skid pricing but I wouldn't do less than 150. Small machine, bigger machine, it's emergency work either way and you should be compensated as such



srl28 said:


> What is everyone getting for a skid steer and an operator or a backhoe and an operator for all of this relocating on site? Seeing a lot of price gougers out there and my buddy told me the line at the rental place this morning was about 20 people deep


250 for the skids, 300ish backhoe.


----------



## Tony_D

Just finished doing an extra driveway, that was awful it took like 3 hours. I have another person who called but it's so bad I think they need a machine to get into it


----------



## S_Marino87

I'm taking my plow off later today, still getting randomly flagged down here and there


----------



## Klaibs27

V_Scapes said:


> Hopefully it keeps trending that way


And then the NAM does this:









And the other models are now trending to bring at least something to the area.


----------



## rizzoa13

Come on man I’m tired.


----------



## iceyman

shawn_ said:


> Mine too , it's been an injury type 1.5 years ..... 1 Achilles , 1 torn rotator cuff & one MCL ACL Meniscus .... all 3 great athletes all 3 can play elite level flag QB . All 3 done 2 are now retiring lol. Injuries suck


Yea my buddy/boss saaid hes done


----------



## iceyman

Sunday trended 1000x better for snow overnight


----------



## Mike_C

djt1029 said:


> Question for you guys, I've been doing some sub work yesterday and more today with my mt85 opening up sidewalks where other contractors dropped the ball, not sure how much different the hourly rate I should have on that vs my normal relocation work with the full size skid


Billing mini skids/ sidewalk tractors etc at $ 150/hr, snowrators/ssv's $ 100/hr



srl28 said:


> What is everyone getting for a skid steer and an operator or a backhoe and an operator for all of this relocating on site? Seeing a lot of price gougers out there and my buddy told me the line at the rental place this morning was about 20 people deep


$ 245/skidsteer
$ 305/backhoe and compact loaders
$ 350+ full size loader depending on size


----------



## sota

S_Marino87 said:


> I'm taking my plow off later today, still getting randomly flagged down here and there


This is why i don't drive the jeep around right now


----------



## rizzoa13

I look like a county truck people know better than to bother me.


----------



## sota

Dumped a quart of western blue into the tank, and it still wasn't at the top.
I think the automatic fluid change system is getting a little more active than before. 
Or it just leaked a lot since we did a LOT of plowing


----------



## sota

rizzoa13 said:


> I look like a county truck people know better than to bother me.


You reminded me... we used to throw snowballs at the county/town trucks when they'd go by. The more pissed off they got at us, the faster they drove, and the more snow they threw AWAY from the driveway.


----------



## MGLC

Finally almost done, just have to stack 2 more locations and haul from one more all of which need to be done after 10pm. Until then, goodnight


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> Sunday trended 1000x better for snow overnight


Yup here we go again. Today they'll say a minor storm, Saturday night we'll be in double digit totals.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> Yup here we go again. Today they'll say a minor storm, Saturday night we'll be in double digit totals.


I sure hope not- nowhere left to put the snow and my guys and I all need a break... but with how this year is starting off in general I'm sure we'll get hammered again


----------



## iceyman

Trends on gfs... gotta click on it i guess


----------



## LAB INC

iceyman said:


> Trends on gfs... gotta click on it i guess


That would be great, would love another good storm. Hope you make out with everything.


----------



## HeatMiser

LAB INC said:


> That would be great, would love another good storm. Hope you make out with everything.


You're nuts


----------



## Petr51488

Does anyone know anything I can spray or do to my auger blades ( 2 stage Honda) to keep snow from sticking to them? I used Pam. I will try fluid film next- can get them professionally ceramic coated too


----------



## Pa Plowman

Klaibs27 said:


> And then the NAM does this:
> View attachment 213058
> 
> 
> And the other models are now trending to bring at least something to the area.


Are U serious 27?


----------



## UniqueTouch

Does anyone have a state map of from last storm totals?


----------



## sota

someone over on 33andrain wants this to a 50" total for the month.


----------



## MGLC

Spoken like subcontractors


----------



## truckie80

Petr51488 said:


> Does anyone know anything I can spray or do to my auger blades ( 2 stage Honda) to keep snow from sticking to them? I used Pam. I will try fluid film next- can get them professionally ceramic coated too


I use fluid film, works pretty well


----------



## LAB INC

HeatMiser said:


> You're nuts


I know, I think I lost my mind a long time ago.


----------



## Petr51488

truckie80 said:


> I use fluid film, works pretty well


does it have to go on dry? Obviously the snow will be melted off- but might still be wet. Also- how long does it last? At least through the storm? I'm going to have someone ceramic coat one blower- and I'll fluid film the other and see which is better


----------



## HarryTHook

Petr51488 said:


> Does anyone know anything I can spray or do to my auger blades ( 2 stage Honda) to keep snow from sticking to them? I used Pam. I will try fluid film next- can get them professionally ceramic coated too


I use wet silicone spray. More for the second stage and chute. I have exhaust hose from the garage that we shove in the chute for a bit melts everything. Kinda hillbilly but it works like a charm.
Just bought a 9/26 that is a year old, slight bend in the auger we can fix. Looked for another 32 but apparently there is nothing in the tri state area right now.


----------



## MKWL2

Bills went out last night and already getting a flurry of people questioning the amounts billed... why do I do this to myself every winter ?


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> Bills went out last night and already getting a flurry of people questioning the amounts billed... why do I do this to myself every winter ?


Mailed mine out yesterday, I'm anticipating the same non sense.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> Mailed mine out yesterday, I'm anticipating the same non sense.


Yup it'll be coming- 46 went out last night, have had 12 emails back already... people have no idea what goes into a storm like this... and the fact that we were there through the storm making sure they never got snowed in like the rest of the folks who hired the fly by nighters who vanished with this storm... unbelievable.


----------



## Randall Ave

What was your average driveway cost for a storm like this?


----------



## Lockman75

This is exatly why I went to the trouble of rigging my XJ...... For me & my family only. A couple of ' Good deeds ' thrown in , too. 
After Plowing for years , I got out awhile back. Hired a Couple Knuckleheads who [email protected]#$^ed us hard for a couple of Seasons. They both have to go around now with their heads on a swivel...... from now on. Talk about " Contracting "


----------



## MKWL2

Randall Ave said:


> What was your average driveway cost for a storm like this?


Plowing, salting and shoveling ranged from $240 to $800 (although the latter is a 1.3 mile winding drive with a few hundred feet of walkway). Heard guys were running around Bergen county charging $500 cash in hand flat rate paid upfront for doing driveways yesterday so I think my pricing is very fair.


----------



## MKWL2

Lockman75 said:


> This is exatly why I went to the trouble of rigging my XJ...... For me & my family only. A couple of ' Good deeds ' thrown in , too.
> After Plowing for years , I got out awhile back. Hired a Couple Knuckleheads who [email protected]#$^ed us hard for a couple of Seasons. They both have to go around now with their heads on a swivel...... from now on. Talk about " Contracting "


Did you agree to their pricing in a signed contract? This is what kills me- people receive and sign contracts, pricing and terms are spelled out clear as day... then I get a flurry of emails claiming "they didn't measure that much snow on their driveway"... well no s*** Sherlock that was after we made 2 passes through already but you probably couldn't see us out there because it was snowing at 4" an hour. 
Did these guys tell you the pricing upfront? If not, shame on them. If they did and you are unhappy having to pay for it... shame on you.


----------



## sota

MKWL2 said:


> Plowing, salting and shoveling ranged from $240 to $800 (although the latter is a 1.3 mile winding drive with a few hundred feet of walkway). Heard guys were running around Bergen county charging $500 cash in hand flat rate paid upfront for doing driveways yesterday so I think my pricing is very fair.


Fits with what I suspect the 'boss' charges. And yea, I would have charged $500 as well to clear some of these driveways that hadn't been touched at all, by Tuesday evening.


----------



## MKWL2

sota said:


> Fits with what I suspect the 'boss' charges. And yea, I would have charged $500 as well to clear some of these driveways that hadn't been touched at all, by Tuesday evening.


Agreed- storms like this beat the crap out of the equipment and guys, you know there is doing to be damage in the spring to fences, lawns, Belgian block etc that needs to be repaired... sorry but I'm not putting $50k+ trucks and machines on the road to plow your driveway in a historic blizzard for $150...


----------



## sota

Got this from the wife, who's on the local town forums on book o' feces.
People were "complaining" about guys not coming out when called (no contracts ahead of time), what happened to neighbors helping neighbors (hint: charity begins at home), and where are all the kids looking to make a couple bucks?

On the latter, one lady posted up that a quartet of teenagers came to her door and offered to shovel her drive, clear her car, shovel the front walk, and shovel the sidewalks. Mind you this was mid-tuesday, so the bulk of the snow was down. $150 to do all that. She claimed it shouldn't take them more than an hour. Ok fine. Let's call it 1 hour. That's $35 per person to do all the work. My shovel guy gets $30/hr so that seems pretty reasonable for some hard ass work.


----------



## MKWL2

sota said:


> Got this from the wife, who's on the local town forums on book o' feces.
> People were "complaining" about guys not coming out when called (no contracts ahead of time), what happened to neighbors helping neighbors (hint: charity begins at home), and where are all the kids looking to make a couple bucks?
> 
> On the latter, one lady posted up that a quartet of teenagers came to her door and offered to shovel her drive, clear her car, shovel the front walk, and shovel the sidewalks. Mind you this was mid-tuesday, so the bulk of the snow was down. $150 to do all that. She claimed it shouldn't take them more than an hour. Ok fine. Let's call it 1 hour. That's $35 per person to do all the work. My shovel guy gets $30/hr so that seems pretty reasonable for some hard ass work.


Yup- people are cheap- I'm emailing anyone complaining, a return email telling them they can pay the bill as it stands or they're off the list, contract terminated and my collections agent will be reaching out after 10 business days... have dealt with enough BS in the last week to last me a lifetime...


----------



## sota

Brother @MKWL2 I give you a hallelujah!


----------



## MKWL2

sota said:


> Brother @MKWL2 I give you a hallelujah!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/URL]


 Appreciate that lol. Seriously though, I could have added 100 accounts if I wanted to with this storm all who I would have charged $500 or better each time handle their driveways, said screw the contract pricing and leave my contracts out swaying in the breeze, but that's not who I am and not how I run my business. People need to step up to the plate, appreciate the exceptional service and pay up.


----------



## Randall Ave

Oh, it is snowing pretty good here at the moment.


----------



## sota

I was gonna say... them is some BIG flakes coming coming down, and there's a LOT of them.

We got at least 1/2" down so far.


----------



## MKWL2

sota said:


> I was gonna say... them is some BIG flakes coming coming down, and there's a LOT of them.
> 
> We got at least 1/2" down so far.


Shouldn't stick around too long- looks like it's supposed to hit 40 or better this afternoon


----------



## sota

Oh I know, but given how this year has started off, who's to say it won't throw that idea out the window, and dump 6" on is right now.


----------



## MGLC

My bills probably won’t go out until next week, just finished machine work last night now tonight we might be doing some more for another company that’s in a pinch.


----------



## MGLC

MKWL2 said:


> Yup it'll be coming- 46 went out last night, have had 12 emails back already... people have no idea what goes into a storm like this... and the fact that we were there through the storm making sure they never got snowed in like the rest of the folks who hired the fly by nighters who vanished with this storm... unbelievable.


Residential snow will always be thankless. I've wanted out of it for 20 years but it seems I'm in the same boat as you, with high end maintenance customers you're almost forced to also do resi snow. I'm sure I'll have some complaints about a bunch of invoices as well


----------



## MKWL2

MGLC said:


> Residential snow will always be thankless. I've wanted out of it for 20 years but it seems I'm in the same boat as you, with high end maintenance customers you're almost forced to also do resi snow. I'm sure I'll have some complaints about a bunch of invoices as well


This is absolutely true- that said, after getting some insurance quotes for policies with and without snow, this will in all likelihood be our last year doing snow as the prime contractor (might sub next year we will see)- there are quite a few guys near us who do high end resi maintenance but no resi snow and seem to retain clients just fine, so we will most likely just drop the snow. Not worth the headaches for me at least, plus I am finding more and more I really need the winter to get caught up on stuff around my farm and get a jump on spring planting prep... there are just not enough hours in the day...


----------



## UniqueTouch

Where do you guys get your final snow totals for billing?


----------



## Kevin_NJ

I make it a general rule to not stop for flag downs. 

Many years ago (one of the 1st Winters I had my plow) my Wife's good friend asked that I clear out her Grandmother's drive after a good 6-8" storm. Her place was on a County Road, so the windrows were rather large.

Nobody thought it was important to tell me that there was a storm drain in the driveway, or that the drain was clogged so they had lifted the cover and dropped a pump down. Obviously my blade caught the cover, tore up the power cord & hose for the pump; and my front tire dropped into the opening. Thankfully no damage to my truck or plow. 

I still learned my lesson. If I don't know the property or have pictures to go by, I stay away.


----------



## MKWL2

Kevin_NJ said:


> I make it a general rule to not stop for flag downs.
> 
> Many years ago (one of the 1st Winters I had my plow) my Wife's good friend asked that I clear out her Grandmother's drive after a good 6-8" storm. Her place was on a County Road, so the windrows were rather large.
> 
> Nobody thought it was important to tell me that there was a storm drain in the driveway, or that the drain was clogged so they had lifted the cover and dropped a pump down. Obviously my blade caught the cover, tore up the power cord & hose for the pump; and my front tire dropped into the opening. Thankfully no damage to my truck or plow.
> 
> I still learned my lesson. If I don't know the property or have pictures to go by, I stay away.


Yup that's a good policy to have- I tell my guys the same thing- no flag downs- have heard too many horror stories. If a few of my neighbors need a hand I'll take a quick swipe up their driveway, but I know what's there- no one knows what's under 2 feet of drifted snow...


----------



## Mattymax

On a large storm like this one I normally use the final day to answer my phone and take add ons in local areas once im completed with my route. 

I use instantstreetview to see what there properties looks like. Works fairly well for this storm and storms in the past. If there house is not on there (side street or no pic) I won’t price it or go.


----------



## djt1029

I still do residential snow, but not the way I used to. The majority of my maintenance is high end as well, and you can retain it without doing snow. I did lose a couple here and there, but kept 95% I do still have around 25 residential snow accounts, but at one point I had close to triple that.


----------



## MKWL2

djt1029 said:


> I still do residential snow, but not the way I used to. The majority of my maintenance is high end as well, and you can retain it without doing snow. I did lose a couple here and there, but kept 95% I do still have around 25 residential snow accounts, but at one point I had close to triple that.


Yup same here- we were doing over 100 resis at one point, then I moved out Warren County, picked up some drives and private roads out here and cut our Bergen County list way back. Considered bumping the list back up again but decided against it and glad I did- too many headaches- 45-50 headaches is enough for me. Interesting though (but not surprising) the people out in Warren are a lot easier to deal with, more appreciative than the Bergen folks... moving out of there was one of the best decisions I have made... still do landscaping in Bergen though- better money there, or so they say


----------



## J.Ricci

If anyone needs help with relocation/stacking up in North Jersey let me know. I've got a crew heading up there in a couple hours to help a buddy out with a site in Wayne, and another site in Woodcliff Lake


----------



## MGLC

MKWL2 said:


> This is absolutely true- that said, after getting some insurance quotes for policies with and without snow, this will in all likelihood be our last year doing snow as the prime contractor (might sub next year we will see)- there are quite a few guys near us who do high end resi maintenance but no resi snow and seem to retain clients just fine, so we will most likely just drop the snow. Not worth the headaches for me at least, plus I am finding more and more I really need the winter to get caught up on stuff around my farm and get a jump on spring planting prep... there are just not enough hours in the day...


Honestly as stupid as it sounds, I'm not even that concerned with retention. I know I'll keep almost all of them if we drop residential snow, I've hand picked my customers since day one and I know the quality of work in landscape season. It's more that I just don't want someone else on our properties


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Five-six years ago maybe, I was clearing a small strip mall; got a phone call from the boss to head over to a housing development we had ASAP. One of his other guys thought he'd make a quick $50 on someone's driveway. Problem was he didn't know the ground had a sharp drop off from the pavement. Slid both tires off the side and got stuck. He'd done a wonderful job of tearing up the grass/dirt trying to free himself before I got there to pull him out also. 

I've gotten plenty of dirty looks and even flipped the bird for ignoring people trying to flag me down. Shame, but the risk just isn't worth it for me.


----------



## djt1029

@MKWL2

What do you farm?


----------



## Kevin_NJ

I did take a run to my Wife's cousin's place a few years ago. Her husband is an airline pilot and was away. I took pity on her and went over. 

I almost sounded like a cop when I got there "Is there anything in your driveway I need to know about that could hurt me, my truck or plow?"


----------



## Petr51488

MKWL2 said:


> Agreed- storms like this beat the crap out of the equipment and guys, you know there is doing to be damage in the spring to fences, lawns, Belgian block etc that needs to be repaired... sorry but I'm not putting $50k+ trucks and machines on the road to plow your driveway in a historic blizzard for $150...


Isn't it simple enough to just prove from a website or an official source the amount of snow you got? Then that fits into your price scale? I don't see the problem? At least on our end haha. Everyone loves to call and ask when you're coming because everyone has appoiments- but when it comes time to pay- uhhuhhh uhhhh. I can't complain though. I rarely have issues.


----------



## V_Scapes

Another salt run in this morning.


----------



## MKWL2

djt1029 said:


> @MKWL2
> 
> What do you farm?


We grow Christmas trees, cut flowers (sunflowers and zinnias mostly), pumpkins, and do maple syrup (just started tapping yesterday actually)- love the farming, landscaping just keeps the cash flow going until I can get the farm ramped up to a full time operation.


----------



## prezek

MKWL2 said:


> Yup it'll be coming- 46 went out last night, have had 12 emails back already... people have no idea what goes into a storm like this... and the fact that we were there through the storm making sure they never got snowed in like the rest of the folks who hired the fly by nighters who vanished with this storm... unbelievable.


Ugh. Good luck with everything. Brings back my PTSD from when we got 30" in 2016. Made me want to sell all my snow equipment. I kept things on the low end of the pricing scale for my good landscape customers and still had push back on pricing...now each year for residentials I won't give a price for over 12". I write in depending on depth, duration of the storm, blah, blah, blah...had a few people want me to lock something in so gave an insane price for each inch over 12.


----------



## djt1029

MKWL2 said:


> We grow Christmas trees, cut flowers (sunflowers and zinnias mostly), pumpkins, and do maple syrup (just started tapping yesterday actually)- love the farming, landscaping just keeps the cash flow going until I can get the farm ramped up to a full time operation.


That's awesome. My 5 year plan is to open a small nursery/garden center to work with the landscaping side. I would do it even sooner but commercial real estate in Bergen County is outrageous. When the time comes, we'll talk it would be great to have some stock from another local guy


----------



## AllAboutGreen

Hey guys

@Icy, sorry to hear about the foot, hope the heel feels better soon!

@shawn_ congratulations!

Glad to hear everyone is wrapped up for the most part what a crazy long week, we have been out salting every night. One of my commercial sites has no room we have stacked it as high and possible and Wed am I asked them to either have it removed or I have a company that will haul it away and I have still not gotten an answer from them. I am really hoping Sunday is a 2" or less storm. I am down 1 guy and another said he doesn't know if he will be around.....

We used Weather Works LLC for our forecasting and our billing.


----------



## fireball

In response to your slowdowns, I always return the friendly waves I receive as I go by. If confronted personally I always reply that if you can't afford me for a one inch snowstorm, you certainly can't afford me for a 24 inch snowstorm.


----------



## sota

So apparently, we're on for another 6"+ storm starting sunday afternoon.


----------



## Mike_C

Salt run again today, still digging out places that were left stranded by other contractors, and still have a few days of hauling left. My guys are exhausted


----------



## Mattymax

6-10” Sunday


----------



## treeguyry

Mike_C said:


> Salt run again today, still digging out places that were left stranded by other contractors, and still have a few days of hauling left. My guys are exhausted


Need any class B drivers? I've got a few guys who would take some hours we're not going back to tree work until next week


----------



## MKWL2

djt1029 said:


> That's awesome. My 5 year plan is to open a small nursery/garden center to work with the landscaping side. I would do it even sooner but commercial real estate in Bergen County is outrageous. When the time comes, we'll talk it would be great to have some stock from another local guy


Yeah I love it- always wanted to have a working farm, my wife grew up in a dairy farm in upstate NY so it fits nicely for us- part time now but (hopefully) eventually my full time job. Yeah real estate in Bergen is insane- I tell people out here what I pay per month in Mahwah to rent a 30x40' plot of dirt to store my trucks and a couple trailers and they're floored, it's highway robbery but everyone pays it lol. Absolutely sounds good!


----------



## MKWL2

Mattymax said:


> 6-10" Sunday


Where are you seeing that?


----------



## AG09

MKWL2 said:


> Yup- people are cheap- I'm emailing anyone complaining, a return email telling them they can pay the bill as it stands or they're off the list, contract terminated and my collections agent will be reaching out after 10 business days... have dealt with enough BS in the last week to last me a lifetime...


I use to do about 70 driveways on top of all my commercials accounts. I have gotten down to about 22 now and will not take on anymore due to the BS homeowners put us through with when are coming I have to get out, why you charging so much, etc. . Between Monday and Tuesday I had over 75 calls from random people for driveways and said absof%ckinlutely not.

I said the same as you. If you question the bill you can go f yourself and I will tell you to go scratch. Then I tell them good luck finding someone to plow your driveway since not many guys are doing it anymore.


----------



## AG09

J.Ricci said:


> If anyone needs help with relocation/stacking up in North Jersey let me know. I've got a crew heading up there in a couple hours to help a buddy out with a site in Wayne, and another site in Woodcliff Lake


Thats my area. Where about in Wayne?



Mattymax said:


> 6-10" Sunday


I certainly hope not. Where you seeing that. I keep seeing it going back and forth between 1-3 and 3-5


----------



## MKWL2

AG09 said:


> I use to do about 70 driveways on top of all my commercials accounts. I have gotten down to about 22 now and will not take on anymore due to the BS homeowners put us through with when are coming I have to get out, why you charging so much, etc. . Between Monday and Tuesday I had over 75 calls from random people for driveways and said absof%ckinlutely not.
> 
> I said the same as you. If you question the bill you can go f yourself and I will tell you to go scratch. Then I tell them good luck finding someone to plow your driveway since not many guys are doing it anymore.


Yup absolutely agree- fewer and fewer guys want to deal with the headaches and costs associated... unless you want to hire one of "those guys" running around with a beater, no insurance who may or may not show up to plow.


----------



## Mattymax




----------



## Klaibs27

Here's the last 6 NAM 12km model outputs for snowfall in our area:


4-8 and 6-10 is definitely a possibility. At least I'll know exactly where the edges are on all of the sidewalks and driveways I do and it'll be done by early afternoon so working in the daylight will be nice I guess.


----------



## Mike_C

Seems overblown for such a quick hitter


----------



## AllAboutGreen

just got my latest weather forecast update: Middlesex county: Start Time 3am -6am Sunday, End Time 2pm - 5pm They are leaning more toward 2pm 3-6" total accumulations 

Union County : Start Time 3am - 6am End Time 1pm-4pm 3-6" of accumulations


----------



## J.Ricci

AG09 said:


> Thats my area. Where about in Wayne?
> 
> I certainly hope not. Where you seeing that. I keep seeing it going back and forth between 1-3 and 3-5


I was fairly close to willow brook mall. The only place I'm remotely familiar with in the area is Braen so I was pretty much flying blind. Woodcliff Lake now...anyone in the area have suggestions on where to get a decent dinner? We'll be wrapped up in about 3hrs and I haven't eaten yet today


----------



## Mattymax

J.Ricci said:


> I was fairly close to willow brook mall. The only place I'm remotely familiar with in the area is Braen so I was pretty much flying blind. Woodcliff Lake now...anyone in the area have suggestions on where to get a decent dinner? We'll be wrapped up in about 3hrs and I haven't eaten yet today


JOSE TEHAS in Fairfield. Right by mall on rt 46. You'll thank me later


----------



## djt1029

J.Ricci said:


> I was fairly close to willow brook mall. The only place I'm remotely familiar with in the area is Braen so I was pretty much flying blind. Woodcliff Lake now...anyone in the area have suggestions on where to get a decent dinner? We'll be wrapped up in about 3hrs and I haven't eaten yet today


Reilly's in Hillsdale if you're going from Woodcliff Lake


----------



## treeguyry

Mattymax said:


> JOSE TEHAS in Fairfield. Right by mall on rt 46. You'll thank me later


Tejas is always good, I'm there just about every other weekend



djt1029 said:


> Reilly's in Hillsdale if you're going from Woodcliff Lake


Is that the BBQ place?


----------



## djt1029

treeguyry said:


> Tejas is always good, I'm there just about every other weekend
> 
> Is that the BBQ place?


Yea, just opened the new location back in December after a bunch of 'rona delays. He's made the list of top BBQ places in the country a few years already


----------



## MKWL2

Klaibs27 said:


> Here's the last 6 NAM 12km model outputs for snowfall in our area:
> 
> 4-8 and 6-10 is definitely a possibility. At least I'll know exactly where the edges are on all of the sidewalks and driveways I do and it'll be done by early afternoon so working in the daylight will be nice I guess.


I'm hoping for closer to the 4" mark for Bergen and Warren- but we shall see. At least it'll be done in the afternoon (hopefully) so we can get it cleaned up before it's too far into the game lol


----------



## Mike_C

djt1029 said:


> Reilly's in Hillsdale if you're going from Woodcliff Lake


I've heard a ton of good things about it there. I really want to get out that way and try it but I just don't want to not be able to sit with all the bull**** rules. It's a long ride for me I can't take it to go


----------



## truckie80

Mike_C said:


> I've heard a ton of good things about it there. I really want to get out that way and try it but I just don't want to not be able to sit with all the bull**** rules. It's a long ride for me I can't take it to go


I was just there a couple weeks ago, I don't think he's doing indoor dining yet


----------



## J.Ricci

Thanks guys, I've been to Jose Tejas before and liked it but I'm in the Woodcliff Lake area now. Saw Reilly's closes at 8 and we're not gonna make it in time, still finishing up. Guess I'll just grab something quick but I need to come back this way for some barbecue, saw pictures on instagram


----------



## V_Scapes

Seeing 4-8 for Sunday. Wouldn't be surprised to see a shift to higher totals. I'm over it.


----------



## Mike_C

V_Scapes said:


> Seeing 4-8 for Sunday. Wouldn't be surprised to see a shift to higher totals. I'm over it.


Bite your tongue


----------



## V_Scapes

Mike_C said:


> Bite your tongue


I know I'm just tired of the drastic last minute forecast changes. I was supposed to be upstate all this coming week snowmobiling but with the look of the forecast it's highly doubtful.


----------



## MGLC

At least this is a manageable storm and the timing's a lot better. We'll see how it shakes out


----------



## V_Scapes

Had an eye opening moment on Tuesday. I was salting lots on my way home and touching up here and there. At one of my churches 3 young kids were making tunnels in large snow piles I had. If I didn't see them and pushed into the pile it would've been a bad situation. 
I just wanted to share since everyone is moving lots of snow and is sleep deprived. Something to keep in mind.


----------



## V_Scapes

MGLC said:


> At least this is a manageable storm and the timing's a lot better. We'll see how it shakes out


Fortunately it will be a quick mover.


----------



## Petr51488

V_Scapes said:


> Seeing 4-8 for Sunday. Wouldn't be surprised to see a shift to higher totals. I'm over it.


I don't think it's possible- I think 8" is the max on this storm . So hopefully any shift would mean less


----------



## iceyman

General 4-6 with maybe a couple spots with more


----------



## HarryTHook

6 to 8 Philly Im thinking. Hows the foot Icy??


----------



## shawn_

Hopefully out of the hospital today looking forward to more snow let the billables keep coming.... I got bored in the hospital so I went into work today for overtime .....


----------



## S_Marino87

fast mover, looks like 7-8hrs and done. Haven’t had any like that in a while


----------



## Mike_C

Big thanks to Ryan @treeguyry for getting me 4 drivers last night so I could spell some of my guys. Whatever snow isn't moved in the next 4 hours or so isn't getting moved until after this next system.


----------



## rizzoa13

That’s some good stuff, way to help a brother out.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Its also nice when we have all night to get stuff cleaned up without people every where joy riding and slowing down traffic to a crawl or home owners out


----------



## UniqueTouch

Iceyman- what are you thoughts on Monmouth County?


----------



## iceyman

HarryTHook said:


> 6 to 8 Philly Im thinking. Hows the foot Icy??


Got my cat scanned yesterday.. going back to doc monday.. its freaking killing me today probably because i havent stopped in a week lol.. got some little stuff to fix today before tmrws little storm.. cant stop wont stop


----------



## iceyman

UniqueTouch said:


> Iceyman- what are you thoughts on Monmouth County?


3-5 i would say.. potential for a little more hut also a little less so i think thats a good call. Nice pack refresher


----------



## iceyman

shawn_ said:


> Hopefully out of the hospital today looking forward to more snow let the billables keep coming.... I got bored in the hospital so I went into work today for overtime .....


All my kids i hated being in the hospital.. at least after # 1 i had the excuse to stay home with the other kids lol


----------



## UniqueTouch

thank you brother. Hope you get well soon.


----------



## Petr51488

iceyman said:


> Got my cat scanned yesterday.. going back to doc monday.. its freaking killing me today probably because i havent stopped in a week lol.. got some little stuff to fix today before tmrws little storm.. cant stop wont stop


take care of it. I broke my foot maybe 15 years ago. Small fracture. Wore a boot- kept working. Never healed properly . No pain- but it's weird- I can't keep my foot flat and bend down without having to lift my heel. Also some muscle never built back.


----------



## rizzoa13

iceyman said:


> Got my cat scanned yesterday..


What'd the veterinarian say....


----------



## sota

just salt-a-way'ed the jeep, in preparation for tomorrow.


----------



## treeguyry

Mike_C said:


> Big thanks to Ryan @treeguyry for getting me 4 drivers last night so I could spell some of my guys. Whatever snow isn't moved in the next 4 hours or so isn't getting moved until after this next system.


Happy to help, my guys were all really impressed with your team. Tree work might be delayed the early part of the week again if we get much more snow so I may have some available again Monday/Tuesday


----------



## UniqueTouch

everyone I know who does tree work is named Ryan , expect for me I dont do tree work. lol


----------



## Tony_D

My buddy Ryan doesn't do tree work but he's a roofer working for his dad (who's also Ryan). Something about the name you all aren't afraid of heights at all lol


----------



## UniqueTouch

anyone think we can get away with heavy presalt on this storm with the latest reports for monmouth county? I have no side walk crew and after the last storm doing 10 commerciasl 2 and 3 times and 60 driveways I can't do it again this soon lol


----------



## J.Ricci

Take car


UniqueTouch said:


> anyone think we can get away with heavy presalt on this storm with the latest reports for monmouth county? I have no side walk crew and after the last storm doing 10 commerciasl 2 and 3 times and 60 driveways I can't do it again this soon lol


I wouldn't count on it, unless you shovel a few inches of salt down


----------



## rizzoa13

If your customer just need traction try a lot of salt ON TOP of the snow. Should do something right???


----------



## Petr51488

Is it possible to get 9” in 8 hours on this storm?


----------



## UniqueTouch

Off topic.... anyone have a well drilled in the last couple of years? Looking to buy a property with house but going to need new well eventually, trying to get idea on cost


----------



## V_Scapes

UniqueTouch said:


> Off topic.... anyone have a well drilled in the last couple of years? Looking to buy a property with house but going to need new well eventually, trying to get idea on cost


6k


----------



## sota

Petr51488 said:


> Is it possible to get 9" in 8 hours on this storm?


It's possible to get 18" in 8 hours, if mother nature decide to.


----------



## HarryTHook

Its 4:30 AM. Know where your laborers are? Looks like I am gonna have to pull my son and his crew early and put him on double duty with me.
Everybody be safe out there today.


----------



## shawn_

HarryTHook said:


> Its 4:30 AM. Know where your laborers are? Looks like I am gonna have to pull my son and his crew early and put him on double duty with me.
> Everybody be safe out there today.


It's snowing where you are ?
4;52am my phone is showing it's going to rain for a few hours here in Middletown before we even think about getting snow ... we may not get nothing here in Monmouth county .

Now my stiff north seems like we could get some snow within a few hours if it's not already snowing up there


----------



## info4tim

UniqueTouch said:


> Off topic.... anyone have a well drilled in the last couple of years? Looking to buy a property with house but going to need new well eventually, trying to get idea on cost


Pickwick Drilling - $8k 260'


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Off to a late start so far.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Thanks guys I appreciate it. I can manage that price range


----------



## Randall Ave

Snowing pretty good here, as far as roads go, you know it's Superbowl Sunday, they put so much salt down, I thought I was at the beach walking the mutt this morning.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Last night's call was for a start time around 5am. Rain started around 8. Flipped to a wet snow about 20-30min ago. Paved areas all water, some slush on cooler surfaces.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Is it snowing in Holmdel anyone know . Thanks


----------



## djt1029

Basically just flurries right now in Bergen county


----------



## UniqueTouch

okay thanks brother


----------



## S_Marino87

Randall Ave said:


> Snowing pretty good here, as far as roads go, you know it's Superbowl Sunday, they put so much salt down, I thought I was at the beach walking the mutt this morning.


The guy I sub for poured on the salt also, went to the bagel store and there's a solid coating of salt down


----------



## Randall Ave

Roads are getting white here now.


----------



## shawn_

Its
Snowing good here in middletown


----------



## sota

#murdersnow


we have an inch at least.


----------



## djt1029

Snowing pretty good here now picked up a lot in the last half hour or so


----------



## Mike_C

We've got a coating or an inch down I can't really tell from here. The boys are out, thank God this is a quick hitter


----------



## V_Scapes

Steady snow here with a coating.


----------



## treeguyry

Coating here, at least it's Sunday only one of my locations is open and I pretreated the living hell out of it


----------



## sota

correction: we have >2" now.


----------



## UniqueTouch

still raining in Ocean Township. Only two places I have that are open on Sunday is a start bucks in holmdel and Restaurant in Tinton Falls( real pain in the a$$)


----------



## UniqueTouch

Correction, Snow beginning here in Ocean Township NJ


----------



## sota

So are you hoping for an...
Ocean's 11 ?


----------



## truckie80

Looks like about an inch so far. Seems like about 5 more hours of snow, at least it's not another 36 hours like the last one


----------



## Tony_D

Big flakes here and it's been going for a while. I hope I can finish my route in time to catch some of the game, hopefully most of the second half.


----------



## sota

start time 08:15.
3.75" down @ 10:36.
that makes it 1.65"/hr fall rate.


----------



## HeatMiser

truckie80 said:


> Looks like about an inch so far. Seems like about 5 more hours of snow, at least it's not another 36 hours like the last one


Counting down until this one ends


----------



## djt1029

About 4 inches here already


----------



## Tony_D

It's slowed down a bit here but still coming down pretty good.


----------



## demetrios007

3 solid inches already in morris county. Been coming down in big flames since the starg


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Heavy rates now, impacting visibility.


----------



## J.Ricci

Half my routes all rain/sleet directly on the coast, the other half are all snow. We're bouncing around from site to site


----------



## V_Scapes

I was wondering if anyone was under that heavy band.

Snow lightened up here, kinda nice to watch.


----------



## Randall Ave

Got 3 1/2 inches here.


----------



## S_Marino87

Just got the call, heading out at 2pm.


----------



## truckie80

4.5 inches on the hood of my truck


----------



## sota

Code:


                      duration      "/hr
                      per,avg     per     avg
08:15 start    -        -         -        -
09:56 2"       01:41     0,101    1.19    1.19
10:36 3.75"    02:21    40,141    2.63    1.60
11:33 5.25"    03:18    57,198    1.58    1.59
12:30 6"       04:15    57,255    0.79    1.41


----------



## Petr51488

4.5” now. I thought this was supposed to be heavy wet stuff? Quite fluffy


----------



## UniqueTouch

Ocean township. Prob a good 4 inches already. heavy band for last hour


----------



## djt1029

Petr51488 said:


> 4.5" now. I thought this was supposed to be heavy wet stuff? Quite fluffy


Don't jinx us


----------



## UniqueTouch

Icey- hate that you were right again this time...lol....ill take the money course but feel bad I have my dad and my cousin working another bunch of hours


----------



## MKWL2

djt1029 said:


> Don't jinx us


Exactly lol


----------



## Petr51488

djt1029 said:


> Don't jinx us


I don't think it's possible at this point lol storm is done- temps are going down


----------



## S_Marino87

Typical storm where they can't get the ending time right, seems to be lingering a bit


----------



## MKWL2

S_Marino87 said:


> Typical storm where they can't get the ending time right, seems to be lingering a bit


Yeah seems like it's winding down but hopefully cleared out by around 5 or so in Bergen.


----------



## sota

Petr51488 said:


> 4.5" now. I thought this was supposed to be heavy wet stuff? Quite fluffy


----------



## sota

Code:


                      duration      "/hr
                      per,avg     per     avg
08:15 start    -        -         -        -
09:56 2"       01:41     0,101    1.19    1.19
10:36 3.75"    02:21    40,141    2.63    1.60
11:33 5.25"    03:18    57,198    1.58    1.59
12:30 6"       04:15    57,255    0.79    1.41
13:46 6.5"     05:31    76,331    0.39    1.18


----------



## S_Marino87

A little over 8" here, seems to be winding down


----------



## Randall Ave

Got around 5 here, maybe a little more. It's over. Blue sky showing up.


----------



## V_Scapes

Why can't all storms be this easy?


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Why can't all storms be this easy?


Why do you pull into the small dinner lot, and there's cars in the way. So it gets better, girl coming over to get her car, she's a ditzy blonde I knew in the 80s. Still the same, can't say anything more or I will get yelled at.


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> Why do you pull into the small dinner lot, and there's cars in the way. So it gets better, girl coming over to get her car, she's a ditzy blonde I knew in the 80s. Still the same, can't say anything more or I will get yelled at.


Not sure how far I'm supposed to push my imagination on this.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Not sure how far I'm supposed to push my imagination on this.


I thought about this later, most of you weren't born yet then.


----------



## S_Marino87

This was great, just finished my route. Heading to a diner


----------



## Mike_C

We earned an easy storm with the last miserable one. Actually we earned a few of them


----------



## djt1029

Just got home, one crew has 2 easy houses left and that's it everyone else is done. Easy one for the first time in God knows how long, and just into second tier billing


----------



## sota

well that was a damn easy storm to do.


----------



## treeguyry

Cake walk


----------



## demetrios007

Not only was it easy peasy, the snow stayed together nicely and pushed nice. I flew thru my stops and for some reason the little tiny trails my wing plow leaves at times dismt bother me one bit after the last storm. Saved slot of time not being OCD nit picky today


----------



## sota

we did 23 out of 31 on my list (8 were already done) in 5.25 hours. ranking 7 out of 17 storms in terms of shortest time.


----------



## Tony_D

Other than a few dustings, that was the fastest I ever went through my list. I got home just after halftime, game sucked though anyway


----------



## MKWL2

That was a nice little storm, 5” seems little after the monster lol. I’ll take a few more of those over a 30” monster any day. Looks like almost continuous snow for the next 10-14 days, hopefully 1-3/2-4 type events.


----------



## shawn_

The snow flakes on my phone won’t stop.... it’s like looking at Jay peak , makes me happy but sad at same time


----------



## sota

Listen I'll take it.
After the financial disaster of last year, I want the work as I need the $


----------



## UniqueTouch

Banged out the route in 8 hours was awesome with 3 trucks. Had to use my new truck bc belt broke on one and put a nasty scratch in it with the handle of the walk behind spreader......I wanted to cry. Wish touch up paint actually matched. It went so deep that it went all the way to the metal.


----------



## rizzoa13

Sad to say but any truck that goes to work is now a work truck. Feel your pain though.


----------



## shawn_

UniqueTouch said:


> Banged out the route in 8 hours was awesome with 3 trucks. Had to use my new truck bc belt broke on one and put a nasty scratch in it with the handle of the walk behind spreader......I wanted to cry. Wish touch up paint actually matched. It went so deep that it went all the way to the metal.


Cost of doing business - I put my father in my dually as I shoveled and he learned how to work a plow & he hit a snow bank and broke the fender off ...... it is what it is it sucks but that's what happens


----------



## iceyman

That was some of the best periods of snowfall ive ever seen.. nukage and no wind .. we never get those storms here so it was welcome.. active period continuing


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> That was some of the best periods of snowfall ive ever seen.. nukage and no wind .. we never get those storms here so it was welcome.. active period continuing


Almost looking like a ditto tomorrow.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Ya man I was thinking the same thing. It is what it is and atleast I am almost finished lol


----------



## UniqueTouch

Anyone have official snow fall totals from the big storm last week? Looking for Eatontown, Holmdel


----------



## MGLC

Rutgers posted them but they're all over the map, some towns I work in they posted a 10" range


----------



## djt1029

MGLC said:


> Rutgers posted them but they're all over the map, some towns I work in they posted a 10" range


I don't know how accurate they usually are, but this one is way off. They show at least 6" less than my measurements in a few different towns I work in. Lower than the totals I saw elsewhere as well


----------



## iceyman

UniqueTouch said:


> Anyone have official snow fall totals from the big storm last week? Looking for Eatontown, Holmdel


Weatherworks will be out tmrw


----------



## Tony_D

I know it's off topic but does anyone have advice wright standers? I'm looking at adding one for spring and I don't really know the advantages/disadvantages of the I vs the X models. I want to buy it before the preseason pricing ends


----------



## AllAboutGreen

looking like maybe a salt run tomorrow am if the residual salt from last night doesn't hold


----------



## UniqueTouch

thank you iceyman


----------



## UniqueTouch

im interested in the wrights as well


----------



## AG09

That was definitely a nice easy storm with the exception of my brand new stainless v getting hit while it was parked by some lady driving and it bent the frame and mold board


----------



## djt1029

Tony_D said:


> I know it's off topic but does anyone have advice wright standers? I'm looking at adding one for spring and I don't really know the advantages/disadvantages of the I vs the X models. I want to buy it before the preseason pricing ends


I've got 2 intensity's and a X series, my guys like the I's more because they're lighter so they dont have to take turns as slow when its wet.


----------



## Mike_C

Anything 48" and over, you're going to probably need to get the X they don't make a lot of 48 intensity's anymore and no 52's. Same goes the opposite way, you can only get a 36 or 42 intensity not an X. My guys like the intensity's better overall because of the weight, but the larger ones get more use. 

Also don't worry about beating the preseason pricing, they're constantly running deals they just change what the dealer calls it


----------



## Tony_D

I guess it'll be an intensity then, I'm probably going to get a 36 because it'll fit almost everywhere. I'm currently cutting with a 36 and 48 walkbehind. Are the V-Rides any good? I don't know much about them first hand


----------



## V_Scapes

Tony_D said:


> I guess it'll be an intensity then, I'm probably going to get a 36 because it'll fit almost everywhere. I'm currently cutting with a 36 and 48 walkbehind. Are the V-Rides any good? I don't know much about them first hand


Ive had my 52 first gen v ride since 2014 and it's been really good to us,heavy commercial use. I just picked up a 61 v ride 2 in December with EFI. Kinda jealous I won't be able to use it. This will be my 5th Scag and have never been disappointed.


----------



## UniqueTouch

anyone have the official snow fall total from hazlet on the 1/31-2/2?


----------



## Mattymax

Demo both the v ride and wright . Personally I think the wright is more comfortable and that’s all I use. Had a 52” X now a 61” ZK FI. Great mowers


----------



## MKWL2

Tony_D said:


> I guess it'll be an intensity then, I'm probably going to get a 36 because it'll fit almost everywhere. I'm currently cutting with a 36 and 48 walkbehind. Are the V-Rides any good? I don't know much about them first hand


We have two of the V Rides- love them- awesome cut on the velocity plus deck, reliable machines. Love my Scag's.


----------



## Mike_C

I bought a couple V-rides a few years back, my guys liked the standers better but that's just a personal preference mainly from them being comfortable on them. Demo them both like Matt said. They're both really solid machines, it's just going to come down to which you like the feel of better and dealer support.

Scag & Wright never really let us down.


----------



## MGLC

My v-rides don't get a ton of use, but my guys love them


----------



## fendt716

i use noaa site. here is the site www.weather.gov/bgm/helppublicinformationstatement.com


----------



## Petr51488

I really hope these 1-3” storms over the next few days pan out. I think we’ve all been scarred ( except sota) and deserved the small ones


----------



## Tony_D

MGLC said:


> My v-rides don't get a ton of use, but my guys love them


What're your main mowers?


----------



## Tony_D

Petr51488 said:


> I really hope these 1-3" storms over the next few days pan out. I think we've all been scarred ( except sota) and deserved the small ones


I'm with you, I'm still recovering from last week


----------



## sota

UniqueTouch said:


> Banged out the route in 8 hours was awesome with 3 trucks. Had to use my new truck bc belt broke on one and put a nasty scratch in it with the handle of the walk behind spreader......I wanted to cry. Wish touch up paint actually matched. It went so deep that it went all the way to the metal.


https://www.paintscratch.com/I bought some touch up paint and clear from them. Take your time in application, and you'll be amazed how good it'll come out.


----------



## sota

Petr51488 said:


> I really hope these 1-3" storms over the next few days pan out. I think we've all been scarred ( except sota) and deserved the small ones


Oh don't get it twisted, 3 days of snow and 2 straight days of going out plowing for 12 hours each was no picnic. But on the other hand, snow means work, and work means money, and money is what I need... especially since the wife came home tonight and reported her car has started belching white smoke from the exhaust.


----------



## MGLC

Tony_D said:


> What're your main mowers?


Walkers are the workhorses


----------



## HarryTHook

I'm thinking (hoping) this Thursday - Friday storm is gonna be a dud. I'll be in the Orangeburg area for work those two days. Hate to miss the snow work. The weekend storm might be a bomb tho.


----------



## Petr51488

Wtf is today’s storm a dud?


----------



## Randall Ave

Snowing here, not real hard tho, but it is sticking. Got 17 for a temp.


----------



## V_Scapes

Got an inch or two down here with light snow falling.


----------



## djt1029

Slight white-ish tint to untreated surfaces right now


----------



## MKWL2

Stoped snowing in Warren Co, are we supposed to get more out of this? Weather.com app showing 50-70% chance of snow again from like 10am to 1pm... but we know how accurate their hourly forecasts are lol


----------



## MKWL2

Little off topic but specific to NJ guys- anyone else raise their prices on landscape maintenance this year? We did an average 5-7% increase across the board to accommodate for increased labor costs, insurance, chemicals, etc., sent out renewal contracts a few weeks ago, have gotten 3 returned, and about a dozen emails declining to renew because “they found a better value” with a different company. Getting crushed in NW Bergen Co with “those guys” running around with no insurance and paying everything cash cutting an acre of high end property for $35/week, fall cleanups with hauling 20-30 yards of leaves for $450... it goes on. Can’t compete at that price.


----------



## sota

Not into landscape, but that's the name of the game always.


----------



## MKWL2

sota said:


> Not into landscape, but that's the name of the game always.


Even on that I'm running into the same problem- have guys laying pavers, base, pavers and labor at $11/sf... I'm losing money doing it at that price point for sure...


----------



## rizzoa13

Those people that declined aren’t your target customers anymore. Stay strong on your price increase and the right customer will begin to be the ones looking you out and being referred to you.

You might lose some customers this year but that just makes you available for the RIGHT customers when you find them.


----------



## Tony_D

MGLC said:


> Walkers are the workhorses


I would love to buy a walker but they're too expensive for me right now. Plus they're a little too big for a lot of my properties



MKWL2 said:


> Even on that I'm running into the same problem- have guys laying pavers, base, pavers and labor at $11/sf... I'm losing money doing it at that price point for sure...


What are you charging per sf? I see some guy around here with signs saying $8/ft and even though I don't really do pavers yet I don't understand how he's doing it like that


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> Stoped snowing in Warren Co, are we supposed to get more out of this? Weather.com app showing 50-70% chance of snow again from like 10am to 1pm... but we know how accurate their hourly forecasts are lol


Almost stopped here too,would love to run out now and get everything done early.



MKWL2 said:


> Little off topic but specific to NJ guys- anyone else raise their prices on landscape maintenance this year? We did an average 5-7% increase across the board to accommodate for increased labor costs, insurance, chemicals, etc., sent out renewal contracts a few weeks ago, have gotten 3 returned, and about a dozen emails declining to renew because "they found a better value" with a different company. Getting crushed in NW Bergen Co with "those guys" running around with no insurance and paying everything cash cutting an acre of high end property for $35/week, fall cleanups with hauling 20-30 yards of leaves for $450... it goes on. Can't compete at that price.


I didn't touch my prices this year. With everything going on and everyone on edge it didn't seem worth it. I probably got close to 20 contracts back already and they went out in very late January.


----------



## UniqueTouch

fendt716 said:


> i use noaa site. here is the site www.weather.gov/bgm/helppublicinformationstatement.com


Thank you brother. Im trying to figure out how to put a zip code in


----------



## UniqueTouch

Sota - thank you brother I will def get some I appreciate it.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> Almost stopped here too,would love to run out now and get everything done early.
> Yeah me too- looks like another round coming through mid day though. Murphy's law says if we go out now it'll snow another inch mid day, if we don't and wait a few more hours nothing more will fall.
> 
> I didn't touch my prices this year. With everything going on and everyone on edge it didn't seem worth it. I probably got close to 20 contracts back already and they went out in very late January.


.
That was my initial thought, but after going through my numbers for maintenance and figuring out how we did last year, I barely broke even or marginally profited on about 70% of my accounts. So, financial advisor said pricing needs to go up to make it worthwhile.


----------



## Petr51488

Tony_D said:


> I would love to buy a walker but they're too expensive for me right now. Plus they're a little too big for a lot of my properties


I have a 42" waked model c. You can't have smaller prosperities than mine lol most of mine are 50x100 lots. Some larger- but nothing larger than 100x200


----------



## MKWL2

Petr51488 said:


> I have a 42" waked model c. You can't have smaller prosperities than mine lol most of mine are 50x100 lots. Some larger- but nothing larger than 100x200


Out of curiously on lots that small, what's your weekly cut price? And how many mins per lawn per week?


----------



## MKWL2

Tony_D said:


> I would love to buy a walker but they're too expensive for me right now. Plus they're a little too big for a lot of my properties
> 
> What are you charging per sf? I see some guy around here with signs saying $8/ft and even though I don't really do pavers yet I don't understand how he's doing it like that


we shoot for $16-18 per sf depending on siteabd the exact pavers... i would lose money every time a $8/sf


----------



## djt1029

I only raise my cutting prices $1-2 a year but raise my hourly rate/chemicals etc more. For some reason I've learned if's not the weekly cut, people care less about the change in price



MKWL2 said:


> Out of curiously on lots that small, what's your weekly cut price? And how many mins per lawn per week?


Most of my accounts are more similar to yours, but I have one day of 50x100ish lawns on my route. My minimum is 37, but the majority are in the low-mid 40s. My guys cut all 58 in one day


----------



## Tony_D

Petr51488 said:


> I have a 42" waked model c. You can't have smaller prosperities than mine lol most of mine are 50x100 lots. Some larger- but nothing larger than 100x200


Lol Maybe it would work then, most of mine are 50x100 also some a little smaller, some slightly bigger. Parking's also a problem around here so I don't know about fitting a walker in my trailer (7x14 enclosed)



MKWL2 said:


> we shoot for $16-18 per sf depending on siteabd the exact pavers... i would lose money every time a $8/sf


I don't know much yet but $8/ foot seemed insane. My dad's an electrician and the builder he does a lot of new construction work with has a guy who does it for $9.50/ft which also seems nuts



djt1029 said:


> My guys cut all 58 in one day


Damn


----------



## MKWL2

djt1029 said:


> I only raise my cutting prices $1-2 a year but raise my hourly rate/chemicals etc more. For some reason I've learned if's not the weekly cut, people care less about the change in price
> 
> Most of my accounts are more similar to yours, but I have one day of 50x100ish lawns on my route. My minimum is 37, but the majority are in the low-mid 40s. My guys cut all 58 in one day


Yup and I bet at that price point you're making a decent margin. We're getting $60-70 if we are lucky for an acre up here, takes my 2 man crew a 45-60 mins start to finish each lawn. And that's just mowing, edging and blow off, not including weeding, etc.


----------



## eastendpm

We run 2 walkers a MS42 that I got from a customer about 8 years ago, over 1200 hours and still going and one new MT25i. They are not cheap mowers and are not for rough properties. They like well Irrigated turf, and a careful operator. But with that being said they are amazing mowers and extremely productive in the right hands.

If your a solo operator they will cut your leaf cleanup times in half!

We also run a 52" Scag v ride 25hp EFI. You can't beat the velocity cutting deck for northeast grass conditions.

Sure the wright may have slightly better ergonomics, since they were the original stand on mower, but at the end of the day the most important thing to me is quality of cut in a variety of conditions. The velocity deck dominates here.


----------



## AG09

Petr51488 said:


> Wtf is today's storm a dud?


Seems like it. Had a dusting here but the presalting took care of it. Right past 287 further up route 23 they were plowing the highway.


----------



## Mattymax

Presalt held off all my commercial. Not doing residential


----------



## AG09

MKWL2 said:


> Little off topic but specific to NJ guys- anyone else raise their prices on landscape maintenance this year? We did an average 5-7% increase across the board to accommodate for increased labor costs, insurance, chemicals, etc., sent out renewal contracts a few weeks ago, have gotten 3 returned, and about a dozen emails declining to renew because "they found a better value" with a different company. Getting crushed in NW Bergen Co with "those guys" running around with no insurance and paying everything cash cutting an acre of high end property for $35/week, fall cleanups with hauling 20-30 yards of leaves for $450... it goes on. Can't compete at that price.


I only send contracts out to the ones that are getting increases everything else auto renews, but I have not sent those out yet. I was leaning towards what @V_Scapes said about not raising any. As some one mentioned it just frees you up for that customer that sees the value in your service. I use to get bothered by that sh!t too, but realized someone better will come along.


----------



## djt1029

Walker's are hard to beat especially for fall cleanups, but they're money pits to maintain. Everything on them is expensive


----------



## J.Ricci

Tony_D said:


> Lol Maybe it would work then, most of mine are 50x100 also some a little smaller, some slightly bigger. Parking's also a problem around here so I don't know about fitting a walker in my trailer (7x14 enclosed)
> 
> I don't know much yet but $8/ foot seemed insane. My dad's an electrician and the builder he does a lot of new construction work with has a guy who does it for $9.50/ft which also seems nuts


Double that and I still would be picky about the job


----------



## Tony_D

I'll set up a demo for a stander and v-ride in the spring, maybe a walker too. I see a few guys in my area using them but it seems like they're always struggling to turn around in tight spaces.



J.Ricci said:


> Double that and I still would be picky about the job


What's your minimum on a paver job?


----------



## truckie80

eastendpm said:


> We run 2 walkers a MS42 that I got from a customer about 8 years ago, over 1200 hours and still going and one new MT25i. They are not cheap mowers and are not for rough properties. They like well Irrigated turf, and a careful operator. But with that being said they are amazing mowers and extremely productive in the right hands.
> 
> If your a solo operator they will cut your leaf cleanup times in half!
> 
> We also run a 52" Scag v ride 25hp EFI. You can't beat the velocity cutting deck for northeast grass conditions.
> 
> Sure the wright may have slightly better ergonomics, since they were the original stand on mower, but at the end of the day the most important thing to me is quality of cut in a variety of conditions. The velocity deck dominates here.
> View attachment 213347
> View attachment 213348
> View attachment 213349
> View attachment 213350





djt1029 said:


> Walker's are hard to beat especially for fall cleanups, but they're money pits to maintain. Everything on them is expensive


Hows the windstorm treating you? I have a hurricane x3 i picked up used about 5 years ago now and it's starting to show its age. Weighing the windstorm vs ferris/billy goat models


----------



## Petr51488

MKWL2 said:


> Out of curiously on lots that small, what's your weekly cut price? And how many mins per lawn per week?


$30 is my minimum. Something at that price range usually takes about 15 min. Never actually timed it.


----------



## J.Ricci

Tony_D said:


> I'll set up a demo for a stander and v-ride in the spring, maybe a walker too. I see a few guys in my area using them but it seems like they're always struggling to turn around in tight spaces.
> 
> What's your minimum on a paver job?


Most of my jobs have a bunch of different moving parts, but strictly pavers $18/ft at minimum. If they don't like it, that's fine but they're not my target customer.


----------



## MKWL2

Petr51488 said:


> $30 is my minimum. Something at that price range usually takes about 15 min. Never actually timed it.


How many man crew?


----------



## Petr51488

Tony_D said:


> Lol Maybe it would work then, most of mine are 50x100 also some a little smaller, some slightly bigger. Parking's also a problem around here so I don't know about fitting a walker in my trailer (7x14 enclosed)


it was around 13k brand new- but it's so much easier to cut sitting down than walking all day. Parking is an issue for me too. I use a 6x12 trailer and fit that mower in there along with a 21", hedge trimmers, weed wacker, and a blower- along with a bunch of small stuff


----------



## Petr51488

MKWL2 said:


> How many man crew?


2-3 man crew


----------



## Petr51488

djt1029 said:


> Walker's are hard to beat especially for fall cleanups, but they're money pits to maintain. Everything on them is expensive


ive been pretty lucky. Only I use mine. I would never let an employee use it. One time I had to get the gear box fixed because I ran over a random metal plate and then one of those little cooling fans cracked. Oh, and a battery. That's about it


----------



## djt1029

Petr51488 said:


> ive been pretty lucky. Only I use mine. I would never let an employee use it. One time I had to get the gear box fixed because I ran over a random metal plate and then one of those little cooling fans cracked. Oh, and a battery. That's about it


The only time I've ever run either of mine is when I have to figure out what's broken and attempt to fix it before the inevitable trip to the dealer to buy a $75 screw or bearing.


----------



## eastendpm

truckie80 said:


> Hows the windstorm treating you? I have a hurricane x3 i picked up used about 5 years ago now and it's starting to show its age. Weighing the windstorm vs ferris/billy goat models


I demoed both pretty extensively and the windstorm hands down is a superior machine. The ability to move the nozzle is soo essential when trying to direct that much power. Also having the ability to turn it on/off as need be. Lets you shut the fan down and run from the back of the property to the front of property at WOT to grab gas for the backpacks or w.e.

Couldn't imagine having the fan constantly on like the billy goat. Never mind loading it into an enclosed trailer, makes a dust bowl inside. No thanks. You also get EFI with the windstorm which when i bought mine 2 seasons ago they didn't offer that on the ferris/billy not sure if they do now.

Another huge plus to me is the fact that it runs a separate pump/wheel motor system as opposed to the more delicate transaxle on the billy goat. Only downside to the windstorm is the unit is larger overall, however seeing as these blowers really shine on large areas thats not too much of an issue.

All these things aside i did a gravel blowing test with both of them basically took them to the mouth of my gravel driveway turned the fans on and let them eat and the windstorm moved the rock wider and further than the billy goat. Probably due to the 37hp VS the 35hp on the billy, could also be attributed to fan/nozzle design but i digress. I have personally clocked over 200 hours on the machine, and i cant state how important the rotating nozzle is. Just imagine having a backpack blower that could only shoot left right or straight!

I went into the dealership dead set on a billy z3000. In my head i figured they had been around longer, were more proven ect. After trying both of them out it was clear that the Scag was night and day more productive. It is also about 1500-2000k cheaper. I paid like $9500-9750 + tax.

Also do not be fooled by the CFM numbers of the z3000 they measure the single highest point inside the fan housing. This doesnt give you an accurate reading of what its putting to the ground. Scag takes its measurement from an average of 150 points at the tip of the nozzle! Kinda like crank HP and wheel HP.


----------



## MGLC

I've got a pair of ferris (a 2000 and 3000) and a windstorm, the windstorm is a better machine. If for no other reason the ability to shut the fan down puts it over the top. Loading/offloading it without the fan blasting is a huge plus



djt1029 said:


> The only time I've ever run either of mine is when I have to figure out what's broken and attempt to fix it before the inevitable trip to the dealer to buy a $75 screw or bearing.


Ain't that the truth. There's always something to do on one of them and its never cheap


----------



## Mike_C

The Ferris/Billy Goat machine is a huge step up from push blowers and backpacks, but you're going to run into a lot of issues with the hydraulics due to not being able to shut the fan down. We're constantly working on at least one of them in the spring and fall. I've started to buy windstorms because of the adjustable chute and fan.


----------



## treeguyry

Climbing in the freezing rain today was fun, I guess I should have waited one more day before getting back to trees.


----------



## shawn_

Anyone going salting tonight/ morning


----------



## djt1029

shawn_ said:


> Anyone going salting tonight/ morning


Pre-treat held everything off here


----------



## eastendpm

Invoices for the last 2 event just went out! Lets see who complains LOL


----------



## truckie80

I was going to bill the Sunday storm tonight but forgot to bring my laptop to the firehouse..Guess I’ll do department paperwork instead


----------



## V_Scapes

Scraped everything commercial and residential and salted. Should be upstate snowmobiling right now but that's not happening for a while.


----------



## MGLC

shawn_ said:


> Anyone going salting tonight/ morning


I've got a couple guys heading out shortly to salt


----------



## Tony_D

Thanks guys, I'll demo a few machines during spring cleanups so I can get something in time for cutting season. I want to hit 75 accounts this year so I want to get more efficient



V_Scapes said:


> Scraped everything commercial and residential and salted. Should be upstate snowmobiling right now but that's not happening for a while.


We barely even had flurries here today, not complaining I'm running out of places to put snow and I can't stack or anything because it's all residential


----------



## sota

truckie80 said:


> I was going to bill the Sunday storm tonight but forgot to bring my laptop to the firehouse..Guess I'll do department paperwork instead


Now you know why years ago, I moved everything to a Remote Desktop system.
I can access all my stuff from any place with a computer, or now, with my android phone.


----------



## MKWL2

My guys in Bergen salted all the drives that get salt- they got just under 1" apparently so didn't hit the 1.5" trigger to plow... we ended up with a solid 3" in Warren though so a full run through the route here. Loving these little storms... more of these, less of the 30" variety please.


----------



## AG09

shawn_ said:


> Anyone going salting tonight/ morning


Yes for the melt off and refreeze


----------



## AG09

sota said:


> Now you know why years ago, I moved everything to a Remote Desktop system.
> I can access all my stuff from any place with a computer, or now, with my android phone.


Do you have everything running via a server?


----------



## V_Scapes

truckie80 said:


> I was going to bill the Sunday storm tonight but forgot to bring my laptop to the firehouse..Guess I'll do department paperwork instead


I'll probably send out a second round of invoices in less than a week tomorrow and haven't seen a dime for the storm last Monday. One of my churches today said they're in a "budget crisis" and only had us plow today and refused sidewalk service. They also said they're trying to "avoid multiple plowing". It's getting interesting.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> I'll probably send out a second round of invoices in less than a week tomorrow and haven't seen a dime for the storm last Monday. One of my churches today said they're in a "budget crisis" and only had us plow today and refused sidewalk service. They also said they're trying to "avoid multiple plowing". It's getting interesting.


Yup same here- have had a flurry of people arguing about how much snow "actually fell" with the big one, and asking if we can "skip" the little snowfall- hence why we only did the zero tolerance accounts today... the more snow that stacks up the more people are going to decide to "skip this one"... pain in the neck... I'm sure there will be at least one or two people asking if we can do a "flat rate" for the rest of the season any day now...


----------



## Mattymax

MKWL2 said:


> Yup same here- have had a flurry of people arguing about how much snow "actually fell" with the big one, and asking if we can "skip" the little snowfall- hence why we only did the zero tolerance accounts today... the more snow that stacks up the more people are going to decide to "skip this one"... pain in the neck... I'm sure there will be at least one or two people asking if we can do a "flat rate" for the rest of the season any day now...


Nothing worse than going around for a 6-8" storm and a few of my accounts are already done. Neighbor hit or the owner wants to "save money". Only really happens after a large storm


----------



## V_Scapes

Winter 2014-2015 we had alot of snow and I was doing a lot of driveways. I sent out an invoice for 4 or 5 storms and one lady called and asked for the dates of plowing and then said she didn't remember it snowing that much. Can't make it up.


----------



## eastendpm

Been 3 hours and no complaints yet lets hope the trend continues. I guess my customers are used to my high prices 

As for the guys who said they had customers shovel themselves. I put a clause in my contract, that says they will receive a $50 charge regardless if your on the list and I drive to your house paying an employee $30 an hour your getting a bill. Ill stop and salt or w.e but they are getting an invoice. My truck doesnt run on sunshine and daisy's atleast not yet, sleepy joe hasnt been in office long enough.


----------



## V_Scapes

eastendpm said:


> Been 3 hours and no complaints yet lets hope the trend continues. I guess my customers are used to my high prices
> 
> As for the guys who said they had customers shovel themselves. I put a clause in my contract, that says they will receive a $50 charge regardless if your on the list and I drive to your house paying an employee $30 an hour your getting a bill. Ill stop and salt or w.e but they are getting an invoice. My truck doesnt run on sunshine and daisy's atleast not yet, sleepy joe hasnt been in office long enough.


I like that idea I've been thinking of adding something similar to my contracts also.


----------



## djt1029

My residential snow contracts all have a clause that say they'll be charged fully weather we complete the service, or if we arrive to find it already done. Don't like it, tough, I don't like residential snow either.


----------



## sota

AG09 said:


> Do you have everything running via a server?


I do. I'm a computer guy, and I do hosting for some of my clients.


----------



## sota

djt1029 said:


> My residential snow contracts all have a clause that say they'll be charged fully weather we complete the service, or if we arrive to find it already done. Don't like it, tough, I don't like residential snow either.





V_Scapes said:


> I like that idea I've been thinking of adding something similar to my contracts also.


the "boss" was complaining about the same. I get to a site and it's done, it's not a lot of time "wasted" (as I spent time creating a route that minimizes travel time) but it's still some time. Plus the ones that are already "done" seem to frequently call him up after the storm and demand he come out and clean up something or other.


----------



## sota

reminds me: had a couple adds and subtracts, and one of the adds needs the gravel edge on, so I need to tweak the route so the two properties (that aren't mine) that need it, are back-to-back.


----------



## MGLC

I have the same in my snow contracts, full charge (for a 4” or less storm) if the work is done when we get there. I’ve got a few houses we just do the driveway for and they do their own shoveling but that’s specified before winter even begins


----------



## Tony_D

I had one house that was done when I got there on Sunday which was annoying but it was my last stop so I got over it. If it becomes a pattern I'll add something similar with my customers


----------



## iceyman

Looks like another 3-5 cnj on south


----------



## AG09

sota said:


> I do. I'm a computer guy, and I do hosting for some of my clients.


