Ever run a chipper in the dark?

[AT sawyer]

Not sure if this is the right forum for this topic. There's been a tree service crew across the street from me all evening cutting up a tree in my neighbor's back yard (under flood lights) and his ground guys are feeding limbs into a chipper out front. It has been totally DARK for an hour and they have no lights on the chipper (One of 'em could've pulled a truck around for the headlights). This seems unsafe at best, nuts at worst. It's a big chipper with a wide open feed chute blowing chunks into a dump truck. Am I missing something here? Would you feel safe doing this?

I turned on my porch lights for them, but that's no substitute for floods on the chipper.

 

[lone wolf]

Not sure if this is the right forum for this topic. There's been a tree service crew across the street from me all evening cutting up a tree in my neighbor's back yard (under flood lights) and his ground guys are feeding limbs into a chipper out front. It has been totally DARK for an hour and they have no lights on the chipper (One of 'em could've pulled a truck around for the headlights). This seems unsafe at best, nuts at worst. It's a big chipper with a wide open feed chute blowing chunks into a dump truck. Am I missing something here? Would you feel safe doing this?

I turned on my porch lights for them, but that's no substitute for floods on the chipper.

An experienced team that is used to the machine should have no problem providing there is some light. To do it in total dark is irresponsible.

 

[TreeAce]

Its not exactly a bright (ha ha..get it??) thing to do but its prolly not as crazy as u may think. I have done it a few times with rain thrown into the mix as well. Assuming the guy or guys feeding the chipper have some experience I am sure they are fine. Sometimes flood lights throw shadows real bad and if u end up looking to much at one u get blinded for a moment after u look away. So unless u have the really nice floods that r up high then sometimes just lighten up right where u r cutting may be best. Hard to say for sure with out bein there. The shadows I mentioned can hide trip hazards and maybe even ....the ....BOOGIE MAN!!!!

 

[ropensaddle]

Its not exactly a bright (ha ha..get it??) thing to do but its prolly not as crazy as u may think. I have done it a few times with rain thrown into the mix as well. Assuming the guy or guys feeding the chipper have some experience I am sure they are fine. Sometimes flood lights throw shadows real bad and if u end up looking to much at one u get blinded for a moment after u look away. So unless u have the really nice floods that r up high then sometimes just lighten up right where u r cutting may be best. Hard to say for sure with out bein there. The shadows I mentioned can hide trip hazards and maybe even ....the ....BOOGIE MAN!!!!

Boogie man huh I got sumpin fer dat guy lol

 

[TreeAce]

Boogie man huh I got sumpin fer dat guy lol

LOL i bet u do. U mit look somthin like this guy..:chainsawguy: Boogie man dont want none a dat....

 

[beowulf343]

If it's really dark, even something as simple as flipping on the running lights helps a lot. Our bandit has the lights above the feed and while it's not a lot, it's enough to get the job done.

 

[ropensaddle]

If it's really dark, even something as simple as flipping on the running lights helps a lot. Our bandit has the lights above the feed and while it's not a lot, it's enough to get the job done.

I have climbed,worked bucket,felled chipped in the dark.

 

[Scrat]

Not sure if this is the right forum for this topic. There's been a tree service crew across the street from me all evening cutting up a tree in my neighbor's back yard (under flood lights) and his ground guys are feeding limbs into a chipper out front. It has been totally DARK for an hour and they have no lights on the chipper (One of 'em could've pulled a truck around for the headlights). This seems unsafe at best, nuts at worst. It's a big chipper with a wide open feed chute blowing chunks into a dump truck. Am I missing something here? Would you feel safe doing this?

I turned on my porch lights for them, but that's no substitute for floods on the chipper.

Last time I heard of someone running a chipper at night was a dude in Conneticut and he wasn't chippin' wood unless his old lady was known as Mrs. pinoccio

 

[AT sawyer]

Seemed a bit foolhardy, but you guys would know better than me. The crew got the job done and were gone by 8:00PM.

 

[oldirty]

I have climbed,worked bucket,felled chipped in the dark.

me too!


ever take trees down on the side of the highway with a crane at night, rope?

 

[ropensaddle]

me too!


ever take trees down on the side of the highway with a crane at night, rope?

No we never got that luxury here bro just headlamps and miles of line to restore with limbs and trees crashing all around you at 2 am:monkey:

 

[sgreanbeans]

Several times we have worked in the dark, we will shine truck lights off to the side so we are not staring into them, but still getting enough to see what we are doing, have a set of tower lights, hardly ever use them, nothing like adding another trip hazard like a drop cord into the mix! (always had this pic in my head of the brush catching the drop cord and pulling the lights into the chipper!)
Never on a scheduled job, only emergency's do we do it in the dark.

 

[brookpederson]

LOL-- what was their name?
Vampire Tree Service< (We only come out at night!) :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[AT sawyer]

Too dark to see what was on their truck. "Country...... something". The way they were feeding that machine I was hoping it wasn't "Headfirst Chipper Co."

 

[tree md]

I have had to finish up in the dark a few times when the job ran later than I wanted it to. I try to pick a cut off point and get cleaned up before it gets dark more often than not these days. It sucks having to come back and finish one when you are trying to keep a schedule (and it's expensive). I also don't like to run equipment after dark and disturb people during the supper hour. A lot of people do not appreciate that. Plus, you never seem to get a good clean up in the dark. I have swung by to look at the yard the morning after finishing one in the dark many times and the yard never gets raked well in the dark.

 

[squad143]

Yep.......

Although this pic was in the summer (lot clean up), I find that in the late fall, it gets dark pretty early. We try to get finished before the sun goes down, but sometimes stuff happens.

One time we finished chipping under the light of a full moon. It was pretty cool.

Never ran the chipper past 8 pm though.

 

[deevo]

Yep.......

Although this pic was in the summer (lot clean up), I find that in the late fall, it gets dark pretty early. We try to get finished before the sun goes down, but sometimes stuff happens.

One time we finished chipping under the light of a full moon. It was pretty cool.

Never ran the chipper past 8 pm though.

You slave driver you! lol!

 

[beastmaster]

You do what you got do to get the job done. You drive up to an emergency job at 2:00 am during a blinding rain storm you may have to do it all climb, chip,clean up in darkness. That is what flashlights are for.(I carry a head lamb in my kit) I am normally more concerned with with the noise if for some reason the job runs into night. Nothen seems to piss people off more then a chipper and chainsaws running at night(or really early morn.) Beastmaster

 

[derwoodii]

Done it few times with emg calls at nite. Nope not right not fun not recommended.

Ya feel like your been hunted by a croc or a panther. Somthin there, you can not see it but you know its gonna tryin eat ya.

 

[Tree Machine]

I have chipped into the dark, fairly regularly in the Winter when daylight shuts down early. People generally understand..... up to a point, like 8 pm is my limit and that's because of respect for neighbors. If someone steps out and complains, I shut down immediately, even though a noise ordinance comes into effect at 10.

Working 45 minutes into dark will save you 2 hours having to come back the next morning. It is VERY expensive to not finish if you can.