# Chuck n duck kills



## xander9727 (Feb 10, 2005)

http://www.turnto10.com/news/3255686/detail.html


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 10, 2005)

Well, so much for those being the safer models. 

Poor guy.


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## Stumper (Feb 10, 2005)

Sad. He wasn't thinking clearly was he?


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## a_lopa (Feb 10, 2005)

climbing into a c'n'd is crazy


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## NeTree (Feb 10, 2005)

I still stand by them being safer. 

This guy went thru great lengths to put himself in the position that killed him.


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## begleytree (Feb 10, 2005)

I can't imagine
-Ralph


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## Stumper (Feb 11, 2005)

Titling this thread "Chuck and Duck kills" is like headlining an article "Water Kills Man" about a man who holds his own head underwater for fifteen minutes.


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## NeTree (Feb 11, 2005)

Political-correctness keeps me from telling you what I REALLY think, Justin. But... I suspect you and I are thinking the same thing. ;0)


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## Dadatwins (Feb 11, 2005)

Sad to say, think this is more 'operator error' than an equipment problem. There is NEVER a reason to put any body part in the chute of a chipper at ANY time unless it is turned off, not spinning, and the key is in your pocket.


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## Proj Eng (Feb 11, 2005)

And battery disconnected if going in deep.


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## redprospector (Feb 11, 2005)

Any machine (especially a chipper, or chainsaw) is like a jealous woman. If you take your mind off of her, even for a moment, she will get your attention back. 
But in this case if you stick your head completely up your a$$. She will eat you whole.


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## geofore (Feb 11, 2005)

*Bio-hazard waste*

Once the body parts go through the machine the proper disposal costs of dumping the load rise dramatically. It should to be handled as medical waste (bio-hazard). Not cheap. It is hard to believe that some one would take this kind of risk. "I'll get in there and kick it loose" Oops! and your life is over. Where were his push sticks?


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## NeTree (Feb 11, 2005)

At the end of his femurs, apparantly.


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## xander9727 (Feb 11, 2005)

I posted this to break Erik's shoes........that's why it's titled as such. I'd never heard of someone dying do to a chuck-n-duck before either. There are exceptions to every rule.......this is also a possible darwin award contender.


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## canopychick (Feb 11, 2005)

Um...wow. Just...

**shakes head**


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## DDM (Feb 11, 2005)

I was to lazy to key up the slide show. Was he with a tree service?


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## P_woozel (Feb 11, 2005)

NeTree said:


> I still stand by them being safer.
> 
> This guy went thru great lengths to put himself in the position that killed him.


I'm with you on that. I still say they are a ???? good chipper, this poor guy made a real, real bad choice. Wow, I don't understand the thought process that led up to this.


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 11, 2005)

That's just it, there was NO real thought process.


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## tnttreeman (Feb 12, 2005)

Before I started out on my own, I was foreman of another tree company. We were on a land clear and I was running a highlift. I looked over just in time to see one of two brothers that worked for us (tweedle dum and tweedle dumber) standing up on the table trying to kick brush up in with his foot. I thought I was going to have to bury the guy with the highlift, because I was going to kill him if the machine didn't.


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## glens (Feb 12, 2005)

treechick said:


> I checked out the slide show and am completely baffled by it ?? I think it's a worker putting a piece of plywood at the infeed so as to cover the mess, dunno ?


That was my understanding as well. 

I figure they were responding to the idiotic/insensitive helicopter crew snooping around.

Glen


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## DDM (Feb 12, 2005)

I Believe that was cardboard to Cover The After effects! If you look Closely you can see A I Guess fireman carrying a piece to the chipper.


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 12, 2005)

What gore would be at _that_ end of the chipper? It seems it would all be in the chute and chip bed.


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## DDM (Feb 12, 2005)

MasterBlaster said:


> What gore would be at _that_ end of the chipper? It seems it would all be in the chute and chip bed.



The part that didnt go thru the chipper?


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## MasterBlaster (Feb 12, 2005)

I thought he was completely chipped, I guess not.


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## xander9727 (Feb 13, 2005)

Hmmmmmm.......He's got a point.


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## techdave (Feb 13, 2005)

Hi guys, I think the guy in the white shirt with the board is a cop. Look at slide 7, there is a patrol parked in street, and 3 or 4 guys talking are in white shirts. Board would serve to preserve scene until lab or med guys get there. 


Real ??? is where was his buddy or partner???? You can bet this aint the first time he done something dumb. If others had SERIOUSLY told him to knock it off he MIGHT still be alive. I feel bad for his kinfolk, especially if he was only child or solo parent :-( .


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## alanarbor (Feb 13, 2005)

Well, the news story said he was 51. I'm willing to bet that if you told him what he was doing was dangerous and stupid, he'd of turned you and told you not to tell him how to do his job. I worked under people who TOLD me you got to get on the brush and jump on it, to get it to go through, when I was starting out. Bad habits turn into people's perception of how the job gets done right, until someone gets hurt or killed.


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## techdave (Feb 14, 2005)

Hi Alanarbor, i agree with you, most guys dont want to hear it, let alone someine 51 years old. By serious I meant being willing to brawl with the guy if necessary. i would only do that if I knew the guy well enough to give a ???? about him, or to know he aint the type to pull a knife or gun. Or I guess I could just be smart and turn off the machine lol. I had to do this over a guy close to retirement who wanted to smoke in the mower shop. I was 23 years old and a FNG rookie technician and this guy had 42 years with the company. I did not call him out as that would have been disrespectful but I did ask him to get out of shop with smoke and when he did not I asked him if he would rather be escorted out by me or have me narc him out to boss. He cussed me and left and never came back in while I was working. Another


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## P_woozel (Feb 15, 2005)

In her post she observed in the photo's that they were latin, and because of that they were hard workers but poorly trained. I found that odd because when I looked at the series of photos I saw what looked like EMS types wearing the same uniforms, and knowing the incident occured in Florida, thought the dark skin was more a result of being in the sun with short sleeves on. I certainly didnt make any profile of their capabilities based on the color of their skin or hair. Well thats not true, I figured they might be cops and automatically dismissed their usefulness.


