How much wind is too much?

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... when I thought if one trunk broke off I would be split in two...

Adrpk, I thought you had climbed that sucker months ago... By the way, if you were only tied into one trunk, and it split off, you would still be in a heap of trouble. Probably preferable to being ripped in two, though.

... Took 5 and went back up to set a throw line at 70' ...Still trying to get to the top of that pine.

You love that throw line more than that tree! Leave your false crotch up there and you don't have to repeat all that work each time you climb. I just retreived one from my neighbor's big pine that I put up there two months ago. I had to climb up and get it (a good chance to try out my new SRT line). And no, it wasn't all ratty from three species of squirrels chewing on it--it was perfect.

As to the wind, a moderate wind is very nice. But a lot of the trees around here have weak wood and a strong squirrelly wind will send me to the ground. I remember being up about 85 ft with a friend in a 100-ft. hemlock. There was a neighboring hemlock of the same size about 20 feet away. The wind was strong and squirrelly that day, and we watched the top of the other tree come within 6 or 7 feet at times, or move out 30 or 35 feet away. That was a ride!
 
I like working in wind and like most of the other folks... it just depends on lots of factors when I might come down or not go up in the first place.

Topping in wind is risky though... I've tried to time notching and backcutting between gusts and been pretty lucky but it could definitely go wrong if the wind is blowing the wrong way. Swirling and microbursts are potential complications too.

I was holding the rope when a 25' Tupelo stem (bare stem, no foliage) broke out on a climber with only a notch because of wind... he notched it with his rope still tied up high and had just pulled the rope down to reset it when the piece broke. Wildest ride I've ever seen in person, both gaffs came out and he shook like a rag doll for 3 or 4 oscillations. The wind was enough to sway the whole tree and the swaying harmonics combined with a little gust are what broke it off.
 
I don't work in much wind at all. If I look up and see major movement 2/3 up the tree, I call it a day. All my jobs are always right over something or tight up against a house. The risks aren't worth it to me. I always need to do other things like bid jobs, work on taxes, maintain equipment, go to the saw shop, etc...

All that stuff never gets done if the jobs are coming in and the weathers good.

I'd much rather lose a day cutting and take care of other necessaries , than have to put a claim in on my insurance.
 
Weather advisory for my area today:


URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
514 AM CDT MON MAR 23 2009

...IT WILL BE WINDY TODAY IN EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL
AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS...

.A POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM MOVING OUT OF THE CENTRAL ROCKIES THIS
MORNING WILL CAUSE SIGNIFICANT WINDS FOR MUCH OF THE PLAINS TODAY.
ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-231815-
/O.NEW.KTSA.WI.Y.0007.090323T1500Z-090324T0300Z/
BENTON-CARROLL-WASHINGTON AR-MADISON-CRAWFORD-FRANKLIN-SEBASTIAN-
PUSHMATAHA-CHOCTAW-OSAGE-WASHINGTON OK-NOWATA-CRAIG-OTTAWA-PAWNEE-
TULSA-ROGERS-MAYES-DELAWARE-CREEK-OKFUSKEE-OKMULGEE-WAGONER-
CHEROKEE-ADAIR-MUSKOGEE-MCINTOSH-SEQUOYAH-PITTSBURG-HASKELL-
LATIMER-LE FLORE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ROGERS...BENTONVILLE...BERRYVILLE...
EUREKA SPRINGS...FAYETTEVILLE...SPRINGDALE...HUNTSVILLE...
VAN BUREN...OZARK...CHARLESTON...FORT SMITH...ANTLERS...CLAYTON...
HUGO...PAWHUSKA...BARTLESVILLE...NOWATA...VINITA...MIAMI...
PAWNEE...TULSA...CLAREMORE...PRYOR...JAY...BRISTOW...OKEMAH...
OKMULGEE...WAGONER...TAHLEQUAH...STILWELL...MUSKOGEE...EUFAULA...
SALLISAW...MCALESTER...STIGLER...WILBURTON...POTEAU
514 AM CDT MON MAR 23 2009
...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM CDT
THIS EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED A WIND
ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM
CDT THIS EVENING.

SOUTH WINDS WILL INCREASE TODAY...REACHING SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF
20 TO 25 MILES AN HOUR. OCCASIONAL WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 45 MILES
AN HOUR ARE LIKELY FROM LATE MORNING INTO EARLY EVENING. ISOLATED
WIND GUST COULD REACH AS HIGH AS 50 MILES AN HOUR. ELEVATED AND
OPEN LOCATIONS WILL BE MOST VULNERABLE TO THESE HIGH WINDS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WIND GUSTS OF 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED.
WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT...ESPECIALLY
FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES.

