Independent LawnMowing Contractors Of Australia Forum

Thread: Things that make me grumpy

  1. #2596
    Senior Member RSM-Gazza's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    2,114

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by Kathryn View Post
    we're moving to place with 2 dams. im going to be paranoid whenever friends with kids come to stay. cant be too careful
    Kathryn, I think I would be paranoid too with Dams having muddy edges. Even young cattle can get stuck on the edges.
    I always remember as a Kid playing in dams chasing yabbies and I couldn't swim then. Plus we never had adult supervision with us.
    Cheers Garry

  2. #2597
    Senior Member seliment's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Mount Dandenong, Vic
    Posts
    632

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by Kathryn View Post
    we're moving to place with 2 dams. im going to be paranoid whenever friends with kids come to stay. cant be too careful
    My sister in WA (& now her grown up families) had/have farm dams.
    For the kids to be anywhere near dam or it's banks without adult supervision was 'a hanging offence' ....
    ie consequences were significantly more dire than 'having some time out'.
    Fortunately they have never had any accidents or near misses with the farm dams.

    Unfortunately visitors to farm (esp those from city with no experience) often (usually) do not recognize the dangers and understand that farms can be quite hazardous and the 'accidents' very unforgiving.

    Joe

  3. #2598

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Was hoping to get an early start today, and wouldn't you guess, it's raining

  4. #2599
    Senior Member sterlo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    South East Melbourne
    Posts
    613

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by South East Mowing View Post
    Was hoping to get an early start today, and wouldn't you guess, it's raining
    9am?? LOL...

    Sterlo
    I spend most of my money on beer and horses, I just waste the rest....


    http://www.sterlinggardenservices.com/

  5. #2600
    Senior Member GardeningSolutions's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Victor Harbor, SA
    Posts
    647

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Hi all. First time on the forum. I had a call from workcover today with the desk jockey saying his client needs about 4hrs of lawnmowing/ hedgetrimming & tree trimming and wants to know my hourly rate. I say sorry, but I quote the job, not charge by the hour. He goes 'need a hrly rate for the insurer to approve the hrs.' I say 'sorry, cant price the job over the phone, I need to see it first. Back and forth and the guy is now getting annoyed and says he may call back later. I hate these clowns. They have bugger all idea how long a job takes, think you'll do it for a ridiculous low flat rate & be happy to wait 30 days for your cash. Ironically, received this call 5 minutes after finishing a different workcover job where I was told to' just go do it'. Also had Resthaven wanting me to clean gutters for $28hr. Fairdinkum. Running a business not a charity.

  6. #2601
    Senior Member PaulG's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    4,991

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Gutters are up around $150 per hour now aren't they?; considering all the OH&S and scaffolding required. That's what I'm telling people anyway as I hate doing gutters.

  7. #2602
    Senior Member bb1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Beaconsfield, Victoria
    Posts
    1,184

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    The official worksafe (victoria) rate is $33.31 per hour, if anyone rings and they want it done at that rate I say no, will give a quote and you argue it with worksafe

  8. #2603
    Dedicated Member Cranbourne Lawnmowing's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Cranbourne vic
    Posts
    2,680

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by GardeningSolutions View Post
    Hi all. First time on the forum. I had a call from workcover today with the desk jockey saying his client needs about 4hrs of lawnmowing/ hedgetrimming & tree trimming and wants to know my hourly rate. I say sorry, but I quote the job, not charge by the hour. He goes 'need a hrly rate for the insurer to approve the hrs.' I say 'sorry, cant price the job over the phone, I need to see it first. Back and forth and the guy is now getting annoyed and says he may call back later. I hate these clowns. They have bugger all idea how long a job takes, think you'll do it for a ridiculous low flat rate & be happy to wait 30 days for your cash. Ironically, received this call 5 minutes after finishing a different workcover job where I was told to' just go do it'. Also had Resthaven wanting me to clean gutters for $28hr. Fairdinkum. Running a business not a charity.
    Welcome to the forums GS. I used to do work for workcover aswell but got feed up with their unrealistic pricing. Their is ways to work around them but I couldn't be bothered with it so just don't do workcover jobs anymore.

