Local ad you guys have to see this one

[alonfn4]

So I came across this guy try to sell a bunch of climbing gear the story is so ridiculous he could have hired someone for less. How could he be so stupid to think he could just do what we take years to learn

When will people Learn to just leave the dangerous stuff to the pros....

http://jerseyshore.craigslist.org/bfs/4367054184.html

http://www.ebay.com/itm/141235431033?nav=SEARCH

 

[Affordabletree]

well there are plenty of people who do it and some of them put out some pretty good deals on their gear when they find out that they done want to do it. This guy isnt really making all of that great of a deal as it stands.

 

[alonfn4]

$3000 worth of gear could have bought a decent amount of pruning or removals but now the work is still not done he's probably gonna take a $1500 or more loss and then on top of that he still has tree work to do

Some one was not thinking this desicion through whatsoever

 

[KenJax Tree]

Not many climbers i know will buy used equipment especially rope and saddles.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Affordabletree]

not the rope and saddle but the rope bags are what I look for used if they are in good condition for a reasonable price I will buy it in a heart beat.

 

[richard t]

He had it here on the trading post a couple weeks ago

 

[imagineero]

I think you should change the thread title. Looks like the guy did research and made some very good decisions with the gear he bought, then sensibly realized it wasn't for him. No shame in that.

 

[NCTREE]

My first thought is if your going to call someone and idiot the then you should learn how to write first. I see someone who tried the trade and had second thoughts. It could of been worse he could of bought an old pickup truck, a ladder, and an electric chainsaw. This thread should go away along with the OP.

 

[alonfn4]

This is not a writing forum nor am I a professional so excuses me!!!! But why in your right mind would you Condone this type of behavior.

This is not some hack trying to start a tree service (that's a whole different issue) this is a home owner looking to do his own tree work let's make that CLEAR

Would you let one of your groundies buy a ton of gear tell him to read a book watch some YouTube and just put him in tree. I don't think so



No one should just buy equipment especially a homeowner and just start climbing without a professional to train and teach you while under supervision. Most of us guys wait years before were taught me included. It took 2year before I bought a pair of spur working for the boss man Now I am on my own but this has nothing to do with it.


come on who starts climbing with 3000 dollar worth of gear don't get me wrong he pick out some nice gear.

But you have to think am I a little in over my head buying $3000 dollars of equipment I can say most of the guys on this site have less money in gear


When will people learn to leave this work to the professional who have knowledge and experience to do it safely...

 

[imagineero]

This is not a writing forum nor am I a professional so excuses me!!!!

This particular forum is for professional tree workers. You might find a better reception in arborist 101.

As an aside, there is no standard entry into the industry for a climber. Professional climbers come from a diverse background and have entered via many different pathways. There is as yet not a standard climbing school and ticket to become a qualified climber. The climbers on this forum came to the industry via unusual methods in some cases. Some started at the bottom and worked up, many were self taught and now teach others. Some came to it via other roped disciplines, some started out with just a saw and learnt along the way. Some were there to see it all evolve, and got into it before synthetic cordage was around.

I've taught a few climbers myself, and the best ones just can't be taught. You can't teach a leader. I've had plenty of groundies come through, expecting me to pay their way and make it all happen for them to become a climber, but the ones I took on were mainly the ones that showed initiative ie learning for themselves, buying their own gear, buying instructional materials and studying in the own time - basically just like your 'idiot'. I'd take 1 of him over 100 guys waiting to be shown any day of the week.

In my opinion you were either born with it or you weren't. If you were, you'll get there no matter the path. If you weren't, no amount of tutelage will bridge that vast gap. You can get some assistance, but at some point you'll have to take the lead because nobody can be up there with you all the time, helping you make those decisions. Real climbers rarely ask "what should I do now?". From a very early point, they are problem solvers... looking at the situation for themselves, thinking what's going to happen next. For better or worse, most of the best climbers I've ever met chose to make their own decisions well before they were ready, and figured it out for themselves. Most come back with questions, but they're questions of value because they come from need and experience. And again, there's a whole bunch of wisdom and no shame whatsoever in realizing at any point along the way that this just isn't for you.

 

[alonfn4]

I meant a professional writer

I own a tree service thank you very much

I agree with you that in most cases you either have it or you don't

But just as I don't condone hacks on ladders with chains saws. I can no more say its ok for a homeowner to buy equipment and assume he will give it a go


When guys like this get hurt or worse die doing something they shouldn't they just add to the statistics and then who's at fault

 

[imagineero]

Well now, how are we going to have any kind of conversation if you can't say what you mean?

Guys like this don't factor into the statistics. He's not a registered business, not working for others, not insured. He's just a guy working at home. Won't affect your premium in any way (if you have one). From the sounds of it, he's probably safer than you anyhow. Have you ever watched the beranek vids?

I don't see any harm in people working for themselves. There's no law against it, and so long as they go about it in a sensible intelligent manner, do the appropriate research, use the right tools and methods, ask questions when necessary and backoff when in over their heads, then why not? Might not be economical in some cases, or fast, but there's satisfaction in rowing your own boat. I bet you've done more property damage than he has. Maybe you could go take some lessons from him.

 

[VA-Sawyer]

My first order from Sherrill Tree was three grand. I've spent a lot more since then on gear. Still need to spend more. How can you say most tree guys don't have 3 grand in gear? That doesn't include saws or equipment, just gear. Of course, there are the guys with a saw and a pickup and WalMart ropes. I don't think of them as pros, and they don't post in this forum.

 

[alonfn4]

Its just the the lack of judgement that scares me more then anything that someone would just buy all that gear with little or no knowledge when he could have just hired a professional to do the tree work properly

I mean weigh the options here

Option 1
You purchase $3000 worth of gear
You take an extremely High risk of getting injured or dying. Doing your own tree work and maybe some work for a few neighbors once you get good ( and this is assuming he never gets hurt) And If he he does get hurt he will want his homeowner insurance to cover his bills

Options 2
He gets a few estimates from local reputable, properly insure and trained Tree services take the middle estimate of let's a 2000-3000 dollar in tree work to a professional with the proper equipment and training and it get done in a timely mater with little to no risk to him or his property of which he would be covered if something actually happen

I just don't see what this guy sawe as doing himself a favor it's cost him more money more time more risk and then he realizes that he is now in over his head

He actually took a few steps back from accomplishing anything other then throwing money down the drain

 

[imagineero]

How do you know he didn't get quotes for the work? What if he has a large property with many trees? What if the money was no consequence to him, and he just wanted the chance to have a taste of doing this work to see whether it was something he might want to do in the future? Do you regularly think that everyone is a jackass other than yourself? Have you ever considered the possibility that the reverse may be true?

About 7 years ago I decided to build my own house. I went out and dropped about 30k on quality tools. I didn't want to work with crap, so I did a lot of research and made informed decisions. We had a sensible plan for the design, consulted with architects. There was a clear plan before the foundation was ever laid. I did much of the work myself, hired in labor as necessary and used sub contractors where it made sense to. It took about a year. The house turned out beautiful. The relationship never worked out, and we sold the house (at a good profit, it rated highly on survey). I'm glad to have had the experience, and I got to keep the tools. According to your theory, everyone should do nothing for themselves and always hire in a professional since that is the most economical thing to do and the professional clearly knows better. So obviously you don't ever service your own vehicles, mow your own lawn, work on your own house etc?

Man, you're on a sinking ship

 

[alonfn4]

I was just talking climbing gear

all of us pros have a lot of gear but that is crazy to spend that kind of money when you just starting out and this is not a tree guy this is a homeowner

Did you even read the ads Va sawyer

 

[alonfn4]

Know I just think it's foolish to blow money I an advanced set of tool if you have no clue how to use them properly.

I have tons of snap on tools but I didn't buy them and then become a mechanic I had mechanical abilities and purchase them as I need more advanced tools for each job I have done

Just like I didn't start welding with a 5000 dollar miller I started with a 500 dollar Lincoln from Home Depot and upgrade as I got more skills

 

[VA-Sawyer]

Yes, I read the ad. I saw it a few weeks ago in our trader forum. I didn't think the guy was an idiot then and I still don't. I actually felt a bit sorry that he is going to take such a loss. His list of gear sounded a lot like my first order six years ago at age fifty.
You have no idea what the story is with this guy. He might have $20,000 worth of tree work to do. He may of had a climbing friend that was going to teach him. Maybe he is a vet with an artificial leg, that thought he could adjust for the leg. We don't know, so we don't assume, doing so could make us look like asses.
One last thing... I can read around typos without too much problem, but some of your posts read like they were written in crayon. At least reread your post and edit as required so they make sense.

 

[alonfn4]

Ok so I am wrong about him being an idiot and I don't really feel bad about him taking a loss I think there were many other more productive routes to start with other than just buying all the gear

If he had just started a thread I n homeowner help forum he wouldn't be in this predicament and he Is lucky he did not get hurt

 

[VA-Sawyer]

How do you know he didn't? Look at the list of gear he bought. A dumb homeowner buys a used crappy saddle and spikes at a pawn shop, a rope from WalMart, a Wild Thing saw, and starts up a tree. This guy obviously got some good advice from somewhere first. It APPEARS that he couldn't handle the climbing itself, so is selling his gear. It sounds like you are just bothered that he was starting on nicer gear than you did.
Oh yea, how many bad habits learned on the $500 Home Depot welder, did you have to unlearn once you had a good welder?