What server company do you use?


----------



## MKWL2

iceyman said:


> Looks like another 3-5 cnj on south


Keep it down there lol we are buried up here!


----------



## LAB INC

iceyman said:


> Looks like another 3-5 cnj on south


When?


----------



## Mattymax

Tonight. Looks like trace to inch up north jersey


----------



## rizzoa13

Starting 10 or 11 in SNJ.


----------



## Mike_C

MKWL2 said:


> Keep it down there lol we are buried up here!


Still hauling snow from last week, crazy.


----------



## V_Scapes

Mattymax said:


> Tonight. Looks like trace to inch up north jersey


Better at least be a salt run if I'm gonna be stuck home.


----------



## AllAboutGreen

looks like .5-1" in Union County, Starting 11pm- 1am wrapping up around day break. Hoping the residual holds some and then salt run in the early am


----------



## gutter21

Anyone have pricing on bulk salt. Pile is running low and need to order soon 

Thanks


----------



## djt1029

Seems like white rain in my area, combine that with all the residual from the last few events and I don't think I'm getting any work tomorrow AM



gutter21 said:


> Anyone have pricing on bulk salt. Pile is running low and need to order soon
> 
> Thanks


If you buy from Braen get it today they're raising the price tomorrow


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> Seems like white rain in my area, combine that with all the residual from the last few events and I don't think I'm getting any work tomorrow AM
> 
> If you buy from Braen get it today they're raising the price tomorrow


What's it going up to? Just got a load for 70/yd.


----------



## djt1029

V_Scapes said:


> What's it going up to? Just got a load for 70/yd.


100/ton doubled my order yesterday to play it safe. Hopefully it'll last me the rest of the winter


----------



## AllAboutGreen

I use East Coast Salt and paid $77 per ton Anyone having issues finding pallets of Dead Sea Mag Chloride Pellets


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> 100/ton doubled my order yesterday to play it safe. Hopefully it'll last me the rest of the winter


Are you kidding me.


----------



## UniqueTouch

hey guys do you all add your clients as additonally insured ? or only when they request it? and if they already signed a contract and never mentioned it wouldnt it be crazy to add it later and also another party they requested?


----------



## gutter21

AllAboutGreen said:


> I use East Coast Salt and paid $77 per ton Anyone having issues finding pallets of Dead Sea Mag Chloride Pellets


Is that delivered? Braen has always been higher


----------



## AllAboutGreen

gutter21 said:


> Is that delivered? Braen has always been higher


yes $77 per ton delivered to Linden NJ


----------



## AG09

djt1029 said:


> 100/ton doubled my order yesterday to play it safe. Hopefully it'll last me the rest of the winter


I saw that too. I wonder what the reasoning is. I just had a load on treated delivered for way less than that per ton. Their prices are high especially when compared to getting it direct from the ports


----------



## gutter21

AG09 said:


> I saw that too. I wonder what the reasoning is. I just had a load on treated delivered for way less than that per ton. Their prices are high especially when compared to getting it direct from the ports


What did the treated run? From who?


----------



## Randall Ave

I heard the port was running low on salt, but that could be just old lady talk. But if you are running low, I wouldn't wait. Get it now.


----------



## Mike_C

Big money in the yearly salt shortage


----------



## UniqueTouch

Snow should be powder atleast right


----------



## V_Scapes

UniqueTouch said:


> Snow should be powder atleast right


Couldn't care less finally not in the bullseye for once. After tomorrow morning looks like a quiet stretch for NNJ till Saturday night.


----------



## shawn_

paying pretty much 98$ a ton delivered from central salt, but that’s treated .


----------



## gutter21

shawn_ said:


> paying pretty much 98$ a ton delivered from central salt, but that's treated .


Do you notice a big difference with the treated?


----------



## m_ice

gutter21 said:


> Do you notice a big difference with the treated?


We notice reduced amount needed and with sub zero temps here lately our lots look the best in town. We are using pro-slicer bulk at @ $20 more per ton over straight bulk


----------



## sota

AG09 said:


> What server company do you use?


The one in my basement.


----------



## MKWL2

Randall Ave said:


> I heard the port was running low on salt, but that could be just old lady talk. But if you are running low, I wouldn't wait. Get it now.


Yup- getting hard to find bagged material, stocked up on a few more pallets today, hopefully last us through the balance of the winter.


----------



## V_Scapes

gutter21 said:


> Do you notice a big difference with the treated?


It's strong but you'll notice the biggest difference in very low temps which we don't get consistently in NJ. I ordered a load of straight rock last fall and got a load of treated by the truckers mistake. Honestly didn't notice a difference other than it stuck around a longer after an event.


----------



## shawn_

m_ice said:


> We notice reduced amount needed and with sub zero temps here lately our lots look the best in town. We are using pro-slicer bulk at @ $20 more per ton over straight bulk


That's exactly what I'm using the purple stuff .

It is definitely way better then regular untreated rock salt in sub freezing weather . If you don't use any kind of liquid along with the regular salt , treated is the way to go been using it for 3 seasons now won't switch back


----------



## J.Ricci

I haven't used non-treated salt in a few years, I've had great luck with snow slicer, use a lot less and it works a lot faster / more evenly


----------



## eastendpm

Heading out to get some calcium down now about 3/4-1" here.


----------



## djt1029

Just enough for a salt run here


----------



## shawn_

Any weather report near newark area?


----------



## Randall Ave

Looks like you southern guys are getting a decent snow this morning.


----------



## Tony_D

Around an inch here, just enough to do a few of my driveways


----------



## sota

I think we have 2" OTG right now/


----------



## V_Scapes

Salt run here also.


----------



## Petr51488

Full route here. I would take these every other day- even when guys don’t want to show up


----------



## MKWL2

Salt run in Bergen, plow and salt in Warren- nice little storm.


----------



## Mike_C

Salt run everywhere scraped around 2/3rds of the route. Back to hauling


----------



## djt1029

Ended up doing the residential route also and since the guys were in anyway now we’re hauling some snow. Last one on the schedule


----------



## Tony_D

I did about 75% of my houses. How does everyone break down their residential pricing? I've got a price up to 6" then 6" to a foot etc but I feel like these dusting type storms that we can finish each house in 1-2 minutes with a pair of backpack blowers should maybe have a different price bracket


----------



## eastendpm

Tony_D said:


> I did about 75% of my houses. How does everyone break down their residential pricing? I've got a price up to 6" then 6" to a foot etc but I feel like these dusting type storms that we can finish each house in 1-2 minutes with a pair of backpack blowers should maybe have a different price bracket


I personally wouldn't charge less. Just invites problems in the future. Instead go above and beyond with your service and make them feel like they are getting value that way.

Went through almost the entire route. Except for the few gravel drives I do, and even those we hit walkways on with backpack . I'd say our accounts ranged from 1"- 1.5". Gotta love these storms. 14 degrees tonight so it's gotta get cleaned up.

I keep telling everyone that it's especially important to avoid any potential trips to the hospital with everything going on. Also with the consecutive storms and cold temps you gotta get this stuff melted and gone or it creates some lasting dangerous conditions.


----------



## truckie80

Almost a full route here also, one of these a week until mid March would be perfect especially if it could fall mid week.



Tony_D said:


> I did about 75% of my houses. How does everyone break down their residential pricing? I've got a price up to 6" then 6" to a foot etc but I feel like these dusting type storms that we can finish each house in 1-2 minutes with a pair of backpack blowers should maybe have a different price bracket


My pricing structure is similar, in storms like this I'll give some of my best customers a little bit of a break but that's it. No separate tier for it, these storms help balance out the heavy slop tests NJ is known for. They tend to fall in a 5.8/5.9" range most of the time and screw you


----------



## S_Marino87

A little over 4 hours in today, straight to a kitchen demo, then Newark tonight at midnight. I might have to order myself a my pillow for my cruiser after the last couple weeks.



Mike_C said:


> Salt run everywhere scraped around 2/3rds of the route. Back to hauling


How many more days of moving snow?


----------



## Tony_D

Thanks guys...I agree about most needing to be done and that it evens out the storms on the higher end of the brackets I was just second guessing since we breezed through the route in less than 3 hours including stopping at dunkin and refilling my truck on the way home.


----------



## djt1029

eastendpm said:


> I personally wouldn't charge less. Just invites problems in the future. Instead go above and beyond with your service and make them feel like they are getting value that way.


100% My residential guys pushed back some piles from the previous storms while they were on sites today, plus a little extra salt on the ice that built up from people cleaning their cars off in the driveway after we were done Sunday. Never charge less, they ain't going to offer you more money when we get 5.9" of slush and ice.


----------



## J.Ricci

We ended up with between 3-5ish here. Route's are done, now clearing snow off a couple of our jobsites so we can get back tomorrow.


----------



## Mike_C

Like others have said, never reduce your price in a situation like this. Your job is to make it so your clients can safely get around. It doesn't matter if it takes you 1-2 minutes a stop or 15-20 minutes a stop, your price structure is your price structure.



S_Marino87 said:


> How many more days of moving snow?


All day and night today, but that "should" be it


----------



## treeguyry

J.Ricci said:


> We ended up with between 3-5ish here. Route's are done, now clearing snow off a couple of our jobsites so we can get back tomorrow.


I need to clone your guys, mine are already complaining about how cold it's going to be tomorrow for tree work.


----------



## J.Ricci

treeguyry said:


> I need to clone your guys, mine are already complaining about how cold it's going to be tomorrow for tree work.


I'm sure I'll hear plenty of *****ing tomorrow


----------



## rizzoa13

We got between 3 and 5 in our different areas. We service about 85 square miles. Got through it in 17 hours and am loading up to salt tonight when the temp drops.

Let me tell you how cutthroat it is right now getting salt...


----------



## UniqueTouch

its so funny when you hear looks like we got a quiet stretch but saturday here it comes lol


----------



## sota

Ah, dental work.
I need a tooth extracted (30 yr old root canal has decayed), and i'm playing the insurance game. Luckily given the fact extraction/bone graft/implant is a multi month long process before the post and crown can be installed


----------



## MGLC

Full route here and power washed all the trucks when it was done so they can get filthy again.



UniqueTouch said:


> its so funny when you hear looks like we got a quiet stretch but saturday here it comes lol


Seems like its been forever since we had 2 days and 2 nights in a row with no snow/sleet/rain in the forecast up here. This is like a vacation


----------



## djt1029

sota said:


> Ah, dental work.
> I need a tooth extracted (30 yr old root canal has decayed), and i'm playing the insurance game. Luckily given the fact extraction/bone graft/implant is a multi month long process before the post and crown can be installed


Your root canal's as old as I am


----------



## Randall Ave

Got a SK socket set I still use, bought it in 1974. I was a Sophomore in highschool.


----------



## MGLC

Randall Ave said:


> Got a SK socket set I still use, bought it in 1974. I was a Sophomore in highschool.


Set's 5 years older than me


----------



## Tony_D

That's around when my mom was born


----------



## V_Scapes

Where does everyone dump their snow?


----------



## sota

And the damn car won't set its monitors for inspection.
Evap System Monitor INC, still.
Reading I might need to run the tank farther down.


----------



## sota

djt1029 said:


> Your root canal's as old as I am


My oldest car was 28 years old, before I sent it to the great car meet in the sky, this year.


----------



## sota

Tony_D said:


> That's around when my mom was born


You mom is my age then.


----------



## djt1029

V_Scapes said:


> Where does everyone dump their snow?


Town dump site, my couple of my buddies are supervisors there so they've been looking the other way for me and a couple other local guys.


----------



## MGLC

Anything I hauled out with my own trucks I've been dumping at my yard and stacking as high as I can get it. The bigger places I've been renting tri-axles from a friend of mine and I really have no idea where the hell he's taking it


----------



## MKWL2

Anyone else hearing ice storm for Saturday-Sunday and Mondsy-Tuesday? I thought it was supposed to be snow but im hearing murmurings of ice now... hope not... those always turn into a nightmare


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> Anyone else hearing ice storm for Saturday-Sunday and Mondsy-Tuesday? I thought it was supposed to be snow but im hearing murmurings of ice now... hope not... those always turn into a nightmare


From what I saw this morning Saturday night might be an inch or two of snow then ice/sleet.
If the Tues storm trends colder we could be in for more measurable snow. Trying to take one storm at a time.


----------



## truckie80

An inch or two of snow with ice on top of it is way better than all ice. After that who knows, I'm just trying to hold onto hope that maybe next weekend it won't snow so I can get the hell out of here.


----------



## MKWL2

truckie80 said:


> An inch or two of snow with ice on top of it is way better than all ice. After that who knows, I'm just trying to hold onto hope that maybe next weekend it won't snow so I can get the hell out of here.


Agreed- start as snow, let the ice build on top, scrape off when storm is over.


----------



## HarryTHook

MGLC said:


> Seems like its been forever since we had 2 days and 2 nights in a row with no snow/sleet/rain in the forecast up here. This is like a vacation


Vacation for me was getting stuck up here in Orangeburg when we had a gravy 3-4 at home that I missed.


MKWL2 said:


> Anyone else hearing ice storm for Saturday-Sunday and Mondsy-Tuesday? I thought it was supposed to be snow but im hearing murmurings of ice now... hope not... those always turn into a nightmare


Weather weenies are all over on this one, I would make sure you got a lot of salt though.

And to the posts about age, born in 1960 and still going. My first plow vehicle was an old Willys ambulance wagon retrofitted. More cables and wires that you could imagine. Manual angle on the blade. Was 15 at the time, no license tags or insurance.


----------



## Petr51488

Tony_D said:


> I did about 75% of my houses. How does everyone break down their residential pricing? I've got a price up to 6" then 6" to a foot etc but I feel like these dusting type storms that we can finish each house in 1-2 minutes with a pair of backpack blowers should maybe have a different price bracket


No way- then you'll have people saying oh- that one should have been charged the lower amount etc. the less wiggle room you give to a customer the better. I do anything from a dusting (.10") to a foot is one price. Foot to 2 feet is another and then 2 feet plus is another. And even the dusting is at my discretion. If we get a dusting and it's suppose to be 50 that day- I won't do it. But if it barely gets above freezing- it's getting done. I don't rip off my customers- but snow is not something I have any leeway with. I hate doing it. You get one warning about doing the snow yourself on the small ones- then I charge regardless of whether I do it or the customer feels ambitious and they do it. I'm not on call 24 hours a day dealing with a ton of bs as a hobby.


----------



## Mike_C

Went out for dinner with the wife and kids tonight for the first time in a couple weeks. Apparently there's still a world outside of my office and the cab of a loader/truck.



V_Scapes said:


> Where does everyone dump their snow?


We've been sneaking some loads into the overflow lots at some of my bigger accounts that we haul onsite from. Everything else is either dumped at my yard, a farm up the road or a large vacant property we work at.


----------



## Mike_C

MGLC said:


> Set's 5 years older than me


Those sockets are older than me too. It's not often I can jump on the age thing here half this group's so damn young


----------



## V_Scapes

Found my way upstate today until early Saturday morning. Needed a change of scenery.


----------



## truckie80

V_Scapes said:


> Found my way upstate today until early Saturday morning. Needed a change of scenery.


Jealous. I've got a day tour tomorrow otherwise I probably would have gone up today also


----------



## MKWL2

Petr51488 said:


> No way- then you'll have people saying oh- that one should have been charged the lower amount etc. the less wiggle room you give to a customer the better. I do anything from a dusting (.10") to a foot is one price. Foot to 2 feet is another and then 2 feet plus is another. And even the dusting is at my discretion. If we get a dusting and it's suppose to be 50 that day- I won't do it. But if it barely gets above freezing- it's getting done. I don't rip off my customers- but snow is not something I have any leeway with. I hate doing it. You get one warning about doing the snow yourself on the small ones- then I charge regardless of whether I do it or the customer feels ambitious and they do it. I'm not on call 24 hours a day dealing with a ton of bs as a hobby.


Well said, but [email protected] you have a huge range on your pricing brackets, you must really hate 11" storms LOL.

Regarding pricing, Our pricing brackets are 1.5-3", 4-7", 8-11", 12-16", 17-20", 21-24". When we go over 24" (happened with our 30" blizzard 2 weeks ago for the first time in 14 years plowing), we loop back around to the beginning bracket and add onto the 24" bracket. Our zero tolerance accounts (about half) get salted for anything over .25" up to the 1.5" trigger, then salt at the end of each plowable event. Have had people complain about our pricing being too high on small events, oh well, I don't do this for fun, beats the [email protected] out of my trucks, my guys, insurance is insanely expensive, my whole sleep schedule gets thrown out of whack, have to miss family events, etc so if I'm doing it, I'm making it worth my while.


----------



## iceyman

Ice ice baby.. freezing rain sucks but be ready for it.. im really hoping tuesday comes back jn our favor but Saturday looks bad


----------



## Petr51488

MKWL2 said:


> Well said, but [email protected] you have a huge range on your pricing brackets, you must really hate 11" storms LOL.
> 
> Regarding pricing, Our pricing brackets are 1.5-3", 4-7", 8-11", 12-16", 17-20", 21-24". When we go over 24" (happened with our 30" blizzard 2 weeks ago for the first time in 14 years plowing), we loop back around to the beginning bracket and add onto the 24" bracket. Our zero tolerance accounts (about half) get salted for anything over .25" up to the 1.5" trigger, then salt at the end of each plowable event. Have had people complain about our pricing being too high on small events, oh well, I don't do this for fun, beats the [email protected] out of my trucks, my guys, insurance is insanely expensive, my whole sleep schedule gets thrown out of whack, have to miss family events, etc so if I'm doing it, I'm making it worth my while.


yea haha it's a huge range but it works out well. By me we usually get these smaller storms and I make out real well. Every now and then we'll get the 8-11" storms- but the smaller ones make up for it.

and exactly. People don't understand the cost that goes into this crap that we complain about every storm lol I have a ton of people - all current lawn customers- that always call and ask if I can do their snow and I turn them down. And what do they complain about? You give them prices up front- it's not like you make it up after a storm lol


----------



## sota

I'm gonna salt-a-way everything today.
Also going to try and give 2 cars an actual wash, since one will be under cover again tonight and I don't want to make a mess of the cover.


----------



## Mattymax

sota said:


> I'm gonna salt-a-way everything today.


How's that stuff work ?


----------



## sota

Mattymax said:


> How's that stuff work ?


Not sure how to answer that. 

It makes a little bit of foamy substance on the surface, and it seems to cling pretty well to vertical and underside especially. A rinse after it sits for a couple minutes, reveals a surface that appears to have a lot less contaminants on it, more so than just a regular rinse.

Now if you're referring to the actual reaction, their web site talks about that better than I can.


----------



## Mike_C

Mattymax said:


> How's that stuff work ?


I've used Salt Off for 10+ years, works great


----------



## djt1029

sota said:


> Not sure how to answer that.
> 
> It makes a little bit of foamy substance on the surface, and it seems to cling pretty well to vertical and underside especially. A rinse after it sits for a couple minutes, reveals a surface that appears to have a lot less contaminants on it, more so than just a regular rinse.
> 
> Now if you're referring to the actual reaction, their web site talks about that better than I can.


A simple "good" or "it doesn't" was probably the answer he was looking for


----------



## J.Ricci

Salt Away works, salt off works better in my experience


----------



## sota

djt1029 said:


> A simple "good" or "it doesn't" was probably the answer he was looking for


I generally hate answers like that, as it doesn't provide any useful information for the most part. Like talking to a teenager.


----------



## S_Marino87

I usually just power wash my truck after each storm, bought one of the two a few years ago and it seemed to work but I didn’t see a big noticeable difference. I don’t salt though if I did I’m sure I would use it also


----------



## rizzoa13

No matter how much you power wash the truck looks great until it dries. That’s when a rinse with the salt away really helps.


----------



## Tony_D

The only salting I do is with a push spreader so my trucks not as exposed to it as a lot of the bigger guys on here but I've been using salt off since I got my truck and so far so good. Only rust on my truck is the little bit it had underneath when I first bought it


----------



## Mike_C

Sorry for the teenage explanation all I know is salt off works more gooder than anything else we been had used over the years


----------



## Mattymax

Figured here would be the best place to get an explanation 

New Honda HSS928 wheel machine. What’s the best way to adjust side scrapers and bar ? Should side scrapers be shimmed so the bar doesn’t scrape or vise versa.?


----------



## shawn_

Last storm was beautiful - not
Looking forward to an ice storm considering the Ports are closed and I can’t get salt anyway.


----------



## Randall Ave

shawn_ said:


> Last storm was beautiful - not
> Looking forward to an ice storm considering the Ports are closed and I can't get salt anyway.


There out of salt, or shut down and only selling to municipalitys?


----------



## shawn_

Randall Ave said:


> There out of salt, or shut down and only selling to municipalitys?


Shut down & only selling to state/ county . Not even towns apparently


----------



## AllAboutGreen

Headed down to East Coast to pick up some pallets tomorrow am, they only have 20lb bag pallets of Mag not 50, but something is better then nothing. Got 2 tandems in end of the day yesterday, breathing a sigh of relief.....


----------



## MGLC

Ever since the one year maybe 6-7 years ago when the shortage got really bad I’ve been stocking almost a full seasons worth all year. Almost tripled the size of my bin. Unfortunately this happens every year now


----------



## Mike_C

Sadly you can only really count on being able to get salt until some point in early to mid January most years now. Before the real bad shortage mentioned, I always had enough for 4-5 events on hand, now by the first week of January each year I'm stocked to make it a full year if need be between my main bin at my shop and a few satellite locations. It was a huge investment to upgrade the bin, and start ordering even larger quantities but I can't afford to not do it. Having a massive amount of salt sitting all summer after a season like last winter hurts, but it's the better option at this point


----------



## sota

Mike_C said:


> Sorry for the teenage explanation all I know is salt off works more gooder than anything else we been had used over the years


Hey when I run out of salt away, I might give it a try.


----------



## truckie80

Mike_C said:


> Sadly you can only really count on being able to get salt until some point in early to mid January most years now. Before the real bad shortage mentioned, I always had enough for 4-5 events on hand, now by the first week of January each year I'm stocked to make it a full year if need be between my main bin at my shop and a few satellite locations. It was a huge investment to upgrade the bin, and start ordering even larger quantities but I can't afford to not do it. Having a massive amount of salt sitting all summer after a season like last winter hurts, but it's the better option at this point


How much salt is a seasons worth for you?


----------



## AG09

shawn_ said:


> Shut down & only selling to state/ county . Not even towns apparently


I heard that too, but my supplier told me they had plenty and aren't changing any of their prices when I placed another order this morning.


----------



## MKWL2

shawn_ said:


> Shut down & only selling to state/ county . Not even towns apparently


Holy cow that's not good


----------



## sota

honestly I'd love it if they stopped with all the damn salt in this state.
maybe make people learn to drive and equip their cars to transit in less than ideal conditions.
and don't get me started on the CRATERED surface of a lot of the roads around here.
holy crap they DEMOLISHED some of them these past few storms.


----------



## shawn_

AG09 said:


> I heard that too, but my supplier told me they had plenty and aren't changing any of their prices when I placed another order this morning.


who is your supplier? I got a commitment for a Monday morning delivery . But I'd like to get another load of treated material instead of regular rock salt .

I use central salt but they aren't shipping anymore .


----------



## AG09

shawn_ said:


> who is your supplier? I got a commitment for a Monday morning delivery . But I'd like to get another load of treated material instead of regular rock salt .
> 
> I use central salt but they aren't shipping anymore .


Why isnt central shipping anymore? I thought they did not sell to the state, county and local municipalities?


----------



## shawn_

AG09 said:


> Why isnt central shipping anymore? I thought they did not sell to the state, county and local municipalities?


Because the Ports are closed


----------



## shawn_

Here’s the email


----------



## iceyman

truckie80 said:


> How much salt is a seasons worth for you?


 More than we could imagine


----------



## eastendpm

Mattymax said:


> How's that stuff work ?


Salt away & salt x work amazing. I use a foam cannon and hit the whole truck. It's safe on the clear coat.

I will cut it with some car wash as well and foam the entire rig up, let it set for a few minutes providing it's not freezing up. Then I do a detailed pressure was of the exterior. I do rinse the really dirty spots on my undercarriage but I don't go too crazy as to not strip the fluid film coating I apply every September. The nice part is that salt-away actually is not a degreaser so it doesn't effect the waxy coating much at all. It is formulated just to attack salt.

If your looking for the ultimate way to keep your trucks rust free, coating it once a year really is the ticket.

After that little event yesterday morning I salt-awayed, and pressure washed the rig. Today i was under the truck, touching up fluid film, draining water separator, giving things a general look over. I was extremely impressed as to how well the coating is holding up.

I use their undercoating kit which has long flexible wands you can stick inside your frame and just coat the entire truck. The initial application takes about 5-6 hours to do it the right way but man is it worth it. I use about a gallon per truck.



Mattymax said:


> Figured here would be the best place to get an explanation
> 
> New Honda HSS928 wheel machine. What's the best way to adjust side scrapers and bar ? Should side scrapers be shimmed so the bar doesn't scrape or vise versa.?


The best way I have found to adjust the scraper bar is to find a flat/level area, rest the bar down on top of one or 2 pieces of card board. If it's thick cardboard one is probably good. If it's thin double it up. Loosen the skid shoes slightly, and tap them down to meet the ground, they should not be resting on the cardboard. Press down on the top of the skid shoes when you snug them back up as tightening the bolts can throw the adjustment out.

When you remove the cardboard the scraper should be level, and have a consistent 1/8-1/4" gap off the ground. If you set it to touch the ground it will get hung up on everything and be very rough to run.


----------



## MGLC

Fluid film the undercarriage is by far the best thing you can do to avoid salt damage. My trucks that are out for snow removal actually hold up better than my trucks that aren't because they're undercoating and washed more meticulously. Each winter I make a plan to do all the trucks the same way but end up running out of time for one reason or another and just do the snow rigs


----------



## AG09

shawn_ said:


> Here's the email


Wow. Thats messed up. Good thing I did not count on them. I ordered from them initially this year, but then changed it up cause the other guy I use had better pricing. Part of the reason why I did like central was because I was always told they would take care of the little guy not the government.


----------



## AG09

Braen just raised their prices again effective 2/15 to $140/ton for treated and $120/ton for non treated


----------



## J.Ricci

I have 2 more triaxles coming in tomorrow AM, which should put me at enough for the rest of the season even if we get hit hard. If it wasn’t for the shortage I wouldn’t even be ordering until we used more of the current pile but I’m not chasing salt in a pinch


----------



## gutter21

Winter services has untreated for $104. No treated left


----------



## sota

J.Ricci said:


> I have 2 more triaxles coming in tomorrow AM, which should put me at enough for the rest of the season even if we get hit hard. If it wasn't for the shortage I wouldn't even be ordering until we used more of the current pile but I'm not chasing salt in a pinch


Funny how that works across so many things...
"I wouldn't normally buy more, but with the shortage, i'm buying more than normal!"
Sounds like the run on toilet paper and lysol wipes. 
Oh, and ammo.


----------



## treeguyry

I only use about 3 yards per event so I, knock wood, should be good for the rest of the winter.


----------



## J.Ricci

sota said:


> Funny how that works across so many things...
> "I wouldn't normally buy more, but with the shortage, i'm buying more than normal!"
> Sounds like the run on toilet paper and lysol wipes.
> Oh, and ammo.


Unfortunately, this state's so slip fall happy you don't have much of a choice if you have zero tolerance accounts.

As far as stocking up on ammo, I've been on that train since way before 2020


----------



## UniqueTouch

Talk about toilet paper. I have over 4000 rollls and paper towels . Wish I had room to stock up on salt too


----------



## Randall Ave

UniqueTouch said:


> Talk about toilet paper. I have over 4000 rollls and paper towels . Wish I had room to stock up on salt too


You may need medical support if you need that much.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Could always use more ammo tho. Don’t even wanna go to range to practice and waste any. So hard to get


----------



## Mike_C

truckie80 said:


> How much salt is a seasons worth for you?


We run around 100-110 tons per event under normal circumstances, not including treating refreeze in between storms.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Lol lol that’s funny. Go to Costco everyday and grab one toilet paper and one paper towel. Gonna have to post a pic of my basement


----------



## sota

car FINALLY inspected.
DMV was indeed closed yesterday, for Lincoln's birthday.
nevermind they're closed on monday for President's day.
SMFH


----------



## Mattymax

sota said:


> car FINALLY inspected.
> DMV was indeed closed yesterday, for Lincoln's birthday.
> nevermind they're closed on monday for President's day.
> SMFH


Funny. I planned on going yesterday and checked the website before I took the drive. Closed fri along with Monday


----------



## UniqueTouch

damn i went through my 8 pallet of salt and I thought I was big time.....lol


----------



## UniqueTouch

Finally buying house with 3.5 acres and have a nice size barn and some nice large sheds which Ill finally be able to buy bulk salt for future seasons If I continue to do snow removal in the future. Not sure If I am going to continue but If i do atleast I finally have my own land


----------



## AG09

J.Ricci said:


> I have 2 more triaxles coming in tomorrow AM, which should put me at enough for the rest of the season even if we get hit hard. If it wasn't for the shortage I wouldn't even be ordering until we used more of the current pile but I'm not chasing salt in a pinch


I was holding off on purchasing more as well, but then I saw Braens new pricing the other day and heard about a "shortage" so I ordered another load just to be safe


----------



## AG09

I am looking to purchase another equipment trailer. What brand does everyone use? I currently have a cam superliner and want to purchase a deck over.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Hey guys. I have a chapin 83100 which holds 125 lbs of salt. the rain cover blew off when I was driving. Looking for any places that may carry these in stock. ? anyone know off hand. thanks


----------



## MGLC

My Sure-Trac’s have always been good to me but I don’t have a deckover. 2 10k skid trailers and a 20k larger trailer, no issues


----------



## eastendpm

AG09 said:


> I am looking to purchase another equipment trailer. What brand does everyone use? I currently have a cam superliner and want to purchase a deck over.


Do you have big trucks? Or pulling it most of the time with a 3500-4500.

Buddy if mine has a beautiful EBY deck over dove tail. Yes you pay a bit of a premium for the aluminum but it never rusts, and you can haul an extra pallet of material every load cuz the weight reduction!


----------



## Mike_C

AG09 said:


> I am looking to purchase another equipment trailer. What brand does everyone use? I currently have a cam superliner and want to purchase a deck over.


In general, I stick with cam superline for equipment trailers but I don't have any deck overs other than my tag-alongs

Similar to a lot of other equipment now, the big name brands all make a pretty solid product


----------



## srl28

Purchased a Diamond-C trailer this past Spring from G & E trailers in Vineland after quite a bit of research. Have been very happy, can honestly say it is the best built and designed trailer we've had. Will be purchasing others. Not too many dealers for them in the area but well worth the drive for one.


----------



## iceyman

Looks like tuesday is warm.. wouldve been nice to get one more in this stretch


----------



## J.Ricci

I bought an EBY last spring, 18ft low profile rated for 14k was close to $ 14,000 after tax so it's really pricey, but it's by far the best trailer I've owned and unless something crazy happens it should last forever. I have 2 other equipment trailers I plan on replacing with EBY's as well but the sticker shock needs to wear off more before I do


----------



## treeguyry

I ordered a custom sure-trac enclosed trailer back in October, and I'm still waiting for it even though it was supposed to be ready "right after the holidays" but I can tell that's more of a dealer issue than anything.


----------



## eastendpm

J.Ricci said:


> I bought an EBY last spring, 18ft low profile rated for 14k was close to $ 14,000 after tax so it's really pricey, but it's by far the best trailer I've owned and unless something crazy happens it should last forever. I have 2 other equipment trailers I plan on replacing with EBY's as well but the sticker shock needs to wear off more before I do


Yes they are pricey but think of the all the time you save never having to paint it, worry about rust etc. Also if your running small trucks the lighter weight of the aluminum is a real benefit.

My buddy is always hauling trees around with his and loves that he can comfortably haul more material because the trailer weighs less..


----------



## truckie80

treeguyry said:


> I ordered a custom sure-trac enclosed trailer back in October, and I'm still waiting for it even though it was supposed to be ready "right after the holidays" but I can tell that's more of a dealer issue than anything.


What dealer?


----------



## treeguyry

truckie80 said:


> What dealer?


Roxbury


----------



## sota

annoyed we're not getting snow any time soon.

Also, i'm on the hunt for an 8.5x20 enclosed, square or v-nosed. used but not destroyed; as long as it's water tight. needing tires/brakes/hubs is fine if the price is right. need it more for static storage.


----------



## djt1029

Roxbury trailer sucks. I ordered a trailer from them years ago and it took 3x as long as they told me, then when I needed parts they were useless once again


----------



## Mike_C

Roxbury lost me as a customer before I even made a purchase. Salesman was a **** and I left


----------



## MKWL2

treeguyry said:


> I ordered a custom sure-trac enclosed trailer back in October, and I'm still waiting for it even though it was supposed to be ready "right after the holidays" but I can tell that's more of a dealer issue than anything.


I had the exact same problem with a custom ordered Cam Superline back in 2018- ordered around Halloween and was assured I'd have it "right after New Years"- didn't see it until July... was told the manufacturers' push custom orders to the back of the line until all their stock orders are filled... last time I'll order a custom Cam.


----------



## eastendpm

What’s the deal with the storm tonight? Originally they were calling 1-3” now I’m seeing less than 1” with a chance for icing but it is cold! Seems like whatever comes down is going to be snow


----------



## MKWL2

eastendpm said:


> What's the deal with the storm tonight? Originally they were calling 1-3" now I'm seeing less than 1" with a chance for icing but it is cold! Seems like whatever comes down is going to be snow


Upper layers of the atmosphere are warming- going to be the same deal Monday and Tuesday... little snow, little sleet, little rain, little freezing rain... slippery dangerous mess


----------



## AG09

MGLC said:


> My Sure-Trac's have always been good to me but I don't have a deckover. 2 10k skid trailers and a 20k larger trailer, no issues


Good to know. I will ok into them as well. Thanks.



eastendpm said:


> Do you have big trucks? Or pulling it most of the time with a 3500-4500.
> 
> Buddy if mine has a beautiful EBY deck over dove tail. Yes you pay a bit of a premium for the aluminum but it never rusts, and you can haul an extra pallet of material every load cuz the weight reduction!


Id pull it with my F550 and F350 occasionally. I am also looking to either get a F750 or Peterbuilt/Kenworth with a 33k gvwr



Mike_C said:


> In general, I stick with cam superline for equipment trailers but I don't have any deck overs other than my tag-alongs
> 
> Similar to a lot of other equipment now, the big name brands all make a pretty solid product


I like my cam superline so I was leaning towards that, but the local dealer no longer carries them and the other local dealer carries bri-mar and something else.



srl28 said:


> Purchased a Diamond-C trailer this past Spring from G & E trailers in Vineland after quite a bit of research. Have been very happy, can honestly say it is the best built and designed trailer we've had. Will be purchasing others. Not too many dealers for them in the area but well worth the drive for one.


Thank you. Ill look into it.



J.Ricci said:


> I bought an EBY last spring, 18ft low profile rated for 14k was close to $ 14,000 after tax so it's really pricey, but it's by far the best trailer I've owned and unless something crazy happens it should last forever. I have 2 other equipment trailers I plan on replacing with EBY's as well but the sticker shock needs to wear off more before I do


I am also considering the EBY and was warned about the high price, but the extra weight allowance would be beneficial. The only downside to them from what I have heard is the aluminum welds dont flex like steel and tend to crack easier but EBY does use a rivet type system to help make them stronger.


----------



## treeguyry

MKWL2 said:


> I had the exact same problem with a custom ordered Cam Superline back in 2018- ordered around Halloween and was assured I'd have it "right after New Years"- didn't see it until July... was told the manufacturers' push custom orders to the back of the line until all their stock orders are filled... last time I'll order a custom Cam.


Maybe I'll have it for July 4th


----------



## Nitro1253

Kaufman makes a decent trailer at a cheap price even with delivery from the Carolinas.


----------



## MKWL2

treeguyry said:


> Maybe I'll have it for July 4th


Hopefully you have better luck on timing than I did- the delay got so bad that the dealer actually loaned me a brand new cam to tide me over until mine came in, which was helpful as I really needed an equipment trailer.


----------



## MGLC

EBY makes a great product overall and stands behind their work, I don't have any of their trailers but I have a few truck bodies



Mike_C said:


> Roxbury lost me as a customer before I even made a purchase. Salesman was a **** and I left


Really shot himself in a foot with that


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> Looks like tuesday is warm.. wouldve been nice to get one more in this stretch


3-4 more chances for us for frozen precip this week, mostly sleet and ice. I hope it lets up after this week, the money is great but it's relentless.

Performance Trailer in Flanders is really good. Never custom ordered but they've always been great to deal with.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> 3-4 more chances for us for frozen precip this week, mostly sleet and ice. I hope it lets up after this week, the money is great but it's relentless.
> 
> Performance Trailer in Flanders is really good. Never custom ordered but they've always been great to deal with.


x2 on Performance Trailers - very good customer service - I wasn't super impressed with our American Hauler trailers blught from them, but that's a manufacurer issue not their issue per se.

Looks like after this week it's going to warm up somewhat so we should see some reprieve (hopefully).


----------



## Petr51488

I’d imagine trailers- just like anything else will be affected by Covid. That seems to be everyone’s excuse these days. Mostly true though


----------



## MGLC

Trailer manufacturers have always been notorious for delays, now they just have an additional excuse


----------



## djt1029

Not even a salt run here, it flurried/sleet whatever it was for a total of about 5 mins last night, what a waste of a weekend


----------



## Randall Ave

Roads are a little icy, that's about it.


----------



## MGLC

Spot salted a few locations but almost everywhere was completely fine


----------



## J.Ricci

I salted last night after it came down steady for a while but then it warmed up and shut off.


----------



## Tony_D

We just had a few ice pellets here, nothing much and it didn't build up. Now it looks like mostly rain here tomorrow into Tuesday too.


----------



## sota

can we get enough rain to put a dent in the snow piles everywhere?


----------



## truckie80

It should knock the piles down a bit, but they'll just freeze solid overnight after getting soaked and stick around even longer now.


----------



## gman2310

everyone place I talk to about ordering an new enclosed trailer tells me at least 12 weeks. I found one I want 2.5 hrs away but they dont have pics on their website. I called 3 times already to get pics of it to make sure its exactly what I want and still dont have them. You would think someone would want to move a $12,000 trailer off their lot.


----------



## Randall Ave

gman2310 said:


> everyone place I talk to about ordering an new enclosed trailer tells me at least 12 weeks. I found one I want 2.5 hrs away but they dont have pics on their website. I called 3 times already to get pics of it to make sure its exactly what I want and still dont have them. You would think someone would want to move a $12,000 trailer off their lot.


It is kinda strange out there. Not the best economic times, but nobody seems to want to do much as far as sales go.


----------



## prezek

gman2310 said:


> everyone place I talk to about ordering an new enclosed trailer tells me at least 12 weeks. I found one I want 2.5 hrs away but they dont have pics on their website. I called 3 times already to get pics of it to make sure its exactly what I want and still dont have them. You would think someone would want to move a $12,000 trailer off their lot.


Same everywhere. I special ordered one the beginning of January so it would be here by mowing season....if you guys need any parts, I'd grab them now. I stocked up on tires, spare axles, leaf springs, etc. It's insane what covid did to the supply chain and it's not straightened out yet.


----------



## eastendpm

Nothing here in the northeast most corner. Got up in the middle of the night to check conditions and there was really nothing to speak of. Steps were icy at my house but I don’t use too much calcium. I’m sure my other treated driveways were still holding off any icing due to residual calcium.

I was hoping for 2 more good shots of snow this coming week! Guess thats not happening, although my phone does say “watching a winter storm” for Monday night & Tuesday. Looks like mostly rain though. 

TWC is still showing 3/5” for Thursday but for some reason I don’t think that’s happening either!


----------



## rizzoa13

Was pure ice in SJ. I’m running loads of salt from the only place that has any right now. Feels futile driving 9 ton at a time when you see a triaxle with 22.


----------



## AG09

I have heard if I placed an order for a trailer now it would be until at least July until I get it and even that is a stretch.

My presalt yesterday held off everything here this morning.


----------



## eastendpm

rizzoa13 said:


> Was pure ice in SJ. I'm running loads of salt from the only place that has any right now. Feels futile driving 9 ton at a time when you see a triaxle with 22.


I did notice that south jersey was getting more ice last night when I was watching the radar. Looks like monday tuesday that the potential to be a worse icing event. Hoping it stays away, or stays all snow.


----------



## shawn_

That ice was brutal this am, a few lots I didn’t pre salt because of closures on sat/Sunday were an absolute nightmare . To the point where I was going 3mph & turning the wheel to the right & the truck was going left & hitting snow banks lol. Thank goodness there was no cars in the lot....


----------



## Randall Ave

The WC is showing for Thursday, 5-8 during the day, then next day rain, thats gonna make for a sloppy mess if it goes that way.


----------



## eastendpm

Randall Ave said:


> The WC is showing for Thursday, 5-8 during the day, then next day rain, thats gonna make for a sloppy mess if it goes that way.


yah they were orig showing 1-3" for last night, more snow Monday Tuesday but seeing as those have both changed over to rain I kinda see the same thing happening later this week.

especially after looking at the temps for late week.


----------



## V_Scapes

I salted two of my churches this morning that was it. Tuesday looks to be a icy disaster.


----------



## Mike_C

Salted about 70% of the route, Tuesday looks like a few salt runs. After this week things seem to moderate a bit, I think we'll get one March storm though we do almost every year now


----------



## eastendpm

If we get more snow in March, spring cleanups won’t be happening till mid April. I have a hard time envisioning these piles being gone before the 15th of March as is. Unless we get some crazy warm days but even then these piles are so big and so compacted from pushing into them multiple times I don’t see it happening. Things are definitely going to take a bit longer to dry out this year.

I remember last year we started spring work early March.


----------



## gman2310

I would love for one decent 6” storm in Ocean County area before seasons end


----------



## shawn_

I love March snow storms they usually are the best


----------



## V_Scapes

Definitely dont see us starting cleanups on time this year either. Fingers crossed the wintry precip is over once March comes.


----------



## Randall Ave

So now the WC has a ice warning for Monday night, 3/10 to 1/2 inch of ice. There goes the remaining salt piles up here.


----------



## rizzoa13

I’m looking into getting a compact wheel loader for next year as we’re getting a few more bigger commercials. Anyone have any opinions? New? Slightly used? Anyone have one for sale?

Got a quote of 85k for a new Volvo 35g which seems like a real nice machine. If I could get 2 machines in the 50k range though that’d make much more sense.


----------



## djt1029

EPAWA for my area has us ending as around a half an inch of rain, after some icing. Hopefully pre-treating the hell out of everywhere tomorrow can handle this one. Hate putting trucks on the road in ice


----------



## MGLC

V_Scapes said:


> Definitely dont see us starting cleanups on time this year either. Fingers crossed the wintry precip is over once March comes.


If we don't get any major accumulations from here on out, we may still be able to work in March. Hopefully. I've got a few weeks worth of winter work to try and squeeze in with the spring rush, luckily a few of those jobs can be done while there's still some snow around here and there.



rizzoa13 said:


> I'm looking into getting a compact wheel loader for next year as we're getting a few more bigger commercials. Anyone have any opinions? New? Slightly used? Anyone have one for sale?
> 
> Got a quote of 85k for a new Volvo 35g which seems like a real nice machine. If I could get 2 machines in the 50k range though that'd make much more sense.


I've got a JCB 407 and a Kubota R630. I bought the JCB is an '05 and is a good machine but not great. It gets the job done, but the Kubota's a much better machine. I bought the R630 new for just shy of 90k all in back in 2019, it's done everything ever (realistically) asked of it. It's really comfortable, and moves some serious snow for its size. In the summer we move large trees around jobsites with it and it outperforms it's specs on a regular basis.


----------



## rizzoa13

MGLC said:


> If we don't get any major accumulations from here on out, we may still be able to work in March. Hopefully. I've got a few weeks worth of winter work to try and squeeze in with the spring rush, luckily a few of those jobs can be done while there's still some snow around here and there.
> 
> I've got a JCB 407 and a Kubota R630. I bought the JCB is an '05 and is a good machine but not great. It gets the job done, but the Kubota's a much better machine. I bought the R630 new for just shy of 90k all in back in 2019, it's done everything ever (realistically) asked of it. It's really comfortable, and moves some serious snow for its size. In the summer we move large trees around jobsites with it and it outperforms it's specs on a regular basis.


Does it push a 14' box well? Looking at it it's 10k ish lbs opposed to the Volvo at 13,500. Kubota has 64 hp and Volvo at 74. Any thoughts??


----------



## MGLC

rizzoa13 said:


> Does it push a 14' box well? Looking at it it's 10k ish lbs opposed to the Volvo at 13,500. Kubota has 64 hours and Volvo at 74. Any thoughts??


I had an older Case 321 that the Kubota replaced which was probably similar size/specs to the Volvo and performance wise, the Kubota is a little less powerful, but not as big of a difference as you would think. I have a 12' box on it due to some tight spaces but it pushes it with no issues at all. After the big storm a few weeks ago I picked up some emergency work with it on lots that went mostly untouched in the storm, it moved 30" + of snow way better than I would have expected. No box, just the bucket, but I still was impressed


----------



## AG09

rizzoa13 said:


> I'm looking into getting a compact wheel loader for next year as we're getting a few more bigger commercials. Anyone have any opinions? New? Slightly used? Anyone have one for sale?
> 
> Got a quote of 85k for a new Volvo 35g which seems like a real nice machine. If I could get 2 machines in the 50k range though that'd make much more sense.


I am actually picking up a cat 906 this week hopefully. My buddy also told me to look into kubota 530


----------



## MKWL2

Ice storm warning up here tomorrow and Tuesday... going to be interesting...

i’m betting on at least one moderate snow storm in early March... will be luckily to start on spring work early April at the rate we’re going... this snow is going to be around for quite a while, even when it’s gone it’s going to take the ground quite a while to dry up...


----------



## S_Marino87

My winter boss has a John deere 244, seems to have plenty of power anytime I've seen it in action but I think its a 10 or 12ft box


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> EPAWA for my area has us ending as around a half an inch of rain, after some icing. Hopefully pre-treating the hell out of everywhere tomorrow can handle this one. Hate putting trucks on the road in ice


I believe we're in the same area on their map. If it changes to rain overnight on Monday would be a saving grace. Traveling on that much ice is bound for a problem.


----------



## Mike_C

rizzoa13 said:


> I'm looking into getting a compact wheel loader for next year as we're getting a few more bigger commercials. Anyone have any opinions? New? Slightly used? Anyone have one for sale?
> 
> Got a quote of 85k for a new Volvo 35g which seems like a real nice machine. If I could get 2 machines in the 50k range though that'd make much more sense.


I don't have experience with Volvo first hand, but I agree and would look for 2 lightly used machines rather than one brand new. If you're running a 14ft box, I wouldn't go less than 70HP (preferably 75HP). I have a few Cat 906's and a pair of 908's; on the 906's we run 10-12ft boxes depending on the site and if you have really long pushes, anything larger than a 12ft on a heavy wet snowfall will have some issues. The 908's blow right through everything. I also we have a pair of Takeuchi tw80's on winter rental this year and they've been impressive. In years past I've rented Deere 244's and we had a lot of issues with them, nothing major but it was always one thing or another.


----------



## Randall Ave

I just had a hell of a time getting parts for a Cat 908 final drive, just saying.


----------



## rizzoa13

I’m just thinking a 14’ box as we already have skids with 10’ boxes and would like a significant upgrade, rather than just increasing size by 2’.

Ill look into a takeuchi also and see what they have. I generally stay away from Cat as it just feels like your paying for the name a little too much.


----------



## Tony_D

When do you guys think is a good time to start advertising for spring work? With all the snow on the ground now I know people aren't thinking of landscaping so I'd be throwing money away, but I don't want to wait too long either.


----------



## djt1029

I haven't done any real advertising in a few years, but when I did I always started my newspaper ad the first week of March. A lot of years there wouldn't be any calls for the first few weeks since we'd be dealing with snow still. Way back when I did door hangers I just would order them early and wait until the weather turned around and the majority of the snow was melted off


----------



## MGLC

As far as a newspaper ad goes, it's better to start too early than be late to the party. If you're looking to do something more hands on like direct mail or door hangers, then you probably want to hold off until mid-later March depending on how long this snow sticks around.


----------



## truckie80

I haven't advertised in a long time, but I used to start my ad the first week of April, so I could have a jump on my existing work before it ran


----------



## Petr51488

I would look into EDDM from the usps. You can get post cards designed and printed from a different company ( make sure they are within the specs that EDDM wants) and you can choose the route you want in whatever towns you do. Much less than the cost of a stamp.


----------



## Tony_D

Petr51488 said:


> I would look into EDDM from the usps. You can get post cards designed and printed from a different company ( make sure they are within the specs that EDDM wants) and you can choose the route you want in whatever towns you do. Much less than the cost of a stamp.


That's actually what I'm doing. Last year I did door hangers and they worked alright, I also ran an ad in the classifieds for a few months but I wanted to step it up this year and have 5k post cards that are already printed and I just have to decide when to send them out. I don't really know what to expect as far as the call back rate this is the most money I've spent on advertising so I really don't want to screw up the timing.


----------



## MKWL2

MGLC said:


> As far as a newspaper ad goes, it's better to start too early than be late to the party. If you're looking to do something more hands on like direct mail or door hangers, then you probably want to hold off until mid-later March depending on how long this snow sticks around.


Agreed- I used to jump the gun too early with direct mail- found that people don't really think about spring until it feels like spring- try and time it for mid March, ideally hitting mailboxes on a warm sunny day after the snow is mostly gone


----------



## MKWL2

Tony_D said:


> That's actually what I'm doing. Last year I did door hangers and they worked alright, I also ran an ad in the classifieds for a few months but I wanted to step it up this year and have 5k post cards that are already printed and I just have to decide when to send them out. I don't really know what to expect as far as the call back rate this is the most money I've spent on advertising so I really don't want to screw up the timing.


We usually see between 5 and 7 percent call, close 2 to 3 percent of the time. Not great but close a decent landscape job or two and a few maintenance accounts and it's paid for itself.


----------



## Petr51488

Tony_D said:


> That's actually what I'm doing. Last year I did door hangers and they worked alright, I also ran an ad in the classifieds for a few months but I wanted to step it up this year and have 5k post cards that are already printed and I just have to decide when to send them out. I don't really know what to expect as far as the call back rate this is the most money I've spent on advertising so I really don't want to screw up the timing.


send them out when the snow is almost melted and temps are in the 50's. Aka- not any time soon lol I think we have another storm coming Thursday which will just add more on top


----------



## V_Scapes

37 and heavy rain by early tomorrow morning? I was all set to pre treat but not sure if it's even worth it. Any freezing precip looks like it's not going to start until around 11pm.


----------



## MGLC

MKWL2 said:


> We usually see between 5 and 7 percent call, close 2 to 3 percent of the time. Not great but close a decent landscape job or two and a few maintenance accounts and it's paid for itself.


It's been a while since I did EDDM, but when I did I saw around the same numbers.



V_Scapes said:


> 37 and heavy rain by early tomorrow morning? I was all set to pre treat but not sure if it's even worth it. Any freezing precip looks like it's not going to start until around 11pm.


We pretreated all locations to play it safe, but I think that it was probably unnecessary. I just didn't want to scramble to get out there if things changed


----------



## V_Scapes

MGLC said:


> We pretreated all locations to play it safe, but I think that it was probably unnecessary. I just didn't want to scramble to get out there if things changed


I have my v box loaded but I'd rather conserve the salt for the morning if needed. I think any ice will be melted before the morning commute.


----------



## Tony_D

I hope I can get those numbers. I know one of the guys in my area retired after last season so there should be more accounts than usual up for grabs


----------



## rizzoa13

Could you directly reach those customers somehow?

If you offered the dude whatever your marketing budget is to contact his customers and recommend you I bet you’d get a really high sign rate.


----------



## Tony_D

rizzoa13 said:


> Could you directly reach those customers somehow?
> 
> If you offered the dude whatever your marketing budget is to contact his customers and recommend you I bet you'd get a really high sign rate.


I wish I could but he just sort of up and left after last season, and I have no way to contact him. Nobody knew he was retiring until he moved away. The only thing I guess I could do is knock on doors of the houses that I know of that he did.


----------



## MKWL2

MGLC said:


> It's been a while since I did EDDM, but when I did I saw around the same numbers.
> 
> Yup- sounds like a very small retuen but we seem to always get a decent job or two out of $2K or so in mailers, so it seems to be worth while. Plus it keeps out name out in front of people...
> 
> We pretreated all locations to play it safe, but I think that it was probably unnecessary. I just didn't want to scramble to get out there if things changed


Yup we did the same- rather have something down so if it does wind up freezing up overnight it's not a s**t show trying to get to places to salt. Salted heavy out in Warren- expecting a half inch of glare ice by morning... lovely


----------



## djt1029

Temperatures look really borderline here, I pre-treated my restaurants & bars since they'll be open in the ****ty part of it, but I think we'll be fine by morning commute


----------



## HarryTHook

djt1029 said:


> Temperatures look really borderline here, I pre-treated my restaurants & bars since they'll be open in the ****ty part of it, but I think we'll be fine by morning commute


Thinking all rain here.


----------



## V_Scapes

Tony_D said:


> I wish I could but he just sort of up and left after last season, and I have no way to contact him. Nobody knew he was retiring until he moved away. The only thing I guess I could do is knock on doors of the houses that I know of that he did.


That's how I got my first commercial landscape contract 11 years ago. A company from town who had the account sold to another larger outfit. I walked in and talked to the owner and had a signed contract in no time.


----------



## Mike_C

Tony_D said:


> I wish I could but he just sort of up and left after last season, and I have no way to contact him. Nobody knew he was retiring until he moved away. The only thing I guess I could do is knock on doors of the houses that I know of that he did.


That's how I got my first HOA when I was your age, I knew the previous guy had hung it up, so I got in touch with the property manager and signed my first 6 figure maintenance contract. Still have that location today all these years later. If he had any prime larger accounts it's worth trying to jump on it. Reach out the worst they can say is no


----------



## sota

Mike_C said:


> That's how I got my first HOA when I was your age, I knew the previous guy had hung it up, so I got in touch with the property manager and signed my first 6 figure maintenance contract. Still have that location today all these years later. If he had any prime larger accounts it's worth trying to jump on it. *Reach out the worst they can say is no*


That is a concept I keep trying to drill into my kid especially when he decides he wants to date someone.


----------



## treeguyry

Loaded up the salter but it seems like we're dealing with mainly plain rain here. Hope it stays that way


----------



## Tony_D

Thanks guys...I wish I knew of any commercial / larger accounts he had. I think I'm going to drop door hangers this week at the houses I know he did in the area, I'm not too sure about knocking on doors of private homes because I don't know who's afraid of the virus and stuff


----------



## V_Scapes

Tony_D said:


> Thanks guys...I wish I knew of any commercial / larger accounts he had. I think I'm going to drop door hangers this week at the houses I know he did in the area, I'm not too sure about knocking on doors of private homes because I don't know who's afraid of the virus and stuff


Don't worry about commercial and large estates. If there's a few that are tight to your route, that should be your focus.


----------



## Mike_C

Some minor icing on and off so far, I don't want to put the malocchio on it but I think we may luck out vs the original forecasts


----------



## Mike_C

V_Scapes said:


> Don't worry about commercial and large estates. If there's a few that are tight to your route, that should be your focus.


Especially in a dense area like Secaucus, get that route tight and you'll bang out 40 stops a day


----------



## djt1029

Just some light rain here, temps already just above freezing. Setting an alarm just to play it safe


----------



## HarryTHook

39 and the rain stopped.


----------



## shawn_

45° here in Monmouth county looks like we’re doing ok with the ice:usflag:


----------



## iceyman

Thursday coming back in a big way


----------



## Randall Ave

Sooooo, where's all the ice?


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Thursday coming back in a big way


This is going to be a South Jersey hit?


----------



## V_Scapes

Checked my sites this morning but it was a waste of time.


----------



## rizzoa13

Randall Ave said:


> This is going to be a South Jersey hit?


Oh yayyy.. I picked up my first seasonal on my own after the big storm and now we're getting murdered. At least the moneys there but it'd been nice to get that free money.


----------



## MGLC

Checked on some of the route earlier after an hour or so it was pretty obvious we were just wasting time. 38 degrees here now


----------



## J.Ricci

Already in the low 50s here


----------



## truckie80

Felt like last winter waking up through the night to check on things only to see rain and warmer temps then forecast


----------



## MKWL2

Resalted a few of my steeper drives/ roads in Warren, but there was really not much to speak of. I would say we dodged a bullet on this one for sure, ice is no fun at all.


----------



## S_Marino87

J.Ricci said:


> Already in the low 50s here


Paver weather


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> This is going to be a South Jersey hit?


All of nj hit.. less to the s


----------



## AllAboutGreen

looks like thur could be another one 2-5" so far initial forecast, then freezing drizzle for the sprinkles on top.....


----------



## UniqueTouch

Icey- I need a forecast for this weed. Monmouth County.


----------



## V_Scapes

UniqueTouch said:


> Icey- I need a forecast for this weed. Monmouth County.


Continue to grow inside.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Randall Ave said:


> Sooooo, where's all the ice?


In my freezers, where it belongs!



J.Ricci said:


> Already in the low 50s here


101.5 was reporting 58 in Cape May at 0600 this morning.

My Truck read 44F when I left my house, 41F 16 miles NW at work.

Temps from one of the apps on my phone for next few days: Today L22/H48, Weds L22/H33, Thurs L31/H33, Fri L25/H37, Sat L16/H32.


----------



## Mike_C

V_Scapes said:


> Continue to grow inside.


No wonder he's buying property with a bunch of out buildings


----------



## treeguyry

Beautiful day to be climbing


----------



## sota

best idea I've seen is grow houses made from shipping containers.
self contained. easy to move. stackable


----------



## Tony_D

V_Scapes said:


> Don't worry about commercial and large estates. If there's a few that are tight to your route, that should be your focus.





Mike_C said:


> Especially in a dense area like Secaucus, get that route tight and you'll bang out 40 stops a day


That's what im shooting for, I like the smaller houses but I really want a few commercial accounts mainly for the snow


----------



## truckie80

Tony_D said:


> That's what im shooting for, I like the smaller houses but I really want a few commercial accounts mainly for the snow


Commercial snow is nice but you can make some real money in the residential market too with a tight route, especially since less and less companies are doing residential snow


----------



## J.Ricci

S_Marino87 said:


> Paver weather


Bluestone day


----------



## MGLC

Great day to finally give everything a real thorough power wash


----------



## Petr51488

Tony_D said:


> That's what im shooting for, I like the smaller houses but I really want a few commercial accounts mainly for the snow


wait till you see snow liability rates for commercial.


----------



## S_Marino87

Anyone work with advanced solutions? Winter boss is having some issues with payment and wanted me to see if anyone's familiar with them. Luckily he's only got 2 sites with them


----------



## djt1029

S_Marino87 said:


> Anyone work with advanced solutions? Winter boss is having some issues with payment and wanted me to see if anyone's familiar with them. Luckily he's only got 2 sites with them


Never worked with them but they sent me info on 4 walgreens locations back in the fall that they wanted done for under $200 each. Plow, salt, shovel


----------



## rizzoa13

Good time to reach out to them is during a big storm. Ask if they need anyone to do their emergency work at whatever rate you want. Because if they are paying that little they probably hooked a sucker and that guy walked off during big snow.


----------



## Mike_C

I got pricing from advanced for about a dozen locations back in the fall, countered and they declined as I expected...then we did around 75k in emergency work for them during/after the blizzard. Already received payment on the majority of that work. That's my only experience with them so far but I have heard almost exclusively bad things


----------



## Mike_C

rizzoa13 said:


> Good time to reach out to them is during a big storm. Ask if they need anyone to do their emergency work at whatever rate you want. Because if they are paying that little they probably hooked a sucker and that guy walked off during big snow.


bingo


----------



## iceyman

UniqueTouch said:


> Icey- I need a forecast for this weed. Monmouth County.


Thats a different forum


----------



## MGLC

djt1029 said:


> Never worked with them but they sent me info on 4 walgreens locations back in the fall that they wanted done for under $200 each. Plow, salt, shovel


$197.50 ?


----------



## Mike_C

MGLC said:


> $197.50 ?


Every location's the same price with them


----------



## rizzoa13

If you get the right person and can explain to them the value in signing you at your price next year, instead of signing someone else and having to pay you to rescue them anyway, you can likely get the accounts.

We bailed ferrhandino out on 2 Targets and they want to offer us 13 for next year at our prices. Seems like they are finally understanding that you get what you pay for.


----------



## shawn_

Advanced solutions contacted me
For Walgreens denied my counter I got bad vibes from them honestly . They called up a day before the storm and then (accepted my bid) I told em I was too busy for it now and can’t do it. Thankfully I didn’t


----------



## kzog65

Hi all, newbie here (to both the site and plowing), wanted to put it out to the North Jersey contractors, I'm interested in sub'n (plow only) if you have any jobs in Union County. I'm obviously green, but willing to learn. This is not a full time gig for me, just looking to help defray the cost of my setup. Please PM me if there is interest and thanks!


----------



## djt1029

shawn_ said:


> Advanced solutions contacted me
> For Walgreens denied my counter I got bad vibes from them honestly . They called up a day before the storm and then (accepted my bid) I told em I was too busy for it now and can't do it. Thankfully I didn't


I got 5-6 panicked voicemails from them mid storm, honestly the guy sounded so frazzled I probably could have gotten my price easily but I was way too swamped between my own accounts and bailing out two of my idiot friends who don't bother to get their **** ready until a few days before a storm


----------



## Mike_C

Ferrandino's really wised up over the last few years, I've got a pretty good working relationship with them now, mainly because the girl we deal with smarter than the average person working for a management company. We'll see how Advanced goes, I took over a few locations after that **** show


----------



## shawn_

Isn’t fernado bright view?


----------



## shawn_

On a different note , I did work with Case snow management this year. They are great, constantly sending emails, weather reports etc & pay on time each month. No complaints . Only did one account for them as a test for this season but next season I plan on doing a little more for them.


----------



## MGLC

I've been working with Case for years. The only times I've ever had to wait for payment is when we get the fluke late March/early April snows. It usually takes an extra pay period for them but they still pay


----------



## J.Ricci

I have 2 locations through Case, they pay faster than a few of the building owners I deal with directly


----------



## MKWL2

J.Ricci said:


> I have 2 locations through Case, they pay faster than a few of the building owners I deal with directly


How are you guys connecting with Case? After the $h**storms that have been this year, if I'm doing snow at all next year it'll be as a sub. We are definitely over doing resi snow...


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> How are you guys connecting with Case? After the $h**storms that have been this year, if I'm doing snow at all next year it'll be as a sub. We are definitely over doing resi snow...


Trouble getting paid?


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> Trouble getting paid?


Oh yeah, and the latest round of bills haven't even gone out yet...


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> Oh yeah, and the latest round of bills haven't even gone out yet...


Sucks. I sent out two rounds of invoices in twelve days and have barely seen any of it come back yet. Meanwhile my guys are paid and I'm looking to purchase more calcium and bulk rock.


----------



## djt1029

I’ve been waiting to send out the bills on the last little storm to try and space things out, hardly had any snow money come in yet


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> I've been waiting to send out the bills on the last little storm to try and space things out, hardly had any snow money come in yet


Although it's more work,I've learned its better to send out more frequent invoices during busy winter months. Seems to help minimize the shock of sending one invoice with multiple events listed.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> Although it's more work,I've learned its better to send out more frequent invoices during busy winter months. Seems to help minimize the shock of sending one invoice with multiple events listed.


I used to do that, but found people got confused with which bills were current and it was a nightmare trying to keep everything straight. Bill once every 3 weeks- aligns with when last payment was due, so if they have a balance carrying over, it shows the YTD balance on the recent invoice. But hey, if it gets you paid that's all that matters!


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> I used to do that, but found people got confused with which bills were current and it was a nightmare trying to keep everything straight. Bill once every 3 weeks- aligns with when last payment was due, so if they have a balance carrying over, it shows the YTD balance on the recent invoice. But hey, if it gets you paid that's all that matters!


That's similar to how I invoice landscape work, once every four weeks for whatever work was completed. 
I consider snow emergency work so I deserve to be compensated faster, my terms are due on receipt. Every snow/ice event has a date on it so there should be no questions.


----------



## AG09

MKWL2 said:


> Oh yeah, and the latest round of bills haven't even gone out yet...


I bill the 15th and 30th of the month and give the resi's 15 days to pay. After that they get cut off and if the b!tch they get cut off. I have slowly cut the resi list way back and am going to do so more even next year. They're just PITAs and there is not a lot of money there compared to commercial. I have salted my commercials every day since the beginning of Feb which is a huge money maker. With the resi's you cannot make that kind of money.


----------



## shawn_

Are any of you guys into the liquid game? If so is it worth it? A few bigger companies by me use it and I was wondering what the benefits were & how you actually sell it to customers ?


----------



## Petr51488

MKWL2 said:


> I used to do that, but found people got confused with which bills were current and it was a nightmare trying to keep everything straight. Bill once every 3 weeks- aligns with when last payment was due, so if they have a balance carrying over, it shows the YTD balance on the recent invoice. But hey, if it gets you paid that's all that matters!


and here I am billing every 2 months lol I can't get myself to sit down for 8 hours and do invoices


----------



## V_Scapes

AG09 said:


> I bill the 15th and 30th of the month and give the resi's 15 days to pay. After that they get cut off and if the b!tch they get cut off. I have slowly cut the resi list way back and am going to do so more even next year. They're just PITAs and there is not a lot of money there compared to commercial. I have salted my commercials every day since the beginning of Feb which is a huge money maker. With the resi's you cannot make that kind of money.


There is alot of money to be had in driveway snowplowing but you need to have a perfect rig for it and need to have a tight route. I made great money years ago doing it but got more opportunity for commercial. If I wanted I could have well over 100 driveways.


----------



## demetrios007

Theres money in driveways but its gotta be tight. Theres a guy my way who has family in a 750k amd up big development. He leaves a skid there in the garage and bangs out almost the whole place at avg 75 a pop hes using 6" differential in rates. 2 speed machine he does a decent job in 5 min tops I watched him for 10 min last storm. Im guessing he got 300 per drive in the blizzard prob knocked em fast with a skid


----------



## djt1029

I usually bill every storm within a few days of it but the little one last week I still haven’t mailed out. They’re just sitting on my desk half because I wanted to space them out to minimize sticker shock and half because I keep forgetting to buy stamps


----------



## shawn_

djt1029 said:


> I usually bill every storm within a few days of it but the little one last week I still haven't mailed out. They're just sitting on my desk half because I wanted to space them out to minimize sticker shock and half because I keep forgetting to buy stamps


You still mail out invoices?!? Isn't an email much easier an efficient?


