admin

As a professional tradie, you know the golden rule: Bad equipment equals bad results. As you evaluate your business needs for 2022, you might be considering adding a chainsaw to your list. Choosing power equipment always comes down to the question, should you go with petrol or electric? Chainsaws are no different and there are pros and cons to each model. In this article, we’ll take a look at petrol vs electric chainsaws. We’ll go through all the elements involved in shopping for a chainsaw and make recommendations for your next chainsaw purchase. Chainsaws: Elements to Consider Are you a tree trimmer or a carpenter? Will you use your chainsaw on a daily basis or only occasionally? It’s important to ask yourself serious questions about your business before you make this investment. Chainsaws come in every size, power level, and range of portability. And much of what you need depends on how you plan to use it. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest factors that tradesmen look at when they buy chainsaws. Size Bar length is the length of the cutting blade. You’ll find both petrol and electric chainsaws in different bar lengths depending on the size of the wood you plan to cut. Bar lengths are almost always measured in inches. If you’re planning to use your saw on small jobs, clearing branches or other small pieces of wood from construction sites, a smaller bar length will do. Most electric chainsaws come in bar lengths from 12-20 inches. For those who plan to cut larger pieces of wood, you’ll want to opt for something larger. A commercial-quality petrol-powered chainsaw can be larger than 20 inches. Power An electric chainsaw will give you enough power to prune trees and cut small branches. But if you’re looking for something more powerful, your best bet is always petrol. The amount of power a petrol chainsaw kicks out is directly related to how big the engine is. A 30-45 cc engine is the lowest on the power grid. This is for small jobs where you still want a decent kick of power. A medium range chainsaw has a 40-50 cc engine and can take on larger projects like cutting firewood and clearing thicker trees. But this size engine won’t do the really tough work. If you’re a professional tree cutter, you need a professional-quality engine on your chainsaw. Larger chainsaws can run up to 120 cc. This powerful petrol engine will power a blade enough to cut through almost anything. Portability & Weight There are two types of electric chainsaws: corded and battery-powered. Corded saws offer the least amount of portability because you can only go as far as the cord takes you. A battery-powered saw, of course, you can take anywhere. Corded saws do have an advantage over battery-powered saws in that they’re often more powerful. Petrol chainsaws are portable and have the longest run times. But they’re also the heaviest, which affects portability too. A battery-powered saw is the lightest and most portable saw you can get. Even though they’re not as powerful as corded or petrol saws, they are easier to maneuver because they weigh less. And they’re generally less bulky than petrol saws. Maintenance Electric saws need less maintenance than petrol chainsaws. If you’re looking for something light and easy to maintain, your best bet is electric. Typical electric chainsaw maintenance has to do with keeping the chain working properly. Keep the chain sharp and lubricated. And always make sure it’s not slack on the guide bar before use. Petrol chainsaws have an actual engine on board. So you’ll spend more time maintaining the engine while still having to keep the chain clean and sharp. You’ll need to change the oil regularly. Plus, change out oil and air filters when they’re dirty. You also need to maintain spark plugs, cooling vents, and carburettors on your petrol-powered machine. Noise & Safety All chainsaws make noise. But you’ll find that electric machines are significantly quieter than petrol machines. If you’re working in urban neighbourhoods, this is a big advantage. When safety is concerned, electric and petrol chainsaws are similar. They both require that you wear the right protective gear, including a vest, sleeves, gloves, and eyewear. Many chainsaws come with additional safety features. Check out the size and shape of the grab bar before you buy. You want this to be easy to hold and to fit well in your hand. Modern chainsaws have kickback reduction systems that help prevent dangerous kickback accidents. Many electric models have tip protectors to help with this. Although they are a great safety feature, they’ll limit the type of cuts you can make. Some petrol-powered saws have kill switches that let you quickly turn the saw off in an emergency. A safety throttle is a good feature as well. It keeps the saw from starting without the safety trigger engaged. Extra Features Extra features can turn an ordinary chainsaw into an extraordinary one. For example, electric saws have push-button starts. This type is much easier than petrol saws that have pull-cord starts. It’s also important to remember that with a petrol machine, you’ll need to run it on a mixture of oil and gas. Whereas corded and battery-powered saws can plug in anywhere. Do you need to trim high branches? If so, you can get a pole saw that has a long, extendable arm to reach higher areas. These come in corded, battery-powered, and petrol varieties. Certain models come with chain tension adjusters that don’t require you to use tools when the chain needs adjustment. Often, petrol saws have better bar-oiling systems than electric saws. This keeps the bar slick so the chain doesn’t stick while it’s working. If you opt for a petrol machine, you’ll have several sizes of oil tank to choose from. Obviously, the larger the tank, the longer you can go without a refill. But a bigger tank also means more weight to haul around. What Is the Right Chainsaw for Your Business?