LOOSE OR LIGHTWEIGHT OBJECTS CAN BECOME AIRBORNE IN WINDS IN EXCESS
OF 40 MILES AN HOUR. OUTDOOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS MAY BE IMPACTED.

USE CAUTION.

Looks like I'll be taking care of some banking business today as well as visiting the saw shop. I've got one bid to do as well.

Took a large Pin Oak down last week in 30 MPH gusts. It was over the house and a shop so I roped more limbs than I normally would with less wind. I will climb in high winds but when the gusts get up to 40-50 I'll set it out.
 
It was over the house and a shop so I roped more limbs than I normally would with less wind. QUOTE]

Today was windy as heck, don't know the numbers but I had to do exactly like you. The bucket got the first 65 feet of this buck ten spruce roped down but I had to climb and rope every other branch out in the wind and cold. PITA on spruces.
 
Well some of you guys have crossed the line from bravery to stupidity.
I have worked under contracts that stated all climbing must stop at 30mph wind gusts. I have never seen a climber make it to actual 30 mph. I have held the wind speed meter and read 25 mph gusts, at that point flags are horizontal, dust is blowing, and you have to hold your hard hat on your head.
I saw a crane job, removing large dead pines, shut down at less than 30mph. Because the pieces kept blowing into the crane boom.
 
once the gusts get over 70mph we start looking at packing up, today was 90mph (live in a windy city) with showers so got some welding done. Depends on the job alot of the time, some jobs it can be a real help. Hedge trimming jobs can be done really fast as the cuttings dissappear like magic

Are we talkin miles per hour or kilometers? 90 miles is almost hard to stand in No? Not sure what the weather is like there but makes me glad to live in Good Old Can a da!
 
Kinda depends on what the job is. But if I'd have to put a number on it I'd say 30-40 mph.
 
15mph or more, i quit.

residential falling and trimming for sure.

out in the woods - depends on the sight.

but rarely do i go out when the winds are 15mph or more. to me it just makes the job that much more work.
 
Ricky I think we have a little bull####ing on the 70mph winds but I could be wrong...NOT!
 
Ricky I think we have a little bull####ing on the 70mph winds but I could be wrong...NOT!

Well maybe not cuz I've climbed in 55 or 60 mph and the roping was tricky cuz the landing was 10 feet over from my rigging point. Funny thing is the saw dust still went right into my face.:hmm3grin2orange:
 
Well maybe not cuz I've climbed in 55 or 60 mph and the roping was tricky cuz the landing was 10 feet over from my rigging point. Funny thing is the saw dust still went right into my face.:hmm3grin2orange:
I could say I've done gusts up to 50-60 at one time or another I guess.

The one day that comes to mind, limbs coming down were not only missing my customers yard but flying over the neighbors yard even, going into the next yard.
 
I could say I've done gusts up to 50-60 at one time or another I guess.

The one day that comes to mind, limbs coming down were not only missing my customers yard but flying over the neighbors yard even, going into the next yard.

Perfect! No longer your problem! Storm damage is a killer!
 
Perfect! No longer your problem! Storm damage is a killer!

010100010208010300200801184f13cad67.jpg

We went and got'em all out.
 
The key word is gusts.

This is Oklahoma. 15 MPH sustained winds is the norm a lot of the time. You just got to time your cuts in between the gusts. It's a PITA but if you let the wind stop you here you wouldn't work very many days. Also has a lot to do with the tree and the job. A weakened or dead tree is a no go in high winds. I'll do a nice healthy oak in the wind any day though. As with hunting, I prefer little very little wind when I work.
 
You guys are crazy, working in 50 mph winds, if the wind blows out my cigarette I'm making dust clouds with my back wheels, better yet if the roof is creaking in the morning before work ,I'll be watching Maury Povich at ten. You know that theres always tomorrow and there are no tree jobs that I know of that were never completed because of weather.
 
You guys are crazy, working in 50 mph winds, if the wind blows out my cigarette I'm making dust clouds with my back wheels, better yet if the roof is creaking in the morning before work ,I'll be watching Maury Povich at ten. You know that theres always tomorrow and there are no tree jobs that I know of that were never completed because of weather.

cable up here I can watch Maury at 10 then a different one at 11!
 
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