----------



## djt1029

shawn_ said:


> You still mail out invoices?!? Isn't an email much easier an efficient?


Residential only. I mail them out because then I don't get a million stupid questions in a response, it's idiot proof they even have an envelope to mail the check in


----------



## Mike_C

shawn_ said:


> Are any of you guys into the liquid game? If so is it worth it? A few bigger companies by me use it and I was wondering what the benefits were & how you actually sell it to customers ?


We've been using liquid to pretreat some sidewalks and drive lanes at a bunch of accounts that are always very active 24/7. You can definitely sell it, no shortages being the #1 reason, plus all the other benefits especially since we're turning into a nation of tree huggers, it has less of an environmental impact (probably partially because we don't really know the long term impact of it....like something else that's pretty popular in the news right now that I won't mention) The market is there but I don't see myself ever pushing hard into it, I've got 25 v-boxes and just one liquid rig...I'm not making that investment not to mention storage


----------



## HarryTHook

Looks like were in for a good one


----------



## sota

Aye.
the Weath3r Weani3s are a-twitter about this one.
looking to me like mid-morning of the 18th we'll be knee deep in the white stuff again.


----------



## sota

What can I put along the top edge of my plow to help stop snow from coming over the top when pushing?


----------



## Randall Ave

A snow deflector, any plow dealer will have them.


----------



## sota

Thanks. This was another one of those instances where, I don't know what the "thing" is called, so I ask a "stupid" question, and suddenly it shows up when I do a random search for "thing on top of plow that blocks snow" 

Given I don't have a "professional" plow, are there any suggestions on how to make my own if needed? Assuming a dealer doesn't have something that'll fit, and doesn't cost $1,000


----------



## rizzoa13

If your “thrifty” like my buddies dad you can cut a piece of conveyor belt and bolt it on.


----------



## Randall Ave

Amazon, $81.00


----------



## shawn_

They are not$1,000 they are a few hundred at most .

and you can probably get off brand for cheap like stated above


----------



## sota

thanks. think I found the one that randall was alluding to.


----------



## truckie80

Looking like 4-8, maybe 5-10 here, compared to 2 feet a few weeks ago it’s hardly even worth stressing about


----------



## sota

yea but is it 4-8/5-10 heavy, or fluffy.


----------



## MKWL2

truckie80 said:


> Looking like 4-8, maybe 5-10 here, compared to 2 feet a few weeks ago it's hardly even worth stressing about


That's what I keep telling myself, it's all relative to that monster of a storm.


----------



## rizzoa13

It’s true that big storm shook out all the issues and we’ve had time since to get everything running right. This is a profit storm if you ask me.


----------



## shawn_

rizzoa13 said:


> It's true that big storm shook out all the issues and we've had time since to get everything running right. This is a profit storm if you ask me.


Agreed


----------



## djt1029

We’ve had a lot melt off since then too which also makes life easier. Heavy snow or not it’s a fraction of the big storm


----------



## Petr51488

rizzoa13 said:


> It's true that big storm shook out all the issues and we've had time since to get everything running right. This is a profit storm if you ask me.


that one inch storm last week was a profit storm haha


----------



## J.Ricci

Leaving for South Dakota Friday afternoon, a little spending money for the trip would be nice


----------



## AG09

V_Scapes said:


> There is alot of money to be had in driveway snowplowing but you need to have a perfect rig for it and need to have a tight route. I made great money years ago doing it but got more opportunity for commercial. If I wanted I could have well over 100 driveways.


Yes there is. Like you I could easily do 100+, but the problem is everyone wants to be first to have it done and if its not done by 7am they get their panties in a bunch. Also, I have found that people over here were use to paying 30-40 bucks to have their driveway done and when I would tell them $75-100 they **** their pants. But then I ask what happened to the last guy and I get told they just stopped showing up. Of course they did because they werent making enough money charging $30-40 or you are just a PITA.


----------



## Tony_D

J.Ricci said:


> Leaving for South Dakota Friday afternoon, a little spending money for the trip would be nice


What's in South Dakota?


----------



## fireball

Not much but it is south of North Dakota


----------



## J.Ricci

Tony_D said:


> What's in South Dakota?


A governor not named Phil Murphy


----------



## djt1029

Spring work in March doesn't look very likely


----------



## S_Marino87

Tony_D said:


> What's in South Dakota?


I think it's more about what's not there, and that's government overreach and masks


----------



## eastendpm

AG09 said:


> Yes there is. Like you I could easily do 100+, but the problem is everyone wants to be first to have it done and if its not done by 7am they get their panties in a bunch. Also, I have found that people over here were use to paying 30-40 bucks to have their driveway done and when I would tell them $75-100 they **** their pants. But then I ask what happened to the last guy and I get told they just stopped showing up. Of course they did because they werent making enough money charging $30-40 or you are just a PITA.


I have a few old clients who I will honor my old $50 1-3" for. However all the new driveways we take on are $75 minimum + $45 for a bag of calcium. That way each resi stop is $120 minimum 1-3". Even my old clients with the $50 minimum get the $45 charge for calcium. If your not making money why beat your equipment and stay up for crazy long.

Hoping after this winter people gain a little bit of appreciation for how hard this work is. I will tell you that those big storms are the best for weeding out the fly by nighters. They really show these companies and homeowners that the cheap route is not the best route!


----------



## Petr51488

eastendpm said:


> I have a few old clients who I will honor my old $50 1-3" for. However all the new driveways we take on are $75 minimum + $45 for a bag of calcium. That way each resi stop is $120 minimum 1-3". Even my old clients with the $50 minimum get the $45 charge for calcium. If your not making money why beat your equipment and stay up for crazy long.
> 
> Hoping after this winter people gain a little bit of appreciation for how hard this work is. I will tell you that those big storms are the best for weeding out the fly by nighters. They really show these companies and homeowners that the cheap route is not the best route!


unfortunately people will never appreciate this work. I see all over the towns Facebook pages how people complain about the plowing in town. Talking about the 2' storm. - meanwhile they have no clue what it takes. Same with clients. Until they have to get outside and shovel- or run a blower- which Will never happen because they'll find someone who will do it cheaper. Most of my clients are good though. It took years and years of explaining things that need to be done My way.


----------



## sota

djt1029 said:


> We've had a lot melt off since then too which also makes life easier. Heavy snow or not it's a fraction of the big storm


only problem with all that melt off is, now you have a brick wall to hit at the end of your pushes.


----------



## sota

Petr51488 said:


> unfortunately people will never appreciate this work. I see all over the towns Facebook pages how people complain about the plowing in town. Talking about the 2' storm. - meanwhile they have no clue what it takes. Same with clients. Until they have to get outside and shovel- or run a blower- which Will never happen because they'll find someone who will do it cheaper. Most of my clients are good though. It took years and years of explaining things that need to be done My way.


Wife has been on the town forums for a while. Exactly as you said, the Karens were *****ing up a storm about the storm. She once asked me why I don't go Wildcat... reading all of that clued her in.


----------



## MGLC

We do around 125 private driveways, you can train even your residential customers to not be a pain in the ass but it takes years.


----------



## sota

I have 29 on my list now. And as mentioned, I spent a lot of time making it a "tight" loop.
There's a reason we're at 68% plow time on the loop as an overall average, and we've been hitting >70% these last 4 storms.


----------



## Mike_C

Whatever happens with this storm, I'm getting out of here this weekend. We're running out of winter weekends


----------



## MGLC

I have to head south on Saturday no matter what, meeting a realtor 11AM


----------



## truckie80

3 weeks of constant winter weather and I haven't had a chance to ski yet, as soon as my route's done with this one I'm heading upstate



MGLC said:


> I have to head south on Saturday no matter what, meeting a realtor 11AM


Shore house?


----------



## MGLC

Yeah looking at a couple places


----------



## UniqueTouch

advanced service solutions still owes me $1300 from 3 years ago. scum bags.


S_Marino87 said:


> Anyone work with advanced solutions? Winter boss is having some issues with payment and wanted me to see if anyone's familiar with them. Luckily he's only got 2 sites with them


they paid me for the first storm couple years ago just to show they will pay me They signed my contract. ITs in collections and 3 years later still no payment and they still call me every day wanting me to take on a local account lol. Unreal. if it was me my credit would be ruined but they get away with this crap. Wish everyone would stay away from management companies and let them all go under and then we'll be able to get everything and make some real money


----------



## kzog65

J.Ricci said:


> A governor not named Phil Murphy


...and good pheasant hunting!


----------



## V_Scapes

truckie80 said:


> 3 weeks of constant winter weather and I haven't had a chance to ski yet, as soon as my route's done with this one I'm heading upstate
> 
> Shore house?


I hear ya, only been on my sled twice this year, hoping after Monday things really quiet down.


----------



## Tony_D

My parents rented a place in the Pocono's for this weekend. I hope it ends early enough that I can finish my route tomorrow night and leave early Friday I haven't been snowboarding all year


----------



## J.Ricci

V_Scapes said:


> I hear ya, only been on my sled twice this year, hoping after Monday things really quiet down.


My brother just bought a switchback around Christmas and I still haven't gotten my hands on it



Tony_D said:


> My parents rented a place in the Pocono's for this weekend. I hope it ends early enough that I can finish my route tomorrow night and leave early Friday I haven't been snowboarding all year


I went once in early December and that's it. Shooting for next weekend


----------



## J.Ricci

MGLC said:


> Yeah looking at a couple places


Where are you looking?


----------



## HarryTHook

truckie80 said:


> Looking like 4-8, maybe 5-10 here, compared to 2 feet a few weeks ago it's hardly even worth stressing about


4 to 6 here forecasted, possibility of more. if its ice on top it might get dicey for the trucks. Got paid for the first 2021 storm so we are happy.


----------



## Mike_C

V_Scapes said:


> I hear ya, only been on my sled twice this year, hoping after Monday things really quiet down.


I sold my place in the Pocono's over the summer, good thing never would have been there this year anyway. Weather's been against us big time


----------



## V_Scapes

Mike_C said:


> I sold my place in the Pocono's over the summer, good thing never would have been there this year anyway. Weather's been against us big time


For sure and only a few weeks left to put miles on. Happy I went to Florida when I did.


----------



## MGLC

J.Ricci said:


> Where are you looking?


Lavallette area



V_Scapes said:


> For sure and only a few weeks left to put miles on. Happy I went to Florida when I did.


You made it just in time


----------



## S_Marino87

In the 5-8 zone here according to EPAWA but we're a little south of the worst of it. Once again TWC app on my phone shows snow on the hourly basically all day Friday also just like every other storm this year. Not sure why they always seem to think storms are sticking around twice as long as they are this year


----------



## treeguyry

S_Marino87 said:


> In the 5-8 zone here according to EPAWA but we're a little south of the worst of it. Once again TWC app on my phone shows snow on the hourly basically all day Friday also just like every other storm this year. Not sure why they always seem to think storms are sticking around twice as long as they are this year


50% until 5pm on the weather channel app, which makes no sense since everything else seems to say it ends way earlier than that


----------



## HeatMiser

MGLC said:


> Lavallette area


I've got a place in Bay Head, theres nothing like getting down there and away from all the work BS up here


----------



## kzog65

Current weather briefing from NWS out of Mt Holly as of 5pm. If you find it useful I'll pull and post the 0600 briefing tomorrow morning.


----------



## J.Ricci

MGLC said:


> Lavallette area
> 
> You made it just in time





HeatMiser said:


> I've got a place in Bay Head, theres nothing like getting down there and away from all the work BS up here


Benny season's coming quick.


----------



## V_Scapes

You central and southern guys look to get a heavy thumping around lunchtime tomorrow.


----------



## truckie80

V_Scapes said:


> You central and southern guys look to get a heavy thumping around lunchtime tomorrow.


Wish it would just stay down there


----------



## V_Scapes

truckie80 said:


> Wish it would just stay down there


Me too buddy.


----------



## sota

truckie80 said:


> Wish it would just stay down there


NYET!
KOMRAD BABUSHKA SNOW STORM MUST DUMP MUCH ON RT78!


----------



## truckie80

sota said:


> NYET!
> KOMRAD BABUSHKA SNOW STORM MUST DUMP MUCH ON RT78!


Rt 78's basically central Jersey anyway


----------



## iceyman

S_Marino87 said:


> In the 5-8 zone here according to EPAWA but we're a little south of the worst of it. Once again TWC app on my phone shows snow on the hourly basically all day Friday also just like every other storm this year. Not sure why they always seem to think storms are sticking around twice as long as they are this year


Front end thump then a coastal forms and we could get more snow friday


----------



## iceyman

V_Scapes said:


> You central and southern guys look to get a heavy thumping around lunchtime tomorrow.


Thats the thinking.. reports are its wayy colder in the M/A than models had progged. Couple degrees makes a huge difference in this storm


----------



## shawn_

28° maybe we get some powder and it’s an easy 6-8”


----------



## HarryTHook

coming down good here, roads already coated. Starting trucks at 6AM


----------



## Randall Ave

Got nothing up here.


----------



## shawn_

Barely anything in Monmouth county . Hopefully it stays like this for a little while
Longer


----------



## kzog65

This mornings (as of 0600) wx briefings from Mt Holly and NY.


----------



## Dondo

Flakes are just starting to fall in Butler.


----------



## djt1029

Starting to coat everything here


----------



## demetrios007

Got a light coating already here in northern morris county. At least its dry powder, hope it stays this way throughout so it's an easy cleanup.


----------



## Tony_D

So it's snowing until tomorrow night now?


----------



## Mike_C

Tony_D said:


> So it's snowing until tomorrow night now?


Probably not that late, but it does seem to drag into early tomorrow. As was mentioned earlier, the hourly forecast on the app overextends storms pretty often and doesn't differentiate between snow and snow showers/flurries


----------



## truckie80

Coming down pretty good here, probably about an inch so far. From what I saw the heaviest is now into the mid afternoon then we get very little additional accumulation but it just refuses to shut off just to spite us


----------



## HeatMiser

Powder so far, can't really tell how much we have but I'm going downstairs to plow my yard shortly. DOT trucks are out


----------



## Mattymax

Terrible when it just doesn’t END !! Guess I’ll clean everything up through tonight and go back out in the am


----------



## truckie80

Long and drawn out, probably going to be right under a billing tier when all said and done too to really piss us all off


----------



## MKWL2

truckie80 said:


> Long and drawn out, probably going to be right under a billing tier when all said and done too to really piss us all off


Yup more than likely...


----------



## V_Scapes

Fine,steady snow here with maybe an inch down.


----------



## sota

2" of light and fluffy on the grill wings right now.


----------



## djt1029

An inch of nice powder here so far, seems like that might continue since we stay below 30 degrees until tomorrow morning. So we got that going for us....which is nice


----------



## MGLC

It's a shame they can't all be repeats of that super bowl Sunday storm



djt1029 said:


> An inch of nice powder here so far, seems like that might continue since we stay below 30 degrees until tomorrow morning. So we got that going for us....which is nice


But will we receive total consciousness


----------



## Mike_C

MGLC said:


> It's a shame they can't all be repeats of that super bowl Sunday storm
> 
> But will we receive total consciousness


Only on your death bed


----------



## treeguyry

Is it spring yet


----------



## rizzoa13

For real it needs to be boat weather.


----------



## S_Marino87

Heading out for the first round at 1pm


----------



## V_Scapes

treeguyry said:


> Is it spring yet


I'm having trouble finding motivation for this storm but should probably go open some sites up soon.


----------



## sota

almost 3" OTG, and we got sleet falling now.


----------



## sota

S_Marino87 said:


> Heading out for the first round at 1pm


Yep. Just kinda waiting until it stops sleeting. Then we're a go as well.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> I'm having trouble finding motivation for this storm but should probably go open some sites up soon.


threw my back out, home on the bed with the mutt watching Gunsmoke.


----------



## Petr51488

2.5” here and snow / sleet


----------



## Tony_D

Some sleet mixing in here. It looks like we'll go out early tonight and then again tomorrow morning. I hope we end up with over 6" I see what you guys meant about things evening out because if we get 5.5 or something total I'm not making much of anything this storm


----------



## Randall Ave

Last night around 7 at a customer's house. Do not fill your diesel truck up with gasoline the night before a storm.


----------



## djt1029

Ran through my commercial route once, we're all sleet here now. I think I'm holding off on going out again until we get into some of the breaks in this tonight


----------



## UniqueTouch

Hoping it stops by this evening


----------



## Petr51488

Radar looks like it’ll be done in a few hours. I’m assuming that’s not true?


----------



## MKWL2

Stopped here in Warren Co... about 3.5” of snow and sleet mix. Looks like little snow again till late tonight


----------



## djt1029

Petr51488 said:


> Radar looks like it'll be done in a few hours. I'm assuming that's not true?


Allegedly it fills in on the back end. It would be really nice if that doesn't happen


----------



## Mike_C

djt1029 said:


> Allegedly it fills in on the back end. It would be really nice if that doesn't happen


It's possible, that's generally a coin flip


----------



## J.Ricci

This morning my most northeastern accounts got pounded harder than.....nevermind. Anyway, it's tapered off a bit but still steady.


----------



## MGLC

Heater in my office isn’t working, there goes my plan of hiding here for a little while


----------



## truckie80

Seems to have stopped here for now


----------



## Tony_D

Just light snow and sleet here since probably around 2pm maybe a little earlier. I think we have around 3" total


----------



## Petr51488

Just going to do a 7am start tomorrow. No sense in doing it now - and then if something happens overnight I have to go out again.


----------



## djt1029

Commercials are all scraped and salted the best we could do for now with some cars in the way, haven't measured but we're around 3" maybe a little more hard to tell with the sleet


----------



## truckie80

Hearing maybe another 1-3 in Bergen....hard to believe considering we barely have 3 now and the heavy stuff is already past


----------



## S_Marino87

Heading home for a few hours, going to get back out once theres less traffic on the road. Snow ain't going anywhere and we have all night


----------



## HarryTHook

11 inches with the sleet/hail pack. Got just the right mix that I could mound the snow as high as the cab of my truck. 12 hours in and at least 6 for the AM. Actually got 2 calls for relocating piles......


----------



## V_Scapes

Scraped everything at about 3". Seeing more light snow until lunchtime tomorrow, hopefully it doesn't come to fruition.


----------



## J.Ricci

In typical shore fashion, 10” in some locations, just 1-2 in others


----------



## sota

7:25 out today.

wondering if we're getting another run tomorrow.


----------



## V_Scapes

J.Ricci said:


> In typical shore fashion, 10" in some locations, just 1-2 in others


Glad you guys finally hit the jackpot and not us. Continual snow tomorrow will surely screw up some weekend plans for me.


----------



## demetrios007

This snow sucked here in morris county. Pain to clean, took too long to come down, and went from beautiful powder to crap real fast. I see 40s next week I'm really hoping this is it. That blizzard made me hate snow again, I spent too much time in a skidsteer cab that week


----------



## djt1029

Full routes done - scraped and salted about as heavy as I ever have in hopes of it holding off any snow showers tomorrow. No clue how much snow we got though once the sleet mixed in everything got knocked everything down.


----------



## Mike_C

I'm with you guys, I really don't want to see any more snow tomorrow...everyone should be back, parked and on their way home in about an hour or so.


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> Full routes done - scraped and salted about as heavy as I ever have in hopes of it holding off any snow showers tomorrow. No clue how much snow we got though once the sleet mixed in everything got knocked everything down.


I salted my higher priority sites but it's going to get cold and snow might move back in so I don't think it'll help much. Probably gonna scrape and salt again tomorrow morning.


----------



## S_Marino87

Routes done, got home and found out my idiot neighbor shot a rock through my wife's windshield with his snowblower. If it isn't one thing its another


----------



## MGLC

We're all done, we'll see what tomorrow brings. Hopefully a salt run at most I'm sick of this bull****



S_Marino87 said:


> Routes done, got home and found out my idiot neighbor shot a rock through my wife's windshield with his snowblower. If it isn't one thing its another


Everyone has that one neighbor


----------



## Petr51488

I guess I’m the only one who took a gamble and will start in the morning hah Good thing is the sleet fell on top of the powder snow- so minimal icing tomorrow once it’s cleared


----------



## iceyman

Got between 9-10 here.. nothing like waking up at 630am and having 3” on otg when it wasn’t supposed to start til 7 am .. ill take it.. nice 2 hr nap and back out to salt


----------



## shawn_

A lot of ice out here boys hammer down ...... crazy what the cut off line was . Long branch had probably 7 then Middletown had 4”. It’s usually opposite .


----------



## HarryTHook

shawn_ said:


> A lot of ice out here boys hammer down ...... crazy what the cut off line was . Long branch had probably 7 then Middletown had 4". It's usually opposite .


ICE is the word, temps low and some wet crap fell overnight here. Early salting


----------



## MKWL2

Snow turned back on in Warren County... looks like the same in Bergen... dropping probably another 12 hour strung out 1-2”... pain in the a** when storms drag on like this... oh well, just another one to add to the next bill. Looks like another 1-3/3-5 event Monday... I hope it’s done for a while after that... need some warmer days for my maple sap to run!


----------



## J.Ricci

close to 24hrs in, now we’ll see what happens today


----------



## UniqueTouch

Does anyone know if Hazlet got any accumulation after 4 PM yesterday


----------



## shawn_

26 hours and I think I’m done *trucewhiteflag*


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Every Winter I plead with the boss to put out driveway markers. He's gotten much better about it now.

1st stop yesterday is a residential rehab house. Driveway is 1 car wide at apron, widens to 2 part way up totals about 3-4 car length to the garage. Then another section that goes along the side of the garage. Backdrag in front of the garage, then you push off to the side of garage. Not too bad for a resi (once you get them to move the vehicles).

I pull up and all of the markers are gone. I can detect the apron since there was enough remnants of my piles from the last time. I have to completely guess where the sides are and where it begins to widen. Only my 2nd time at this account, don't have it memorized.

While I'm out of the truck helping them clean the cars so they can get them out of my way I see the markers bundled up leaning against garage. I ask who pulled them and why? I'm told "We did because people kept running them over". I inform her they are there so I know where the edge of the driveway is and don't tear up the grass.

2nd stop, two cars wide, 2-3 long, Honda Accord & Full-size Passenger Van in the drive. I clear a section of the road at a dead end past the mailbox so they can park the vehicles there. Woman parks her Accord directly across from the driveway. So I direct her to park the car where I cleared. She does. Then moves the van. Parks it where she initially parked the car.

Edit to add:
3rd stop was an emergency call, bosses friend. 2nd emergency call for him. 1st emergency call was the big storm end of January. Says his BIL usually takes care of him, but his truck broke down. Guy is a piece of work, hard to not blow my top with him that time after being in the truck who knows how many hours. Didn't hear from him the last storm, so figure he's fine. This storm boss says he needs service again, call ahead and he'll move the cars. I call, no answer, leave VM with an ETA. He calls about 5min later, wants to tell me another life story. In the end he cancels the service. His friend is coming over with a snow blower since they "kinda bought it together". Then wants to have a conversation about how my day is going, how much money I'm making and says "I'll keep your number handy". He can keep it wherever he wants, that's why man invented call blocking. 

Residentials, screw 'em.


----------



## MKWL2

Kevin_NJ said:


> Every Winter I plead with the boss to put out driveway markers. He's gotten much better about it now.
> 
> 1st stop yesterday is a residential rehab house. Driveway is 1 car wide at apron, widens to 2 part way up totals about 3-4 car length to the garage. Then another section that goes along the side of the garage. Backdrag in front of the garage, then you push off to the side of garage. Not too bad for a resi (once you get them to move the vehicles).
> 
> I pull up and all of the markers are gone. I can detect the apron since there was enough remnants of my piles from the last time. I have to completely guess where the sides are and where it begins to widen. Only my 2nd time at this account, don't have it memorized.
> 
> While I'm out of the truck helping them clean the cars so they can get them out of my way I see the markers bundled up leaning against garage. I ask who pulled them and why? I'm told "We did because people kept running them over". I inform her they are there so I know where the edge of the driveway is and don't tear up the grass.
> 
> 2nd stop, two cars wide, 2-3 long, Honda Accord & Full-size Passenger Van in the drive. I clear a section of the road at a dead end past the mailbox so they can park the vehicles there. Woman parks her Accord directly across from the driveway. So I direct her to park the car where I cleared. She does. Then moves the van. Parks it where she initially parked the car.
> 
> Residentials, screw 'em.


Yup... I swear the general public have less and less common sense with each passing year...


----------



## djt1029

Light coating here again, not touching this one until it’s completely done


----------



## treeguyry

We probably won’t do much until this clears out now either, not much additional from when we finished last night


----------



## S_Marino87

Not much additional here either, I don't think I'm going to get called in today.


----------



## Tony_D

When is this finally going to stop for good? I did my route last night and there's not much more since but enough to touch up a bunch of them.


----------



## V_Scapes

This is such a pain.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> This is such a pain.


It can stop now, I had the wife out shoveling the dinner 5:30 this morning. It's going to cost me big.


----------



## truckie80

Tony_D said:


> When is this finally going to stop for good? I did my route last night and there's not much more since but enough to touch up a bunch of them.


I think snow showers linger but the accumulating lighter snow seems to be out sooner than that.


----------



## sota

S_Marino87 said:


> Routes done, got home and found out my idiot neighbor shot a rock through my wife's windshield with his snowblower. If it isn't one thing its another


Need some help burying the body?


----------



## sota

Kevin_NJ said:


> <snip>
> 
> Residentials, screw 'em.


I've got 1 house (3 honda CR-Vs... i'm not kidding. all with BIDEN stickers on them) that's much like that. never park their cars in a useful way. block ability for me to push past to the side to at least initially clear a path for them. park too close to the entrance while i'm trying to do work.

In general people seem to be too damn stupid to breathe. It doesn't take that much thought to realize "hey, if I park my cars in this spot, and this tight, they can clear my driveway much more effectively!"


----------



## iceyman

It misted all night long.. dont look now but the radar is filling in to the sw


----------



## MGLC

30+ hours for 5" of snow is ridiculous.


----------



## Mike_C

Never ending...seems like between noon-2ish we finally clear out


----------



## sota

What are you guys using for shovels.
I get about 3-4 years out of a pair of $20 True Temper "cheap" metal shovels.
Also been carrying an ergo plastic one for these fluffy storms, as it works better for that.
Just wondering if there's something better/more durable/faster that's not stupid expensive.


----------



## HarryTHook

Everything is south and east of me, jersey might get it for a while yet. Son is out finishing last property then its working on one complainer. He drove multiple times on driveway during storm and now has ice pack. Good thing he said he will pay. Then its beer o'clock.


----------



## J.Ricci

After a few hour nap, back out spot salting and checking on sites


----------



## MKWL2

sota said:


> I've got 1 house (3 honda CR-Vs... i'm not kidding. all with BIDEN stickers on them) that's much like that. never park their cars in a useful way. block ability for me to push past to the side to at least initially clear a path for them. park too close to the entrance while i'm trying to do work.
> 
> In general people seem to be too damn stupid to breathe. It doesn't take that much thought to realize "hey, if I park my cars in this spot, and this tight, they can clear my driveway much more effectively!"


Yep... zero critical thinking especially with those who are/were for Biden...


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> This is such a pain.


Refuses to just clear out. Hoping by 2-3 we can do a final pass through, sling some salt then sit tight for another one on Monday


----------



## Kevin_NJ

So tempting to drop blade as going by houses with biden signs.


----------



## djt1029

Kevin_NJ said:


> So tempting to drop blade as going by houses with biden signs.


There's a house across the street from one of my commercials with a 4x8 sheet of plywood they painted "love trumped hate 11/3" on. Every time I'm finishing up the exit lane it takes all my willpower not to push straight into their driveway


----------



## Kevin_NJ

sota said:


> What are you guys using for shovels.
> I get about 3-4 years out of a pair of $20 True Temper "cheap" metal shovels.
> Also been carrying an ergo plastic one for these fluffy storms, as it works better for that.
> Just wondering if there's something better/more durable/faster that's not stupid expensive.


The snow plow shovels are great, especially with the lighter snows. You literally just push them like a plow. American Made also. But you may or may not consider them as "stupid expensive".

I have one of those and one of the traditional plastic scoop style, but with the ergo shaft, a little bit easier to use. Mid-priced, probably 10 years old.

Like most things, I find you get what you pay for.


----------



## djt1029

Kevin_NJ said:


> The snow plow shovels are great, especially with the lighter snows. You literally just push them like a plow. American Made also. But you may or may not consider them as "stupid expensive".
> 
> I have one of those and one of the traditional plastic scoop style, but with the ergo shaft, a little bit easier to use. Mid-priced, probably 10 years old.
> 
> Like most things, I find you get what you pay for.


Snow plow shovels are worth every penny


----------



## Kevin_NJ

With the snow plow shovels, you do have to be careful. I almost kissed the pavement last night, was going too fast, shovel caught something and stopped, I kept going. 

They also get better with age as the edge wears to the angle that matches your height/angle you hold the shovel at.


----------



## Tony_D

Ch 7 just said Harrison had 4.1 inches of new snow since last night...I find that hard to believe since we only got about a half an inch just 10 miles away


----------



## sota

y'all mind posting links/images of what you're suggesting/recommending?


----------



## MGLC

Tony_D said:


> Ch 7 just said Harrison had 4.1 inches of new snow since last night...I find that hard to believe since we only got about a half an inch just 10 miles away


I was watching also, it has to be 4.1 total....Amy Freeze only has that job for 2 reasons and neither is meteorology.



sota said:


> y'all mind posting links/images of what you're suggesting/recommending?


Northern tool carries them


----------



## V_Scapes

MGLC said:


> I was watching also, it has to be 4.1 total....Amy Freeze only has that job for 2 reasons and neither is meteorology.
> 
> Northern tool carries them


She's been giving me a chubby for years


----------



## Kevin_NJ

I have two of the plow shovels, one for the truck & one for home. I bought one online, the other at a local Ace Hardware. Or you could drink the Kool Aid and buy from BOSS.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

sota said:


> y'all mind posting links/images of what you're suggesting/recommending?


https://www.jmenterprises.com/


----------



## V_Scapes

Just got home and it started snowing again. I give up.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> Just got home and it started snowing again. I give up.


It prob won't be much it's done in Warren county sun is coming out


----------



## truckie80

Routes are done, still snowing light but the sun will melt any of this **** off tomorrow. I’m done with this BS


----------



## Tony_D

I finished the second trip through my route, still some snow/sleet here also.


----------



## sota

Kevin_NJ said:


> https://www.jmenterprises.com/


So the Snow Dominator shovel? Their other units seem to be more geared toward pushing.


----------



## prezek

sota said:


> So the Snow Dominator shovel? Their other units seem to be more geared toward pushing.


Yes. I just bought 5 more. Do yourself a favor and get the 30" pusher also.


----------



## prezek

Sounds like you guys lucked out with not a ton of ice? Down here our 5-8” snowfall turned into 0” of snow and 2” of sleet and freezing rain. Absolute nightmare.


----------



## Petr51488

sota said:


> So the Snow Dominator shovel? Their other units seem to be more geared toward pushing.


yes. The snow dominator combo scoop/pusher. 
jmenterprises.con
$32.95 
Flat rate shipping 
Might be sales tax 
Buy a few since shipping is flat rate


----------



## shawn_

I always wanted to order a few of the shovels . I think this year I finally will, so tired of the junk shovels


----------



## sota

heh... sounds like JM should think about a sponsor/discount code for this place.


----------



## sota

prezek said:


> Yes. I just bought 5 more. Do yourself a favor and get the 30" pusher also.


thinking about it, or the 24" maybe. might be useful for helping to get up some of the tire track packs I create that my lightweight plow can't clear off.

these last couple storms my guy had been taking 2 shovels off the back rack; flat metal and scooper plastic. depending on what the snow was doing he was switching between them, as you can clear faster with the scooper, if you don't have to break up with the metal. I'm fine with that. Right tool for the job and all. Hence why I'm looking now to make his and my life easier.

I see they sell replacement blades only. Anyone wore them out enough to need to do that?


----------



## Petr51488

Did we get any measurable snow 1/4”+ in January? Accuweather used to have a detailed forecast but they changed their format a while ago and can’t figure out if they got rid of that portion


----------



## MGLC

What a ****show this one was. My sidewalk crews are still out other than that it's mostly just spot salting thats left. 36+ hour event for about 6" of snow hardly feels worth the effort



shawn_ said:


> I always wanted to order a few of the shovels . I think this year I finally will, so tired of the junk shovels


I have a bunch of the pusher shovels, regular shovels I just buy the cheaper ones since my guys lose them left and right.



Petr51488 said:


> Did we get any measurable snow 1/4"+ in January? Accuweather used to have a detailed forecast but they changed their format a while ago and can't figure out if they got rid of that portion


1/4 and 1/26 if I remember correctly...at least for my area both a tick below an inch


----------



## J.Ricci

34hrs of plowing/salting, and now a good 8hrs of snow relocation on the schedule...and driving to south dakota tomorrow. What could possibly go wrong


----------



## djt1029

Still snowing....what the **** is this


----------



## MKWL2

truckie80 said:


> Routes are done, still snowing light but the sun will melt any of this **** off tomorrow. I'm done with this BS


Yup same here- sunny and 34 tomorrow should clean then off. Two rounds for a measly 4" storm is too much as it is.


----------



## MKWL2

djt1029 said:


> Still snowing....what the **** is this


Bull**** is what it is... weather guessers called for it done by 2... so much for that. My guys wrapped up around 5-6, whatever fell can burn off on its own in the sun tomorrow.


----------



## MGLC

I'm billing this one as 2 separate small storms, 4ish inches yesterday and another 1.5-2 today


----------



## MGLC

J.Ricci said:


> 34hrs of plowing/salting, and now a good 8hrs of snow relocation on the schedule...and driving to south dakota tomorrow. What could possibly go wrong


Vacation or not that sounds absolutely miserable


----------



## MKWL2

MGLC said:


> I'm billing this one as 2 separate small storms, 4ish inches yesterday and another 1.5-2 today


I'm considering the same- it really is two separate storms... no snow for about 12 hours in between. Unfortunately the forecasters sold it as one storm so I know I'll get push back...


----------



## Mike_C

Definitely is 2 storms, if the client doesn't like it they can go scratch. There was a clear break overnight.


----------



## djt1029

I'm billing it as two storms also. I'll probably get a few complaints but oh well


----------



## J.Ricci

MGLC said:


> Vacation or not that sounds absolutely miserable


You ain't ****ting


----------



## iceyman

sota said:


> What are you guys using for shovels.
> I get about 3-4 years out of a pair of $20 True Temper "cheap" metal shovels.
> Also been carrying an ergo plastic one for these fluffy storms, as it works better for that.
> Just wondering if there's something better/more durable/faster that's not stupid expensive.


The mexis only like the plastic cheap ones with no metal


----------



## iceyman

At 7 pm here.. cant stop wont stop.. oniy problem is our salt pile.. might have to make due for tmrw until delivery comes monday


----------



## iceyman

J.Ricci said:


> You ain't ****ting


What kinda drive is that?


----------



## J.Ricci

iceyman said:


> What kinda drive is that?


24 hrs....3 of us so we each have 8 hrs of drive time each


----------



## shawn_

J.Ricci said:


> 24 hrs....3 of us so we each have 8 hrs of drive time each


That sounds terrible


----------



## V_Scapes

I'm billing for two storms as well I dont care.


----------



## MKWL2

Anyone have a break out of the snowfall totals for yesterday then today (separated) for NW Bergen County?


----------



## Mike_C

J.Ricci said:


> 24 hrs....3 of us so we each have 8 hrs of drive time each


You're ****ing nuts


----------



## sota

8 hrs is nuts?


----------



## fireball

What could go wrong? Interstate 80 in the wintertime


----------



## J.Ricci

Mike_C said:


> You're ******* nuts


I've heard that a few times



sota said:


> 8 hrs is nuts?


24hr trip on about almost no sleep sort of is...I'm taking the third leg shift so I can sleep a while on the way


----------



## treeguyry

J.Ricci said:


> I've heard that a few times
> 
> 24hr trip on about almost no sleep sort of is...I'm taking the third leg shift so I can sleep a while on the way


And here I am wishing I didn't have a couple quick jobs on tomorrows schedule


----------



## Petr51488

J.Ricci said:


> I've heard that a few times
> 
> 24hr trip on about almost no sleep sort of is...I'm taking the third leg shift so I can sleep a while on the way


what are you guys driving?


----------



## Tony_D

I'm driving to the poconos tomorrow morning, walk in the park compared to that


----------



## eastendpm

sota said:


> What are you guys using for shovels.
> I get about 3-4 years out of a pair of $20 True Temper "cheap" metal shovels.
> Also been carrying an ergo plastic one for these fluffy storms, as it works better for that.
> Just wondering if there's something better/more durable/faster that's not stupid expensive.


look no further for the ultimate shovels. I have one that's on it's 2nd handle poly head is 7 years old. They are worth every penny and back savers.

We run the dominator which is your classic scoop/push style shovel and the dedicated 30" wide push shovels for fast clearing during lighter events. Highly recommend getting both.

https://www.jmenterprises.com/


----------



## Kevin_NJ

sota said:


> So the Snow Dominator shovel? Their other units seem to be more geared toward pushing.


I have two of the Original Pushers. Might grab a Dominator.


----------



## UniqueTouch

does anyone know when the weather works snow totals will come out for the other day ?


----------



## djt1029

iceyman said:


> The mexis only like the plastic cheap ones with no metal


Same with my guys, they like the plow shovels but regular ones have to be the cheap $13.99 ones



J.Ricci said:


> I've heard that a few times
> 
> 24hr trip on about almost no sleep sort of is...I'm taking the third leg shift so I can sleep a while on the way


At least living life's legal when you get there


----------



## Mike_C

We got down the shore in record time today to find a few inches of snow here too. The wife and kids are outside shoveling...they think it's fun.


----------



## J.Ricci

Petr51488 said:


> what are you guys driving?


My buddy's Acadia. Already have to stop for gas soon


----------



## sota

gonna go wash and salt-a-way the jeep in a bit.


----------



## sota

jeep == washed.
looks like I'm doing a water pump on it soon.
expansion tank was almost bone dry. was full a couple months ago.
water pump has been sounding like a bag of ball bearings being shaken for a while. luckily, lifetime warranty on it. just need to yank it and get it replaced. Will also do the block heater install then I think.


----------



## shawn_

Just ordered 6 of them shovels I told my
Guys if they lose em they pay for em .


----------



## Randall Ave

Hey we went 24 hours and it didn't snow!


----------



## MKWL2

Randall Ave said:


> Hey we went 24 hours and it didn't snow!


Don't worry more coming on Monday


----------



## shawn_

Can’t wait for more snow


----------



## treeguyry

Monday's no big deal though...right....RIGHT?


----------



## sota

hope not.


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> Hey we went 24 hours and it didn't snow!


We had a couple good squalls here today.



sota said:


> hope not.


Coming from the guy who was begging for 24"+ storms earlier in the winter.


----------



## eastendpm

This morning little to no accumulation. Wash n salt-x my entire truck now showing 1-3”. If I have any hopes of getting to Florida, I think I gotta leave my truck dirty after Monday’s event.


----------



## shawn_

Let it snow , let it snow


----------



## sota

*sigh*
I guess we're saddling up on Monday?
high of 38*F though, with rain after snow?
that sounds spectacularly bad.


----------



## iceyman

Monday looks warm to me


----------



## iceyman

Took some drone shots of my neighborhood


----------



## HarryTHook

up at 2 AM, no work. Life of the plow guy, sleep-plow-nap-plow-eat-plow/shovel-salt-nap. Repeat.
My son has got it right, off to Florida on the 24th. His resi's are covered and I got tagged as the supervisor. Quote " I'll make money watching you guys on the cam".


----------



## shawn_

iceyman said:


> Took some drone shots of my neighborhood


Those are some cool shots what drone are you running?


----------



## Randall Ave

The WC shows 3-5 now for us up here. The towns got a busted salter truck so I guess I'm going in after the cook makes breakfast, I better give the order to speed things up.


----------



## iceyman

shawn_ said:


> Those are some cool shots what drone are you running?


Dji mini 2.. wanted to take plowing videos but with my boss being on the DL i had too much going on in the truck..


----------



## shawn_

iceyman said:


> Dji mini 2.. wanted to take plowing videos but with my boss being on the DL i had too much going on in the truck..


Exactly what I'm looking to do been looking at some drones .


----------



## MGLC

iceyman said:


> Dji mini 2.. wanted to take plowing videos but with my boss being on the DL i had too much going on in the truck..


I bought the same back in January to get some aerial shots of projects but haven't had a chance to mess around with it much yet.


----------



## J.Ricci

Snowing here in South Dakota. Strange feeling to be out in the snow when it isn't for work


----------



## iceyman

MGLC said:


> I bought the same back in January to get some aerial shots of projects but haven't had a chance to mess around with it much yet.


Quality little unit.. i plan on making promo videos of all my shops in the spring.. best thing is my brother in law has $ and bought it for me and my kids for xmas


----------



## Mike_C

iceyman said:


> Quality little unit.. i plan on making promo videos of all my shops in the spring.. best thing is my brother in law has $ and bought it for me and my kids for xmas


My brother in law got us a calendar for Christmas...


----------



## treeguyry

iceyman said:


> Quality little unit.. i plan on making promo videos of all my shops in the spring.. best thing is my brother in law has $ and bought it for me and my kids for xmas


I wanted to do something similar with tree work but then I thought about osha, and decided against it. I make sure my guys comply with everything, myself not so much


----------



## iceyman

Mike_C said:


> My brother in law got us a calendar for Christmas...


I mean if its the eagles cheerleaders calendar id say thats a pretty good gift


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> I mean if its the eagles cheerleaders calendar id say thats a pretty good gift


Easy there


----------



## Mattymax

Will be pretty warm tomorrow but forecast says 3-5” now. I’m good with none


----------



## Randall Ave

Yes, i am seeing 3-5 but at 37 degrees, can someone splain it to me?


----------



## Western1

iceyman said:


> I mean if its the eagles cheerleaders calendar id say thats a pretty good gift


Or could be last years calendar


----------



## UniqueTouch

Hey yall off topic question again. Anyone have a septic system?


----------



## Randall Ave

UniqueTouch said:


> Hey yall off topic question again. Anyone have a septic system?


I'm scared to even ask, but why?


----------



## V_Scapes

UniqueTouch said:


> Hey yall off topic question again. Anyone have a septic system?


Yes.

Forecast is 1-3 here, mid day snowfall in late February will make it hard to accumulate. Would love to just have a easy salt run.


----------



## djt1029

Coating to an inch mainly unpaved surfaces according to EPAWA. Hopefully there isn’t a surprise tomorrow


----------



## UniqueTouch

wanna know how frequent they need to be pumped out? Looking to buy a piece of property with a house and barn but wondering about septic system and if it is working as it should that it shouldnt need to really ever be pumped out. Trying to see if thats true or not?


----------



## kawasaki guy

1 more week until cleanups I hope...


----------



## Mike_C

Working or not, a septic needs to be pumped out occasionally. How often varies based on how many are living in the house there etc.



iceyman said:


> I mean if its the eagles cheerleaders calendar id say thats a pretty good gift


As long as there's no eagles gear visable, that would be acceptable


----------



## Mike_C

kawasaki guy said:


> 1 more week until cleanups I hope...


I wish we were even near that close...we're a month out at best


----------



## Randall Ave

UniqueTouch said:


> wanna know how frequent they need to be pumped out? Looking to buy a piece of property with a house and barn but wondering about septic system and if it is working as it should that it shouldnt need to really ever be pumped out. Trying to see if thats true or not?


Not


----------



## Randall Ave

kawasaki guy said:


> 1 more week until cleanups I hope...


Ha Ha, your funny. Up here I have over two feet of snow in the yard.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Yes.
> 
> Forecast is 1-3 here, mid day snowfall in late February will make it hard to accumulate. Would love to just have a easy salt run.


The weather C. still showing 3-5 here, this is getting old.


----------



## Mattymax

No warnings or watches either. 

Strange


----------



## UniqueTouch

what about having to be pumped out twice in 4 years? possible they were flushing the wrong stuff? They only owned the property 4 years.


----------



## iceyman

UniqueTouch said:


> wanna know how frequent they need to be pumped out? Looking to buy a piece of property with a house and barn but wondering about septic system and if it is working as it should that it shouldnt need to really ever be pumped out. Trying to see if thats true or not?


All depends on usage and yes it will need to be pumped occasionally


----------



## iceyman

UniqueTouch said:


> what about having to be pumped out twice in 4 years? possible they were flushing the wrong stuff? They only owned the property 4 years.


Id say thats not bad


----------



## demetrios007

All depends on type of system. A smaller holding tank will need pumping more. Basically the liquids flow out of holding tank amd flow down to the field. A baffle keeps solids in. They will clog the field up otherwise. When ita full you pump, or if it backs up cause u didnt know it was full. You know that saying **** rolls downhill


----------



## UniqueTouch

okay Thank you guys. Its difficult because its a for sale by owner. And getting info is difficult and now the lawyers are involved so now I can just reach out to the home owner myself.


----------



## Samdog1969

Not sure it’s the same in nj as it is in mass, but here if you have a septic system you need to get a title 5 inspection to verify that the system is in good working order before you can sell your house...you could always ask/demand that the seller gets the septic tank emptied out if nj does not have this law...just myself and wife and we have our system cleaned out every 2 years and they say we are always no more than half full..I would rather pay $200-300 for a cleaning than have a back up...neighbor had it happen and it was not pretty


----------



## V_Scapes

UniqueTouch said:


> wanna know how frequent they need to be pumped out? Looking to buy a piece of property with a house and barn but wondering about septic system and if it is working as it should that it shouldnt need to really ever be pumped out. Trying to see if thats true or not?


You need to get it inspected. Try to find the best and most reputable local company to do it for you. Typically for a busy household it should be pumped out every 2-3 years.


Mike_C said:


> I wish we were even near that close...we're a month out at best


Your not kidding. April starts are the worst.



Randall Ave said:


> The weather C. still showing 3-5 here, this is getting old.


When will you stop looking at the friggin weather channel?


----------



## Petr51488

I never thought I would say this- and perhaps I’ll get shot by someone or myself- but I hope we get something tomorrow. We’re all already used to it because of getting so many storms. It’s nothing big by any means- and money is money. I’ll take a 1/2” of slop . It looks like a 6-7 hour event and done by 4pm . Couldn’t be better


----------



## Randall Ave

I try watching this, but i don't understand her.


----------



## djt1029

Petr51488 said:


> I never thought I would say this- and perhaps I'll get shot by someone or myself- but I hope we get something tomorrow. We're all already used to it because of getting so many storms. It's nothing big by any means- and money is money. I'll take a 1/2" of slop . It looks like a 6-7 hour event and done by 4pm . Couldn't be better


If it's a salt run, I'm with you. I'm sick of paying my guys and not getting money in though


----------



## treeguyry

I had a bunch of checks for snow work one day last week, but other than that it's extremely slow coming in this year.


----------



## V_Scapes

It's an in between time right now. There's nothing else to do besides snow work but we want to ideally start late March. We need it to warm up from here on out.
I'm also slow to get paid still, I had a few checks come in this week but still have alot of money out there.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Thank you guys are you input on this It is very useful information that I cannot tell you how much I appreciate. Back to weather.....

looks like rain for monmouth county. Im cool with that. want to start pipe welding again and need some dryer weather for that after this rain comes through and warms up a little.


----------



## MKWL2

kawasaki guy said:


> 1 more week until cleanups I hope...


Where are you? We have a good 18" of snow pack on the ground here and piles over 8' tall everywhere... I don't see anything spring work starting for at least 3 weeks at best.


----------



## MKWL2

treeguyry said:


> I had a bunch of checks for snow work one day last week, but other than that it's extremely slow coming in this year.


Glad I'm not the only one... I have a feeling it's going to be a fight getting paid for all the snow work we have done this winter


----------



## Tony_D

I have a few customers who haven't paid me at all yet this winter


----------



## kawasaki guy

MKWL2 said:


> Where are you? We have a good 18" of snow pack on the ground here and piles over 8' tall everywhere... I don't see anything spring work starting for at least 3 weeks at best.


Ocean City, nothing left on the ground. Was already starting cleanups this week last year. Hoping for a warmer week to get things going.


----------



## MKWL2

kawasaki guy said:


> Ocean City, nothing left on the ground. Was already starting cleanups this week last year. Hoping for a warmer week to get things going.


Oh gotcha, gonna be a few weeks for us up north at least by the time the snow melts, ground thaws and dries up a bit.


----------



## Petr51488

There should be a law that you can’t talk about spring cleanups till March first. Or you will be banned- Twitter style


----------



## MGLC

Six figures in snow money on the street, I'd like to just sit back and do nothing for a week or two until some of it comes in.



Petr51488 said:


> There should be a law that you can't talk about spring cleanups till March first. Or you will be banned- Twitter style


Finally some censorship I can get behind


----------



## kzog65

Petr51488 said:


> There should be a law that you can't talk about spring cleanups till March first. Or you will be banned- Twitter style


So with that in mind, going to change topic for a moment..residential pricing structure. If you can't get your customers on a seasonal contract, what type of pricing structure do you find works best in Jersey? Per event, per push, something else? How do you structure / Tier your per event or per push offerings?


----------



## Petr51488

kzog65 said:


> So with that in mind, going to change topic for a moment..residential pricing structure. If you can't get your customers on a seasonal contract, what type of pricing structure do you find works best in Jersey? Per event, per push, something else? How do you structure / Tier your per event or per push offerings?


me personally? I'm sure most won't do it my way. I don't plow- I have a plow but I don't have any lots. I use it to open up driveway aprons when there's heavy wet snow and like 7"+. It's all blowers and shovels. My structure is up to a foot is x. 1-2' is 1.5x and over 2' is 2x. I'm zero tolerance- so if it's a fine dusting and doesn't go over freezing that day- I do it. I've used backpack blowers a few times. Oh- and I go out once the snow has stopped. I have one or 2 accounts that want it done mid storm sometimes


----------



## Mattymax

My residential accounts I have set up in tier pricing and it’s worked pretty well. 

0-6; 6-12; 12-18” and 18+. For under 6 I usually only hit them once. All the other tiers are hit two or three times. I’ve cut a lot of my pita customs out over the years


----------



## djt1029

kzog65 said:


> So with that in mind, going to change topic for a moment..residential pricing structure. If you can't get your customers on a seasonal contract, what type of pricing structure do you find works best in Jersey? Per event, per push, something else? How do you structure / Tier your per event or per push offerings?


I've only got around 30 houses left, but pricing is a trace to 6 inches, then 6.1-12.0" is double, 12.1-18 triple, 18.1-24 4x etc. Minimum is $75. No seasonal rates for residential, if they call to see where we are, question a bill, or look at me sideways, they're off the list.


----------



## kzog65

Petr51488 said:


> me personally? I'm sure most won't do it my way. I don't plow- I have a plow but I don't have any lots. I use it to open up driveway aprons when there's heavy wet snow and like 7"+. It's all blowers and shovels. My structure is up to a foot is x. 1-2' is 1.5x and over 2' is 2x. I'm zero tolerance- so if it's a fine dusting and doesn't go over freezing that day- I do it. I've used backpack blowers a few times. Oh- and I go out once the snow has stopped. I have one or 2 accounts that want it done mid storm sometimes


Interesting, so you find most can or will wait to the end of the storm? It's a unique approach, but makes sense...if your not plowing (except to open aprons) you don't necessarily need to worry about mid-storm plows to lessen the strain on your equipment (Plow truck) for anything under a foot?


----------



## kzog65

Mattymax said:


> My residential accounts I have set up in tier pricing and it's worked pretty well.
> 
> 0-6; 6-12; 12-18" and 18+. For under 6 I usually only hit them once. All the other tiers are hit two or three times. I've cut a lot of my pita customs out over the years


Makes sense , that's what I was thinking as well...assuming you have different base starting prices for 1 car, 2 car , 4 car , extra long driveways ?


----------



## Petr51488

djt1029 said:


> if they call to see where we are, question a bill, or look at me sideways, they're off the list.


lmfao this is great. Nothing pisses me off more than people asking me if I'm coming and when. ***** I havnt missed a storm in 10 years- what mAkes you think I'm not coming for this one.


----------



## kzog65

djt1029 said:


> I've only got around 30 houses left, but pricing is a trace to 6 inches, then 6.1-12.0" is double, 12.1-18 triple, 18.1-24 4x etc. Minimum is $75.


 Yeap, was thinking a similar approach to yours and MattyMax.



djt1029 said:


> or look at me sideways, they're off the list.


 LMAO...no doubt!


----------



## Petr51488

kzog65 said:


> Interesting, so you find most can or will wait to the end of the storm? It's a unique approach, but makes sense...if your not plowing (except to open aprons) you don't necessarily need to worry about mid-storm plows to lessen the strain on your equipment (Plow truck) for anything under a foot?


they don't have a choice lol they know the deal. I have a route. I follow my route. We start when the snow stops. The less snow we get the faster it gets done. The more- the longer it takes. All common sense stuff but things that people need to be reminded of every dam storm. For the few that want it done twice- know that they're getting charged twice- sure- I'll come 3-4-5x if you want. If they know they need to be out the next day after a 1'+ storm- park in the street and dig your car out. Im not going to go out of my way because everyone has a sob story as to why they need to get out. As far as strain- I work my equipment but at the same time I take care of it as far as maintenance. I'd rather do a 1-2' storm once when it's done than having to deal with working in the snow outside during a storm. Most guys here usually stay in their trucks most of the storm. I'm all residential- and small ones - so it's all blowers and shovels. It's all about weeding out the pain in the ass customers. They are not worth your aggravation. Snow is aggravating enough as it is.


----------



## Mattymax

So many companies by me have completely stopped servicing residential. I keep a tight route with 20-25 and if anyone questions a bill I tell them to find someone else. I can fill the spot with a different client or not.


----------



## kzog65

Petr51488 said:


> they don't have a choice lol they know the deal. I have a route. I follow my route. We start when the snow stops. The less snow we get the faster it gets done. The more- the longer it takes. All common sense stuff but things that people need to be reminded of every dam storm. For the few that want it done twice- know that they're getting charged twice- sure- I'll come 3-4-5x if you want. If they know they need to be out the next day after a 1'+ storm- park in the street and dig your car out. Im not going to go out of my way because everyone has a sob story as to why they need to get out. As far as strain- I work my equipment but at the same time I take care of it as far as maintenance. I'd rather do a 1-2' storm once when it's done than having to deal with working in the snow outside during a storm. Most guys here usually stay in their trucks most of the storm. I'm all residential- and small ones - so it's all blowers and shovels. It's all about weeding out the pain in the ass customers. They are not worth your aggravation. Snow is aggravating enough as it is.


Totally get it, agreed...thanks for the feedback and perspective!


----------



## kzog65

Mattymax said:


> So many companies by me have completely stopped servicing residential. I keep a tight route with 20-25 and if anyone questions a bill I tell them to find someone else. I can fill the spot with a different client or not.


I'm starting to see that as well and trying to dial in more of the "long" driveways that are an easier push and I can charge more..thanks for the feedback!


----------



## sota

I might have to have a talk with mine, about this type of situation.
I get the feeling, he's having to deal with some pains in the asses, and I think it's high time he consider "firing" some of them.


----------



## sota

weather weenies think we're going to get thumped hard mid-day. 1"-2" per hour snowfall rate. Wondering if it'll be mass car abandonment ala 2018/03/07 storm.
I'm supposed to get to a computer client's today at 9... guess I'm taking the Jeep just in case I need to drop blade just to get home or pick up the kid.


----------



## MKWL2

Petr51488 said:


> lmfao this is great. Nothing pisses me off more than people asking me if I'm coming and when. ***** I havnt missed a storm in 10 years- what mAkes you think I'm not coming for this one.


100% agree, but every time we get a sizable storm, there are a handful who call "just to make sure they're on the list"... yes Karen, you're on the list, we will be there some time in the next 12-24 hours.


----------



## MKWL2

kzog65 said:


> I'm starting to see that as well and trying to dial in more of the "long" driveways that are an easier push and I can charge more..thanks for the feedback!


I've gone this way, and may totally eliminate residential next year- too much of a pain in the neck to be worth the hassle. I've started to hone in on private roads and long shared driveways out in Warren Co - good $, much less nonsense, more like plowing streets than driveways and it's a lot more fun than jockeying around a crew cab truck in a little Bergen Co driveway.


----------



## MKWL2

We do a handful of seasonal residential (though glad not too many seasonal this year lol), but most of them are priced as zero tolerance (salt anything from a heavy dusting to 1.5”) or per inch - per inch trigger is 1.5” to plow and shovel. Then pricing is 1.5-3”, 4-7”, 8-11”, 12-15”, 16-19”, 20-24” and if we get more than 24” loops back around to the first bracket and so on. About half get salt at each plowing (salts where the real $ is at). We shovel about 1/2 of al the houses’ walks, I found that having our pricing broken down to tightly helps a lot with the time gradient increase it takes with a few more inches- takes my guys on average 50% longer to shovel 7” than 3”, so the price should reflect this.


----------



## kzog65

MKWL2 said:


> I've gone this way, and may totally eliminate residential next year- too much of a pain in the neck to be worth the hassle. I've started to hone in on private roads and long shared driveways out in Warren Co - good $, much less nonsense, more like plowing streets than driveways and it's a lot more fun than jockeying around a crew cab truck in a little Bergen Co driveway.


That's a great idea! The small ones are painful, especially when you have this much snow on the ground already and trying to maneuver ...I know I personally spend twice as long clearing out one of the short ones as opposed to a longer drive....makes me think I should charge them the same as a regular just based on the extra time spent doing a million k-turns!


----------



## Tony_D

I hope this is the last chance today


----------



## sota

I got first flakes falling at my house.

and it's visibly accelerating.
went from a couple flakes, to a butt load in the span of a minute.


----------



## sota

holy crap. visibility down to 500' or less now. in just the span of time from my previous post.


----------



## HeatMiser

Burst of big flakes to start off here, now some fine flakes falling at a decent rate. DOT crews have been on standby since early but I don't see us doing any commercial work today ground's warm


----------



## truckie80

Mattymax said:


> So many companies by me have completely stopped servicing residential. I keep a tight route with 20-25 and if anyone questions a bill I tell them to find someone else. I can fill the spot with a different client or not.


With so many leaving the residential market, there's more money in it than there has been if you're able to weed out all the crappy customers.


----------



## djt1029

Snowing pretty good here now, ground temp is close to 35


----------



## Randall Ave

Snowing hard here, if it stays this hard for a few hours, any lot don't have any salt on it, it will need a scraping.


----------



## sota

just spoke with the shop I bought my plow from.
best idea he had for a snow deflector was western 62396. which looks exactly like the no name "cheapo" ones on amaon and fleabay.

also, 3/4" on the deck now.


----------



## shawn_

I got 4 customers that are paying right away. And one that emails me after every single event asking for an invoice so he can pay. Which is awesome he’s chasing me for the money instead of me chasing them..... other then that it’s been a super slow year for payments I’m owed a lot of money .


----------



## MKWL2

truckie80 said:


> With so many leaving the residential market, there's more money in it than there has been if you're able to weed out all the crappy customers.


That's true, unfortunately it seems there are more and more crappy customers every year... unrealistic expectations. There are also a lot of fly by nighters who come down from rockland county NY doing $75 driveways for $35 cash... can't compete with that.


----------



## MKWL2

Good 3-4” on the ground in Warren co and snowing like crazy- a couple more hours like this and we’ll have close to a foot of snow for the day.


----------



## Petr51488

Just changed over to sleet/ rain


----------



## sota

we had almost 2" down before the rains came.


----------



## djt1029

Salting now, pre-treated earlier today so they should burn off pretty well.


----------



## V_Scapes

Close to 3" here in only a couple hours. Definitely going to be a run through the entire route.


----------



## Petr51488

V_Scapes said:


> Close to 3" here in only a couple hours. Definitely going to be a run through the entire route.


get it. Might be the last one for a while. Temps look like they're going up for the next few weeks


----------



## Mike_C

We're running a full route also, a few of the outliers probably will just need to be salted though.


----------



## treeguyry

The rain's melting it down almost as fast as it accumulated here


----------



## Tony_D

I'm not sure if I should go out, we got less than an inch and it's already turning into slush and melting off the roads. All rain now


----------



## sota

I haven't gotten a call yet. I'm guessing we're waiting to see what the rain does.


----------



## Petr51488

Tony_D said:


> I'm not sure if I should go out, we got less than an inch and it's already turning into slush and melting off the roads. All rain now


its only melting off the roads because they load them with salt and cars drive over it.


----------



## shawn_

We had about a half inch here in central
Jersey , and it all melted with the rain


----------



## djt1029

I forgot how much I hate daytime salt runs...door to door my routes 2.5hr to salt late night/early morning. Today I'm 2 hours in and hardly half way through


----------



## Mike_C

djt1029 said:


> I forgot how much I hate daytime salt runs...door to door my routes 2.5hr to salt late night/early morning. Today I'm 2 hours in and hardly half way through


Miserable, everything takes twice as long as it should.


----------



## MGLC

We got around 2-3" but now it's washed down to an inch of slushy soup. Slow going but it scrapes nice and clean


----------



## Petr51488

I swear. Nothing pisses me off more than showing up to a house and it’s finished.


----------



## Randall Ave

Must have gotten 5 inches here. No rain, all snow.


----------



## S_Marino87

Boss called me in to scrape a few...only got 2 hours in though


----------



## Mattymax

Petr51488 said:


> I swear. Nothing pisses me off more than showing up to a house and it's finished.


I get so mad at that. Like taking money right outa your pocket


----------



## Mike_C

3-4” at most locations and we’re having breakdown after breakdown. Winter finally took its toll


----------



## Randall Ave

Mike_C said:


> 3-4" at most locations and we're having breakdown after breakdown. Winter finally took its toll


I had to lend a customer one of my Westerns. Or mabey rent. His needs a new harness, someone keeps steeling his hitch pins, then that killed his harness, ya gotta check things over before you head out.


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> I forgot how much I hate daytime salt runs...door to door my routes 2.5hr to salt late night/early morning. Today I'm 2 hours in and hardly half way through


You didn't scrape anything?

Traffic was crazy today, doesn't make anything easier.


----------



## Mattymax

3-4” of wet snow here in Morris County


----------



## iceyman

Mike_C said:


> 3-4" at most locations and we're having breakdown after breakdown. Winter finally took its toll


Yea weve dealt with a bunch of nonsense this year.. 63% operator error. 27% parts failure. 10% braindead homeowners


----------



## Randall Ave

Mattymax said:


> 3-4" of wet snow here in Morris County


More like concrete.


----------



## djt1029

V_Scapes said:


> You didn't scrape anything?
> 
> Traffic was crazy today, doesn't make anything easier.


We scraped a couple, but not many, pre-treat and rain held everything else down to just some patchy slush. If my accounts were 5-10 minutes further north/west, I probably would've had to scrape them all


----------



## treeguyry

I really hope this is the last time I have to deal with this garbage


----------



## demetrios007

We had almost 4" that didnt get slushy til the late afternoon. Had a hell of a time with the skidsteer and im mad as can be. Had a tilt flex line, the ones that curve up to the arm cylinders for lift amd tilt, go in fall and both sides looked aged. Changed all 4 lines out both sides, was a royal pain to do left side especially. Sure enough about 40 machine hours later the hose blew right out of the fitting with a full load of snow in the bucket arms up pushing a pile back. Operator almost lost it but backed up amd dropped real fast thankfully. Now I gotta drag it to shop to fight that hose all over again. Now I'm questioning the other lines made by local Napa


----------



## MKWL2

Full plow and salt runs in here- PITA when it ends mid afternoon like this though, what should take 5 hours took close to 8...


----------



## truckie80

We did around 3/4 of the route


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> We scraped a couple, but not many, pre-treat and rain held everything else down to just some patchy slush. If my accounts were 5-10 minutes further north/west, I probably would've had to scrape them all


What's your main service area? I feel like your not far from me.


----------



## Petr51488

Mattymax said:


> I get so mad at that. Like taking money right outa your pocket


exactly! I swear I need to make mental notes- then when we get slammed with a big one- I either don't show-or do it last.


----------



## Mike_C

iceyman said:


> Yea weve dealt with a bunch of nonsense this year.. 63% operator error. 27% parts failure. 10% braindead homeowners


6 breakdowns either truck, plow or machine led to a hell of a day for the mechanics. We're closing in on finishing this one up, just a lot of cleanup left since so many cars were in all our lots


----------



## Mattymax

Too many cars out today. Going back out at midnight to clean up commercials


----------



## djt1029

V_Scapes said:


> What's your main service area? I feel like your not far from me.


For snow I keep it really tight, 80% of my lots are in either Paramus or Hackensack. For landscaping I'm lot more spread out, pretty much all of upper Bergen County.


----------



## sota

MKWL2 said:


> Full plow and salt runs in here- PITA when it ends mid afternoon like this though, what should take 5 hours took close to 8...


On one hand, I'd like that because i'm hourly.
On the other hand, yea I hate being inefficient. Just sucks the fun out of it.


----------



## sota

Petr51488 said:


> I swear. Nothing pisses me off more than showing up to a house and it's finished.





Mattymax said:


> I get so mad at that. Like taking money right outa your pocket


Do you guys not have it in your contracts, clients get billed even if they already cleared it?


----------



## Petr51488

sota said:


> Do you guys not have it in your contracts, clients get billed even if they already cleared it?


i don't have contracts. 2 yesterday said to charge them anyway- but my morals kick in and I won't charge the full amount


----------



## MKWL2

sota said:


> Do you guys not have it in your contracts, clients get billed even if they already cleared it?


No, but if we do snow again next year that's definitely going in the contract...


----------



## Mike_C

djt1029 said:


> For snow I keep it really tight, 80% of my lots are in either Paramus or Hackensack. For landscaping I'm lot more spread out, pretty much all of upper Bergen County.


Paramus in a daytime storm like yesterday must be traffic hell.


----------



## djt1029

Mike_C said:


> Paramus in a daytime storm like yesterday must be traffic hell.


It's a nightmare, but when we're out at night all my lots are right on or a minute or two off the highway so then it's a breeze


----------



## V_Scapes

Sneaky snow showers this afternoon could drop a coating.


----------



## AllAboutGreen

This has been one of the busiest months in a lone time, im shot. 10 day looks quiet with some warm temps. Im looking forward to cleaning all the equipment and getting things back in order....


----------



## AllAboutGreen

@kzog65 where in Union County do you operate? I have accounts in Union, Clark, Garwood, Elizabeth and Linden.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Sneaky snow showers this afternoon could drop a coating.


Spitting snow here now, just went to Totowa, just wet and annoying.


----------



## kzog65

AllAboutGreen said:


> @kzog65 where in Union County do you operate? I have accounts in Union, Clark, Garwood, Elizabeth and Linden.


