# Amature Tree Monkey



## purplewg

After getting an estimate for $300 to take this tree down I decided to do it myself. Bought a harness and up I went.


----------



## purplewg

And a couple more.


----------



## josh1981

good job looks great. Looks like a pro did it. What were the saws in use? 

beautiful country


----------



## clearance

Good for you.


----------



## GNAR13

looks good....what part of florida you in?


----------



## tomtrees58

joe homeowner wears your hard hat to start:jawdrop: tom trees


----------



## treeslayer

josh1981 said:


> good job looks great. Looks like a pro did it.



and you have been drinking heavily. and/or never saw a real climber work.

looks like :censored:
looks like a homeowner got big balls and a saw.
looks gone now.

so whats the difference now? not much.
he lived, more power to him.

Just don't insult me and say it looks like a pro did it.
$300 wasn't a bad price either.


----------



## lumberjack333

Stub city, $300 sounds like a fair price to me...


----------



## brokenbudget

wonder how much he spent on the harness?


i would've paid 300 buck in a heart beat.


----------



## purplewg

josh1981 said:


> good job looks great. Looks like a pro did it. What were the saws in use?
> 
> beautiful country



I used a Poulan Pro something or another. Forget the size but much more powerful than the old greens I have. lol

Oh, PP4318 I think.


----------



## purplewg

GNAR13 said:


> looks good....what part of florida you in?




Just south of Melbourne Fl. South of the shuttle launch center.


----------



## purplewg

tomtrees58 said:


> joe homeowner wears your hard hat to start:jawdrop: tom trees




I get the same question when folks see videos of me breaking a new horse. I figure if I fall on a rock it will help, if I break my neck a helmet won't help much.


----------



## purplewg

treeslayer said:


> and you have been drinking heavily. and/or never saw a real climber work.
> 
> looks like :censored:
> looks like a homeowner got big balls and a saw.
> looks gone now.
> 
> so whats the difference now? not much.
> he lived, more power to him.
> 
> Just don't insult me and say it looks like a pro did it.
> $300 wasn't a bad price either.



Well I have taken down over 200 trees so, I do have some experience. I also had redundant safety belts. One my dad used when he used to climb telephone poles and an additional rope backing that up.

I don't look forward to having to do it again especially at my age (57). 

You may not want to hear how I got up there to begin with. My extension ladder wouldn't reach the first limb.


----------



## purplewg

brokenbudget said:


> wonder how much he spent on the harness?
> 
> 
> i would've paid 300 buck in a heart beat.



It's a Miller tree climber harness. $65 new in the sealed bag shipped to me.


----------



## treeslayer

purplewg said:


> Well I have taken down over 200 trees so, I do have some experience. I also had redundant safety belts. One my dad used when he used to climb telephone poles and an additional rope backing that up.
> 
> I don't look forward to having to do it again especially at my age (57).
> 
> You may not want to hear how I got up there to begin with. My extension ladder wouldn't reach the first limb.



impressive job, especially at your age, sir. I'll give you that. 

Don't mind me, I was only ragging on Josh. 
what matters is you did it. now tell me how ya got off the ladder into the tree.


----------



## purplewg

treeslayer said:


> impressive job, especially at your age, sir. I'll give you that.
> 
> Don't mind me, I was only ragging on Josh.
> what matters is you did it. now tell me how ya got off the ladder into the tree.



No problem. I might not be your average do-it-yourselfer. Don't remember if you can see the house in the background but I built it from the clearing up. I did however hire an A/C guy to do that. I don't know much about A/C systems. The electrical I can handle with no problems though.

Log home, bought linear footage not a kit.


----------



## fishercat

*if that was my tree..................*

and someone quoted me that price,i would have left my gear in the garage and sat in a lawn chair smoking cigarettes and drinking sweet tea while i watched.


----------



## techman

fishercat said:


> and someone quoted me that price,i would have left my gear in the garage and sat in a lawn chair smoking cigarettes and drinking sweet tea while i watched.



Knowing you, I agree with everything you said, except that you would have had the lawn chair in the tree with you.


----------



## josh1981

south of shuttle center- any crocs up your way?


----------



## purplewg

josh1981 said:


> south of shuttle center- any crocs up your way?



I don't think they get much further north than the Everglades. We do however have plenty of these.


----------



## fishercat

*hey,*



techman said:


> Knowing you, I agree with everything you said, except that you would have had the lawn chair in the tree with you.



you just gave me an idea!


