How easy / difficult is it to become a tree surgeon in terms of training needed, supply and demand of jobs / work, setting up alone vs working for a company? And I’m assuming work is seasonal, but does it completely dry up in Winter?

Hello,

I’ve just dropped out of the tree business after 7 years. Its a hard job but sometimes the best job.

Work’s pretty much all year, lows over christmas as you’d expected, and during nesting season in the spring.

Its becoming more and more of a competitive market out there, not one I’d want to be starting out in with the current climate. If you can get a job with a firm, I definitely would to start.

Training? I did a National Diploma, which included all the relevant NTPC tickets. At a minimum you’ll need Chainsaw Maintenance & Small trees. Then Climbing & Aerial Rescue followed by Chainsaw from a rope and harness. Then there’s medium & large trees, reductions, dismantles, MEWP use, chipper use……….

You can get all of the minimum tickets in about a month if your keen, but its only after that you start to learn, and they say it’ll be at least two years of solid climbing before you become competent.

Get yourself over to arbtalk.co.uk for a feel of the industry.

On days like today I really miss it. Most other days, I’m glad to be behind a desk.

WHAT KIND OF MONSTER KILLS TREES?!?!?!

😯

Sorry for the hijack, what would you say is a reasonable price to get rid of 2 silver birch trees around 60/70 ft tall?

I can pretty much echo what damion has said. I would advise starting to work for a firm first to get a feel for tree work and learn to be a ground worker first, it’s a good foundation for climbers, and will help you with a safe attitude…..Work is more busy in summer but I tend to be able to tick over in the winter months.
If your thinking of climbing all day for a firm you are going to need to be pretty fit.. and lastly it can be the most dirty, dangerous, wet, windy and tiring job in the world but is for me mostly, the best job in the world…

Third whats been said up there, I loved it but decided to quit as my back started to give out. Its pretty much when rather than if you have a close call too…

a couple of picks from my days up a tree.

I don’t climb, as a forester I bring the trees down to ground level.

I would go with getting the basic maintenance, cross-cut and small tree tickets from NPTC to start with and then get some hours in. This will help you get comfortable with the saw and understand your timbers and cuts. This will make climbing easier if the cutting is second nature. Also gives you a chance to try out before spending a shed load more on tickets or even to find an employer they may pay.

In my group of mates I would say the foresters have the more consistent work than the climbers. The climbers are also mostly self employed freelance, whilst the the foresters amongst us are generally employees or on long-term contracts.

wors – it’s not so much what the trees are as what are their surroundings. 2 big trees in the middle of a field are a couple of hours work, 2 medium trees on the join of neighbours gardens with power lines, phone lines, greenhouses, sheds and patios nearby with limited access is a severe inconvenience.