Mostly Scotch Plains,/Fanwood/Mountainside/Westfield


----------



## Mike_C

Got a few bursts of snow again...salting underway. By far my best month of winter billing ever


----------



## treeguyry

This is my best winter of billing also, but I'm still getting the hell out of this snow stuff


----------



## V_Scapes

Mike_C said:


> Got a few bursts of snow again...salting underway. By far my best month of winter billing ever


Was also hoping to get a salt run in but it turned to rain here.


----------



## MGLC

We got some wet flakes but it didn't last long


----------



## sota

This is me thinking of it as if I owned the route myself.

For people that are up front seasonal, I could see not being as frustrated about them self-clearing; hell in that case I'm MAKING more $ simply because i've already been paid, and i'm not incurring fuel/wear/labor costs as heavily. 
For people that are per event, I'd let them know, by agreeing to having you service them, they're taking a "slot" that needs to be paid for. I have time and financial investments made to service their location, and if they choose to self-serve I still deserve compensation for this. Per hour employees are still getting paid, fuel was still consumed to get to their location, etc. At the very least some "minimum" service fee needs to be put into place.
I thought about giving some consideration to those who called ahead to tell me they already did it or are doing it, but I feel like that could create a slippery slope situation.


----------



## J.Ricci

54 & sunny here with not a mask in sight


----------



## Petr51488

sota said:


> This is me thinking of it as if I owned the route myself.
> 
> For people that are up front seasonal, I could see not being as frustrated about them self-clearing; hell in that case I'm MAKING more $ simply because i've already been paid, and i'm not incurring fuel/wear/labor costs as heavily.
> For people that are per event, I'd let them know, by agreeing to having you service them, they're taking a "slot" that needs to be paid for. I have time and financial investments made to service their location, and if they choose to self-serve I still deserve compensation for this. Per hour employees are still getting paid, fuel was still consumed to get to their location, etc. At the very least some "minimum" service fee needs to be put into place.
> I thought about giving some consideration to those who called ahead to tell me they already did it or are doing it, but I feel like that could create a slippery slope situation.


You would think people would get this. Even if you explain it all- some will still do it on their own for some stupid reason or another.


----------



## Mattymax

Next year this will be discussed with my client list which has been the same solid group of customers for the last 5 to 6 years. Very tight route. I don’t agree with the “phone call” idea because I think that would get messy. I also think sometimes a neighbor will help out but not my problem. 

Gas, paying help and you’re taking a “slot” on my list.


----------



## iceyman

demetrios007 said:


> We had almost 4" that didnt get slushy til the late afternoon. Had a hell of a time with the skidsteer and im mad as can be. Had a tilt flex line, the ones that curve up to the arm cylinders for lift amd tilt, go in fall and both sides looked aged. Changed all 4 lines out both sides, was a royal pain to do left side especially. Sure enough about 40 machine hours later the hose blew right out of the fitting with a full load of snow in the bucket arms up pushing a pile back. Operator almost lost it but backed up amd dropped real fast thankfully. Now I gotta drag it to shop to fight that hose all over again. Now I'm questioning the other lines made by local Napa


We use the hose shop in matawan


----------



## iceyman

Mattymax said:


> Next year this will be discussed with my client list which has been the same solid group of customers for the last 5 to 6 years. Very tight route. I don't agree with the "phone call" idea because I think that would get messy. I also think sometimes a neighbor will help out but not my problem.
> 
> Gas, paying help and you're taking a "slot" on my list.


Honestly all it tAkes is a text.. i have my seasonal resis than another handful of per event. They know i dont come til the storm is over but when they clear themselves they let me know.. mostly under 6" is when this happens .. it is what it is but at least i know not to make the trip


----------



## HarryTHook

treeguyry said:


> This is my best winter of billing also, but I'm still getting the hell out of this snow stuff


Let me know how much for one of your wideouts


----------



## Randall Ave

Looks like a warming trend, need some of this to melt.


----------



## shawn_

Yeah what kind of equipment you got?


----------



## sota

iceyman said:


> Honestly all it tAkes is a text.. i have my seasonal resis than another handful of per event. They know i dont come til the storm is over but when they clear themselves they let me know.. mostly under 6" is when this happens .. it is what it is but at least i know not to make the trip


I have one house that is scheduled as the middle child in a trifecta all on the same street and next to each other, that will text me directly if they don't need me to do their drive, as he's decided to get some "exercise" and snow blow it himself. It's the rare case that doesn't equipment cost me anything to skip him. The only cost is an economic/opportunity one, as we're not spending the 15 minutes to do his driveway and walks.

But as I said, it's a slippery slope problem.


----------



## treeguyry

I’ve got a few local guys interested in some of my snow stuff, I’m keeping the plow on my personal truck so I can use it on my yard and my house. I’ll keep you posted on what I have available once I know we won’t have a fluke storm. Still deciding on a few things might sell the 5500 fully setup


----------



## shawn_

5500 something I would be interested in.


----------



## shawn_

Anyone follow glacier snow management on Instagram . Jeeez , insane operation


----------



## S_Marino87

shawn_ said:


> Anyone follow glacier snow management on Instagram . Jeeez , insane operation


Half the guys on here are too old to even know what Instagram is


----------



## djt1029

Tomorrow starts the process of digging out everything we buried at my yard during the last 3 weeks. Should be fun


----------



## truckie80

djt1029 said:


> Tomorrow starts the process of digging out everything we buried at my yard during the last 3 weeks. Should be fun


The neighbors were looking at me like I was crazy earlier while I was spreading the snow around my driveway so it can melt today. I want to get into my trailer next week and start cleaning and servicing everything.


----------



## treeguyry

djt1029 said:


> Tomorrow starts the process of digging out everything we buried at my yard during the last 3 weeks. Should be fun


I have one truck and my backup chipper so buried I can barely see them


----------



## treeguyry

shawn_ said:


> 5500 something I would be interested in.


I'll let you know what I decide on with that, I'm 50/50 on just letting it go, or keeping it using the money I get selling everything else to convert it to a switch-n-go


----------



## AG09

treeguyry said:


> I'll let you know what I decide on with that, I'm 50/50 on just letting it go, or keeping it using the money I get selling everything else to convert it to a switch-n-go


A Switch n Go set up is a game changer


----------



## treeguyry

AG09 said:


> A Switch n Go set up is a game changer


Being able to drop a box and load it with stump grindings would be a massive time saver alone plus I'm sure I could find a bunch of other uses for it


----------



## V_Scapes

truckie80 said:


> The neighbors were looking at me like I was crazy earlier while I was spreading the snow around my driveway so it can melt today. I want to get into my trailer next week and start cleaning and servicing everything.


I got into the habit of servicing everything in early January, it saves alot of rushing right before cleanups. Still have a handful of things to go through but the big stuff is done.

Beauty of a day to get the trucks washed good.


----------



## Petr51488

What stops you guys from doing all this at the end of the season? I would hate to do this crap last second.


----------



## truckie80

I've always done it little by little in February but this year everything's been buried since Feb 1st. I wouldn't call starting next week last minute, at the earliest we're at least 3 weeks away from starting cleanups


----------



## gman2310

I really hope we warm up a bit so the snow melts off and then we get one more last blast before spring starts


----------



## MGLC

We service a few pieces of equipment whenever we can between snows, there’s a few things left since the onslaught of snow, but early March is mainly spent detailing trucks and trailers, and servicing skids and wherever other equipment was used throughout the winter.


----------



## J.Ricci

treeguyry said:


> Being able to drop a box and load it with stump grindings would be a massive time saver alone plus I'm sure I could find a bunch of other uses for it


I've had at least one hook, or SNG for 10+ yrs now. You'll find more and more uses for it by the day.


----------



## Tony_D

I serviced most of my stuff today, tomorrow I'm going to paint the inside of my trailer and wash my trucks. After 50 something degrees today I'm anxious to start spring work


----------



## Mike_C

Without any real snow in January most of the landscape equipment is serviced already, just some odds and ends left. By the end of next week everything should be prepped and ready for spring.


----------



## V_Scapes

Mike_C said:


> Without any real snow in January most of the landscape equipment is serviced already, just some odds and ends left. By the end of next week everything should be prepped and ready for spring.


Best way to do it. With a delayed start this spring and minimal snow chances in sight I'm hoping to get some play time before the madness.


----------



## AG09

V_Scapes said:


> Best way to do it. With a delayed start this spring and minimal snow chances in sight I'm hoping to get some play time before the madness.


We actually do all our prep at the end of the season this way we are ready to go once the season starts.


----------



## HarryTHook

V_Scapes said:


> Best way to do it. With a delayed start this spring and minimal snow chances in sight I'm hoping to get some play time before the madness.


Thats why the son is Florida now. Don't forget March madness is different for plow people. It has bit us in the A$$ before.


----------



## V_Scapes

HarryTHook said:


> Thats why the son is Florida now. Don't forget March madness is different for plow people. It has bit us in the A$$ before.


I'm seeing above average temps for March, let's hope it stays that way.


----------



## AG09

V_Scapes said:


> I'm seeing above average temps for March, let's hope it stays that way.


If the temps stay the way they are I can see us starting cleanups possibly the week of March 16th sometime or the following week. Its melting fast.


----------



## djt1029

Most of my equipment is ready to go also, just a few things left. I've got some other stuff to do around the yard but it's all work my guys can do without me. They get hours, and I get to get the hell out of here as much as possible before **** hits the fan. Holding onto hope of starting March 22nd


----------



## V_Scapes

AG09 said:


> If the temps stay the way they are I can see us starting cleanups possibly the week of March 16th sometime or the following week. Its melting fast.


Wishful thinking is always great. Idk about you but I've got some customers with massive piles in their driveways and parking lots still. Would love to get going in March but it's probably not likely.


----------



## treeguyry

I'm taking the week of March 8th off and getting out of here for a while, next week we're going to knock out as much work as we can then I just have some easy jobs and busy work lined up for my guys until I get back. Phone won't really start ringing much until April with all this snow on the ground unless we get a wind storm


----------



## Mike_C

March 3 - 11 will be my first full week off since I was 18...so watch out for a sneaky storm


----------



## shawn_

I hear there’s a big blizzard coming in March, sorry guys :dancing:


----------



## Randall Ave

shawn_ said:


> I hear there's a big blizzard coming in March, sorry guys :dancing:


This early in the morning and your drinking already.


----------



## S_Marino87

Mike_C said:


> March 3 - 11 will be my first full week off since I was 18...so watch out for a sneaky storm


Sounds like you earned more than a week off


----------



## sota

I want more snow.


----------



## AG09

V_Scapes said:


> Wishful thinking is always great. Idk about you but I've got some customers with massive piles in their driveways and parking lots still. Would love to get going in March but it's probably not likely.


I have large piles too, but I remember some years where we would just go around them. Cant put them off forever so it is what it is. The only good thing with all the snow on the ground and Easter being earlier than normal is that you probably wont hear all the annoying clients saying they need their cleanups done before the holiday.


----------



## djt1029

Pretty crazy how much melted yesterday. A few more days like that and we might still be able to start in March


----------



## UniqueTouch

Hey yall. Have a 2008 cat 246c. Runs and operates great usually and still does just hearing that it seems to power down occasionally while using it. The machine has been used my by my fathers buddy whos a back hoe operator. I personally have not experienced this so I am just going off what he says. Does this sound like an alternator issue? Also It needed a battery last year and instead of spending the big bucks for a cat battery I think we went car or truck battery. Also does anyone know any local places here in NJ that rebuild alternators of that is the issue? Trying to not spend $500 on one.


----------



## Mike_C

UniqueTouch said:


> Hey yall. Have a 2008 cat 246c. Runs and operates great usually and still does just hearing that it seems to power down occasionally while using it. The machine has been used my by my fathers buddy whos a back hoe operator. I personally have not experienced this so I am just going off what he says. Does this sound like an alternator issue? Also It needed a battery last year and instead of spending the big bucks for a cat battery I think we went car or truck battery. Also does anyone know any local places here in NJ that rebuild alternators of that is the issue? Trying to not spend $500 on one.


Power down as in the engine kills or just losing power?


----------



## Tony_D

Do any of you guys barter for parking/storage space? I have a customer who has a garage they don't use, and a parking pad along side of it big enough for a truck and trailer. They've been renting it to a plumber but he's moving out of there the end of this week. They called me to see if I could use it


----------



## MGLC

My favorite place I had before buying property was a barter deal. Where are you currently parking? Will the landscaping wash out your potential rent there or would you still have to pay additional?


----------



## AG09

Tony_D said:


> Do any of you guys barter for parking/storage space? I have a customer who has a garage they don't use, and a parking pad along side of it big enough for a truck and trailer. They've been renting it to a plumber but he's moving out of there the end of this week. They called me to see if I could use it


I would definitely consider it depending on what he wants in return. Renting a spot with a garage is not cheap in this area.


----------



## Tony_D

MGLC said:


> My favorite place I had before buying property was a barter deal. Where are you currently parking? Will the landscaping wash out your potential rent there or would you still have to pay additional?


I'm parking my pickup at my house and my grandparents house, with a small storage shed in each backyard.

I just looked in quickbooks and in 2020 he paid me a $4300 for landscaping/snow and around another $700 for snow in the last month so that would be a good amount of money towards rent, not sure how much he's looking for yet. I'm heading over there now to look at it and talk to him



AG09 said:


> I would definitely consider it depending on what he wants in return. Renting a spot with a garage is not cheap in this area.


Yeah I'm afraid if I don't jump on it I won't find another place with a garage or any real extra storage. I'm tired of having my stuff so spread out


----------



## Tony_D

$ 450 / month for the garage (14x24) and a parking area along side which is more than long enough for my dump truck and trailer, with some storage space behind it for my plow and some wheel barrels or something. Also there's enough room in front of the garage for another truck or trailer so I can grow a little there. Garage has electric and there's a faucet outside of it that I could use. I told him I'll let him know for sure by tonight but I'm pretty sure I'm going to go ahead with it. It'll suck not getting his checks every month especially since I don't have a ton of customers, but it seems worth it


----------



## shawn_

$5400 a year , don’t seem bad you need to make up the revenue . If this will help you grow and be more efficient I would do it.


----------



## demetrios007

Usually if skids losing power ita a fuel issue. When operators say losing power they mean engine not electrical. Find out details and let us know, I know my way around skids pretty well. What type of throttle control is in it ie is it old school rod to the motor or on demand idle up amd down


----------



## Mike_C

Tony_D said:


> $ 450 / month for the garage (14x24) and a parking area along side which is more than long enough for my dump truck and trailer, with some storage space behind it for my plow and some wheel barrels or something. Also there's enough room in front of the garage for another truck or trailer so I can grow a little there. Garage has electric and there's a faucet outside of it that I could use. I told him I'll let him know for sure by tonight but I'm pretty sure I'm going to go ahead with it. It'll suck not getting his checks every month especially since I don't have a ton of customers, but it seems worth it


I would jump on it. It sounds like you can grow into the space, and having a building with electric and water is difficult to find especially in the Hudson/Bergen area, and always really expensive. Seems like he's good for around 5k in landscaping and snow plowing in a year so it should work out well for both of you.


----------



## djt1029

Tony_D said:


> $ 450 / month for the garage (14x24) and a parking area along side which is more than long enough for my dump truck and trailer, with some storage space behind it for my plow and some wheel barrels or something. Also there's enough room in front of the garage for another truck or trailer so I can grow a little there. Garage has electric and there's a faucet outside of it that I could use. I told him I'll let him know for sure by tonight but I'm pretty sure I'm going to go ahead with it. It'll suck not getting his checks every month especially since I don't have a ton of customers, but it seems worth it


I'd go for that if I were in your shoes. Garages don't come along very often, I work out of shipping containers at my yard and most guys I know are in the same boat. It's a good price


----------



## Tony_D

I just called him to confirm that I'll take it. Monday I can start setting up so I'm heading harbor freight tomorrow to stock up on organization stuff


----------



## Randall Ave

Around here, just to park one truck you are looking at around $300.00 a month.


----------



## treeguyry

I'm paying $3k a month with no building, electric or water. It's a good sized yard for my area, but 3k a month for a plot of gravel


----------



## sota

that data is good to know.
I'm back on the hunt for property to do various things, including renting space out to landscapers and contractors. I know how badly they're hurting around here.


----------



## Tony_D

treeguyry said:


> I'm paying $3k a month with no building, electric or water. It's a good sized yard for my area, but 3k a month for a plot of gravel


That's crazy. I never really thought about it but without electric or water it must be a pain in the ass


----------



## treeguyry

Tony_D said:


> That's crazy. I never really thought about it but without electric or water it must be a pain in the ass


I'm pretty lucky with that, the yard next to me has both so I can use it whenever needed. All it costs me is moving some stuff around his yard for him with the crane or skid a couple times a year


----------



## S_Marino87

When I bought my house my # 1 concern was a 2 car garage and some extra parking space. Commercial parking is out of control in NJ, especially northern NJ


----------



## shawn_

I am actually listing my house for sale in April here in Middletown. Going to try and buy a house on 1+ acres in Howell when the market crashes a little might as well sell high so I can potentially buy low & something that fits my needs in a few months to a year .

going to be tough tofind a spot for my plows & trucks . I’ll make it work though I got a ton of friends I can probably store stuff at


----------



## truckie80

I park at home also, the previous owner restored old cars so there was a 2.5 car garage here when we moved in, just had to add a parking pad along side it and that was it.


----------



## Mike_C

I bought an old farm 25 or so years ago, best decision I’ve made. I only rented parking for a few years. Up here that’s a hell of a lot easier than in the more densely populated areas in the state


----------



## UniqueTouch

Sorry just got on here. He said it fluctuates with power. Had new throttle cables installed I’m going to check it out hopefully tomorrow. Never turns off. Said it was hard to start and had to jump it before snow storm. His son works for Keily and one of their mechanics said sounds like a solenoid. I have no idea


----------



## shawn_

Mike_C said:


> I bought an old farm 25 or so years ago, best decision I've made. I only rented parking for a few years. Up here that's a hell of a lot easier than in the more densely populated areas in the state


Realistically I would like 2-3+ acres but I will settle with 1 if I find the right deal.

build a monster pole barn in the back . Park the car in there & have a shop to work on stuff would be awesome ..... we'll see what the future holds need to live uncomfortable now wether it's moving in with parents or renting somewhere while the baby is young and I can get re established before she even knows what's going on


----------



## V_Scapes

Mike_C said:


> I bought an old farm 25 or so years ago, best decision I've made. I only rented parking for a few years. Up here that's a hell of a lot easier than in the more densely populated areas in the state


I did the same,bought ten acres in 2014 made life alot easier.


----------



## S_Marino87

Mike_C said:


> I bought an old farm 25 or so years ago, best decision I've made. I only rented parking for a few years. Up here that's a hell of a lot easier than in the more densely populated areas in the state


You must fill up a lot of acres


----------



## treeguyry

shawn_ said:


> Realistically I would like 2-3+ acres but I will settle with 1 if I find the right deal.
> 
> build a monster pole barn in the back . Park the car in there & have a shop to work on stuff would be awesome ..... we'll see what the future holds need to live uncomfortable now wether it's moving in with parents or renting somewhere while the baby is young and I can get re established before she even knows what's going on


I've been thinking of doing the same sort of thing, I'd have to move a good half hour or more away to find the space I need though. I wish I had done it years ago when it would've been easier to pull off.


----------



## MGLC

shawn_ said:


> Realistically I would like 2-3+ acres but I will settle with 1 if I find the right deal.
> 
> build a monster pole barn in the back . Park the car in there & have a shop to work on stuff would be awesome ..... we'll see what the future holds need to live uncomfortable now wether it's moving in with parents or renting somewhere while the baby is young and I can get re established before she even knows what's going on


Pole barns can never be big enough. About 5 years ago I went with a 40x40 thinking that would be plenty of space since I had been working out of containers and an office trailer before that. Wish I had gone bigger


----------



## Petr51488

None of you guys have issues with the town for parking commercial at a residence? Basically running a business out of the house?


----------



## Mike_C

S_Marino87 said:


> You must fill up a lot of acres


My house and yard are on the same property which is around 33 acres. I originally bought 17.5, then bought the neighboring properties over the years. I live on the far north end of the property, then my garages, office building parking etc are all on the far south end so things are as separate as they can be.



MGLC said:


> Pole barns can never be big enough. About 5 years ago I went with a 40x40 thinking that would be plenty of space since I had been working out of containers and an office trailer before that. Wish I had gone bigger


My main building is 50x100, and I still have 2 other buildings and a bunch of shipping containers. There's never enough storage. Ever



Petr51488 said:


> None of you guys have issues with the town for parking commercial at a residence? Basically running a business out of the house?


Farm land is exempt which is why I bought it


----------



## Petr51488

Even the commercial / light industrial places around here get **** / cant rent out spaces. I would love to buy some commercial property and do that. But what happens when I buy it and the town says I’m not allowed to rent out spaces? Screwed big time


----------



## S_Marino87

Petr51488 said:


> None of you guys have issues with the town for parking commercial at a residence? Basically running a business out of the house?


My house is zoned for residential & commercial. I live on a quiet residential street, but it's a double lot that runs through to the street behind me which is one of the main shopping areas in town. My driveway runs straight through from one street to the other. Works out perfect, I park the box truck, van and dump trailer behind my garage so I can't even see them from my back deck. Only drawback is once every few years some driver of a certain ethnicity will drive half way down my driveway thinking it's a street


----------



## MGLC

Petr51488 said:


> Even the commercial / light industrial places around here get **** / cant rent out spaces. I would love to buy some commercial property and do that. But what happens when I buy it and the town says I'm not allowed to rent out spaces? Screwed big time


I have 2 separate properties, my yard's in a commercial/industrial area about 10 minutes from my house. How can you not park commercial vehicles at commercial properties?


----------



## treeguyry

Seems like not being able to park on commercial property sort of defeats the purpose.



Mike_C said:


> My house and yard are on the same property which is around 33 acres. I originally bought 17.5, then bought the neighboring properties over the years. I live on the far north end of the property, then my garages, office building parking etc are all on the far south end so things are as separate as they can be.
> 
> My main building is 50x100, and I still have 2 other buildings and a bunch of shipping containers. There's never enough storage. Ever


Jesus how big are the other buildings? 33 acres is probably bigger than my 2 main dump sites.


----------



## shawn_

treeguyry said:


> I've been thinking of doing the same sort of thing, I'd have to move a good half hour or more away to find the space I need though. I wish I had done it years ago when it would've been easier to pull off.


Same with me 30-45 mins away. It will be a lifestyle change & will need to figure out some other logistics before pulling the trigger

as for parking commercial or running a business out of my house currently I have 0 problem. I am not big though and only have 1 commercial vehicle . The rest of my trucks are personal or person/commercial .

it's not like I got trailers and machines sitting all over my yard . Not yet anyway. That's why I am looking to make a move . Certain towns seem way more lenient then others that's for sure .


----------



## AG09

Where I rent is nice because it is 5 minutes from my house, but I am tired of paying some one else rent. I wish I could find some property close to me. Unfortunately everything here is stupid expensive and almost non existent.


----------



## truckie80

No issues here with parking. The town doesn’t have an ordinance so I just keep it clean and organized, and planted around everything so it’s not visible from the street, or neighbors properties. I only have 3 trucks including my personal truck and 2 trailers so it’s not like I’m running a huge facility back there


----------



## djt1029

Can't park in town here, some guys have a truck and trailer with no issues, or a couple work vans, but it's technically not allowed. I rent about 10-15 mins away from home, hate throwing money away in rent but my hands are tied. There isn't much commercial real estate in this area, and anything that is available is over a mil


----------



## J.Ricci

I parked at home for years, but as I outgrew it and had to start renting spots all around town to park extra stuff I finally bit the bullet and bought a piece of land 2 towns over. The plan is to build a pole barn next winter....or if work ever slows up for a week or two before then


----------



## gman2310

One more storm! One more storm! One more storm! Sorry, just hoping its not over yet


----------



## rizzoa13

It can snow one more time I’m leaving machines on sites until April and salters on the trucks until at least then. Plows came off last week but I’ll happily mount them back up in money wants to fall from the sky.


----------



## AG09

J.Ricci said:


> I parked at home for years, but as I outgrew it and had to start renting spots all around town to park extra stuff I finally bit the bullet and bought a piece of land 2 towns over. The plan is to build a pole barn next winter....or if work ever slows up for a week or two before then


Same thing here except I have to find property to buy.


----------



## MGLC

J.Ricci said:


> I parked at home for years, but as I outgrew it and had to start renting spots all around town to park extra stuff I finally bit the bullet and bought a piece of land 2 towns over. The plan is to build a pole barn next winter....or if work ever slows up for a week or two before then


Add at least another 100sqft to your plan, trust me


----------



## sota

my town still stick the pole so far up your barn...


----------



## J.Ricci

MGLC said:


> Add at least another 100sqft to your plan, trust me


I'm planning on 40x40, which should be more than enough room but I know no matter what I'm going to wish I had more space


----------



## MGLC

J.Ricci said:


> I'm planning on 40x40, which should be more than enough room but I know no matter what I'm going to wish I had more space


Mine is 40x40, it fills up quick. If you're going to have office space in there as well, opt for some extra height. That's the best thing I did, the offices are up in a loft area above more storage so there's no wasted space.


----------



## sota

aye. if you can't go out, go up.
can always add things like lifts or shelving above, and figure out a way to lift things up on to said shelving.


----------



## Petr51488

MGLC said:


> I have 2 separate properties, my yard's in a commercial/industrial area about 10 minutes from my house. How can you not park commercial vehicles at commercial properties?


so I guess if you buy your own commercial place and use it for yourself you would be fine. I've been kicked out of 3 places so far because of either the town saying something to the owner ( and this is at a commercial property ) or a neighbor complains and then the town gets involved. I don't know why or how - but it happens here all the time. One would think that if it's commercial- the owner can rent to whoever they want. I guess that's not the case.


----------



## s&mll

Pallet racks are your friend. Also so is a forklift. We use a skid steer and lose a bit of sqft in center space just for the machine to backup and turn around. Should have bought a 5k dollar forklift years ago. 



Also no one thinks they need a bathroom but in reality having a bathroom in the shop is probably more important than having lights in there


----------



## Randall Ave

Petr51488 said:


> so I guess if you buy your own commercial place and use it for yourself you would be fine. I've been kicked out of 3 places so far because of either the town saying something to the owner ( and this is at a commercial property ) or a neighbor complains and then the town gets involved. I don't know why or how - but it happens here all the time. One would think that if it's commercial- the owner can rent to whoever they want. I guess that's not the case.


Just because it is zoned commercial, don't mean you can do anything you want. Before anyone purchases any property, you should go to the township and see if what you want to do is allowed.


----------



## MGLC

s&mll said:


> Pallet racks are your friend. Also so is a forklift. We use a skid steer and lose a bit of sqft in center space just for the machine to backup and turn around. Should have bought a 5k dollar forklift years ago.
> 
> Also no one thinks they need a bathroom but in reality having a bathroom in the shop is probably more important than having lights in there


Bathroom is a must. I've been on the hunt for a used forklift all winter, anything I've gone to see is so beat to hell though


----------



## HarryTHook

Anybody notice how many plows went up for sale recently?


----------



## V_Scapes

HarryTHook said:


> Anybody notice how many plows went up for sale recently?


There's tons of snow equipment for sale right now.

Finally got to run upstate, feels great.


----------



## demetrios007

Guys wanting to get out of snow figured this is the year to do so after making bank on the equipment. It got rode hard this year, and put away wet


----------



## iceyman

shawn_ said:


> Realistically I would like 2-3+ acres but I will settle with 1 if I find the right deal.
> 
> build a monster pole barn in the back . Park the car in there & have a shop to work on stuff would be awesome ..... we'll see what the future holds need to live uncomfortable now wether it's moving in with parents or renting somewhere while the baby is young and I can get re established before she even knows what's going on


Make sure you know the laws of the town ur buying in.. some have really idiotic rules about wat you can put up


----------



## iceyman

Petr51488 said:


> None of you guys have issues with the town for parking commercial at a residence? Basically running a business out of the house?


The towns been f ing with me for years.. supposedly have a hearing in april.. been pushed off due to covid


----------



## iceyman

s&mll said:


> Pallet racks are your friend. Also so is a forklift. We use a skid steer and lose a bit of sqft in center space just for the machine to backup and turn around. Should have bought a 5k dollar forklift years ago.
> 
> Also no one thinks they need a bathroom but in reality having a bathroom in the shop is probably more important than having lights in there


Pallet racks made my garage 3 times bigger


----------



## shawn_

I started researching it this am.


----------



## Petr51488

iceyman said:


> The towns been f ing with me for years.. supposedly have a hearing in april.. been pushed off due to covid


fing you as far as what? Making you move your stuff? Or fining you in order to make you move it?


----------



## Tony_D

The guy I'm renting from called me this morning to say I could start moving stuff in today if I wanted since the previous guy got everything out. My dad gave me an extra section of pallet rack he had laying in his yard since he redid his shop and I bought a bunch of stuff at harbor freight & lowes yesterday so I'm anxious to get started


----------



## s&mll

Tony_D said:


> The guy I'm renting from called me this morning to say I could start moving stuff in today if I wanted since the previous guy got everything out. My dad gave me an extra section of pallet rack he had laying in his yard since he redid his shop and I bought a bunch of stuff at harbor freight & lowes yesterday so I'm anxious to get started


Congratulations

If you need a rack guy let me know. As said before setting up your shop from the start is important. Pallet racks are great. Getting all your attachments and snow blowers etc up high and away will make your shop that much useable the other 2.5 seasons


----------



## Randall Ave

No matter how big, it's never enough.


----------



## Western1

Randall Ave said:


> No matter how big, it's never enough.
> View attachment 214466


Well organized


----------



## Mike_C

MGLC said:


> Bathroom is a must. I've been on the hunt for a used forklift all winter, anything I've gone to see is so beat to hell though


Forklift is one of the few machines you can get away with getting older and rougher, we put around 100hrs on mine a year at that rate it should last forever.


----------



## Randall Ave

Western1 said:


> Well organized


That stuff is all gone, gots a long bed KW in here now, and more waiting out side.


----------



## iceyman

Petr51488 said:


> fing you as far as what? Making you move your stuff? Or fining you in order to make you move it?


The previous owners didnt keep up with commercial status and basically lied to us about it.. its zoned as farm land so the dont want commercial trucks on the property.. can barely see where the trucks are from the street .. legal extortion from the town


----------



## iceyman

It was over 2 years before the town gave us a notice


----------



## Western1

Randall Ave said:


> That stuff is all gone, gots a long bed KW in here now, and more waiting out side.


Kentucky Whiskey?


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> The previous owners didnt keep up with commercial status and basically lied to us about it.. its zoned as farm land so the dont want commercial trucks on the property.. can barely see where the trucks are from the street .. legal extortion from the town


If it's zoned farmland, go get farmers plates.


----------



## gman2310

Pallet racks are def the way to go


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> If it's zoned farmland, go get farmers plates.


Yea its more my partner's equipment.. hes a landscaper.. i have trailers and containers but no commercial vehicles park there overnight


----------



## iceyman

After a nice 3 week stretch enjoying ocean in ac.. just got a massage .. worth every penny


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> After a nice 3 week stretch enjoying ocean in ac.. just got a massage .. worth every penny


The responses that come to mind are endless.


----------



## Tony_D

Got the pallet rack and some regular shelving set up, assembled the tool chest and work bench, trying to finish up with the setup today so I can move everything in tomorrow.


----------



## rizzoa13

iceyman said:


> Yea its more my partner's equipment.. hes a landscaper.. i have trailers and containers but no commercial vehicles park there overnight


Your in my neck of the woods I live 10 miles up rt 30 from AC.


----------



## J.Ricci

Tony_D said:


> Got the pallet rack and some regular shelving set up, assembled the tool chest and work bench, trying to finish up with the setup today so I can move everything in tomorrow.


If you're done tomorrow, get some time in on a job with my guys Monday. We're breaking ground on a job you can learn to set grades


----------



## AG09

J.Ricci said:


> If you're done tomorrow, get some time in on a job with my guys Monday. We're breaking ground on a job you can learn to set grades


Learn as much as you can from him. Its an opportunity of a lifetime. You usually only get a chance to learn stuff like this by working with a company for a period of time. Not many guys out there willing to offer something like this.


----------



## Tony_D

J.Ricci said:


> If you're done tomorrow, get some time in on a job with my guys Monday. We're breaking ground on a job you can learn to set grades


Pumped! I'll be there!


----------



## HarryTHook

I think SOTA has been breeding jeeps. This one was parked in a lot I do.....


----------



## Tony_D

Worked on the garage until almost midnight last night, I never realized how much stuff I had already accumulated until it was time to move it


----------



## Western1

Yea that’s always the case


----------



## demetrios007

Also makes a good time to thin out the stuff you dont need and/or junk. Getting things off the ground is priority #1 you can't beat shelving and racks


----------



## sota

HarryTHook said:


> I think SOTA has been breeding jeeps. This one was parked in a lot I do.....
> View attachment 214501


nah. I've seen quite a few jeep wranglers though, with plows on them. it makes sense for residentials. a lot easier than wrangling a big truck into some of these drives.

on the flip side, there's some dude with a Yukon Denali XL around here, that's a freakin' clown car of mexicans at every stop. they get out, grab shovels from the back, snow flies, they get in, and leave. it's actually quite impressive.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> Wishful thinking is always great. Idk about you but I've got some customers with massive piles in their driveways and parking lots still. Would love to get going in March but it's probably not likely.


Same here- still 95% coverage in Warren Co, about 75% on most of my service area in Bergen... when with warm temps it's going to be a while, yards are going to be swamps after this all melts off.


----------



## shawn_

Will it ever snow again ?!?! lowred:


----------



## MKWL2

shawn_ said:


> Will it ever snow again ?!?! lowred:


It will, almost can guarantee we will get at least one more 2" or better storm for the northern 1/3 of the state, probably the week of 3-15, followed by a week of temps in the low 40's... don't put the plows away just yet guys.


----------



## shawn_

MKWL2 said:


> It will, almost can guarantee we will get at least one more 2" or better storm for the northern 1/3 of the state, probably the week of 3-15, followed by a week of temps in the low 40's... don't put the plows away just yet guys.


Looking forward too it. A solid 5-6" storm to end the year would be great. The faster you plow it the faster it melts in March.


----------



## Mike_C

Usually when it warms up as quick as it did last week, it doesn’t last. We probably get another storm, or at least another chance that just misses.


----------



## V_Scapes

A salt run at most is all I care for. A month later since the big storm and payment is still coming in at a snails pace.


----------



## shawn_

V_Scapes said:


> A salt run at most is all I care for. A month later since the big storm and payment is still coming in at a snails pace.


Everything is super slow - same 5 customers
Paying fast ..... let's send it


----------



## AllAboutGreen

Payments are trickling in.....guys want to be paid the moment the snow stops, at least my shoveling crews....


As soon as we all get ready for landscaping a nice late march snom storm will come.....


----------



## J.Ricci

Payment's slow, and even more frustrating are the customers who decide they're going to pay half the bill and then send another check in a couple weeks. I've had a few of those recently


----------



## S_Marino87

AllAboutGreen said:


> Payments are trickling in.....guys want to be paid the moment the snow stops, at least my shoveling crews....


The guy I sub for still owes me around 35hrs, but paid all the sidewalk crews. He knows I'll be there in any future storm even if he owes me still, which I'm sure is not the case for the shovelers



J.Ricci said:


> Payment's slow, and even more frustrating are the customers who decide they're going to pay half the bill and then send another check in a couple weeks. I've had a few of those recently


At least you have some free labor today


----------



## shawn_

Shovel guys need to be paid ASAP! Or
You can’t keep them around. I owe my guys a bunch of money but the shovel guys are already all taken care of every storm


----------



## Randall Ave

I have a landscape customer, he says he's starting tomorrow, he doesn't care what's on the ground. Has a big paver drive to do, and 35 of some kind of trees to put in. More power to him I guess.


----------



## Mike_C

Theres work that can be done even with snow around still, we've got a few jobs going on today but things won't be anywhere near full swing for a while yet. Hopefully the end of this month, but we'll see


----------



## J.Ricci

Mike_C said:


> Theres work that can be done even with snow around still, we've got a few jobs going on today but things won't be anywhere near full swing for a while yet. Hopefully the end of this month, but we'll see


Unless it's actively snowing something can always get done


----------



## MGLC

Yard days all day this week then back to some billable work next week. I've got some winter jobs I still need to get done before we hit full spring madness


----------



## truckie80

I never really schedule winter work then just try and get a jump on anything that can be done early for spring if we have a slow winter. I told my guys we're starting March 22-29th depending on the weather. I don't think we'll do anything before then


----------



## djt1029

I can get behind another salt run or two but I’d rather not get another plowable storm


----------



## V_Scapes

If we could start the week of the 28th would be awesome but need some really dry weather until then, it's a muddy mess out there.


----------



## rizzoa13

If it’s going to be one more storm make it a 3’er. I need to charge 150$ per shoveler and 300$ per tractor ...


----------



## S_Marino87

Does anyone know a company with a stone slinger truck (I think that's what they're called) that would do a job that's just one load? I called a guy my buddy used a few times but it's too small of a job for him to come this far for. Job is in Cedar Grove.


----------



## V_Scapes

S_Marino87 said:


> Does anyone know a company with a stone slinger truck (I think that's what they're called) that would do a job that's just one load? I called a guy my buddy used a few times but it's too small of a job for him to come this far for. Job is in Cedar Grove.


Downes?


----------



## V_Scapes

rizzoa13 said:


> If it's going to be one more storm make it a 3'er. I need to charge 150$ per shoveler and 300$ per tractor ...


You can have it pal, I'm happy with 45 and sunny.


----------



## Mike_C

S_Marino87 said:


> Does anyone know a company with a stone slinger truck (I think that's what they're called) that would do a job that's just one load? I called a guy my buddy used a few times but it's too small of a job for him to come this far for. Job is in Cedar Grove.


Downes will go to Cedar Grove without a problem, they've gone to 4 states for me and I know they've gone further than that


----------



## djt1029

I don't even know who has those trucks besides Downes


----------



## S_Marino87

I didn't know Downes had those trucks, thought they just did mulch blowing. I'll call them tomorrow


----------



## Mike_C

S_Marino87 said:


> I didn't know Downes had those trucks, thought they just did mulch blowing. I'll call them tomorrow


Kevin never met an expensive truck he didn't want to buy


----------



## UniqueTouch

Hey y’all looking for the best turf tires for all my bobcat 52 inch riders. Trying to avoid tear ups of course. Any advice on brands


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> A salt run at most is all I care for. A month later since the big storm and payment is still coming in at a snails pace.


Glad I'm not the only one...


----------



## V_Scapes

S_Marino87 said:


> I didn't know Downes had those trucks, thought they just did mulch blowing. I'll call them tomorrow


There isn't much that that company in a whole doesn't do.


----------



## truckie80

UniqueTouch said:


> Hey y'all looking for the best turf tires for all my bobcat 52 inch riders. Trying to avoid tear ups of course. Any advice on brands


Honestly I just buy whatever my dealer carries/recommends for each machine. Never looked into other options


----------



## shawn_

rizzoa13 said:


> If it's going to be one more storm make it a 3'er. I need to charge 150$ per shoveler and 300$ per tractor ...


You'll never get them numbers here in jersey. Better pump them numbers up in the south .


----------



## UniqueTouch

Ya that’s a good idea best to just look in person


----------



## HarryTHook

Let's not get our panties all bunched up. March will bring in what it will, and


----------



## Randall Ave

The wind is cranking out there at the moment.


----------



## rizzoa13

shawn_ said:


> You'll never get them numbers here in jersey. Better pump them numbers up in the south .


Thats the joke. Was bored and wanted to see who was following that other thread too.


----------



## sota

Randall Ave said:


> The wind is cranking out there at the moment.


My garbage can took a long walk this morning.


----------



## shawn_

rizzoa13 said:


> Thats the joke. Was bored and wanted to see who was following that other thread too.


I know it was. If i went to Texas those are numbers I'd aim for though. I agree with his pricing on there especially since he's been billing them numbers all year


----------



## rizzoa13

I don’t know I can’t agree with you in that one. He’s not traveling it’s where he lives. He’s not using specialized equipment that he bought for snow removal so the argument that he needs to pay off his investment in one billing doesn’t really make sense either. They were using 50hp tractors with buckets and shovels all while charging more than loaders get on the east coast (where prices are disproportionately high already. I mean the guys title to his post is “doesthis look unreasonable?”. Yea bro of course it does that’s why you asked us!

I’ve done emergency cleanup and tree removal in my area when a wind storm came through and we charged the going rate for something like that. We didn’t upcharge because the people were between a rock and a hard place and we still made plenty of money for it.


----------



## treeguyry

Randall Ave said:


> The wind is cranking out there at the moment.


payuppayup


----------



## Randall Ave

treeguyry said:


> payuppayup


Hit em when you can.


----------



## J.Ricci

rizzoa13 said:


> Thats the joke. Was bored and wanted to see who was following that other thread too.


Wait, there's other threads on this site not just this one?


----------



## Mr. Jon

S_Marino87 said:


> Does anyone know a company with a stone slinger truck (I think that's what they're called) that would do a job that's just one load? I called a guy my buddy used a few times but it's too small of a job for him to come this far for. Job is in Cedar Grove.


I've used Stonethrowers a bunch of times. They will do one load. I think they're based out of Randolph and cover most of NJ. (973) 299-9237


----------



## AG09

Mr. Jon said:


> I've used Stonethrowers a bunch of times. They will do one load. I think they're based out of Randolph and cover most of NJ. (973) 299-9237


Yes stonethrowers is one. Tanis concrete also has one and so does Salomone brothers. Not sure if there is a minimum load requirement


----------



## S_Marino87

Thanks guys, spoke to someone at Downes looks like they can do it next week.


----------



## Tony_D

Day 2 of hardscape boot camp is done, back out here tomorrow. I can't thank @J.Ricci enough for the opportunity, not many people get to learn how to hardscape on a multi million dollar house.


----------



## Mike_C

Tony_D said:


> Day 2 of hardscape boot camp is done, back out here tomorrow. I can't thank @J.Ricci enough for the opportunity, not many people get to learn how to hardscape on a multi million dollar house.


You're learning from some of the best, soak it all in


----------



## shawn_

I wanna come learn .....

Just had this done at my house, it’s beautiful not complete yet.


----------



## truckie80

Tony_D said:


> Day 2 of hardscape boot camp is done, back out here tomorrow. I can't thank @J.Ricci enough for the opportunity, not many people get to learn how to hardscape on a multi million dollar house.


From the scale of his projects, I could still learn some things from them and I'm twice your age. You're going to have a huge advantage going forward compared to other guys just starting out


----------



## sota

speaking of trees, if anyone near me needs to dispose of a bunch of excess logs after a major storm such as when Sandy hit, I'm more than willing to take them to cut up for firewood.


----------



## treeguyry

sota said:


> speaking of trees, if anyone near me needs to dispose of a bunch of excess logs after a major storm such as when Sandy hit, I'm more than willing to take them to cut up for firewood.


Where are you located? I've always got logs, all 20" plus in diameter, but everythings moved on the log truck so it's all 20-30ft lengths


----------



## V_Scapes

I would venture to say that our winter season has come to an abrupt end.


----------



## treeguyry

V_Scapes said:


> I would venture to say that our winter season has come to an abrupt end.


I really hope so


----------



## Petr51488

treeguyry said:


> Where are you located? I've always got logs, all 20" plus in diameter, but everythings moved on the log truck so it's all 20-30ft lengths


Free?


----------



## treeguyry

Petr51488 said:


> Free?


I sell most of my logs to a couple different mills, or as firewood but I do free loads if I'm in the area and need to turn the truck around quicker than going to the mill or my yard


----------



## sota

treeguyry said:


> Where are you located? I've always got logs, all 20" plus in diameter, but everythings moved on the log truck so it's all 20-30ft lengths


if you throw a rock off the rt 78 bridge at exit 43, you'll hit my house. 
if that general area works for you, let me know.


----------



## sota

V_Scapes said:


> I would venture to say that our winter season has come to an abrupt end.


While I'm highly disappointed in that observation (really wanted to see $5000 for the season), I'm planning on washing down the plow for the final time, and putting everything into the storage box tomorrow.

Semi-related in my mind... Discount Tire Direct has Falken tires with $100 discount on a set of 4. Thinking of Wildpeak AT3W for the Jeep, and Azenis RT660 for the neon. almost $1200 in tires for 2 vehicles, but they need 'em.

also tomorrow i'm getting jiggy with my soda blaster, and figuring out if I can get these wheels prepped sooner rather than later.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> I would venture to say that our winter season has come to an abrupt end.


Put a fork in it, the fat lady must have snuck up on us. Snow season is over. Looks like warmer temps for next week.


----------



## iceyman

V_Scapes said:


> I would venture to say that our winter season has come to an abrupt end.


Dont be so sure


----------



## iceyman

sota said:


> While I'm highly disappointed in that observation (really wanted to see $5000 for the season), I'm planning on washing down the plow for the final time, and putting everything into the storage box tomorrow.
> 
> Semi-related in my mind... Discount Tire Direct has Falken tires with $100 discount on a set of 4. Thinking of Wildpeak AT3W for the Jeep, and Azenis RT660 for the neon. almost $1200 in tires for 2 vehicles, but they need 'em.
> 
> also tomorrow i'm getting jiggy with my soda blaster, and figuring out if I can get these wheels prepped sooner rather than later.


Are u a sub? I had my best winter yet.. added 2 trucks since our last real winter 3 years ago so that helps


----------



## iceyman

Quick way to spend $4300.. black cherries from oregon


----------



## S_Marino87

iceyman said:


> Are u a sub? I had my best winter yet.. added 2 trucks since our last real winter 3 years ago so that helps


Sub here, almost 12k for the season with only one repair bill. No complaints on my end


----------



## shawn_

I was going to say. My sub that bought a plow right after the Super Bowl Sunday storm still ended up making like 4K for the season.

my top guy forget about it ..... best year to invest into a plow. Paid it off then some .


----------



## treeguyry

I billed close to 100k in snow this year. I'm almost considering not getting out....nah Forget that


----------



## AllAboutGreen

all my subs and my shoveling guys killed it this year...every storm was a long duration storm minus super bowl sunday storm


----------



## AllAboutGreen

I have a feeling mother nature is going to show her ugly head again right when we are about to send the guys out to get started landscaping


----------



## shawn_

treeguyry said:


> I billed close to 100k in snow this year. I'm almost considering not getting out....nah Forget that


Not sure how you could ever want to be done with snow. It's awesome , it's always different variables , different conditions , different every single time . Gives stress and uncertainty. It's the perfect job.


----------



## treeguyry

I get enough stress and uncertainty, I climb trees and do high risk removals everyday and I’m dating a girl that’s half Puerto Rican half Italian. That being said it’s not as easy to get out after a year like this as it would have been last year


----------



## J.Ricci

treeguyry said:


> I get enough stress and uncertainty, I climb trees and do high risk removals everyday and I'm dating a girl that's half Puerto Rican half Italian. That being said it's not as easy to get out after a year like this as it would have been last year


Trees are no big deal you get way more headaches at home


----------



## sota

iceyman said:


> Are u a sub? I had my best winter yet.. added 2 trucks since our last real winter 3 years ago so that helps


I am.


----------



## sota

I'm beginning to get the feeling that the 70 an hour I get paid isn't enough.


----------



## truckie80

treeguyry said:


> I billed close to 100k in snow this year. I'm almost considering not getting out....nah Forget that


That's a hell of a last season in the rat race


----------



## treeguyry

sota said:


> I'm beginning to get the feeling that the 70 an hour I get paid isn't enough.


For a jeep with a straight blade, that's plenty fair. I was getting $100/hr when I was subbing a few years back for a 3/4 ton with a wideout and I knew the route better than the guy I was working for. I'm going back to working for him next winter just me in the truck, no shoveling, no figuring out when to go out just waiting for the call and going



truckie80 said:


> That's a hell of a last season in the rat race


The best grossing snow season I've had. A lot of tree gear shopping on tap for when I get back after next week


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Quick way to spend $4300.. black cherries from oregon


Making a large batch of boxed wine?


----------



## Tony_D

Another day down, this is like the opposite of school I don't want the week to end. But it was a little intimidating finding out the tractor trailer load of material yesterday was just the first of 4. Started setting retaining wall block today


----------



## J.Ricci

Tony_D said:


> Another day down, this is like the opposite of school I don't want the week to end. But it was a little intimidating finding out the tractor trailer load of material yesterday was just the first of 4. Started setting retaining wall block today


4-5 more loads on this job still


----------



## truckie80

Holy cow, 8-9 trailer loads of block?


----------



## V_Scapes

truckie80 said:


> Holy cow, 8-9 trailer loads of block?


Seriously.

On the topic of hardscape, I priced out Travertine for a good customer for the first time today. Good grief that stuff is expensive.


----------



## J.Ricci

truckie80 said:


> Holy cow, 8-9 trailer loads of block?


Mostly bluestone & eldorado.



V_Scapes said:


> Seriously.
> 
> On the topic of hardscape, I priced out Travertine for a good customer for the first time today. Good grief that stuff is expensive.


Looks really sleek when it's done though


----------



## V_Scapes

J.Ricci said:


> Mostly bluestone & eldorado.
> 
> Looks really sleek when it's done though


I'm sure it does. Never used it before.


----------



## shawn_

treeguyry said:


> I get enough stress and uncertainty, I climb trees and do high risk removals everyday and I'm dating a girl that's half Puerto Rican half Italian. That being said it's not as easy to get out after a year like this as it would have been last year


Oh I know the feeling of the Prican / mines 100% prican - and I'm Italian what a mix :hammerhead:

@sota 70$ an hour for a jeep and a plow is not too bad . Most of my guys get 100-125. Depending on equipment / experience also doing commercial work.


----------



## HarryTHook

treeguyry said:


> I was getting $100/hr when I was subbing a few years back for a 3/4 ton with a wideout and I knew the route better than the guy I was working for. I'm going back to working for him next winter just me in the truck, no shoveling, no figuring out when to go out just waiting for the call and going


I just bid on another truck, 2019 silverado 2500hd. No way It's gonna work for $100 per hour. But plow stuff is dropping in price like crazy, people running away with fat pockets.


----------



## sota

shawn_ said:


> @sota 70$ an hour for a jeep and a plow is not too bad . Most of my guys get 100-125. Depending on equipment / experience also doing commercial work.


I'm all residential. It's pretty much why he hired me.



treeguyry said:


> For a jeep with a straight blade, that's plenty fair. I was getting $100/hr when I was subbing a few years back for a 3/4 ton with a wideout and I knew the route better than the guy I was working for. I'm going back to working for him next winter just me in the truck, no shoveling, no figuring out when to go out just waiting for the call and going


Good to know. And yea I know my route better than the "boss" does... partially because i'm the one who laid it out.  He's horrible about having a logical arrangement of the places he goes.
I also have "trap doors" in various places in the route, so if need be I can change it up on the fly, due to road conditions (like that storm where people were abandoning cars and trees were down all over) or other situations. Heck there's one spot in it that it's a 50/50 split on if I go "left" or "right" at a particular intersection, depending on if the road over the mountain is closed. We averaged 75% efficiency for this season, which I think is pretty damn good overall, with 29 stops, and 42 miles covered.


----------



## MKWL2

AllAboutGreen said:


> I have a feeling mother nature is going to show her ugly head again right when we are about to send the guys out to get started landscaping


Sure looks like it- warm, beautiful week next week followed by temps back in the mid 40's for highs, lows around 25-30 for the subsequent week... not putting plows and salters away until April 1st... March will throw us something almost certainly.


----------



## MKWL2

shawn_ said:


> Not sure how you could ever want to be done with snow. It's awesome , it's always different variables , different conditions , different every single time . Gives stress and uncertainty. It's the perfect job.


Insurance cost is getting to the point of being insane for snow, if you can even get it. Spoke with my agent about it, turns out I stand to save 40% or better off my policy for the year if I don't renew snow for next winter. That's pretty compelling given the fact that before February of this year, I was in the hole on snow the previous 2 seasons with insurance premiums. That coupled with the wear and tear on the trucks, salt damage, wear and tear on myself and my guys, the wife close to getting ready to kill me after February... and it would sure be nice to be able to go away for a week or so over the winter and not have to worry about snow. We shall see


----------



## sota

queue all the karens and kevins, *****ing their perms off their heads, about not being able to get someone to plow their driveway, or getting no-shows because low-ballers decide it's not worth it.


----------



## sota

In fact, I'm going to have a talk with the "boss" about if he does contracts with his clients or not, and if he doesn't be prepared to drop the problem children if he's scaring up new work because of this. He also needs to lay down the law more with these people:

if you keep vehicles outside, move them to better spots so I can plow. i'm willing to stop by and take 10 minutes to go over it with them if needed.
we come when we come, not when you want us to. that includes both frequency of visits and timing. if you want "priority" then you'll need to pay more. if you don't want us coming multiple times during a storm, then find someone else.
probably some stuff i'm forgetting.


----------



## S_Marino87

MKWL2 said:


> Sure looks like it- warm, beautiful week next week followed by temps back in the mid 40's for highs, lows around 25-30 for the subsequent week... not putting plows and salters away until April 1st... March will throw us something almost certainly.


I'm starting an add-a-level tomorrow, so we will probably see some snow soon. Plus my new truck will be in early next week, so it will probably be christened by salt in true NJ fashion


----------



## truckie80

S_Marino87 said:


> I'm starting an add-a-level tomorrow, so we will probably see some snow soon. Plus my new truck will be in early next week, so it will probably be christened by salt in true NJ fashion


Plow truck?


----------



## demetrios007

shawn_ said:


> I wanna come learn .....
> 
> Just had this done at my house, it's beautiful not complete yet.


Forgive me if you already know or did it.....get some material against that outer edge pronto whether fill or dga amd pack it in. The existing grade is way low with no restraint edging that's a washout edge waiting to happen. Looks really nice


----------



## shawn_

demetrios007 said:


> Forgive me if you already know or did it.....get some material against that outer edge pronto whether fill or dga amd pack it in. The existing grade is way low with no restraint edging that's a washout edge waiting to happen. Looks really nice


I don't know how to do it , that's why I said I want to learn I was not being sarcastic I'm paying someone to do that .....

And thank you for advice I'll look into it tomorrow


----------



## S_Marino87

truckie80 said:


> Plow truck?


Nothing exciting just another box truck


----------



## MGLC

I'm starting a few jobs next week, weather looks great. The following week, not so much


----------



## J.Ricci

S_Marino87 said:


> Nothing exciting just another box truck


If you're selling the old one let me know


----------



## djt1029

I don’t even want to think about starting yet....but unfortunately we’ll probably work a couple days next week


----------



## gman2310

Anyone know of a wideout for sale?


----------



## UniqueTouch

treeguyry said:


> I get enough stress and uncertainty, I climb trees and do high risk removals everyday and I'm dating a girl that's half Puerto Rican half Italian. That being said it's not as easy to get out after a year like this as it would have been last year


That is the funniest thing ive heard in a long time... thank you for the laugh i needed it big time


----------



## shawn_

gman2310 said:


> Anyone know of a wideout for sale?


I have a wideout XL that I'd consider parting ways with . 2 years old . But you know the drill only used this year LOL


----------



## MKWL2

djt1029 said:


> I don't even want to think about starting yet....but unfortunately we'll probably work a couple days next week


Snow melted there? We are still at a good 75-90% covered here- good 8-12" on the ground in most places


----------



## djt1029

MKWL2 said:


> Snow melted there? We are still at a good 75-90% covered here- good 8-12" on the ground in most places


Decent melting but it's still around, We're still at least 2 weeks out for cleanups but I've got some other stuff we can do around what's left


----------



## UniqueTouch

If anyone in the holmdel area and if it begins to snow if you can please post on here id appreciate it. Need to get a set of eyes out there so i dont have to cruise out there all the time. Ill take a salt run though


----------



## UniqueTouch

IF anyone looking for new insurance company let me know. I have no skin in the game just found a new guy who was recommended to me and i used to have merchants insurance but they didnt want to give me commercial coverage on the snow anymore only residential and it was still going to be the same price and I didn't have any claims so I didn't understand why they wouldnt give to me. So i switched companies with the same numbers except I pay 40% less now. If interested Private message me


----------



## sota

So... the A-frame on my plow, the two ears that are bolt attached to the gear frame, are starting to wallow out.










what do people do to repair or correct that? I tried making a sleeve, but that didn't work for very long. should i just break out the welder, fill in the hole enough to make it mostly round, then grind or drill it back to round? get plates made with the correct size holes, and weld the plates to the outside of the ears?
I don't really want to replace the frame, as nothing else is wrong with it, and it's $450+


----------



## shawn_

UniqueTouch said:


> IF anyone looking for new insurance company let me know. I have no skin in the game just found a new guy who was recommended to me and i used to have merchants insurance but they didnt want to give me commercial coverage on the snow anymore only residential and it was still going to be the same price and I didn't have any claims so I didn't understand why they wouldnt give to me. So i switched companies with the same numbers except I pay 40% less now. If interested Private message me


Sent a PM - always worth a look


----------



## S_Marino87

J.Ricci said:


> If you're selling the old one let me know


I'm just adding another truck, I recently got a contract installing partitions in a ton of restaurants so the van will be doing that until around Christmas. I do know a guy selling one though, I'll DM you his info


----------



## truckie80

S_Marino87 said:


> I'm just adding another truck, I recently got a contract installing partitions in a ton of restaurants so the van will be doing that until around Christmas. I do know a guy selling one though, I'll DM you his info


That sounds like a real good job


----------



## Mike_C

Another beautiful day in Florida, I'm about ready to move down here


----------



## Randall Ave

Where i get fuel, they just jumped diesel from 2.99 to 3.19 a gallon.
Just want ta say, hey thanks uncle Joe. Now if I say what I am thinking I will get a months ban.


----------



## V_Scapes

Mike_C said:


> Another beautiful day in Florida, I'm about ready to move down here


Got a flight booked for Friday morning can't wait.


----------



## Randall Ave

Mike_C said:


> Another beautiful day in Florida, I'm about ready to move down here


Is everything open up down there?


----------



## Mike_C

V_Scapes said:


> Got a flight booked for Friday morning can't wait.


We're leaving Thursday, I'd like to extend it



Randall Ave said:


> Is everything open up down there?


Not only that but I haven't even put a mask on in days


----------



## S_Marino87

Mike_C said:


> We're leaving Thursday, I'd like to extend it
> 
> Not only that but I haven't even put a mask on in days


Booked a flight for next month


----------



## Petr51488

Randall Ave said:


> Where i get fuel, they just jumped diesel from 2.99 to 3.19 a gallon.
> Just want ta say, hey thanks uncle Joe. Now if I say what I am thinking I will get a months ban.


It's funny because I read an article online where they were defending Biden and saying it's not his fault that oil is going up. I laughed because I have never read an article where they were defending trump for anything.


----------



## J.Ricci

Mike_C said:


> Not only that but I haven't even put a mask on in days


That must be like that "freedom" kamala was talking about


----------



## treeguyry

Landed in Myrtle Beach earlier today, it's a completely different world


----------



## Tony_D

My sister's down in Florida this week with her friends, all I keep seeing on Instagram are packed bars and clubs. I just turned 21 like a month ago and feel like I'm never going to experience that stuff up here


----------



## V_Scapes

Snow stops and everyone leaves the state, love to see it.


----------



## J.Ricci

treeguyry said:


> Landed in Myrtle Beach earlier today, it's a completely different world


How long are you there for? I'm driving down later this week


----------



## S_Marino87

J.Ricci said:


> How long are you there for? I'm driving down later this week


How long's that drive?


----------



## shawn_

Florida is my least favorite place in the country unless your in Miami which is over priced but fun..... 

Heading to Virginia this weekend for a fishing trip .

would be awesome if some people really stopped taking advantage of the 30 day net so I can start collecting some money everyone is still being slow


----------



## V_Scapes

shawn_ said:


> would be awesome if some people really stopped taking advantage of the 30 day net so I can start collecting some money everyone is still being slow


30 days? Why give them the option. My invoices are due on receipt.


----------



## J.Ricci

S_Marino87 said:


> How long's that drive?


Should be a little under 10hrs, not a big deal after South Dakota.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Kamala will be sworn in by June mark my words


----------



## Randall Ave

shawn_ said:


> Florida is my least favorite place in the country unless your in Miami which is over priced but fun.....
> 
> Heading to Virginia this weekend for a fishing trip .
> 
> would be awesome if some people really stopped taking advantage of the 30 day net so I can start collecting some money everyone is still being slow


You want to get paid, your funny. I'm printing out invoices that are overdue at the moment.


----------



## shawn_

I figured 30’day net is industry standard in almost everyone’s business I’ve spoken too. I’ve always had 30 day net . How does the pay right away work? And are you doing all commercial ?


----------



## treeguyry

J.Ricci said:


> How long are you there for? I'm driving down later this week


Leaving Sunday morning. I'm staying at the Marriott if you're in the area let me know we'll grab a drink


----------



## truckie80

Lol nobody’s left in the Tri-State. Half the guys from my company and our sister engine are away also


----------



## AllAboutGreen

Anyone elses guys already starting the usual landscaping BS..... I dont like working with him, I want to work more hours (until its 90 in July and they tell me they are exhausted) , I need more money...blah blah. Im considering getting out of the landscaping and just doing the snow. I cant take this BS.....

I need to get away like the rest of you guys....


----------



## iceyman

Even my cheap diesel stations are over 3$ now.. cant wait til its $4+ this summer


----------



## sota

all my invoices for my computer biz are due on receipt.
never had a client complain.


----------



## J.Ricci

treeguyry said:


> Leaving Sunday morning. I'm staying at the Marriott if you're in the area let me know we'll grab a drink


Sounds good to me, I'll be down there late Thursday


----------



## V_Scapes

shawn_ said:


> I figured 30'day net is industry standard in almost everyone's business I've spoken too. I've always had 30 day net . How does the pay right away work? And are you doing all commercial ?


I used to be at 30 days. I consider snow emergency work and feel we should be paid ASAP. Having the terms at due on receipt doesn't get you paid right away but it's an attempt to create a sense of urgency.


----------



## shawn_

V_Scapes said:


> I used to be at 30 days. I consider snow emergency work and feel we should be paid ASAP. Having the terms at due on receipt doesn't get you paid right away but it's an attempt to create a sense of urgency.


Good too know, I will look into it. Because honestly it's the same 5 customers that pay weekly or so after a invoice is sent the rest I need to start sending reminders & then late fee notices before checks start flying in.

yesterday was awesome I came home from work, had a check 1 check out of 26 customers


----------



## AllAboutGreen

Except for the big guys I bill due upon receipt, the large companies pay net 30. This year they have been net 30 to the day.


----------



## iceyman

Beauty today


----------



## Mike_C

I'm about 50/50, due upon receipt vs 30 days. Almost none actually pay for 2 weeks but that third week I get a burst of checks.


----------



## Petr51488

I know it’s warm out today- and this week- but I think we’re done for the season. Was hoping for one more so I wouldn’t have to start landscaping - but my hopes are running dry.


----------



## shawn_

Petr51488 said:


> I know it's warm out today- and this week- but I think we're done for the season. Was hoping for one more so I wouldn't have to start landscaping - but my hopes are running dry.


it's coming


----------



## MGLC

Cleanups in 2 weeks


----------



## treeguyry

The way the weather is back home I'm going to have an awful lot of messages to catch up on when I get back


----------



## MKWL2

AllAboutGreen said:


> Anyone elses guys already starting the usual landscaping BS..... I dont like working with him, I want to work more hours (until its 90 in July and they tell me they are exhausted) , I need more money...blah blah. Im considering getting out of the landscaping and just doing the snow. I cant take this BS.....
> 
> I need to get away like the rest of you guys....


The BS never ends... gets worse every year


----------



## MKWL2

UniqueTouch said:


> Kamala will be sworn in by June mark my words


Then we're really scre**d...


----------



## V_Scapes

I'm eyeing the 29th to start cleanups, some parts of my service area are still buried. Wrapped up some loose ends with the equipment today so we're ready to go.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> I'm eyeing the 29th to start cleanups, some parts of my service area are still buried. Wrapped up some loose ends with the equipment today so we're ready to go.


Start dates seem to be all over the map from
Guys I have talked to- some guys are starting Monday, most on the 22nd, you and one other guy the 29th and one guy April 10th lol


----------



## Randall Ave

Real nice day today, but not as much melted as I thought would.


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> Start dates seem to be all over the map from
> Guys I have talked to- some guys are starting Monday, most on the 22nd, you and one other guy the 29th and one guy April 10th lol


Your in Bergen I'm sure there's almost no snow anymore. The snow pack has taken a beating here but we still have some decent piles, not to mention the mud coming in the next two weeks. If we start too early and fly through clean ups we burn through work before the lawns start cranking, so I wait a few extra days.


----------



## djt1029

We're starting cleanups the 22nd, my customers backyards are still partially buried and the shady areas but by late next week we should be fine. Starting other work tomorrow though, unfortunately.


----------



## Tony_D

My postcards should be in people's mailboxes Monday or Tuesday. I told my guy we'll start cleanups March 29th. I still have a couple days of hardscape academy left then next week I'll finish getting my stuff ready


----------



## S_Marino87

Almost all the snow's gone at my house other than where I stacked it


----------



## AG09

I am hoping to start cleanups next week sometime. This way I get a jump on them. Worst case scenario we push them back to start on the 22nd. Got a call today to rip out a bunch of shrubs due to the plow guy damaging them by burying everything at a commercial lot.


----------



## Randall Ave

AG09 said:


> I am hoping to start cleanups next week sometime. This way I get a jump on them. Worst case scenario we push them back to start on the 22nd. Got a call today to rip out a bunch of shrubs due to the plow guy damaging them by burying everything at a commercial lot.


Them plow guys suck.


----------



## Randall Ave

Channel 12, just caught the end. Possible snow South Jersey on Monday? You guys keep it down there.


----------



## J.Ricci

Bought a pair of 10ft straightblades today on the yearly "winter's over" clearance sale.


----------



## V_Scapes

J.Ricci said:


> Bought a pair of 10ft straightblades today on the yearly "winter's over" clearance sale.


There's so much snow equipment for sale it's unbelievable.


----------



## AG09

Randall Ave said:


> Them plow guys suck.


I went there today and it wasnt even that bad, but im not gonna turn down the money to prune away the busted branches. Most was of it wasnt even from the snowplowing/stacking it was the from the heavy wet snow sitting on top. Surprising 99% of the snow was melted so I will be starting the spring cleanup up there Monday followed by mulch.


----------



## AG09

J.Ricci said:


> Bought a pair of 10ft straightblades today on the yearly "winter's over" clearance sale.





V_Scapes said:


> There's so much snow equipment for sale it's unbelievable.


Where you guys finding it on FB marketplace or craigslist?


----------



## J.Ricci

AG09 said:


> Where you guys finding it on FB marketplace or craigslist?