----------



## josh1981

purplewg said:


> I don't think they get much further north than the Everglades. We do however have plenty of these.



oh thats what I meant. Do they ever come up to your house!


----------



## purplewg

josh1981 said:


> oh thats what I meant. Do they ever come up to your house!




No, I don't live near any ponds, lakes, or big ditches. I have seen a bunch while hunting around these though. Way back when I was a kid and all the laws were different I killed a 12 footer with a 12Ga in a shell pit. This was the same shell pit close to my grandpas place were a little kid went swimming and came up missing. After I killed it I stopped a deputy and told him. He had the game folks come a cut it open. I don't know what they found if anything.


----------



## Tree Pig

techman said:


> Knowing you, I agree with everything you said, except that you would have had the lawn chair in the tree with you.



your forgot about the copy of Playgirl in his lap.


----------



## Jon22

Whats everybody got against stobs? Some days they are my best friend.
$300 bucks seems like a screamen deal to me but hard to call when not on site.:monkey:


----------



## josh1981

purplewg said:


> No, I don't live near any ponds, lakes, or big ditches. I have seen a bunch while hunting around these though. Way back when I was a kid and all the laws were different I killed a 12 footer with a 12Ga in a shell pit. This was the same shell pit close to my grandpas place were a little kid went swimming and came up missing. After I killed it I stopped a deputy and told him. He had the game folks come a cut it open. I don't know what they found if anything.
> 
> nice man. I wouldnt live near anything with em either. Sad about the kid.
> 
> Again nice job.


----------



## smilin possum

brokenbudget said:


> wonder how much he spent on the harness?
> 
> 
> i would've paid 300 buck in a heart beat.



Right on brother we got 2 sets and they set me back about a grand. 
What's with all the stick outs them things is rough on the old punkin head and your coconuts when you slip up and bust that old :censored: and don't tell me you ain't never slipped.


----------



## LarryTheCableGuy

purplewg said:


> Just south of Melbourne Fl. South of the shuttle launch center.



Ah. My father-in-law lives in Indialantic and used to work at the Cape.


----------



## purplewg

I didn't post every picture I had. The stickouts were cut off as I came down. I reached out an let the heavy stuff drop off the ends. Once the heavy stuff was gone I cut off the stickouts. Not sure if it is the correct way or not but it works for me.

The $300 I saved buys me a lot baling twine and diesel. lol


----------



## MS TreeMonkey

ahhhhhh, only $235 - remember you had to buy that harness!!! Oh and gas for the saw! another $5 bucks!:hmm3grin2orange: did you haul the limbs off or pile 'em up and burn 'em! 

so maybe $230 worth of baling twine and diesel!


----------



## purplewg

Yeah, I just have this thing. I don't pay anyone for something I can do myself.


----------



## highpointtree

purplewg said:


> Yeah, I just have this thing. I don't pay anyone for something I can do myself.



THEN WHY DID YOU WASTE SOMEONE'S TIME TO DRIVE OUT THERE AND LOOK AT THE TREE. How much would you have paid someone to take it down? $50.00 ? You did an ok job, but I hate it when HO waste our time doing estimates. Free estimates aren't your cue too make a fool out of us. We have families, jobs and other things a lot more important to do then waste time with people who don't really want a service. the person who gave you the price was more than fair.


----------



## purplewg

highpointtree said:


> THEN WHY DID YOU WASTE SOMEONE'S TIME TO DRIVE OUT THERE AND LOOK AT THE TREE. How much would you have paid someone to take it down? $50.00 ? You did an ok job, but I hate it when HO waste our time doing estimates. Free estimates aren't your cue too make a fool out of us. We have families, jobs and other things a lot more important to do then waste time with people who don't really want a service. the person who gave you the price was more than fair.



Didn't say he wasn't fair. He didn't come out. I just described the tree and situation and he quoted. I offered let him look at it though.

I got blasted on craigslist the other day for posting free scrap metal. The guy blasted me for it being gone when he got there. What? expect folks to call and offer you a job or something free?


----------



## highpointtree

purplewg said:


> Didn't say he wasn't fair. He didn't come out. I just described the tree and situation and he quoted. I offered let him look at it though.
> 
> I got blasted on craigslist the other day for posting free scrap metal. The guy blasted me for it being gone when he got there. What? expect folks to call and offer you a job or something free?



what do you expect? no one wants to drive around and wastew their time. as far as your last sentence. I have no idea what it mean's. nobody offer's me anything for free. I earn what I have.


----------



## purplewg

highpointtree said:


> what do you expect? no one wants to drive around and wastew their time. as far as your last sentence. I have no idea what it mean's. nobody offer's me anything for free. I earn what I have.



Allow me to make this clear enough that even the reading comprehension challenged would understand. Nothing is free. Not free scrap or free work. If the guy wants the free scrap he has to go get it, if he is late it's my mistake? Maybe I should pack it up, go sell it, and then just take the check to him. In your case maybe I should just estimate the job myself, call you up and say "hey, I estimated this tree for $XXX, you want the job"? Save you the work of having to go estimate don't ya think?

We all do estimates. I do estimates everyday. It is how we have to work.


----------



## highpointtree

purplewg said:


> Allow me to make this clear enough that even the reading comprehension challenged would understand. Nothing is free. Not free scrap or free work. If the guy wants the free scrap he has to go get it, if he is late it's my mistake? Maybe I should pack it up, go sell it, and then just take the check to him. In your case maybe I should just estimate the job myself, call you up and say "hey, I estimated this tree for $XXX, you want the job"? Save you the work of having to go estimate don't ya think?
> 
> We all do estimates. I do estimates everyday. It is how we have to work.



I think your smoking something!! don't mind doing estimates, some ya get and some ya don't. but you said your not going to pay someone to do something you can do yourself. so why waste the man's time. as far as your scrap metal goes, I don't know the circumstances, nor do I care. that belongs on a different site.. maybe scrap-R-us.com ??


----------



## purplewg

highpointtree said:


> I think your smoking something!! don't mind doing estimates, some ya get and some ya don't. but you said your not going to pay someone to do something you can do yourself. so why waste the man's time. as far as your scrap metal goes, I don't know the circumstances, nor do I care. that belongs on a different site.. maybe scrap-R-us.com ??




Wish I was smoking something. lol I got the estimate from someone I knew thinking well I really don't have the time and I would need a new harness too. Took me an hour to top it. That is all I asked him to do. I ain't paying a tree climber $300/hour.


----------



## fishercat

*I bet you would pay $300 an hour................*



purplewg said:


> Wish I was smoking something. lol I got the estimate from someone I knew thinking well I really don't have the time and I would need a new harness too. Took me an hour to top it. That is all I asked him to do. I ain't paying a tree climber $300/hour.



after you got hurt or smashed something.


----------



## highpointtree

purplewg said:


> Wish I was smoking something. lol I got the estimate from someone I knew thinking well I really don't have the time and I would need a new harness too. Took me an hour to top it. That is all I asked him to do. I ain't paying a tree climber $300/hour.



In all fairness. what most HO don't understand is just because someone can climb it and top it or take it down in an hour, doesn't meen it only took an hour. there is drive time (estimates,work,getting paid?), and no smart tree climber will go to a job without good help. saw and equipment maintenance time. (greasing, fueling, sharpening, repairing, etc.) then there's all the business time. (meetings for insurance, advertising, accountants, banking, motor vehicle, etc.) all this stuff that is part of the job, takes a lot of "time management skill's" thus the reason why so many good tree men don't have their own business. when you run a tree business you take away from your life and your family's life every day your working 14 hours a day instead of being with them. it's hard to put a price on that.... next time you think it only takes an hour, THINK AGAIN !!!


----------



## purplewg

fishercat said:


> after you got hurt or smashed something.



Yeah, its the risk you take everyday. I figured no more risk than climbing on my bike and dodging all the idiots down here that can't drive.


----------



## purplewg

highpointtree said:


> In all fairness. what most HO don't understand is just because someone can climb it and top it or take it down in an hour, doesn't meen it only took an hour. there is drive time (estimates,work,getting paid?), and no smart tree climber will go to a job without good help. saw and equipment maintenance time. (greasing, fueling, sharpening, repairing, etc.) then there's all the business time. (meetings for insurance, advertising, accountants, banking, motor vehicle, etc.) all this stuff that is part of the job, takes a lot of "time management skill's" thus the reason why so many good tree men don't have their own business. when you run a tree business you take away from your life and your family's life every day your working 14 hours a day instead of being with them. it's hard to put a price on that.... next time you think it only takes an hour, THINK AGAIN !!!



Ha you are a funny boy. I have 5 tractors with numerous implements to maintain not to mention trucks and trailers. I know all about keeping machinery running properly. I also have a small machine shop and 4 welders to make sure I can get this equipment up and running as fast a possible. Ha, you think a chainsaw is hard to maintain? You don't have a clue son.


----------



## highpointtree

purplewg said:


> Ha you are a funny boy. I have 5 tractors with numerous implements to maintain not to mention trucks and trailers. I know all about keeping machinery running properly. I also have a small machine shop and 4 welders to make sure I can get this equipment up and running as fast a possible. Ha, you think a chainsaw is hard to maintain? You don't have a clue son.



maybe you should take a better look at my sig. my equipment actually work's daily. not tractors sitting in a field or barn.

your not to bright "stubby"


----------



## Blazin

purplewg said:


> Yeah, I just have this thing. I don't pay anyone for something I can do myself.




Right on! You don't learn by just forkin over cash, way to get er done. 

Now spend $2 out of that $230 you saved and buy the snivlers a box of puffs.


----------



## purplewg

highpointtree said:


> maybe you should take a better look at my sig. my equipment actually work's daily. not tractors sitting in a field or barn.
> 
> your not to bright "stubby"



Somehow I knew you were going to say that except for the stubby comment. The annalists say that folks who use terms like that have penis envy syndrome.

With that said you have a lot of nice equipment that gets driven up and down roads doing not much of nothing other than hauling bodies. My equipment is in the dirt, dust, and mud day in and day out. 105° temps and they gotta run all day pulling and implement that has to run all day not drive somewhere and stop. lol

Maybe just maybe if you didn't have such a mighty opinion of yourself you wouldn't look down you nose at others so much.

Sounds like the short person. You know 5 feet tall but runs his mouth to make him seem bigger. lol


----------



## Blazin

Ah...the smell of Owned first thing in the morning. :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## purplewg

Blazin said:


> Right on! You don't learn by just forkin over cash, way to get er done.
> 
> Now spend $2 out of that $230 you saved and buy the snivlers a box of puffs.




Ah, but don't ya know ONLY a "PROFESSIONAL" can climb a tree and take it down correctly? :hmm3grin2orange:


----------



## Blazin

Heck, I fire a rope up with a "professional slingshot" and reef em over with the dozer...that count?


----------



## highpointtree

purplewg said:


> Somehow I knew you were going to say that except for the stubby comment. The annalists say that folks who use terms like that have penis envy syndrome.
> 
> With that said you have a lot of nice equipment that gets driven up and down roads doing not much of nothing other than hauling bodies. My equipment is in the dirt, dust, and mud day in and day out. 105° temps and they gotta run all day pulling and implement that has to run all day not drive somewhere and stop. lol
> 
> Maybe just maybe if you didn't have such a mighty opinion of yourself you wouldn't look down you nose at others so much.
> 
> Sounds like the short person. You know 5 feet tall but runs his mouth to make him seem bigger. lol



YOU KNOW A LOT ABOUT PENIS ENVY SYNDROM..AND ANNALISTS. did you learn that in therapy. if you don't want to hire someone.. then don't waste their time. I got no problem with the DIY PEEPS :deadhorse:


----------



## purplewg

highpointtree said:


> YOU KNOW A LOT ABOUT PENIS ENVY SYNDROM..AND ANNALISTS. did you learn that in therapy. if you don't want to hire someone.. then don't waste their time. I got no problem with the DIY PEEPS :deadhorse:



Ah, there ya go talking about your favorite past time again. Knew I should not have mentioned it. You won't be worth a crap the rest of the day.


----------



## purplewg

You know you guys can say what you want about me but, I do have the utmost respect for those of you who are real climbers and do it day in and day out. Most of you in the frozen north climb trees MUCH taller than anything we have down here in the flat lands.

I might have respect your skills but I don't have to respect the attitudes. I guess some of the attitude comes from the thin air up there. lol


----------



## KTC

what I think they meant is that most climbers would clear those knubs to eliminate some uncontrolled bouncing............... your rope gets caught, etc....

I see a lot of "latin americans" doing tree removal takedowns like that one, leaving a forest of knubs in their wake:greenchainsaw:

But at the end of the day you are alive and the tree is down somewhat safe????


----------



## ramirezhenry55

jaw dropping job...
adrenaline job heheh!

nice photos.


----------



## purplewg

KTC said:


> what I think they meant is that most climbers would clear those knubs to eliminate some uncontrolled bouncing............... your rope gets caught, etc....
> 
> I see a lot of "latin americans" doing tree removal takedowns like that one, leaving a forest of knubs in their wake:greenchainsaw:
> 
> But at the end of the day you are alive and the tree is down somewhat safe????



