New guy interested in climbing

joecool85 · Oct 11, 2007

I'm new to chainsaws, by new I mean that 3 months ago I had never used one. I'm 22 years old and I've been working with power tools and outdoor equipment since I was 12 or so. I've been using a Poulan 2375 w/18" bar and a 3hp electric 16" bar saw for the past 3 months and have logged about 10 hours between the two saws. I've also done countless hours of research online, reading books and watching safety videos. I don't just jump into something dangerous without research. I did the same research before I started building guitar amplifiers (dealing with high voltage, can be really dangerous).

Anyway, I'm interested in climbing. I don't really know anything about it other than you climb up a tree with a chainsaw and cut from up there lol. I can see where it would be extremely useful because you could "shorten" the tree before felling it, allowing you to fell a tree near a house or in dense woods where it might have gotten hung up in the canopy without the climber cutting the top off.

So, if someone could point me in the right direction or give me some hints as to how that all works that'd be great. A few questions I have right now are: How hard is it? Do you normally wear climbing gear like when rock climbing? It seems really dangerous, is it as bad as it seems, or is it not so bad if you are careful and do everything by the book?

I'm 5'10" 140lbs, and I can climb trees no problem, just never done it with the intention of cutting it apart.

GASoline71 · Oct 11, 2007

There is an forum here for just what you are lookin' for. It's one of them at the top of the home page. "Arborist 101"

Also look in the "Commecial tree care and climbing" forum.

Climbing trees and using saws in trees is a whole different ball game. Good luck.

Most of the guys in the saw forum are just saw nuts.

Edit: Oh yeah... forgot to say Welcome to AS!

Gary

2000ssm6 · Oct 11, 2007

sorry Gary

JoeCool, you need to get a MS200T and a MS361:hmm3grin2orange:

joecool85 · Oct 11, 2007

GASoline71 said:
There is an forum here for just what you are lookin' for. It's one of them at the top of the home page. "Arborist 101"

Also look in the "Commecial tree care and climbing" forum.

Climbing trees and using saws in trees is a whole different ball game. Good luck.

Most of the guys in the saw forum are just saw nuts.

Edit: Oh yeah... forgot to say Welcome to AS!

Gary

Thanks Gary, I'll check that out!

I can't wait to get a few more saws, a bunch more experience, and start racing saws. I'd like to start next fall some time :greenchainsaw:

**edit**
Thought I would share that I found an excellent pdf online about climbing.
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/afag401.pdf

beowulf343 · Oct 13, 2007

joecool85 said:
So, if someone could point me in the right direction or give me some hints as to how that all works that'd be great. A few questions I have right now are: How hard is it? Do you normally wear climbing gear like when rock climbing? It seems really dangerous, is it as bad as it seems, or is it not so bad if you are careful and do everything by the book?

How hard is it? Harder than it looks from the ground. Can't tell you the number of times i've had new groundies whine they want to climb cause it looks easy. Throw them up a tree and they soon change their tune.

Do you normally wear climbing gear like when rock climbing? Yes, i will not go up a tree without my gear. But tree climbing gear is different from rock climbing.

It seems really dangerous, is it as bad as it seems, or is it not so bad if you are careful and do everything by the book? It is dangerous. Think about it-you are up in the air, dangling off a rope, with a running saw in your hand-it's everything your mother told you not to do as a kid. And treework can be tricky because even if you do everything by the book, things can go wrong-i swear i've seen trees break every law of physics out there.

But i got to admit, treework is the funnest job out there!

GAS had some good ideas. Also check out the injuries and fatalities section-it can show you what can go wrong and how fast it goes wrong. My first piece of advice would be to get a little more than 10 hours of chainsaw use under your belt before going up the tree. You want to be able to run the saw by habit, because your first time up the tree, you are going to have other things on your mind. I've seen guys go up the first time and forget how to start a saw because they are thinking about so many other things.

Good luck and have fun.

adkranger · Oct 13, 2007

Joecool, listen to Gas & Beowulf, both made excellent points. I'll just add that you should practice with someone competent and knowledgeable first. Reading stuff is great, but this is the kind of skill set you learn by doing. It takes you years to learn how to become competent and safe, and the education continues as long as you climb. If you don't know any arborists, try looking in the "Rec Climbing" forum, maybe you could hook up with someone nearby or attend a GTG. You could always get some experience climbing w/o a saw or doing any actual work first to figure out the techniques and most importantly, how to be SAFE.

Good luck, be safe and welcome to the site.

Oh, BTW, forget 2000. He's just pimpin' for Stihl again.......:hmm3grin2orange: :hmm3grin2orange: :taped:

joecool85 · Oct 14, 2007

Thanks for the excellent insight guys. I definetely wouldn't try doing any climbing before getting a lot more hours in running the saw on the ground (as I had mentioned), and I would also want an experienced climber to help me out. It'll be a while before I'm up in a tree with a chainsaw, and I'm ok with that.

Canyonbc · Oct 14, 2007

JoeCool...

First, Welcome to the site.

Second, do you have a job/career already started...because it sounds like you are intrested in this as a career??? If you are then i recomend first working for a company as a groundie....you will get saw experince, chipper experince, and around climbers...hook up with them after hourse to show you a few things.

