equipment for a tree crew

[Yellowdog]

Here's a few questions for you guys.. What equipment would you equip a tree crew with who would be mostly trimming and doing occasional takedowns. We already have large equipment but I am looking for ideas to equip climbers (minus their own safety gear). Also, do any of you have experience with Silky brand pole/hand saws?
Any insight would be appreciated.

 

[Stumper]

Silky saws are awesome cutting tools. They are ,however somewhat more fragil than some of the competition. (part of the reason they cut so well/fast is their extremely thin blade) A cheaper but more robust alternative is the Corona line of saws. (I use both and love the Silky but I'm not sure I would buy them for anyone else-the personal investment makes one a little more careful to get some use out of the tool before breaking it!) You need to have a good pole pruner to. The Corona 1600(?)"bull Lopper is excellent. So is the Marvin/Sherrill head. Avoid the Snap cut and other 'center cut' pruners.

As to what climbers need besides their Saddles ,lanyards and climbing lines....... A good small chainsaw. Stihl makes the 020T/ms200(most popular) the 019T/ms191 (hated by many but I like the saw). Husqvarna makes the 335xpt. Echo has the cs340 in tophandle configuration. Most climbers prefer Tophandle saws for use aloft.(Mike Maas being an exception but just look at his x-ray )The echo is cheapest -and a real deal .....Rigging ropes. There are lots of choices -stick with ropes marketed for arborist use and follow reccommended working load info and you won't get into trouble...... Blocks..... Slings..... Lowering devices(you can get by without these and with minimal ropes but don't!---Buy good ropes and then take care of them and the trees by using blocks and lowering devices.) A port-a-wrap is among the most basic and versatile of these and relatively inexpensive. Some like to use figure 8's and rescue pulleys for light rigging(myself included) but others prefer to stick with big blocks and a porty. l

There are lots more nifty tools but with this list I would consider your crew adequately equipped.:angel:

 

[Ryan Willock]

When I started climbing I used Fanno hand saws but then I tried the Silky..... NO COMPARISON!!!! The silky replaced my need to carry two fanno's!!!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

For small startup companies, using the socketed sawhead is good economy. for regular production work, having a long pole with a fixed head is more efficient. Each socket adds flex to the sysetem, adding effort to the cut. I like a 12 foot basswood pole with a Marvin or Ferguson head. The Corona bull is my favorite lopper head.

Having pole and hand saw blades that are interchangeable is a good economy too, one can get scaled discounts on bulk purchacing. I think the Corona Razor Tooth will fit in standard pole and hand saws. I keep telling the Silky and Wall people at the trade shows that they need to make one of these. The "buy our system" seems more American arogance then Japanese.

An assortment of rigging lines, long light ones and shorter heavy ones for blocking chunks out. An econnoly move may be puying spools of single braid for the light rigging and saving the double braids for the big stuff.

Light pullies are the 8500# CMI and heavy block are the yellow enamaled spring blocks. I've dropped the crews for the cheaper blocks and that sucks.

several lengths of eye sling and loopies so you have one for the big jobs, but dont have to use the monster on the little jobs. I use a lot of the bartacked CMI web slings for pulley anchor and rigging attachment. I splice a few of my own out of tenex too.

Seems to me the chainsaw thing is what you stratred out with is what you like. there is enough of that around here. Just have the right saws for the job, dont want to be bucking and stumping with the 026.

More and more companies are using quadies to reduce labor costs and add a billing element in. A quad and trailer are great for those "cut and carry" jobs where they dont want you dragging brush across their nice grass, and less raking too. Anyone who has done long uphill drags can appreciate them too. I've done a few removals where big sections were hauled out of the DZ/LZ right away to expidite the removal, Just as much raking, maybe a little more turf damage, but less effort for the ground and greater efficiency for the climber.

But most of all, allways have sharp saws and strong ropes ready for the climbers to use.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I've known a couple of small companies that run several crews who keep a partime mechanic working nights to ensure upkeep of equipment.

Though what I'm speeking too is just the simple spare blade or chain kept in the truck so a guy does not have to fight a dull saw for a $10-30 part. Or working on questionable ropes, or draging with worn out tarps....

 

[Yellowdog]

I'm anal (not perfect though) about maintenance and do most of it myself. It doesn't leave me much time for anything else after a long week and my family suffers! I like the idea of manual pole saws because there are less moving parts.

A lot of you guys seem to like the interchangeable systems? Am I correct? I recently bought the (I think Hyuki) or something like it with curved blade and hook on end of blade pole saw from Silky and really like it. Yes, I noticed it is awfully thin but man does it cut. My vermeer dealer carries those fiberglass poles you guys mentioned. Question, is it acceptable to break off dead wood? I watch some of the tree companies here working in the oaks just breaking off the endless (little) dead wood. If that is okay, would the hook attachment (similar to fireman's pike pull) be what is meant by hook tip?

By the way, I am grateful for the opinions!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

That silky saw is great or ground work, but is not all that good for in the tree due to weight and durability.

The problems I find with the fibergalss poles is that they are heavier, break easier, and splinter worse over time, especialy on small trucks that store them outside.

