First time saddle user, please help.

[Rftreeman]

Nobody around here wants to teach anyone, I have asked. They all have the same response,"Yep, I teach you how to climb, and then you become my competition."
I have offered to pull brush for free for the day just to learn something by watching. No takers.

I'd let you drag all day long, I think people feel threatened and are scared of competition, if you have a good business and are professional about things then one guy who just learned the trade isn't going to hurt your business if you ask me, then you have the ones who had to pay to learn the trade and it just burns them up that someone can learn it for free and people give them advice, I got paid to learn the business as a utility line clearance technician, but to most people, I'm just a hack with no training.

 

[Rftreeman]

I think it's more about the time it takes, I know it is in my case.

Just offering to drag brush is not enough.

New guys often just get in the way for at least a couple of weeks. Then of course there is the liability issue if there were to be an injury.

There is no payoff for the tree company, it's all a negative. Who needs it.

Future competition? LOL!

you have a valid point there, but for a small outfit like me I think it would probably pay off to have a freebie ground man for a few days to help drag but I see where you are coming from as far as the liability thing, I'd just make them sign a "release of liability" that would cover me in my state.

 

[Rftreeman]

Just what would you teach "First time saddle user"(thread title) in a few days that would make him a climber? Sounds like a bit of a stretch to me and another liability opening.

everything that everyone else here is scared to or can't teach him, in the state of NC I don't have to carry workers comp unless I have more than 2 full time employees correct me if I'm wrong and that "release of liability" would hold in court.

I can tell in 5 minutes if a guy will make a good climber or not so I wouldn't need a whole lot of time.............

so which one of us hijacked this thread, was it me or you...........lol

 

[AviD]

A 'release of liability' would be torn to pieces in court.

Just out of curiousity, why would a signed release of liability be torn to pieces in court?

 

[Jlarnard]

Well since comp is based on the dollar paid, whats the big deal?
Make it legit, hire em, pay em minimum wage, and charge them for the training. If you are too small an outfit to have comp, then don't do it.
My 2 cents. As far as me, I am not a trainer and wouldn't want to eventually get sued because I as a proffesional didn't train him in the
modern way. I don't know.... perhaps I just talked myself into considering it a lose lose situation.

 

[avalancher]

I think it's more about the time it takes, I know it is in my case.

Just offering to drag brush is not enough.

New guys often just get in the way for at least a couple of weeks. Then of course there is the liability issue if there were to be an injury.

There is no payoff for the tree company, it's all a negative. Who needs it.

Future competition? LOL!

Just out of curiosity, when you say that offering to drag brush is not enough, what would be an equitable trade? I am in a rather precarious situation here myself. I have been teaching myself to climb for some time. I am confident in the abilities that I have so far, but often run into some variable that makes me shy away from some jobs and would really like to watch,listen, and work with some pros to learn more than just the basics that I have taught myself.
I really dont expect to tag along with a pro outfit and get the job of launching up the tree and hold up a smooth job while the pros stay on the ground. I just really want to learn more because I am interested in the industry, and enjoy the work. Would I be competition some day? Not a chance. I have two businesses right now, neither of which could I afford to ditch in the name of starting a third.
Right now in my life, I am beginning to realize that I am getting older, and regretting not taking some chances when I was younger and learned the trades that interested me rather than what I could make a good living with. Among the top is working with and around trees, and I just want to learn all that I can. Dont plan on being anyones competition in the tree business.

 

[md_tree_dood]

GO BACK TO CUTTING LAWNS, BEFORE YOU GET HURT :monkey: :agree2: opcorn:

I agree, you should be learning from someone, not on your own. Second, if you're spiking a tree you should be removing it, otherwise in most jurisdictions you're breaking the law.

Finally, and this is unrelated to you, if all you do is spike trees, you're not an arborist. I get really sick of hearing people call themselves arborists and the only way they know how to climb is with spikes.

 

[Stihl Alive]

I agree, you should be learning from someone, not on your own. Second, if you're spiking a tree you should be removing it, otherwise in most jurisdictions you're breaking the law.

Finally, and this is unrelated to you, if all you do is spike trees, you're not an arborist. I get really sick of hearing people call themselves arborists and the only way they know how to climb is with spikes.

It's not illegal to spike your own trees. (not here anyway)

 

[JS Landscaping]

It may not be illegal to spike trees where you are, but unless it is a removal, its just a bad practice. Learn how to climb on ropes, personally I rather be on my rope then on spikes all day, much more fun to swing around in the tree, then to be standing on steel all day. I rather preserve the trees with proper pruning and deadwooding, ect then just doing take downs...call it a form of job security you could say.

 

[046]

legal or not... it's really bad for the tree.

spiking is usually reserved for take downs.

there may be liability later when a healthy tree goes bad due to your spiking.

as you have already found out... AS regulars can be a pretty tuff crowd. they are mainly warning you not to expect miracles trying to do too much too soon and not to get killed.

hey... everyone started sometime. so don't worry about asking questions.

read and reread the tree climbers companion.... then find an experience pro to learn from.

learn to tie your knots until you can tie them blindfolded.
to start with use ONLY knots recommended in tree climbers companion.

pay special attention to your lifeline termination knots. always use backup knots on your lifeline.

It's not illegal to spike your own trees. (not here anyway)