If you looking for more knowledge 2 books.
Tree Climbers Companion - Almost everyone on this sight wil second that
Fundamentals of General Tree Work - by G.F. Beranek (Great Book)
(Cheezy movie, might pick up a thing or too on basic climbing) Tree Climbing Basics...like i said it can be cheezy, but you will pick up a thing or two and shows saddles, rope, and other things you will use in tree work.

Good luck, be safe...the guys/gals...on this sight are full of knowledge...listen to them, ask questions.

Ekka has some great educational Videos.

Canyon

Canyonbc · Oct 14, 2007

Remeber you cant go wrong with a Stihl.

Just my opinion.

Other companies are good too...you can nit pick any company...just preference

joecool85 · Oct 14, 2007

Nope Canyon, not looking for a career. I'm finishing my last year of college right now and I'm not sure what I want to do exactly when I get out yet, but climbing isn't one of them lol. I have thought about opening up a saw mill however. Doubt it will happen though.

Canyonbc · Oct 14, 2007

hah. hey good times...well with what ever you do...good luck.

Industry · Oct 14, 2007

Where in maine are you at? I climb and would be happy to talk to you about it.

moray · Oct 14, 2007

joecool, you sound a lot more interested in saws than climbing. If you PM me where you are, and happen to be in my neck of the woods, I would be willing to introduce you to the climbing part of the equation...

Welcome to the site.

cantcutter · Oct 14, 2007

Joe.... I stopped climbing when I was just a little older than you are.... its not all its cracked up to be.... your young yet so there is time to get out there and start at the bottom (ground man)....that is how everybody learnes to climb.... its hard work and when you get there not many last long..... Its a perfect job for people who like hard work and show off battle scars..... you will get hurt.... or killed. Most climbers I have known only stayed at it for less than 10 years so its not a long term career goal.... but give it a shot..... if you want to race chainsaws check out race saws site.... lots of info there.

joecool85 · Oct 14, 2007

Hey, fellow Mainers! I live in Old Town right now, I'm finishing up a degree in New Media at UMaine. I'm from the Farmington area though and thats where I've been doing most of my cutting.

hornett22 · Oct 15, 2007

if you ever get down to Hartford CT area,

i'll spend some time with you.i know it's tough to get someone to work with you on this stuff.i couldn't get anyone to do it so i just learned on my own.be safe and take your time.GET THE TREE CLIMBERS COMPANION!

Industry · Oct 15, 2007

I'm near Augusta, so shoot me a PM if you want to get together. I have some climbing to do in the Fayette area this weekend or next. you can check out my climbing gear firsthand. It is definitely not for some, but I think it is, at the very least, an exciting way to make a living.

joecool85 · Oct 15, 2007

I think I'm going to hold off on climbing for now, thanks for all the help guys. For right now I'm going to work on perfecting my ground skills, then worry about climbing. I don't even own my own saw yet, I've been using my dad's Poulan Wild Thing. I did just win a 34cc Craftsman 14" saw, looks to be a Poulan 2150 twin, we'll see how well that goes after a muffler mod.

(WLL) · Oct 19, 2007

joecool85 said:
I'm new to chainsaws, by new I mean that 3 months ago I had never used one. I'm 22 years old and I've been working with power tools and outdoor equipment since I was 12 or so. I've been using a Poulan 2375 w/18" bar and a 3hp electric 16" bar saw for the past 3 months and have logged about 10 hours between the two saws. I've also done countless hours of research online, reading books and watching safety videos. I don't just jump into something dangerous without research. I did the same research before I started building guitar amplifiers (dealing with high voltage, can be really dangerous).

Anyway, I'm interested in climbing. I don't really know anything about it other than you climb up a tree with a chainsaw and cut from up there lol. I can see where it would be extremely useful because you could "shorten" the tree before felling it, allowing you to fell a tree near a house or in dense woods where it might have gotten hung up in the canopy without the climber cutting the top off.

So, if someone could point me in the right direction or give me some hints as to how that all works that'd be great. A few questions I have right now are: How hard is it? Do you normally wear climbing gear like when rock climbing? It seems really dangerous, is it as bad as it seems, or is it not so bad if you are careful and do everything by the book?

I'm 5'10" 140lbs, and I can climb trees no problem, just never done it with the intention of cutting it apart.

im a 23 year old been climbing a year learn from my brother.waring the gear makes it harder but also makes it easyer an safer.basicly iv learnded how 2 climb by watching on the ground no how 2 do some riggin by seeing but basicly u need 2 hav a big sett n get up in the tree n learn hands on a good trick is 2 hav a well educated climber 2 tell u b 4 u make a vitall mastake .alot of times im find my self comfertable but nervous about n un experienced rope man if u have a good n patiant teacher u will learn faster n easer ways 2 get the tree down safly without gettn hurt or damiging property.my best advice watch a good climber no question is a dumb one n get up there n start small.iv learnded alot from the right people good luck ,ps its a tough line of work butt somones got 2 do it:chainsawguy: :chainsawguy:

beowulf343 · Oct 20, 2007

(WLL) said:
im a 23 year old been climbing a year learn from my brother.

WLL-long time no see. But what happened?

(WLL) said:
its only bin 11 yrs in the biz with only 7or8 climbing

(WLL) said:
dont think trees round hear get much bigger than 100ft but im very willing to go bigger. i have 10 yrs climbing exp on the east coast but dont think im mental or physically ready to rig down any spreading monster mountain ash in small quarters like a_loppa and some of u other cowboys do wow:jawdrop:

New guy interested in climbing

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