Professionals?

[jefflovstrom]

You sound like an old ranting, semi-conscience, and depressing dude!
Jeff

 

[alpineman]

What was this thread started for???....for all of us to give ourselves a little pat on the back if we think we can make the "pro" cut? How about you have three or four of your best arborist pals evaluate you as to whether or not you are a pro!! You might get a different answer than what your head(or your balls) are telling you. A pro in most any other arena is based on having the necessary skills to enter into the "pro" classification. Its not about what you think about yourself, its about how other people evaluate you. Our we talking about running a business or just pure skills in the tree? If it takes me 2 hours to trim a tree that it takes another "pro" 4 hours, am I a better climber.....?????

 

[Vendetti]

I don't concider my self a pro yet, I'm still working on my 1B hoisting and ISA climber cert. I've been doing the trees, landscape and snow removal at a mager university for 16 years. Climbing and rigging for 12 year. I still have so much more to learn. With all this snow, another 20" comming Tue. Wed.View attachment 170407 I do consider my self a pro snow mover.

 

[TreeClimber57]

A pro in most any other arena is based on having the necessary skills to enter into the "pro" classification. Its not about what you think about yourself, its about how other people evaluate you.

True .. :agree2:

Our we talking about running a business or just pure skills in the tree?

Well, depending on what you do and who you are.. both may be equally important. Forum is titled "Commercial Tree Care and Climbing". The "Commercial Tree Care" can well encompass the business end.. the "Climbing" part as to skills in the tree. (But in theory a climber may still be a hack.. so not just climbing skills.. but overall arborist skills)

If it takes me 2 hours to trim a tree that it takes another "pro" 4 hours, am I a better climber.....?????

Or.. does that mean they do a better job
You see it can go both ways.. and like you said it takes other to evaluate you and determine if you are a professional.
Which is were 3rd party accreditation like TCIA is good, IMHO.. while I am not yet accrediated, we are beginning to work that process this year.

 

[Vendetti]

You can be certified and a hack. Just the other year the certified tree worden in the city of Boston topped and over limbed most of the trees in the city in prep for a ruff winter. It was bad enough that it made the news.

 

[flushcut]

WOW! It is amazing how these threads evolve. I have been out of town for a few days and this is good stuff. The reason I ask is Treeslayer and I were talking about just how many actual tree guys were on AS. I was guessing maybe 8% or less and I am not talking certified or not, but guys that do good work and have a good reputation in the field.

 

[TreeClimber57]

I was guessing maybe 8% or less and I am not talking certified or not, but guys that do good work and have a good reputation in the field.

Tough question indeed...

Easy.. or fairly so.. to find guys who do tree work full time. Now that of course could be broken down a bit (quite a bit).. as to what you call a tree guy

But.. then you ask good work and good reputation.. whole different story indeed.. and one that is difficult to get to bottom of. 8% may even be high Member list shows 54,000 .. that would be close to 4,500 in total .. Would guess at maybe no more than 1/10th that.. but I could be wrong.

 

[flushcut]

TreeClimber57 you may indeed be right.

 

[tomtrees58]

Yeah but what about the other 240?

well wen you were in diapers i was climbing

here's one from 1976

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

You sound like an old ranting, semi-conscience, and depressing dude!
Jeff

Well I got nine years in the USMC, those are like dog year, so I am relatively older then my Dad.

 

[sgreanbeans]

Well I got nine years in the USMC, those are like dog year, so I am relatively older then my Dad.

Man, I am screwed!

This weekend we removed a vary large maple. The next door niehboor is our local big wig news anchor. We took a break and he and his wife came out. He proceeded to tell us how he was amazed at our work. "Now these guys are pro's buddy" he tells his boy as he comes out. Then he proceeds to tell me this horror story that he had in his yard this fall. Thought this would apply to this thread.

"I had these guys take out a tree that was as big as that one over there, right behind the house, they had removed all the easy stuff and left everything over the house, the tree had a bad lean at the house, they started cutting the base,from the backside, had the tree tied off to that little crab apple over there. (Crab was about 4-5" dia) the rope was all frayed and u could see the inner stuff,they cut about 1/2 way thru and the saw broke. they left, said they will be back in the am. We did not sleep that night. When they came back, they called me out and said they need to talk to me, then proceeded to tell me that they may hit the house, just wanted to warn me! They tied it to a dump truck and pulled it over from the front, spinning the tires in the yard creating huge ruts, the tree went down between the houses, raking both houses with all the brush, from pulling it over. They got the dump stuck in my front yard, it stayed for 3 days until they could get it out! That's what I get for trying to save a buck"

Now there was more he said, but you get the idea, didn't want to right a novel, and that is not verbatim, but close. I didn't ask, but assumed that they had damage as it looked like they where having the siding and roof repaired.
He now is going to get one of the reporters (Erika is HOT!) to do a follow up story she did this summer on tree hacks in our area, using us as an example of professionals and what he witnessed while watching us, then he is going to tell them what happened to him, this makes me nervous as we all know the media can screw things up. If it comes out right, should be huge for me.

