line clearing vs esthetic trimming

[Dobber]

As you well know, trees that have been trimmed for hydro lines do not allways look the best, I can tell by the negitive coments always directed towards my chosen line of work. First off clearing the lines is our first concern. Then we try to make it look a little better. We have all the same dangers to look out for while trimming as you do along with a few extras, like HYDRO lines, extra tools, and contrary to what you may think, unless the tree has fallen into the lines the power is usualy still on. We know the trees look like $hit. We hear it every day from the home owners, The thing you need to realize is, we trim trees in order to leave them standing safe and clear of danger, rather than always cutting them down.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I'm with you, Dobber. Everybody ?????es when their tree gets cleared from the line, but then they ????? even more when they lose power.

Sometimes you gotta massacre the tree to get proper clearance, and I believe those trees should simply be removed.

The main complaint you'll hear around is how the line clearing contractors don't train their tree trimmers all that much in making the right heading/ drop-crotch/ reduction cuts.

But there are individuals out there that try to do the right thing, and I'm hoping your one of them!



Ain't nothing wrong with clearing lines for a living!

 

[njarbor]

at davey it costs them 50 dollars a cut if the cut is shoddy so you need to make good cuts

 

[MasterBlaster]

Originally posted by njarbor
at davey it costs them 50 dollars a cut if the cut is shoddy so you need to make good cuts

Who has to pay this? The guy that made the cut?

Who's to say when a cut is shoddy? Sounds good in theory, but with individual subjectivity in the mix combined with a fine, this could turn into some pretty wack stuff.
If anybody looks hard enough they can always find a bad cut.

 

[Dobber]

I would like to say I allways make the right cuts, but thats just not true, I try to take the over all look of the tree into account whilt trimming. But my downfall comes when I am trimmiing a poplar or willow. I hate them they are dangerous trees to have beside the power lines, and some times I go alittle heavy on the trimming in order to make my job a little easier the next time around. These are my downfalls and I except them.

 

[njarbor]

flush cuts for example . of the county forester sees them he will charge davey 50 a cut for the damaging cut. the g.f. the other day had been babysitting usfor 3 days . i found out later that he was looking for the person who was making consistant bad cuts and unnecesary tree hacking . he found the person and him and his groundie were fired . im not sure why the groundie was fired though.

 

[Dobber]

Ah now I see, Flush cuts come as second nature, I never even concidered them, yes I always make proper flush cuts, and anyone working under me is required to do aswell.

 

[Dobber]

$50 a cut

I am going to subcontract myself out to Davey and charge $45 a cut , they save $5 and I could retire in 10 years at the tender age of 41 with a few million in the bank. I dont know or meen to make fun of the person who Quoted $50 a cut but that is the biggest line of cr@p I have ever heard.

 

[Gord]

Flush cuts or proper collar/shigo cuts? Leaving a long stub is better than making a flush cut.

 

[Dobber]

flush cuts

Where I come from when you see a stub in a tree you tell the climber or opperator to FLUSH it off, that is where the term flush cut comes from. Now a flush cut does not meen to gouge off the side of the tree, It meens a proper flush or collar cut if you wish, allowing the cut to heal. The fact that you try to lump me into a group, based on what you know of me, tells me tons about you limited intelect.

 

[MasterBlaster]

its cool, Dobber. I knew you didn't mean to say 'flush cut'

 

[Greg]

Like someone above said, a line clearance guy who tried to cut things the right way would get fired in a hurry -he'd be too slow. I've never seen a line clearance guy looking at the tree to make a proper cut, they look at the lines, look at the circle of clearance they need to maintain and start hacking, that is what they are paid to do.
I think LC guys should do more removals so they can stop the hacking. It is not the LC guys problem that the wrong tree was put in the wrong place, their job is to keep the current flowing, not arboriculture. I used to be bothered by the butchery but came to an understanding about what their objectives are. They only think as far ahead as their cycle --around here I think that they plan on coming back every 3 years.
--Not picking on you Dobber.
Greg

 

[Gord]

Whenever these discussions come up I think of a statement Guy wrote awhile ago. Something to the effect that "It's ridiculous to try and separate the needs of people and the needs of trees because they are one and the same." We need reliable power more than we need properly pruned eye-pleasing trees lining our every roadway. I agree that LC fellas would benefit from having a better understanding of tree physiology but the fact is CODIT doesn't mean a whole lot when you're trimming trees with a hydraulic-driven circular saw mounted on the end of a 5' stick.

