# *Why* are ladders contraindicated for pruning?



## Mr. Purple (Nov 16, 2012)

I hear this regurgitated very often. I am not arguing either way, but I am curious. 
So, tell me: "why aren't ladders to be used for pruning"?

Thanks!


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## Mr. Purple (Nov 16, 2012)

Del_ said:


> Because so many people who don't know what they are doing use them in unsafe ways.



So, to be clear, it seems that you are saying it is the lack of safe technique, rather than the actual tool, which is dangerous.


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## Tree Pig (Nov 16, 2012)

It is not always the fact that they are using a ladder its usually "who" is using a ladder. But ladders are unstable and that makes them dangerous when cutting trees with powerful saws.

[video=youtube;R0CvOx0LTtg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0CvOx0LTtg[/video]


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## Tree Pig (Nov 16, 2012)

[video=youtube;AjnWRV-Xz9s]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjnWRV-Xz9s[/video]


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## Tree Pig (Nov 16, 2012)

[video=youtube;RUIGBS7B7WY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUIGBS7B7WY[/video]


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## Tree Pig (Nov 16, 2012)

[video=youtube;2oTeE3hyo4E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oTeE3hyo4E[/video]


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## ckliff (Nov 16, 2012)

Mr. Purple said:


> So, to be clear, it seems that you are saying it is the lack of safe technique, rather than the actual tool, which is dangerous.


YEP!

I will use a ladder to gain initial access to the canopy at which point I tie in. Even better is to shoot your climbing line first, so you are tied in even while climbing the ladder.

An orchard ladder is a great tool too, but again, usually it is best to tie in.


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## SquirrelMan (Nov 16, 2012)

ckliff said:


> YEP!
> 
> I will use a ladder to gain initial access to the canopy at which point I tie in. Even better is to shoot your climbing line first, so you are tied in even while climbing the ladder.
> 
> An orchard ladder is a great tool too, but again, usually it is best to tie in.



The tree climber's companion covers ladder usage. As long as you are properly tied in, and no where near power lines, it is acceptable.


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## BCbound (Nov 16, 2012)

A ladder is just another quality tool, when used properly. There are just as many dumb chainsaw videos on the tube as ladder ones.


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## treemandan (Nov 16, 2012)

When I saw the title to this thread I knew The Pig was gonna do what he did.


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## treemandan (Nov 16, 2012)

Del_ said:


> Well yeah maybe and as the ladder with the person on it is falling it tears off some limbs leaving improper cuts.



Nobody ever called Pablo Piccasso an ass hole either... and he was too.


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## treemandan (Nov 16, 2012)

Tree Pig said:


> [video=youtube;2oTeE3hyo4E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oTeE3hyo4E[/video]



Didn't see that coming.


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## treemandan (Nov 16, 2012)

Tree Pig said:


> It is not always the fact that they are using a ladder its usually "who" is using a ladder. But ladders are unstable and that makes them dangerous when cutting trees with powerful saws.
> 
> [video=youtube;R0CvOx0LTtg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0CvOx0LTtg[/video]



Yeah, Piccaso was a saint compared to this ass hole who don't even stop filming when his buddy takes a header.


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## tomtrees58 (Nov 16, 2012)

[video=youtube_share;RUIGBS7B7WY]http://youtu.be/RUIGBS7B7WY[/video]ouch


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## B Harrison (Nov 17, 2012)

Thanks Pig, the first one is great.

Ladders can be very safe, but you generally end up having to rig the ladder as well as the limbs/ tree so it's not a great time saver if you can climb. 


Doh!!


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## Tree Pig (Nov 17, 2012)

B Harrison said:


> Thanks Pig, the first one is great.
> 
> Ladders can be very safe, but you generally end up having to rig the ladder as well as the limbs/ tree so it's not a great time saver if you can climb.
> 
> ...



I would not say ladders are ever very safe in a tree while cutting, but they can be safe enough. Thats safe enough for someone like a tree climber who already knows how to work in a tree, how the tree is going to react and how to ensure a limb is going to go the way he or she wants it to. 

How many stories have we all heard of the homeowner or handyman that puts the ladder up against the limb thats being cut. After the cut the limb in half they dont understand why the remaining part shot up a foot leaving the 6 inches of ladder they had against the limb in mid air. Resulting in a tree limb, ladder, chainsaw and homeowner pile in the middle of the lawn.


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## R2D (Nov 17, 2012)

I have used large extension ladders BUT I had my saddle on and was tied in for saftey.


