Safest Method of Entry

[begleytree]

Darn, I can't believe it. I don't check out the site one night and I miss seeing ralph take a punk to school!!

What Ralph said:

What most of us believe Ralph meant:
He gently unhooks the service drops, carefully carries them down the pole, and lovingly lays them on the ground where they won't get hurt.

Well, if you go back a few more posts, we were talking about burning down a spar, and utility guys doing it to poles. Thats when the point was brought up that I am on quite a few poles a month, dropping svc drops. I guess I can see where between terminology and where I mentioned carrying splices, that It could have been a misunderstanding. I figured if someone read where I ascend poles and drop wires, that it was clear that they were being unhooked.
Its all good now, so don't be too hard on him. At least he was thinking of safety and our public image. nothing wrong with that.
I can't beieve that many people negged his reputation. 4 red boxes is definately a record! I, otoh, did not touch it.

Clearance, I'm sort of with you on the spurs idea. I've seen 1,000s of trees spurred and one whole side removed for utility clearance. then this is repeated every 3-4 years. From what you would sometimes read here at a/s, the trees should have died many years ago, but no. just a few scars from old hook marks. This leads me to believe that spurs are not the end all death to trees some would want me to believe. I will agree that their use during pruning could constitute more bark openings than is necessary, and does (if you're not careful) make the tree unsightly. But a total ban on their use, when used correctly, would be a mistake as well.
-Ralph
-Ralph

 

[Blinky]

This isn't fun anymore. I'm gonna go start a knot poll.

Just for the record, I'm not a ladder guy, I don't like'em, I don't feel safe on'em and I have been ascending a rope and bypassing Guy's ladder lately for those reasons.

Well, Yesterday I was dog tired and achy from two days (entirely too long) pruning this big willow oak... I'm slow, but I'm working on it. Anyway, I showed up ready to take out the last couple of deawood chunks, tied into the rope, looked at the ladder which went up about 15' but not all the way to the first branch... looked at the rope.. looked at the ladder... looked at the rope... and climbed the dang ladder before transitioning onto the rope. Saved myself 15' of hauling and was glad for it.

I didn't like being on the ladder but it was worth it to save the energy. The week before I had to get a TIP into the top of a Hickory for a takedown FAST. I took the rope up on gaffs and a flipline. I didn't like that either, he trunk changed angle every 5' or so, probably the most insecure I've ever felt in a tree... but I'd do it again if it means being on time to pick up my daughter.

Really, ladders aren't so bad, gaffs aren't so bad, I still like ascenders best though. The truth is, and this may be blasphemy, but I'm not always looking for the SAFEST method. Risk is OK when you know how to manage it. Risk is one way of accomplishing something that might otherwise be impossible to accomplish.

OK, time for a knot poll... you may hate me for it but I'm obsessed.:monkey:

 

[Soul Assassin]

What about climbers used with a pantin on a ladder ?

 

[Ekka]

What about climbers used with a pantin on a ladder ?

WTF?

What about you put your real location down, coz it aint Earth. Oh I get it, you're a space cadet and just dropped in. OK opcorn: I'll explain.

Pantin is a device strapped to your foot so you can ascend a rope, as you push down with ya foot it locks the rope and you go up.

Climbers in the context you have used above mean spikes or spurs (hooks and climbing irons too I suppose), so why would you have a pantin on when you have spikes on? Then have all that on and try to go up a ladder? WTF?

Perhaps you need to elaborate so us mere earthlings can understand what you mean.

 

[04ultra]

WTF?

What about you put your real location down, coz it aint Earth. Oh I get it, you're a space cadet and just dropped in. OK opcorn: I'll explain.

Pantin is a device strapped to your foot so you can ascend a rope, as you push down with ya foot it locks the rope and you go up.

Climbers in the context you have used above mean spikes or spurs (hooks and climbing irons too I suppose), so why would you have a pantin on when you have spikes on? Then have all that on and try to go up a ladder? WTF?

Perhaps you need to elaborate so us mere earthlings can understand what you mean.

.

 

[rebelman]

I think he's trying to get back on topic.

 

[Soul Assassin]

I'll answer that agressive post.

Many times while in a tree, I have found that while I have ascended with climbing spurs, I would then like to be using a pantin. Soooooo, I put on the pantin, use the climbers to climb the tree in the usual way, with ladder, split tail fair lead, safety lanyard, and then cut over to the Pantin when I feel I'm safely up.

 

[Streyken]

I'll answer that agressive post.