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## P_woozel (Feb 15, 2005)

Fine, you guys are right, I might be being a tad a..


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## xander9727 (Feb 15, 2005)

It's all good.....


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## ORclimber (Feb 15, 2005)

Anyone ever used the Chuck n Ducks with kill bars? That's how my '75 came equipped. It had a bar accross the bottom of the feed tray connected to a kill switch. That wasn't enough though, there is also a huge brake connected to the drum. Looks just like a chainbrake around the clutch of a chainsaw. If you accidentally hit the bar with your hip or a wayward branch the whole machine came to a violent stop. Very annoying, and hard on the machine. Anyway, wouldn't have helped that guy standing on the feed tray .


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## xander9727 (Feb 16, 2005)

"Some men you just can't reach.......like what we had here last week.......well, that's the way he wants it....so....he gets it.....and I don't like it anymore than you do."


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## earthwerks (Feb 26, 2005)

About 6 years ago here in SE Michigan an aquaintance told me one of his buddies was helping another buddy use his chipper. Somehow the 4-year-old son of the buddy being helped walked by the tree being chucked and his coat got snagged on a branch. Don't need to tell the rest of the story. I spoke to the aquaintance a couple years later and he said the poor guy was still a basket case. 

Oh yeah, I (attempted) to get into tree cutting (lite land clearing actually), and I gotta tell ya I have a renewed respect for what you guys do. I'll stick with what I know (dirt work) (that's why my chipper's for sale  )


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## NeTree (Feb 26, 2005)

What was a 4-yr old doing floating around?


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## earthwerks (Feb 26, 2005)

Watching dad maybe? I didn't ask.

On a different note, I store my equipment at a buddy's house (he's got 13 acres). He's got a 9 and a 5 y.o. daughter. Both have a healthy respect for my dirt-working equipment. And most wouldn't agree with this next comment, but last year with permission from their parents (and they get premission every time they want to ride the equipment) they started driving all but my dump truck with me helping steer, etc. (road grader, skid steer, backhoe, tractor). I constantly demonstrate and educate them on the hazards--and to respect the machine as something that could injure or kill. It builds and boosts their self-confidence in many facets of their lives. The father has actually thanked me because he was a city kid that never did those things. The 9 y.o even had me teaching her arc welding. I figure if they want to learn it why not teach them. I grew up on a small farm and had no choice than to operate equipment at the age of 8--and I was petrified! Dad sees the benefit paying off in a few years when he needs the 13 acres cut--then we'll see who fights over who's gonna drive the tractor!


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## kurtztree (Feb 26, 2005)

The guy definately did something he shouldn't have. The only time I got a little shook up with my chuck n duck was chipping hawthorne brush. threw the branch in was kinda big and whap in the back with a thorn owy owy. hurt for a week.


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## Old Monkey (Feb 26, 2005)

Whether this guy was stubborn, stupid, under the influence or all of the above, I hate hearing about something bad happen to one of our own. I always think about contacting tree workers in my area to set up some kind of fund for injured workers and their families. A couple of years ago a climber I know decided to take a top without an adequate face cut and busted himself up bad. Guys in our area talked about doing a big tree job with everyone donating their time and giving the money to the hurt climber. I volunteered but never got a call back, so I don't know if it ever came off.

I'm curious. How many of you guys would purchase and use that chipper if it was available at a cut rate? I've only read a few Stephen King books, enough to convince me not want that chipper,


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## xander9727 (Feb 26, 2005)

I'm not superstitious. I would run the chipper if the accident didn't happen near where I run my business. As long as there isn't a local legend surrounding it I wouldn't have to worry about the kooks doing stuff to it........or holding wierd meetings around it.


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## sedanman (Feb 26, 2005)

Ther's a whole sub-culture of freaks that collect that kind of stuff.


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## eyeinstine (Feb 27, 2005)

Hey guys, what exactly is a chuck n duck chipper?? I assume its an older model that has a the cutter wheel exposed or something?? as in no feed wheels???

Thanks
Ron


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## glens (Feb 27, 2005)

It's a drum-style chipper, which self-feeds extremely rapidly.&nbsp; You throw the limb in like a spear as you walk past and you get out of the way or you're liable to get whipped.&nbsp; Hence "chuck and duck".


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## eyeinstine (Feb 27, 2005)

Thanks Glens... thats what i thought.. I assume you can see the spinning drum then?? Thats gotta be scary! I guess they dont make them that way anymore??!!

Ron


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## sedanman (Feb 27, 2005)

When I was in my teens, I helped a friend clear his lot for his new home. We used his fathers chuck-n-duck to blow the many locust stems into the woods next to his property. We would toss whole dead trees (they looked like spears with root balls still attached. The chipper would eat the trunks then spit the root ball out. Looking back I am amazed none of us got hurt or killed. We definately were not using the machine with the respect it derserved. I know better now.


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## NeTree (Feb 27, 2005)

With the proper guards in place, you can't see the drum, and nothing gets tossed back out (fast, anyways).

But Glen is correct; that's basically how you're supposed to feed them. The feed chutes on most are pointed; the idea being you feed material in, and keep walking past while it does its thing. If you get hit, it's because you either have the rubber flaps removed (and yeah, I'm guilty of this), or you stood there gawking at it instead of going back for more brush like a good groundie. =)


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## xander9727 (Feb 27, 2005)

Word to yo moms!


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