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## danbirch (Nov 17, 2012)

A lot of good info and entertaining posts here, this is a simple yet safer way to use a ladder, available from http://levelock.com ... There is a leveling leg at the botom (which is very important, as the slightest variation in ground will make the ladder unstable). The bottom strap is placed on before you even start climbing, and wenches the ladder tight to the tree. A 2nd strap at top, along with your gear and TIP, and you can push off the top wrung, with no movement from the ladder.
View attachment 262607
View attachment 262610


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## Stayalert (Nov 17, 2012)

I put those levellok things on my 32 foot extension ladder

they are AWESOME!!!!!

Ladders are great tools.


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## Carburetorless (Nov 17, 2012)

I used a 24' extension ladder once, just to see if it made the job go faster. When I was done I thought "If I hadn't used this ladder I would have been done 30 minutes sooner, and I wouldn't have to load the ladder back up". 

The only way I would use one now is if I was trying to gain access to a limb over a house where I could use the ladder to get on the roof. Other than that I think it's just as fast or faster to ascend a rope, since you already have the rope set, and by the time you set up the ladder you could already be in the tree if you climbed the rope.


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## imagineero (Nov 17, 2012)

I carry a 25' ladder on the roof of my truck and use it every now and then. I mostly break it out when I've got a lot of pruning to do. I only use it for accessing the canopy. If I've got a stack of trees that need pruning then that saves me a lot of rope ascension. 25' often gets you to the first branch too, which makes spikeless climbing a lot faster. I don't know if it saves a lot of time, but it sure does save a lot of energy. If I've got a dozen trees that need pruning, and I have a ladder, that's 300' of rope ascension I don't have to do that day. Once I'm in the canopy my groundie removes the ladder. I don't always rope in from the ground, but I often do. 

I also use the ladder when pruning big palms. Like a lot of guys, I spike palms. Using the ladder for the first 25' keeps the lower visible part of the tree free of spike wounds. People don't notice the marks so much. It's slower than just spiking form the ground, but customers prefer it.

Shaun


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## B Harrison (Nov 18, 2012)

OK,

Agreed not very safe, but can be safe if extra time is used to rig the ladder as well as yourself and the tree. I mainly use a ladder to set a rope.


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## alonfn4 (Nov 18, 2012)

We use ladders quite often mainly to save time on the initial climb but we take it away as soon as I start working. 
They come in handy when Climbing onto the Roof tho, but your best bet is to just use a POLE SAW for those hard to reach branches. 


We do use ladder for one trick its kind of a last resort on small trees where there isn't a great tie in point. You take your ladder put it Completely Vertical to the spar of the tree and you use tie down straps to secure it to the tree, putting one at the bottom and climbing up as if your on spurs using a flip-line around the back side of the tree. When u get 3/4 of the way up put in another strap and its now totally secured to the tree. I like to remain tied in with a Flip-line or another lanyard depending on the tree. This setup gives you quite a bit of access if you have a short pole saw 4' or 6' fiberglass...


We don't do it often but it has it uses...

good luck don't go falling off the ladder now:hmm3grin2orange:


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## TreeGuyHR (Nov 18, 2012)

I only use a ladder to get in a tree to save time -- then have my groundman take it away, even after i am tied in to the tree. 

Why?

Because aluminum ladders bend really easily. I lost a 24 ft. extension ladder THE DAY I BOUGHT IT because an employee (now ex, but not for that reason alone) dropped a 8 in. diameter limb on it from 40 ft. and bent it. Luckily, he had tied himself in first, but he didn't move the ladder.

That same ladder caused me more grief:

I sawed off a piece of the bent half and used it to access the trap door into my garage attic where I store stuff. Worked fine, until it slid out and I fell down through the trap door and I completely dislocated my thumb, after falling around 12 ft. from head height and catching my thumb under the ladder rail just as my ass hit it and the concrete slab. 

Why didn't I bolt the ladder to the opening? :bang:

You really don't want the kind of injury where the doc calls in a bunch of other medical people to whistle at the x-ray. Didn't hurt until the doc pulled it back in...I made a noise kind of like Sasquatch in the beef jerky commercial that you could hear out in the waiting room. I just started climbing without a brace after around 6 weeks.


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## Gologit (Nov 18, 2012)

TreeGuyHR said:


> You really don't want the kind of injury where the doc calls in a bunch of other medical people to whistle at the x-ray.



...or the kind where the Doc looks at it and goes "Oh wow...let me get some pictures of that"...and the nurse starts throwing up. :msp_smile:


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## treemanbrisbane (Nov 24, 2012)

*spikes are better*

It's not that we don't use ladders, as you can see from all these posts. It's just that spikes are better if the tree allows it. I know there are purists who don't spike non-takedowns, but I'm not one of them. Spikes don't do the trees any harm (am I starting something here?)


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## jefflovstrom (Nov 24, 2012)

treemanbrisbane said:


> Spikes don't do the trees any harm (am I starting something here?)



Sounds like you are trying to,, so either you are a hack or,,,,,,,,,,
Jeff


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