I'm finding stuff on marketplace, haven't seen much of anything on craigslist yet. I only went there for one plow but next thing I knew we were loading 2...that's my story and I'm sticking to it


----------



## V_Scapes

AG09 said:


> Where you guys finding it on FB marketplace or craigslist?


Follow Snow Contractors of America on facebook


----------



## MGLC

V_Scapes said:


> Follow Snow Contractors of America on facebook


Soon to be snow contractors of the people's republic of china


----------



## Tony_D

MGLC said:


> Soon to be snow contractors of the people's republic of china


Chy-na


----------



## UniqueTouch

lot of guys here started cleanups already. I dont think they do snow so need to get some money coming in which i can understand. I just dont want to start and then more snow and a bunch of more crap falls from the trees


----------



## UniqueTouch

Also had an interesting day yesterday. Had a property owner/management company owner email me yesterday of a small aluminum sign post that was broken and ran over laying on the ground and my snow stake standing beautifully up right and tiny little piece of the post on the black top with dirt on the black top right around the curb where it was like as if they starting putting sign posts up and dug the whole and than someone ran over it and it was easy to take a pic and try and blame me. I go back to my footage from my initial walk through for prior to my quote and also when we staked the property and also my gopro vids of me plowing and there was nothing there. Trying to scam me which really pisses me off. It wasted 4 hours of my day yesterday combing through videos. Always the people with money that want to scam me. Plus the snows been melted for weeks not there and he just emails now? I want to see the receipt for when that post was installed. At the end of the day I shouldnt even care because my contract clearly says i am not responsible for any damage or and slip and falls, but figured he try and get me for some $$


----------



## UniqueTouch

Also I told him on december 16 7.1 inches fell in hazlet and that was prior to me having the account. i didnt get it until jan 1st. I told him from the complaint your tenant's manager had because the mouth of the driveways wasn't curb to curb because of the whack jobs that can't give you a minute to work because they need their coffee or their new bowl or bong from the smoke shop. So i said if she complained about that Im sure theres no way you let a 7 inch storm go without plowing. Prob grabbed some random guy and he busted it and decided to drop it there once the time was right.


----------



## Western1

I have damage reports need to be made within 24?hours


----------



## Western1

Not sure why ? Is there. Fat fingers


----------



## sota

@UniqueTouch sounds like a client you should drop after being paid in full.

in not just this area of life but in all it seems, people need the equivalent of a smack in the face for some of their behaviors.


----------



## J.Ricci

Damage reports should be within 24-48hrs if they miss the window it’s BS 99.9% of the time


----------



## UniqueTouch

yes im done with them once this year is over. drove from ocean township to hazlet 4 times storm when i was only getting paid for one plowing per storm. I go out of my way and than this is how i get treated. pisses me off


----------



## Mattymax

How many guys packed their snow crap away yet ? I am waiting but very eager to. 

Next 2 weeks look ok


----------



## MGLC

All the small stuff is packed away, plows are still accessible but out of the way, and all but one site machine is back at the yard


----------



## V_Scapes

Still have one truck set up but everything is washed. I'll put everything away after the 19th.


----------



## sota

i'm seeing nothing in the 10-day that's making me think I made a mistake taking the jeep apart.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Still have one truck set up but everything is washed. I'll put everything away after the 19th.


I'm working on landscapers trucks, my plows are off, and I have no intention of putting them back on.


----------



## AG09

I have one truck still set up just in case. We prob will get one more since I just had all my stuff detailed today.


----------



## MKWL2

Anyone see the models for next Friday? Looks like another couple inches... figures... we just out most of the snow stuff away and cleaned everything up nicely


----------



## Pa Plowman

Any of you guys the operator of Twinn Cedars Landscaping? Saw a couple of their Plow Trucks sitting at the Home Depot in Tom's River today


----------



## djt1029

MKWL2 said:


> Anyone see the models for next Friday? Looks like another couple inches... figures... we just out most of the snow stuff away and cleaned everything up nicely


It will probably happen, cleanups scheduled for the following Monday


----------



## MKWL2

djt1029 said:


> It will probably happen, cleanups scheduled for the following Monday


We might have to bump back to the 29th... lawns are still partially covered and what's not covered is soaking wet.


----------



## gman2310

Pa Plowman said:


> Any of you guys the operator of Twinn Cedars Landscaping? Saw a couple of their Plow Trucks sitting at the Home Depot in Tom's River today


Those trucks are always there


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> We might have to bump back to the 29th... lawns are still partially covered and what's not covered is soaking wet.


Told ya.


----------



## Petr51488

MKWL2 said:


> Anyone see the models for next Friday? Looks like another couple inches... figures... we just out most of the snow stuff away and cleaned everything up nicely


The only time of year I want snow haha. Keeps me from starting work and dealing with bs from now up until Christmas.


----------



## S_Marino87

I've got a bunch of pallets blocking my plow in right now. Wonderful


----------



## HarryTHook

Mattymax said:


> How many guys packed their snow crap away yet ? I am waiting but very eager to.
> 
> Next 2 weeks look ok


April 1st they go away. Philly area always likes to get that mid to late March thing.


----------



## iceyman

2 chances next week tuesday and friday


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> 2 chances next week tuesday and friday


Would have to snow like a mother for it to stick.


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> 2 chances next week tuesday and friday


Don't even say things like that.


----------



## Tony_D

I moved my plow to behind my trailer right before I came on here and saw that it might snow next week. Awesome


----------



## sota

it's not gonna snow.


----------



## MKWL2

Time for an anti snow dance lol... bring on spring


----------



## MGLC

Started planting today and my first 2 loads of mulch came in. Feels like spring, which probably means it will snow


----------



## V_Scapes

@Mike_C still looking for an excavator?


----------



## iceyman

sota said:


> it's not gonna snow.


I hope not


----------



## Mike_C

V_Scapes said:


> @Mike_C still looking for an excavator?


I actually bought a PC170, it's a little smaller than I was looking for but I got such a good deal I couldn't pass it up. Got a good lead on something?


----------



## sota




----------



## V_Scapes

Mike_C said:


> I actually bought a PC170, it's a little smaller than I was looking for but I got such a good deal I couldn't pass it up. Got a good lead on something?


Saw a Hitachi 200 for sale for 15k.


----------



## truckie80

I got a bunch of calls over the last few days for extra work, anxious to get started


----------



## V_Scapes

truckie80 said:


> I got a bunch of calls over the last few days for extra work, anxious to get started


I had a few calls come in for some nice installation work too. I foresee it being a very busy spring and summer.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> I had a few calls come in for some nice installation work too. I foresee it being a very busy spring and summer.


Yup us too- get it while we can because when this housing bubble pops it's going to be a rough go for a lot of guys...


----------



## J.Ricci

I'm booked through late summer, I need to find someone to pass off some of the jobs that are too small to take on


----------



## kzog65

MKWL2 said:


> Yup us too- get it while we can because when this housing bubble pops it's going to be a rough go for a lot of guys...


My opinion, I think your a year, possibly two out before it bursts...still loads of folks coming over from across the river, and once this pandemic ends people are going to spend, travel, home improvement, autos, etc. The outlier of course is the new administration, gas prices, taxes, interest rates, all of which could counter / quash additional spending.


----------



## AG09

J.Ricci said:


> I'm booked through late summer, I need to find someone to pass off some of the jobs that are too small to take on


Thats a good problem to have! What size job is small to you?


----------



## gman2310

The issue starting up is gonna be laborers. They can make more money staying home.


----------



## J.Ricci

AG09 said:


> Thats a good problem to have! What size job is small to you?


$15k minimum unless its one of the builders/developers, or a previous customer. I really try to stick with jobs at least double that size though


----------



## S_Marino87

J.Ricci said:


> $15k minimum unless its one of the builders/developers, or a previous customer. I really try to stick with jobs at least double that size though


Holy smokes, what's your average job size if thats your bare minimum?


----------



## MKWL2

Anyone down near Lakewood seeing an impact from the brush fires? Just heard on the news they have the parkway closed both ways with fires jumping across the road


----------



## shawn_

MKWL2 said:


> Anyone down near Lakewood seeing an impact from the brush fires? Just heard on the news they have the parkway closed both ways with fires jumping across the road


It's crazy there's also a fire in penns grove NJ . Spreading fast .


----------



## J.Ricci

S_Marino87 said:


> Holy smokes, what's your average job size if thats your bare minimum?


My average job is between 50-100k



MKWL2 said:


> Anyone down near Lakewood seeing an impact from the brush fires? Just heard on the news they have the parkway closed both ways with fires jumping across the road


My company's been there since late afternoon but I was driving home from Myrtle Beach. Heading to the station in about an hour to see where we're being sent.


----------



## truckie80

J.Ricci said:


> My average job is between 50-100k
> 
> My company's been there since late afternoon but I was driving home from Myrtle Beach. Heading to the station in about an hour to see where we're being sent.


Be safe out there tonight


----------



## AG09

gman2310 said:


> The issue starting up is gonna be laborers. They can make more money staying home.


I agree somewhat, but the good thing is they arent making as much money as last year when all this started because they were getting an extra 600 on top of unemployment. I know my guys that are laid off collecting unemployment plus the 300 extra from the fed still make more working with me rather than staying home so they rather work. However, I do think some guys out there are lazy and just want the hand out. I also do not understand why its tough to find guys when the restaurant/bar industry is taking a beating from being restricted/closed. Where did all those employees go? They cant be making that much on unemployment.


----------



## AG09

J.Ricci said:


> $15k minimum unless its one of the builders/developers, or a previous customer. I really try to stick with jobs at least double that size though


If you have any small jobs in North Jersey that you do not want let me know.


----------



## UniqueTouch

I can’t find any full time laborers .


----------



## UniqueTouch

Figured they’d be lining up to get unemployment and cash but no dice


----------



## UniqueTouch

Hey yall its me. I have a 246c caterpillar 2008 want to get a dump trailer that it will fit in. Does anyone use a dump trailer to move equipment? if so what is the smallest I would need? richie specs says 5.5 ft wide and 12.11 ft long. Which sucks because i was hoping to get a 7x12 dump trailer which i guess i could if i can fit bucket in back of truck but not sure if that possible. any ideas?


----------



## truckie80

My dump trailers 7x14 obviously moves my ditchwitch easily, but it moves bigger stuff when I need to rent also. Go for the extra 2 feet, makes a huge difference


----------



## UniqueTouch

ok than you truckie i appreciate it ima go 7x14 thank you


----------



## UniqueTouch

i need some more help from you landscapers. My good friend and old neighbor also a veteran just a hell of a good dude. He has been saving money for years to fix up house and property and finally made it to the outside of the house. he has so many trees that the whole front yard was basically moss. A lot of trees came down after hurricane sandy and now he has a tree guy coming in in the next couple of weeks to take a bunch more out. his front yard is on a hill that has an old cement walk that he wants gone and replaced with pavers and also maybe a small retaining wall at the bottom of the yard near the side walk that goes around the whole front of his home. I will add pics. He also has a old irrigation system which he said was there 15 years before he moved it. Never tried it so he wants a new one installed. My question is what should he do first? grade the lawn? put sidewalk and retaining wall in? do a rough grade first and then put pavers in? he also wants to top soil the whole yard and do seed or sod. So I honestly dont know what should go first. I thought maybe irrigation first but if there are some spots where old trees were and were removed and now little sink holes may need to be cut with the bucket im afraid irrigation would get hit possibly. what would you all do?


----------



## UniqueTouch




----------



## treeguyry

J.Ricci said:


> My average job is between 50-100k


Damn. How big of an area do you cover? I would think you need to travel around to keep jobs that size lined up


----------



## iceyman

treeguyry said:


> Damn. How big of an area do you cover? I would think you need to travel around to keep jobs that size lined up


Not in monmouth county lol


----------



## AG09

treeguyry said:


> Damn. How big of an area do you cover? I would think you need to travel around to keep jobs that size lined up


Those size jobs are pretty common nowadays especially with so many people putting in pools, outdoor living areas, etc.


----------



## J.Ricci

If the price and job are right, I'll go just about anywhere in Jersey, and into Staten Island / Eastern PA. Right now I have one job going close to 2 hours north of here, but that one is 300k +



iceyman said:


> Not in monmouth county lol


Lol Monmouth is very, very good to me


----------



## treeguyry

J.Ricci said:


> If the price and job are right, I'll go just about anywhere in Jersey, and into Staten Island / Eastern PA. Right now I have one job going close to 2 hours north of here, but that one is 300k +


Wow, that must be a hell of a yard!


----------



## V_Scapes

J.Ricci said:


> If the price and job are right, I'll go just about anywhere in Jersey, and into Staten Island / Eastern PA. Right now I have one job going close to 2 hours north of here, but that one is 300k +
> 
> Lol Monmouth is very, very good to me


Your guys travel four hours round trip every day?


----------



## J.Ricci

It's more like 3.5 hours from my yard. A few of my guys on that job live north of the yard so they go straight to the site in the morning, but 2 go from the yard.


----------



## rizzoa13

If the money is there we were traveling 5 hours each way to do commercial work 2 times a week. It becomes very easy to justify when the checks start rolling in.


----------



## UniqueTouch

any hardscaping guys do work in monmouth county interested in doing some work for me? Trying to help out a really good friend of mine. Veteran.


----------



## demetrios007

Unique touch I looked at the pics. Honestly unless the guy wants to spend money for looks theres no wall needed. He can just do a walkway and steps from wall block amd replace what's there. The biggest issue is the orientation from the house. The trees in back are huge and block the sun. To rid the moss he needs sum not shade. Tree guy needs to open up the back trees as much as possible. For the front take trees out and yank stumps. Regrade if he wants or just bring in topsoil and grade that. If dirt there already is good you can just Harley rake the whole thing. Then run sprinklers and repair or adjust whats there. It's likely poly pipe same as today no reason to rip out. Add on to it and replace heads and control. Then seed or sod it


----------



## UniqueTouch

thank you demetrious I appreciate it very much. Tree guy is coming. I told him the same thing about the wall in the front. I said once you have real grass growing its not going to be an issue. thank you very much for your time


----------



## J.Ricci

UniqueTouch said:


> any hardscaping guys do work in monmouth county interested in doing some work for me? Trying to help out a really good friend of mine. Veteran.


What's his time frame?


----------



## Tony_D

Got a couple calls today from people who got the mailers already. Two estimates for later this afternoon


----------



## djt1029

Estimates all day tomorrow from 8:30AM - 5PM. Here we go


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> Estimates all day tomorrow from 8:30AM - 5PM. Here we go


I'm in sunny florida until Friday, I expect a flood of messages when I get back. Already have work to look at on Saturday.


----------



## shawn_

Monday morning was like Christmas , 8 places sent checks . Still waiting on a TON of money. Maybe I can buy some new toys when they pay


----------



## demetrios007

Headed to FL on the 3rd for a week. I'm jealous you're already there Vscapes. Look forward to warmth and no stupid masks


----------



## Mike_C

demetrios007 said:


> Headed to FL on the 3rd for a week. I'm jealous you're already there Vscapes. Look forward to warmth and no stupid masks


Enjoy. I just got back from there, best week in over a year. No masks, crowded restaurants and bars, it was great


----------



## V_Scapes

Mike_C said:


> Enjoy. I just got back from there, best week in over a year. No masks, crowded restaurants and bars, it was great


Not sure where you were but the weather in SWFLA is absolutely incredible.


----------



## Mike_C

I spent the first half of the day in Manhattan looking a few jobs, what a ghost town. Never in my life have I seen so many vacant stores


----------



## V_Scapes

Mike_C said:


> I spent the first half of the day in Manhattan looking a few jobs, what a ghost town. Never in my life have I seen so many vacant stores


My buddies family has a big hvac company with a majority of their work in the city, he said the same. Long time until hotels will be fully open.


----------



## Randall Ave

Unless they do something about the crime and the crazies, I do not see it coming back anytime soon.


----------



## shawn_

I’d imagine real estate is the thing to buy now
In the city . Everyone moving out I eould
Imagine the prices dropped


----------



## djt1029

11 estimates today, would've been 12 but I walked away from one when I saw the homeowner standing in the yard alone with a mask and a face shield...


----------



## V_Scapes

I think I'm going to send the guys out for a few days next week to start cleanups, they're chomping at the bit to get going.


----------



## demetrios007

Sunday the weather breaks and starts high 50s to 60s daily for the extended forecast. Finally gonna be outta the woods


----------



## Tony_D

3 new maintenance accounts, a mulch job and another job ripping out a bunch of old overgrown bushes. Not bad for only a few days since people got the postcards. I think we'll start some cleanups next week



Mike_C said:


> I spent the first half of the day in Manhattan looking a few jobs, what a ghost town. Never in my life have I seen so many vacant stores


Do you do a lot of work in the city?


----------



## V_Scapes

Tony_D said:


> 3 new maintenance accounts, a mulch job and another job ripping out a bunch of old overgrown bushes. Not bad for only a few days since people got the postcards. I think we'll start some cleanups next week
> 
> Do you do a lot of work in the city?


Good to see your off to a solid start. Be sure to put together a good facebook page so people can tag your business for referrals.
Did you decide to finish out school?


----------



## Tony_D

I'm taking 2 online classes for the summer semester, one Friday afternoons late enough that I can work first and the other only meets 3 or 4 nights total and is just assignments besides that. I really hope I can take something in person when the fall semester starts because I know I'm going to hate the online stuff. Not going to learn anywhere close to as much as I did in hardscape boot camp though

I set up a business facebook last year and got some work from it, I want to put together a real website too and maybe an instagram


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> I think I'm going to send the guys out for a few days next week to start cleanups, they're chomping at the bit to get going.


Yep, we are starting Monday- weather next week looks great, too nice of a week not to try and get some cleanups knocked out.


----------



## MGLC

I've been running about half my guys everyday this week but next week is when everything really goes crazy. I'm not looking forward to the first few weeks of payroll though since I still have way more snow money out on the street than I should at this point


----------



## Tony_D

MGLC said:


> I've been running about half my guys everyday this week but next week is when everything really goes crazy. I'm not looking forward to the first few weeks of payroll though since I still have way more snow money out on the street than I should at this point


How many guys do you have normally?


----------



## shawn_

I set up a business facebook last year and got some work from it, I want to put together a real website too and maybe an instagram
[/QUOTE]

this is one of the best things you can do. it took my business being on google a few years before it started paying off but this year I'd say atleast 20 snow estimates came from a google search and them seeing my website I am number 2 on google search for my town and surrounding towns ...

I have a good website guy if you're interested . He does it on the side so he's reasonably priced and does beautiful work . Advertising and marketing is a huge aspect of the business especially when starting out.


----------



## MGLC

Tony_D said:


> How many guys do you have normally?


20 employees including my secretary and operations manager.


----------



## AG09

MGLC said:


> 20 employees including my secretary and operations manager.


All your same guys come back year after year?


----------



## MGLC

AG09 said:


> All your same guys come back year after year?


This year 19 of 20 were with me last year, there's usually only one or two new faces each year. I've got about a dozen guys who have been with me 10+ years. I do have a couple part timers in addition to the 20 full time, there's a little more turnover there


----------



## AG09

MGLC said:


> This year 19 of 20 were with me last year, there's usually only one or two new faces each year. I've got about a dozen guys who have been with me 10+ years. I do have a couple part timers in addition to the 20 full time, there's a little more turnover there


Thats awesome they have been with you that long. I feel like the old timers theres loyalty, but with the new comers there is none


----------



## treeguyry

Anyone have luck finding labor from craigslist? I could use one more ground laborer, it’s not urgent I can get by without but I’m just trying to save a little wear on my existing guys


----------



## S_Marino87

I never used craigslist but used indeed


----------



## Mike_C

Tony_D said:


> 3 new maintenance accounts, a mulch job and another job ripping out a bunch of old overgrown bushes. Not bad for only a few days since people got the postcards. I think we'll start some cleanups next week
> 
> Do you do a lot of work in the city?


Mainly for new developments but some maintenance as well. I already have more "urban" work than usual booked for this year between the city and here in NJ



treeguyry said:


> Anyone have luck finding labor from craigslist? I could use one more ground laborer, it's not urgent I can get by without but I'm just trying to save a little wear on my existing guys


Craiglist is pretty good for labor, especially if you're willing to train someone.


----------



## MGLC

AG09 said:


> Thats awesome they have been with you that long. I feel like the old timers theres loyalty, but with the new comers there is none


My first ever employee is still with me, I was 18 when I hired him. That core group of a dozen guys I really have no worries about, its the newer guys like you said. Sometimes the core rubs off on them though which helps, loyalty by proxy is still loyalty



Mike_C said:


> Mainly for new developments but some maintenance as well. I already have more "urban" work than usual booked for this year between the city and here in NJ
> 
> Craiglist is pretty good for labor, especially if you're willing to train someone.


Are you bidding the job in Hoboken right near Stevens Institute? I looked at it today, contact person was a royal **** who's going to ask about a dozen questions about how many minorities and women you have working for you. She's apparently some ex NYC parks "diversity and inclusion" employee who's working for the management company now.


----------



## Mike_C

MGLC said:


> My first ever employee is still with me, I was 18 when I hired him. That core group of a dozen guys I really have no worries about, its the newer guys like you said. Sometimes the core rubs off on them though which helps, loyalty by proxy is still loyalty
> 
> Are you bidding the job in Hoboken right near Stevens Institute? I looked at it today, contact person was a royal **** who's going to ask about a dozen questions about how many minorities and women you have working for you. She's apparently some ex NYC parks "diversity and inclusion" employee who's working for the management company now.


Connie something? Just talking to her over the phone made me want to stick a pen through my eye. I got some interesting info on her from my contact with the NYC parks department


----------



## djt1029

MGLC said:


> 20 employees including my secretary and operations manager.


If you don't mind me asking, ballpark what are you paying your secretary? It's time I finally bring on some real back end help and I've never had an employee who wasn't in the field so this is new territory for me


----------



## MGLC

Mike_C said:


> Connie something? Just talking to her over the phone made me want to stick a pen through my eye. I got some interesting info on her from my contact with the NYC parks department


Now I'm dying to know



djt1029 said:


> If you don't mind me asking, ballpark what are you paying your secretary? It's time I finally bring on some real back end help and I've never had an employee who wasn't in the field so this is new territory for me


You probably don't want to go based off me, my secretary does the job of 1.5-2 people, so she's paid accordingly and makes a salary of close to 60k / year. If she were to leave I would need one full time and one part time to replace her. My previous secretary was $15/hr about 5-6 years ago


----------



## V_Scapes

I wish I knew everyone's outfit names, I'm sure I've seen most the NNJ guys.


----------



## S_Marino87

V_Scapes said:


> I wish I knew everyone's outfit names, I'm sure I've seen most the NNJ guys.


We really need to make a plowsite get together happen, I know most guys don't want to post names on here, understandably so especially now since you say one thing people don't like and they'll try to cancel you, but I've always been curious


----------



## Mike_C

MGLC said:


> Now I'm dying to know


She Kamala'd her boss and then blackmailed him with pictures of it so they had to get rid of her.

On the topic of secretary salary - my office manager makes 64k, secretaries and administrative assistants all are in the 32-52 range depending on their role.


----------



## J.Ricci

djt1029 said:


> If you don't mind me asking, ballpark what are you paying your secretary? It's time I finally bring on some real back end help and I've never had an employee who wasn't in the field so this is new territory for me


I'm paying my secretary 25/hr, she only works about 25-30hrs a week sometimes more when things are really busy. With the type of work I do there really isn't much need for her to work more than that.



Mike_C said:


> She Kamala'd her boss and then blackmailed him with pictures of it so they had to get rid of her.


LMFAO


----------



## MGLC

Mike_C said:


> She Kamala'd her boss and then blackmailed him with pictures of it so they had to get rid of her.


Marone...I didn't expect that lmao. She's hard to look at, and would be even if she lost 50lbs +


----------



## Fourteen Contracting Inc.

Hopefully this translates, happy feast day / fathers day to you southern paisans


----------



## J.Ricci

Fourteen Contracting Inc. said:


> Hopefully this translates, happy feast day / fathers day to you southern paisans
> 
> View attachment 215397


Just picked up a dozen myself


----------



## AG09

Fourteen Contracting Inc. said:


> Hopefully this translates, happy feast day / fathers day to you southern paisans
> 
> View attachment 215397


Havent had a chance to get to the bakery today but will shortly to pick up a couple of them.


----------



## Western1

This a east coast thing?


----------



## V_Scapes

Western1 said:


> This a east coast thing?


Apparently there's plenty of us Italians here.


----------



## djt1029

Going to pick some up soon, haven’t had a chance yet


----------



## AG09

Western1 said:


> This a east coast thing?


Its an italian thing not sure if its just here on the east coast.


----------



## Mike_C

Picked them up on the way back to the office earlier. Happy St Joseph’s day to all my fellow Jersey guys and our buddy from the great white north


----------



## S_Marino87

On the topic of this...so can we eat meat today, right?


----------



## shawn_

DeVincenzo here not too Italian


----------



## shawn_

S_Marino87 said:


> On the topic of this...so can we eat meat today, right?


I am at outback right now and eating meat


----------



## treeguyry

Am I the only non Italian here? I'm still recovering from St Patrick's Day


----------



## Mike_C

S_Marino87 said:


> On the topic of this...so can we eat meat today, right?


Free pass for today



treeguyry said:


> Am I the only non Italian here? I'm still recovering from St Patrick's Day


Who invited the Irishman?


----------



## treeguyry

My girlfriends half Italian, can I stay? Haha


----------



## J.Ricci

treeguyry said:


> My girlfriends half Italian, can I stay? Haha


She can, you can't


----------



## djt1029

treeguyry said:


> My girlfriends half Italian, can I stay? Haha





J.Ricci said:


> She can, you can't


Well...half of her can at least


----------



## truckie80

treeguyry said:


> Am I the only non Italian here? I'm still recovering from St Patrick's Day


Half and half here, St Patrick's and St Joseph's back to back in this house


----------



## MGLC

I picked them up on my way home, I wait all year for these


----------



## UniqueTouch

hey guys sorry to anyone who replied to me. been busy as hell. couple warm days last week made everyone go coo coo for coco puffs


----------



## UniqueTouch

I am trying to find out what the labor cost would be to install ac in my 2008 caterpillar 246c. I can get a used unit oem for a good price just trying to find a diesel mechanic that can do it and wont be too costly. I am a bum compared to you guys. I dont want to sell it but figured it would be easier to sell and I could use the money on a dingo that I would use more often


----------



## UniqueTouch

Also wondering if anyone has ever done this before? the part number I received from sell is 2584209 and wondering if that is the whole setup that is need to add ac to my machine. If you have a cat and ever done it please let me know I appreciate it.


----------



## demetrios007

It's a pain to install AC retrofit in a machine. It's more than 1 piece you need several parts similar to an auto setup. Just sell it as is alot of guys looking for skids amd will take without AC. A cab and heat is way more important.


----------



## Tony_D

Getting close to 50 accounts but I lost 2 yesterday, one moved one hasn’t gone back to work since last March and is doing it himself


----------



## prezek

Tony_D said:


> Getting close to 50 accounts but I lost 2 yesterday, one moved one hasn't gone back to work since last March and is doing it himself


Mowing? Don't get discouraged. Whether I had 50, 150 or currently over 600, we tend to lose just about 10% per year...people move, pass away, owe money, become a royal pain, or just try someone else...don't take it personally.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Terrific weather weekend. More than happy if we're done with the cold till next Winter.


----------



## Randall Ave

Kevin_NJ said:


> Terrific weather weekend. More than happy if we're done with the cold till next Winter.


The fat lady already sang, you missed it.


----------



## Tony_D

prezek said:


> Mowing? Don't get discouraged. Whether I had 50, 150 or currently over 600, we tend to lose just about 10% per year...people move, pass away, owe money, become a royal pain, or just try someone else...don't take it personally.


Yea, mowing. I lost a few others over the winter that moved too so even though I gained a bunch last week I'm only a little ahead of last year so far. I did a bunch of other estimates hope I hear back on some of those this week


----------



## djt1029

Anyone interested in accounts in the Tenafly area let me know my routes already full and the phones are ringing like crazy


----------



## AllAboutGreen

Checked the mailbox late Sat afternoon and had about 10 checks in there for snow, right on the 30 day mark. I am hoping for another nice haul next week. It will be nice to deposit some snow money in May.. 11 estimates this weekend and another 5 set up for today and tomorrow. 
Anyone else sad snow season is over...I was driving one of the trucks back to the yard yesterday to break it down and I was def a little sad the season is coming to an end.....


----------



## Mike_C

AllAboutGreen said:


> Checked the mailbox late Sat afternoon and had about 10 checks in there for snow, right on the 30 day mark. I am hoping for another nice haul next week. It will be nice to deposit some snow money in May.. 11 estimates this weekend and another 5 set up for today and tomorrow.
> Anyone else sad snow season is over...I was driving one of the trucks back to the yard yesterday to break it down and I was def a little sad the season is coming to an end.....


Always sad to see it end. We're going to get hammered in March next year or the following for sure. We haven't had March snow in at least 2, maybe 3 years


----------



## UniqueTouch

waiting for 3 big checks. wish i could really use. just had my tranny go today on my 1999 7.3 powerstroke


----------



## UniqueTouch

what was that tranny shop in ocean county everyone liked on here? think it was this site


----------



## V_Scapes

Finally put the last of the snow equipment away Saturday and the estimates are piled up everyday this week. Spring fever has definitely begun.


----------



## sota

UniqueTouch said:


> what was that tranny shop in ocean county everyone liked on here? think it was this site


TAB?
The Areas Best Transmission. at least that's what they used to be called?
They're in Forked River.


----------



## UniqueTouch

ya that i think is it. I was trying to look back at posts.  people still recommend them? I dont know really who to call anymore


----------



## sota

a quick search seemed to come up with positive reviews for them.


----------



## UniqueTouch

ya thats what im seeing. WIsh i knew stuff about cars. theres a dude on youtube id love to have do mine but cost to get it to texas and back and then installed would be brutal lol


----------



## MGLC

I don't think I'll have time for anything but consultations for the next 3 days. Flood gates opened and everyone called at once


----------



## UniqueTouch

same here with the calls. Wish I knew how to do pavers. have a general idea but do not know how to price jobs or how long they should take to finish so dont wanna lose my shirt the hard way.


----------



## djt1029

MGLC said:


> I don't think I'll have time for anything but consultations for the next 3 days. Flood gates opened and everyone called at once


Insane. I see a few late nights of design work in the cards for this week, I've looked at at least 25 potential jobs between today and last week


----------



## MKWL2

The madness has begun LOL. Anyone else having a bear of a time trying to find labor? I have ads up on CL, indeed, etc and not a single call or email...


----------



## HeatMiser

@J.Ricci If I wanted to put in a pool and redo the backyard at my place in Bay Head next winter, how far in advance would I need to get in contact with you?


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> Insane. I see a few late nights of design work in the cards for this week, I've looked at at least 25 potential jobs between today and last week


Lots of pent up spending this year. I'm at 12 estimates this week already and it's growing by the day. No complaints.


----------



## treeguyry

one of the landscapers I work with texted me a list of 7-8 jobs he’s got for us already. Looks like a busy spring


----------



## J.Ricci

HeatMiser said:


> @J.Ricci If I wanted to put in a pool and redo the backyard at my place in Bay Head next winter, how far in advance would I need to get in contact with you?


Larger jobs I'm booked about 6 months right now, we can do this coming winter for sure. I live a half hour from Bay Head so just let me know when you're going to be down here and we'll meet up. As long as we have some loose plans together by mid July we're good to go


----------



## HeatMiser

J.Ricci said:


> Larger jobs I'm booked about 6 months right now, we can do this coming winter for sure. I live a half hour from Bay Head so just let me know when you're going to be down here and we'll meet up. As long as we have some loose plans together by mid July we're good to go


Sounds great. Do I need to find a pool guy also or do you have someone? I'll be down the next 2 weekends then probably not again until late April. No rush


----------



## UniqueTouch

MKWL2 said:


> The madness has begun LOL. Anyone else having a bear of a time trying to find labor? I have ads up on CL, indeed, etc and not a single call or email...


cant find any help either. guess everyone getting checks from government. just figured they would like to make a nice mint with cash on the side but nope


----------



## J.Ricci

HeatMiser said:


> Sounds great. Do I need to find a pool guy also or do you have someone? I'll be down the next 2 weekends then probably not again until late April. No rush


We do it all in house, I'll DM you so we don't run the thread off the rails


----------



## sota

Transmission rebuilding is one of the last areas if cars I've yet to tackle.


----------



## Mike_C

MKWL2 said:


> The madness has begun LOL. Anyone else having a bear of a time trying to find labor? I have ads up on CL, indeed, etc and not a single call or email...


It's a constant battle. I'm in pretty decent shape labor wise but having a ***** of a time finding another sweeper driver, nobody wants to work overnight


----------



## UniqueTouch

Mike_C said:


> It's a constant battle. I'm in pretty decent shape labor wise but having a ***** of a time finding another sweeper driver, nobody wants to work overnight


You need a cdl
For that?


----------



## UniqueTouch

Anyone know how to read a Ford transmission tag?


----------



## Tony_D

6 cleanups yesterday 3 today stopped a little early so I could do a few estimates. Mulching one tomorrow morning. Anyone have advice on a good but reasonable priced landscape design software?


----------



## Randall Ave

UniqueTouch said:


> Anyone know how to read a Ford transmission tag?


Why they invented Google.


----------



## sota

Randall Ave said:


> Why they invented Google.


while I agree with the sentiment, that implies that someone actually already posted something on the web about it, and Google has searched it. otherwise you're just going to find a whole bunch of pages of people going Google it.


----------



## V_Scapes

Sending the guys out tomorrow for the first day. I always get alittle misty eyed when winter retirement is over.


----------



## Randall Ave

sota said:


> while I agree with the sentiment, that implies that someone actually already posted something on the web about it, and Google has searched it. otherwise you're just going to find a whole bunch of pages of people going Google it.


I do understand what you are referring to, took me bout one minute, with the glass of wine to find it.


----------



## truckie80

Tony_D said:


> 6 cleanups yesterday 3 today stopped a little early so I could do a few estimates. Mulching one tomorrow morning. Anyone have advice on a good but reasonable priced landscape design software?


I use realtime landscape achitect, it's about $400 but it's far less expensive then the high end software


----------



## Petr51488

V_Scapes said:


> Sending the guys out tomorrow for the first day. I always get alittle misty eyed when winter retirement is over.


I'm still holding on for dear life. Starting Monday. Hoping for rain haha


----------



## V_Scapes

Petr51488 said:


> I'm still holding on for dear life. Starting Monday. Hoping for rain haha


I was originally planning for Monday but my guys are ready to rock and we should be able to get a couple days in this week. I'll be running around looking at work or in the office.


----------



## djt1029

Around 30 cleanups done so far and some mulch down, hope the rain holds off tomorrow


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> Around 30 cleanups done so far and some mulch down, hope the rain holds off tomorrow


Damn wish I had that ambition lol


----------



## Tony_D

truckie80 said:


> I use realtime landscape achitect, it's about $400 but it's far less expensive then the high end software


Awesome, thank you. I'm going to download it I I found something cheaper but the quality looks way better on realtime landscape . I have 2 potential jobs for it so far



djt1029 said:


> Around 30 cleanups done so far and some mulch down, hope the rain holds off tomorrow


Damn how many guys on the crew?


----------



## djt1029

Tony_D said:


> Awesome, thank you. I'm going to download it I I found something cheaper but the quality looks way better on realtime landscape . I have 2 potential jobs for it so far
> 
> Damn how many guys on the crew?


6 on cleanups


----------



## Mike_C

UniqueTouch said:


> You need a cdl
> For that?


They're both under CDL


----------



## AG09

djt1029 said:


> Around 30 cleanups done so far and some mulch down, hope the rain holds off tomorrow


Damn your cooking! How many days doing cleanups so far?


----------



## MGLC

I could use some rain this afternoon, I need a few hours to catch up on pricing some work.


----------



## AllAboutGreen

10 Cleans up and a tear out job done. I miss the snow already...


----------



## V_Scapes

MGLC said:


> I could use some rain this afternoon, I need a few hours to catch up on pricing some work.


Same here, I'll be in the office all day tomorrow.


----------



## AllAboutGreen

Mike_C said:


> They're both under CDL


Where is the route? One of the guy who works for me during the snow season mentioned he would be interested in an over night job, I can find out if he is still interested.


----------



## treeguyry

Spent lunch getting 9 stitches today #treelife


----------



## J.Ricci

treeguyry said:


> Spent lunch getting 9 stitches today #treelife


At least you got that over with early in the season. What happened?


----------



## treeguyry

J.Ricci said:


> At least you got that over with early in the season. What happened?


I got too comfortable and rushed a cut, limb hinged back and caught me in the forearm. Better than the face. Wrapped it and finished the job.


----------



## kzog65

AllAboutGreen said:


> Checked the mailbox late Sat afternoon and had about 10 checks in there for snow, right on the 30 day mark. I am hoping for another nice haul next week. It will be nice to deposit some snow money in May.. 11 estimates this weekend and another 5 set up for today and tomorrow.
> Anyone else sad snow season is over...I was driving one of the trucks back to the yard yesterday to break it down and I was def a little sad the season is coming to an end.....


Selfishly I was hoping for one more so i could get more time behind the plow  Always next year and I know most of you have had enough!

Since we're on the subject what does everyone do from a post season maintenance perspective before putting their setups away for the season? I read in another post where some wash it down with a special salt removal solution and then coat every surface of the plow in wool wax or fluid film? Any suggestions over and above what the Mfg says? Thanks and good luck as you head into the landscaping season!


----------



## V_Scapes

kzog65 said:


> Selfishly I was hoping for one more so i could get more time behind the plow  Always next year and I know most of you have had enough!
> 
> Since we're on the subject what does everyone do from a post season maintenance perspective before putting their setups away for the season? I read in another post where some wash it down with a special salt removal solution and then coat every surface of the plow in wool wax or fluid film? Any suggestions over and above what the Mfg says? Thanks and good luck as you head into the landscaping season!


The plows get washed with a automotive soap and scrub. Ideally I like to tarp them with some ventilation. The v box gets hosed down good and all grease joints get greased.


----------



## rizzoa13

I like to get a tarp underneath plows, salters and winter only trucks. Amazing how much moisture wicks up from the earth. Then top cover to protect from UV and rain while leaving some ventilation on the sides.


----------



## demetrios007

Yup..... worst thing you can do in the yard is dirt park trucks and equipment. It rots the undersides super fast. Pay extra attention to the exposed chrome on hydro rams and coat them well to prevent pits. I run a fingertip of Lucas trans fix on all the ram seals to keep them moist.


----------



## J.Ricci

I wash and fluid film everything and that’s about it, but plows go onto of a shipping container so they're never in any standing water / mud etc


----------



## AllAboutGreen

I salt away everything, put the salters on pallets , plows go on pallets, if I get around to it ill put them up on the cargo boxes, last year they never made it up. I also used some old bags from pallets of salt i got a couple years ago to cover the plows, they fit nicely over the headlights and hydraulics


----------



## Tony_D

Hit 50 accounts today and signed my 2 biggest landscape jobs yet. They'd both be no big deal to you guys, but it's progress for me. Looks like it's going to be a good year


----------



## V_Scapes

Tony_D said:


> Hit 50 accounts today and signed my 2 biggest landscape jobs yet. They'd both be no big deal to you guys, but it's progress for me. Looks like it's going to be a good year


Whatcha got going on?


----------



## kzog65

demetrios007 said:


> Yup..... worst thing you can do in the yard is dirt park trucks and equipment. It rots the undersides super fast. Pay extra attention to the exposed chrome on hydro rams and coat them well to prevent pits. I run a fingertip of Lucas trans fix on all the ram seals to keep them moist.


Thanks for that, I was wondering about the hydro rams and seals


----------



## kzog65

J.Ricci said:


> I wash and fluid film everything and that's about it, but plows go onto of a shipping container so they're never in any standing water / mud etc


When you say "fluid film everything", that includes lamps, hoses, rams, etc, or just the metal parts?


----------



## AllAboutGreen

Tony_D said:


> Hit 50 accounts today and signed my 2 biggest landscape jobs yet. They'd both be no big deal to you guys, but it's progress for me. Looks like it's going to be a good year


thats awesome congratulations.


----------



## AllAboutGreen

Is anyone or does anyone know anyone looking to rent Bobcats this year. I have 1 S250 and 1 S570 I would be willing to rent.


----------



## sota

Well since you all are getting flush with the landscaping cash, figure now's a good time to put out that feeler again:
Looking for an 8.5x20 enclosed (or close), 7000#.
v- or flat nose I don't care.
don't need a prom queen but needs to at least be mostly presentable and water tight, such that it doesn't look like a junk yard reject.
if it needs work but can at least get it home (paint, tires, etc.) I'm fine with that.
I'm on a Ramen Noodle budget here, so trading price for sweat equity in repairs is my deal.


----------



## Tony_D

Thanks guys!



V_Scapes said:


> Whatcha got going on?


One is ripping out some old bushes/vines and planting 18 5ft arborvitae along the back fence, the other is around 1,400sqft of sod. Few more estimates later today too but I think the burst of calls from the flyers is pretty much over, these are just ones who couldn't meet sooner


----------



## AG09

Tony_D said:


> Thanks guys!
> 
> One is ripping out some old bushes/vines and planting 18 5ft arborvitae along the back fence, the other is around 1,400sqft of sod. Few more estimates later today too but I think the burst of calls from the flyers is pretty much over, these are just ones who couldn't meet sooner


The fliers are number thing. You might want to consider doing one more round to your target area. Also make sure you have a call to action to help generate more calls.


----------



## djt1029

Second round of mailers getting to people in a few weeks would probably land you some more work, and you'll always get people who don't think about the yard at all until the grass starts growing.


----------



## treeguyry

Sold my snow route, the full setup 5500, another plow, snowblowers and a bunch of other snow **** in the last few days. I'm a free man


----------



## sota

@treeguyry congrats!


----------



## V_Scapes

treeguyry said:


> Sold my snow route, the full setup 5500, another plow, snowblowers and a bunch of other snow **** in the last few days. I'm a free man


I'm envious.


----------



## treeguyry

Thanks guys....spending all the exit money on new tree gear


----------



## S_Marino87

treeguyry said:


> Thanks guys....spending all the exit money on new tree gear


Anything exciting?


----------



## Tony_D

AG09 said:


> The fliers are number thing. You might want to consider doing one more round to your target area. Also make sure you have a call to action to help generate more calls.


Like a discounted service / special type of thing?


----------



## Mike_C

AllAboutGreen said:


> Where is the route? One of the guy who works for me during the snow season mentioned he would be interested in an over night job, I can find out if he is still interested.


Route's spread through a good chunk of northern NJ. One of my winter subs actually called me yesterday about working the route for a few months to make some extra money, I know it's only going to last a few months though. If your guy's interested by then I'll be looking for someone to take it over within the next month or so


----------



## V_Scapes

S_Marino87 said:


> Anything exciting?


Yea c'mon we don't like vague details here.


----------



## treeguyry

Replacing my log truck, currently have a '01 Peterbilt, replacing it with 2021 Kenworth T880. Custom build so it's going to be a while yet, stuck with the pete for a while longer


----------



## HarryTHook

treeguyry said:


> Sold my snow route, the full setup 5500, another plow, snowblowers and a bunch of other snow **** in the last few days. I'm a free man


Nice. Wish I could go there. Got a yard full of blowers and equipment that needs a storage spot. And I wish I could post the messages about getting paid, without fear of backlash. Its never been this bad with cash, over 40 years doing this work.

On the bright side, my son bought me a play toy to drive. 2000 WS6 trans am. Coffee and cruise driver. So when this crowd decides to get together for the meet I'm in. Maybe at Icyman's store????


----------



## S_Marino87

treeguyry said:


> Replacing my log truck, currently have a '01 Peterbilt, replacing it with 2021 Kenworth T880. Custom build so it's going to be a while yet, stuck with the pete for a while longer


Congrats on the new rig, that must be a pretty penny.


----------



## MKWL2

Sounds like a lot of relatively big players in the Northern Bergen County area are out of the landscape and snow game... everyone I spoke to cited shortage of labor and shrinking profit margins... I believe it. I can’t find guys for $25/hr with any sort of skills that are helpful on the job... we’re held back by lack of labor not lack of work right now. But I suppose that’s the way it goes in business these days, if it’s not one thing it’s something else :hammerhead:


----------



## MKWL2

treeguyry said:


> Sold my snow route, the full setup 5500, another plow, snowblowers and a bunch of other snow **** in the last few days. I'm a free man


Smart man right there! I'm jealous. Although the wife says this was the last year dealing with the snow nonsense... we say that every year


----------



## kzog65

MKWL2 said:


> Sounds like a lot of relatively big players in the Northern Bergen County area are out of the landscape and snow game... everyone I spoke to cited shortage of labor and shrinking profit margins... I believe it. I can't find guys for $25/hr with any sort of skills that are helpful on the job... we're held back by lack of labor not lack of work right now. But I suppose that's the way it goes in business these days, if it's not one thing it's something else :hammerhead:


Got a buddy who owns a paving company, same thing. He says with the Stimulus and Unemployment payments there is no incentive for folks to go back to work. Just crazy that the very policies designed to "stimulate" economic recovery are having the opposite effect..SMH


----------



## MKWL2

kzog65 said:


> Got a buddy who owns a paving company, same thing. He says with the Stimulus and Unemployment payments there is no incentive for folks to go back to work. Just crazy that the very policies designed to "stimulate" economic recovery are having the opposite effect..SMH


Yup- politicians are full of two things, empty promises and BS


----------



## sota

kzog65 said:


> Got a buddy who owns a paving company, same thing. He says with the Stimulus and Unemployment payments there is no incentive for folks to go back to work. Just crazy that the very policies designed to "stimulate" economic recovery are having the opposite effect..SMH


anyone with 2 brain cells to rub together could see that as the outcome and that it's by design.


----------



## J.Ricci

kzog65 said:


> Got a buddy who owns a paving company, same thing. He says with the Stimulus and Unemployment payments there is no incentive for folks to go back to work. Just crazy that the very policies designed to "stimulate" economic recovery are having the opposite effect..SMH


There's zero intention of stimulating the economy. This is all to up government dependence, has been since day 1 of "15 days to flatten the curve" 380 days ago


----------



## MKWL2

J.Ricci said:


> There's zero intention of stimulating the economy. This is all to up government dependence, has been since day 1 of "15 days to flatten the curve" 380 days ago


 Bingo... we're all circling the drain here and have a demented fool at the helm


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> Sounds like a lot of relatively big players in the Northern Bergen County area are out of the landscape and snow game... everyone I spoke to cited shortage of labor and shrinking profit margins... I believe it. I can't find guys for $25/hr with any sort of skills that are helpful on the job... we're held back by lack of labor not lack of work right now. But I suppose that's the way it goes in business these days, if it's not one thing it's something else :hammerhead:


I don't know how you guys do it in Bergen county with all the competition, the amount of companies you pass on the road is unreal.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> I don't know how you guys do it in Bergen county with all the competition, the amount of companies you pass on the road is unreal.


It's getting damn near impossible... every moe, dick and Harry (or more like Jose, Manuel and Jorge these days) has their own little business going. I actually had considered subbing some stuff out, especially the masonry stuff. Found that 90% of the guys I spoke with are running with no HIC registration, minimal of any general liability insurance and no workers comp... unbelievable. And the real kicker is these town officials bust our [email protected]$ For starting work at 7:50am in towns, ordinance says 8am, but they let the "other guys" alone running with no permits or insurance because they know they could issue them a citation and they will just rip it up and laugh.... the playing field is tilted against legit business owners and is going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better especially with all the nonsense going on along our southern border. In all seriousness though, I'm definitely looking at alternative business opportunities because this industry is getting crushed across the board unfortunately.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> I don't know how you guys do it in Bergen county with all the competition, the amount of companies you pass on the road is unreal.


I was out just past HotDog Jonnies on a parts run yesterday. There was a road sign, cut any lawn, starting at $25.00.


----------



## MKWL2

Randall Ave said:


> I was out just past HotDog Jonnies on a parts run yesterday. There was a road sign, cut any lawn, starting at $25.00.


Yup it's bad out where I live in Warren too (I'm about 10 mins from hot dog Johnny's on 46) - have guys working for peanuts... there are a few guys out here who have good looking legitimate looking businesses going but I would bet peeling back the surface they're shoulder deep in debt based on what they're getting for projects out here.


----------



## Randall Ave

MKWL2 said:


> It's getting damn near impossible... every moe, dick and Harry (or more like Jose, Manuel and Jorge these days) has their own little business going. I actually had considered subbing some stuff out, especially the masonry stuff. Found that 90% of the guys I spoke with are running with no HIC registration, minimal of any general liability insurance and no workers comp... unbelievable. And the real kicker is these town officials bust our [email protected]$ For starting work at 7:50am in towns, ordinance says 8am, but they let the "other guys" alone running with no permits or insurance because they know they could issue them a citation and they will just rip it up and laugh.... the playing field is tilted against legit business owners and is going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better especially with all the nonsense going on along our southern border. In all seriousness though, I'm definitely looking at alternative business opportunities because this industry is getting crushed across the board unfortunately.


There is a black market economy going out there. Heck I loose repairs to some of the other shops, their prices are lower than mine. Tho I do end up fixing their repairs eventially.


----------



## Randall Ave

MKWL2 said:


> Yup it's bad out where I live in Warren too (I'm about 10 mins from hot dog Johnny's on 46) - have guys working for peanuts... there are a few guys out here who have good looking legitimate looking businesses going but I would bet peeling back the surface they're shoulder deep in debt based on what they're getting for projects out here.


The traffic is getting almost as bad out there as it is here.


----------



## MKWL2

Randall Ave said:


> The traffic is getting almost as bad out there as it is here.


It is... lot of new yoookahas moving out here since the pandemic started :hammerhead: I can't understand them... they-move out of the city to the country then complain when they have to deal with things in the country like wild animals and four wheeler noise, gunshots and getting caught behind farm equipment... unreal. I guess it's similar to all the dems moving from NY and NJ down south then trying to change the culture...


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> I was out just past HotDog Jonnies on a parts run yesterday. There was a road sign, cut any lawn, starting at $25.00.


That BS is always going to be around and that's fine. Those idiots can have all the cheap lawn cuts they want because there's plenty of other people out there who would rather pay for quality and reliability and an owner who calls back.


----------



## MKWL2

Randall Ave said:


> There is a black market economy going out there. Heck I loose repairs to some of the other shops, their prices are lower than mine. Tho I do end up fixing their repairs eventially.


Yup- I had strongly considered just re establishing my business out here but there's not enough $ on the table out here to make it worthwhile... the snow plowing out here is fine but landscaping, not so much.


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> That BS is always going to be around and that's fine. Those idiots can have all the cheap lawn cuts they want because there's plenty of other people out there who would rather pay for quality and reliability and an owner who calls back.


That's true, but I'm seeing a big shift in the way people view landscape services in general... there will always be some people who pay a premium for premium service but they're seemingly aging out and moving. Most of the "new gen" folks can barely afford the places they're moving into and are looking for the least outlay of cash to keep up appearances... sad.


----------



## AG09

Tony_D said:


> Like a discounted service / special type of thing?


Not discounted per say, just something to make them think they are getting a deal.



MKWL2 said:


> Sounds like a lot of relatively big players in the Northern Bergen County area are out of the landscape and snow game... everyone I spoke to cited shortage of labor and shrinking profit margins... I believe it. I can't find guys for $25/hr with any sort of skills that are helpful on the job... we're held back by lack of labor not lack of work right now. But I suppose that's the way it goes in business these days, if it's not one thing it's something else :hammerhead:


I have seen smaller guys getting out to and going into hardscapes/pools because of the boom. The only problem is history repeats itself and this construction/housing boom will blow in the next year or 2 like it did in 2008/2009. People will stop spending the money and then these same guys that got out are sucking wind because they have payments out the @ss on equipment so they have no choice, but to get back into maintenance or fold up completely.



MKWL2 said:


> That's true, but I'm seeing a big shift in the way people view landscape services in general... there will always be some people who pay a premium for premium service but they're seemingly aging out and moving. Most of the "new gen" folks can barely afford the places they're moving into and are looking for the least outlay of cash to keep up appearances... sad.


Couldnt have said it better myself. I find that the older people are the best to work for because a lot of the younger people are over leveraged. These illegal company eventually go out of business by themselves because they cant afford the repairs.


----------



## sota

)$(#)%*# rusty parts.
right rear brake on the sebring is hanging up. it's not the caliper or the pins. hoses collapse, so I ordered all 4 to do. might as well. 16 year old car that barely got driven before i bought it. the clips are rotted to the brackets that hold the hose and hard line together, so I need to run to the parts store tomorrow and get the clips.


----------



## MKWL2

AG09 said:


> Not discounted per say, just something to make them think they are getting a deal.
> 
> I have seen smaller guys getting out to and going into hardscapes/pools because of the boom. The only problem is history repeats itself and this construction/housing boom will blow in the next year or 2 like it did in 2008/2009. People will stop spending the money and then these same guys that got out are sucking wind because they have payments out the @ss on equipment so they have no choice, but to get back into maintenance or fold up completely.
> 
> Agreed, always some smaller guys getting out and following the big $, but I'm talking about companies in business for 30+ years, doing 2-4 mil or better a year closing their doors, most notably by me, Jacobsen in Midland Park and Legend in Park Ridge plus a few smaller guys...
> 
> Couldnt have said it better myself. I find that the older people are the best to work for because a lot of the younger people are over leveraged. These illegal company eventually go out of business by themselves because they cant afford the repairs.
> 
> Yup- generally clients 60+ are best to deal with IMO, most people 35-50 or so are barely scraping by- massive houses with a benz or two parked in the drive, houses are empty inside- very minimal furniture, bare walls, and shades on all the windows- all for the facade... I'll never understand people like that.


----------



## V_Scapes

Jacobsen is done??


----------



## MKWL2

V_Scapes said:


> Jacobsen is done??


Yes sir... few of my buddies used to work there, apparently they are closing up shop and will be totally out as of 5/1 or as soon as they collect all their snow money.


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> Yes sir... few of my buddies used to work there, apparently they are closing up shop and will be totally out as of 5/1 or as soon as they collect all their snow money.


Wow that's crazy.


----------



## Mike_C

When I'm Glenn's age, I'll be out so fast heads will spin. I'm only in my 40s though so there's a while to go yet


----------



## gman2310

I have never seen so many illegals owning companies. It would be nice if I didnf have to pay taxes, insurance of workman's comp. these guys get fined and they just change the sign on their trucks and start working again. But as a thank you to legit companies, I got a new fee this year to pay for. Thanks NJ


----------



## MKWL2

Mike_C said:


> When I'm Glenn's age, I'll be out so fast heads will spin. I'm only in my 40s though so there's a while to go yet


Agreed- I'm surprised he didn't sell out years ago. Rumor had it he was offered $7 mil back in '06 to be bought out by brick man and he turned them down. Not sure what he sold for but I'm betting it wasn't $7 mil.


----------



## MKWL2

gman2310 said:


> I have never seen so many illegals owning companies. It would be nice if I didnf have to pay taxes, insurance of workman's comp. these guys get fined and they just change the sign on their trucks and start working again. But as a thank you to legit companies, I got a new fee this year to pay for. Thanks NJ


What new fee do we have to pay now dare I ask?


----------



## Mike_C

MKWL2 said:


> Agreed- I'm surprised he didn't sell out years ago. Rumor had it he was offered $7 mil back in '06 to be bought out by brick man and he turned them down. Not sure what he sold for but I'm betting it wasn't $7 mil.


That was out of spite and general hatred of brickman as an organization. They made the rounds around that time trying to buy a bunch of companies in North Jersey


----------



## AG09

MKWL2 said:


> Yes sir... few of my buddies used to work there, apparently they are closing up shop and will be totally out as of 5/1 or as soon as they collect all their snow money.


Does this mean there might be more possible people to hire or did they sell to another company? If so what company bought them out?


----------



## iceyman

Hopefully last cold shot this week then we cruise into spring


----------



## Tony_D

AG09 said:


> Not discounted per say, just something to make them think they are getting a deal.
> 
> I have seen smaller guys getting out to and going into hardscapes/pools because of the boom. The only problem is history repeats itself and this construction/housing boom will blow in the next year or 2 like it did in 2008/2009. People will stop spending the money and then these same guys that got out are sucking wind because they have payments out the @ss on equipment so they have no choice, but to get back into maintenance or fold up completely.
> 
> Couldnt have said it better myself. I find that the older people are the best to work for because a lot of the younger people are over leveraged. These illegal company eventually go out of business by themselves because they cant afford the repairs.


The guy who printed them for me suggested either like $50 off any job over 500 or a free cut when signing up for the season, I did the free cut but I don't think it really was enough incentive for people to call nobody even mentioned it. Might try something else if I can get another round out.


----------



## djt1029

Apparently almost all of Jacobsen's equipment is up for auction, got a thing in the mail today


----------



## J.Ricci

djt1029 said:


> Apparently almost all of Jacobsen's equipment is up for auction, got a thing in the mail today


Any idea what they have available?


----------



## V_Scapes

http://www.theauctioneersgroup.com/...uipment-snow-plows-more-to-be-sold-at-auction


----------



## AG09

V_Scapes said:


> http://www.theauctioneersgroup.com/...uipment-snow-plows-more-to-be-sold-at-auction


That cant be right the date says April 24, 2019


----------



## djt1029

https://www.ajwillnerauctions.com/auctions/detail/bw61801


----------



## djt1029

Inspection days are Tuesday - Thursday next week


----------



## MGLC

I might check it out, anyone going to any of the preview days?


----------



## V_Scapes

AG09 said:


> That cant be right the date says April 24, 2019


Totally missed that my bad


----------



## J.Ricci

I'd like to check it out, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it up there


----------



## AG09

MGLC said:


> I might check it out, anyone going to any of the preview days?


I want to try and go if I remember.


----------



## djt1029

Also planning on going but I'm not sure which day.


----------



## Petr51488

I can hear that guys sigh of relief from here lol I can’t imagine those headaches.


----------



## Tony_D

Bought a stander today after we did some cleanups, should be able to pick it up tomorrow it was in stock but they're putting the tine rake mount on it


----------



## shawn_

I’d like to check out the auction. How well was his stuff maintained ? I’d imagine pretty well considering you guys know him & he was a bigger company?


----------



## AllAboutGreen

I already had a guy on my crew (who ripped down a cable wire Sat evening with my dump truck) as me for more money. WTF is wrong with these guys......


----------



## AG09

AllAboutGreen said:


> I already had a guy on my crew (who ripped down a cable wire Sat evening with my dump truck) as me for more money. WTF is wrong with these guys......


It doesnt surprise me. It happens every year like clock work. My guys today told me they arent working this Friday because its Good Friday. I said ok then dont expect to get paid since you all owe me money. Meanwhile they have worked every Good Friday since they started with me....smh


----------



## MGLC

Two walkers down in the last 2 days. Seems like I'm a mechanic for the day tomorrow


----------



## V_Scapes

AG09 said:


> It doesnt surprise me. It happens every year like clock work. My guys today told me they arent working this Friday because its Good Friday. I said ok then dont expect to get paid since you all owe me money. Meanwhile they have worked every Good Friday since they started with me....smh


Wow that's ballsy. My guys would work seven days a week if I'd let them.


----------



## AG09

V_Scapes said:


> Wow that's ballsy. My guys would work seven days a week if I'd let them.


Yes it is....unbelievable!! My other crew is like that...which is why I keep the crews separate.


----------



## djt1029

One of my crews would do 7 days a week if I let them, one never wants to work Saturdays and the other wants to alternate work one Saturday off the next. I guess it's a good balance if nothing else



shawn_ said:


> I'd like to check out the auction. How well was his stuff maintained ? I'd imagine pretty well considering you guys know him & he was a bigger company?


I would think he had an on staff mechanic, but I don't know for sure


----------



## V_Scapes

With the amount of work I'm looking at each week we could easily work 7 days, I never seen anything like this before. Full day of meeting with people today followed by a day in the office tomorrow. My brain is like mashed potatoes.


----------



## Randall Ave

djt1029 said:


> One of my crews would do 7 days a week if I let them, one never wants to work Saturdays and the other wants to alternate work one Saturday off the next. I guess it's a good balance if nothing else
> 
> I would think he had an on staff mechanic, but I don't know for sure


A lot of Ford 6.0 diesels. Should I say anything else.


----------



## shawn_

Randall Ave said:


> A lot of Ford 6.0 diesels. Should I say anything else.


If he has 6.0s I'm intrigued , love me a good 6oh


----------



## Mike_C

Equipment at auction was all fleet maintained, but I would be leery of some of the trucks. Give them a good once over



V_Scapes said:


> With the amount of work I'm looking at each week we could easily work 7 days, I never seen anything like this before. Full day of meeting with people today followed by a day in the office tomorrow. My brain is like mashed potatoes.


Residential market is absolutely insane, lot of money to be made especially in the hardscape/pool niche


----------



## AG09

Mike_C said:


> Residential market is absolutely insane, lot of money to be made especially in the hardscape/pool niche


Yes there is. I see guys with little to no experience jumping in building pools now because all the big pool builders are booked through the year.


----------



## djt1029

I started telling people I can't even look at any more jobs for at least a couple weeks, I've got a massive amount of work I looked at and haven’t even had time to write up yet.


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> I started telling people I can't even look at any more jobs for at least a couple weeks, I've got a massive amount of work I looked at and haven't even had time to write up yet.


I haven't had time for anything else but estimating,haven't even picked up a backpack blower this spring. I've got another 10 jobs to send out tomorrow, if they come back I'll be booked through the summer easily. Never thought it'd be this crazy this year to be honest.


----------



## J.Ricci

Even after hiring 2 more guys I'm booked well into fall. The calls keep coming


----------



## V_Scapes

J.Ricci said:


> Even after hiring 2 more guys I'm booked well into fall. The calls keep coming


I need another solid laborer but again...needle in a haystack.


----------



## treeguyry

J.Ricci said:


> Even after hiring 2 more guys I'm booked well into fall. The calls keep coming


How many guys do you have?



V_Scapes said:


> I need another solid laborer but again...needle in a haystack.


I've been looking for another ground laborer, had a guy stop at my yard this morning and ask about work so I'm testing him out Friday. My expectations are pretty low though since he looks like he weighs about 100lbs


----------



## djt1029

V_Scapes said:


> I haven't had time for anything else but estimating,haven't even picked up a backpack blower this spring. I've got another 10 jobs to send out tomorrow, if they come back I'll be booked through the summer easily. Never thought it'd be this crazy this year to be honest.


I hear you, I can hardly even get myself onto my construction sites. I stop by a few times a day to keep things on track and that's it. Really looking forward to the rain tomorrow afternoon


----------



## J.Ricci

treeguyry said:


> How many guys do you have?


22


----------



## truckie80

I'm small time compared to most of you guys, but this is by far the most work I've quoted this early in a season. I've already passed on some jobs that would've been real nice that I just won't have the time.



J.Ricci said:


> 22


I bet you don't have any regrets getting out of maintenance


----------



## V_Scapes

Crappy the next couple of days going forward. Hoping to not lose any work days, need the guys to finish cleanups so we can start moving on planting and mulch.


----------



## MGLC

treeguyry said:


> I've been looking for another ground laborer, had a guy stop at my yard this morning and ask about work so I'm testing him out Friday. My expectations are pretty low though since he looks like he weighs about 100lbs


He might surprise you, one of my guys brought in a friend of his last week who looks like he's 12 years old but he's been great. Seems like he's here to stay


----------



## treeguyry

Unexpectedly got a full day in today


----------



## Tony_D

I stopped around 3 o'clock today when it looked like it was going to pour any second but we probably could have done one more house


----------



## V_Scapes

Windy and cold the next two days. Hoping next week brings a calmer forecast.


----------



## truckie80

I'm around half way through cleanups, if the weather's decent we should finish sometime the week after next. A couple weeks to get a good jump mulch and extra work would be great


----------



## V_Scapes

truckie80 said:


> I'm around half way through cleanups, if the weather's decent we should finish sometime the week after next. A couple weeks to get a good jump mulch and extra work would be great


I think I'm in the same boat. I'd like to have my whole crew together for a bit to bang out a bunch of spring work before the grass gets going.


----------



## MGLC

Numbers wise I'm about half way through cleanups, but I've got a bunch of houses that take a full day for a cleanup each left on the list


----------



## Tony_D

I think next week I'm going to spend a couple days away from cleanups to get some of my mulch and landscape work done



MGLC said:


> Numbers wise I'm about half way through cleanups, but I've got a bunch of houses that take a full day for a cleanup each left on the list


Damn houses that take a day? How big are they?


----------



## Petr51488

Maybe if I ***** a little on here I’ll have some more work come in. I get a few calls a day- sent out a bunch of bids- hoping a few of them stick.


----------



## MGLC

Tony_D said:


> Damn houses that take a day? How big are they?


Anywhere from 5 acres of extremely dense landscaping with a ton of fine work to 30 acres


----------



## MKWL2

We're about half way through cleanups right now, next week's weather looks pretty good, hopefully buttoning them up the week after next. Looking good for mowing to begin in about 3 weeks- lawns are greening up really quickly!


----------



## Tony_D

MGLC said:


> Anywhere from 5 acres of extremely dense landscaping with a ton of fine work to 30 acres


Damn thats crazy. That's like celebrity houses


----------



## MKWL2

AG09 said:


> Yes there is. I see guys with little to no experience jumping in building pools now because all the big pool builders are booked through the year.


That's a recipe for disaster LOL- pools are definitely one of those things you cant really "practice" on and hope it goes well IMO- way too many moving parts to go wrong to fly by the seat of your pants... at least that's my take on it


----------



## Mike_C

MKWL2 said:


> That's a recipe for disaster LOL- pools are definitely one of those things you cant really "practice" on and hope it goes well IMO- way too many moving parts to go wrong to fly by the seat of your pants... at least that's my take on it


We've priced repairs on 3 pools less than a year old this year already, same guy installed two of them. I never even heard of him before that


----------



## MKWL2

Mike_C said:


> We've priced repairs on 3 pools less than a year old this year already, same guy installed two of them. I never even heard of him before that


Yikes- pools are definitely one of those things left to guys who really know what they're doing... buddy of mine works for a pretty seasoned pool builder, known for building some wild pools, they had some issue with the height his guys set the forms and rebar at- was too high- pool built and complete, town required an as built- engineer caught it- they went for a height variance, town declined it, had to tear it out and redo the whole job 18" lower... painful mistake... I can only imagine the screw ups guys make who don't know what they're doing...