Ropes? What ropes? Tried that once. Kept getting tangled up in them so I leave them in the Jeep now. :jawdrop: 

Ah, I figure they will stop me and make the fall shorter.


----------



## Cutter1

Did you get a permit for that state tree?


----------



## purplewg

Cutter1 said:


> Did you get a permit for that state tree?



And how long have you been in Fl? lol Sabal Palmetto is the state tree.


----------



## Stihlcutter

*Estimate*



purplewg said:


> After getting an estimate for $300 to take this tree down I decided to do it myself. Bought a harness and up I went.



If i were the company that you got that estimate from. I would have quoted you more that $300 Running a climber, a chipper and chip truck, a two man ground crew to knock that out in a few hrs. Um i think you should have gone with that company. Not saying you did bad work, but that wasnt a very bright idea.


----------



## purplewg

Stihlcutter said:


> If i were the company that you got that estimate from. I would have quoted you more that $300 Running a climber, a chipper and chip truck, a two man ground crew to knock that out in a few hrs. Um i think you should have gone with that company. Not saying you did bad work, but that wasnt a very bright idea.



Oh it was a great idea. Took me about two hours start to finish. Took the trunk out to the road with my front end loader and cut it up there and stacked it for pick up.

Took the $300 and went and bought another hand gun. lol


----------



## Cutter1

purplewg said:


> And how long have you been in Fl? lol Sabal Palmetto is the state tree.



DF a state tree is a protected species that require a permit for removal.


----------



## purplewg

Cutter1 said:


> DF a state tree is a protected species that require a permit for removal.




Well SS, you are incorrect, look it up DF!


----------



## Lookin4lunkers

:monkey:


----------



## donthraen

why are you on this guy like that he did a good job he got an estimate than did it himself so what you lose bids all the time and work on equipment all the time so what its a tax rite off anyway and if you gotta fix things that much its junk so get new or get out also over 10 ft its all the same 10-20-30---makes no difference fall you probably die if Luke so get off his :censored: also I am a climber with my own business in tree work so I do no what I'm talking about


----------



## HorseShoeInFork

I can't believe I missed all the excitement! Everyone has an opinion so here's mine: I think you should put the tree back up and let it live.


----------



## donthraen

HorseShoeInFork said:


> I can't believe I missed all the excitement! Everyone has an opinion so here's mine: I think you should put the tree back up and let it live.



what if it had pine wilt or something like that


----------



## Josh777

fishercat said:


> and someone quoted me that price,i would have left my gear in the garage and sat in a lawn chair smoking cigarettes and drinking sweet tea while i watched.



Yeah, the price was pretty reasonable. The new harness I'm getting will cost nearly that much. But hey the guy did it, didn't die and sounds like at least he's run a chainsaw before, lol. Hope he had fun doing it too!


----------



## donthraen

Josh777 said:


> Yeah, the price was pretty reasonable. The new harness I'm getting will cost nearly that much. But hey the guy did it, didn't die and sounds like at least he's run a chainsaw before, lol. Hope he had fun doing it too!



the most fun I have doing this is wen the tree falls and hits the ground with a thud and everything goes well till than its all wore and nerves


----------



## purplewg

donthraen said:


> why are you on this guy like that he did a good job he got an estimate than did it himself so what you lose bids all the time and work on equipment all the time so what its a tax rite off anyway and if you gotta fix things that much its junk so get new or get out also over 10 ft its all the same 10-20-30---makes no difference fall you probably die if Luke so get off his :censored: also I am a climber with my own business in tree work so I do no what I'm talking about



Thank you Don. I ain't rich and if I can do it myself I usually will. I asked for an estimate from a friend who's son is in the business. I only got the estimate to help him out. He said he was busy and could get to it whenever. Well whenever came and went he never did back to me soooooooooooooo down it came.

Dang, if I knew some folks would get their panties in a wad I wouldn't have even posted the pics.


----------



## donthraen

purplewg I'm on your side some people just gotta :censoredff. Ive even helped people out with advice on doing it themselves after biding on the job so the guys that get mad about it can bite :censored: you did good and should be proud of the job you did


----------



## donthraen

johncarry said:


> 5 bucks a seed. Well, I'd do what the monkeys do and start swinging from branch to branch to get those little money makers.Now, seriously, how about using a ladder or maybe one of those long branch pruners to snip the seed pods off.



looked like a dam tall tree also you can get the seeds after you fell the tree easier and get more of them you sound like an :censored: hole that is probably to scared to get 2ft off the ground the guy did good jealous :censored: head


----------

