arbor master training

[tinman44]

has anyone here attended any of these classes? i'm thinking of attending them myself to maybe learn some skills i dont have. i wanna know costs verses value of skills taught.

 

[blackwaterguide]

worth it?

I started climbing for an older man who drove the chip truck and owned allthe equipment. We used hemp rope. No saddles, just bosun seats
I believe that most climber are not certified aborists, nor do they wish to be. they have been climbing for years and started as I did--the old man telling the way to do things. These days, the certification is being shoved down our throat. The tcia and nat. arborist assoc. are truly pushing us toward the first step of unionization. It ain't subtle, folks.
I started climbing for old man Brewer when I was 13, after school. It proved to be invaluble to me. My advice is to find a well heeled climber to show you "the ropes". Be his apprentice and make sure he fulfills the role of mentor. Later, if you want the paperwork behind you, then pay the exorbitant rate of those tapes and classes you're asking about.
Work slow and careful, using all your falculties every moment. Good luck to you.

 

[P_woozel]

I am getting sick of the "arbormaster" boys always being at just about every function I attend, seems they are not really masters, just the only game in town. If you have the spare cash and time by all means attend, they arent morons, you will learn something more than you know now, just keep in mind they arent even close to any sort of deployable system. :blob5:

 

[OutOnaLimb]

Of course they arnt a deployable system, they are a training system, but Rip Tomkins, Ken Palmer, Sean Greer, and Mike House have put in their time in the trees and know thier stuff. I sent my Groundie to a course here in Longmont last summer and he walked away with a lot of knowlege. He even came back and taught me some nifty little tricks.

Kenn

 

[Ax-man]

If you can afford the class take it by all means, you won't regret it. It is a lot of up front money but the skills learned will last you a lifetime, consider it an investment.

I took the classes two years after the program was concieved. I don't know how much the program has changed since then, there has also been mixed feelings about the program since then. It depends on the individual as to how much one will get out of it.

One statement that was made when I took the classes was that bad habits are passed from one climber or cutter to the next one with no standard to measure against. Why not learn from some of the best and not have to break bad habits later down the road. By taking the classes you will have some good skills to pass on. IMO, this program has helped advance our industry in skills and training as opposed to just learning from some self taught tree guy who may or may not know what he is doing.

just my two cents for what it worth

Larry

 

[Dadatwins]

You will get as much out of the training classes as you are willing to listen too. Depending on your skill level a lot of info may seem to be redundant but sometimes if you can pick up one or two tips that save you some time or help you to work safer it will be worth it. I recently went to a tree fall demo in VA beach with M. Chisholm. Not one of the 'arbomasters' but a respected climber in the field. Did a pretty straightforward simple removal of a pine tree in the park and showed a neat trick (I thought) to prevent a some limb swing-out when the rigging point is not vertical to the attachment and will let the limb swing. He showed a simpler method than I had used for many years that will save time and energy. That in itself was worth it for me. As for cost vs. value of skills learned it depends on the value of your speed and safety on the job. If you can learn something that improves both, its worth it.

 

[underwor]

I went to their training session in Charlotte a few years back. It was a group of 13 college instructors, sponsored by Vermeer, Husky, Bartlett, Sherrill and others. Some were beginners, some, like myself had 30+ years of bad habits, but all of us learned something we could use. Some of it I don't use myself on the job, but I have shown the techniques to students and some of them have told me how great they work. The more tricks you know to make the work easier and safer, the better the chance you have of tweaking your regular techniques when the occassion to do so occurs.

I think enough of their training to make it an alternative to my own climbing class for the online programs I offer in Urban Forestry and Arboriculture.

Bob