 

[Matt Follett]

The unfortunate thing in line clearance is the the '10 foot clearance' issue, as stated earlier it is often a misjudge/improper pruning wound which causes limb failure onto the wires down the road...

I am presently teaching a course which has a few LC guys, (actually they are the ones who got it off the ground...) and this has come up as we talk about pruning and proper establishment techniques.

The truth is that the clearance does generaly need not be so severe (depends on the service kV) however contracts state x feet to mitigate risk, when really a limb may be safer if left closer and pruned properly.

As well often potential problems get missed, when LC crews not trained in 'proper' hazard recognition are out on the lines.

I think the work of LC crews would improve greatly if the service providers would spend more time on their specs, making proper cuts more important then just clearance... and we might just have nicer trees to boot!

 

[MasterBlaster]

I don't know why utilitiy lines aren't buried more often than they are. When I go into a neighborhood that does that it looks so much better!
I realize you can't bury the main lines( or can u?

) but at least more neighborhoods outta have 'em!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Originally posted by Gord
Flush cuts or proper collar/shigo cuts? Leaving a long stub is better than making a flush cut.

"It is a far better thing to stub a little, then to flush at all."

Notice the wink above dobbers post, he was pullin our collective leg.

Mnay times I look at a tree a ROW crew worked on and I wonder why they did not just take it down
???

 

[rumination]

I wonder what costs of burying power lines as compared to ongoing tree maintenance are. Anyone have any knowledge in this area? I suppose it would depend on the area, soil type, topography, etc. Of course, when burying the lines I suppose you'd have to factor in all the trees that would get their roots slashed, too.

Seems like burying would definitely be the most aesthetic solution.

 

[Dobber]

No problem I dont feel picked on, I worked for Asplundh and Davey tree in the past and was of the mind that any tree that couldnt be forced to conform to my trimming schedule should be removed. ( I still feel that way about poplar and willow ) Production was top priority, and my production was never called to question even though I often took the extra time to make the home owner happy. Now I work for a utility instead of a contractor and am given the time I need to make the tree look as good as it can, with a big hole in the side. I like this trimming better some days and others I feel I am just wasting my time doing all the extras.

 

[Dobber]

I agree with everyone who said that utility foresters need to be properly trained, that also goes for city and other esthetic trimmers. I got into this field right after high school and have been doing it for 13 years the only training I have recieved was what I could dig up myself , figure out myself, or what was yelled up to me from the ground, that applies to climbing aswell as bucket opperating. The only people I could ask questions to had learned the trade 40 plus years ago and have done no up grading since. The problem stems from the fact that Utility forestry is not a recognized trade, therefor not regulated either. Once the government steps in and says this is what a person needs to be a utility arborist and anyone who isnt cant trim trees, companies will be forced to provide training and proper pay rates.
Untill that time please excuse the fact that I and others like me, while we may not be as proficient in the trimming termanology, I will let my performance in the tree speak for itself.

 

[Dobber]

burying lines

The cost issue is the biggest problem with burying lines

1 the initial cost of a more expensive shielded conductor
2 the cost of removing all the existing poles and conductor
3 the cost of having to dig up the line every time there is a problem
4 public safety [ if there isnt enough ground fault the fuse will not trip and then ground gradience comes into play (Step Potential)]
5 trees will still come into play during the initial setup of underground lines and problem roots after wards
6 ROW's will still need to be maintained in order to get access to the under ground lines
7 home owners freak when we trim or remove their trees could you imagine if we dug up their yards too.
8 with above ground structures you can drive down the road or look down the ROW to see if there are any problems, and tell right where they are with under ground conductors the expence of mechanicaly monitoring every feeder, line section....

now take all of that and put it on top of your already high ( and going higher) hydro bill