Listen to This!!!

[StewartTreeCare]

I went to look at a job yesterday, a pretty big Silver Maple. Jaosn, the HO is a firefighter and is trying to sell his house but the realtor wont list it for sale until he removes a large lead going directly over his house. Now it is a decent size but here is the funny part. I have been in business for 1 year now, I have been doing this work for 6. Anyways last year alot of my customers were telling me that the other companies were talking #### on me because I am so young. So i get to the HO house and look at this limb. I tell him $1000 i will remove the lead, he shook my hand instantly and said get to work. WOW! that was quick. Come to find out, he had every single tree company in my area bid the job the average price was $3000 because they all said they needed a crane! Get the f*** out of here! I have alot of bucket babies here and there is no way to use a bucket on this tree so the next thing is a crane. So i got right to work, did the job in 5 1/2 hours. Small pieces at a time. I want to hear them choke on their own words!!!

 

[Sunrise Guy]

How high up over the roof was the limb?

 

[treesquirrel]

I hear ya brother! Damn good form and an excellent story! Keep it up.

This kind of thing is what makes this business in interesting and fun IMO.

I've done a handful of jobs myself where HO's said other companies said it required a bucket truck. My favorite job was one where a large white oak had a lead going almost horizontal over a roof. I secured the end with a high bull rope with a mid line attachment then dropped the running end down to the groundies for a pull line. I tied the base to the trunk and then cut a side hinge in the base. We swung the entire lead over to the side of the home and then lowered it gently down. The whole time a very nervous HO was watching and asking "are you sure you can do that?" It was actually one of the coolest rigging efforts I personally have done. But we did have an advantage of a very stout high TIP for an anchor. Otherwise I would do as you did and take out modest sized chunks.

Thanks for sharing and great job!

 

[tree md]

That's what I love about Silver Maples, tie into one central lead, rig from another and just swing around and lower whole leaders. Some of them can be a lot of fun.

Nice job BTW.

 

[Rftreeman]

back in the day before cranes we used a sky hook..........

 

[EdenT]

back in the day before cranes we used a sky hook..........

Yeah, I've heard you have to keep those things well lubricated with....elbow grease.

 

[treemandan]

Nice.

 

[Rftreeman]

Yeah, I've heard you have to keep those things well lubricated with....elbow grease.

you got that right, a whole lot of "elbow" grease fittings on that thing.....

 

[outofmytree]

Nice work STC. Large pieces can often be safer over roofs than small. If you drop a 10kg log butt first on a tile it WILL break. Then I have often dropped 100kg branches on to those same "delicate" tiles without any problems because when the butt is secured to the tree the branches and leaves make a dandy shock absorber.

I secured the end with a high bull rope with a mid line attachment then dropped the running end down to the groundies for a pull line. I tied the base to the trunk and then cut a side hinge in the base. We swung the entire lead over to the side of the home and then lowered it gently down.

This type of rigging is my personal favourite for the job described in the OP. It works exactly as the boom on a single mast sailing ship does and is very very cool to watch for your clients. Just remember the climber can easily be hit hard by the butt so have a swing away escape route planned and set before you cut.

 

[StewartTreeCare]

Your area sounds like a good place for a good arborist to get business!


Why small pieces?

Couldn't you rope good sized pieces down?

Yeah I could have but I wanted to be safe than sorry. It was my time to shine and I did not want to screw it up.

 

[treevet]

pictures next time

 

[groundsmgr]

The problem with some tree companies today, NOT ALL is that they want in and out in 5 minutes and they could give a crap about the cost and what they need to do it. Cranes were just starting to get uses when I got into the field 20 yrs ago. Now every company has one. And custermer servcie with them sucks, becuase the come in make 3 cuts and charge 2000 usualy for small work

 

[JCONN]

It seems like theirs a lot of guys in my area that dont know how to operate without big equipment. They learn in a bucket and and can't climb to save their as#. When the bucket doesn't reach need a crane and all sorts of things and the thousand dollar job now becomes 4000.
Their used to be a guy here that came into money and decided that he was going to do tree and landscape work, so he went and bought all sorts of equipment and went around advertising and trash talking other companies. If I gave an estimate to a job that he was already at and the ho said the last guy says we need loaders, dump truck, buckets and cranes, they always asked do you have all that. My reply was no however I do know what I am doing along with the rest of the crew and that stuff is not necessary but if you really want to pay to much I can have some buddies park their equipment down your street so it looks like theirs something major going on.
We all get spoiled with things and forget where we started, its nice to have all the toys but sometimes its better to set up a little rigging then getting a crane.

 

[jefflovstrom]

You sound bitter, not all people are like that.
Jeff

 

[boltonranger]

Glad for you Stewart.
Way to go!

-br

 

[fishercat]

Good for you!

We got a lot of them bucket babies here.Mostly landscrapers who thought that is all you need for tree work.I get calls all the time for consultation on how they should go about the job.

I tell them to get in the bucket and start dropping.

Most guys around here couldn't take a crap without that damn bucket truck.

I might use one 1-3 times a year.

 

[groundsmgr]

We got a lot of them bucket babies here.Mostly landscrapers who thought that is all you need for tree work.I get calls all the time for consultation on how they should go about the job.

I tell them to get in the bucket and start dropping.

Most guys around here couldn't take a crap without that damn bucket truck.

I might use one 1-3 times a year.

:agree2:

 

[treevet]

We got a lot of them bucket babies here.Mostly landscrapers who thought that is all you need for tree work.I get calls all the time for consultation on how they should go about the job.

I tell them to get in the bucket and start dropping.

Most guys around here couldn't take a crap without that damn bucket truck.

I might use one 1-3 times a year.

That is a shame fishercat. Do you have one? I have 2 of em....55' and 75' and a rel. small crane. I got the small one first and it just has two outriggers and is very light for lawn riding and fast set up respectively. The big one keeps me from having to get out of the bucket on big rems.

THIS is when I started making the big bucks. Never stepped foot into a bucket for the first 20 years....but when I did you can remove a tree in a fraction of the time with one....including if you add a crane to the removal.

Add your skills, experience and knowledge to a removal in a single grip operated bucket and you will be going to the bank a lot more often. No shame in that. Still do plenty of climbing removals and will match my removal times with anyone anywhere.

You can't be a stranger at the gym and doit tho

 

[fishercat]

I'm not saying i have a problem with bucket trucks.

That is a shame fishercat. Do you have one? I have 2 of em....55' and 75' and a rel. small crane. I got the small one first and it just has two outriggers and is very light for lawn riding and fast set up respectively. The big one keeps me from having to get out of the bucket on big rems.

THIS is when I started making the big bucks. Never stepped foot into a bucket for the first 20 years....but when I did you can remove a tree in a fraction of the time with one....including if you add a crane to the removal.

Add your skills, experience and knowledge to a removal in a single grip operated bucket and you will be going to the bank a lot more often. No shame in that. Still do plenty of climbing removals and will match my removal times with anyone anywhere.

You can't be a stranger at the gym and doit tho

I'm saying a bucket truck doesn't make you an instant tree guy.If you can't climb too,I'm not impressed.

I do not have one or want one.I either climb or hire my buddy with his 110' crane if I want it down fast.He will smoke any bucket truck and it's operator any day.

 

[outofmytree]

I'm with you on this one FC. I climb every chance I get. Occasionally (perhaps once a month) I will hire a bucket for jobs that are too dangerous to climb or the odd power line clearance that is too far over. Maybe when I burn out the body a bucket truck will be the go but for the moment its move over rover, me and my sequoia are coming through!