Mixing concrete and cement is a tough job—and it demands hand tools that are just as tough as the person using them. The best concrete tools are built to last, even under heavy loads and rough conditions. No one wants the headache of working with flimsy, inadequate gear. Fortunately, you can steer clear of that hassle entirely. When you’re gearing up for a project involving heavy-duty cement mixing, don’t rely on a small, light-duty wheelbarrow. Choose one that not only handles the job today but also stands strong for the next project. The Moss Wheelbarrow stands out as the top choice for managing concrete, thanks to its unmatched durability and strength. Its heavy-duty construction allows it to carry even the weight of wet concrete with ease, year after year. Its robust design gives it a clear edge, making it the go-to option for professionals and DIY enthusiasts alike. While the Paragon Rocket performs admirably, the Moss Wheelbarrow takes the lead with superior reliability and sturdiness in concrete-handling tasks. This article explores some of the best wheelbarrows for cement mixing and the features that make them ideal for the job. Premier Heavy Duty Moss Wheelbarrow Professionals and enthusiasts trust Moss Wheelbarrows because they deliver dependable performance across various construction and landscaping tasks with ease. With Moss wheelbarrow’s carrying capacity, the heavy duty aspect is a must. This barrow’s 110L tray capacity enables mixing a large amount of cement or concrete efficiently for various construction needs. This is 10L more concrete than many other similar heavy duty wheel barrows. This increased capacity, though, means an increase in weight. So how is this Moss wheelbarrow built to handle the load? One feature is its larger tray base. This design keeps more of the load closer to ground, improving stability by aligning it with the center of gravity. This translates to a much greater overall balance, even under the heavier load. The frame evenly distributes weight between the legs and tyre, providing stability exactly where the load naturally comes to rest. Speaking of the tyre–it comes with a rugged, 4-ply block pattern tyre. This provides excellent balance under heavy loads while moving across various surfaces, whether hard or soft, ensuring smooth transportation always. And it receives great customer feedback—just check their Facebook comments to see how highly people rate these wheelbarrows. Positive comments and high ratings reflect the wheelbarrow’s outstanding performance and durability. Consistent customer praise strengthens the Moss Wheelbarrow’s reputation as a dependable, top-rated choice for handling concrete and cement tasks. Moss Wheelbarrow’s commitment to quality craftsmanship and durability makes it a standout wheelbarrow for concrete or for those seeking a dependable and efficient tool for demanding tasks. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a DIY enthusiast, Moss Wheelbarrows are designed to handle the toughest jobs with ease and longevity. The Moss Barrow is the best concrete wheelbarrow because it excels strength, and overall performance. It is specifically engineered to tackle the challenges of mixing and transporting heavy-duty materials such as cement. With sturdy construction, the Moss Barrow ensures reliability, exceeding expectations for anyone needing a wheelbarrow for demanding concrete project needs. When durability and efficiency are paramount, the Moss Wheelbarrow stands out as the optimal solution for all your concrete needs. Rocket Square Tray Heavy Duty Wheelbarrow A perfect option, especially for bricklayers and landscapers with a focus on block walls and paver and brick walkways and patios, is the Rocket Square Tray Heavy Duty Wheelbarrow. The Rocket Square Tray Heavy Duty Wheelbarrow features a square tray design, ideal for scooping concrete using a shovel efficiently. This design simplifies scooping materials like sand, gravel, or concrete mix directly from the tray using a standard shovel. The squared-off corners provide a convenient and stable surface for the shovel, allowing for easy and precise material transfer. The square tray’s flat edges help scrape sides while mixing and make guiding a shovel along the surface much easier. This is especially beneficial for professionals who require precision in material distribution and consistency in their work. The design allows users to maneuver the shovel easily within the tray, enabling smooth and controlled movements during use. This ease of use contributes to a reduction in manual effort and increases overall productivity on the job site. In practical terms, the compatibility with a shovel also minimizes material wastage. The square tray design ensures efficient scooping and material use, maximizing output and reducing waste during cement or concrete handling. This means you use more of your material investment effectively, reduce waste, and gain noticeable cost savings over time. Like the Moss Barrow, the Paragon Rocket features a frame that disperses heavy loads efficiently for better performance and balance. This is especially important over extended periods of mixing, where the weight of a load is going to put a strain on the different parts of a wheelbarrow’s frame from different directions, as opposed to simply carrying a static load. Get the Job Done Right With the Right Tools Trying to get a job done right, especially one dealing with tough materials like cement and concrete, with the wrong tools is a massive headache. Fortunately, it’s also a completely unnecessary problem to have. The right trowel is going to be made of metal of enough thickness and have a handle strong enough to last even with intense mixing of a heavy mixture. A steel shovel built for cement mixing must handle repeated heavy loads without bending, breaking, or wearing down quickly. The main tool used for mixing and transporting cement must be highly durable to withstand consistent, heavy-duty construction tasks. When mixing cement in wheelbarrow, you need the right wheelbarrow for the job. Next time you have a project come up that requires some heavy-duty cement mixing, don’t leave the job up to a small, light-duty wheelbarrow. Make sure you have a wheelbarrow for cement that’s not only up to the task at hand, but is for many more to come. Click on the links to any of the ones reviewed above to find