----------



## MGLC

Tony_D said:


> Damn thats crazy. That's like celebrity houses


I have a handful of household names as clients, and a bunch of D listers. Their money's no greener but my guys get a kick out of it


----------



## MGLC

Mike_C said:


> We've priced repairs on 3 pools less than a year old this year already, same guy installed two of them. I never even heard of him before that


I don't even sub pools, not worth the headaches. I just refer them and do the hardscape afterwards. The guy I work with was telling me how he's getting beat on jobs by 10k plus by a few of the new guys who appeared last year


----------



## AG09

MGLC said:


> I don't even sub pools, not worth the headaches. I just refer them and do the hardscape afterwards. The guy I work with was telling me how he's getting beat on jobs by 10k plus by a few of the new guys who appeared last year


It happens with every trade. The way I see it is at the end of the day those arent my target clients they just want the cheapest price. If you have an established name/business and have been around for a while your target client recognizes that and your phone will ring. Not to mention once established word of mouth is the best advertisement because the potential client knows what they in for.


----------



## V_Scapes

MKWL2 said:


> We're about half way through cleanups right now, next week's weather looks pretty good, hopefully buttoning them up the week after next. Looking good for mowing to begin in about 3 weeks- lawns are greening up really quickly!


The longer mowing can wait the better!


----------



## djt1029

MGLC said:


> I have a handful of household names as clients, and a bunch of D listers. Their money's no greener but my guys get a kick out of it


One of my slowest payers is an ex NFL player, and not some scrub either a former pro-bowler. He basically pays me like twice a year


----------



## Mike_C

djt1029 said:


> One of my slowest payers is an ex NFL player, and not some scrub either a former pro-bowler. He basically pays me like twice a year


Some of my richest customers are painfully slow payers and some people who seem like they wouldn't be able to scrape together 2 nickels stop at my building with payment the day after they get their invoice.


----------



## AG09

Mike_C said:


> Some of my richest customers are painfully slow payers and some people who seem like they wouldn't be able to scrape together 2 nickels stop at my building with payment the day after they get their invoice.


It is amazing how that works and quite frankly mind boggling


----------



## MGLC

AG09 said:


> It happens with every trade. The way I see it is at the end of the day those arent my target clients they just want the cheapest price. If you have an established name/business and have been around for a while your target client recognizes that and your phone will ring. Not to mention once established word of mouth is the best advertisement because the potential client knows what they in for.


I'm zero percent concerned with the crappy competition, I actually use them to help sell our product. I think it will be interesting to watch what happens with some of these pools though where the installers had absolutely no clue what they were doing


----------



## V_Scapes

AG09 said:


> It is amazing how that works and quite frankly mind boggling


Agreed I've been saying it for years.


----------



## J.Ricci

I've had a literal billionaire argue with me over $ 1,500


----------



## J.Ricci

MGLC said:


> I'm zero percent concerned with the crappy competition, I actually use them to help sell our product. I think it will be interesting to watch what happens with some of these pools though where the installers had absolutely no clue what they were doing


Best pool story I've come across wasn't a ****ty contractor, but a homeowner who drained it to do some work on it, blocked the main drain and relief valve before going away for the weekend. Came home to the pool about a foot above grade.


----------



## Tony_D

You guys have me curious who the famous customers are haha



J.Ricci said:


> Best pool story I've come across wasn't a ****ty contractor, but a homeowner who drained it to do some work on it, blocked the main drain and relief valve before going away for the weekend. Came home to the pool about a foot above grade.


Wtf. What kind of pool?


----------



## J.Ricci

Tony_D said:


> You guys have me curious who the famous customers are haha
> 
> Wtf. What kind of pool?


Gunite


----------



## Tony_D

J.Ricci said:


> Gunite


How's concrete get pushed that far out of the ground? I know it's probably a dumb question but at least I'm not installing pools not knowing the answer haha


----------



## djt1029

Tony_D said:


> How's concrete get pushed that far out of the ground? I know it's probably a dumb question but at least I'm not installing pools not knowing the answer haha


Ground water turns the pool into a boat


----------



## demetrios007

Hydrostatic pressure. That's how 1000 ton oil tankers float  theres a relief valve in the bottom that's supposed to pop open like a water heater relief valve just much lower setting, amd theres also an actual drain plug or you can remove the valve if not. This is concrete pools, different deal for a vinyl liner or fiberglass pool. Lots of pool horror stories around, too many rookies on the scene now with covid money being thrown around


----------



## Tony_D

Anyone have advice on bamboo removal? I had someone call about it and I know it's hard to get rid of but I don't really know the best way to do it


----------



## MGLC

How big of an area? The only thing you can do is dig it out, it's a royal pain in the ass and extremely labor intensive. Price higher than you think you should, and unless it's a tiny area rent a machine


----------



## prezek

Tony_D said:


> Anyone have advice on bamboo removal? I had someone call about it and I know it's hard to get rid of but I don't really know the best way to do it


If they want it completely removed, you'd be happier passing on the job...and if their expectations are no chutes are going to return, let them hire and be dissatisfied with a different company. It's a nightmare.


----------



## Tony_D

He says it's all along the fence at the back of the property, I'm meeting him Monday


----------



## J.Ricci

Tony_D said:


> He says it's all along the fence at the back of the property, I'm meeting him Monday


Tell him to sell the house and buy a new one that's easier than getting rid of bamboo. If you do it you're going to need a machine, and even then might have it popping up again


----------



## MGLC

You might want to pass on that job, there's potential there to lose your shirt and it seems like you're having a good start to the season and building some momentum


----------



## Tony_D

I think I'll pass on it unless it's a really small area. With the new stander, and all the money I spent setting up the new garage losing money on a job now would suck even worse then another time

Anyway Happy Easter guys


----------



## iceyman

Happy easter fellas.. good thing people are spending money now cuz who knows where will be with the administration in a couple years. Nice week on tap.. store #6 opens tmrw.. its getting crazy around here lol


----------



## demetrios007

These guys are spot on, it's a nightmare to get rid of. You literally have to dig out double the area you think you will, and then it will pop up the next year anyway someplace near there

Happy Easter guys enjoy the family.


----------



## shawn_

iceyman said:


> Happy easter fellas.. good thing people are spending money now cuz who knows where will be with the administration in a couple years. Nice week on tap.. store #6 opens tmrw.. its getting crazy around here lol


are you going to franchise yet?!? I want to
Open up a Iceyman store- guy is just expanding across New Jersey


----------



## sota

I'll take that bamboo.


----------



## Randall Ave

shawn_ said:


> are you going to franchise yet?!? I want to
> Open up a Iceyman store- guy is just expanding across New Jersey


I'm waiting for him to open one up above the Jersey Mason Dixon line.


----------



## MGLC

Happy Easter boys, just got back from church now I have to pretend I'm busy while the wife gets ready for everyone



iceyman said:


> Happy easter fellas.. good thing people are spending money now cuz who knows where will be with the administration in a couple years. Nice week on tap.. store #6 opens tmrw.. its getting crazy around here lol


Congratulations on the new location. Six shops is probably going to cut into your time as half this threads personal weatherman lol


----------



## S_Marino87

Happy Easter everyone



MGLC said:


> Happy Easter boys, just got back from church now I have to pretend I'm busy while the wife gets ready for everyone
> 
> Congratulations on the new location. Six shops is probably going to cut into your time as half this threads personal weatherman lol


I can't do church in a mask and watching it on TV just feels weird...every day I'm more and more tempted to leave NJ


----------



## MGLC

S_Marino87 said:


> Happy Easter everyone
> 
> I can't do church in a mask and watching it on TV just feels weird...every day I'm more and more tempted to leave NJ


Masks are optional at my church, but I'm with you on escaping from this ****hole of a state


----------



## J.Ricci

iceyman said:


> Happy easter fellas.. good thing people are spending money now cuz who knows where will be with the administration in a couple years. Nice week on tap.. store #6 opens tmrw.. its getting crazy around here lol


Pretty soon you'll have locations on every corner


----------



## Randall Ave

J.Ricci said:


> Pretty soon you'll have locations on every corner


He's an ice cream man, not a pimp.


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> He's an ice cream man, not a pimp.


Took the words right outta my mouth.


----------



## Tony_D

It’s not that much different, ice cream places down the shore always have a bunch of slutty girls working there


----------



## S_Marino87

MGLC said:


> Masks are optional at my church, but I'm with you on escaping from this ****hole of a state


Can anyone just show up?



Tony_D said:


> It's not that much different, ice cream places down the shore always have a bunch of slutty girls working there


When I was your age that was my hunting ground


----------



## Mike_C

Happy Easter to everyone who's hit the point of just wishing the family would just get the hell out of their house


----------



## Randall Ave

Mike_C said:


> Happy Easter to everyone who's hit the point of just wishing the family would just get the hell out of their house


It's just me and the wife. I don't think she's leaving, but I can hope.


----------



## djt1029

Mike_C said:


> Happy Easter to everyone who's hit the point of just wishing the family would just get the hell out of their house


50/50 split getting the vaccine vs not at dinner tonight made for some fun conversation


----------



## Mike_C

djt1029 said:


> 50/50 split getting the vaccine vs not at dinner tonight made for some fun conversation


Painful. Around 7:30 everyone who's with me and the wife hit the road and we got stuck with just the liberals. Probably afraid they'd miss some free stuff


----------



## HeatMiser

djt1029 said:


> 50/50 split getting the vaccine vs not at dinner tonight made for some fun conversation


My ex wife thinks our 16 & 13 year old both should get it. The world's gone completely insane. I'm not anti vaccine but they're kids and this is brand new


----------



## shawn_

HeatMiser said:


> My ex wife thinks our 16 & 13 year old both should get it. The world's gone completely insane. I'm not anti vaccine but they're kids and this is brand new


Entirely too new with no real scientific testing (8-9 months of advanced testing) . If your young and healthy no point .

I don't get how so many people can think they can do 10 years of clinical testing in 9 months (as they claim) and everyone be ok with getting it.


----------



## HarryTHook

I get my second shot tomorrow. bunch of people I know got really sick with the virus, 2 died.


----------



## MGLC

Anyone who wants it should get it, the problem is people expecting others to also want it / get it. As far as kids getting it, I wouldn’t want mine to get it until there’s years of safe & successful history. By then they’ll be old enough to make their own decision


----------



## iceyman

shawn_ said:


> are you going to franchise yet?!? I want to
> Open up a Iceyman store- guy is just expanding across New Jersey


Thats gota be my next move.. spent alot in infrastructure this past winter.. would more of a viable option now than last year at this time. Well see


----------



## iceyman

MGLC said:


> Anyone who wants it should get it, the problem is people expecting others to also want it / get it. As far as kids getting it, I wouldn't want mine to get it until there's years of safe & successful history. By then they'll be old enough to make their own decision


Exactly.. if you want to get it then fine but dont force it on others


----------



## AllAboutGreen

Happy Easter everyone! 

Estimates flying out of the office like crazy. We are halfway done with clean ups. The shtty days last week we were able to get a jump on a couple of the mulch jobs but the winds have been a killer. 


post Sandy I watched a company out of Alabama put Citgo Petroleum's tanks along the turnpike back into their proper places. We cut the grass and about 5 miles of pipeline weeds for them, so we watched the whole process it was pretty amazing


----------



## Mike_C

MGLC said:


> Anyone who wants it should get it, the problem is people expecting others to also want it / get it. As far as kids getting it, I wouldn't want mine to get it until there's years of safe & successful history. By then they'll be old enough to make their own decision


Exactly. If someone wants to get it, get it. We're all adults, but forcing kids into getting it when we really have no idea how it will impact them long term is a different story.

On the topic of spring - the madness is in full swing. Today we've been on a roll with calls for jobs that are way too small to even consider though


----------



## sota

anyone else hoping for hurricanes this year?
I could really use some free trees for firewood.
Finished up my Sandy wood last year, and had to buy a cord for this season.


----------



## treeguyry

sota said:


> anyone else hoping for hurricanes this year?
> I could really use some free trees for firewood.
> Finished up my Sandy wood last year, and had to buy a cord for this season.


payuppayuppayup


----------



## shawn_

sota said:


> anyone else hoping for hurricanes this year?
> I could really use some free trees for firewood.
> Finished up my Sandy wood last year, and had to buy a cord for this season.


Yes more hurricanes more swell to surf

shredding the gnar bruhhhh


----------



## iceyman

sota said:


> anyone else hoping for hurricanes this year?
> I could really use some free trees for firewood.
> Finished up my Sandy wood last year, and had to buy a cord for this season.


Fema money would be nice


----------



## V_Scapes

AllAboutGreen said:


> Happy Easter everyone!
> 
> Estimates flying out of the office like crazy. We are halfway done with clean ups. The shtty days last week we were able to get a jump on a couple of the mulch jobs but the winds have been a killer.
> 
> post Sandy I watched a company out of Alabama put Citgo Petroleum's tanks along the turnpike back into their proper places. We cut the grass and about 5 miles of pipeline weeds for them, so we watched the whole process it was pretty amazing


The winds have really slowed our progress on cleanups. Not even a full week into april and I have people calling asking when we're coming.


----------



## J.Ricci

V_Scapes said:


> The winds have really slowed our progress on cleanups. Not even a full week into april and I have people calling asking when we're coming.


I don't miss that at all


----------



## truckie80

I heard back on 3 landscape jobs today that I priced last week, all ready to give me a deposit and get started. Seems like people who are calling about work are pretty much certain they want to do it this year, way less tire kicking


----------



## V_Scapes

truckie80 said:


> I heard back on 3 landscape jobs today that I priced last week, all ready to give me a deposit and get started. Seems like people who are calling about work are pretty much certain they want to do it this year, way less tire kicking


For sure. Name your price basically. Quick turn around on quotes this year seem to be the ticket from what I've noticed.


----------



## djt1029

I tacked 4k onto a job I didn't really want and the guy gave me the ok on it anyway. Unreal this year


----------



## shawn_

They all got them Biden bucks family of 4 was like 5600 on that last stimmy , of course people are going to spend money it was FREEEEE


----------



## Randall Ave

shawn_ said:


> They all got them Biden bucks family of 4 was like 5600 on that last stimmy , of course people are going to spend money it was FREEEEE


When the last check run hit, I swear there was a traffic surge here.


----------



## AllAboutGreen

The traffic is almost back to pre pandemic levels.....


----------



## J.Ricci

AllAboutGreen said:


> The traffic is almost back to pre pandemic levels.....


Not looking forward to the traffic this summer, already seeing way more people down here than normal for this time of year and all the rentals are booked up.


----------



## Mike_C

J.Ricci said:


> Not looking forward to the traffic this summer, already seeing way more people down here than normal for this time of year and all the rentals are booked up.


Since probably late April last year I've gone down almost every weekend and made it in 2 hours or less every time. That's probably out the window starting this week already if the weather stays like this


----------



## sota

We've figured out another food place we can bike to: Jose Tejas in Islen.


----------



## V_Scapes

Just got my zip level today it's pretty cool. Can't wait to get it on a job.


----------



## treeguyry

Dropped 23 trees today, a new record


----------



## V_Scapes

treeguyry said:


> Dropped 23 trees today, a new record


The emerald ash borrer should give you good job security for the next couple of years.


----------



## treeguyry

V_Scapes said:


> The emerald ash borrer should give you good job security for the next couple of years.


Funny you say that, last week my trimming crew had 4 different home owners come over to them and ask about their dead trees - all ash. We're hitting that neighborhood hard later this week


----------



## AG09

V_Scapes said:


> Just got my zip level today it's pretty cool. Can't wait to get it on a job.


Definitely a handy tool to have. Makes things much easier


----------



## Tony_D

Close to a 12 hour work day in today, ripped out a bunch of bushes and vines, planted 18 arborvitae and mulched it. Felt like a real landscaper instead of a lawn guy


----------



## shawn_

Guys that do power washing , I am looking to buy some stuff to power wash my house and get it looking nice for summer , any recommendations on products to use?


----------



## iceyman

CAn it be saved? Lol tough year for this one


----------



## shawn_

iceyman said:


> CAn it be saved? Lol tough year for this one


Sell it buy new


----------



## V_Scapes

shawn_ said:


> Sell it buy new


Maybe a new operator too.


----------



## MGLC

treeguyry said:


> Dropped 23 trees today, a new record


That's a hell of a day


----------



## Randall Ave

MGLC said:


> That's a hell of a day


But did he hit everything he was aiming at?


----------



## truckie80

Are any of you guys charging for getting permits? Not just the permit fee but an additional fee for your time? I've always just done it and thought of the time spent on it as a cost of doing business but now with all the stupid rules and having to make appointments during limited building department hours making things more difficult than before I've been thinking of charging for my time. It feels like everything takes forever now


----------



## J.Ricci

truckie80 said:


> Are any of you guys charging for getting permits? Not just the permit fee but an additional fee for your time? I've always just done it and thought of the time spent on it as a cost of doing business but now with all the stupid rules and having to make appointments during limited building department hours making things more difficult than before I've been thinking of charging for my time. It feels like everything takes forever now


I charge for consultations, but not for permits aside from the town fee. I very rarely go to the building department in person though. Most I deal with are online, and the towns I work in more consistently I usually text the inspector directly


----------



## djt1029

$75 plus the permit fee. I do it more to encourage the home owner to do it than anything, mainly because I don't want to wait around for them to find the survey all the time


----------



## Tony_D

Anyone interested in a paver driveway in Secaucus? I'd love to do it but I can't start out with a job that size


----------



## iceyman

V_Scapes said:


> Maybe a new operator too.


New operator this year.. tight hoa .. he didnt hit any cars or anything so i feel fortunate lol. He will be good going forward.. box is 6 years old anyway lol


----------



## Mike_C

Tony_D said:


> Anyone interested in a paver driveway in Secaucus? I'd love to do it but I can't start out with a job that size


How big?


----------



## Tony_D

Mike_C said:


> How big?


It's like a 4 car driveway I didn't measure it


----------



## AG09

Anyone buy anything from the Jacobsen auction today?


----------



## djt1029

AG09 said:


> Anyone buy anything from the Jacobsen auction today?


I bid on a couple mowers for a backup machine but no luck


----------



## HeatMiser

@S_Marino87 lumber prices must be killing you. I knew they were way up but I didn't realize how bad. I'm replacing a section of railing on my front deck and just for that it was an arm and leg


----------



## demetrios007

I quoted a deck pre covid at 19k and the people reached out while I was away to do it. They didnt realize material costs were way up. The updated quote is 26k, lumberyard material price is only good for 72hrs. An 8' 2x4 is almost 7 bucks, was under 3 bucks 15 months ago


----------



## S_Marino87

HeatMiser said:


> @S_Marino87 lumber prices must be killing you. I knew they were way up but I didn't realize how bad. I'm replacing a section of railing on my front deck and just for that it was an arm and leg


It's completely out of control. I just got my March bill from my supplier last week and it was twice what it usually hovers around


----------



## djt1029

I've got a railroad tie wall to do in a few weeks, by then it might be cheaper to do it with block


----------



## Mike_C

djt1029 said:


> I've got a railroad tie wall to do in a few weeks, by then it might be cheaper to do it with block


In the long run it's always the case


----------



## J.Ricci

I'm eating about $1,000 in lumber cost on the pool house/cabana build on one of my current jobs


----------



## treeguyry

Wood prices finally forced my hand into buying a bunch of poly ground mats. They’re still way more expensive but as often as I replace plywood these will pay for themselves in a few years


----------



## AG09

treeguyry said:


> Wood prices finally forced my hand into buying a bunch of poly ground mats. They're still way more expensive but as often as I replace plywood these will pay for themselves in a few years


Where did you get them from? And what color? Im gonna pull the trigger too and get whote ones.


----------



## sota

I dunno if there's an opportunity for bulk pricing on them, but I could be interested in a couple of them myself, for reasons. $250per 4x8 though is a bit steep for a filthy casual such as myself.


----------



## V_Scapes

A less than desirable forecast for this week coming up.


----------



## truckie80

Looks like we can salvage half a day today, Thursday looks like another story


----------



## sota

Tuesday looks nice. Wednesday looks decent, which is more important for me. We're doing unofficial TKD classes in the park at the Warren municipal complex, until the school is officially reopened.


----------



## UniqueTouch

what’s up guys hope everyone doing well. Been away for a minute gotta lot or reading to make up. Been getting a lot more calls for commercial estimates some even for snow for this upcoming season which is rare for me but one of the places is a new site their building. I really have no idea how to price it and I hate feeling like I screwed myself after i get an account so I’ll probably see if anyone wants to partner on it. It’s in Monmouth county. We can handle basically any reasonable size job I just don’t know what things are supposed to cost which sucks. Anyway has anyone ever in the past just came out and asked the property manager or owner their budget or what they want to spend on it? I’m trying to figuring out a way to ask that without being too unprofessional lol. Any help on how to price these bigger jobs would be great. Not sure if I should do hourly, per push, seasonal for the snow part. Just wanna do the work and let someone else handle this.(my dream)


----------



## treeguyry

AG09 said:


> Where did you get them from? And what color? Im gonna pull the trigger too and get whote ones.


I ordered them from sherrill tree, I didn't really price shop or anything I just order from them regularly and decided it was time. Just black ones, smooth on one side diamond tread on the other. In the fall I'll order some more just couldn't bring myself to replace everything all in one shot


----------



## MGLC

treeguyry said:


> I ordered them from sherrill tree, I didn't really price shop or anything I just order from them regularly and decided it was time. Just black ones, smooth on one side diamond tread on the other. In the fall I'll order some more just couldn't bring myself to replace everything all in one shot


I think this year I'm going to make the switch also, come the end of the year I think we're all going to need some extra tax write offs anyway with the volume of work coming in


----------



## Tony_D

I have to do a mulch job in Oradell for a family friend, anyone have a good place to get mulch from in that area? It’s going to be 2 trips because it’s like 14 yards


----------



## djt1029

Tony_D said:


> I have to do a mulch job in Oradell for a family friend, anyone have a good place to get mulch from in that area? It's going to be 2 trips because it's like 14 yards


Victoria's in Paramus or Downes in Hawthorne


----------



## Tony_D

djt1029 said:


> Victoria's in Paramus or Downes in Hawthorne


Thanks! I just checked online, Victoria's is less than 10 minutes from the house so I'll probably go there. How's the price?


----------



## djt1029

Tony_D said:


> Thanks! I just checked online, Victoria's is less than 10 minutes from the house so I'll probably go there. How's the price?


17/yard hardwood, 21 premium hardwood, not sure about the prices on any of the other mulch that's all I really get there


----------



## sota

https://sherrilltree.com/alturnamats-black-2-by-6ft/
so, how weather resistant are these things?
here's my case use idea:
I have to over winter my one car outside. It has a large felt protective later, a Car Jacket whole car bag around that, a really good quality car cover over that, topped off with a tarp that's basically a tent. it's secured by stuffing 2x4 chunks under the platform all of that sits on. Said platform is OSB cut to about 6' wide and 16' long, laid on top of a sistered pair of 2x4s laid vertical, and single 2x4s laid flat, to give it a dome/curve to help shed any water that does manage to get in.
obviously, the OSB, even with it slathered heavily with outdoor paint, suffered after 2 years of service like that. I'm wondering if the mats wouldn't be a more durable alternative.


----------



## sota

I'm actually seriously thinking about a quartet of the 2x8 mats.
I can lay them in 2 stripes to drive over, minimize weight and minimize cost.

If anyone nearby decides to do an order, is close or over the minimum to get free shipping, and wouldn't mind letting me piggy back on their order, I'd appreciate it.


----------



## J.Ricci

sota said:


> https://sherrilltree.com/alturnamats-black-2-by-6ft/
> so, how weather resistant are these things?
> here's my case use idea:
> I have to over winter my one car outside. It has a large felt protective later, a Car Jacket whole car bag around that, a really good quality car cover over that, topped off with a tarp that's basically a tent. it's secured by stuffing 2x4 chunks under the platform all of that sits on. Said platform is OSB cut to about 6' wide and 16' long, laid on top of a sistered pair of 2x4s laid vertical, and single 2x4s laid flat, to give it a dome/curve to help shed any water that does manage to get in.
> obviously, the OSB, even with it slathered heavily with outdoor paint, suffered after 2 years of service like that. I'm wondering if the mats wouldn't be a more durable alternative.


Bought them a few years ago and they hold up great to way more of a beating than a car being parked on them


----------



## treeguyry

Mats hold up to a 70k crane driving over them plus a bunch of other trucks and they sit out in the open in the weather. I would think they'll be fine


----------



## AG09

Anyone do work in Upper Saddle River? If so whats a good place to get RCA, QP, Stone Dust, Concrete Sand up there?


----------



## djt1029

AG09 said:


> Anyone do work in Upper Saddle River? If so whats a good place to get RCA, QP, Stone Dust, Concrete Sand up there?


I always use winters in Paramus when I'm working up there, quick 10 minute ride on 17 winters is directly off the Ridgewood Ave exit


----------



## truckie80

There's also Park Ave Supply in Park Ridge depending on where the job in USR is


----------



## AG09

djt1029 said:


> I always use winters in Paramus when I'm working up there, quick 10 minute ride on 17 winters is directly off the Ridgewood Ave exit





truckie80 said:


> There's also Park Ave Supply in Park Ridge depending on where the job in USR is


Thank you!! First time doing a job up there so I had no idea where to go.


----------



## truckie80

So much for that all day soaker, I told the guys yesterday at the end of the day to stay home today and now it's clear until 2 according to my phone. Perfect


----------



## Randall Ave

truckie80 said:


> So much for that all day soaker, I told the guys yesterday at the end of the day to stay home today and now it's clear until 2 according to my phone. Perfect


Day off. With pay?


----------



## MGLC

truckie80 said:


> So much for that all day soaker, I told the guys yesterday at the end of the day to stay home today and now it's clear until 2 according to my phone. Perfect


Never fails


----------



## AG09

truckie80 said:


> So much for that all day soaker, I told the guys yesterday at the end of the day to stay home today and now it's clear until 2 according to my phone. Perfect





MGLC said:


> Never fails


Always happens that way. Ive been telling my guys for the past couple years just up unless I call you. I have been burned one too many times.


----------



## V_Scapes

truckie80 said:


> So much for that all day soaker, I told the guys yesterday at the end of the day to stay home today and now it's clear until 2 according to my phone. Perfect


Don't feel bad I did the same. But both of my mason dumps are in the shop so what's the difference.


----------



## AllAboutGreen

truckie80 said:


> So much for that all day soaker, I told the guys yesterday at the end of the day to stay home today and now it's clear until 2 according to my phone. Perfect


I did the same.... I started calling and texting everyone at 7am to get at least some guys in


----------



## AllAboutGreen

V_Scapes said:


> Don't feel bad I did the same. But both of my mason dumps are in the shop so what's the difference.


I drove my snowrator to the dealer yesterday morning to be serviced. I got some great looks from people....


----------



## djt1029

I just brought in one guy to clean the interiors the trucks, oh well. Taking it easy today other than some office work is a nice change of pace


----------



## Mike_C

Weather men have to keep practicing to get the snow forecasts wrong, it's only about 7 months away


----------



## treeguyry

We had one job done around 10AM, I wanted to try and get another in but it looked pretty threatening so I called it a day


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Don't feel bad I did the same. But both of my mason dumps are in the shop so what's the difference.


Guy just dropped off a mason dump for some work, the salter is still in it. Mabey he is expecting something.


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> Guy just dropped off a mason dump for some work, the salter is still in it. Mabey he is expecting something.


If he drives northeast tonight he could find work for it.


----------



## sota

car work today.










passenger axle has been making evil noises, and I found the grease from the inner boot slung all over everything imaginable. luckily I have a spare pair of axles, so I installed them, did a trans fluid change, and an oil change.

now to find out if I can get these rebuilt or not. no more OEM axles available, and aftermarket is a crap shoot as to if they're decent or not. Seems the most reliable ones are from a company called Gator, but they're $250ea. Some have had good luck with Car Quest/Advanced Auto or the lifetime ones from AutoZone, but it's another crap shoot as to if they actually have the right ones. Despite what some say, an SRT-4 is NOT a Neon for a bunch of really important parts.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> If he drives northeast tonight he could find work for it.


Toooo much oil running out of the wheel, the new wet style brakes. I haven't had much Free time. Snow up north?


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> Toooo much oil running out of the wheel, the new wet style brakes. I haven't had much Free time. Snow up north?


Saw 6" in massachusetts.

What are wet style brakes?


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Saw 6" in massachusetts.
> 
> What are wet style brakes?


Just a joke, wheel seals are leaking. Everything in there is soaked.


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> Just a joke, wheel seals are leaking. Everything in there is soaked.


Oh gotcha.

My cummins needs an oil pan, thank god it's still under warranty.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Oh gotcha.
> 
> My cummins needs an oil pan, thank god it's still under warranty.


They kinda suck to do. Motor has to be lifted up, the oil pick up has to be unbolted and dropped into the pan. I bet some of the bolts break off in the block. Why they invented silicone. What year is it.


----------



## Fourteen Contracting Inc.

Randall Ave said:


> They kinda suck to do. Motor has to be lifted up, the oil pick up has to be unbolted and dropped into the pan. I bet some of the bolts break off in the block. Why they invented silicone. What year is it.


Same thing happened to me last year on a 2016. Got a new turbo out of it because the bolts broke.


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> They kinda suck to do. Motor has to be lifted up, the oil pick up has to be unbolted and dropped into the pan. I bet some of the bolts break off in the block. Why they invented silicone. What year is it.


Everyone I talked to said it's a bit of a nightmare. It's going in on the 26th, hate to give up a dump truck right now but I got a quote of 4k to do it so it definitely needs to go to the dealership.
It's a 2016 5500. Just did trans lines this week and she's ready for brakes FML.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Everyone I talked to said it's a bit of a nightmare. It's going in on the 26th, hate to give up a dump truck right now but I got a quote of 4k to do it so it definitely needs to go to the dealership.
> It's a 2016 5500. Just did trans lines this week and she's ready for brakes FML.


FML? I have on done one, will have to look tomorrow and see the invoice, got to do a C-7 Cat, I will have that pan replaced in the time it takes to set up for the Cummings job.


----------



## V_Scapes

What's worse a 7.3 oil pan or a cummins?


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> What's worse a 7.3 oil pan or a cummins?


 A 7.3 your yanking the motor, Cummins should be less time.


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> A 7.3 your yanking the motor, Cummins should be less time.


I hope so!


----------



## Tony_D

Getting randomly rained on 4 times today was fun


----------



## Randall Ave

Tony_D said:


> Getting randomly rained on 4 times today was fun


Felt like a late November day out there.


----------



## treeguyry

I'm planning on getting a few loads of stone delivered to my yard to put down a new layer tired of everything being soggy - you guys would know better than me what's better for this, clean stone, RCA, etc ?


----------



## Mike_C

treeguyry said:


> I'm planning on getting a few loads of stone delivered to my yard to put down a new layer tired of everything being soggy - you guys would know better than me what's better for this, clean stone, RCA, etc ?


3/4 - 1" clean


----------



## iceyman

God this weather sucks


----------



## MGLC

Mowing starts tomorrow, but one crew will still be on cleanup detail almost all week.


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> God this weather sucks


It's still just April. It's slowly getting warmer. Ok that's all bull****z. This plain sucks. The one news channel showed possible snow flurries for I think Tuesday.


----------



## J.Ricci

As long as it doesn't rain I don't care what the weather does. Starting another pool Tuesday and another one the following week. Insane year well underway


----------



## V_Scapes

MGLC said:


> Mowing starts tomorrow, but one crew will still be on cleanup detail almost all week.


We finally finished cleanups Friday and hitting the mulch list hard this week. I'm pushing mowing off one more week.


----------



## djt1029

I've got 2-3 days of cleanups left, no mowing until a week from tomorrow. I usually start the first week of May anyway so it's still an earlier start


----------



## Tony_D

I finished my last cleanups on Friday. I would like to spend this week on mulch and a few landscaping jobs but I should probably start cuts this week to otherwise I'll burn through my extra work too fast


----------



## UniqueTouch

sorry guys i keep asking questions and disappearing a lot of family health stuff and really busy like everyone else. just sold the cat skid steer. looking to buy a mini stand on skid like bobcat mt85 and/or a mini excavator. trying to see if anyone one is selling anything with low hours and which brands they like. Also looking for information on where everyone who doesnt have a yard where they dump their soil and debris from doing paver excavation and cost per ton. trying to get in the game just did my parents came out awesome didnt realize how easy it is. prob is i didnt have to haul anything away neeeded it at the house. Thanks for the anticipated help.


----------



## UniqueTouch

oh ya before i get reamed a new one when i say didnt realize how easy i meant for a simple patio not the crazy involved ones you guys do with different levels and stuff like that so please forgive that comment


----------



## Tony_D

UniqueTouch said:


> oh ya before i get reamed a new one when i say didnt realize how easy i meant for a simple patio not the crazy involved ones you guys do with different levels and stuff like that so please forgive that comment


We can't all be @J.Ricci lol


----------



## truckie80

V_Scapes said:


> We finally finished cleanups Friday and hitting the mulch list hard this week. I'm pushing mowing off one more week.


Same here, pushing to do as much extra work as possible this week.


----------



## djt1029

This is gonna be a long week, my buddy's in the hospital so I'm running 2 companies for at least the next few days


----------



## UniqueTouch

djt1029 said:


> This is gonna be a long week, my buddy's in the hospital so I'm running 2 companies for at least the next few days


your a good friend bro the stress from one is hard enough


----------



## truckie80

djt1029 said:


> This is gonna be a long week, my buddy's in the hospital so I'm running 2 companies for at least the next few days


Ouch, bad timing for that


----------



## iceyman

UniqueTouch said:


> your a good friend bro the stress from one is hard enough


It wat i had to do this winter.. my buddy shattered his ankle in January.. just starting to walk now.. had to run his company in the field.. not fun lol


----------



## MGLC

djt1029 said:


> This is gonna be a long week, my buddy's in the hospital so I'm running 2 companies for at least the next few days


That's rough, hopefully he's good to go in a few days


----------



## djt1029

Yeah he got the J&J vaccine a little over a week and now he's in the hospital but they claim it's unrelated...even though he was fine before it and felt like **** since a few hours after it. I'm no doctor but I wouldn't take those odds


----------



## J.Ricci

djt1029 said:


> Yeah he got the J&J vaccine a little over a week and now he's in the hospital but they claim it's unrelated...even though he was fine before it and felt like **** since a few hours after it. I'm no doctor but I wouldn't take those odds


Did he have time fo a free donut before going in?


----------



## djt1029

J.Ricci said:


> Did he have time fo a free donut before going in?


Literally was my first question lol


----------



## truckie80

djt1029 said:


> Literally was my first question lol


Love the twisted sense of humor on here, feels like I'm in the firehouse lol

It's funny how many people are ending up in the hospital after getting the vaccine with no mention of it on the news. Have to keep that fear narrative flowing


----------



## Tony_D

Question for you guys how do you charge for spreading rock? I have a customer who asked me to spread that red stone behind their garage and down the side of it and I don't really know how to charge for it. It's about 4 yards if my maths right


----------



## AllAboutGreen

djt1029 said:


> I've got 2-3 days of cleanups left, no mowing until a week from tomorrow. I usually start the first week of May anyway so it's still an earlier start


I got more calls and emails last week asking if we are coming to cut, their grass is "overgrown" so we started cutting this week. I was hoping to get another week of projects and mulch done....


----------



## truckie80

Tony_D said:


> Question for you guys how do you charge for spreading rock? I have a customer who asked me to spread that red stone behind their garage and down the side of it and I don't really know how to charge for it. It's about 4 yards if my maths right


With decorative stone it really all comes down to how close you can get the truck to where you're working. Don't sell yourself short on the labor it'll take some time no matter what but if you can get the truck close it'll save you time and energy.


----------



## V_Scapes

AllAboutGreen said:


> I got more calls and emails last week asking if we are coming to cut, their grass is "overgrown" so we started cutting this week. I was hoping to get another week of projects and mulch done....


What's your service area?

I'm seriously contemplating putting mowing off one more week, the lawns are marginal here. Also have had one out with "covid" for the last two weeks and he's my main guy for lawns.


----------



## AllAboutGreen

V_Scapes said:


> What's your service area?
> 
> I'm seriously contemplating putting mowing off one more week, the lawns are marginal here. Also have had one out with "covid" for the last two weeks and he's my main guy for lawns.


Union County

here is a good one for you guys......

One of the guys on my crew back in march kept asking me if I had enough work to keep them busy for 60 hours a week. I assured him i did and probably could make it 70. Rain in the forecast today, guess who doesnt show....."its not worth it to come in for 4-5 hours" I am done with these guys BS


----------



## djt1029

My new guy told me when I first hired him he needed Monday and Tuesday this week off. Alright it is what it is. Today rolls around and he “slept late” which I’m pretty sure is an excuse for the same - not worth a 45 minute bus ride to work until 1-2pm


----------



## S_Marino87

Anyone on here rent dumpsters? I'm losing patience with my normal guy. Work is mainly in Essex & Union


----------



## V_Scapes

S_Marino87 said:


> Anyone on here rent dumpsters? I'm losing patience with my normal guy. Work is mainly in Essex & Union


The company I use operates out of Patterson. If you need the contact info PM me, they've been very good to me.


----------



## AllAboutGreen

S_Marino87 said:


> Anyone on here rent dumpsters? I'm losing patience with my normal guy. Work is mainly in Essex & Union


I got a guy in Union County, Veteran/JC FD took over his dads business and is a hustler. I am not sure if he services Essex county but would be happy to give you his information if your interested


----------



## S_Marino87

Thanks guys, I'll take the info and reach out next week. Ideally I'd like to use the same company for all my jobs but I'm flexible.


----------



## iceyman

Now this is the weather im talking about.. coached both my sons baseball games this am and now back to work


----------



## iceyman

Installed running boards on my pops new truck today.. he is 62 and its his first ever brand new car.. he would always find used beater trucks to drive but he deserved a new truck so i forced him to order it


----------



## gman2310

For the paver guys. Anyone have pics of you have done this curve, around the concrete from a pool deck? Also, soilder course along pool or just blend it in and solider course around perimeter? This is my house, been awhile since I have done pavers.


----------



## V_Scapes

gman2310 said:


> For the paver guys. Anyone have pics of you have done this curve, around the concrete from a pool deck? Also, soilder course along pool or just blend it in and solider course around perimeter? This is my house, been awhile since I have done pavers.


Run the border course around the entire perimeter of the field.


----------



## AG09

gman2310 said:


> For the paver guys. Anyone have pics of you have done this curve, around the concrete from a pool deck? Also, soilder course along pool or just blend it in and solider course around perimeter? This is my house, been awhile since I have done pavers.


I would put a soldier course along the pool concrete as well as the perimeter.


----------



## J.Ricci

Soldier course along the concrete & perimeter, sailor course of a different paver between that and the field.


----------



## sota

Anyone planning on an order from Sherrill Tree, and would be willing to let me camp on to help kill the shipping cost? Want to order some of those ground mats in a couple days.


----------



## Nitro1253

Go right to fazzios in Howell they have 4x8 black mats in stock there


----------



## iceyman

Nitro1253 said:


> Go right to fazzios in Howell they have 4x8 black mats in stock there


My mom(does our books) cringes when she sees fazio on the cc lol place is awesome


----------



## sota

shopjfi.com ?


----------



## iceyman

sota said:


> shopjfi.com ?


I call about an hour ahead to place steel orders


----------



## Nitro1253

Yes. I don’t know if there on the website but there’s a stack by the front door outside


----------



## iceyman

This is a first.. old guy asks to use a bathroom which we dont have for the public. He goes to the opposite side of our little fenced in area and drops a deuce right in the parking lot.


----------



## J.Ricci

iceyman said:


> This is a first.. old guy asks to use a bathroom which we dont have for the public. He goes to the opposite side of our little fenced in area and drops a deuce right in the parking lot.


If you open a location in Seaside that'll be a weekly occurrence


----------



## Rodknee

Anyone deal with Van Dine? How are their installs?

Thanks!


----------



## djt1029

Rodknee said:


> Anyone deal with Van Dine? How are their installs?
> 
> Thanks!


Sloppy


----------



## Rodknee

djt1029 said:


> Sloppy


oof.... that would explain why their installed prices are the cheapest. hmm...


----------



## djt1029

Rodknee said:


> oof.... that would explain why their installed prices are the cheapest. hmm...


What're you looking for? Western?


----------



## MGLC

I bought a truck that had a Van Dine setup on it, it wasn't ideal


----------



## Rodknee

djt1029 said:


> What're you looking for? Western?


correct. Narrowed down my wants to Pro Plus 8'6' or 8-10' Wideout.


----------



## Rodknee

MGLC said:


> I bought a truck that had a Van Dine setup on it, it wasn't ideal


why? they are hacks?


----------



## djt1029

They can fix anything, but their installs are sloppy


----------



## treeguyry

Van Dine did the install on one of my trucks, it worked fine but the way they set up the wire harness is a major pain in the ass when I need to get to the battery...or fluids.


----------



## Randall Ave

You could try installing it yourself, they really are not that bad to do.


----------



## V_Scapes

FDR North in Pequannock have always done a great job with my snow equipment.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> FDR North in Pequannock have always done a great job with my snow equipment.


Where you are at, have you ever been to Traffic Safety?


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> Where you are at, have you ever been to Traffic Safety?


Would never go for an install there, heard they're really pricey.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Would never go for an install there, heard they're really pricey.


I think last time I asked it was $450.00, I get most all my Western parts there.


----------



## Mike_C

Rodknee said:


> Anyone deal with Van Dine? How are their installs?


If Buddy doesn't know you by first name, you're going to be waiting a long time for him to get your truck done


----------



## gman2310

I would def go for wideout. Installs are pretty easy as most of the plows are basically plug and play


----------



## AG09

Any of you guys that do hardscapes/pools what is your preferred method for installing a pool coping type s mortar, thinset, portland cement?


----------



## Mike_C

Generally portland unless otherwise spec'd


----------



## rizzoa13

Portland and sand mixed or just Portland? We use Portland and sand for hard packs on really unlevel tile installs.


----------



## sota

V_Scapes said:


> FDR North in Pequannock have always done a great job with my snow equipment.


I bought mine from FDR Roselle Park, along with various spare parts and maintenance bits. Pricing was also fair. They even stayed open a little late to sell me my plow. I did the install myself, but had a few questions during the process, and they answered my questions without issue. I know i'm not a Big Spender there, buy they'll continue to get my business as long as they continue to be the same.


----------



## truckie80

Van Dine being open 24/7 in the snow is the only reason I'm still a customer.


----------



## AG09

Mike_C said:


> Generally portland unless otherwise spec'd


Just straight portland or mix with sand?


----------



## Rodknee

sota said:


> I bought mine from FDR Roselle Park, along with various spare parts and maintenance bits. Pricing was also fair.


i called FDR, was told to call another FDR, kinda got the run around on the phone... didnt really get anywhere to be honest.



treeguyry said:


> Van Dine did the install on one of my trucks, it worked fine but the way they set up the wire harness is a major pain in the ass when I need to get to the battery...or fluids.


ah, noted, thanks. sounds like they take the easy way out.



Randall Ave said:


> You could try installing it yourself, they really are not that bad to do.


yes, i have never installed a plow, but i have 10+ years of tech experience at various dealers, so it is well within my wheelhouse. I still have to buy it somewhere though...



Randall Ave said:


> Where you are at, have you ever been to Traffic Safety?


i just looked them up. i will call shortly. Thanks! 



Mike_C said:


> If Buddy doesn't know you by first name, you're going to be waiting a long time for him to get your truck done


not very confidence inspiring. I was told one day install though, if we schedule it a few weeks prior.

i called storks in PA, and Vandine is $500 less on the wideout. That is a lot, but i don't think i want to drive 3+ hours home on the highway with a 1000# plow hanging off the nose...

thanks everyone for the help!


----------



## J.Ricci

AG09 said:


> Just straight portland or mix with sand?


Portland / sand mix, with a little air entraining additive


----------



## Mike_C

AG09 said:


> Just straight portland or mix with sand?


Roughly a 1-1 mix


----------



## iceyman

Mike_C said:


> Roughly a 1-1 mix


Even tho i have no idea what you guys are talking about its nice that you provide advice in here. You dont have to but im sure it helps alot of guys out.


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Even tho i have no idea what you guys are talking about its nice that you provide advice in here. You dont have to but im sure it helps alot of guys out.


That's the hot fudge to nut ratio for a hot fudge sundae. Get with program Sunny.


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> That's the hot fudge to nut ratio for a hot fudge sundae. Get with program Sunny.


Got it old timer


----------



## AllAboutGreen

sota said:


> I bought mine from FDR Roselle Park, along with various spare parts and maintenance bits. Pricing was also fair. They even stayed open a little late to sell me my plow. I did the install myself, but had a few questions during the process, and they answered my questions without issue. I know i'm not a Big Spender there, buy they'll continue to get my business as long as they continue to be the same.


I use A&K In Rahway NJ for all my plow and salter stuff, they do a great job. I also use FDR Roselle Park when i need parts bc they are closer to my house. They do a nice job too


----------



## truckie80

J.Ricci said:


> Portland / sand mix, with a little air entraining additive


What the hell is this, chemistry class?


----------



## Randall Ave

truckie80 said:


> What the hell is this, chemistry class?


2 parts Bacardi,, 1 part lime juice, 1 part grenadine.


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> 2 parts Bacardi,, 1 part lime juice, 1 part grenadine.


Now ur talking my language


----------



## Tony_D

How far do you guys space forsythia if you're planting a privacy hedge? Is a foot apart too close?


----------



## V_Scapes

Tony_D said:


> How far do you guys space forsythia if you're planting a privacy hedge? Is a foot apart too close?


How big are they? They grow like crazy.


----------



## AG09

truckie80 said:


> What the hell is this, chemistry class?


Something like that. Everyone has their own way of doing mixtures. Every one you talk to will tell ya something different.


----------



## sota

Tony_D said:


> How far do you guys space forsythia if you're planting a privacy hedge? Is a foot apart too close?


I think ours are spaced like 10' apart at least. possibly more. they do grow YUGE if you let them, and they do self propagate. However if you want density quickly, I'd say 3'-4', and if you have the space, 3' on side in a triangle pattern will give a nice fill in rather quickly but still breathing space for them to grow.


----------



## UniqueTouch

I need a diesel mechanic bad. just spent 4k on trans rebuild. The truck is 1999 ford f250 7.3 auto 4x4. truck has been a slug since day one. I cannot even get up a hill with my landscaping trailer or seal coating trailer. only way i get any power is if i floor it and i can barely hear the turbo. Even without a load it is a turd. Reached out to a bunch of mechanics no response. I want to do injectors eventually as well but i think this is something besides that, maybe dirty filters in fuel tank , bad or clogged oil cooler. anyone have any mechanics or suggestions if they ever encountered this. thanks yall


----------



## sota

not a diesel guy, but if you're not hearing the snail maybe something's wrong with it. have you pulled the intake off and tried spinning it by hand? hell you should be able to blow on it and it'll move.


----------



## djt1029

Tony_D said:


> How far do you guys space forsythia if you're planting a privacy hedge? Is a foot apart too close?


I try not to plant forsythia they're just a glorified weed, but spacing really comes down to how fast they want the coverage. Ideally 2-4ft but most people won't want that much of a gap to start out if they're looking for privacy


----------



## J.Ricci

djt1029 said:


> I try not to plant forsythia they're just a glorified weed, but spacing really comes down to how fast they want the coverage. Ideally 2-4ft but most people won't want that much of a gap to start out if they're looking for privacy


Forsythia are the red mulch of plants


----------



## Randall Ave

UniqueTouch said:


> I need a diesel mechanic bad. just spent 4k on trans rebuild. The truck is 1999 ford f250 7.3 auto 4x4. truck has been a slug since day one. I cannot even get up a hill with my landscaping trailer or seal coating trailer. only way i get any power is if i floor it and i can barely hear the turbo. Even without a load it is a turd. Reached out to a bunch of mechanics no response. I want to do injectors eventually as well but i think this is something besides that, maybe dirty filters in fuel tank , bad or clogged oil cooler. anyone have any mechanics or suggestions if they ever encountered this. thanks yall


You need a GOOD scanner, run codes and tests. Remove the fuel tank, tank the pickup apart and check the pre screens, there should be two. Need to connect a mechanical gauge and check fuel pressure. Places to start.


----------



## UniqueTouch

thanks randall i have those replacement screens just was nervous to try and do myself. what scanner do you recommend?


----------



## Randall Ave

UniqueTouch said:


> thanks randall i have those replacement screens just was nervous to try and do myself. what scanner do you recommend?


I have two scanners, one was $5000.00. the other was $18,000.00. I don't think you're going that route.


----------



## UniqueTouch

Gotcha mine cheap and said no codes. I took air filter off and there was a decent amount of oil in the tube before the turbo. Plus there is a lot of crap on turbo housing and the tubes coming out of the front of radiator which I cleaned off couple months ago and also there was a lot of crap on my plow solenoid which was clean a month or two ago. Attached are some photos I just took don’t know if y’all can see


----------



## V_Scapes

Makes you wonder if it's worth buying diesel trucks anymore. Between the cost of them new, finding someone to work on them and the cost of repair. The power is great to have but so much BS that goes with it.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Makes you wonder if it's worth buying diesel trucks anymore. Between the cost of them new, finding someone to work on them and the cost of repair. The power is great to have but so much BS that goes with it.


I no, those dam mechanics are thieves. Was in your neighborhood tonight fixing a lift gate.


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> I no, those dam mechanics are thieves. Was in your neighborhood tonight fixing a lift gate.


Never said your thieves I know they can be a nightmare sometimes and the cost reflects it.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Never said your thieves I know they can be a nightmare sometimes and the cost reflects it.


There are some places that are just brutal. Every job is a home run. But I was just kidding otherwise. What I did tonight. Mine Hill to Mahwah, quick check on rt 17S. Lift gate no close. I got him going. 2 1/2 hrs @ $95.00, and 50 cents a mile.


----------



## UniqueTouch

randall do you travel to monouth county?


----------



## UniqueTouch

or can you fed ex me your scan tool for an hour


----------



## Randall Ave

UniqueTouch said:


> randall do you travel to monouth county?


No, I've kinda been winding down some. I'm 62, have some health issues. I try to stay close to home as much as possible.


----------



## UniqueTouch

sorry bout the health issues my friend will be praying for you. wish i had someone like your with your experience. I dont mind paying the money but im tired of getting played. I just had my trans rebuilt. when the owner came to my house i said i do not want a bought trans and dropped in i want the trans in my truck now rebuilt and mine had a pto on it. he calls me 3 days after it was towed there that the truck is done but by the way we had to use another 7.3 trans case bc we couldnt find parts to rebuild yours. really pissed me off.


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> There are some places that are just brutal. Every job is a home run. But I was just kidding otherwise. What I did tonight. Mine Hill to Mahwah, quick check on rt 17S. Lift gate no close. I got him going. 2 1/2 hrs @ $95.00, and 50 cents a mile.


My buddy started up a mobile marine repair business in July last year. He's jamming with work since there's no one likes him offering such a service. There's a big opportunity for mobile mechanics.


----------



## Randall Ave

Truck I just built for myself, a 2000 f250, and a 2001 f 250. Different transmissions.


----------



## treeguyry

My crane operator texted me last night, he's got the vid19 but wants to keep working. The old school guys are a dying breed


----------



## iceyman

treeguyry said:


> My crane operator texted me last night, he's got the vid19 but wants to keep working. The old school guys are a dying breed


Leave him in the machine by himself and no contact with an other employees


----------



## sota

I was going to write:
how much actual contact does he have with other people?
short of scheduled breaks I'd think very little to nearly none.


----------



## treeguyry

Most communication with him is done via headset anyway. Only thing that really changes is he can't come out and bull**** with us while the ground crew's cleaning up


----------



## iceyman

treeguyry said:


> Most communication with him is done via headset anyway. Only thing that really changes is he can't come out and bull**** with us while the ground crew's cleaning up


Hey if he wants to work its 2 weeks isolated to the crane


----------



## Tony_D

Today my guy shot a rock through a customers storm door. We cleaned it all up and I called her and left a message letting her know what happened, apologized and told that I would obviously pay for it etc. She called me back a little later flipping out about it and told me she was going to hire someone else for the lawn and she'd let me know how much the door was when it was done. I'm not sure what else I could have done. Sorry just a rant.


----------



## iceyman

Tony_D said:


> Today my guy shot a rock through a customers storm door. We cleaned it all up and I called her and left a message letting her know what happened, apologized and told that I would obviously pay for it etc. She called me back a little later flipping out about it and told me she was going to hire someone else for the lawn and she'd let me know how much the door was when it was done. I'm not sure what else I could have done. Sorry just a rant.


People suck


----------



## AG09

Tony_D said:


> Today my guy shot a rock through a customers storm door. We cleaned it all up and I called her and left a message letting her know what happened, apologized and told that I would obviously pay for it etc. She called me back a little later flipping out about it and told me she was going to hire someone else for the lawn and she'd let me know how much the door was when it was done. I'm not sure what else I could have done. Sorry just a rant.


Things happen. Dont sweat it. If she is that much of a b!tch you are btter off without her. Just pay the bill and move on. And if she tries to bilk you get your insurance involved, but if not pay out of pocket. Also, explain to your employee that when weed wacking do not go towards the windows/doors, always weed wack going away from them.


----------



## truckie80

Better to be rid of her. Most people are pretty understanding that things happen. Standard glass screen door usually is under $200 if she comes back with a crazy number get insurance involved like mentioned above


----------



## S_Marino87

She seems like a royal **** don't stress about it


----------



## prezek

Tony_D said:


> Today my guy shot a rock through a customers storm door. We cleaned it all up and I called her and left a message letting her know what happened, apologized and told that I would obviously pay for it etc. She called me back a little later flipping out about it and told me she was going to hire someone else for the lawn and she'd let me know how much the door was when it was done. I'm not sure what else I could have done. Sorry just a rant.


Sucks, but like others said, don't sweat it...we tend to break 6-8 per year!


----------



## Tony_D

Thanks guys. With how she flipped out I can tell I'm dodging a bullet by not working with her anymore, I just didn't expect it. I thought I handled it as well as I could and didn't expect to get screamed at for 10 minutes


----------



## Randall Ave

You will never keep everyone happy. And some days things just go wrong. Take care of it and move on.


----------



## iceyman

And it could be worse.. that rock goes thru her audi window it’s probably 2k


----------



## sota

Was just thinking, if a rock got shot through my front door, i'd be pretty upset. Mostly because it's a semi-custom double opening side light plus over-sized door, that was a royal pain in the ass to install. And it was over $5000, just for the door. Never mind the labor to install it, then have the manufacturer send out a team to uninstall it, correct their build mistakes, and reinstall it. That'd be a tough pill for anyone to swallow.

But a storm door? that would be what, 2 bills at most?


----------



## iceyman

sota said:


> Was just thinking, if a rock got shot through my front door, i'd be pretty upset. Mostly because it's a semi-custom double opening side light plus over-sized door, that was a royal pain in the ass to install. And it was over $5000, just for the door. Never mind the labor to install it, then have the manufacturer send out a team to uninstall it, correct their build mistakes, and reinstall it. That'd be a tough pill for anyone to swallow.
> 
> But a storm door? that would be what, 2 bills at most?


Yea if i had my grandmothers ashes spread inside the glass i would be pretty bummed.. but its a freaking storm door


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> And it could be worse.. that rock goes thru her audi window it's probably 2k


Audi?

Sounds like his customer drives a Prius.


----------



## Mike_C

Sounds like she has much bigger problems than the door. My maintenance crews break windows a few times a year and the overwhelming majority of people are understanding and just appreciate being told and having it handled professionally.


----------



## MGLC

About 10 years ago one of my guys blasted a rock through a stained glass window...that sucked. Storm door's no big deal


----------



## sota

@Mike_C aye.
We had a cleaning service in one time, and one of the gals accidentally broke the cup in the bathroom. Wouldn't have been a big deal if she'd just told us... it was like a cheap $2 cup. But she just swept the pieces into the garbage, and they took the garbage with them. We were like "where's the cup?" that night. We called the cleaning service, asking about it. When confronted the girl admitted it happened, and got fired over it... not for breaking the cup, but for not telling anyone when it happened.

I keep reminding my kid **** happens, just man up and admit it when it does. MOST people are less likely to get (royally) pissed off if you do.

I ran into the back of a classic car on my bicycle one time. Destroyed the tail light housing, and smashed my thumb nail. My dad and I went over to the owner, and I offered to pay for the part, because it was my fault I wasn't paying attention while riding. I was 6.


----------



## sota

Decided I'd work on the Jeep today, and figure out why the driver rear caliper is hanging up bad (stinky and smoky and hot as *beep*)
Answer was obvious (smoking gun :snicker: ) upon inspection: one of the slide pins was seized. Got all corroded.
No biggie, call up napa, they have 2 kits in stock, let's buy both in case the passenger side is suspect as well.
Here's my "cluster"... I didn't pull the passenger side apart FIRST.
Got the kits, reassembled the driver's side, all good.
Pulled the passenger side apart; sure enough one of the pins is sticking. BUT... it's because the boot has a MASSIVE CHUNK missing!
*sigh* call napa again... can't get the boot kit ($8.99), but can get the hardware kit ($12.49) after 1PM today.
so i'm sitting with the jeep on the jack outside, waiting for the parts.
Debating if I should pull the driver's side apart again, and put the fresh boots in, along with the rest of the hardware in the kit (clips, sliders, etc.)
Answer really is... yes dummy.


----------



## AllAboutGreen

I tried to beat the rain today and im losing.... I have my crew sitting at a site in Elizabth bc I would rather eat the 3 hours till it rains then lose 5 hours round trip later in the week.....


----------



## gman2310

Anyone from Maplewood deal with this yet? Thats crazy.


----------



## Randall Ave

For you guys without a yard, is it that hard now to find places to park, I swear once a week I have guys coming in looking to rent space.


----------



## MGLC

gman2310 said:


> Anyone from Maplewood deal with this yet? Thats crazy.


Occasionally I'll do a planting or hardscape job in Maplewood but I avoid it for the most part. When you register for the town landscaper permit there now they want the serial number of your leaf blowers


----------



## djt1029

Randall Ave said:


> For you guys without a yard, is it that hard now to find places to park, I swear once a week I have guys coming in looking to rent space.


It's a nightmare in a lot of places. At least once a week someone stops by my yard to see if anyone has space for them to fit a couple trucks or whatever they have


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> For you guys without a yard, is it that hard now to find places to park, I swear once a week I have guys coming in looking to rent space.


Getting harder and more expensive by the day.. i have 10 acres i cant use because my town is busting my balls for the last 3 years


----------



## iceyman

gman2310 said:


> Anyone from Maplewood deal with this yet? Thats crazy.


Complete insanity


----------



## Mike_C

MGLC said:


> When you register for the town landscaper permit there now they want the serial number of your leaf blowers


Tax dollars at work


----------



## Randall Ave

MGLC said:


> Occasionally I'll do a planting or hardscape job in Maplewood but I avoid it for the most part. When you register for the town landscaper permit there now they want the serial number of your leaf blowers


Off of Rt 78? Was there today across from the Starbucks fixen a Coca Cola trailer. Not much room there, and I could feel the Liberalism. Ugh.


----------



## V_Scapes

MGLC said:


> Occasionally I'll do a planting or hardscape job in Maplewood but I avoid it for the most part. When you register for the town landscaper permit there now they want the serial number of your leaf blowers


Your kidding. What's the point?


----------



## AG09

MGLC said:


> When you register for the town landscaper permit there now they want the serial number of your leaf blowers


Wtf!?! Why? What does the serial numbers have to do with not being able to use them? Are they using the serial numbers to track theft....lol??


----------



## sota

djt1029 said:


> It's a nightmare in a lot of places. At least once a week someone stops by my yard to see if anyone has space for them to fit a couple trucks or whatever they have


I've been working on a couple deals that hopefully will pan out, eventually. Namely procuring property to rent space to landscapers and others that need storage.
One item I've been missing is, semi-concrete numbers as to what people are willing to pay for space. If anyone wouldn't mind PMing me with some data I'd appreciate it.


----------



## Randall Ave

300.00 a truck is what I have heard. But you better check town zoning before you jump the shark.


----------



## iceyman

V_Scapes said:


> Your kidding. What's the point?


It's happening in other stAtes already.. charge per serial number


----------



## MGLC

AG09 said:


> Wtf!?! Why? What does the serial numbers have to do with not being able to use them? Are they using the serial numbers to track theft....lol??


I have no idea what the logic is. I'll do a job or two there every few years so I don't bother with any of that garbage. I tack an extra $500 onto my estimates there, that'll cover the fine if they bust my balls. I follow the rules as long as they're not completely asinine


----------



## sota

Randall Ave said:


> 300.00 a truck is what I have heard. But you better check town zoning before you jump the shark.


Yea i know zoning will be a ***** in some areas, but first it's to find property that's viable to begin with.
What about trailers? do they just count that as another "truck"?


----------



## treeguyry

I actually had no idea leaf blowers were illegal in Maplewood....I have a job there next week. Oh well, maybe I'll just skip the clean up part of the job like 95% of other tree guys



sota said:


> Yea i know zoning will be a ***** in some areas, but first it's to find property that's viable to begin with.
> What about trailers? do they just count that as another "truck"?


300 is a truck and trailer together around here from what I hear


----------



## djt1029

I'm paying around $1,500 a month for around 3k sqft of space


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> I'm paying around $1,500 a month for around 3k sqft of space


That's crazy! 
I get guys asking to rent space from me all the time but I don't want to get involved.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> That's crazy!
> I get guys asking to rent space from me all the time but I don't want to get involved.


That's me right there.


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> That's me right there.


The money is tempting but my privacy and peace is worth more.


----------



## S_Marino87

I've had a few guys ask me about renting space, I have room for 2 maybe 3 vehicles but I'd rather keep my privacy and the extra space to move around.


----------



## S_Marino87

Anyone else having issues with permits? Half the towns I've been working in this year only have part time inspectors who are only in like every couple weeks. They're making it near impossible to follow the rules


----------



## rizzoa13

Everyone has used covid as an excuse to provide terrible service. We all got used to it and its going to be a while before the consumer complains enough and it goes back to normal. We've got inspectors moonlighting for so many different municipalities that you can't even get in touch with them for a question. How the hell am I supposed to even plan a project if I can't talk to the zoning official for weeks?


----------



## iceyman

S_Marino87 said:


> Anyone else having issues with permits? Half the towns I've been working in this year only have part time inspectors who are only in like every couple weeks. They're making it near impossible to follow the rules


its a mess


----------



## Mike_C

We've skipped permits on more jobs in the last 12 months than I had in 30 years combined. Irrigation's the worst of all, half the towns have a plumbing inspector one day every month or two.


----------



## Randall Ave

Any of you guys have a Ford, 1997 to 1990 I think f250 , have two new front Monroe shocks, #34732. Free for pickup, or untill I hit the scrap yard.


----------



## iceyman

Operation turn my parents house into an amusement park in full effect.. heres the rock wall I built.. used a wooden frame from the floor of an old walk in fridge..


----------



## iceyman

The ninja line


----------



## iceyman

Ill have to get my drone up to show the property but after i was about 15 the back 50’ of the property became overgrown.. took the skid and mowed down all the small trees and tried to level out what i could .. very weird as the backyard goes back from the house it raises about 9’ then theres an abrupt drop into the emt building behind us.. im assuming the cut into our backyard(behind our property) to build the place back in the mid 80s.. also used to have awesome trails back there until a culdesac was built and ruined everything


----------



## V_Scapes

Is anyone even booking anymore work right now? We're slammed and booked until late July maybe even longer. I've got people asking for work to be done within the next two weeks and no one wants to wait.


----------



## J.Ricci

I already have a few months of next summer booked


----------



## Randall Ave

I just saw something about a gas pipeline down, possible gas shortage?


----------



## MGLC

Randall Ave said:


> I just saw something about a gas pipeline down, possible gas shortage?


Another day in biden's America


----------



## Tony_D

The bigger guys being so booked up is great for me. I'm getting the chance to get my foot in the door for a lot of small jobs that more established company's aren't interested in.


----------



## Randall Ave

MGLC said:


> Another day in biden's America


Diesel jumped up ten cents a gallon at the corner station. $3.29.9 a gallon. Thanks Uncle Joe. What a putz.


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> Diesel jumped up ten cents a gallon at the corner station. $3.29.9 a gallon. Thanks Uncle Joe. What a putz.


Look around the world.. the last 4 years everything was calm for the most part.. going to hell fast


----------



## J.Ricci

America as we knew it died in March of last year


----------



## rizzoa13

Yeah but the president doesn’t tweet rude things anymore guys... it’s got to be better.


----------



## Mike_PS

ok guys...politics is for the politics thread


----------



## S_Marino87

Mid 60's and sunny today in NJ


----------



## Randall Ave

My Freightliner salesman was here today. He said at a job site I think around Wantage, seems all the fuel was taken from the machines.


----------



## V_Scapes

10 days out??


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> 10 days out??


Your next vacation??


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> Your next vacation??


One could dream.


----------



## Mike_C

No vacation for landscapers this year...or any trade really. Memorial day weekend can't come soon enough


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Randall Ave said:


> My Freightliner salesman was here today. He said at a job site I think around Wantage, seems all the fuel was taken from the machines.


You knew that was going to start happening. Anyone see the brawls at stations in the South? Or people putting gas in anything that will (mostly) hold liquid?


----------



## treeguyry

Kevin_NJ said:


> You knew that was going to start happening. Anyone see the brawls at stations in the South? Or people putting gas in anything that will (mostly) hold liquid?


5 gallon buckets of gas in the trunk, would could possibly go wrong


----------



## AllAboutGreen

"I sure could go for a mean tweet and $1.79 gas right now"


----------



## Randall Ave

AllAboutGreen said:


> "I sure could go for a mean tweet and $1.79 gas right now"


I just filled the service truck, :angry: . I should have took over that station years ago when I looked into it.


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> I just filled the service truck, :angry: . I should have took over that station years ago when I looked into it.


Well its absolutely gorgeous out so we have that going for us


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Well its absolutely gorgeous out so we have that going for us


I'm locking up and going home. Going to try to cut my grass for the first time this year. I tried to throw a hint to a landscape customer of mine, but he didn't get it.


----------



## J.Ricci

Randall Ave said:


> I'm locking up and going home. Going to try to cut my grass for the first time this year. I tried to throw a hint to a landscape customer of mine, but he didn't get it.


Hired a guy for my lawn this year. Best decision I made since I got rid of my maintenance route


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> I'm locking up and going home. Going to try to cut my grass for the first time this year. I tried to throw a hint to a landscape customer of mine, but he didn't get it.


I'm sure he got the point but has no time like the rest of us.


----------



## iceyman

V_Scapes said:


> I'm sure he got the point but has no time like the rest of us.


He must not know about the woman at the house....


----------



## V_Scapes

J.Ricci said:


> Hired a guy for my lawn this year. Best decision I made since I got rid of my maintenance route


As the year goes on I'm hearing about more companies throwing in the towel.


----------



## Mike_C

Labor's a nightmare and it won't be better anytime soon.