  9. #2604
    Senior Member Blaktop's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Alice Springs, NT
    Posts
    427

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Bees.....did I mention bees. Went to the beehive place again today....mowed it 2 weeks ago and they ignored me completely. Today I got three laps in of the small lawn (it's a 4 acre job) and they were onto me. I drove back to the ute and jumped off and they just kept buzzing the mower. I slipped in and turned it off and they started harrassing me. Jumped in the ute and had about 20 circling the ute and about the same circling the rideon.......of course the tailgate was open, ramps were down. After about 20 minutes I gave up and drove down the drive, dropping the ramps where they were and dragging the tailgate......got to the gate, leaped out, shut the tailgate and cage and left the damn bees to harrassing my mower. Went home, had a coffee, gave them an hour and snuck back and retrieved my mowers.......little bastiches. Problem is it's a great job, enjoyable to do, they pay on the dot and it's worth $5k a year.

  10. #2605
    Member Vic TomS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Forest Hill Melbourne
    Posts
    264

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by Blaktop View Post
    Bees.....did I mention bees. Went to the beehive place again today....mowed it 2 weeks ago and they ignored me completely. Today I got three laps in of the small lawn (it's a 4 acre job) and they were onto me. I drove back to the ute and jumped off and they just kept buzzing the mower. I slipped in and turned it off and they started harrassing me. Jumped in the ute and had about 20 circling the ute and about the same circling the rideon.......of course the tailgate was open, ramps were down. After about 20 minutes I gave up and drove down the drive, dropping the ramps where they were and dragging the tailgate......got to the gate, leaped out, shut the tailgate and cage and left the damn bees to harrassing my mower. Went home, had a coffee, gave them an hour and snuck back and retrieved my mowers.......little bastiches. Problem is it's a great job, enjoyable to do, they pay on the dot and it's worth $5k a year.
    Well, why not buy a beesuit? You can get them on the internet quite reasonably. With a smoker you could do swarm removal in spring! This couild be the start of a whole new business for you!
    Actually bees are only normally annoyed if they are running out of food and the beekeeper isn't sugarfeding them.. Or maybee the beekeeper hasn't re-queened for a a year or two. or in late summer on particularly hot days when whey have trouble regulating the hive temperature..
    Your problem is likely to go away soon until this time next year.

    Tom

  11. #2606
    Senior Member edbeek's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    South Burnett, Qld
    Posts
    1,874

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    I mowed a place with 4-5 bee hives and the owner showed me the area to avoid. It's an arc about 45-60 degrees in front of the hive where the bees enter & exit. Anywhere else is apparently safe.
    I never got stung, but I also forgot about the danger area a few times and they still didn't bother me, so maybe I caught them napping.

  12. #2607
    Member Vic TomS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Forest Hill Melbourne
    Posts
    264

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Someone knocked off the hitch out of my hayman-Reese towbar. What a mongrel. Spent a morning getting a new one, came home to fit it and found there was no pin in the kit and had to go and do it all over again. . $140 and a lost morning. I wasn't at all tempted to cruise the carparks looking for other cars with unlocked hitches!

    Work has been as dead as a dodo the last couple of months. The rain will perk it up, and I plan to leap in with a marketing campaign to take advantage of the expected upsurge in interest. Has anyone got any new improved ideas for getting new clients? Everything I have done.. letterbox drops of business cards, ads in the school newsletter and local paper and signage, have netted exactly enough work to pay for themselves.

    While I am on the winge, I blame it all on the opposition talking down the economy and Ballieu for all the layoffs- I reckon every single damn one of those blokes who got a package are in my street offering to mow my lawn for twenty bucks.

    Tom

  13. #2608
    Senior Member PaulG's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    4,991

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Got home and unpacked brand new clothes-dryer and it's badly dinted straight out of the box. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggg ggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!

    If I wanted second hand crap again I would have waited for a scratch and dent sale.

  14. #2609
    Member Redeye's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Shoalhaven ,NSW
    Posts
    5,548

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by TomSizer View Post
    .... I blame it all on the opposition talking down the economy and Ballieu for all the layoffs- I reckon every single damn one of those blokes who got a package are in my street offering to mow my lawn for twenty bucks.
    Tom
    we've got his evil twin-brother O'Farrell here in NSW




    http://curraronggardening.com/

    "All sin is washed away in the Holy goodness of Beer"
    Book of Redeye, Psalm 69

  15. #2610

    Default Re: Things that make me grumpy

    Quote Originally Posted by sterlo View Post
    9am?? LOL...

    Sterlo
    Was thinking of doing a full days work too - 9am -2pm

Page 174 of 333 FirstFirst 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216217218219220221222223224225226227228229230231232233234235236237238239240241242243244245246247248249250251252253254255256257258259260261262263264265266267268269270271272273274275276277278279280281282283284285286287288289290291292293294295296297298299300301302303304305306307308309310311312313314315316317318319320321322323324325326327328329330331332333 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •