# Solo Tree care



## basnighttrees (Apr 22, 2005)

.


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## Tree Machine (Apr 22, 2005)

*Blatant TROLLING !*

You're caught, buddy!! There's nobody out there who does tree work solo! That's cr\azy TAWK. You're just trying to stir up controversy, you, you Rabble-rouser. You just want to see Mike Maas' undies in a bunch.

Climbing alone is dnagerous and should not be practiced. I formally denounce the idea of climbing alone. Bad practice. Against industry standards. Unconventional. Downright controversial.

It seems practically impossible for a solo operator to make it in this tree care industry. The man who works alone in this industry will starve.

If you climb and work alone, you are a black sheep, an outsider, a rebel. You're a cowboy.

Solo man, like a drifter, a Tree Gypsy. Goin it alone. It's tragic. It's pithetic, I tell you. Pith pith, pithhh PITHETIC.

Lonely loser Mr Do-it All himself tough guy. Shurrrr. Right. LooOOpie.....

It cracks me up to think of a guy trying to go it alone in this industry. Har Har Har!

Too funny, just toooo funny.

The idiot who would work alone......

Disgusting !

spit !


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## MasterBlaster (Apr 22, 2005)

It sucks when you drop your hand saw.


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## teressa green (Apr 22, 2005)

yeah a real sod ,


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## Mike Barcaskey (Apr 22, 2005)

Yee-Haw


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## Tree Machine (Apr 22, 2005)

You should delete this thread. Working solo in this industry is _so whack_. It's shameful to even talk about such an outlandish concept.

This site is for treeguys, not maniacs.


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## a_lopa (Apr 22, 2005)

yes we wouldnt want to tarnish the "industrys"good name


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## Tree Machine (Apr 22, 2005)

We would disgrace it. A horror, I tell you. Don't give people whacky ideas.


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## Mike Barcaskey (Apr 22, 2005)

I climb alone, yeah, 
with nobody else 
I climb alone, yeah, 
with nobody else 
You know when I climb alone, 
I prefer to be by myself 

Every morning just before breakfast, 
I don't want no coffee or tea 
Just me and good buddy Copenhagen, 
that's all I ever need 
'Cause I climb alone, yeah, 
with nobody else 
Yeah, you know when I climb alone, 
I prefer to be by myself 

The other night I laid sleeping, 
and I woke from a terrible dream 
So I caught up my pal Ascender, 
and his partner Figure 8 
And we climb alone, yeah, 
with nobody else 
Yeah, you know when I climb alone, 
I prefer to be by myself 

The other day I got invited to a party, 
but I stayed home instead 
Just me and my pal Pin Oak, 
and his brothers Black and Red 
And we climb alone, yeah, 
with nobody else 
Yeah, you know when I climb alone, 
I prefer to be by myself 

My whole family done give up on me, 
and it makes me feel oh so bad 
The only one who will hang out with me, 
is my dear old chainsaw 
And we climb alone, yeah, 
with nobody else 
Yeah, you know when I climb alone, 
I prefer to be by myself


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## Mike Barcaskey (Apr 22, 2005)

IT'S TIME TO CLIMB


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## Tree Machine (Apr 22, 2005)

Mike Barcaskey said:


> The only one who will hang out with me,
> is my dear old chainsaw


.......And we drink cologne


That's the lyric I always get


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## Crazy Canuck (Apr 26, 2005)

MasterBlaster said:


> It sucks when you drop your hand saw.




so true.....................


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## MasterBlaster (Apr 26, 2005)

But that's another trick to being a good tree dood. Don't get pissed off easily...


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## Tree Machine (Apr 26, 2005)

And if you're lunatic enough to climb alone, and you've dropped both your scabbarded saw AND your folding saw, you deserve to have to finish with the chainsaw. Serves em right, those crazy solo cowboy tree doods.


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## Stumper (Apr 26, 2005)

Well,...... there was this one time when I had to finish with my pocketknife.....


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## treeseer (Apr 26, 2005)

MasterBlaster said:


> But that's another trick to being a good tree dood. Don't get p'd off easily...


MB you hit the heart of the matter...self-control. If you cna't control yourself you can't control the work, the work controls you. 

I've had to call out to clients, neighbors, kids, dogwalkers to tie on a handsaw or more often untie a lowered limb. Awkward. Now I see the air of my waze and won't evah go the George Thorogood path---brothers pin and red, ha! nice one mike.


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## Old Monkey (Apr 26, 2005)

Tree Machine said:


> You're caught, buddy!! There's nobody out there who does tree work solo! That's cr\azy TAWK. You're just trying to stir up controversy, you, you Rabble-rouser. You just want to see Mike Maas' undies in a bunch.
> 
> Climbing alone is dnagerous and should not be practiced. I formally denounce the idea of climbing alone. Bad practice. Against industry standards. Unconventional. Downright controversial.
> 
> ...



Did you get the new guy to delete his post with your blatant sarcasm you loner you?


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## Tinwoodman (Apr 26, 2005)

I do solo tree work. For real. I work on my own, I have no employees. I don't climb at all unless I have to. When I do climb, I climb without gear and only use a small hand saw. I climb branch to branch. 99% of my work is done on the ground. I am considering renting a man-lift for an upcoming job, just to top the trees before I drop them, so they can't reach the house involved. Employees are too much hassle right now-- why would I want to go through all that paperwork? I am just getting started-- there isn't enough money in it yet to share with anyone else.


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## basnighttrees (Apr 26, 2005)

I tried to delete the tread but I didn't know how. But I was know asked or told to delete it, honest I wasn't


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## Tree Machine (Apr 26, 2005)

If you're silly enough to climb and work solo, you should feel lucky to chew through limbs with your teeth.

Why.... do you know how many disadvantages there are to climbing alone? You would miss out on privledges such as workman's comp insurance, payroll taxes, employee wages and such. If equipment goes down, or gets lost, there is no one to blame but yourself.

If you have no employees, OSHA has no reason to come pay you a social visit. How are you going to move the economy if you have no employees? If you don't have an employee, who the heck is going to feed the brush into the chipper? n Who's going to put fuel and oil in your chainsaws? Who's going to sharpen your chains? 

I'm telling you, I really don't think solo work is possible in the Tree Care Industry. You would have to, like, do everything yourself. How the heck are you going to sharpen your leadership skill if you have no one to lead? Sheesh! And on top of that, the paycheck at the end of the day would be ALL YOURS!. How are you going to spread the wealth? Solo tree care is for the guy who wants to work alone- that's my viewpoint, and I'm stickin to it.


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## Tinwoodman (Apr 26, 2005)

*Yep*

I think I see what you're saying-- but the only real disadvantage to doing solo work is-- no one to yell at when I skin my nuckles or drop a piece of wood on my toe. And I do boost the economy-- I take that money and buy stuff with it. When you buy stuff, you help stimulate the economy. By the way, there is no brush chipper. Why would I want to chip brush when I can leave it on the curb for the sanitation dudes to haul off? As far as sharpening my chain, putting gas and oil in the saw; well, I'm my own boss so-- it's nice to have a little break for a couple minutes while I do that-- gives me a chance to think what I'm going to do next, etc. If you think this is bad, you should see me loading saw-logs into my pickup solo w/o any power equipment. I promise, I do it. Maybe someday I will post a photo showing how. I'd rather take logs to the mill and get paid a little bit for them than hauling them to the dump and paying $26/ton to dump good wood off. This morning I hauled four pine logs to the mill in my 88 Chevy 2500.


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## basnighttrees (Apr 26, 2005)

Tree Machine, you got jokes. hehehe


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## Old Monkey (Apr 27, 2005)

basnighttrees said:


> Tree Machine, you got jokes. hehehe



Now, he senses the sarcasm.


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## Tree Machine (Apr 27, 2005)

Jokes, yea sure. Suppose you're working alone and you tell a hilarious joke. Who's there to appreciate it?

What about the natural tendency of clients to approach the small guy because they think he'll be a better deal than the big companys with big overhead? You could get too much work and have to turn some away. How screwed up is that?

Let's say, hypothetically, you just don't feel like working one morning, but you have an employee waiting outside your back door? You're warm, you're cozy, your best girl is being especially affectionate....knock knock knock.

Without the employee banging on the door you may have gotten to your job an hour late. TRAGEDY !


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## basnighttrees (Apr 27, 2005)

Tree Machine, you just keep talking and saying what is on your heart. I am listening to what you are not saying.


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## Tinwoodman (Apr 27, 2005)

This is all pretty much true. And I have had to turn away or severely postpone business. As soon as I can see my way clear to quit my "grind job" I'll be going great guns, I hope. I live in an area where trees are revered, but the chickens are coming home to roost as the 70-foot oaks, pines, and southern-style poplars are uprooting in windstorms and smushing things. I'm working now on removing a 60-70 ft. pine that blew down and fell in somebody's swimming pool (just the top fifteen feet or so went in the pool).


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## Tree Machine (Apr 27, 2005)

If you have an employee and he gets seriously injured, at least you are there to stop work immediately and take him to the hospital and pay his medical bills out of your own pocket. I mean, if it weren't for him, who would get to be liable? This is a male bonding experience not to be missed.

If you're going to work alone, over time, you'll be almost FORCED to develop efficient and innovative means of doing your work. If you go up in a tree, you'll have to make sure you have everything you need before you go up. You're almost REQUIRED to be prepared, self-sufficient, organized and vigilant. That would suck!

At the end of the day you would have to pride your own self on a job well-done because, buddy, there's no one else there to share that with except yourself.


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## Jim1NZ (Apr 27, 2005)

I agree,
But if you do work alone, make sure you have a access line so some one can come and get you, or hopefully not your body out of the tree the next morning. Wouldn't want to have to trouble them for a throw line up.


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## Tinwoodman (Apr 28, 2005)

Yeah. I just say, there's work one can do by oneself. Don't take a job if you can't do it by yourself. As you do business and get more money, you can afford to buy nice helping gadgets. When I worked for a nationally known tree company a few years ago, my foreman never once climbed a tree, and neither did I. He cut from the bucket, I cut from the ground. why climb when you can fly? I don't have a manlift. Yet. Some day.


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## Redbull (Apr 28, 2005)

I'm young enough to say that I'd rather climb than work from a bucket. I enjoy climbing a lot. The money is a bonus. Now ask me again in 20-30 years and I might have a different opinion. I work by myself when I can, but sometimes it's more efficient to hire help. Remember, the faster you get done, the more money you make. Sometimes, it pays to have a good helper.


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## Tinwoodman (Apr 28, 2005)

I mostly like to remove trees that have already fallen over. They're the best kind. Wish I had taken pix of the tree I took out of the swimming pool last week. . . .


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## Crazy Canuck (Apr 29, 2005)

Tinwoodman said:


> I mostly like to remove trees that have already fallen over. They're the best kind. Wish I had taken pix of the tree I took out of the swimming pool last week. . . .




Thats called cleaning up buddy


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## Tree Machine (Apr 29, 2005)

That's the right answer, Canuck.


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## Tree Machine (Apr 29, 2005)

I know this one guy who works alone. He has this 6-wheeled cart with side posts. It can haul, easily, a thousand pounds. I've seen him swiftly stack limbs as high as his head onto it, cinch it down with a cam strap and pull the thing out like he was a draft horse, spill it in front of the chipper, and return to the back yard for the second half of the crown. Zero damage to the lawn, not a leaf lost on the trip.

Two men, each dragging 4-6 limbs at a time (scraping lawn) would not have been as swift as the one guy working alone, using this cart contraption.

For the logs, he'd nick the log every firewood length for a total of five lengths-worth of log, cut the length off, put it on the cart, repeat for a total of 6 times (three logs bottom, two middle, one on top), all the same length, all lined up nicely. He'd draft that out to his truck at streetside where he had a tarp laid out, pull the cart onto the tarp, pull out his 395XP and make 4 cuts. 30 perfect pieces of firewood (and sawdust) would spill onto the tarp to either side of the cart. 

I think two guys could have spent as much time talking about _how_ they were going to do it
as it took this cat to be a third of the way through the job alone. No chit chat, this guy made it look easy.

He should get an employee.


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## Cotreewhisperer (Apr 29, 2005)

I know several guys around here (denver/boulder) that work alone. We only have a few large companies, davey,swingle, otherwise it is bunch of small companies. mostly people that used to work for the big guys. This helps me out, cause I work for a bunch of these "lone" workers and help them get some production done- never shortage of work. I'm not saying I agree with working alone, it just seems sometimes you just dont have a choice. Out here it is hard to find qualified, conscientious people. I was surprised when I moved down here to denver and did some work for a couple small companies here- whoa, alot of unsafe practices out there!!


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## MasterBlaster (Apr 29, 2005)

Tree Machine said:


> I know this one guy who works alone. He has this 6-wheeled cart with side posts. It can haul, easily, a thousand pounds. I've seen him swiftly stack limbs as high as his head onto it, cinch it down with a cam strap and pull the thing out like he was a draft horse, spill it in front of the chipper, and return to the back yard for the second half of the crown. Zero damage to the lawn, not a leaf lost on the trip.
> 
> Two men, each dragging 4-6 limbs at a time (scraping lawn) would not have been as swift as the one guy working alone, using this cart contraption.
> 
> ...




That's pretty awesome, it beats the heck outta a wheelbarrow. Where are the other two wheels?


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## TREETX (Apr 29, 2005)

Never work alone


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## darkstar (Apr 29, 2005)

i used to work alone out west since i lived in a vw van and had to scrounge ... once i was topping a 100 foot plus conifer with about a 30 foot top section leaning the opp. way i wanted it to fall ... since i had no groundie to pull it over and i couldnt climb it as it was really dead and crumbly ...i riged a pully on a tree about 50 feet away then tied the top off and the rope went all the way to the pully then back to me ...in theory i then pulled on the rope through the pully thus pullng the top all the while cutting it ...well even with all the pull i could muster it just wasent enough to send in the opp direction of the lean ... 2 groundies would have eaisly pulled it ... finally im desperate and decide to deepen my back cut just a tad ... well the top popped .. and bascially spiked straight doen with every limb battering me on the way ...i saw stars .... still i got the tree down and got paid ... but im not using that method again ...... it was pretty funny ......dark


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## Jim1NZ (Apr 30, 2005)

darkstar said:


> i used to work alone out west since i lived in a vw van and had to scrounge ... once i was topping a 100 foot plus conifer with about a 30 foot top section leaning the opp. way i wanted it to fall ... since i had no groundie to pull it over and i couldnt climb it as it was really dead and crumbly ...i riged a pully on a tree about 50 feet away then tied the top off and the rope went all the way to the pully then back to me ...in theory i then pulled on the rope through the pully thus pullng the top all the while cutting it ...well even with all the pull i could muster it just wasent enough to send in the opp direction of the lean ... 2 groundies would have eaisly pulled it ... finally im desperate and decide to deepen my back cut just a tad ... well the top popped .. and bascially spiked straight doen with every limb battering me on the way ...i saw stars .... still i got the tree down and got paid ... but im not using that method again ...... it was pretty funny ......dark



Bugger that.


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## Tree Machine (Apr 30, 2005)

Blasta said:


> beats the heck outta a wheelbarrow. Where are the other two wheels?



They're set back further, and in-between the two rear outer wheels. The inner wheels are hard rubber, and are set up a couple cm higher than the outer ones, so they 'float'. When the weight is sufficient, the outer, pneumatic wheels squash down, and then the inner wheels meet the ground, distribute the mass, and allow you to pack on pretty much an unlimited amount of weight.

The front wheels are big urethane swivel casters. This unit can spin around in a very tight space.


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## Old Monkey (Apr 30, 2005)

A six wheeled cart looks great, but just think how awesome a sixteen wheeled cart would be!


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## Tree Machine (Apr 30, 2005)

Solo Cat had all kinds of tools he said 'replaced the needs for an employees in about 19 out of 20 jobs'.

I said, "Solo Cat, you're a big, foolish turd. Look at the simple math."

Two men can get twice the work done of one man.

If it takes one man 8 hours to complete a job, with _just one_ employee it would take 4 hours. With four men on site it would take two hours and with an 8 man crew JUST ONE HOUR.

Being the math wizard that I am, I continued:
16 men, one half hour
32 men, fifteen minutes
64 man crew, whack the job in 7-1/2 minutes
128 men, you'd be in and out of a job site in 3 minutes 15 seconds

I mean, an 8 hour job, done in _just over three minutes_

He said, "Thanks, I've sorta got things under control."

I said, "You're a fool, fool, fool, you foolish fooly fool." Disgusted at his insensibility, I stormed off to my upcoming 512 employee interviews.


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## Stumper (Apr 30, 2005)

Actually, There are some jobs where having a second or third person boosts efficiency. Generally speaking though I have always been delighted if a helper cut times by a third. On more than one occassion I've driven by a jobsite in the morning and come back by later and noted that a three man crew spent about the same amount of time as I would have on a couple of trees.Working with my Dad, we could really crank out work because we both worked hard and knew how to do everything.-Still there were moments when one had to wait upon the other.


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## Mike Barcaskey (Apr 30, 2005)

you know, I've been wanting to post on this thread, but following Tree Machine..............there aint no one posting that good


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## Tinwoodman (Apr 30, 2005)

Sometimes having another brain handy helps-- even if less inteligent than one's own-- Seven years old, I went in the woods with my father all the time. In those days he was hauling out firewood and pulpwood on a woods trailer behind old John Deere tractor. He got stuck in the mud with a full load on and sat down to figure out what to do. I pestered him a little, and he started telling me about another time something different but similar had happened, only without a load, and he ahd disconnected the trailer. Then he realized if he shifted the wood on the trailer so it balanced on the axle, he COULD disconnect it and pull it out with a chain from firm ground. He did it, it worked, and he told me, even though it wasn't my idea, he never would have thought of it if he hadn't been forced to talk it through out loud. Sometimes somebody else can point out the obvious too, when you may have missed it. But so far I'm doing ok by myself. Do things safely, or do them not.


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## basnighttrees (May 1, 2005)

TM, The six wheel cart is nice. Do you use a rescue figure 8 tied with a loop runner to lower down the rigged wood?


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## Tree Machine (May 2, 2005)

I'll tell Solo Cat that you liked his cart.

I did offer to help him with the lowering of a decent-sized limb. He said he's been doing it alone for years, so I just watched.

He positioned himself above the limb to be lowered, threw his climbing line over one limb, and attached it to another limb at the same level as the first, giving him a short span of horizontal line. He grabbed the middle of the horizontal length, pulled it down to the limb to be cut, applied a sling (web loop with a steel biner on it) to that limb and clipped it to what was once a horizontal span, which was now a 'V'. 

He then installed his flipline, looked down at me and said, "TITS!" I looked around. I didn't see any women.

The rope draping to the ground he simply clipped a biner through, attached to his right side, just so he knew where it was. His remark was, "if you have to rig something down more than double your weight, you're best advised to have help". He also mentioned never solo lowering of limbs over wires of ANY kind.

He verbalized what he expected the limb would do, then cut a v-notch out of the underside, and then a tapered hinge on top. He didn't cut all the way through. Once he started the top cut, he was looking out at the tip of the limb. As soon as he saw the slightest of motion out there, he shut off the saw, and pulled tension on the vertical portion of the rope.

All this happened in under a minute, the rigging and the cutting. He explained that he had a Z-rig, a 2:1 mechanical advantage with predictable friction over top of the limb. Then he pulls out a Silky. One hand on the rope, one hand on the Silky saw, finishing the cut.

The limb seperated, he let it smoothly lower to the ground, feathering the belay line through one gloved hand, slowly controlling every moment of the process. He stopped it momentarily to show he had authoritative control over the descent, and finally let it set on the ground. Then he pulled his rope up, hand-over-hand until the bitter end had come through the lowered limb's biner, and the rope was free to do it's next job.

He donated one biner'd sling, but had four more on his saddle.

I think this Cat is crazy. Later on he showed me some very effective sling techniques.


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## Redbull (May 2, 2005)

Soooo, can Solo Cat enlighten us on any other solo acts? Tips, tricks?


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## jkrueger (May 2, 2005)

Seems, well I know, is a lot of good stuff. I do work alone a lot of the time and have heard about, and attempt these as well as versions of the techniqes described. These techniques are not only good for working alone they are very good was of working with a small crew and more than one climber.

Ya, any more about this 'solo' can be good for all,

Jack
(remember Nick loves ya)


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## basnighttrees (May 2, 2005)

So then was this tread a good idea?


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## MasterBlaster (May 2, 2005)

So, why did you delete your initial post? Can't pat you on the back w/o an opening post, eh? :alien:


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## jason j ladue (May 3, 2005)

dont try sneakin _nothin _ past the blaster...


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## Tree Machine (May 3, 2005)

basnighttrees said:


> So then was this tread a good idea?


I'm not so sure. It could encourage guys to work alone when they really shouldn't. I'm not talking about pruning from the ground and cleaning up by yourself, I'm talking about climbing and aerial cutting. 

I would hate to describe some of his methods, have one of you guys go out and try it and get hurt or cause damage. Solo Cat is into the physics of what he's doing, and finds exceedingly delicious, the problem-solving aspect of his aerial biz, whether it's work positioning, movement around the crown, rigging or directional felling. The more complex and difficult the problem, the more he likes it. I saw him do something yesterday that really blew my mind. I'll share it with you if everyone promises not to try it on their own.


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## Tree Machine (May 3, 2005)

Do ya wanna hear about it?


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## Tree Machine (May 3, 2005)

OK. He had just taken a 14" diameter maple down, from the ground-up. The maple was situated under a monster walnut tree. He set a line in the walnut, climbed up and secured the rope to the top of the maple, where it was about wrist diameter, came down, put two rated endless-loop slings together and fashioned a choker around the base of the walnut. To this he clipped in a GriGri and installed his rigging line, what I thought was tenex, but turned out to be 11 mm stable braid. He tensioned the rope, fired up his big saw and did a sharp angle diagonal cut from the ground level right side, upward and leftward, exiting at about 16" up. The tree dropped straight down, impaling the point of the wood into the earth. "Inverted spear cut", he remarked. 

He cut a 16" block, dropped the tree down vertically, released tension on the rope using the GriGri, and continued with a series of firewood-length blocks until the lowest limb was about chest-level. He cut the end of the limb off at about forearm diameter, had his six-wheel cart right under it, plop. Then in mere seconds that remaining limb became a number of firewood pieces, the last one being cut flush to the trunk, then he started dicing firewood chunks off the trunk again, the tree getting progressively shorter as the pile of firewood got higher and the limbs on his cart got taller. Also he had laid a small tarp to catch the sawdust.

The tree got smaller and smaller until there was a pile of firewood, a cart full of brush, cut-ends all facing the same direction and a pile of sawdust on a small tarp. He wheeled his cart to the chipper, with the sawdust tarp clipped to the back, about 50 steps away, dumped it over sideways in front of the infeed chute and walked back. 24 minutes. $175. I was impressed

"Not that the maple is out of the way, we can get to the _real_ work. "Real work?" I said. "Yea, that was entertaining, but this next stuff is what I _live_ for.


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## Tree Machine (May 3, 2005)

Do you guys wanna hear about this part?


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## Tree Machine (May 3, 2005)

He put on his saddle, set his climbing line pretty close to the rigging line already up there, but higher. He had a 10 oz Harrison Rocket for a throwbag. He let the eyed end hang just above the ground, and inserted the other part through the GriGri. "This way if I get into trouble, someone can easily lower me down." He was climbing SRT on 11 mm Velocity and brought up with him a shorter section of 11 mm Fly. "Control line." he said. "For controlling the limb?" I asked. "No. For controlling me."

He got up there, set the second climbing line and got clipped into both lines. "Double SRT technique", he said, smiling. "Could you knock on the door? The client and his 8 year-old son are going to want to see this." He then proceeded to limbwalk about 3/4 of the way out, chokered the limb with the stable braid. Then he took a tenex sling, did a 4-turn prussik onto the lowering line and clipped it to the limb further upstream. "Spider." he said.

The Father and kid came out. He told them what he had just done, what he was going to do , and what was going to happen. "Eight ball in the side pocket." he smiled. The limb was horizontal, extending over top of the house within an arm's reach of the top peak of the 2nd story roof. I'm going to do another slice cut here, only this one will be from a horizontal perspective." He explained to Dad and son, "Because of the angle of the lowering line, when the limb releases it'll shoot underneath me, and to the left." "If something goes wrong, the roof takes it on the chin." He chuckled and fired up his saw. 

Cutting diagonally, from the bottom, upward, he stopped 3/4 of the way through and shut off the saw. "Any further, the saw would have pinched." He pulled out his Silky to finish the cut, cutting from the top, down. "I watch the tips of the limb, and listen for the fibers starting to tear. I love the moments right before the limb lets loose. I try to bring it right to the edge, then revel in the moment. This is where you're in the crucible. This is where I feel most alive." He was pulling his Silky, ever so carefully, watching, listening, then he stopped. "Last minute triple check for safety.... OK, all systems go. You all ready?"

With one swift pull of the Silky Saw the limb released, shot left and below him, completely missed the roof and came to rest horizontally in mid-air. "WooHoo! I don't normally do this", he said, "but I just feel like dancin". While keeping the limb suspended, Solo Cat rappelled from the two climbing lines, landing like a butterfly on the suspended limb. More for his own entertainment than anybody's, I think, he did a little tap dance on the limb, fourty feet up. Then he lowered himself down and sat on the limb. "What do I do now? I'm stuck. I'm _skeered_." The all of a sudden he dropped the limb down about a meter while maintaining the same, exact sitting position, then he busted out laughing. Loweing himself to where he was again standing on the limb he said, " OK, NOW it gets tricky. I have to control all three ropes with just two hands." and he did. Both he and the limb descended in unison. "Aerial limb surfing, woo hoo!" all the way to the ground, nice, slow, completely in control. Just before touchdown he said to the client and son, sternly, "Do not try this at home. These are professionals. Not recommended for kids 8 years and younger".

What a knucklehead. To think he was getting paid for that.


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## MasterBlaster (May 3, 2005)

So I guess this guy doesn't have a computer?


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## Stumper (May 3, 2005)

Psst..... Butch, Solo Cat is one of Jim's multiple personalities. Humor him.


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## Tree Machine (May 3, 2005)

Yea, right Stumper. And do all your own cleanup? I lstened to this guy running his power blower, singing out loud thinking nobody could hear him. Man, I think this Cat is crazy.

As a matter of fact, I _ask_ him about visiting Arboristsite. He said he's usually pretty beat when he gets home, and he treasures the few hours he has with his lovely wife. He said it would be pretty stupid to intentionally sabotage his own marriage, and besides what could he offer Arboristsite. "Go on there and toot my horn about me me me? Sounds pretty arrogant. I'm sure they'd like that. Sorry, I'll pass." I can see his point. 

His methods are pretty advanced, very simplified and precise in the way he controls friction. This is one of the things he asked me not to share or take pictures of. I had to respect that. I have watched him use DdRT, DbRT and SRT interchangably during the same climb, and of course the double SRT dual rappell-single belay thing he breezed through like it was a walk in the park. Solo cat has got it going on, but he's a very private guy- just wants to serve his clients, care for trees and be left alone.

Very kind of him to allow me to share some of what he does.


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## jason j ladue (May 3, 2005)

that sounds like the guy who was my mentor. i do stuff like that-the-tie-off-the-top to-the-neighboring-tree-spearcut-thing, and the handsaw finishicut while running the rigging line /w the other hand sounds right up my alley. i do about 3/4 of my work solo. 90% time there is somebody else (more often than not it is the person who hired me) there on the ground in case "i need anything", but generally speaking, i take care of everything myself...if i forsee the need to switch or re-fuel saws at any point during the climb, i make sure ahead of time that i have those things and or my pole pruner/saw or my lunch tied onto an accessory line ahead of hand. i dont want to climb that tree more times than i have to, and i dont want to spend a bunch of time waiting for somebody else to me get what i need. i have some video i am dying to post, but i still have somebody else working on the edit...soon, soon. this solo cat sounds like a cool guy


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## basnighttrees (May 10, 2005)

MasterBlaster said:


> So, why did you delete your initial post? Can't pat you on the back w/o an opening post, eh? :alien:



I was encaraged not to open this thread due to wide disaproval that would come with it.  I would like to come out and watch this guy work. What part of the country is he in? Maybe I could take a weekend off and get some more education. I am planing to go to another ArborMaster traning in July in NC


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## Tree Machine (May 10, 2005)

You could come work with him for the Summer if you really wanted to dig in. I checked with him and he's booked severel weeks deep, praying no big storms hit. Solo cat doesn't generally do employees, but has been known to take on apprentices and pays em $15 an hour to start.

Solo Cat thinks Blaster's "What it takes to be an Excellent Ground Man" IS A GENIUS WORK OF ART, and wishes to use it as a prerequisite to any committed working arrangement.

Solo Cat lives in Indianapolis. There's a slew of places for rent around here, within a minute or two of his general work zone.

I don't think the Arbormaster training is going to pay you a hundred fifty a day. It's good, quality training and you'll get a lot of benefit from it and meet cool fellow arborists.


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## basnighttrees (May 11, 2005)

Will keep that in mind. Does Solo Cat work during the winter? Say Dec. and Jan.


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## Tree Machine (May 11, 2005)

He LOVES working in the Winter. Winter in Indianapolis is pretty mild, compared to, say Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Maine. Starts booking his Winter work in July. Says he hasn't had slow business in the Winter in nine years. For him, Summer officially begins in February.

I do know he's planning on 3 or 4 months travel this Winter and is looking for the right person to manage his business and do the tree work while he's gone. Details are sketchy at the moment, nothing carved in concrete as yet.


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## Tree Machine (May 12, 2005)

Solo tree work is not so difficult. The cleanup is the part that'll get you.

I would have to ask ALL the climbers out there, how many times have you performed your aerial work and never actually needed the help of your groundguy for the actual work you are doing? For the times you utilize the help, could you have done it yourself by having been better prepared, or by modifying your technique?

Aerially speaking, other than lowering big limbs, what do you need ground help for?


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## Tree Machine (May 12, 2005)

Before you answer something like "To pick up the Silky saw I dropped", the answer to that would be to not drop your silky saw, or as some do, carry a scabbarded one on the left, a folding one on the right (having an extra).

"To send up my water jug" would be answered "I need to buy a camelback"

"To refill my saw" could be answered bring a small fuel bottle up, have a second readied saw tethered to a rope, come down for an occasional break, etc.

"To answer my cell phone" would be answered, Voice mail, carry the phone up with you.

"To send up something I've forgotten" would be answered, Think, plan, be prepared.

"To talk to clients" You can talk to them from up in the tree, have business cards where they can get em.



I'm honestly asking for NEED. What do you NEED him (or her) for. Not reasons why it's convenient to have a guy on the ground, there's a million reasons it's nice to have somebody there, but for what reasons are a ground person absolutely essential?


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## Stumper (May 12, 2005)

Need? NEED a ground worker? On less than 5% of the jobs.


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## Tree Machine (May 12, 2005)

That's about right. 19 out of 20 jobs COULD BE DONE without the aid of a ground worker. One in 20 jobs is big, or technical, enough to require assistance from the ground to do your aerial work.

I've just thought of a type of job where a groundguy is essential - where there's TRAFFIC, pruning over a busy street. For the sake of public safety, I think a ground man is essential. Still, this doesn't mean you need him for what you're doing in the tree, but I still consider it a legitimate groundguy need.

The approach here is not to get arborists to get rid of their ground guys. We're just illuminating to all, that which we already know.

When else is a ground guy absolutely necessary for you to do your tree work?


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## MasterBlaster (May 12, 2005)

My main complaints trimming by myself is my rope getting tangled, and sending a polesaw up. You really have to be carefull with your rope, and it's a pita packing the polesaw around in a tree.


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## vharrison2 (May 12, 2005)

Tree Machine said:


> I've just thought of a type of job where a groundguy is essential - where there's TRAFFIC, pruning over a busy street. For the sake of public safety, I think a ground man is essential.



Yep, that pretty much covers Key West. Our guys would never work without a goundman, and they each have their favorite. The work goes smoother with a team.


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## Tree Machine (May 12, 2005)

Traffic makes having a groundguy critical and essential. Do you guys drive all the way down from Marathon, or do you have a division set up in the southern Keys? As a boss orchestrating tree care, it would be risky and unreasonable to send men out Solo, although my first boss did. I WAS the tree care division of his landscape company.

POLE SAWS. I can't comment on that as I've been meaning to get a polesaw for several years. If it's too big for the Corona Bull Loppers, I can climb out and get it with a Silky

I use pole pruners, and I wouldn't generally think of going up in a pruning job without them. The pole pruner has a 'limb hook' inclusive, so you just hang it when not using it.

As far as rope tangling, yea, I understand. I've gone to having a number of ropes, and choose the shortest one that will go from the ground, to the T.I.P. and back to the ground. Wads of excess rope can be a pain, but generally speaking, tangling is caused by having limbs or branches drop on the rope, and this can often be prevented if you're deliberate.

I've also found the 11 mm's to tangle less, as well as just being lighter in weight.


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## Stumper (May 12, 2005)

Jim, There seems to be a disdain amongst the current crop of climbers for polesaws. I will grant that many are good enough to be able to do almost every tree well without using a Polesaw in the tree-but they also could save time and wear and tear on their bodies by using a polesaw on those 3 little dead branches out near the tip instead of fighting into a new position that nets them nothing except those cuts.(Or worse yet-guys dropcrotch a whole lead because it is too hard to climb for those little but obvious dead twigs!) Even if you are good enough to practically never need a Polesaw in the tree you NEED a polesaw. Many jobs don't reqire climbing. Quite a few waste time climbing to make what could have been 3 polesaw cuts from the ground. I probably use a pole saw more than almost any other treeman in the world-I don't think my way is the best way for everyone but it works for me. I admit that sometimes I use a polesaw to prune an entire tree and I could have done it about as fast climbing-When its close I usually keep my feet on the ground. However there are lots of jobs where I can finish with a polesaw before I could saddle up and make my ascent-polesaws boost efficiency. Solo Cat is an efficiency fan-I' surprised he didn't explain this to you! :angel:


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## vharrison2 (May 12, 2005)

Tree Machine said:


> Traffic makes having a groundguy critical and essential. Do you guys drive all the way down from Marathon, or do you have a division set up in the southern Keys? As a boss orchestrating tree care, it would be risky and unreasonable to send men out Solo, although my first boss did. I WAS the tree care division of his landscape company.
> 
> We have 2 locations, one in Marathon that services the lower keys. The ride to Key West is an hour, so we factor that into the quote. The other is in Islamorada and that services the upper keys. Really looking for a foreman/climber in that location. Lead guy moved to Orlando.


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## treeseer (May 12, 2005)

Stumper said:


> Jim, There seems to be a disdain amongst the current crop of climbers for polesaws. ...guys dropcrotch a whole lead because it is too hard to climb for those little but obvious dead twigs!)...there are lots of jobs where I can finish with a polesaw before I could saddle up and make my ascent-polesaws boost efficiency.


Right you are. My guess is thta the disdain comes from reasons that have naught to do with working efficiency or tree care. Like any piece of gear it's a hassle to learn how to use well. ( I use a flipline less than once a month, for instance--other means of ascent are more efficient for me) They're as easy to carry in a tree as a chainsaw--easier really cuz they're lighter--they'll snap on the same dogleash. Telescoping polesaws are the only way to go--too often 8' is too short and 16' is too long..

I often use mine to pull a branch to me so I can use handsaw or secateurs. (French words are magnifique! Le Meilleur!) Also great for advancing ropes--handlines etc. Also for cleaning out skwerl nests instead of climbing thru them and getting attacked. the list goes on and on.  

Like SoloCat my ground help is usually the client. It helps them to appreciate what goes into good tree care; the more impressed they are, the easier it is to :Eye: $ value in the service. Climbing alone is generally a bad idea.

Man vh I do miss the keys. Do you get into tamarind trees much? I'd love to taste a fresh one again; send me a boxful, willya? pm me if you can and let me know how much.


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## clearance (May 12, 2005)

I carry a Jamison tested pole pruner with two extensions up in the tree with me if I need it, TreeMachine is right about the fact that they can easily be hung on a branch. As far as getting your rope tangled, ha hah ha hah, another reason why climbing with spurs is better. I climb up, cut away, get my clearance, take my coiled rope from my belt, tie in and come down. After everthing that could have caught my rope is on the ground. I always climb r.o.w.s. with another guy, but when he is a few hundred feet away in another tree it would be stupid to have to wait for him to come down and hear "get my rope, my fu%$&ng rope is caught"


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## MasterBlaster (May 12, 2005)

Clearance, you have a spur fixation.  

I would love to get you in a giant oak, no spurs, just trimming. You would love it!


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## Tinwoodman (May 12, 2005)

I just wish spurs weren't so blame expensive. If they were a little cheaper, I could buy a pair and it would so help with my free-climbing-- so far I've never used a rope-- just free-climbed. Usually I free-climb dragging my tow-chain up the tree, so I can set it up high and pull the tree over. Spurs are rediculously expensive, looked like $300 for a good pair. Can't afford 'em yet.


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## MasterBlaster (May 12, 2005)

But once you get em, you got em.


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## treeseer (May 12, 2005)

Tinwoodman said:


> Usually I free-climb dragging my tow-chain up the tree,


 That sounds so primeval it's scary. "Free climbing" often means not being tied in; please tell me I'm wrong.

I worked with TreeCo--may he post elsewhere in peace :angel: --and saw him flip a throwball 60+' up through a tight hole to set a line. Saved us hours.


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## Stumper (May 12, 2005)

Tinwoodman-I hope your post was a joke. If not-Forget the spurs and forget climbing-If you need to set lines (chains suck by the way) for pulling over trees get 2 throw bags and some throwline if $30 is all you can spend, and use them to set a rope(you could dink around with chains but dragging them up into the tree would suck big hairy moose lips). If you can swing $150, buy a BigShot (click on the Sherrill banner and search their site) to go with your throwline and throwballs. You will save lots of time and be *much safer*.


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## Tree Machine (May 12, 2005)

And it's more fun than work. I mean, silently firing a projectile upward, accurately is just a plain kick in the pants. It's a special privledge, a fringe benefit of the job.


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## clearance (May 12, 2005)

Guys, I have mocked spurless climbing here before, but I worked with an I.S.A. climber who used his throwbag to get ropes in trees that we pulled over. Sure beat climbing up them. I have climbed lots of trees and tied a big bullrope in them to be pulled over with a truck, hoe or turfor. I climbed a cottonwood with a 1/2 steel cable to pull it over with a hoe, p.i.t.a.. Glad I had my belt and steelcore. Not primevil to freeclimb, I only do it when I have my spurs on, I know its wrong.


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## Tree Machine (May 12, 2005)

Tinwood, I can appreciate your flat-out _gumptcheon_(?) Your raw talent comes through, and I'd love to see ya develop your expertise with some pro gear. There's a safe 'way of being' that'll amp your confidence and allow you to do things you just can't possibly do right now.

Your success as an arborist hinges on WORK POSITIONING. That's the bottom line, no other possible way around that. You get in position, you fire up your saw, you do the treeguy thing.

Not being able to position precisely and in a complete, safe, bombproof manner limits your universe, at least in this profession.

You've never used a rope? Dude, you're missing out on so much _fun_!

========

Clearance, I understand about the use of spurs because they've been a mainstay in my diet for 12 years. On takedowns, I almost always use spikes. I would expect anyone to. You're an exceptional climber. You're up in British columbia and you have some HUGE humongo trees. Your conifers grow thick bark on their trunks and stems. Spikes are 100% OK on takedowns. It's on pruning jobs, _Tree care_, that there's the non-spike issue.


Do either of you climb solo?


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## Tree Machine (May 12, 2005)

And Stumper and Meulleur, Thank you guys for the kind enlightenment on the polesaw, and Guy, for the telescoping pole tip. I am getting one, I am getting one, I am convinced. The professionals have spoken. I bow in respect and will shell out the cash. Thank you. Uhhhh,.... I mean...... I'll tell Solo Cat what you said and I'm sure he'll heed the wisdom.


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## MasterBlaster (May 12, 2005)

Haha!


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## clearance (May 12, 2005)

Treemachine-thank you but I am not an exceptional climber, just average and trying my best. I know and have been taught by a few exceptional climbers who feel that they are not exceptional because they talk about men who taught them as "THE man" when it comes to treework. I mean crazy sh%t like throwing big tops over a three phase powerline when the slightest errror would have been fatal. Balls bigger than an elephant, worthy of our admiration. In the utility world there is a fine line between balls and death.


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## treeseer (May 13, 2005)

Tree Machine said:


> ... telescoping pole tip. I am getting one, I am getting one, I am convinced.


Jameson's is good; very flexible but strong enough for most work. Florian makes a set that is the cat's meow; one stout, one light. Their ratcheting polepruner does an awesome job too; the bigone isheavy but does wonders on the ground. perfect collar cuts made with gumption. The smaller one is great for in the tree for clean reduction cuts. 

Stumper the BS is more like $80., right? Or are you talking about with two poles?

Free climbing generally means with no spurs either, much less fun than using ropes.


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## Stumper (May 13, 2005)

Guy, The $150 was a round number for the BS with poles and 2 throwbags and some line. :angel:


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## Tree Machine (May 13, 2005)

treeseer said:


> Free climbing generally means with no spurs either, much less fun than using ropes.


 I free climb things like crabapples, light duty fine pruning stuff in plums, dogwoods and maybe magnolias, but generally, to me freeclimbing involves at least having a saddle, and the flipline ready to assist and facilitate the climb. At that point, it's hardly worth not clipping a short rope on, whether or not you use it is your choice.

Bigger trees, man, ya gotta hate going up and being limited as to what you can do, where you can go, and how precisely and swiftly you can drop into position for cuts. Missing a rappel, even if it's a short one, and having to climb DOWN the tree, that's just working without having the fun-meter pegged fully to the right. 


I still remember my early days, doing things with what minimum I had. It was slower, less safe, very limiting, and way less fun. 

Joy can only be fully attained by achieving a state of fully unrestricted expression of your talent, and the confidence of not having to question your own personal safety. Becoming one with friction and gravity, that's where it all crystallizes. That's what we, as technical climbers, nourish ourselves with.


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## ozy365 (May 13, 2005)

Anybody spending $20 on the water balloon sling shot in the Northern tools catalog? If it will hurl a water balloon 100yards, I imagine it will handle a shot bag and some line...

Posted by one cheap a$$ solo climber


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## MasterBlaster (May 13, 2005)

I always wondered about that cannon thing, myself.

Stihl, I bought a BS.


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## Tree Machine (May 13, 2005)

Blaster, your avatar is tasteless. Why don't you get something gentler, like Pat Benatar in a smoky bar.


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## MasterBlaster (May 13, 2005)

It _does_ go with the "Blaster" theme though, eh?


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## Tree Machine (May 13, 2005)

Yes, yes it does.


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## MasterBlaster (May 13, 2005)

So, I'm tasteless now, eh?


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## Tree Machine (May 13, 2005)

No, Dude, you're not tasteless. You've got 134 billion tons of taste. It's your avatar


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## MasterBlaster (May 13, 2005)

Not a _Pulp Fiction_ fan?


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## Tree Machine (May 13, 2005)

Never have seen it, but your sport shooter looks like Keenau Reeves.


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## MasterBlaster (May 13, 2005)

Trust me bro, see the movie.


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## jason j ladue (May 14, 2005)

tm, you are a funny guy! the other day,out working some where, i was kinda wondering who solo cat might be. dude, you are funny guy. great thread btw. and you should know the difference between keannu reeves and john travolta. also there is a differenece between stylized violence and glorified violence. dintcha see kill bill either?


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## Tree Machine (May 14, 2005)

*Uhh, I'll tell Solo Cat that Jason J Ladue thinks TM is funny*



jason j ladue said:


> tm, you are a funny guy! i was kinda wondering who solo cat might be. dude, you are funny guy.


(Shhhhhh! You're gonna blow my cover.)


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## MasterBlaster (May 14, 2005)

I bet Solo Cat has seen _Pulp Fiction._


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## Thor's Hammer (May 14, 2005)

Pulp fiction blows away Kill bill - But not as good as Lock Stock & 2 smokin Barrels or Snatch


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## Tree Machine (May 14, 2005)

Uhhh, I called Solo Cat and checked. _Pulp Fiction_ is one of those movies that has managed to evade him. He said he'll pick it up on your recommendation.

SC asks JJL, besides stylized violence and glorified violence, are there there other flavors of violence here in America. Commercial violence? Recreational violence? Personal violence, mass violence. Every shade of violence here in America. A veritable all-you-can-eat buffet of violence. A level of violence for every mood.

I watched _Kill Bill_ but fell asleep 3/4 of the way through. Does that count as having seen it?


Hammer said:


> Lock Stock & 2 smokin Barrels of Snatch


Is that like _Sleepless in Seattle_?


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## jason j ladue (May 14, 2005)

how bout resevoir dogs. hey tm, i am a peaceful guy, some have gone so far as to accuse me of being a hippy. they are no longer living -of course, but that is a whole nother topic. dont deny the nature of our existence. it is violent. i'm not talking about americans, or even humans. think about the very formation of our universe -the big bang (sorry in advance to all the god freaks in the room). plate tectonics, the elements responsible for the formation of our continents and geography. the world is a violent place. one specie displacing another (or, in the case of homsapiens, it's self). so dont let a little gunfire, or depiction of gang warfare bother ya _too _ much. it is just a movie after all...


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## Tree Machine (May 15, 2005)

Ya Mon, I get ya.

Here's the kinda violence that gets my blood crankin......


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## Tree Machine (May 15, 2005)

Tis the season....


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## jason j ladue (May 15, 2005)

cool. i was watching a thing on pbs today about the hurricane season on the keys of fla. 
ya know, dont get me wrong. i dont like the ugly violence that takes place between and by the hands of people everyday; but i think the violence which is portrayed in movies and television is as much a reflection of society as the other way around. and i certainly dont mean to try and change anyones mind or start any kind of debate on the topic. i'm glad my imput wasn't taken that way. peace y'all...


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## kator (Aug 7, 2014)

I see this thread is very old, but let's try to get more of it. As of today I not only work alone up the tree, but learn it without an instructor. I think everyday about risks of this approach. I make mistakes and learn from them. Knock on wood they did not cause severe consequences so far. Let's leave the productivity or convenience of this approach and focus on life and healh safety.
I assume most small jobs don't have another climber on side able to perform aerial rescue.
My thoughts so far are:
If you fall 40 feet, your ground buddy is almost certainly good only for calling the coroner.
However, if you fall or hurt yourself and are still alive you have two possibilities.
One is when you still can use your cellphone and call for help by yourself.
Second, you are so hurt that you are either unconscious or hurt so much that you are not able to do anything (cut your hand with a chainsaw for example).
That is the only chance I am taking in my believe. How slim of fat these chances are?
I know you should have someone on the ground, but shouldn't you also obey speed limits, even if caps don't watch? We take chances in life here and there, so let's not be judgmental.

What other safety factors you can point?
I read plenty of climbing fatal accident reports to learn what can go wrong, and most of them involve experienced climbers (with always someone on the ground).


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## DR. P. Proteus (Aug 7, 2014)

MasterBlaster said:


> But that's another trick to being a good tree dood. Don't get pissed off easily...



Oh and here I thought I would make a real good tree dood cause I'm always pissed off.

But I think the days of getting up in a 125 foot tulip to hammer out a couple limbs over the house all by myself are gone but I would still prune a kwanzan.


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## DR. P. Proteus (Aug 7, 2014)

Tree Machine said:


> If you're silly enough to climb and work solo, you should feel lucky to chew through limbs with your teeth.
> 
> Why.... do you know how many disadvantages there are to climbing alone? You would miss out on privledges such as workman's comp insurance, payroll taxes, employee wages and such. If equipment goes down, or gets lost, there is no one to blame but yourself.
> 
> ...



What happened to the Tree Machine anyway?


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## treeclimber101 (Aug 7, 2014)

My extent of working alone is cutting up wood while Joe empties the chip truck ... Other then that I hang with a buddy . I've already cut my arm so bad with a pole saw that I passed out in the heat , my thoughts is that was my pass if I was alone I woulda been in a box ... A big box but a box none the less


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## MasterBlaster (Aug 7, 2014)

That sure was a horrible wound he suffered!


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## kator (Aug 7, 2014)

How it happened?


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## MasterBlaster (Aug 7, 2014)

He backed into a stump grinder. IIRC, it was idling down...


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## kator (Aug 7, 2014)

How heavy is a that chainsaw in your profile picture? I am planning to buy a budget 20" chainsaw which is 22lb heavy. For now even 10" Echo feels heavy on me in a tree, so I don't know how realistic it is to work with such weight.


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## MasterBlaster (Aug 7, 2014)

It's an 044. Not bad weightwise, but I'm strong - like bear.


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## treeclimber101 (Aug 7, 2014)

OMG ....... The thought of that just made my stomach light ....


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## kator (Aug 7, 2014)

So what do you use guys to chop trunks over 20" up in the air?


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## MasterBlaster (Aug 7, 2014)

<<<<<<<<<<<


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## kator (Aug 7, 2014)

Well, it is about 18lb with a chain. And you need to be strong like a bear for it?


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## MasterBlaster (Aug 7, 2014)

You can't be weak like doe, for sure!


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## kator (Aug 7, 2014)

I already found out that tree climbing is not for sissies. It happened to be a tough workout for me, but I am getting in shape, and it makes me feel so good. I am showing off like a peacock.
I guess I will weight a piece of limb and get it up to the tree to check how it feels to move it around on spikes. These are leaners, so it worsens the matter for me.


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## tree MDS (Aug 7, 2014)

What about queer like three dollar bill??


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## kator (Aug 7, 2014)

Don't try to be too funny. It may bite you. Wait until you will go through menopause. You will know then how it feels.


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## treeclimber101 (Aug 7, 2014)

Ha ..... You got served Paul ... By a guy who can't handle a saw none the less


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## tree MDS (Aug 7, 2014)

treeclimber101 said:


> Ha ..... You got served Paul ... By a guy who can't handle a saw none the less



Yeah.. well, by that logic menopause is gonna be a real "bear" for you too. So I wouldn't chuckle too hard there, Porks. lol


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## kator (Aug 7, 2014)

At least I can handle some jokes. I also thiink I can handle a chainsaw better than that guy http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5bc_1383115726.
I still have every reason to be a peacock or a rooster.


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## KenJax Tree (Aug 7, 2014)

Hopefully you don't complain to the mods like a poosy like blaster


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## Toddppm (Aug 7, 2014)

AA?? That you? 3 time limit on his name too, be careful...


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## treeclimber101 (Aug 7, 2014)

kator said:


> At least I can handle some jokes. I also thiink I can handle a chainsaw better than that guy http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5bc_1383115726.
> I still have every reason to be a peacock or a rooster.


Honestly I don't even know why I click on a any live leak links they are always gross . So thanks for that


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## kator (Aug 7, 2014)

Indeed gross. Sorry buddy.


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## treeclimber101 (Aug 7, 2014)

Sinaloa chainsaw massacre ... If you wanna see someone misuse a saw ... That'll surely make ya vomit


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## treeclimber101 (Aug 7, 2014)

It's on live leak


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## KenJax Tree (Aug 7, 2014)

Yes that **** was disturbing


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## kator (Aug 7, 2014)

I encountered this when I was searching for climbing and chainsaw accident reports. It is really horrifying.
If I would use drugs I would feel very guilty of supporting these cruel monsters. USA is the biggest buyer of black market narcotics.


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## tree MDS (Aug 7, 2014)

All I saw was the Chinese guy laying under the checkered sheet and the docs talking. Probably glad I missed it. In fact I know I am..


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## KenJax Tree (Aug 7, 2014)

tree MDS said:


> All I saw was the Chinese guy laying under the checkered sheet and the docs talking. Probably glad I missed it. In fact I know I am..


It didn't show anything


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## tree MDS (Aug 7, 2014)

KenJax Tree said:


> It didn't show anything



Thanks for clearing up any confusion for me. Lol


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## treeclimber101 (Aug 7, 2014)

kator said:


> I encountered this when I was searching for climbing and chainsaw accident reports. It is really horrifying.
> If I would use drugs I would feel very guilty of supporting these cruel monsters. USA is the biggest buyer of black market narcotics.


And there weed is trash too . Pure trash ... I dunno about the cocaine or heroin but the grass what a joke , guys were bragging one day about how freakin awesome there grass is , I was likened if your on a desert island with nothing it's awesome ...


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## pro94lt (Aug 7, 2014)

MasterBlaster said:


> I bet Solo Cat has seen _Pulp Fiction._


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## MasterBlaster (Aug 7, 2014)

Who hasn't???


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## Zale (Aug 8, 2014)

Master Bieber, is it true you played the Gimp's stunt double?


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