My 1st Spikeless Climb!

[treemandan]

Should never, ever be done. I just looked at the first page and I'm sure I'm not the first to say it but, it needs to be said. The ONLY time you should ever wear spikes is if your taking it down. Of course its easier to spike a tree, but well worth the effort not to. I don't know where you live but Arborists around here are fightin for work this time of the year. Last thing you want them to see is a tree that was pruned with spikes. Thats a perfect invitation for them to take that client away from you. I've gotten two or three jobs that very same way.

Is it considered wrong to spike up big willows, trunks wrapped in vines going down into a large water drain wash in a wooded area and knock the dead tops out and top em down to the trunk where they are 2 feet thick and that's where the first live sucker is?
Should I have not done that? Never say never, ever.
I don't know of many companies around here who do spike live trees, but over the course I have came across quite a few trees that were not worth the work involved or it was to dangerous to rope climb, so I spiked em! Never on a real prune though, nothing any body would ever see and definately not every day.
The first time I saw a guy spike a pin oak over the back patio I thought, well I don't know what I thought but I was disturbed.

 

[Blakesmaster]

In my book the only proper way to prune a willow is all the way to the ground.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Should I have not done that? Never say never, ever.

IMO only if it was a partial removal that was to be finished at a latter date

I'm sorta leary about leaving big snags standing on residential properties, though I do write contracts so that the remainder will be done at a later date when the client is able to pay. they are responsible for contacting...yada, yada, yada...

 

[masiman]

Should never, ever be done. I just looked at the first page and I'm sure I'm not the first to say it but, it needs to be said. The ONLY time you should ever wear spikes is if your taking it down. Of course its easier to spike a tree, but well worth the effort not to. I don't know where you live but Arborists around here are fightin for work this time of the year. Last thing you want them to see is a tree that was pruned with spikes. Thats a perfect invitation for them to take that client away from you. I've gotten two or three jobs that very same way.

In a perfect world that would be the case. The line "clearance" guys don't seem to have that luxury though. There are a number of trees around here that have had the hand of "clearance" applied to them. Lawd ahmighty, they must have some expressionist painters in the bunch or consult with Tim Burton (Edward Scissorhands) on how to make trees look. Unfortunately some of those trees are beautiful older hardwoods that just got in the way of progress. Some of them are so downright ugly and look really dangerous that if I were comfortable working around power I would take down. Even how ugly they are though, there would an equally ugly hole, albeit without the danger they look like they are now. I'd very strongly prefer not to spike a healthy tree, but I don't think it can be a commandment.