# Double Fir tree removal with the help of a crane



## danholls (Aug 13, 2012)

Another film me and the boys at work shot. Always fun when the machine does the hard graft, and the climber gets to take in the views.

hope you enjoy.

Dan

Double Fir tree removal with the help of a crane - YouTube


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## Rickytree (Aug 14, 2012)

Nice work! How big was that crane and how much an hour? if you don't mind disclosing.


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## deevo (Aug 14, 2012)

Good job man!


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## Youngbuck20 (Aug 14, 2012)

that was beauty! did you have another guy up the other tree with a cam or did you just jump around? looked like a lot of fun


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## danholls (Aug 14, 2012)

Rickytree said:


> Nice work! How big was that crane and how much an hour? if you don't mind disclosing.



Cheers Ricky, I believe it was either a 100 or 150ton crane, was a monster, had a huge trailer just to carry the pads for the outriggers. As far as price goes I think it was around $4000 for the day.


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## danholls (Aug 14, 2012)

Youngbuck20 said:


> that was beauty! did you have another guy up the other tree with a cam or did you just jump around? looked like a lot of fun



Didn't have another guy in the tree, I had an extra camera so jumped across to the second tree once I'd cut a section and attached the camera to a branch, thought it would look cool from that angle.


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## mr. holden wood (Aug 15, 2012)

danholls said:


> Another film me and the boys at work shot. Always fun when the machine does the hard graft, and the climber gets to take in the views.
> 
> hope you enjoy.
> 
> ...



Im just an hour or so south of you in seattle, were you able to make any money on that job seems doubtful? What you spent on the crane alone is on the high end of what I typically bid on removing a couple basic firs. Looked like you could of taken the fence down and bought a descent used mini with yours savings. 
Those huge shelf cuts and lack of pretension seemed a bit sketchy .Instead of making the co break the picks off, why not just make one cut through into the direction of the end weight?


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## deevo (Aug 15, 2012)

mr. holden wood said:


> Im just an hour or so south of you in seattle, were you able to make any money on that job seems doubtful? What you spent on the crane alone is on the high end of what I typically bid on removing a couple basic firs. Looked like you could of taken the fence down and bought a descent used mini with yours savings.
> Those huge shelf cuts and lack of pretension seemed a bit sketchy .Instead of making the co break the picks off, why not just make one cut through into the direction of the end weight?



I was wondering about the shelf cuts as well? I don't use them. Where is our almighty banned OD to help us out? I am sure Don has a good answer for us as he knows his s##$ Fill us in


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## danholls (Aug 16, 2012)

mr. holden wood said:


> Im just an hour or so south of you in seattle, were you able to make any money on that job seems doubtful? What you spent on the crane alone is on the high end of what I typically bid on removing a couple basic firs. Looked like you could of taken the fence down and bought a descent used mini with yours savings.
> Those huge shelf cuts and lack of pretension seemed a bit sketchy .Instead of making the co break the picks off, why not just make one cut through into the direction of the end weight?



I was just there to do the job, it wasn't a job i'd bid on. But the price was $7500. 
Whenever I work with a crane I always use shelf cuts because then you get a clean snap, rather than it tearing or trapping the saw. All of the sections with branches on were tensioned just to take the weight so when they snapped off the piece could be taken away nice and slowly rather than having lots of pressure on the crane and it bouncing around like a nutter (as I've seen happen before) The only pieces the operator broke off were the bottom sections of each tree, which was to prevent the sections swinging around and hitting fences etc. Hope that explains my technique


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## rtsims (Aug 16, 2012)

Nice vid. $7,500 bucks, wow, wish we could make that kinda money here. That's a 3 maybe 4k job around these parts. Lucky SOB,s. looks like you had fun.


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## Rickytree (Aug 16, 2012)

$4000 for the day would feel real good in my pocket. Damn did they take all day?


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## treemandan (Aug 16, 2012)

danholls said:


> I was just there to do the job, it wasn't a job i'd bid on. But the price was $7500.
> Whenever I work with a crane I always use shelf cuts because then you get a clean snap, rather than it tearing or trapping the saw. All of the sections with branches on were tensioned just to take the weight so when they snapped off the piece could be taken away nice and slowly rather than having lots of pressure on the crane and it bouncing around like a nutter (as I've seen happen before) The only pieces the operator broke off were the bottom sections of each tree, which was to prevent the sections swinging around and hitting fences etc. Hope that explains my technique



Shelf , mismatch, snap, whatever its called its no good for crane work but if you are gonna keep doing it I suggest you use a shallow face cut instead of going in that deep.