IMO if you are more the 12 feet away from the cut, you need to climb over to it. I hate wobbly poles and will only use extentions when it is only a last resort, like it would take a half hour to get out to make one cut.

Most climbers will snap dead twigs off. after a wile one figures out wich trees this works well on and which ones you need to cut everything. Green ash for one, is a tree that it is a waste trying to snap a twig off.

 

[treeman82]

A good set of throw lines and shot pouches. You can only get so high with a monkey's fist. Not sure how big the trees are down there, but maybe consider a Big Shot by Sherrill? Some bracing supplies if you want to get into that aspect of the business. I like using a bag for my rope as opposed to coiling it up each time. I am sure that there is a lot of time saved by using the bags as opposed to coiling by hand. One thing you may want to look into is a cant hook. Good for saving time when moving wood.

 

[monkeypuzzle]

Stay away from the Silky Hayauchi(extendable polesaw).

 

[Stumper]

Lots of good tips!

82, Throw lines and a big shot could prove useful but in Ydogs area I think a guy could GET BY a whole career without getting more sophisticated in line setting beyond a polesaw w/4 six foot sections.

JPS, I worked for a long time with nothing more than a 12'wooden pole on polesaw and pole pruner.(Haven't had a Basswood pole since I was a kid though-they are the best!). I would never go back from fiberglass sectionals though. I have 5'wood headpoles and 4 more 6' fglass sections on the truck. Everything fits in a box out of the weather so perhaps that is why I have not had splintering problems. While I understand your point about more than 12'being hard to do good work with, I find that 3 or 4 sections on the pole pruner has its usefulness in minor crown reduction/shaping of young trees, and several sections on the polesaw is great for quick setting of lines-if I had a Big Shot I might not like that method as much but it sure is quick and simple.

 

[monkeypuzzle]

I should say thay the Silky polesaw BLADE is a cutting machine, just the pole part is crap.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

As I said having the sectional poles is good economy for a small truck operation. My peoblem with sectional poles is the inherant slop you get with each joint, especialy if it is right under the head section. This is especialy true of you are working tips that have a lot of flex in them, With the branch moving and your pole moving in several places you end up fighting your tools.

Oh and a leatherman or like tool to cary in tree so that you can tighten the screws on the saw blade and what ever else may go wrong.

I got a buddy who carries a small line pouch for spare gloves, tools a small line and ball...

 

[Yellowdog]

Thanks! I really like my Silky. I have been using it quite a bit on the ranch and I am thinking of getting a few more. I enjoy the quiet of this type of work over running my equipment all the time! Still need to find some local climbers for the high stuff, though.

 

[Yellowdog]

I plan on mostly working on large ranches. I have a Kawasaki mule that I intend to load up with necessary supplies to keep everything tight and have what I need at each work area. It works great on this little ranch and makes me a heck of a lot more productive. Anyone ever use ATV's like that?

 

[treeman82]

Do you have a winch on your ATV? Those can prove to be very handy for moving brush around.

 

[Reed]

Yellow Dog,

still here in Freddyburg - removals being the thrust of the work. Had several Boerne take-downs (hazards are my specialty) but no use for (as per the contractor's request) your Vermeer w/ grapple. Still waiting on jobs needing it - have bids out.

Climber (2 if needed) at your request. Equipped and ready to roll.
Have you found a chip market west of S.A. yet? We're dumping logs at Sisterdale, often dozens of miles from work loads. I flat-bed home everything over 30" dia, will give you those if you want them. Trying to maintain a personal territorial limit to transporting diseased wood - feel a virulance factor in Kendall county is a different wilt type and more deadly than here or San Antonio proper, irregardless of the research at College Station.

We still need to get together - talk and show shop?

Oakwilt

 

[Yellowdog]

Agreed.
There doesn't seem to be much of a for profit chip market. The Bandera Coop here delivers leftover chips for free. I have heard of people stealing chips from jobsites but nobody seems to want to pay for it.

I imagine there will be a new oak wilt center in Pipe Creek. My neighbor pruned all of his spanish oaks 2 weeks ago and didn't paint a single one. This was spread out over 5 acres and there was a alot of oak wilt 1 mile from here!

I won't transport diseased wood. I will chip on site but don't handle it. Right now we don't do a lot of oak wilt takedowns. Used to but no calls lately. It was sooo busy then slowed up last week!

Give me an email sometime..

 

[NickfromWI]

And the splicing...

Have NickfromWI do fulfill your splicing needs.....I hear he's pretty good

love
nick

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I'll back Nick up on that.

Dave Ryan and I have had him do a few things for us.

Fred B. and one of his climbers got some instruction on a snow day when we were out there.

I've also offered to help him buy bulk cordage to keep his cost down.


BTW, Nick, I'll be up whit Dave for thursday and Friday. Let's get together for dinner or something.

I'll try to get you to splice an eye in some older blue streak

 

[NickfromWI]

that'll be the day!

Originally posted by John Paul Sanborn

I'll try to get you to splice an eye in some older blue streak

I am leaving Ripon on Friday to go to my best friends wedding. See you thursday!

love
nick