We have now well and truly reached 2022. The streamers are safely tucked away in the bin along with the empty champagne bottles from New Year’s Eve. So, will this be a big year for your trade business? With the proper diligence, there is no reason why it can’t be your most notable year yet. Here is your ultimate checklist for running your trade business. From organising your finances, through to managing your tax, we’ve got you covered. Pro tip: Look out for our little snippet on the upcoming Uber Tradies – something to keep your eyes peeled for. Understand the changes to taxation that are coming at the EOFY Every year, when the calendar flips over to July 1, a raft of legislation changes come into effect. This is partly because of the previous year’s Federal Budget. Many of these changes will directly impact you and your business. Because of these amendments, it is important you are aware of what will be different in the second half of this year. Here are some of the changes you can expect at the EOFY 2022: Your top tips for tax time EOFY can be a stressful time. There’s a lot of paperwork and several tax obligations that need to be met. But when managed well, it’s also a chance for your business to earn a healthy return. You can then reinvest that return into your trade. Here are some tips to help you make the most of it: Talk to your customers Let’s talk about millennials because they are going to take up a major portion of your business clients moving forward. This generation does things differently to their predecessors. They are reliant on technology and live a fast-paced life. They also have a much shorter attention span, crafted by years of consuming bite-sized portions of information. Millennials also lack trust They are used to having advertising campaigns targeted at them on a regular basis.  Because of this, it takes a lot to make them believe the hype. What millennials desire is authenticity. If you can be transparent in all of your dealings and provide unique stories, they will listen. Embrace their requests and personalise the communication, and you will break through the barrier. The good news is that most millennials are likely to stick with a brand for the long-haul, once their trust is earned. If you have not got social media accounts, do it now One in six Australians use Facebook consistently. In actual fact, over 15 million Aussies log onto the social media platform every month. This is an enormous market, yet it is one that many tradies ignore in favour of traditional methods of advertising. If you have not created a Facebook page yet, we recommended you jump on the bandwagon. It’s a highly effective advertising platform that allows you to access a directory of those seeking out your services. Google AdWords is another digital advertising method to consider if you are not using it already. This will push your business up the rankings in Google searches, landing your brand smack-bang in front of those who matter most. Attend industry events Showing up to industry events and trade shows will help build your network. It will also allow you to learn about the new trends and innovations in your industry overall. This can be a valuable opportunity to get on the ground level of new work opportunities before they take hold. Position yourself as an experienced expert when this new work stream becomes popular with the general population. There are thousands of industry events across the country each year and many that will relate specifically to your trade or industry. While seeking out local events is beneficial, and a great networking opportunity, consider seeking out some of the bigger events in the major cities as well to broaden your horizons. Look for new markets and opportunities Nothing stays the same forever. Many industries have been majorly disrupted in the digital age, and it could be your trade that is next to change dramatically. What Australians want in the near future, according to a recent survey, is Uber-style tradies tracked by GPS, rated by reviews from past customers, and booked and paid for through a smartphone app. That would change the way trades industries operated entirely, and those savvy with how it would operate would succeed before those who were late to the party. While Uber Tradies might not be a real thing yet, it is an obvious need and could very likely become a reality. So, keeping abreast of surveys and information streams like this will prove beneficial, as they can give you a window into the future. By preparing for these changes, gaining early experience and marketing before the rest of the pack, you can assert yourself as an industry leader. Adopt mobile payment platforms Most tradies can attest to the pain point of their job that is invoicing. Paperwork soaks up valuable time that could be better spent on the job and can result in delayed payments and constant calculations to determine your revenue stream. Luckily, these days, there are many ways you can accept payments on-the-go, with mobile platforms built right into your phone or tablet. Combined with invoicing software, you can invoice and receive payment on the spot at each job site, to simplify the paperwork side of your business. Who doesn’t want to watch their cash flow speed up? Speak to your financial provider about the applications that your bank offers and how you can install them into your device. Turning your smartphone or tablet into a mobile POS machine allows you to power up your process across the board. Manage your workload It can be easy to say “yes” to every job that comes your way. When times are good, and business is booming, accepting jobs from all angles seems like a great way to build revenue and grow your brand. But there are some inherent dangers in doing this.