Many times while in a tree, I have found that while I have ascended with climbing spurs, I would then like to be using a pantin. Soooooo, I put on the pantin, use the climbers to climb the tree in the usual way, with ladder, split tail fair lead, safety lanyard, and then cut over to the Pantin when I feel I'm safely up.

I don't want to fan any flames here, but huh?
Seriously, I want to know the reasons behind your methodology, could you elaborate a bit more in a linear fashion? Most guys I know go spurless the first bit then put the spikes in so as not to leave marks at the base (even the municipal guys do this, despite what they're telling the boss).

 

[JEff B]

I'll answer that agressive post.

Many times while in a tree, I have found that while I have ascended with climbing spurs, I would then like to be using a pantin. Soooooo, I put on the pantin, use the climbers to climb the tree in the usual way, with ladder, split tail fair lead, safety lanyard, and then cut over to the Pantin when I feel I'm safely up.

are you saying you put on the spurs, then climb the ladder with the spurs on, then take the spurs off and put on the pantin??? If this is what you mean you are in need of some serious climbing lessons. Not to bust your balls because i may be misunderstanding what your saying but to climb a ladder with spurs on is insane! why the effort to set up a ladder when you can just walk up the tree with the spurs? and if it is because you don't want to be making spur marks that are visable to the eye then you shouldn't be spiking in the first place.
and IMO if you already have spurs on, they are much faster and efficient doing a removal then a pantin would ever be. Pantins are great for rope climbing on a prune job but are nothing compared to the speed of spikes

 

[Ekka]

Jeff

He's a troll and the red dots indicate his worth.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

I'll answer that agressive post.

Many times while in a tree, I have found that while I have ascended with climbing spurs, I would then like to be using a pantin. Soooooo, I put on the pantin, use the climbers to climb the tree in the usual way, with ladder, split tail fair lead, safety lanyard, and then cut over to the Pantin when I feel I'm safely up.

I'll bet you bleed like a stuck pig when you gaff yourself using a Pantin with hooks on!!!

That description above is just too much dickin' around!

Put the hooks on and get to it!!!

:notrolls2: :notrolls2:

 

[Ekka]

Jeff

He's a troll and the red dots indicate his worth.

Well, there you go. Buzzlightyear just gave me a negative rep point for this post and left no comment. What a hoser hero!

 

[treeseer]

"Most guys I know go spurless the first bit then put the spikes in so as not to leave marks at the base (even the municipal guys do this, despite what they're telling the boss)."

I've done that a few times.

Well, there you go. Buzzlightyear just gave me a negative rep point for this post and left no comment. What a hoser hero!

Eric, the Aussie-Brit namecalling stuff is really old. It's distracting me from my wondrous admiration for someone who can use four distinct methods of ascension on the same tree and call that efficient!

That's trolling with some stinky bait. Geez ya start a thread and never know what will come out of the wood work.

:notrolls2:

 

[JEff B]

Well, there you go. Buzzlightyear just gave me a negative rep point for this post and left no comment. What a hoser hero!

well the way i see it, you would be a lot better off saying something useful and maybe educational. from what i've seen your a pretty knowledgable and professional guy

 

[diltree]

I think that riding the ball of the crane is the safest way into a tree!!!:yoyo:

 

[jonseredbred]

Oh, okay its the safest method of entry into a tree, I gotta start reading these posts better.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

imo, this thread is a waste. nothing good will come of it. like talking religion vrs evolution, it's fun, but no one is going to change their beliefs.

BTW, I voted spurs, but then, I'm not afraid to strap them on, like other 'climbers' I've seen....

-Ralph

What if statistics show more injuries associated with one style or the other.

I'd guess that ladder would have a few injuries associated with that method, mainly due to the way some people use it.

 

[begleytree]

well, oddly enough we can argue accidents too, but accident rates show that if a chipper has stoppable/reversable feed wheels, you are far more likely to be killed in it, than in a simple drum chipper with no safety features like instant stop or reverse. doesn't make sense, but thats the statistics.
and same with chippers and ladders,its all in the operator and his error.
in a word, complacency.
-Ralph

 

[rebelman]

Jeff B-I go up a ladder with spikes on occasionally, it's not "insane". There are many situations where it makes the job much more efficient.

 

[begleytree]

Jeff B-I go up a ladder with spikes on occasionally, it's not "insane". There are many situations where it makes the job much more efficient.

agree, like going over a big hairy gob of vines.
-Ralph