There will come a time when the CO will try to break one of your shelf cuts and the whole trunk will split right down to the ground with you tied in to it with your lanyard. Ouch!


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## mr. holden wood (Aug 16, 2012)

danholls said:


> I was just there to do the job, it wasn't a job i'd bid on. But the price was $7500.
> Whenever I work with a crane I always use shelf cuts because then you get a clean snap, rather than it tearing or trapping the saw. All of the sections with branches on were tensioned just to take the weight so when they snapped off the piece could be taken away nice and slowly rather than having lots of pressure on the crane and it bouncing around like a nutter (as I've seen happen before) The only pieces the operator broke off were the bottom sections of each tree, which was to prevent the sections swinging around and hitting fences etc. Hope that explains my technique



What works for you is all that matters for the most part. With respect, no climber in our parts would make those deep shelf cuts. Personally I think that cut is way more dangerous then a strait cut towards the end weight. If you could please p.m how your estimator pulled $7500 of that job ill buy you a beer or 9 if you make it down to the motherlandView attachment 248885
.


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## mr. holden wood (Aug 16, 2012)

Rickytree said:


> $4000 for the day would feel real good in my pocket. Damn did they take all day?



You rode his leg till I called him out. If I hadn't posted you wouldn't have learned chit. Speak your mind!


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## treemandan (Aug 17, 2012)

mr. holden wood said:


> What works for you is all that matters for the most part. With respect, no climber in our parts would make those deep shelf cuts. Personally I think that cut is way more dangerous then a strait cut towards the end weight. If you could please p.m how your estimator pulled $7500 of that job ill buy you a beer or 9 if you make it down to the motherlandView attachment 248885
> .



Are those Calvin Klien underwear you are wearing?


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## mr. holden wood (Aug 17, 2012)

treemandan said:


> Are those Calvin Klien underwear you are wearing?



Good eye, I do alot of stunt doubling for ashton kutchers ugly azz


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## Rickytree (Aug 17, 2012)

mr. holden wood said:


> You rode his leg till I called him out. If I hadn't posted you wouldn't have learned chit. Speak your mind!



What are you typing about?


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## Rickytree (Aug 17, 2012)

Hey Holden, don't think you'll be teaching me anything. 
Check the difference in our avatar pic's. Me large and in charge ..you small and no ball s!


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## deevo (Aug 17, 2012)

danholls said:


> I was just there to do the job, it wasn't a job i'd bid on. But the price was $7500.
> Whenever I work with a crane I always use shelf cuts because then you get a clean snap, rather than it tearing or trapping the saw. All of the sections with branches on were tensioned just to take the weight so when they snapped off the piece could be taken away nice and slowly rather than having lots of pressure on the crane and it bouncing around like a nutter (as I've seen happen before) The only pieces the operator broke off were the bottom sections of each tree, which was to prevent the sections swinging around and hitting fences etc. Hope that explains my technique



Thanks for the explanation


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## treemandan (Aug 17, 2012)

I never met a crane operator inclined to be snapping pieces off.


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## deevo (Aug 17, 2012)

treemandan said:


> I never met a crane operator inclined to be snapping pieces off.



Must be a West coast thing!


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## treeclimber101 (Aug 17, 2012)

It's a west coast thing to ask for a little left or right swing from the crane lol :msp_rolleyes:


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## rbtree (Aug 19, 2012)

I too don't see how you guys managed to score $7500 for those trees. Was the backyard access so bad that it would have taken two days to get the brush out? I doubt it. The limbs weren't large or complex like some mature firs, or previously topped ones. 

How about speed lining the brush over the house? It's hard to tell, but it doesn't look as if that would have worked....

Brushing them out first would have meant a smaller crane could have been used, and would have only been needed for 2 hours, or 3 max.

As far as the use of those deep shelf cuts, they didn't need to be used on all the cuts.... That said, folks need to realize that many of those sections were quite short and were brush heavy on one side, so they would tend to come off at an angle, which can present a risk to the climber. In such cases, one cut straight through will cause problems.


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## Rickytree (Aug 19, 2012)

It's Vancouver,stands for crazy insane prices for everything.


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