First chainsaw use in tree

[dayman]

Do you remember the first time you used a chainsaw in a tree?

I had a Chinese elm to take down. I remember vividly. Knee hugging. Good thing I had spikes on to get into the tree. Used a Mac 6 now that dates me...

 

[Lumberjack]

My first was a half rotten elm? in the front yard beside a house, and between 2 fences. Then the next day I did a hackberry (previously topped) (same place) with 2 house drops runnung through it. I got the pics, but I got to go to work, IT AINT RAININ!!!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Pines in NC. I was a radioman in the USMC, knew how to gaff trees, and how to stsart a saw....

 

[underwor]

1967 with Davey in Youngstown, OH. Used XL-12 16" bar and Super 66 with 30" bar Homelites on elm takedowns for city of Warren, OH all summer. Carried the XL-12 hanging from a snap that hung from the same belt that held my pants up. Luckily the belt never broke. Just pulled the 66 up when we needed it, but still a pain to start in a tree when I weighed only about 3 times as much as the saw. Yeah Tom, Shane and JPS I have put on a little weight since then.

Bob

 

[Lumberjack]

Here is the pics of my first trees.

First tree in front of house in the projects:

 

[MasterBlaster]

Its allways good to start small!

:angel:

 

[Lumberjack]

The second tree, hackberry, two house drops, previously topped (big time)

 

[Lumberjack]

Yea small first then these small ones.

 

[Lumberjack]

.

 

[xtremetrees]

Those three pines look fun.
1. Climb the tallest limb to the size of a top to catch later. Set a rope to hang other two shorter pines
2. swing over to shorter middle tree Tie about 2/3 from the top. Throw entire tree toward photographer, Hang entire tree 0 impact
3 Swing over to furthers pine do the same thing. Take right limb looks like maybe close to roof. Hang that whole tree.
4. Climb 1st pine again hang top. Rope out 4, 6 foot chunks.
5. Done

 

[Lumberjack]

Originally posted by xtremetrees
Those three pines look fun.
1. Climb the tallest limb to the size of a top to catch later. Set a rope to hang other two shorter pines
2. swing over to shorter middle tree Tie about 2/3 from the top. Throw entire tree toward photographer, Hang entire tree 0 impact
3 Swing over to furthers pine do the same thing. Take right limb looks like maybe close to roof. Hang that whole tree.
4. Climb 1st pine again hang top. Rope out 4, 6 foot chunks.
5. Done

HAHAHAHAHAHA

Not how it went at all...

Remember I was just starting out...

I was slow as all get out. But I have gotten over that.

 

[geofore]

first time?

A shagbark hickory, 34" ABH, top blown apart in windstorm, just enough for a spar to hang 40' to the ground but not fall out. Neighbor asked me to get it down before it landed in the street. Loaned me his Mac250 to take the tree apart (down). No PPE, just a piece of rope to tie me to the tree. Free climbed to 70 feet, one spar still standing but too close to the road to fall in one piece. Used the broken spar to get up in the tree. Saw was way too heavy (big) for up in the tree. The tree was a mess of broken limbs hanging. It took me all day to get it down in pieces. Stringiest, bar pinching, splintered mess I ever worked. Don't let your first tree be one that was twisted by a tornado, it sucks.
I did it as a favor for the disabled neighbor. His son, a professional tree guy, gets home from work at the end of the week and asks,"So how much did you charge my dad?" Then tells me he would have only charged him $100 because it was his Dad and I should have charged him at least $300 and still called it doing him a favor as Geer's Tree Service would have charged him $800-$900. The son hired me to help him do trees at $50-$100 per day depending on the tree and what the job paid. I was the groundman and we used my new one ton truck (Dodge) to haul everything. He provided tools and PPE and taught me a lot about tree work, using ropes, PPE, saws and how to hand file a chain to keep it sharp. When to say, "No, that tree is too dangerous for me to do." Bought my first saw with the money he (son) paid me for working with him and it was power ported. One of the guys at the saw shop that liked to tinker with saws and knew I was working with the son did it.
I think the Mac 250 puts me way back on the timeline. The no PPE would not be something I would do again. Too dangerous then as now but then I didn't know any better. That was a thrill to do but had my knees knocking the whole time I was in the tree. So the first one was a freebie but got me a lot of weekend and holiday work at what was very good money back then and training from someone who knew about tree work and how to do it.

 

[xtremetrees]

10 position kata

I had just seen a ad in the local yelow pages of a man rapelling.
Say to myself. Self that looks like a fun occupation.
That was in 94'
After 6 months. I started climbing while the crew ate lunch.
They would eat, watch and laugh as I shook shook and shook.
At first it was slow going. 10 feet, 20 feet, 40 feet, and finally 80 feet up a slick bark sycamore. I am still scared of heights after 10 years, but that is what I love so much about this art. And it truely is a art. Watching veteran climbers you see they never miss a move and a takedown becomes a effortless 10 position kata on the tree.
Youd have thought they were sleeping while the brush was just raining down.

 

[Dan F]

First time I used a chainsaw in a tree was in the climbing class I took at Purdue...

Sycamore slated for removal. The prof was using it as a practical. Decided to rig off the lowest limb as an example. Got it tip tied and butt tied. Climbing line was already set. He asked if anyone wanted to cut off the limb. Since no one else volunteered, I said I'd do it (me, the only landscape student in a class of forestry majors....). Climbed up there, probably less than 12 feet. Got the saw started, braced against the tree, cut off the limb. No one left the lines run! The butt of the limb swung back and knocked my feet off of the tree. Somehow I managed to turn off the saw (still don't remeber doing it though), before I smacked into the tree...

The prof was really worried that I was hurt, but I was fine. Just a little shook up, but fine. Haven't run a saw in a tree much since then (haven't at all in the last 3 years), but I have a good appreciation for it!


Dan

 

[rbtree]

You guys are gonna laugh.

But my first saw use was back when I worked for a landscaper, 1972 to 75. He had a couple electric saws, and that's what I used. Later he got a gas saw. I did a little belted climbing when there, and lots of smaller trees, under 20 feet. I got no or little training in climbing, but I learned mostly very good pruning skills from the boss.