 

[TreeClimber57]

If it comes out right, should be huge for me.

If it comes out right, it may be good for all the professional -- legitimate tree services guys in the area.

But..then again how does HO tell between a good one and a bad one..

The bad ones lie about their experience, insurance, equipment, etc.. So tough to tell them apart.

Right now in our area, asking for a cert of insurance is a fairly decent way to tell as the hacks for the most part can not provide. But if everybody started doing that then the hacks would begin to do someting right (although if they only do it as a sideline then may not cost justify to do it).

 

[TreeClimber57]

well wen you were in diapers i was climbing

here's one from 1976

Love the colors of the old pics.. have to see if I can dig something up from that era.. I was climbing in '76 as well.

My old pics are all on slides so have to figure out how to scan them.

Should be able to find some of fairly large crews and some heavy equipment as well. Lots of fun back then, lots to learn (at least for me as I was pretty green then)..

 

[alpineman]

Man, I am screwed!

This weekend we removed a vary large maple. The next door niehboor is our local big wig news anchor. We took a break and he and his wife came out. He proceeded to tell us how he was amazed at our work. "Now these guys are pro's buddy" he tells his boy as he comes out. Then he proceeds to tell me this horror story that he had in his yard this fall. Thought this would apply to this thread.

"I had these guys take out a tree that was as big as that one over there, right behind the house, they had removed all the easy stuff and left everything over the house, the tree had a bad lean at the house, they started cutting the base,from the backside, had the tree tied off to that little crab apple over there. (Crab was about 4-5" dia) the rope was all frayed and u could see the inner stuff,they cut about 1/2 way thru and the saw broke. they left, said they will be back in the am. We did not sleep that night. When they came back, they called me out and said they need to talk to me, then proceeded to tell me that they may hit the house, just wanted to warn me! They tied it to a dump truck and pulled it over from the front, spinning the tires in the yard creating huge ruts, the tree went down between the houses, raking both houses with all the brush, from pulling it over. They got the dump stuck in my front yard, it stayed for 3 days until they could get it out! That's what I get for trying to save a buck"

Now there was more he said, but you get the idea, didn't want to right a novel, and that is not verbatim, but close. I didn't ask, but assumed that they had damage as it looked like they where having the siding and roof repaired.
He now is going to get one of the reporters (Erika is HOT!) to do a follow up story she did this summer on tree hacks in our area, using us as an example of professionals and what he witnessed while watching us, then he is going to tell them what happened to him, this makes me nervous as we all know the media can screw things up. If it comes out right, should be huge for me.

Sounds like you know what you are doing and you present yourself well to clients, but homeowners are typically a bad judge of professionalism. Good luck on the media story. Make sure you spend some money on some nice shirt and sweatshirts for all the guys!!

 

[ropensaddle]

Love the colors of the old pics.. have to see if I can dig something up from that era.. I was climbing in '76 as well.

My old pics are all on slides so have to figure out how to scan them.

Should be able to find some of fairly large crews and some heavy equipment as well. Lots of fun back then, lots to learn (at least for me as I was pretty green then)..

I climbed in the 60's but not professional lol. I got buzzed indirect from power through a limb when I was six:jawdrop: I fell out of a mimosa landing flat on my back at 9 and fell at 5 too. I guess I was born to climb and never fell once learning the ropes lol.

 

[TreeClimber57]

but homeowners are typically a bad judge of professionalism.

A statement with more truth never been said !

If otherwise, many hacks would be putting their saws on shelf..

 

[TreeClimber57]

I climbed in the 60's but not professional lol. I got buzzed indirect from power through a limb when I was six:jawdrop: I fell out of a mimosa landing flat on my back at 9 and fell at 5 too. I guess I was born to climb and never fell once learning the ropes lol.

Yeah.. guess I could make same claim. Had a tree house on our farm used to go up.. although my dad had put steps on tree so that hardly counts

But other big trees close to house climbed a lot, and a few out in bush. Ones close to house were mostly big pines and spruce. Sticky, messy, dirty trees on hands and clothes (my mother must have loved it ). But my brother and I had lots of fun.. limbs on some of those so close together and branches so thick.. be difficult to fall far Could bounce your way to ground though..

 

[treedog54]

Trees

Started climbing 1969 .Line clearance,ATE,Nelson,Wright(by far the most employee concious IMO)Partners in own biz now.Lifer.

 

[tomtrees58]

heres a pic from 1973 look at my new homelite ez saw

 

[THE BUFFALO]

climbed up a big yew tree when i was a kid to avoid going to the local town with grandparents,had a telling off,but you never forget things like that, now im getting payed to do it,can fault it