Some equipment, like power tools, are dangerous for obvious reasons. But most things without a motor, like wheelbarrows, can seem harmless. But, it’s still possible to injure yourself while using a wheelbarrow. That’s why wheelbarrow safety is so important. Never thought about preventing wheelbarrow injuries? It’s not too late to get started. In this guide, we’ll show you exactly what you need to do so you don’t get hurt while using a wheelbarrow — keep reading to learn more. 1. Posture Matters No matter how heavy or light your load is, you should always think about your posture while using a wheelbarrow. Of course, the heavier the load is, the greater your risk of injury will be. The right posture stacks your shoulders above your hips and your hips above your knees. You shouldn’t be hunched over or leaning forward, even though this might feel like an easier way to push. It will add more strain on your back, increasing the chances of injury. Before you lift the handles of the wheelbarrow, stand between them with your back straight. Plant your feet with one a little bit in front of the other. When you lift, use your legs, rather than your back. Use the same method to dump the wheelbarrow and push it, and you won’t run into back problems. 2. Make Several Trips If you have heavy material or a large load, don’t hesitate to break it up into several trips. In the construction world, you’re often pressured to work fast under tight deadlines. But if you injure yourself, you’ll lose more money when you have to take time off to recover. It’s much better to take a little bit more time to work safely than to pay for the consequences of getting injured. 3. Check Your Path Before you start pushing a wheelbarrow load, make sure the path you need to follow is free and clear of obstacles. Move any equipment or other roadblocks out of the way before you get started. Make sure other employees and anyone else are safely out of the way, too. Surprise obstacles can make situations more dangerous than they need to be. 4. Use Proper Storage Even when you’re not actively using a wheelbarrow, it can pose a danger if it’s not stored correctly. When you store a wheelbarrow on a job site, make sure it’s clear of stairways and pathways. Keep them away from any emergency equipment that you might need to reach fast, too. 5. Remember Wheelbarrow Maintenance Even though wheelbarrows don’t have motors that can break down, they still need some maintenance. If the handles start to splinter or become split, replace them with new ones. Always inflate the tires to the proper levels. Add lubrication as needed to keep your wheelbarrow rolling smoothly. You should regularly check the nuts and bolts of your wheelbarrow and tighten them up as needed, too. If you forget these maintenance steps, you might end up with wheels or a handle falling off. Then, a tipping or runaway wheelbarrow can easily injure other people on the site. 6. Use the Right Tires Not all wheelbarrow tires work well on all surfaces. For example, solid rubber tires can last a long time, but they only work on surfaces that are already smooth, like a concrete walkway. If you won’t have these surfaces prepared on your construction site, make sure to look for the right kind of tires. Tires with air in them take more maintenance, but they can travel over rough terrain without any issues. As long as you keep them filled properly, these tires will help you move all kinds of different loads as needed. 7. Load Up Carefully The way you load your wheelbarrow can help prevent wheelbarrow injuries. Keep your load to the front of the wheelbarrow, and make sure it’s balanced so it won’t tip over. Don’t load material too high, even if it’s light. You need to make sure you can see over and around the wheelbarrow as you move. For larger loads, make sure you secure them so they won’t fall over or shift around. You want the material to stay stable so you can maintain control of it. 8. Have a Warning Signal Sometimes, unexpected things happen and you’ll lose control of the wheelbarrow. Work with your team and anyone else on the site to agree on a warning signal in case this happens. That way, anyone can get out of the way quickly when they need to. 9. Wear Proper Equipment Even though you’re only using a wheelbarrow, you should still wear protective gear, just in case. This includes a hard hat, durable clothing that covers your body, safety goggles, construction boots, and heavy gloves. You might need to make adjustments to your gear as needed, but always wear the basics when you’re on a job site. 10. Don’t Go Too Fast Stay with a walking speed, even when you’re moving light loads over easy ground. This way, you’ll always keep control of the load. Try to stay at a steady pace, and don’t start or stop any more than you need to. 11. Use Right Angles If there’s an obstacle that you need to cross, like a plank on the ground, cross it at a right angle. That way, the wheel won’t get caught and make your load fall. Make Your Job Sites Free From Wheelbarrow Injuries In Australia there are many injuries at construction sites. Approximately twenty-four percent of injuries are due to pushing, pulling, or lifting objects. If you follow all of these steps, you should never have any wheelbarrow injuries on the job. Make these things a habit, so using a wheelbarrow properly will feel like second nature. You won’t even need to think about it. Don’t forget to replace old, worn-out wheelbarrows regularly for safety, too. Check out our wheelbarrow selection here.