----------



## treeguyry

I tried go get one additional ground laborer for this year, we can get by without I was just shooting to lighten the load on the other guys. Tried out 3 guys, 2 only wanted to work a day or two here and there, and the other wanted $25/hr....No thanks. I'd rather just bring the ditch witch to every job


----------



## J.Ricci

treeguyry said:


> I tried go get one additional ground laborer for this year, we can get by without I was just shooting to lighten the load on the other guys. Tried out 3 guys, 2 only wanted to work a day or two here and there, and the other wanted $25/hr....No thanks. I'd rather just bring the ditch witch to every job


Equipment won't let you down


----------



## V_Scapes

J.Ricci said:


> Equipment won't let you down


That's funny right there.


----------



## S_Marino87

treeguyry said:


> I tried go get one additional ground laborer for this year, we can get by without I was just shooting to lighten the load on the other guys. Tried out 3 guys, 2 only wanted to work a day or two here and there, and the other wanted $25/hr....No thanks. I'd rather just bring the ditch witch to every job


I tried to pick up a day laborer last week just to haul crap out of a kitchen demo and these guys want $ 225/250 a day, lunch bought for them, and to be done by 4PM


----------



## iceyman

S_Marino87 said:


> I tried to pick up a day laborer last week just to haul crap out of a kitchen demo and these guys want $ 225/250 a day, lunch bought for them, and to be done by 4PM


StArt at 4 am lol


----------



## sota

That tells you all you need to know about how much unemployment money they're getting.


----------



## Mike_C

I know a few guys who are down multiple crews because they can't get anyone new in. Paying people not to work is the second dumbest thing the government's ever done, right after shutting the country down for the flu


----------



## S_Marino87

Mike_C said:


> I know a few guys who are down multiple crews because they can't get anyone new in. Paying people not to work is the second dumbest thing the government's ever done, right after shutting the country down for the flu


"We follow the science, unless I don't like it" - Phil Murphy, May 2021


----------



## sota

town book o feces page is blowing up with people trying to find new mowers, as their contracted persons are bailing. I looked at the kid and said "you need to get in on this hussle." he's... not.

hell i'm thinking about getting in on the hustle. how much do you peeps charge for a lawn? granted i'm not in and out in 5 minutes.


----------



## prezek

What’s the reason for bailing? No help?


----------



## J.Ricci

prezek said:


> What's the reason for bailing? No help?


Near impossible for most guys to find labor. I've been pretty lucky and have all the guys I need but I don't have faith in finding any additional help, so even while the phone rings off the hook, I can't take anything else on. We're already working 7 days a week


----------



## AG09

J.Ricci said:


> Near impossible for most guys to find labor. I've been pretty lucky and have all the guys I need but I don't have faith in finding any additional help, so even while the phone rings off the hook, I can't take anything else on. We're already working 7 days a week


Thats awesome your guys are willing to work 7 days a week. How did you manage to get them on board with it?

The amount of calls I am getting this year for residential maintenance is insane. I guess tons of guys packed it in. The worst part is they want it cut for the same price as the last guy. Do people not realize maybe some of them closed up shop because they finally smartened up and saw they weren't making any money.


----------



## J.Ricci

AG09 said:


> Thats awesome your guys are willing to work 7 days a week. How did you manage to get them on board with it?
> 
> The amount of calls I am getting this year for residential maintenance is insane. I guess tons of guys packed it in. The worst part is they want it cut for the same price as the last guy. Do people not realize maybe some of them closed up shop because they finally smartened up and saw they weren't making any money.


Paying double time for Sunday's plus for every one they work, they bank a paid vacation day for the winter. Three of my guys have worked every Sunday since the one after Easter, averaging 6-7 guys each Sunday. Once Memorial Day comes, we're going back to our normal schedule. It's great for now but I'm not going to have my guys burnt out by early July


----------



## treeguyry

J.Ricci said:


> Paying double time for Sunday's plus for every one they work, they bank a paid vacation day for the winter. Three of my guys have worked every Sunday since the one after Easter, averaging 6-7 guys each Sunday. Once Memorial Day comes, we're going back to our normal schedule. It's great for now but I'm not going to have my guys burnt out by early July


I like that idea, might do something similar when we get another wind storm and there's some work for Sundays


----------



## HeatMiser

I'm old enough to remember when the American dream was to work hard and earn a living and a life for you and your family. What a joke this state, and country, have turned in to


----------



## AG09

J.Ricci said:


> Paying double time for Sunday's plus for every one they work, they bank a paid vacation day for the winter. Three of my guys have worked every Sunday since the one after Easter, averaging 6-7 guys each Sunday. Once Memorial Day comes, we're going back to our normal schedule. It's great for now but I'm not going to have my guys burnt out by early July


The double time is what it is, but the paid day off in the winter is a nice bonus for them. Did you factor that into your pricing for these jobs or were they booked prior and you are just cutting into your profit?


----------



## J.Ricci

I didn't factor it in, but I did shoot high on the last few jobs I signed for the season before shutting the list down so it should even it out.


----------



## prezek

J.Ricci said:


> Near impossible for most guys to find labor. I've been pretty lucky and have all the guys I need but I don't have faith in finding any additional help, so even while the phone rings off the hook, I can't take anything else on. We're already working 7 days a week


Good to hear you have a full staff...I'm pretty much maintenance only. Haven't heard of a lot of guys bailing around here, but I have picked up quite a few neighbors and the customer referrals are through the roof this season. Routes are getting tighter and tighter. No advertising out and I've added probably close to 100 new accounts.


----------



## V_Scapes

AG09 said:


> Thats awesome your guys are willing to work 7 days a week. How did you manage to get them on board with it?
> 
> The amount of calls I am getting this year for residential maintenance is insane. I guess tons of guys packed it in. The worst part is they want it cut for the same price as the last guy. Do people not realize maybe some of them closed up shop because they finally smartened up and saw they weren't making any money.


Ive also been getting tons of maintenance calls and I'm not sure why. I've turned down almost all of them.


----------



## iceyman

The only good thing about hiring 16-22 year olds is they don’t qualify for the handouts .. i have more applications than i can deal with but you guys are in an entirely different game .. and my payroll is through the god dam roof.. 5$ ice cream cones coming soon


----------



## prezek

iceyman said:


> The only good thing about hiring 16-22 year olds is they don't qualify for the handouts .. i have more applications than i can deal with but you guys are in an entirely different game .. and my payroll is through the god dam roof.. 5$ ice cream cones coming soon


Did you find a lot of parents last year wouldn't let their kids work?


----------



## AG09

V_Scapes said:


> Ive also been getting tons of maintenance calls and I'm not sure why. I've turned down almost all of them.


Same here. I keep turning them down too.


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> The only good thing about hiring 16-22 year olds is they don't qualify for the handouts .. i have more applications than i can deal with but you guys are in an entirely different game .. and my payroll is through the god dam roof.. 5$ ice cream cones coming soon


Kids are clueless in that age range now.
Two Saturdays ago if I walked away from my truck at the gas station I would have had a DEF tank full of diesel.


----------



## sota

To be fair, I'm 47 and have never owned a diesel vehicle, so I could see screwing something like that up. It'd be hopefully a total moron moment, as I can read... most of the time.


----------



## iceyman

prezek said:


> Did you find a lot of parents last year wouldn't let their kids work?


Only a small amount actually


----------



## V_Scapes

Anyone ever work for Ferrandino or receive a RFP from them? Their scope of work and requirements are outrageous, hardly seems worth it.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Anyone ever work for Ferrandino or receive a RFP from them? Their scope of work and requirements are outrageous, hardly seems worth it.


Do some research before you jump in.


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> Do some research before you jump in.


I'm not bothering it's a site in Warwick. Just couldn't believe the long winded agreement they send.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> I'm not bothering it's a site in Warwick. Just couldn't believe the long winded agreement they send.


I had something like that for Novartis. A new maintenance company came in, they wanted so much info from out was crazy. And I had to pay a yearly fee of $400.00 to learn how to do their billing. That was a big no.


----------



## Mike_C

V_Scapes said:


> I'm not bothering it's a site in Warwick. Just couldn't believe the long winded agreement they send.


They're pretty much all like that. I'm convinced it's because so many guys get excited about getting commercial accounts they only read the highlights and then get bent over a chair in the end


----------



## V_Scapes

Mike_C said:


> They're pretty much all like that. I'm convinced it's because so many guys get excited about getting commercial accounts they only read the highlights and then get bent over a chair in the end


For sure, just seems like a big trap.


----------



## iceyman

V_Scapes said:


> Anyone ever work for Ferrandino or receive a RFP from them? Their scope of work and requirements are outrageous, hardly seems worth it.


Stay as far away as possible


----------



## Tony_D

Hey guys sorry to always ask so many questions but I have a customer who wants me to plant 12 7-8ft green giants, they don't even want an estimate. Should I just charge them by the hour plus the materials retail price?


----------



## truckie80

Don't do it by the hour, you'll be leaving money on the table. Repetitive plantings like that where it's just a bunch of one thing I charge 2x the retail price, plus more for any topsoil, mulching, removal of old trees etc.


----------



## Tony_D

truckie80 said:


> Don't do it by the hour, you'll be leaving money on the table. Repetitive plantings like that where it's just a bunch of one thing I charge 2x the retail price, plus more for any topsoil, mulching, removal of old trees etc.


Awesome thanks for the help. I'll do that. There's nothing in the way right now so the only additional work is going to be mulching around them.


----------



## HeatMiser

Tony_D said:


> Awesome thanks for the help. I'll do that. There's nothing in the way right now so the only additional work is going to be mulching around them.


Seems like you're having a pretty good spring, keep hustling and it'll keep paying off


----------



## iceyman

Gota love blowing tires driving 55 on a highway


----------



## J.Ricci

iceyman said:


> Gota love blowing tires driving 55 on a highway


Fun times


----------



## sota

man, getting paving contractors out to give quotes is impossible.


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Gota love blowing tires driving 55 on a highway


Driver abuse.


----------



## MGLC

Tony_D said:


> Awesome thanks for the help. I'll do that. There's nothing in the way right now so the only additional work is going to be mulching around them.


Run a drip line around them, it's getting hot and there's no real rain in the forecast


----------



## V_Scapes

MGLC said:


> Run a drip line around them, it's getting hot and there's no real rain in the forecast


We did two decent arb plantings this month and both customers did that, everything is doing well.


----------



## djt1029

One of the best things I did was start including a drip line in the price of all jobs without existing irrigation. Makes everybody's life easier - mainly mine


----------



## Tony_D

djt1029 said:


> One of the best things I did was start including a drip line in the price of all jobs without existing irrigation. Makes everybody's life easier - mainly mine


Like a soaker hose? I know this guy will pay whatever needs to be done so maybe I'll do that also. Doing the job next week


----------



## djt1029

Tony_D said:


> Like a soaker hose? I know this guy will pay whatever needs to be done so maybe I'll do that also. Doing the job next week


A real drip line, it holds up better just put it around everything with some sod staples and mulch right over it

https://store.rainbird.com/xfd06125...P_NZ2tYZ7SjFVvWDHXD0BGkL7rC-zt7hoCCYgQAvD_BwE


----------



## S_Marino87

I'm sure a lot of you guys saw this already but just in case some didn't

https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2021...-memorial-day-weekend-murphy-to-announce.html


----------



## MGLC

I'm sure he'll also have to add his usual "I can change my mind at any time" disclaimer


----------



## iceyman

Actually sat at a bar last night in freehold.. no mask on us or the tenders .. felt nice


----------



## J.Ricci

Haven’t put a gaiter on since Christmas, I’m technically banned from a few places, almost arrested once, but the overwhelming majority still rang me up / served me.


----------



## Tony_D

iceyman said:


> Actually sat at a bar last night in freehold.. no mask on us or the tenders .. felt nice


I turned 21 a few months ago during all of this, I still haven't been able to do that. Can't wait



J.Ricci said:


> Haven't put a gaiter on since Christmas, I'm technically banned from a few places, almost arrested once, but the overwhelming majority still rang me up / served me.


I wear it other than to a few places I go all the time that I know don't care, but I take it down a lot and still get dirty looks all the time. Always from people who I would bet any amount of money already got the vaccine.


----------



## Randall Ave

Tony_D said:


> I turned 21 a few months ago during all of this, I still haven't been able to do that. Can't wait
> 
> I wear it other than to a few places I go all the time that I know don't care, but I take it down a lot and still get dirty looks all the time. Always from people who I would bet any amount of money already got the vaccine.


Just don't over due it. In my younger days, we could drink legal at 18. For me that was 1976.


----------



## treeguyry

J.Ricci said:


> Haven't put a gaiter on since Christmas, I'm technically banned from a few places, almost arrested once, but the overwhelming majority still rang me up / served me.


I complied for the most part and now in hindsight I'm disappointed in myself for doing so. I never wore it outside, and "forgot it" when going into a store here and there, but I did mainly follow the rules which now Cuomo says were never rules after all


----------



## truckie80

This whole thing is so ridiculous, today through Thursday, wear a mask - it's not safe yet. Friday, it's suddenly ok to take it off. It's ok to not wear it across the NY State line, but once I get back into Jersey, put it on...even if it's a half a block across the imaginary line


----------



## J.Ricci

So Montclair doesn't allow leaf blowers anymore either? Foreman called me that they got a warning. I've about had it with going above the Driscoll


----------



## MGLC

J.Ricci said:


> So Montclair doesn't allow leaf blowers anymore either? Foreman called me that they got a warning. I've about had it with going above the Driscoll


Essex County's turning into nothing but a huge hassle. I won't go east of the Caldwells


----------



## Tony_D

Bought my second stander today after work, 2 years old with only 450 hours.


----------



## BossPlow2010

Tony_D said:


> Bought my second stander today after work, 2 years old with only 450 hours.


Brand? Size?


----------



## AG09

J.Ricci said:


> So Montclair doesn't allow leaf blowers anymore either?


They haven't allowed them for about 20 years or so. Funny the contractors cant use them, but the DPW can.


----------



## Tony_D

BossPlow2010 said:


> Brand? Size?


Wright 48, I can't wait to see how much it speeds things up


----------



## V_Scapes

Tony_D said:


> Wright 48, I can't wait to see how much it speeds things up


I bought my first V Ride 52 in 2014 and was amazed at how much faster it was versus a walk behind with a velke. My maintenance crew is running a new 61" EFI and absolutely love it. Surprisingly quiet too.


----------



## Tony_D

Since I bought my other stander earlier this year I can't believe how much it sped things up. I wasn't going to buy another yet but the deal was too good to pass up, plus I just got 10 new lawns in the last week


----------



## truckie80

Tony_D said:


> Since I bought my other stander earlier this year I can't believe how much it sped things up. I wasn't going to buy another yet but the deal was too good to pass up, plus I just got 10 new lawns in the last week


This is a great year for growth I keep getting calls for lawn maintenance but can't take anything on


----------



## Tony_D

That's how I've been able to get so many lately, a local guy who does a ton of work in town is completely booked up with lawn maintenance so he's giving out my number. He even gave my name to a couple people for some small landscape jobs, nothing crazy but stuff that's not worth his time. I know this year's a fluke and that he'll normally be able to take on at least the landscaping jobs, but right now it's great.


----------



## V_Scapes

truckie80 said:


> This is a great year for growth I keep getting calls for lawn maintenance but can't take anything on


Lots of guys dropping the ball around here.


----------



## djt1029

Drove all the way to Newark to pick up 2 bands of pavers to finish a job, then on the way back I got a call from my supplier that the pavers for next weeks job aren't going to be in until the following week, some covid related excuse from the trucking company. Nobody can come through on anything anymore


----------



## J.Ricci

djt1029 said:


> Drove all the way to Newark to pick up 2 bands of pavers to finish a job, then on the way back I got a call from my supplier that the pavers for next weeks job aren't going to be in until the following week, some covid related excuse from the trucking company. Nobody can come through on anything anymore


It's a ****ing nightmare


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> Drove all the way to Newark to pick up 2 bands of pavers to finish a job, then on the way back I got a call from my supplier that the pavers for next weeks job aren't going to be in until the following week, some covid related excuse from the trucking company. Nobody can come through on anything anymore


I've had pallets stacked on jobs since late March. Only way to get any hardscape done this year.


----------



## MGLC

I've got pavers/block for about a dozen jobs stacked up at my yard. Just hope there aren't any change orders


----------



## HarryTHook

Hey guys, just a quick request for ideas. Thinking of bailing on the plow stuff and selling the Chevy truck. 2015 2500HD 114K on it with 7.5 Western ultra mount 2. Runs and drives great, 2 sets of rims and tires. Backrack, lights and small beat up snowex salter. Profile pic shows it. Whats it worth?
Turning 61 shortly, so its time for fun in the sun over the winter....


----------



## S_Marino87

MGLC said:


> I've got pavers/block for about a dozen jobs stacked up at my yard. Just hope there aren't any change orders


Different trade, but I love a good change order payup


----------



## J.Ricci

My boat is actually named "The Change Order" I'll take them all day


----------



## truckie80

Weather looks questionable tomorrow morning, I'm considering just telling my guys to stay home tomorrow and enjoy the 3 day weekend.


----------



## V_Scapes

truckie80 said:


> Weather looks questionable tomorrow morning, I'm considering just telling my guys to stay home tomorrow and enjoy the 3 day weekend.


Hoping any rain is very light since we have black mulch to install.


----------



## djt1029

Two crews out cutting today, the others finishing up some planting. We should be able to take tomorrow off without messing up any scheduling. I'm shooting to squeeze in some mulch, but if we can't, no big deal


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Hoping any rain is very light since we have black mulch to install.


Raining here now, just finished a turbo install on a Kat, just in time cause she don't fit inside.


----------



## MGLC

Just a couple mulch & flower jobs scheduled for tomorrow because my dumb ass promised a few good customers we'd have them done for memorial day.


----------



## shawn_

Anyone else in on the short squeeze with AMC? I missed GME last time won’t miss this time that’s for sure .


----------



## Randall Ave

Winds cranking up on the hill here, looks like more heavy rain on the way.


----------



## djt1029

Mulched the building next to my yard and called it a day, raining pretty good since last night


----------



## V_Scapes

Should've stayed in bed today.


----------



## truckie80

I'm glad I left them home, nasty out there


----------



## iceyman

V_Scapes said:


> Should've stayed in bed today.


Disgusting weekend.. hopefully monday tries to make up for it


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Disgusting weekend.. hopefully monday tries to make up for it


Your stores are all open I'm sure, how about the traveling summer events?


----------



## Mike_C

Shouldn't have even bothered heading south this weekend


----------



## fendt716

stand on blower question? have a ferris 3000 on demo. has anyone figure out how to blow out packed down anti skid and mud out wheel rut or where it is 3 inches deep along curb lines 2 feet out in parking lots. needs to blow more straight down to get or lift material. other then this problem great machine so far.


----------



## djt1029

fendt716 said:


> stand on blower question? have a ferris 3000 on demo. has anyone figure out how to blow out packed down anti skid and mud out wheel rut or where it is 3 inches deep along curb lines 2 feet out in parking lots. needs to blow more straight down to get or lift material. other then this problem great machine so far.


The only thing you can really do is tweak the deflector by partially closing the side you want the air to flow from to direct it downward


----------



## MGLC

It finally cleared up here after about 48 straight hours of rain


----------



## HeatMiser

MGLC said:


> It finally cleared up here after about 48 straight hours of rain


It sure made it hard to "enjoy the long weekend"


----------



## J.Ricci

HeatMiser said:


> It sure made it hard to "enjoy the long weekend"


And make sure your flags are at half staff this weekend for the "frontline heros of the pandemic" as Cuomo said


----------



## Tony_D

J.Ricci said:


> And make sure your flags are at half staff this weekend for the "frontline heros of the pandemic" as Cuomo said


My uncle was talking about that today I didn't hear about it until then. I don't understand how politicians can say such stupid things all the time


----------



## V_Scapes

HeatMiser said:


> It sure made it hard to "enjoy the long weekend"


She's an absolute disgrace.


----------



## S_Marino87

Question for you landscapers - I planted 8 green giants along the side of my garage back in April and they looked great, but over the last 7-10 days they're starting to brown on the ends of the branches. I would guess it's lack of water since it didn't rain at all until a few days ago but I'm not sure. My sprinkler system does hit them, but it's not a zone specifically for the shrubs so it's mostly overspraying into the bed from the lawn area


----------



## MGLC

S_Marino87 said:


> Question for you landscapers - I planted 8 green giants along the side of my garage back in April and they looked great, but over the last 7-10 days they're starting to brown on the ends of the branches. I would guess it's lack of water since it didn't rain at all until a few days ago but I'm not sure. My sprinkler system does hit them, but it's not a zone specifically for the shrubs so it's mostly overspraying into the bed from the lawn area


If the tips of the branches are browning and dry but the interior of the plant is still green and pliable, it's a water issue. If it's only 8 of them you should be able to water them by hand, but buying a soaker hose or a drip line and setting it up would be better. They need an awful lot of water when new, especially if they're a larger size. The rain over the weekend will help, but water them every day from here on out and keep it up all summer


----------



## S_Marino87

MGLC said:


> If the tips of the branches are browning and dry but the interior of the plant is still green and pliable, it's a water issue. If it's only 8 of them you should be able to water them by hand, but buying a soaker hose or a drip line and setting it up would be better. They need an awful lot of water when new, especially if they're a larger size. The rain over the weekend will help, but water them every day from here on out and keep it up all summer


It does seem to be mostly the tips of the branches, I'll check it out again when I get home in the morning. I watered by hand today but I'll get a soaker hose tomorrow.


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> Your stores are all open I'm sure, how about the traveling summer events?


Starting early july.. tho i cant say im excited to go to queens again


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Starting early july.. tho i cant say im excited to go to queens again


Carry permit, and strategically placed baseball batts


----------



## Mike_C

Randall Ave said:


> Carry permit, and strategically placed baseball batts


Maybe @S_Marino87 want's another side gig


----------



## S_Marino87

Will work for ice cream


----------



## treeguyry

Does it ever not rain the week after a holiday?


----------



## Mike_C

treeguyry said:


> Does it ever not rain the week after a holiday?


Maybe once back in the 90's


----------



## Tony_D

Mike_C said:


> Maybe once back in the 90's


Before I was born :laugh:


----------



## MGLC

Nothing much ever gets done this week anyway


----------



## Randall Ave

Thunder and pooren rain here at the moment, just sayen.


----------



## Tony_D

It started pouring when I was on my way home, sat in my truck in the driveway for about 20 minutes waiting for it to slow down


----------



## Randall Ave

Beautiful evening, me n the mutt are sitting out back. Some dumb a$$ bird just went head first into the rear slide door. Musta thought it was a fly threw kitchen.


----------



## BossPlow2010

Randall Ave said:


> Beautiful evening, me n the mutt are sitting out back. Some dumb a$$ bird just went head first into the rear slide door. Musta thought it was a fly threw kitchen.


Probably too much bird seed...


----------



## Randall Ave

BossPlow2010 said:


> Probably too much bird seed...


Nope, I was eating a hotdog and drinking Heinekens.


----------



## BossPlow2010

Randall Ave said:


> Nope, I was eating a hotdog and drinking Heinekens.


It was a reference to a fella that used to come on here, may have been a little before you came on, guy thought he could weld, welded his plow out of a bunch of different brands' parts, and then welded the mount to his truck (which then fell off while he was driving) many of the folk here tried to tell him, but he no listen.

I know it's hard to believe, but the guy resides in Michigan.


----------



## V_Scapes

BossPlow2010 said:


> It was a reference to a fella that used to come on here, may have been a little before you came on, guy thought he could weld, welded his plow out of a bunch of different brands' parts, and then welded the mount to his truck (which then fell off while he was driving) many of the folk here tried to tell him, but he no listen.
> 
> I know it's hard to believe, but the guy resides in Michigan.


Wow I remember that guy actually.


----------



## Randall Ave

BossPlow2010 said:


> It was a reference to a fella that used to come on here, may have been a little before you came on, guy thought he could weld, welded his plow out of a bunch of different brands' parts, and then welded the mount to his truck (which then fell off while he was driving) many of the folk here tried to tell him, but he no listen.
> 
> I know it's hard to believe, but the guy resides in Michigan.


He was on the way out when I showed up. That must have been daily heartburn for MJD.


----------



## djt1029

90's and thunderstorms every day, it seems like August already


----------



## truckie80

As much as I like a good thunderstorm it would be nice to get through a day clean


----------



## V_Scapes

truckie80 said:


> As much as I like a good thunderstorm it would be nice to get through a day clean


We got chased off the job site by a good one on Friday.


----------



## Randall Ave

Got done working on a Boonton Fire truck just in time, poured on the way back, got to the shop, everything was dry.


----------



## Petr51488

I have a tenant. We are trying to sell the place. She’s current on rent. Won’t answer me, my wife, or my realtor. She has since blocked me and my wife. I called her like a mad man on Saturday and Sunday. No response at all. She’s alive. I know she’s getting it because she finally called back saying “ why are you calling me so many times?” She’s very very odd. We are trying to get people in there to see the place but she simply won’t answer. Never said no. Just won’t answer. On the first of every month she needs to be reminded multiple times to send the rent. Always has paid. Been there almost 2 years. Place is apparently a dump. I’ve never seen it in 2 years. What would you guys do? She’s current for June, but I hope she doesn’t make this difficult for me as far as getting rent for July. Lease is up end of October.


----------



## Randall Ave

I don't think you can toss her at the moment even if she doesn't pay the rent. You need to talk to an attorney.


----------



## BossPlow2010

Randall Ave said:


> I don't think you can toss her at the moment even if she doesn't pay the rent. You need to talk to an attorney.


Agree with Randal. Usually need a court to order an eviction. And then have an officer of the law deliver it or certified mail, it's different for each state though.


----------



## MGLC

You need a court order, delivered by a sheriff's officer. Expect a few month process especially with the covid excuse


----------



## Tony_D

djt1029 said:


> 90's and thunderstorms every day, it seems like August already


I just pulled up to a house when it started getting dark and windy, the house only takes about 10 minutes but it was pouring by the time we were loading up the trailer again. It looks like the same thing might happen tomorrow


----------



## Petr51488

Yep, spoke with one. It’s a delicate balancing act. If I have my attorney send a letter now, it might piss her off and she can stop paying rent. I think I have to give up on the fact of trying to sell it now. Who knows, maybe in October prices will go back up and I won’t take as much of a hit. I can also send my own letter saying her credit will be ruined by being sent to collections, and with an eviction on her record, no landlord will rent to her.


----------



## Petr51488

And I’m not looking to toss her right now since she’s current and I honestly don’t think she would not pay. I guess she got tired of me calling so many times. My problem is I can’t contact her via text or calling. I’ll use other numbers once rent is due, but she’s too stupid to unblock me. She probably forgot since she’s never needed anything from me. Apparently the eviction block is up July 15 and there will be a huge influx then


----------



## Mike_C

Petr51488 said:


> Apparently the eviction block is up July 15 and there will be a huge influx then


With some luck, I'll have 6 out on July 16th


----------



## truckie80

Mike_C said:


> With some luck, I'll have 6 out on July 16th


Jeez you must be about ready to snap


----------



## MGLC

Mike_C said:


> With some luck, I'll have 6 out on July 16th


Nobody cares that landlords have bills too, it shouldn't have lasted anywhere near this long. I've been lucky with my tenants during this whole debacle, but I've heard plenty of horror stories


----------



## Petr51488

Mike_C said:


> With some luck, I'll have 6 out on July 16th


How is that even possible? Unless you know the judge who can push your cases to the top lol


----------



## Randall Ave

Easier to get rid of cockroaches in the walls.


----------



## Mike_C

Petr51488 said:


> How is that even possible? Unless you know the judge who can push your cases to the top lol


They won't all actually be out that day, but the process can actually get moving. My attorney does say 2 should be mostly handled within that week but the others I'm sure will drag


----------



## Petr51488

Mike_C said:


> They won't all actually be out that day, but the process can actually get moving. My attorney does say 2 should be mostly handled within that week but the others I'm sure will drag


So after the eviction gets started, and let's say it gets granted. Would you send the judgement to a collection agency to then have them deal with it / have them ruin their credit?


----------



## Mike_C

Petr51488 said:


> So after the eviction gets started, and let's say it gets granted. Would you send the judgement to a collection agency to then have them deal with it / have them ruin their credit?


I wouldn't be having them ruin their credit, they ruined their own


----------



## Tony_D

Second day in a row quitting before 3:30, the rain got heavy fast.


----------



## V_Scapes

Tony_D said:


> Second day in a row quitting before 3:30, the rain got heavy fast.


Sucks. Washed out some concrete and topsoil we did today. A week and a half ago we where praying for rain.


----------



## djt1029

Chased off the same job early 3 of the last 4 working days, and there's a chance of more thunderstorms tomorrow afternoon


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Sucks. Washed out some concrete and topsoil we did today. A week and a half ago we where praying for rain.


I almost finished repairing a trailer door before it started, almost.


----------



## sota

I got to test a new 10x20 popup tent with sides, as a car wash bay. Washed 2 cars, got one of them and another under covers, pulled the jeep inside (been procrastinating maintenance on it, since I ain't driving it much right now, but it's gotta get one sooner rather than later) and the tent put away just before the boomers hit and the baseball sized rain drops came down.










plan now is to get 6 cinder blocks, a bag or two of quick set, some metal handles, some PVC and some iron pipe, to make weighted feet for the 6 posts to rest on, but can be moved off the driveway when not needed. town can't piss and moan about it since it's a popup.


----------



## AllAboutGreen

Just cannot catch a break this week....heat/rain/customers complaining...oh wait that is every week....


----------



## Randall Ave

AllAboutGreen said:


> Just cannot catch a break this week....heat/rain/customers complaining...oh wait that is every week....


It's always a beautiful day in Jersey.


----------



## V_Scapes

AllAboutGreen said:


> Just cannot catch a break this week....heat/rain/customers complaining...oh wait that is every week....


Join the club. It's been a tough Spring.


----------



## truckie80

Absolutely miserable out there today


----------



## Tony_D

I felt like dog **** by the time I got home today, I don't think I've ever been more tired. Hope the temps go down soon


----------



## MGLC

AllAboutGreen said:


> Just cannot catch a break this week....heat/rain/customers complaining...oh wait that is every week....


My secretary got screamed at today because a boxwood we planted 3 seasons ago died...this is a row of almost 400 winter gems we put in down both sides of her driveway. One died. Three years later. Her husband did call later in the day to apologize


----------



## treeguyry

MGLC said:


> My secretary got screamed at today because a boxwood we planted 3 seasons ago died...this is a row of almost 400 winter gems we put in down both sides of her driveway. One died. Three years later. Her husband did call later in the day to apologize


That property much be massive


----------



## sota

apology wouldn't be good enough.

I always had a rule when I worked any job that I had underlings: you can scream at me, but you don't scream at the staff (that's my job  ). That's a paddlin' offense.


----------



## J.Ricci

MGLC said:


> My secretary got screamed at today because a boxwood we planted 3 seasons ago died...this is a row of almost 400 winter gems we put in down both sides of her driveway. One died. Three years later. Her husband did call later in the day to apologize


A survivial rate of 99.8% is unacceptable, the media's taught her that over the last 18 months


----------



## Mike_C

Lock down the other 399 to make sure they're "safe"


----------



## Tony_D

How are you guys treating nutsedge? It's starting to pop up a little on some of my lawns. I have no clover or broadleaf anywhere after spraying twice this year. I know surge (which is what I used) suppresses it but is there something better?


----------



## V_Scapes

Tony_D said:


> How are you guys treating nutsedge? It's starting to pop up a little on some of my lawns. I have no clover or broadleaf anywhere after spraying twice this year. I know surge (which is what I used) suppresses it but is there something better?


Surge will injure it. I remember a product Sedgehammer was available a few years ago, not sure if it's still on the market.


----------



## MGLC

Surge will knock it down for the season if you give it a good coating. Sedgehammer's works best for it, but Q4 plus also works well if you're looking for something more broad spectrum.


----------



## Tony_D

Do you guys spray crabgrass or just do pre-emergent? I did 2 rounds of pre-emergent as my supplier recommended last year and ended up with almost none in my lawns. Didn't spray any of it since I thought it would just look worse then I just raked it out a little when I was going around aerating in the fall. I'm not sure if it's worth getting Q4 if I'm not treating crabgrass also


----------



## djt1029

Two good rounds of pre-emergent and crabgrass will be so minimal you won't need to do anything


----------



## V_Scapes

Tony_D said:


> Do you guys spray crabgrass or just do pre-emergent? I did 2 rounds of pre-emergent as my supplier recommended last year and ended up with almost none in my lawns. Didn't spray any of it since I thought it would just look worse then I just raked it out a little when I was going around aerating in the fall. I'm not sure if it's worth getting Q4 if I'm not treating crabgrass also


Crabgrass loves the heat so if you get any it'll most likely be on the curblines.


----------



## MGLC

We don't spray crabgrass unless it's a new property we're taking over. With a good preventative program, you won't have enough crabgrass germination to have to worry about it. Like mentioned above, you'll only see it in really hot areas or if you have properties that don't water in the summer


----------



## sota

I don't water, and I don't want to water.


----------



## Petr51488

Tenant update. She went missing. Police came there on Saturday. Missing persons case filed. She apparently has mental issues. I get a call from the building that the apartment and whole floor smells of rotten food. I went there- she had to of unplugged the fridges about a week ago. The smell from it was horrible. Disgusting. Almost threw up multiple times.she left her phone in the apartment of which the detective took. Place is an absolute dump. We did a full renovation 4 years ago.


----------



## MGLC

Petr51488 said:


> Tenant update. She went missing. Police came there on Saturday. Missing persons case filed. She apparently has mental issues. I get a call from the building that the apartment and whole floor smells of rotten food. I went there- she had to of unplugged the fridges about a week ago. The smell from it was horrible. Disgusting. Almost threw up multiple times.she left her phone in the apartment of which the detective took. Place is an absolute dump. We did a full renovation 4 years ago.


I'll never complain about my tenants again


----------



## sota

These stories are why every time I think about getting property to rent, I don't.


----------



## Petr51488

sota said:


> These stories are why every time I think about getting property to rent, I don't.


They're not all like that. My other tenants are great. Maybe I'm glad it happened early on in my life to get it out of the way lol

I wish the jersey city market would go back to pre covid and I could cash out on this place. Sucks I have to sell for about 50,000$ less than pre covid. Only shining light in this situation is we get it all cleaned up and make it look presentable- rather than having people literally walk in and walk back out because of the way she lives- and sells for a higher amount.


----------



## S_Marino87

Petr51488 said:


> she left her phone in the apartment of which the detective took.


That's never a good sign


----------



## sota

dark bright side... no legal challenge to the eviction notice?


----------



## Petr51488

S_Marino87 said:


> That's never a good sign


Yea- I heard the same thing.


----------



## truckie80

S_Marino87 said:


> That's never a good sign


Yeah, very rarely does that end with being found alive


----------



## Petr51488

They found her. Ended up being in a hospital taking care of “personal business” She came home today. Found out because the front desk called me to tell me all this. She’s yet to contact us- but I want to send her an email ( because my phone number is still blocked and she has no phone as of now) and tell her we don’t think It’s safe for her to live in our apartment alone and that we won’t penalize her if she breaks the lease early. Trying to get her out nicely.


----------



## shawn_

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer . Winter is right around the corner :hammerhead:


----------



## AG09

shawn_ said:


> Hope everyone is enjoying their summer . Winter is right around the corner :hammerhead:


Im looking forward to it


----------



## shawn_

AG09 said:


> Im looking forward to it


me too, I don't do anything in the summer beside my 9-5…. So I am with another good winter .


----------



## V_Scapes

Hell no this year is going way too fast.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Hell no this year is going way too fast.


The days will start getting shorter, I have a big leaf machine I have to repair for a township, they want it ready for fall.


----------



## J.Ricci

I can't believe it's almost July already....wish we could hit pause for a little while, still have a ridiculous amount of work to get to


----------



## Tony_D

I'm looking forward to fall & winter. Love doing leaves, and I'm looking forward to some downtime this winter. I had a good run of landscaping work but now it's pretty much all cutting grass & trimming hedges. Hope I can get a few more jobs before leaf season


----------



## MGLC

Tony_D said:


> I'm looking forward to fall & winter. Love doing leaves, and I'm looking forward to some downtime this winter. I had a good run of landscaping work but now it's pretty much all cutting grass & trimming hedges. Hope I can get a few more jobs before leaf season


Most years there's a second burst of planting & install work in September/October. Then eventually you'll have it all year round and there's never enough time for it all


----------



## prezek

Tony_D said:


> I'm looking forward to fall & winter. Love doing leaves, and I'm looking forward to some downtime this winter. I had a good run of landscaping work but now it's pretty much all cutting grass & trimming hedges. Hope I can get a few more jobs before leaf season


Love doing leaves?!?! Remember this post December 20th after you dealt with wind 4 days a week, 35 degree rain the other non windy days, a December 1st snow, people thinking you'll remove every leaf for the same $40 you charged them to mow each week. I could go on…


----------



## AG09

prezek said:


> Love doing leaves?!?! Remember this post December 20th after you dealt with wind 4 days a week, 35 degree rain the other non windy days, a December 1st snow, people thinking you'll remove every leaf for the same $40 you charged them to mow each week. I could go on…


So true....


----------



## V_Scapes

MGLC said:


> Most years there's a second burst of planting & install work in September/October. Then eventually you'll have it all year round and there's never enough time for it all


Almost always. Everyone starts going on vacation now so the phone got quiet but that's ok, still jamming.


----------



## Randall Ave

Dam, you could cut the air with a knife out here right now.


----------



## djt1029

Phone slowing down in June - August is a good thing, you can almost catch up on installs before September, also known as spring 2.0


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> Dam, you could cut the air with a knife out here right now.


Getting a nice thunderstorm currently.


----------



## truckie80

Tornado watch just came across


----------



## Tony_D

AG09 said:


> So true....


My accounts aren't too bad for leaves because of my area, 90% of my accounts are in Secaucus so I don't have big properties with dozens of massive trees like a lot of you guys in Bergen/Passaic and western NJ. Almost all of them can be done in 10-30 mins with 2-3 guys. Up until this year fall has always been my most profitable part of the year but I did do a lot of landscaping over the last few months so that might be different this year.


----------



## AG09

Anyone know of any spots in/near Upper Saddle River that I can dump pavers and concrete?


----------



## djt1029

There's not a ton of options around here, usually I just go to Braen or Carbone in Nyack which is probably about 15 mins from USR. It's $100/ton there though


----------



## truckie80

djt1029 said:


> There's not a ton of options around here, usually I just go to Braen or Carbone in Nyack which is probably about 15 mins from USR. It's $100/ton there though


O'Sullivan doesn't accept it anymore?


----------



## AG09

djt1029 said:


> There's not a ton of options around here, usually I just go to Braen or Carbone in Nyack which is probably about 15 mins from USR. It's $100/ton there though


I hoping to find something closer since Braen Haledon is like 30 minutes away.


----------



## djt1029

AG09 said:


> I hoping to find something closer since Braen Haledon is like 30 minutes away.


Yeah, unfortunately Braen is like 30-45 minutes from most of my jobs and I still end up there more often than not


----------



## Mike_C

Bergen has almost no where to get rid of anything, you have to either go up into Rockland county, out to Braen or down to North Bergen. Unless Downes accepts it but as far as I know they only accept concrete from a handful of companies


----------



## J.Ricci

I get dumpsters anytime we’re working up there, there’s a few places across the NY border but they’re not close either


----------



## V_Scapes

Sterling takes almost anything, probably a hike though.


----------



## AG09

Thank you all for your input. Looks like Braen it is.


----------



## treeguyry

Any of you guys use a power broom? If so is one brand better than the others? I think it would speed up the cleanup on a lot of jobs when debris are too heavy for just the backpacks - plus they're not outlawed anywhere as far as I know


----------



## J.Ricci

treeguyry said:


> Any of you guys use a power broom? If so is one brand better than the others? I think it would speed up the cleanup on a lot of jobs when debris are too heavy for just the backpacks - plus they're not outlawed anywhere as far as I know


They work great cleaning up stone, wood chips or anything bulky. Probably a good buy for you


----------



## V_Scapes

What's everyone doing with their guys for July 4th weekend?


----------



## djt1029

As long as we don't lose a day to rain next week, we're taking Saturday off. They've been crushing it, ton of work still on the schedule, but they deserve the day


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> As long as we don't lose a day to rain next week, we're taking Saturday off. They've been crushing it, ton of work still on the schedule, but they deserve the day


I gave my guys the option for Saturday or Monday off and paid. They'll let me know tomorrow.


----------



## truckie80

We're taking Saturday


----------



## MGLC

Saturday here as well for the crews, office closed Monday


----------



## AG09

We are taking off Saturday as long as we dont lose a day to rain and then will be back at it Monday.


----------



## treeguyry

We're working a short day on Saturday and taking Monday off


----------



## Mike_C

The crews are off Saturday, office staff off Monday and I'm cutting out early Friday


----------



## Randall Ave

I am hoping for Sunday and Monday off, but a customer did call with a big list cause he is off for the weekend, don't need it back till Wensday. He ain't graspen that I am closed toooo. And his list is 18 chargable hrs.


----------



## AllAboutGreen

Re: Winter

I need bobcat operators, and guys to drive plow trucks. I can also use some sidewalk guys as well (I imagine everyone is probably looking as well) ill provide everything I just need able bodies.........


----------



## AllAboutGreen

all my sites are Union & Middlesex count


----------



## Tony_D

Bring on winter I'm over this heat already


----------



## Petr51488

Bring on winter. I’m tired of this employee bs. My brother is leaving to go to the police academy. He was in charge of one crew. The guy who was suppose to take over just ghosted me. People ( not my brother ) just plain suck. There’s no loyalty, no accountability, no balls, no shame- I can go on. Guys been with me for 3 years. Straight up scum bag move


----------



## AllAboutGreen

Petr51488 said:


> Bring on winter. I'm tired of this employee bs. My brother is leaving to go to the police academy. He was in charge of one crew. The guy who was suppose to take over just ghosted me. People ( not my brother ) just plain suck. There's no loyalty, no accountability, no balls, no shame- I can go on. Guys been with me for 3 years. Straight up scum bag move


NO ONE wants to work anymore, why would you when you can stay at home making close too if not more for doing nothing!!


----------



## AllAboutGreen

I also am selling a 10' stainless steel salter is anyone is interested or knows anyone who is interested. Engine is 2-3 years old. It was my backup salter so it has not gotten much use the last 2 years.


----------



## truckie80

I tried to find another guy to bring on this year but no such luck. Still just my core four and me jumping in when I can. It hurt to turn away some nice jobs but the labor pool really ties our hands


----------



## V_Scapes

Petr51488 said:


> Bring on winter. I'm tired of this employee bs. My brother is leaving to go to the police academy. He was in charge of one crew. The guy who was suppose to take over just ghosted me. People ( not my brother ) just plain suck. There's no loyalty, no accountability, no balls, no shame- I can go on. Guys been with me for 3 years. Straight up scum bag move


Been there before it sucks. Sorry to hear that.



truckie80 said:


> I tried to find another guy to bring on this year but no such luck. Still just my core four and me jumping in when I can. It hurt to turn away some nice jobs but the labor pool really ties our hands


I've got my future ex brother in law working with us, he started in early June, it's been interesting.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Been there before it sucks. Sorry to hear that.
> 
> I've got my future ex brother in law working with us, he started in early June, it's been interesting.


I've been saying I hate people for years, but lately it seems to be getting worse.


----------



## treeguyry

I had a new kid start today, sent him out with the trimming crew to ease him into things. Around 3pm the foreman calls "The new kid looks all ****ed up. Should I send him home?"


----------



## V_Scapes

treeguyry said:


> I had a new kid start today, sent him out with the trimming crew to ease him into things. Around 3pm the foreman calls "The new kid looks all ****** up. Should I send him home?"


Oof tough day for a first day.


----------



## Petr51488

V_Scapes said:


> Been there before it sucks. Sorry to hear that.
> 
> I've got my future ex brother in law working with us, he started in early June, it's been interesting.


Thanks.

Anyone know if a good simple gps tracker for the truck? Something without a monthly fee


----------



## Tony_D

75-80 degrees today feels amazing


----------



## AllAboutGreen

Petr51488 said:


> Thanks.
> 
> Anyone know if a good simple gps tracker for the truck? Something without a monthly fee


I use Bouncie in all my trucks, I love it and its only $35 per month.


----------



## Fourteen Contracting Inc.

Forza Azzurri!!!! :itflag:


----------



## Tony_D

Happy 4th everyone...I know I'm early


----------



## HeatMiser

Happy 4th. I hear they're allowing us to celebrate this year


----------



## Petr51488

AllAboutGreen said:


> I use Bouncie in all my trucks, I love it and its only $35 per month.


Looks like they're sold out and delayed


----------



## V_Scapes

Petr51488 said:


> Looks like they're sold out and delayed


What else is new.


----------



## Mike_C

Petr51488 said:


> Looks like they're sold out and delayed


Isn't everything


----------



## treeguyry

I must be getting old this heat is kicking my ass lately


----------



## V_Scapes

treeguyry said:


> I must be getting old this heat is kicking my ass lately


It definitely makes for some hard days but it's been fluctuating like crazy. Rainy and chilly Saturday then blazing hot on Tuesday. I heard the remainder of the summer will be like this.


----------



## Randall Ave

Looks to me like that storm is a little closer to land than they thought. Tomorrow is going to be a little wet.


----------



## treeguyry

It'll be a busy day tomorrow once the weather breaks, some storm work already lined up


----------



## V_Scapes

treeguyry said:


> It'll be a busy day tomorrow once the weather breaks, some storm work already lined up


I don't know how you tree guys do it, if I had a surge in work like that right now I'd un plug my phone.


----------



## treeguyry

My "normal" schedule isn't as crazy as it is for you guys. We can catch up quicker since it's rare to be on a job more than a few hours


----------



## Tony_D

How do you guys charge for storm cleanups? I had a few houses this week where we had to cut up some bigger branches and take them away while there to cut the grass. Do you just bill it by the hour? Or flat rate?


----------



## V_Scapes

Tony_D said:


> How do you guys charge for storm cleanups? I had a few houses this week where we had to cut up some bigger branches and take them away while there to cut the grass. Do you just bill it by the hour? Or flat rate?


Depends how long it takes. If it's a barrel or two of debris or a small limb for a good customer probably wouldn't charge them. If it takes a while to cleanup I would charge some extra time and dumping fees.


----------



## djt1029

Anything that takes 10 mins or longer to clean up my foremen will mark on the list. Time & how many cans they took away then I’ll charge accordingly


----------



## truckie80

Tony_D said:


> How do you guys charge for storm cleanups? I had a few houses this week where we had to cut up some bigger branches and take them away while there to cut the grass. Do you just bill it by the hour? Or flat rate?


Unless we have to break out a chainsaw, I'll just tack a little on the bill. If it's more time consuming I'll bill it by the hour. Last year when the tropical storm rolled through almost every house was charged around their spring cleanup price


----------



## Fourteen Contracting Inc.

You southern paisans better be out celebrating! Forza Azzurri!


----------



## J.Ricci

Fourteen Contracting Inc. said:


> You southern paisans better be out celebrating! Forza Azzurri!


Hell of a run


----------



## Mike_C

Snow contracts go out in 2 weeks


----------



## Randall Ave

Maybe it's going to snow soon. There's a landscape guy in the area, Chevy pickup, I see him driving around, and the plow is still on.


----------



## Tony_D

I got a call from someone about a cleanup so they can put the house on the market, they would want it to be done by the end of next week, or the following the latest. Do you guys ever add a little extra to a price if they need it to be done in such a rush? I might round my estimate up. Meeting them after work today


----------



## truckie80

I would take that into account when pricing it, rearranging your schedule to squeeze something in is worth a few bucks. How much really just depends on how busy you are


----------



## V_Scapes

Agreed, if your able to accommodate easily then there's no need. If people call me for last minute things and I'm slammed, I'll shoot high on the price and if I get it great.


----------



## treeguyry

I shoot high even when I'm not slammed if they're in a time crunch. They don't know I'm not slammed


----------



## Tony_D

My schedule isn't packed right now, we're mainly just cutting and trimming hedges, working 5 days a week but done between 3:30-4:30 most days. I looked at the job yesterday and told him I'd email a price today. The grass is 2ft tall, it looks like they didn't have a spring cleanup or fall cleanup last year, and the shrubs haven't been touched in years. It's probably a full day of work


----------



## djt1029

Price it high, those jobs suck and if he's calling around for quotes a lot of guys won't even look at it


----------



## Tony_D

I figured out $ 1,400 and told him 1,600 he emailed me 5 minutes later to accept I guess maybe I could have tried for even higher


----------



## Randall Ave

Tony_D said:


> I figured out $ 1,400 and told him 1,600 he emailed me 5 minutes later to accept I guess maybe I could have tried for even higher


Don't ya hate that when you quote a price and the customer jumps right on it. You know you could a went higher. Just make sure you are paid when you are done.


----------



## iceyman

Monmouth county fair has been insane.. record attendance.. was in forest hills yesterday and the mask wearing everywhere was crazy.. nj and ny are basically the opposite ends of the spectrum


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Monmouth county fair has been insane.. record attendance.. was in forest hills yesterday and the mask wearing everywhere was crazy.. nj and ny are basically the opposite ends of the spectrum


Pics?


----------



## Tony_D

Randall Ave said:


> Don't ya hate that when you quote a price and the customer jumps right on it. You know you could a went higher. Just make sure you are paid when you are done.


Yeah I should still make good money on it, it just feels like I left more up for grabs. I'm going to do it on Thursday so I'll know soon enough


----------



## truckie80

iceyman said:


> Monmouth county fair has been insane.. record attendance.. was in forest hills yesterday and the mask wearing everywhere was crazy.. nj and ny are basically the opposite ends of the spectrum


Somewhere, southbound on the parkway, it's like crossing into a different world. The city and northeast NJ are the land of the sheep


----------



## V_Scapes

truckie80 said:


> Somewhere, southbound on the parkway, it's like crossing into a different world. The city and northeast NJ are the land of the sheep


I'm in the city today, first time I've worn a mask in months.


----------



## Mike_C

V_Scapes said:


> I'm in the city today, first time I've worn a mask in months.


Kevlar wouldn't be a bad idea either over there.


----------



## V_Scapes

Mike_C said:


> Kevlar wouldn't be a bad idea either over there.


Haven't been there in quite a while what a dump it's turned into.


----------



## truckie80

Speaking of the city going to ****, looks like I might be putting in my papers sooner than later. I'm not getting a test every week

https://abc7ny.com/nyc-vaccine-mandatory-vaccination-passport-de-blasio/10910080/


----------



## J.Ricci

Complete b.s. treating anyone that way, especially you and the rest of the active 9/11 responders


----------



## S_Marino87

I would think the fdny and nypd would lose a lot of members to a policy like that


----------



## treeguyry

Front line hero to do as your told or be fired in a year. The city is lost


----------



## truckie80

S_Marino87 said:


> I would think the fdny and nypd would lose a lot of members to a policy like that


The department will be decimated, hundreds of senior guys will walk off unless something changes. As far as PD goes they're already decimated thanks to the mayors reign


----------



## AG09

Any of you guys get your salt pricing for this season yet? My guy told me possibly a 10% increase due to issues with cargo ships, but does not have his numbers finalized yet.


----------



## J.Ricci

AG09 said:


> Any of you guys get your salt pricing for this season yet? My guy told me possibly a 10% increase due to issues with cargo ships, but does not have his numbers finalized yet.


Heard 5-10% but I have a feeling it'll be 10+ Why should snow season be any better than construction


----------



## V_Scapes

10% is nothing compared to prices doubling last winter.


----------



## Mike_C

Stock up early, it's only going to get worse as we go deeper into winter.


----------



## treeguyry

Good luck with salt prices and snow season this year boys, I'm looking forward to sitting in my truck as a sub with no shoveling, no chasing money, and no headaches.


----------



## Klaibs27

Checking in on the NJ boys. Looks like some wild weather in a lot of spots there. My inlaws in the Jackson area said it was the longest duration heavy rain they've ever seen, close to 5" of rain. Confirmed tornado 5 miles to their south. Lots of debris signatures on radar.


----------



## V_Scapes

treeguyry said:


> Good luck with salt prices and snow season this year boys, I'm looking forward to sitting in my truck as a sub with no shoveling, no chasing money, and no headaches.


Why bother plowing snow if you sold off all your stuff?


Klaibs27 said:


> Checking in on the NJ boys. Looks like some wild weather in a lot of spots there. My inlaws in the Jackson area said it was the longest duration heavy rain they've ever seen, close to 5" of rain. Confirmed tornado 5 miles to their south. Lots of debris signatures on radar.


Looked really bad, news12 is scrolling red cross numbers across the screen.


----------



## treeguyry

V_Scapes said:


> Why bother plowing snow if you sold off all your stuff?
> 
> Looked really bad, news12 is scrolling red cross numbers across the screen.


I kept a plow to do my yard and help a buddy out with a few places he needs done. No shoveling, just 2-4 hours of plowing depending on the storm. Easy money


----------



## Randall Ave

treeguyry said:


> I kept a plow to do my yard and help a buddy out with a few places he needs done. No shoveling, just 2-4 hours of plowing depending on the storm. Easy money


You may get some phone calls for work today.


----------



## iceyman

Wild last night. Nado def touched down about 5 miles from my house.. went right over hightstown which had cars floating in the low spot of main st.. roads were flooded all over


----------



## J.Ricci

Last night was a wild one, bounced between calls from two separate tornados


----------



## iceyman

J.Ricci said:


> Last night was a wild one, bounced between calls from two separate tornados


Im waiting for the half mile wide nados to start turning up here.. weather is getting crazy


----------



## Mike_C

iceyman said:


> Im waiting for the half mile wide nados to start turning up here.. weather is getting crazy


We're living some book of revelations type stuff all around the last 18 months


----------



## S_Marino87

That whole "mark of the beast" thing sure seems relevant lately


----------



## Tony_D

Does anyone use day laborers ever? How much do you usually pay them?
I don't like the idea of using one but I want to get finished with my cuts as quick as possible this week. My parents rented a house down the shore so once my cuts are done for the week I want to go down.


----------



## treeguyry

Tony_D said:


> Does anyone use day laborers ever? How much do you usually pay them?
> I don't like the idea of using one but I want to get finished with my cuts as quick as possible this week. My parents rented a house down the shore so once my cuts are done for the week I want to go down.


They all want at least $200/day, some 250, and none of them are worth near that much, but when you're in a pinch, you're in a pinch.


----------



## S_Marino87

Occasionally on demo day I'll grab a day laborer $ 200 a day is an accurate number. Way overpriced but when you need an extra set of hands that don't need to have any skill, it is what it is


----------



## Petr51488

200 a day is insane. How many hours is considered a day?


----------



## truckie80

Petr51488 said:


> 200 a day is insane. How many hours is considered a day?


Done by 5 the latest. They're just as entitled as teenagers now


----------



## Tony_D

My full time guy found a guy for $ 180/day. So far he's alright but not worth that I just really want to finish by the end of the day Wednesday.


----------



## shawn_

If anyone knows someone that has a truck/ plow and looking for work this year in Monmouth county area let me know.

also if anyone has a single cab f250/350 for sale preferably gas also let me know 

I hope everyone’s summer is going great!


----------



## Randall Ave

Petr51488 said:


> 200 a day is insane. How many hours is considered a day?


The corner guys don't work for $125.00 a day anymore.


----------



## iceyman

shawn_ said:


> If anyone knows someone that has a truck/ plow and looking for work this year in Monmouth county area let me know.
> 
> also if anyone has a single cab f250/350 for sale preferably gas also let me know
> 
> I hope everyone's summer is going great!


What ya need done


----------



## shawn_

iceyman said:


> What ya need done


Got a few commercial sites that I need covered . Nothing specific as of now but sold 2 trucks before the truck market went nuts lol. And just lost 2 more guys that took advantage of the market and sold their trucks. So now just down 4 plow trucks …. Looking to buy one and hire one.


----------



## Tony_D

The guy yesterday was actually pretty good, but he has a regular job so he could only work one day. Today we got a day laborer who took a whizz behind the garage at the first house of the day, then he blew a bunch of clippings into the pool on the next stop and by 10AM he was complaining about wanting to stop for breakfast. I paid him $50 and told him to get out of my truck, so it's back to me, my brother and my full time guy.


----------



## S_Marino87

That is about as spot on of an example of what the difference in day laborers can be like.


----------



## V_Scapes

S_Marino87 said:


> That is about as spot on of an example of what the difference in day laborers can be like.


Yup. Better off just putting in a couple extra hours a day to finish earlier and not have the headaches.


----------



## Tony_D

V_Scapes said:


> Yup. Better off just putting in a couple extra hours a day to finish earlier and not have the headaches.


Yeah, I learned that the hard way. We went until almost 7:30 tonight but got enough done to finish the route early tomorrow, hopefully around 4 then I'm getting the hell out of here.


----------



## djt1029

Tony_D said:


> Yeah, I learned that the hard way. We went until almost 7:30 tonight but got enough done to finish the route early tomorrow, hopefully around 4 then I'm getting the hell out of here.


I remember the days of rushing through the route to go down the shore, enjoy it while you can in a few years it'll be nearly impossible to give yourself a day or two off


----------



## treeguyry

He's right. Enjoy the downtime you get in the summer while you have it. My first few years I had weekends off, and some random Fridays or Mondays on slow weeks. I wish I had taken advantage more, now it's a 6 day grind from March or April until Christmas


----------



## Tony_D

I can't wait to be that busy all the time, but I'm pumped to have some downtime still and be able to have some fun too. Today we got delayed a little the blades on my 48 stander just randomly stopped engaging, but it's in the shop now and should be done by the time I need it again leaving for the shore now.


----------



## iceyman

Get a call that my one delivery truck threw a belt at my warehosue.. on the way my buddy who i own the place with calls and says one of his guys just pulled my truck out of the woods.. i said whatcha talking about willis.. turns out my truck ghost ridered it about 20’ and went halfway into the woods and down into drainage.. the driver was inside and came out and the truck was gone.. smh


----------



## iceyman

I will be getting the cam footage tmrw lol


----------



## iceyman

iceyman said:


> I will be getting the cam footage tmrw lol


Dam dvr is locked up.. i hate technology with a passion


----------



## treeguyry

2 flat tires to kick off the day. Who doesn't love a Monday


----------



## AllAboutGreen

Does anyone know a good skip steer operator or two for a site in Union NJ?


----------



## Tony_D

treeguyry said:


> 2 flat tires to kick off the day. Who doesn't love a Monday


I had a case of the Mondays today to. I picked up my stander and it worked fine for the first half of the day then after lunch the blades stopped engaging again. It's back to the dealer and tomorrow I've got my biggest houses and no 48" machine. My parent's still have the house down the shore too so I want to get out of here as early as possible again this week. Trying to work as late as possible today


----------



## prezek

Tony_D said:


> I had a case of the Mondays today to. I picked up my stander and it worked fine for the first half of the day then after lunch the blades stopped engaging again. It's back to the dealer and tomorrow I've got my biggest houses and no 48" machine. My parent's still have the house down the shore too so I want to get out of here as early as possible again this week. Trying to work as late as possible today


I missed what type of machine…I assume you checked the simple stuff? PTO switch, fuses…how about air gaps on your clutch? Simple adjustment most people overlook.


----------



## djt1029

Tony_D said:


> I had a case of the Mondays today to. I picked up my stander and it worked fine for the first half of the day then after lunch the blades stopped engaging again. It's back to the dealer and tomorrow I've got my biggest houses and no 48" machine. My parent's still have the house down the shore too so I want to get out of here as early as possible again this week. Trying to work as late as possible today


Does the mower kill when the blades won't engage, or does it just keep running normal but no blades? I had similar issues with one of my standers. If the engine kills, it's the safety switch, otherwise it's related to the PTO. How old is it?


----------



## Tony_D

It’s a wright. I replaced the switch when I first bought it and when it was in the shop last week they adjusted the clutch but I guess it’s got to be replaced hopefully it’s done today so I can use it tomorrow.


----------



## Tony_D

djt1029 said:


> Does the mower kill when the blades won't engage, or does it just keep running normal but no blades? I had similar issues with one of my standers. If the engine kills, it's the safety switch, otherwise it's related to the PTO. How old is it?


The machine stays on, it's got 450 hours on it I bought it used in the spring. So far knock wood no problems with the brand new one


----------



## Tony_D

Thanks for the help guys. My dealer replaced the clutch and it ran fine this afternoon so I hope thats fixed for good now

btw whens everyone start aerating?


----------



## truckie80

Tony_D said:


> Thanks for the help guys. My dealer replaced the clutch and it ran fine this afternoon so I hope thats fixed for good now
> 
> btw whens everyone start aerating?


Second week of September most years, I do things a little differently though and we cut/aerate/seed/fertilize every house in one week. It takes 6 long days with 2-3 extra guys but it's always been my system.


----------



## MGLC

With some luck and cooperative weather the fertilizer crew will be aerating in less than 2 weeks


----------



## V_Scapes

I don't miss aerating one bit.


----------



## iceyman

Get ready for the heat


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Get ready for the heat


I welding up exhaust pipes right now. Don't want to do it this afternoon.


----------



## truckie80

Any of you guys have experience buying accounts/a business? Would like to pick someones brain


----------



## MGLC

truckie80 said:


> Any of you guys have experience buying accounts/a business? Would like to pick someones brain


About 5 years ago I bought around a dozen accounts from a guy who was retiring. All full service high dollar properties in neighborhoods I already had a ton of work in, it was a great investment, I still have all but one of them to this day. I wasn't actively looking to buy, it just sort of fell into my lap


----------



## J.Ricci

I never bought accounts but I sold a bunch so I know the basics


----------



## Tony_D

Blades stopped engaging again. What a pain in the ass


----------



## djt1029

truckie80 said:


> Any of you guys have experience buying accounts/a business? Would like to pick someones brain


Bought a business 4 years ago, doubled my accounts. Overall it's worked out great, other than the initial growing pains. Most of that was just weeding out the customers that generated no positive revenue and fixing the employees few bad habits learned from the previous owner.



Tony_D said:


> Blades stopped engaging again. What a pain in the ass


The electrical connection's probably getting loose, whenever they fix something on it, it's tightened, then rattles itself loose again. Had it happen with one of mine. Clipped the wire and reattached it, never had an issue again


----------



## sota

Might need to start shopping around for someone to hire me to plow for them.
Berkeley Heights, Summit, Warren, Basking Ridge area.


----------



## Petr51488

Tony_D said:


> Thanks for the help guys. My dealer replaced the clutch and it ran fine this afternoon so I hope thats fixed for good now
> 
> btw whens everyone start aerating?


Which dealer do you use?


----------



## truckie80

Thanks guys, I'll be DM'ing you don't want to clog things up on here. I have an opportunity to buy another business next season, and as I'm unfortunately nearing retirement from the FDNY it seems like a pretty good opportunity


----------



## Tony_D

Petr51488 said:


> Which dealer do you use?


Matera's



djt1029 said:


> The electrical connection's probably getting loose, whenever they fix something on it, it's tightened, then rattles itself loose again. Had it happen with one of mine. Clipped the wire and reattached it, never had an issue again


The connection on the deck? I fooled around with it a little and got the blades to turn on again but I had to do it every time to get them to engage.


----------



## prezek

Tony_D said:


> Matera's
> 
> The connection on the deck? I fooled around with it a little and got the blades to turn on again but I had to do it every time to get them to engage.


Trace the wire from the clutch all the way up. Make sure it's not damaged. Put some dielectric grease in the plug if it's dry…whatever you are moving to get them to engage is most likely the problem. Replace that plug if that's what you're referring to.


----------



## djt1029

Yeah, the connection to the clutch. Clean it up, dielectric grease and see if that does it. If not, replace the connection and you should be good to go.


----------



## Tony_D

Thanks again guys. I think I finally got it, I replaced the plug yesterday morning and it worked the rest of the day. I came back down the shore last night but my guy is at the garage today getting some hours washing everything I asked him to run the machine and engage the blades a few times and he said it worked fine again today. Hope that its finally fixed for real


----------



## HeatMiser

If any of you know someone with a CDL w/ hazmat looking for work, I'm looking for another driver (possibly more) one of my drivers informed me he's staying on unemployment this year and another can't start back up until November (recovering from surgery) Season's right around the corner now


----------



## Petr51488

HeatMiser said:


> If any of you know someone with a CDL w/ hazmat looking for work, I'm looking for another driver (possibly more) one of my drivers informed me he's staying on unemployment this year and another can't start back up until November (recovering from surgery) Season's right around the corner now


God bless America and Biden. Why work when you can stay at home and make the same?


----------



## S_Marino87

The new American way


----------



## J.Ricci

What a ****ing joke this country's turned into. OEF was a complete waste of a year and a half of my life, I guess Iraq was too


----------



## S_Marino87

J.Ricci said:


> What a ******* joke this country's turned into. OEF was a complete waste of a year and a half of my life, I guess Iraq was too


Hate to hear veterans feeling that way under this mess of an administration


----------



## AllAboutGreen

J.Ricci said:


> What a ******* joke this country's turned into. OEF was a complete waste of a year and a half of my life, I guess Iraq was too


you guys will forever be heroes in my eyes, thank you for your service


----------



## truckie80

Real American's will always be grateful for your service and sacrifices


----------



## treeguyry

AllAboutGreen said:


> you guys will forever be heroes in my eyes, thank you for your service





truckie80 said:


> Real American's will always be grateful for your service and sacrifices


I feel the same way


----------



## V_Scapes

This administration is a total disgrace. It's hard to imagine putting up with another 3+ years of this.


----------



## Mike_PS

we do have a politics thread and an off topic forum so let's not turn this thread into that, please


----------



## S_Marino87

...only 2-3 months until snow


----------



## Randall Ave

S_Marino87 said:


> ...only 2-3 months until snow


I did have someone already ask about some plow repairs, my response was, can you pay your bill from last year? I think it may be an interesting start of the season. New trucks are scarce, used truck prices are insane. With the price of raw materials up, I wonder what new plow prices will be.


----------



## truckie80

S_Marino87 said:


> ...only 2-3 months until snow


Should we take bets on when the first snow is? There's not a lot to discuss about current weather, then we could stay on topic


----------



## HeatMiser

Randall Ave said:


> I did have someone already ask about some plow repairs, my response was, can you pay your bill from last year? I think it may be an interesting start of the season. New trucks are scarce, used truck prices are insane. With the price of raw materials up, I wonder what new plow prices will be.


This is a weather thread, not a truck discussion


----------



## Randall Ave

HeatMiser said:


> This is a weather thread, not a truck discussion


----------



## Mike_C

Yeah, let's talk about weather, wouldn't want a combat veteran to feel any better about the current regime turning a blind eye to 20 years of blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice


----------



## Mike_PS

Mike_C said:


> Yeah, let's talk about weather, wouldn't want a combat veteran to feel any better about the current regime turning a blind eye to 20 years of blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice


The thread doesn't need to be turned into a political thread! You can go to the politics thread and discuss it


----------



## Petr51488

Michael J. Donovan said:


> The thread doesn't need to be turned into a political thread! You can go to the politics thread and discuss it


Not the same group of good American local guys. And no one argues here lol very rare to find a group of people with the same values


----------



## V_Scapes

Censorship even in a trade forum.


----------



## Mike_PS

V_Scapes said:


> Censorship even in a trade forum.


Nope...I simply said don't turn this into a political thread. I realize there isn't a lot to talk, weather wise, this time of year, however, we don't need this thread cluttered with politics


----------



## Mike_C

I know a lot of, if not most of the guys who participate in this thread don't even look at other threads on here. What are we allowed to discuss while it's not snowing? Anything else on the no go list?


----------



## J.Ricci

It's the definition of censorship. It's a privately run forum, so you have the right to censor whatever you want, but it's still censorship. I guess we sometimes forget how easy feelings get hurt in the rest of the country. What's happening in Afghanistan isn't even about politics, it's about how every casualty of OEF was for nothing. What transpired the last few days would have been a disgrace no matter who was in the oval office. Watch your buddies die - for nothing, take shrapnel - for nothing, spend years of your life away from everything - for nothing and then be censored for commenting on what's currently going on. God bless America


----------



## Mike_PS

we've pretty much allowed you to discuss anything in this thread...again, all I said was don't turn this into a political thread, jeez


----------



## V_Scapes

God Bless Our Troops.
If your not angry about what's going on, your part of the problem.


----------



## Tony_D

I'm just a dumb kid but I really don't see who a few comments off the landscaping and snow removal topic hurt anyone. There's never any arguing on this thread, I'm a part of a few different forum websites while I try to find my way in this business and this is the only one that doesn't turn into bickering regularly


----------



## Mike_PS

Tony_D said:


> I'm just a dumb kid but I really don't see who a few comments off the landscaping and snow removal topic hurt anyone. There's never any arguing on this thread, I'm a part of a few different forum websites while I try to find my way in this business and this is the only one that doesn't turn into bickering regularly


I agree...I just did not want this thread to turn into a political discussion for pages, that's all!


----------



## Randall Ave

Michael J. Donovan said:


> I agree...I just did not want this thread to turn into a political discussion for pages, that's all!


Michael, think of it this way, all if us here are from, in New Jersey. It can't get any worse for us.


----------



## V_Scapes

Randall Ave said:


> Michael, think of it this way, all if us here are from, in New Jersey. It can't get any worse for us.


Let's go Uncle Jack!


----------



## sota

Randall Ave said:


> Michael, think of it this way, all if us here are from, in New Jersey. It can't get any worse for us.


Yea. we could be NY.

I might be unemployed this year for snow plowing. Dude still hasn't called me back about $ owed to me.


----------



## J.Ricci

V_Scapes said:


> Let's go Uncle Jack!


Quiet, that's politics, you're gonna get us all thrown in the gulag.


----------



## shawn_

truckie80 said:


> Thanks guys, I'll be DM'ing you don't want to clog things up on here. I have an opportunity to buy another business next season, and as I'm unfortunately nearing retirement from the FDNY it seems like a pretty good opportunity


lucky you…. Unfortunately I could never fulfill my dream to be a NY firemen . I took the test in 11 &'17 both times scoring in the low 90s 11' was 91 17' was 94 unfortunately the 94 put me at 23000 on the list & I just looked online today 29 is the cut off age & they've only gone thru 2800 people on the list .


----------



## truckie80

shawn_ said:


> lucky you…. Unfortunately I could never fulfill my dream to be a NY firemen . I took the test in 11 &'17 both times scoring in the low 90s 11' was 91 17' was 94 unfortunately the 94 put me at 23000 on the list & I just looked online today 29 is the cut off age & they've only gone thru 2800 people on the list .


I'd stay on the job until I age out if it wasn't for comrade bill & cuomo's BS. We'll see how long I can put up with regular testing. Still love the job, even if it's changed a lot since I got on. Rapid fire retirements coming as soon as the policy kicks in. Lot of members putting in their papers already


----------



## V_Scapes

truckie80 said:


> I'd stay on the job until I age out if it wasn't for comrade bill & cuomo's BS. We'll see how long I can put up with regular testing. Still love the job, even if it's changed a lot since I got on. Rapid fire retirements coming as soon as the policy kicks in. Lot of members putting in their papers already


I met a guy last week, FDNY retired who was also ground zero. You all deserve a huge thanks for your service and probably dont hear it as much as you should.


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> I did have someone already ask about some plow repairs, my response was, can you pay your bill from last year? I think it may be an interesting start of the season. New trucks are scarce, used truck prices are insane. With the price of raw materials up, I wonder what new plow prices will be.


Western up 13% i think


----------



## iceyman

Ill start the new thread soon in off topic so we can talk freely about anything..


----------



## shawn_

truckie80 said:


> I'd stay on the job until I age out if it wasn't for comrade bill & cuomo's BS. We'll see how long I can put up with regular testing. Still love the job, even if it's changed a lot since I got on. Rapid fire retirements coming as soon as the policy kicks in. Lot of members putting in their papers already


Yeah it's terrible what their doing . My job is going to be fighting it I work for the railroad but for some reason I can see nj following suite with NYC & screwing everyone


----------



## sota

@shawn_ they already are.


----------



## shawn_

sota said:


> @shawn_ they already are.


No they are not nyc is it n a total shut down unless your vaccinated can't do
Anything here in NJ I have had 0'problems


----------



## Petr51488

iceyman said:


> Ill start the new thread soon in off topic so we can talk freely about anything..


But can we talk about weather there?


----------



## S_Marino87

shawn_ said:


> No they are not nyc is it n a total shut down unless your vaccinated can't do
> Anything here in NJ I have had 0'problems


Newark gave us 30 days to get vaccinated. Sorry, not happening. I'll deal with testing regularly if I have to but that's not even an option being given right now. Unions are fighting it, but inevitably my days here are numbered. NPD is going to lose hundreds of good cops and the city will sink deeper into the cesspool that is the Tri-State


----------



## Mark Oomkes

S_Marino87 said:


> Newark gave us 30 days to get vaccinated. Sorry, not happening. I'll deal with testing regularly if I have to but that's not even an option being given right now. Unions are fighting it, but inevitably my days here are numbered. NPD is going to lose hundreds of good cops and the city will sink deeper into the cesspool that is the Tri-State


All part of the "plan"?


----------



## shawn_

S_Marino87 said:


> Newark gave us 30 days to get vaccinated. Sorry, not happening. I'll deal with testing regularly if I have to but that's not even an option being given right now. Unions are fighting it, but inevitably my days here are numbered. NPD is going to lose hundreds of good cops and the city will sink deeper into the cesspool that is the Tri-State


I hear u , according to my union chairmen he said he said the Coalition of unions will not let the company mandate vaccinations . I'm sure it will happen though some how & I think I'll be in the same boat as everyone else . Jobless unfortunately at 29 I can't just retire . But I will leave or sue.


----------



## Mark Oomkes

shawn_ said:


> I hear u , according to my union chairmen he said he said the Coalition of unions will not let the company mandate vaccinations . I'm sure it will happen though some how & I think I'll be in the same boat as everyone else . Jobless unfortunately at 29 I can't just retire . But I will leave or sue.


Simply amazing that so many companies have too many employees. Wish I had that problem.

I'm contemplating advertising that we will not require anyone to be vaccinated.


----------



## S_Marino87

Mark Oomkes said:


> All part of the "plan"?


Things sure do seem to line up in a way that should have everyone scratching their heads.



shawn_ said:


> I hear u , according to my union chairmen he said he said the Coalition of unions will not let the company mandate vaccinations . I'm sure it will happen though some how & I think I'll be in the same boat as everyone else . Jobless unfortunately at 29 I can't just retire . But I will leave or sue.


You're in a better spot than we are, the mayor loves nothing more than to screw over cops. The firefighters & sanitation unions are basically our last hope here. Nothing the PBA attempts on our behalf ever makes a difference. Lucky for me I made a living in remodeling before getting on and still have my crew working every day, a lot of other guys in the department don't have the same fall back


----------



## truckie80

V_Scapes said:


> I met a guy last week, FDNY retired who was also ground zero. You all deserve a huge thanks for your service and probably dont hear it as much as you should.


Appreciate it. Instead we get vaccine mandates



S_Marino87 said:


> Newark gave us 30 days to get vaccinated. Sorry, not happening. I'll deal with testing regularly if I have to but that's not even an option being given right now. Unions are fighting it, but inevitably my days here are numbered. NPD is going to lose hundreds of good cops and the city will sink deeper into the cesspool that is the Tri-State


No option to test? That's even worse than NYC. As of right now it's weekly tests for all unvaccinated members. My company and our sister engine are only around 40% vaccinated, no one wears a mask at the house, zero "social distancing" just normal cleaning, and everyone lives an active life away from the work. We've had one total case in the last year (as of last week) which says something.



shawn_ said:


> I hear u , according to my union chairmen he said he said the Coalition of unions will not let the company mandate vaccinations . I'm sure it will happen though some how & I think I'll be in the same boat as everyone else . Jobless unfortunately at 29 I can't just retire . But I will leave or sue.


I've done my time, and it's nice to have the option of getting out whenever I can't deal with the bs anymore, but it's depressing to see it end this way for not only myself but all guys my age and older who gave the city so much to get this in return.


----------



## Mark Oomkes

truckie80 said:


> No option to test? That's even worse than NYC. As of right now it's weekly tests for all unvaccinated members. My company and our sister engine are only around 40% vaccinated, no one wears a mask at the house, zero "social distancing" just normal cleaning, and everyone lives an active life away from the work. We've had one total case in the last year (as of last week) which says something.


Saw the guys from my old department riding around in the engine (past the mask mandate being lifted) wearing masks.

Pretty sure if the chief was requiring it when this stupidity started, it would have been my last day, instead of 6 years ago. Optics possibly? I thought I knew them and they had enough brains to not bu into it.


----------



## sota

Since I'm an independent consultant for my "full time" / "day" job, I've decided I won't work for anyone who mandates I wear a mask or get the jab.


----------



## Tony_D

Mark Oomkes said:


> Simply amazing that so many companies have too many employees. Wish I had that problem.
> 
> I'm contemplating advertising that we will not require anyone to be vaccinated.


My dad just hired a guy today who quit his old job over not getting the vax


----------



## J.Ricci

truckie80 said:


> Appreciate it. Instead we get vaccine mandates
> 
> No option to test? That's even worse than NYC. As of right now it's weekly tests for all unvaccinated members. My company and our sister engine are only around 40% vaccinated, no one wears a mask at the house, zero "social distancing" just normal cleaning, and everyone lives an active life away from the work. We've had one total case in the last year (as of last week) which says something.
> 
> I've done my time, and it's nice to have the option of getting out whenever I can't deal with the bs anymore, but it's depressing to see it end this way for not only myself but all guys my age and older who gave the city so much to get this in return.


Shameful to watch those who gave so much get treated like garbage across the board. This isn't our country anymore.



Mark Oomkes said:


> Saw the guys from my old department riding around in the engine (past the mask mandate being lifted) wearing masks.
> 
> Pretty sure if the chief was requiring it when this stupidity started, it would have been my last day, instead of 6 years ago. Optics possibly? I thought I knew them and they had enough brains to not bu into it.


I haven't worn a mask for a single second at the firehouse, on the rig, or on a call, since this crap started. Luckily almost my entire department is against the masks but a few neighboring towns are like that. Drives me nuts



Tony_D said:


> My dad just hired a guy today who quit his old job over not getting the vax


My wife hired a new girl a couple weeks ago who left her old job over masks. If you can find them, there's going to be a group of unemployed people with skills over this


----------



## MGLC

truckie80 said:


> My company and our sister engine are only around 40% vaccinated, no one wears a mask at the house, zero "social distancing" just normal cleaning, and everyone lives an active life away from the work. We've had one total case in the last year (as of last week) which says something.


Funny how that seems to work. My neighbor and his whole family have it right now. They're the only family on the block that wear masks to take out their garbage or walk to their cars, they hardly leave the house and they're all vaccinated. My kids went to school in person all year last year - without masks. My church has been open, mask free, since May 2020, and we've been to just about every store, restaurant and event we could go to the whole time yet we're all fine. Shouldn't we all have died by now


----------



## Mike_C

In the last 3-4 months, I don’t know if I know any unvaccinated people who got it, but I know a handful of vaccinated who did. Maybe they’re the ones who should be treated as second class citizens


----------



## sota

I've been trying to catch the 'rona this whole time, and failed. And i'm the type of guy who for a couple decades would get sick twice a year, like clockwork.


----------



## S_Marino87

I had it in April 2020. Any other year, I would've just worked right through it but because the department was being so anal about testing if you had symptoms, I had to get a test and sure enough it was positive. I felt pretty ****ty for one day, then just like a cold for another few days. A this point though it seems like most people getting it are the ones who were / are extremely careful


----------



## V_Scapes

Hoping this westerly trend with Henri doesn't go much farther.


----------



## truckie80

Are we getting something from this storm? I haven't watched the news in weeks


----------



## V_Scapes

truckie80 said:


> Are we getting something from this storm? I haven't watched the news in weeks


Funny. Looks like it might get alittle crazy here Sunday.


----------



## shawn_

Good waves from hurricane henri , surf today after work, will surf tomorrow morning & Sunday looks to be the best.


----------



## J.Ricci

Since when do we talk about weather here


----------



## BossPlow2010

truckie80 said:


> Thanks guys, I'll be DM'ing you don't want to clog things up on here. I have an opportunity to buy another business next season, and as I'm unfortunately nearing retirement from the FDNY it seems like a pretty good opportunity


What station are you at?


----------



## treeguyry

I wish the winds would pick up a little, I’m only seeing 25-35 for the most part


----------



## Randall Ave

Looks to be a coastal thing for us, but it could just turn right, or left.


----------



## iceyman

Hopefully it keeps going east.. we dont need that mess right now


----------



## Randall Ave

Beautiful day here today, so thats a sure sign a shizz storm is on the way.


----------



## V_Scapes

treeguyry said:


> I wish the winds would pick up a little, I'm only seeing 25-35 for the most part


70% chance for tropical storm force winds for my area.


----------



## treeguyry

Prep day today just in case, seems like as good of an excuse as any to buy a few new saws


----------



## Mike_C

I told my son to flip a coin to decide if we should go home today or ride out the storm here at the shore. Coin fell between the slats of the decking. That has to be a sign for something


----------



## djt1029

Mike_C said:


> I told my son to flip a coin to decide if we should go home today or ride out the storm here at the shore. Coin fell between the slats of the decking. That has to be a sign for something


That's pretty ominous


----------



## MGLC

Too bad it's on a Sunday, I would be more than happy to take a forced day off


----------



## Kevin_NJ

So far my insurance company has called to tell me a storm is coming. Waiting for the additional calls/emails from PSE&G and JCP&L. Morons. 

To all of the First Responders we have here, Thank you and stay safe. 
For former (and present, if any) Military, THANK YOU! I know I could not come close to imagine what you have gone through or what you are feeling now watching the current Administration throw away everything the Military has done. It is a disgrace.


----------



## treeguyry

I got a call about 15 minutes ago - homeowner is concerned their tree may fall in the storm, wants to know if we can drop it today so it doesn't fall on the house.

"Sure, but the minimum charge is $3k, no stump"
"Why so much?"
"Because It's almost 5pm on a Saturday and the storm starts in less than 12 hours"
"Well fine if you don't want the work I'll call someone else"
"Good luck with that"
"There's no reason to be a jerk"



No sweat off my back, seems like a good night to sit out by the fire and drink.


----------



## J.Ricci

Kevin_NJ said:


> I know I could not come close to imagine what you have gone through or what you are feeling now watching the current Administration throw away everything the Military has done. It is a disgrace.


I'm just glad we can come here and talk about weather without politics getting involved. It's such a relief



treeguyry said:


> I got a call about 15 minutes ago - homeowner is concerned their tree may fall in the storm, wants to know if we can drop it today so it doesn't fall on the house.
> 
> "Sure, but the minimum charge is $3k, no stump"
> "Why so much?"
> "Because It's almost 5pm on a Saturday and the storm starts in less than 12 hours"
> "Well fine if you don't want the work I'll call someone else"
> "Good luck with that"
> "There's no reason to be a jerk"
> 
> 
> 
> No sweat off my back, seems like a good night to sit out by the fire and drink.


No invite for any of us? The caller was right you are a jerk


----------



## Tony_D

J.Ricci said:


> I'm just glad we can come here and talk about weather without politics getting involved. It's such a relief


Lmfao


----------



## V_Scapes

Radar is lit up over NNJ


----------



## sota

had some pretty good rain tonight from around 8:30 to 10pm.


----------



## Randall Ave

Some heavy rain at times last night, I see below 78 the rains coming down.


----------



## MGLC

It seems like we’re going to miss out on most of the wind


----------



## treeguyry

That takes all the fun out of it


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Heard some heavier rains overnight, didn't notice any winds. Seemed like a typical rain event here.


----------



## J.Ricci

We had some wind gusts last night, but nothing more than a thunderstorm would bring. Mostly showers the rest of the day according to my phone


----------



## V_Scapes

Fine by me I can do without the wind.


----------



## Mike_C

More proof you can't trust the news at all, even about weather. I'm sitting in the backyard, sun's peaking out, hardly any waves in the bay, no more than a 30% chance of rain until the middle of the night.


----------



## Randall Ave

Steady light rain here, but the air isn't moving at all.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Wife just showed me a video from fb, @iceyman got hit pretty hard (flooding) at one of his locations.


----------



## J.Ricci

Kevin_NJ said:


> Wife just showed me a video from fb, @iceyman got hit pretty hard (flooding) at one of his locations.


Damn rough year for icey between that and the storm on Christmas eve


----------



## sota

just brought Muffin in.
she's hopefully adjusting to the situation.


----------



## Petr51488

What’s the deal with tomorrow? Weather says rain, accuweather shows sun with random thunderstorms.


----------



## V_Scapes

I was just looking at tomorrow too, seeing showers and storms on and off. Will have to wait till the morning to figure it out.
Supposed to rain today until 10-11pm.


----------



## V_Scapes

Mike_C said:


> More proof you can't trust the news at all, even about weather. I'm sitting in the backyard, sun's peaking out, hardly any waves in the bay, no more than a 30% chance of rain until the middle of the night.


More importantly what's in your glass?


----------



## Randall Ave

No wind here at all, but the rain is steady and heavy. No beer in the fridge, I wonder if the wife would do a beer run?


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Pretty mild day here overall, although the sky looked a little ominous a few times. I'm not complaining a single bit!


----------



## iceyman

What was supposed to be a day off started with 42” of water inside my jamesburg shop.. mud everywhere.. flipped full freezers over inside the shop.. mayhem


----------



## iceyman

This was after the water receeded a foot


----------



## djt1029

Petr51488 said:


> What's the deal with tomorrow? Weather says rain, accuweather shows sun with random thunderstorms.


Looks like tomorrow is probably a wash



iceyman said:


> This was after the water receeded a foot


Jeez, you can't catch a break.


----------



## V_Scapes

iceyman said:


> What was supposed to be a day off started with 42" of water inside my jamesburg shop.. mud everywhere.. flipped full freezers over inside the shop.. mayhem


Damn dude sorry to hear that


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> What was supposed to be a day off started with 42" of water inside my jamesburg shop.. mud everywhere.. flipped full freezers over inside the shop.. mayhem


That sucks. Been raining here most of the day. And ain't stopping till some time tomorrow.


----------



## J.Ricci

iceyman said:


> What was supposed to be a day off started with 42" of water inside my jamesburg shop.. mud everywhere.. flipped full freezers over inside the shop.. mayhem


Holy cow, didn't realize it was flooding that bad up there.


----------



## Randall Ave

So this thing ain't leaving. iceymam I think your place was just on channel 12.


----------



## djt1029

5:30am I texted the guys to stay home, 90% chance of rain every hour until around 5-6PM. Now it's stopped and seems like it stays this way until at least 12-1, or all day.


----------



## V_Scapes

djt1029 said:


> 5:30am I texted the guys to stay home, 90% chance of rain every hour until around 5-6PM. Now it's stopped and seems like it stays this way until at least 12-1, or all day.


I did the same and felt guilty after the sun popped out but then we got another shower. Either way I didn't think running mowers on saturated lawns was a good idea today.


----------



## Mike_C

I left almost everyone home, it seemed like a wash out for sure. Another strike for the weatherman


----------



## Randall Ave

Just stopped raining here, some blue sky is trying to peak thru.


----------



## Tony_D

Stopped raining pretty early here also. I had already told my guy to stay home, and made plans with a few friends so I'm just going to enjoy the day off.


----------



## V_Scapes

Tony_D said:


> Stopped raining pretty early here also. I had already told my guy to stay home, and made plans with a few friends so I'm just going to enjoy the day off.


Enjoy it while you can. I'm buried in the office.


----------



## Petr51488

Looks like I’m the only one working lol. Started at 9:30.


----------



## AllAboutGreen

I almost called it this mrng, but decided send guys out at 10am. We have to catch up on some weeding and some prep work for some jobs later in the week. In a couple months this will all be snow........


----------



## shawn_

icy u can’t get a break with you’re stores.

hope everyone stayed safe in the slight nor Easter .

Surfing was fun for 3 days straight . Can’t wait for the next storm


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> So this thing ain't leaving. iceymam I think your place was just on channel 12.


My brother does the interviews.. i was in the skid in the background pushing mud off the lot


----------



## iceyman

And our fantastic governor came to the town next to us today but thankfully disnt come over to us ..


----------



## J.Ricci

iceyman said:


> And our fantastic governor came to the town next to us today but thankfully disnt come over to us ..


At least you were spared from that **** storm. He's too busy forcing teachers to get the jab


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> And our fantastic governor came to the town next to us today but thankfully disnt come over to us ..


If it was uncle Joe, you could have given him an ice cream cone.


----------



## iceyman

Randall Ave said:


> If it was uncle Joe, you could have given him an ice cream cone.


Id shove it straight in his pie hole


----------



## V_Scapes

MJD bout to have a field day.


----------



## J.Ricci

Shhh don't say his name too many times, we're already plowsite's redheaded step children


----------



## Tony_D

V_Scapes said:


> Enjoy it while you can. I'm buried in the office.


Day drinking and got a girls number, successful day off. Back to reality tomorrow


----------



## V_Scapes

J.Ricci said:


> Shhh don't say his name too many times, we're already plowsite's redheaded step children


Sorry forgot to put my mask on before I got here too.


Tony_D said:


> Day drinking and got a girls number, successful day off. Back to reality tomorrow


I remember my first beer.


----------



## Mike_C

Pretty soon we'll have to show our papers to be allowed to post


----------



## Randall Ave

Mike_C said:


> Pretty soon we'll have to show our papers to be allowed to post


I want to know, did he see her without her mask before he asked her out.


----------



## MGLC

Randall Ave said:


> I want to know, did he see her without her mask before he asked her out.


Maybe he took a page out of sleepy joe's book and just sniffed her


----------



## Tony_D

I only go places with no mask requirements, this way its easier to get a sniff


----------



## djt1029

J.Ricci said:


> At least you were spared from that **** storm. He's too busy forcing teachers to get the jab


My girlfriend's a teacher, I was actually shocked to find out theres another 4-5 in her department who still refuse it. I really thought she'd be the only one. Eventually they'll all move onto different jobs and everyone with a different perspective on anything will have zero influence on kids. Almost like it's another piece of an elaborate plan falling into place


----------



## Mike_C

djt1029 said:


> My girlfriend's a teacher, I was actually shocked to find out theres another 4-5 in her department who still refuse it. I really thought she'd be the only one. Eventually they'll all move onto different jobs and everyone with a different perspective on anything will have zero influence on kids. Almost like it's another piece of an elaborate plan falling into place


It sure is convenient how things fall into place


----------



## Petr51488

Only 3.5 more years guys. That’s it…..


Gas tax is going down! What a great guy .


----------



## MGLC

3.5 more years to flatten the middle class


----------



## AllAboutGreen

I emailed on of my distributers to see what the salt prices will be for this upcoming season and bag prices for Calcium and Dead Sea mag look about the same but the bulk is going to be $20-$22 MORE per ton this year......


----------



## MGLC

AllAboutGreen said:


> I emailed on of my distributers to see what the salt prices will be for this upcoming season and bag prices for Calcium and Dead Sea mag look about the same but the bulk is going to be $20-$22 MORE per ton this year......


Which means at least $50+ more by mid winter


----------



## Tony_D

When do you guys usually start getting calls for fall landscaping work? My phone still isn't ringing and after this week I'll have all my trimming done. I'm just going to start going around and re-trimming places we already did early in the summer once the last few are done


----------



## V_Scapes

Tony_D said:


> When do you guys usually start getting calls for fall landscaping work? My phone still isn't ringing and after this week I'll have all my trimming done. I'm just going to start going around and re-trimming places we already did early in the summer once the last few are done


The past couple of weeks I've quoted some nice jobs. Kids are going back to school soon and that should free up some time for people.
If your slow it never hurts to suggest small enhancement work that could be done for people.


----------



## djt1029

Last week there was an uptick in calls though for sure, priced some good jobs since then, but most years after labor day is when it really gets going, everyones still trying to squeeze in as much summer as they can into the last few weeks right now.


----------



## treeguyry

Every year like clockwork the third week of September my landscapers start giving me lists of what they need done on projects.


----------



## MGLC

It usually starts slow around now and builds up after Labor Day. @V_Scapes is right, up sell your existing customers. Soon you'll be aerating anyway, so it's easy money to add replacing some shabby looking shrubs etc at the same time. Push for fall seasonal color. Most people love the fall, and a lot of them will spend money on mums, cabbages, pumpkins whatever you can do to dress up the porch/yard


----------



## iceyman

After a quick getaway with the fam to amish country im back moving the rest of the mud and dirt left on our lot.. took 8 buckets off today


----------



## iceyman

It was a perfect time for my wife to have planned a trip lol.. alot of the community and friends stepped up to get the place empty and cleaned out.. good to see in this day and age


----------



## Tony_D

V_Scapes said:


> The past couple of weeks I've quoted some nice jobs. Kids are going back to school soon and that should free up some time for people.
> If your slow it never hurts to suggest small enhancement work that could be done for people.


I'm looking around my houses a little extra today while we're cutting, I talked to the owners at so far and one seems like they may do some of the work but we'll see



djt1029 said:


> Last week there was an uptick in calls though for sure, priced some good jobs since then, but most years after labor day is when it really gets going, everyones still trying to squeeze in as much summer as they can into the last few weeks right now.


Did it always pick up around then or is it just after being better established?



MGLC said:


> It usually starts slow around now and builds up after Labor Day. @V_Scapes is right, up sell your existing customers. Soon you'll be aerating anyway, so it's easy money to add replacing some shabby looking shrubs etc at the same time. Push for fall seasonal color. Most people love the fall, and a lot of them will spend money on mums, cabbages, pumpkins whatever you can do to dress up the porch/yard


The fall stuff is a good idea, I know one of the big companies around here does that but I never see anyone else doing it. Maybe it's a good market


----------



## V_Scapes

I think I've had about enough of the heat.


----------



## Randall Ave

I'm locking up early, gonna float in the pool.


----------



## djt1029

I'm ready for winter 


Tony_D said:


> Did it always pick up around then or is it just after being better established?


Other than my first year or two it always picked up at some point in September. Busy is relative though, 10 years ago a patio and 3 planting jobs were a "busy" fall, now that's a good week


----------



## J.Ricci




----------



## Randall Ave

Flash flood watch for the weekend, again. This is really getting old. I hope this turns into snow this coming season.


----------



## HeatMiser

J.Ricci said:


> View attachment 219916


Disgusting to see how far we, as a country, have fallen in the last year and a half


----------



## V_Scapes

HeatMiser said:


> Disgusting to see how far we, as a country, have fallen in the last year and a half


Truly is amazing.


----------



## S_Marino87

Two years ago, if someone told me this would be the current state of the country, I would never have believed them.


----------



## truckie80

The defining moment of the Biden's reign will forever be him burying his face and clutching his binder like a nervous child on the first day of school


----------



## sota

How did America go to ****?
Slowly, at first.
Then all at once.

We've all literally just seen that tipping point.


----------



## truckie80

Anyone else go to ORI? Got *****ed at today for not wearing a mask. Haven't worn one into there in over a year, suddenly management's being jerks again


----------



## iceyman

When i work in ny im the only one not wearing a mask indoors.. and i could care less what any thinks.. no one has said once to put a mask on


----------



## djt1029

truckie80 said:


> Anyone else go to ORI? Got *****ed at today for not wearing a mask. Haven't worn one into there in over a year, suddenly management's being jerks again


Tell Al to forget it and he'll shut up quick, trust me


----------



## truckie80

djt1029 said:


> Tell Al to forget it and he'll shut up quick, trust me


Yeah the other guys didn't say a word, Bill seems like he's with us on this crap anyway


----------



## Randall Ave

Looks like Thursday is going to be a washout? And where this thing hits, I hope people aren't trying to ride it out.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

They're already comparing it to Katrina. NJ could see a repeat of last week.


----------



## MGLC

Holiday week, of course we'll have at least one wash out


----------



## treeguyry

There goes my plan for a 3 day weekend


----------



## Randall Ave

treeguyry said:


> There goes my plan for a 3 day weekend


Now its looken like Wednesday into Thursday morning, but who knows.


----------



## AG09

treeguyry said:


> There goes my plan for a 3 day weekend


Same here. Losing one day during the week sucks in general, but losing 2 right before holiday weekend really really f&cks everything up.


----------



## V_Scapes

AG09 said:


> Same here. Losing one day during the week sucks in general, but losing 2 right before holiday weekend really really f&cks everything up.


Yup the biggest pain is the maintenance schedule being behind.

Just checked seeing Wednesday into Wednesday night being the worst.


----------



## Mike_C

I was aiming to make it a 3 day weekend for everyone, but that won't happen unless things change. That said, I'm leaving Thursday night either way


----------



## sota

we supposed to get wind?
any chance of power outages?
I could use some free trees for firewood.


----------



## truckie80

Tomorrow and Tuesday I'm sending everyone out on maintenance to get a jump, hopefully we only lose one day.


----------



## sota

So this is now a serious shout-out to anyone in or near Berkeley Heights/Warren/Summit/Watchung/Long Hill area...
If you're in need of a guy with a jeep, a plow, and a shoveler, hit me up. If you're just curious, hit me up. It's looking like I'm not working for my guy from the past years, as he's failed to respond to multiple attempts at contact.


----------



## djt1029

truckie80 said:


> Tomorrow and Tuesday I'm sending everyone out on maintenance to get a jump, hopefully we only lose one day.


I'm doing the same, don't have much of a choice. I already told my guys a while ago that we're taking the long weekend


----------



## truckie80

djt1029 said:


> I'm doing the same, don't have much of a choice. I already told my guys a while ago that we're taking the long weekend


I'm in the same boat. I never tell my guys in advance, but I mentioned it on Friday


----------



## iceyman

sota said:


> So this is now a serious shout-out to anyone in or near Berkeley Heights/Warren/Summit/Watchung/Long Hill area...
> If you're in need of a guy with a jeep, a plow, and a shoveler, hit me up. If you're just curious, hit me up. It's looking like I'm not working for my guy from the past years, as he's failed to respond to multiple attempts at contact.


Wasnt he paying you in legos


----------



## iceyman

Nj being bullseyed by ida Wednesday into Thursday. If we get another 6-8” of rain idk what the hell im gona do.. just getting all my equipment back into the shop today and tmrw


----------



## djt1029

truckie80 said:


> I'm in the same boat. I never tell my guys in advance, but I mentioned it on Friday


Same here, I only told them because we worked past 6pm the last 2 Saturdays and the natives were growing restless


----------



## S_Marino87

Nothing good comes from giving customers or employees a time frame


----------



## sota

iceyman said:


> Wasnt he paying you in legos


Was paying me in cash.
Dude's been a ghost since April.
Still owes me $.
I know he's alive and still doing landscaping; I see his trucks and him occasionally.


----------



## sota

I just want to know if Ida is bringing just rain, or winds as well.
If the latter, I need to prep/move some ****.
Bunch of trees on my property didn't like this year much, and we got dead branches coming out of them occasionally.


----------



## Klaibs27

sota said:


> I just want to know if Ida is bringing just rain, or winds as well.
> If the latter, I need to prep/move some ****.
> Bunch of trees on my property didn't like this year much, and we got dead branches coming out of them occasionally.


Shouldn't be much wind (<35 mph gusts) but with the amount of rain that we've gotten recently and this additional rain, might get a lot of uprooting.


----------



## iceyman

sota said:


> I just want to know if Ida is bringing just rain, or winds as well.
> If the latter, I need to prep/move some ****.
> Bunch of trees on my property didn't like this year much, and we got dead branches coming out of them occasionally.


Rain is the bigger factor here..but as mentioned ground is wet af


----------



## Tony_D

Weeks like this I'm glad I only have 3 days of cutting


----------



## Randall Ave

iceyman said:


> Rain is the bigger factor here..but as mentioned ground is wet af


Where the water came in last time. Sand bags, weighted down hay bales. Get something there.


----------



## V_Scapes

The forecast changed since this morning and rain looks to move in earlier. South jersey has an elevated risk for tornados.


----------



## Randall Ave

We've had more tornados than the states that usually get them.


----------



## J.Ricci

Clears out earlier too which is good, tomorrow's a wash no matter what


----------



## truckie80

Hardly raining here so far, maybe we could have squeezed in a few houses.


----------



## Petr51488

truckie80 said:


> Hardly raining here so far, maybe we could have squeezed in a few houses.


Always happens. Looks to be dry for a while now


----------



## djt1029

It's coming down pretty good here now


----------



## Randall Ave

Pored here before, not much of anything at the moment. But the map shows north Jesey getten more rain later today, but who knows.


----------



## MGLC

No billable work got done today but made a huge dent in servicing equipment. I'm calling it a day and heading home


----------



## Tony_D

No rain in the forecast tomorrow anymore according to my phone


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> The forecast changed since this morning and rain looks to move in earlier. South jersey has an elevated risk for tornados.


Weather channel now has us in the Tornado warnings, this is Jersey, not Kansas.


----------



## V_Scapes

Coming down pretty good here, looks like the worst is yet to come.

Anyone have any experience or own a flail mower on a mini excavator?


----------



## Randall Ave

Winds picked up, got heavy rain.


----------



## Tony_D

Heavy rain here, waters pooling up at the end of my street


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Phone blared twice already. Flooding & Tornado.


----------



## Mike_C

V_Scapes said:


> Coming down pretty good here, looks like the worst is yet to come.
> 
> Anyone have any experience or own a flail mower on a mini excavator?


I haven't personally run it, but I have one for my Kubota. No major issues other than a few snagged hoses


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Second tornado alert on the phone. I'd really like to know if the threshold for triggering an alert has dropped or if we are really in a more active/severe weather pattern. 

With that said, Mullica Hill had one touch down, destroyed some houses, unclear how many or any fatalities.


----------



## S_Marino87

Some good thunder & lightning rolling through Newark right now


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Another Tornado went along the Delaware River near the Burlington-Bristol Bridge, sounds like it was on Pa side about 1/2 mile inland.


----------



## truckie80

Nasty thunderstorm rolling through Harlem right now, but nothing compared to the videos I saw from Mullica Hill. That looked like something from tornado alley


----------



## Randall Ave

Supposedly we are getting rain at the rate of two inches an hour, I put a rain gauge outside at 8am this morning. What do ya think, I should send the wife outside to give it a look?


----------



## V_Scapes

Crazy night out there


----------



## J.Ricci

It took a while to get going, but things are really cranking now. Flooding calls starting to come in quick


----------



## djt1029

I'm just glad we finally have some weather to talk about


----------



## prezek

Stay safe…I thought we’d get washed out down here. Ended up able to work until 2:30. A few scattered downpours this morning…curious to see rain totals from the last few hours. Just about done. Last totals I saw were over 6”. Absolutely nuts how hard it was coming down. Hoping the morning isn’t a mess. Winds should help a little.


----------



## Randall Ave

truckie80 said:


> Nasty thunderstorm rolling through Harlem right now, but nothing compared to the videos I saw from Mullica Hill. That looked like something from tornado alley


NYC is getting hammered right now.


----------



## treeguyry

Nasty out there right now


----------



## Randall Ave

treeguyry said:


> Nasty out there right now


I think your gonna be busy the next few days.


----------



## S_Marino87

Some serious flooding going on here, we're bouncing around from one mess to another


----------



## Petr51488

Someone is prob doing backflips now that there’s no politics going on right now I’m here


----------



## HeatMiser

About a foot of water through the front half of my parking area at my yard, 2-3 feet in the very front of the property on the left side. There's a swale on that side so we get some ponding but this is worse than ever


----------



## Randall Ave

We are under a state of emergency now, whatever that will mean.


----------



## sota

Water in my basement.
same place it came in last time, when the wall blew out.
guess enough rain came down that it was able to work it's way through/past the hydraulic cement plug.
looks like i'm doing some exterior excavation this year, to get behind that bad block and patch it up better.
luckily I have that vinyl tile floor. all the pieces came up easy, and the only thing lost is some padding.










Basement cam, to watch the leaky spot, while i'm in bed and randomly feel like it.


----------



## sota

we got people in town who have inches of water in their houses.
I can honestly say, I got lucky. I'll need a roll of felt padding, and a couple hours to put it and the vinyl tiles back down.


----------



## Mike_C

I guess this is good practice for winter, we've got some emergency calls that came in, calling a few crews in at almost midnight is always fun.


----------



## Randall Ave

Got 54 outside, gotta say it's a beautiful clear day. Was going to go in by the city for parts, but I guess that ain't happening. News said parts of 80 are closed?


----------



## sota

i'm hearing 78 is a parking lot.
parts of the GSP are closed.
bound brook is being evac'ed.

it's certainly interesting out there today.

there's a random car in my driveway. pair of teens got trapped by flooded roads. told 'em they could shelter here. think she said her dad was coming to get them in a "big truck"; a jeep showed up sometime around 10pm.


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Randall Ave said:


> Got 54 outside, gotta say it's a beautiful clear day.


I was thinking of that this morning. It seems the norm to have beautiful weather the day after a really bad storm, almost like Mother Nature is trying to say she's sorry after giving humanity a good whipping with her belt.


----------



## djt1029

Road into my yard this AM


----------



## Klaibs27

Radar estimate of over 9" here in the Montgomeryville, PA area. Worst flooding I've ever seen. Tornado hit 2 miles from the house. Philly is a disaster area. Not good.


----------



## Mark Oomkes

Klaibs27 said:


> Philly is a disaster area.


Meh, nothing new there.


----------



## Mike_C

We lucked out, roads are a mess but no damage at any of my properties. Accounts on the other hand that's a different story, a lot of work to be done.



HeatMiser said:


> About a foot of water through the front half of my parking area at my yard, 2-3 feet in the very front of the property on the left side. There's a swale on that side so we get some ponding but this is worse than ever





djt1029 said:


> Road into my yard this AM


Either of you have any damage?


----------



## MGLC

I must have seen 30+ cars today that were flooded out and abandoned last night


----------



## sota

parts of Berkeley Heights are gonna be in trouble as the Passaic tributary here rises.

apparently our brand new town-ma-hall got flooded as well. figures.


----------



## S_Marino87

They held my shift over until about an hour ago. I just got home. Never have we gone from one thing to the next to the next like last night, easily took in 50 calls just my partner and me


----------



## sota

so if anyone sees any deals on freshly flooded cars, let me know?


----------



## the Suburbanite

sota said:


> so if anyone sees any deals on freshly flooded cars, let me know?


CoPart/IAAI is your friend


----------



## V_Scapes

The only good thing about these storms is the drainage calls start to come in.
Looked at a sinkhole job last week, we started today and showed up this morning to find a new one next to it.


----------



## HeatMiser

Mike_C said:


> We lucked out, roads are a mess but no damage at any of my properties. Accounts on the other hand that's a different story, a lot of work to be done.
> 
> Either of you have any damage?


I was able to squeeze everything together in the back corner of the yard near my filling station, waters receded quite a bit so we finally got service vans on the road within the last half hour. A huge mess of silt, leaves and debris around the whole property but it could have been worse


----------



## shawn_

What a mess out there.


----------



## Mike_C

Over 100 calls for drainage work already today


----------



## truckie80

S_Marino87 said:


> They held my shift over until about an hour ago. I just got home. Never have we gone from one thing to the next to the next like last night, easily took in 50 calls just my partner and me


Ain't no rest for the wicked, last night was a wild one. One ticket after another all night long


----------



## MGLC

We're scraping mud off parking lots all night tonight. It's good practice for the winter


----------



## V_Scapes

MGLC said:


> We're scraping mud off parking lots all night tonight. It's good practice for the winter


That sounds miserable


----------



## djt1029

MGLC said:


> We're scraping mud off parking lots all night tonight. It's good practice for the winter


Had two of those today, who doesn't love the smell of sewage and garbage stew


----------



## iceyman

MGLC said:


> We're scraping mud off parking lots all night tonight. It's good practice for the winter


Thank god for me cnj got spared.. just finished Powerwashing lot for the 3rd time since henri


----------



## sota

tennis courts in watchung near the circle and lake, are now "clay" courts.


----------



## MGLC

djt1029 said:


> Had two of those today, who doesn't love the smell of sewage and garbage stew


Horrible. 13 hours of scraping mud and loading slop, time for a nap.


----------



## Mike_C

MGLC said:


> Horrible. 13 hours of scraping mud and loading slop, time for a nap.


Pre-season plowing, send in the 3rd string and call it a day


----------



## treeguyry

Massive flooding at my yard, still sorting things out today but I do have a crew working. Lost a truck and a few random things but nothing else of real value, just a huge mess. The water did get into the side boxes of one of the chip trucks but we're still functional.


----------



## S_Marino87

treeguyry said:


> Massive flooding at my yard, still sorting things out today but I do have a crew working. Lost a truck and a few random things but nothing else of real value, just a huge mess. The water did get into the side boxes of one of the chip trucks but we're still functional.


Oh man, sorry to hear that. Is the truck a total loss?


----------



## J.Ricci

treeguyry said:


> Massive flooding at my yard, still sorting things out today but I do have a crew working. Lost a truck and a few random things but nothing else of real value, just a huge mess. The water did get into the side boxes of one of the chip trucks but we're still functional.


Damn, that's rough, sorry to hear it. Seems like every storm someone in this group gets ****ed


----------



## iceyman

J.Ricci said:


> Damn, that's rough, sorry to hear it. Seems like every storm someone in this group gets ******


Weather is getting crazier every year


----------



## V_Scapes

treeguyry said:


> Massive flooding at my yard, still sorting things out today but I do have a crew working. Lost a truck and a few random things but nothing else of real value, just a huge mess. The water did get into the side boxes of one of the chip trucks but we're still functional.


Sucks man sorry


----------



## MGLC

Real sorry to hear about the flooding, but glad to hear you're still operational. With the prices even used and abused trucks are selling for lately, dry that thing out and toss it on craigslist


----------



## treeguyry

Thanks guys. All in all, it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been. The truck got towed today, tonight I'm going to take a ride to Chevy and start looking


----------



## Tony_D

Happy labor day.


----------



## Petr51488

Funemployment benefits are finished. Read an article where some couple was interviewed saying she doesn’t know where her next check will come from. Said she prepaid her bills till next month - after that- she doesn’t know what she will do. Amazing


----------



## Randall Ave

I guess the thought of getting a job never entered her mind.


----------



## J.Ricci

Why would they consider getting a job, that's for other people not them. They're special, they know it because they got trophies just for showing up to things their whole lives


----------



## Mike_C

J.Ricci said:


> Why would they consider getting a job, that's for other people not them. They're special, they know it because they got trophies just for showing up to things their whole lives


Get off my lawn!


----------



## Tony_D

Anyone aerating yet this week? Or still early


----------



## MGLC

Tony_D said:


> Anyone aerating yet this week? Or still early


You're good to aerate whenever you're ready, just focus on your irrigated yards first and you'll be fine


----------



## truckie80

So when is sleepy Joe going to try and lower the employee threshold for his newest mandate. What a ****ing joke this is


----------



## Mike_C

truckie80 said:


> So when is sleepy Joe going to try and lower the employee threshold for his newest mandate. What a ******* joke this is


I'm over the threshold now, but there's zero chance I go along with this garbage


----------



## Petr51488

truckie80 said:


> So when is sleepy Joe going to try and lower the employee threshold for his newest mandate. What a ******* joke this is


That is unless you work for the post office. Exempt. Funny how things work.


----------



## sota

I'm at the point where if a client for my "day job" (computer biz) says "you need a mask!" i'm going to tell them to **** off. I've actually got one that's a .gov type, that I need to mask up to come though the door, but the boss and most of the staff pay lip service to the whole idea once I'm in there.


----------



## treeguyry

Mike_C said:


> I'm over the threshold now, but there's zero chance I go along with this garbage


Do you do any work for government that it would impact? I heard they're trying to require it for government contractors too


----------



## gman2310

Anyone else in here plow for Wawa? Looking for some info.


----------



## Mike_C

treeguyry said:


> Do you do any work for government that it would impact? I heard they're trying to require it for government contractors too


I'm assuming we're going to have issues with contracts with the City of New York. Currently there's nothing in any of the bidding packets we have open, but every time I flip through a new one I expect the other shoe to drop


----------



## S_Marino87

I know no one on here needs to be reminded of anything in relation to 9/11, but this story's stuck with me since I first heard it as a kid and it seems fitting to share on the 20th anniversary


----------



## Tony_D

My uncle died on 9/11, I never really knew him I was only a year old but whenever my mom and her sisters and my grandparents hear stories like this about how hard the firefighters and cops were trying to get to everyone in there like him I can see how much it means to them


----------



## Randall Ave

Everything here seemed to stop for days. Guys were collecting items, like water, gloves, anything needed, running them into the area where the responders were working.


----------



## treeguyry

I was in school and remember seeing the smoke in the distance from the classroom window but didn't know where it was coming from. My best friends dad worked there, but my friend was taking his drivers test and his dad had called in from work to take him for it. Still feels like it was yesterday


----------



## S_Marino87

I remember watching the news after school with my family, then listening to the radio with headphones when my parents told me to go to bed. No matter how old I get, I don't think the memory of listening to the mayor and police/fire commissioners news conference late that night will ever fade


----------



## HeatMiser

I was walking out of Staples when a complete stranger told me what happened. When I got back to my office, my secretary already the news on. We watched the second plane hit all the way to the towers falling. The next day I was able to speak with someone from OEM and on the night of the 14th I was driving a few thousand gallons of diesel down the ground zero. Checkpoint after checkpoint, cops and military with long guns at the tunnel entrance stopping trucks and searching them. A port authority cop escorted me to a parked trailer tanker 10 blocks from the actual site and I refueled it surrounded by carnage I never thought would be seen in this country. I remember that night more clearly than things that happened 12 hours ago


----------



## Mike_C

I was on my way back to the office after laying out plants on a job in North Caldwell, my then girlfriend now wife, called and told me to put the news on. While we were on the phone, the second plane hit. I skipped the office and went home, put the TV on and watched the south tower fall, then went to my firehouse. We spent the night covering a fire station in upper Manhattan with another crew from Westchester county. Dozens of neighbors came by the building to see if guys they knew from the firehouse were ok, we didn't know the answer. The next morning they came back and we were relieved to find out they all made it back but almost every one of them lost close friends.


----------



## truckie80

S_Marino87 said:


> I know no one on here needs to be reminded of anything in relation to 9/11, but this story's stuck with me since I first heard it as a kid and it seems fitting to share on the 20th anniversary


Chief Palmer and Ron Bucca making it to the impact zone will forever be the most impressive firefighting story.



HeatMiser said:


> I was walking out of Staples when a complete stranger told me what happened. When I got back to my office, my secretary already the news on. We watched the second plane hit all the way to the towers falling. The next day I was able to speak with someone from OEM and on the night of the 14th I was driving a few thousand gallons of diesel down the ground zero. Checkpoint after checkpoint, cops and military with long guns at the tunnel entrance stopping trucks and searching them. A port authority cop escorted me to a parked trailer tanker 10 blocks from the actual site and I refueled it surrounded by carnage I never thought would be seen in this country. I remember that night more clearly than things that happened 12 hours ago


Blue collar America is what America is all about. Thousands of stories like this that no one knows about the construction companies and workers stepping up and doing what they could to help out in the aftermath.



Mike_C said:


> I was on my way back to the office after laying out plants on a job in North Caldwell, my then girlfriend now wife, called and told me to put the news on. While we were on the phone, the second plane hit. I skipped the office and went home, put the TV on and watched the south tower fall, then went to my firehouse. We spent the night covering a fire station in upper Manhattan with another crew from Westchester county. Dozens of neighbors came by the building to see if guys they knew from the firehouse were ok, we didn't know the answer. The next morning they came back and we were relieved to find out they all made it back but almost every one of them lost close friends.


What station?


----------



## Mike_C

truckie80 said:


> Chief Palmer and Ron Bucca making it to the impact zone will forever be the most impressive firefighting story.
> 
> Blue collar America is what America is all about. Thousands of stories like this that no one knows about the construction companies and workers stepping up and doing what they could to help out in the aftermath.
> 
> What station?


Engine 59 Ladder 30


----------



## treeguyry

HeatMiser said:


> I was walking out of Staples when a complete stranger told me what happened. When I got back to my office, my secretary already the news on. We watched the second plane hit all the way to the towers falling. The next day I was able to speak with someone from OEM and on the night of the 14th I was driving a few thousand gallons of diesel down the ground zero. Checkpoint after checkpoint, cops and military with long guns at the tunnel entrance stopping trucks and searching them. A port authority cop escorted me to a parked trailer tanker 10 blocks from the actual site and I refueled it surrounded by carnage I never thought would be seen in this country. I remember that night more clearly than things that happened 12 hours ago





Mike_C said:


> I was on my way back to the office after laying out plants on a job in North Caldwell, my then girlfriend now wife, called and told me to put the news on. While we were on the phone, the second plane hit. I skipped the office and went home, put the TV on and watched the south tower fall, then went to my firehouse. We spent the night covering a fire station in upper Manhattan with another crew from Westchester county. Dozens of neighbors came by the building to see if guys they knew from the firehouse were ok, we didn't know the answer. The next morning they came back and we were relieved to find out they all made it back but almost every one of them lost close friends.


Thanks for sharing your stories guys, awesome to hear different peoples experiences especially those who stepped up that day to try and help however they could


----------



## AllAboutGreen

I was sitting in my high school home economics class. My best friend walks in and says a plane just crashed into the World Trade Center, I said ******** and two seconds later the teacher turned on the TV and we just sat there and watched in complete silence as the second plane crashed into the building. The rest of the day we just went from class to class watching all the events unfold. All day kids were just getting called to the front office, they were getting picked up bc they had a family member down there. I remember just feeling sick to my stomach every time the school intercom went off. Later in the day a fighter jet flew over the school and we could see/hear it through the windows. I was 16 years old at the time and will never forget every detail of that day.....


----------



## Kevin_NJ

I appreciate people sharing their memories. I was attending a training class, someone mentioned it while we were sitting in the breakroom waiting for the Instructor to greet us. 

It was a shorter class, three days, I think, so we needed to focus on the class as much as possible. My wife was teaching in New Brunswick at the time and had families impacted directly. She was nervous because she did not recall exactly where I was. She knew I was in NJ, but couldn't shake the feeling that my plans had changed last minute and I hadn't updated her. It was not unusual for that sort of thing to happen back then. I had been in one of the Towers a few months earlier for a different training and was scheduled to be back towards the end of the year. Cell service was spotty even where we were.

We both travelled South on the NJTP home that day and virtually all NB traffic was First Responders. It was that way for days. One of many reasons I get angry when people look up to athletes or other celebrities as role models or heroes. We have too many Real Heroes in this Country to look up to. Too many of them gave their lives that day trying to save others and many more continue to do so every single day. 

I looked into loading up my pickup with supplies but was told I'd never get close enough to matter. That day was also what prompted me to obtain my Firearms ID Card. 

The days, weeks and months that followed showed what America's people are made up of deep down. Politics have killed that spirit in too many people in the years since.


----------



## MGLC

I was working on a rock wall that morning. While lifting boulders with an excavator and spotting them while my guys fiddled around with the placement, I noticed the neighbor crossing through the easement between properties. Here she was dressed for work, heels and all, stumbling through this muddy mess. She told us what happened and to come inside and watch with her. Total stranger, never met her in my life before that. We watched the towers fall and I told my guys to pack up and go home. The next few weeks were a blur, the phone was silent, work was slow, but the country was more together than ever before and ever since. It's a shame that so many have deviated so far from that


----------



## J.Ricci

I was a senior in high school. During a free period I was in my coach's office talking about the Giants game the night before when a janitor came in and told us what happened. Coach turned on the TV and we watched the second plane hit a few minutes later. The rest of the day was just watching the news in various classrooms while kids got pulled out of school. 

Around noon they called my name, I had some family that worked in the city so I assumed the worst. Luckily, they were all fine. It turned out my dad, who was the assistant chief of our hometown fire department, had put a group of guys together to go up to the trade center and he wanted to see me and my sister before he left. My brothers a few years older than me, and he was going with him. I fought like hell to go along with them, not really understanding what I'd be in for if I did. I was close to done with my training, but was still just a junior. I was unsuccessful and they left without me.

I argued with him the rest of the week, Friday night he let me go with them. Saturday afternoon, I enlisted in the Marines.


----------



## treeguyry

J.Ricci said:


> I was a senior in high school. During a free period I was in my coach's office talking about the Giants game the night before when a janitor came in and told us what happened. Coach turned on the TV and we watched the second plane hit a few minutes later. The rest of the day was just watching the news in various classrooms while kids got pulled out of school.
> 
> Around noon they called my name, I had some family that worked in the city so I assumed the worst. Luckily, they were all fine. It turned out my dad, who was the assistant chief of our hometown fire department, had put a group of guys together to go up to the trade center and he wanted to see me and my sister before he left. My brothers a few years older than me, and he was going with him. I fought like hell to go along with them, not really understanding what I'd be in for if I did. I was close to done with my training, but was still just a junior. I was unsuccessful and they left without me.
> 
> I argued with him the rest of the week, Friday night he let me go with them. Saturday afternoon, I enlisted in the Marines.


Damn, dude, that's an amazing story. People who react like that to something like 9/11 are cut from a different cloth


----------



## S_Marino87

Not many people are hero's while they're still in high school. That's incredible


----------



## MGLC

J.Ricci said:


> I was a senior in high school. During a free period I was in my coach's office talking about the Giants game the night before when a janitor came in and told us what happened. Coach turned on the TV and we watched the second plane hit a few minutes later. The rest of the day was just watching the news in various classrooms while kids got pulled out of school.
> 
> Around noon they called my name, I had some family that worked in the city so I assumed the worst. Luckily, they were all fine. It turned out my dad, who was the assistant chief of our hometown fire department, had put a group of guys together to go up to the trade center and he wanted to see me and my sister before he left. My brothers a few years older than me, and he was going with him. I fought like hell to go along with them, not really understanding what I'd be in for if I did. I was close to done with my training, but was still just a junior. I was unsuccessful and they left without me.
> 
> I argued with him the rest of the week, Friday night he let me go with them. Saturday afternoon, I enlisted in the Marines.


The true definition of standing up for something. This country owes you a tremendous debt. To have that drive and strength of character at such a young age is one in a million.


----------



## AllAboutGreen

J.Ricci said:


> I was a senior in high school. During a free period I was in my coach's office talking about the Giants game the night before when a janitor came in and told us what happened. Coach turned on the TV and we watched the second plane hit a few minutes later. The rest of the day was just watching the news in various classrooms while kids got pulled out of school.
> 
> Around noon they called my name, I had some family that worked in the city so I assumed the worst. Luckily, they were all fine. It turned out my dad, who was the assistant chief of our hometown fire department, had put a group of guys together to go up to the trade center and he wanted to see me and my sister before he left. My brothers a few years older than me, and he was going with him. I fought like hell to go along with them, not really understanding what I'd be in for if I did. I was close to done with my training, but was still just a junior. I was unsuccessful and they left without me.
> 
> I argued with him the rest of the week, Friday night he let me go with them. Saturday afternoon, I enlisted in the Marines.


Amazing story, thank you for your service


----------



## V_Scapes

Snow contracts went out today, I'm still in awe as to how fast this year is going.


----------



## Randall Ave

V_Scapes said:


> Snow contracts went out today, I'm still in awe as to how fast this year is going.


You ain't kidding, have a few customers already want some snow related work done. But just sitting in the back yard for now. There's no beer in the house. I might have to give the wife a pep talk.


----------



## wxdavid

* FIRST LOOK AT THE WINTER IN EASTERN US

https://medium.com/-/f496494501f6*


----------



## Mike_C

Oh nice, lots of colors this winter.


----------



## S_Marino87

Mike_C said:


> Oh nice, lots of colors this winter.


Maybe he uploaded the wrong file and this is the fall foliage map


----------



## djt1029

wxdavid said:


> * FIRST LOOK AT THE WINTER IN EASTERN US*
> 
> *https://medium.com/-/f496494501f6*


I made the mistake of clicking the link, what do you get paid by the word? Is there a sparknotes version?


----------



## truckie80

So is it going to snow or not? What kind of weather guesser doesn't give us a guess


----------



## J.Ricci

I skimmed it, so here's the cliff notes 

Winter's coming, but making forecasts for winter in mid September is almost as dumb as not wanting to get the vaccine or wear a mask. 

It might snow, but also there's climate change so it might not. It doesn't matter what we think, we're not scientists and he is.

Weak La Nina

Winter will be different this year than previous years.

The end 

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to my coloring book


----------



## Kevin_NJ

That was the polite version. He has much harsher opinions of a large part of the people on plowsite and Americans in general. He started his own clickbait thread in addition to the post here that has more. He's also somewhat active in the Politics thread. It would be amusing if not so sad.


----------



## Mike_C

J.Ricci said:


> Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to my coloring book


Have you figured out how to inside the lines yet?



Kevin_NJ said:


> That was the polite version. He has much harsher opinions of a large part of the people on plowsite and Americans in general. He started his own clickbait thread in addition to the post here that has more. He's also somewhat active in the Politics thread. It would be amusing if not so sad.


If we wear a mask, can we stop climate change? What if we put it over the exhaust pipes of our trucks?


----------



## Randall Ave

Kevin_NJ said:


> That was the polite version. He has much harsher opinions of a large part of the people on plowsite and Americans in general. He started his own clickbait thread in addition to the post here that has more. He's also somewhat active in the Politics thread. It would be amusing if not so sad.


I skimmed it, I think it made my dementia worse.


----------



## J.Ricci

Mike_C said:


> Have you figured out how to inside the lines yet?


Working on it, I stopped eating the crayons though


----------



## truckie80

Mike_C said:


> If we wear a mask, can we stop climate change? What if we put it over the exhaust pipes of our trucks?


You should shoot that idea over to Comrade Warren Wilhelm, he'd probably be all over it


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Mike_C said:


> If we wear a mask, can we stop climate change? What if we put it over the exhaust pipes of our trucks?


Don't know, I'm not a college edjumacated zientist.


----------



## Mike_C

Kevin_NJ said:


> Don't know, I'm not a college edjumacated zientist.


I'm just a high school drop out I need someone to teach me how all this fancy science stuff works


----------



## S_Marino87

Mike_C said:


> I'm just a high school drop out I need someone to teach me how all this fancy science stuff works


We need our resident college grad @MGLC to learn us some knowledge


----------



## J.Ricci

Mike_C said:


> I'm just a high school drop out I need someone to teach me how all this fancy science stuff works


Maybe if you had gone to school you would've made something of yourself


----------



## Mike_C

J.Ricci said:


> Maybe if you had gone to school you would've made something of yourself


Shoulda, coulda, woulda


----------



## sota

so, we gonna get a heavy winter? please?


----------



## V_Scapes

Love this thread


----------



## treeguyry

I hope you guys get all the snow you want, I'm a free man this winter. Well unless Murphy decides to put us under house arrest again


----------



## Randall Ave

sota said:


> so, we gonna get a heavy winter? please?


Your late to the party, look back at the weather guide that was posted, but have a few drinks with it.


----------



## V_Scapes

treeguyry said:


> I hope you guys get all the snow you want, I'm a free man this winter. Well unless Murphy decides to put us under house arrest again


I'm jelly. Would prefer a winter with no snow here and A LOT upstate.


----------



## V_Scapes

treeguyry said:


> I hope you guys get all the snow you want, I'm a free man this winter. Well unless Murphy decides to put us under house arrest again


Vote for uncle Jack.


----------



## S_Marino87

He's had my vote since he won the primary, but he's grown on me a lot over the last few months. Too bad most of this state's completely ********


----------



## Kevin_NJ

Randall Ave said:


> Your late to the party, look back at the weather guide that was posted, but have a few drinks with it.





sota said:


> so, we gonna get a heavy winter? please?


Only problem with looking at it is he probably makes revenue off of the clicks. The main points of his clickbait article have already been covered here and the other threads.


----------



## shawn_

When's the new thread
Starting @iceyman


----------



## J.Ricci

Kevin_NJ said:


> Only problem with looking at it is he probably makes revenue off of the clicks. The main points of his clickbait article have already been covered here and the other threads.


That's why I summarized it, although it's hard to believe he could make money on what he posted. He probably just gets a chubby watching his views go up


----------



## MGLC

S_Marino87 said:


> We need our resident college grad @MGLC to learn us some knowledge


----------



## AG09

shawn_ said:


> When's the new thread
> Starting @iceyman


When this thread hits 200 pages??


----------



## Randall Ave

AG09 said:


> When this thread hits 200 pages??


Any day now.


----------



## S_Marino87

Randall Ave said:


> Any day now.


Or within the hour if the weather guy reappears


----------



## sota

shawn_ said:


> When's the new thread
> Starting @iceyman


I vote 1st snow fall.


----------



## Petr51488

Maybe we should do it like a game of blackjack. New person cuts the shoe- gets blamed for entire winter events.


----------



## MGLC

With some luck the first snow will hold off until January. We'll be landscaping until Christmas


----------



## Randall Ave

First snow, a week after Thanksgiving. Just my weather rock best guess. Taking no responsibility whatsoever.


----------



## J.Ricci

3-6" snowfalls, then we can get back to work a day or two later. I'm planning on keeping my entire crew working through the winter this year


----------



## S_Marino87

J.Ricci said:


> 3-6" snowfalls, then we can get back to work a day or two later. I'm planning on keeping my entire crew working through the winter this year


You never stop anyway lol


----------



## V_Scapes

MGLC said:


> With some luck the first snow will hold off until January. We'll be landscaping until Christmas


With the way product delays are, it's looking that way. Have a nice patio job I could start in a couple weeks but Cambridge isn't making the paver right now. I'm sick of it.


----------



## Mike_C

Supply chain won't be any better in the spring either


----------



## V_Scapes

Mike_C said:


> Supply chain won't be any better in the spring either


Will anyone want work like that in the spring? Curious when this brief boom suddenly ends.


----------



## MGLC

We're still backlogged with work from the boom, but I think the current volume of calls/types of calls that are coming in are back to pretty normal rates at least on my end. The bottom's going to fall out at some point, but with labor shortages across the whole industry, I think most guys who can still complete install work will stay busy anyway. My hope is that we stay close to equally busy, without having to pass on the volume of work I've had to pass up this year


----------



## djt1029

MGLC said:


> We're still backlogged with work from the boom, but I think the current volume of calls/types of calls that are coming in are back to pretty normal rates at least on my end. The bottom's going to fall out at some point, but with labor shortages across the whole industry, I think most guys who can still complete install work will stay busy anyway. My hope is that we stay close to equally busy, without having to pass on the volume of work I've had to pass up this year


I was just thinking about this the other day, even if things slow down, I've had to turn down so much work this year that I'm not overly concerned with next year dropping off. It would be nice to drop off just enough that I don't have to turn anything down, hate doing that


----------



## MGLC

djt1029 said:


> It would be nice to drop off just enough that I don't have to turn anything down, hate doing that


It really sucks. I've watched probably $ 250k walk away that I knew there was no way I'd be able to get to. Even with the biggest crew I've ever had


----------



## Tony_D

S_Marino87 said:


> You never stop anyway lol


Yeah seriously, I learned the hardscape basics in 20-30 degree weather lol



MGLC said:


> It really sucks. I've watched probably $ 250k walk away that I knew there was no way I'd be able to get to. Even with the biggest crew I've ever had


**** that's a lot of work. How many guys do you have?


----------



## J.Ricci

S_Marino87 said:


> You never stop anyway lol


Haha usually I only have about half the guys work through the winter, this year my winter schedule is just as busy as the rest of the year.



Tony_D said:


> Yeah seriously, I learned the hardscape basics in 20-30 degree weather lol


It's still better than learning in 95 degree heat


----------



## MGLC

Tony_D said:


> Yeah seriously, I learned the hardscape basics in 20-30 degree weather lol
> 
> **** that's a lot of work. How many guys do you have?


28 in the field, plus an operations manager and office staff


----------



## Tony_D

MGLC said:


> 28 in the field, plus an operations manager and office staff


Nice. How many guys on maintenance vs construction? Any advice for a kid trying to build a bigger business? I don't expect to ever be that big I just want to one crew cutting while me and 1-2 other guys do everything else


----------



## truckie80

MGLC said:


> It really sucks. I've watched probably $ 250k walk away that I knew there was no way I'd be able to get to. Even with the biggest crew I've ever had


Jesus. That's crazy, I can't even imagine being that busy.

I think you guys may be right, before things drop off completely we'll probably just have a manageable work load for a while. I don't do the volume of installation work a lot of you guys on here do, but I've had to pass on some to keep up with the jobs I do have without neglecting the maintenance side of things.


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## Mike_C

I think next season will still be busy. The combination of projects that are pushed back until next year due to material being unavailable, plus there's so many new homeowners wanting work. With the whole world being short staffed, there might be less total jobs out there, but more opportunity to grab them which could keep things close to even.



Tony_D said:


> Nice. How many guys on maintenance vs construction? Any advice for a kid trying to build a bigger business? I don't expect to ever be that big I just want to one crew cutting while me and 1-2 other guys do everything else


Bigger isn't always better, plenty of people make a living running one or two crews and they don't have to come up with 5-6 figure payroll every week


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## iceyman

https://www.plowsite.com/threads/new-jersey-thread.181490/


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## Mike_PS

looks like icey started a new thread for the year so I can close this one out if all are good with that?


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## Randall Ave

Michael J. Donovan said:


> looks like icey started a new thread for the year so I can close this one out if all are good with that?


Your the boss Michael. All good here, shut er down.


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