Top or drop? / rope or throw?

[prentice110]

Im rather new to this site and Im curious, how do you all take yours down? Lets not try to argue about whats right, lets just state how we do our thing. I like to cut and throw myself, but Ive also noticed that I drop alot o dem big boys that the other companies spend hours climbing or bucketing. Dont get me wrong though, Im also a rope master. You know, legend in his own mind kinda, hehe...

 

[tree md]

I'll drop them over piecing them out anytime that I can get away with it.


EDIT: One exception is when I first get into a neighborhood and have an audience. I'll often piece one out when I could drop it to show the neighbors what I can do while shamelessly trolling for more work.

 

[StihlRockin']

If there was some sort of way to take an accurate assessment of how "Mad" an individual is when it comes to dropping trees, I'm certain I'd be somewhere near the top of that list. People who know and worked with me understand that many drops I did required some serious grapes to pull off.

I personally cut, grab and throw most of the limbs that are being removed. I use to lower quite a bit of stuff and have taught others the C,G&T method as well. It's fast. With rookies climbing or people with weaker hands, wrists and forearms, we'll zip line a lot so the climber/cutter doesn't have to be engrossed in looking over each cut limb. I also found over time that utilizing the zip line more has it's advantages.

Using the zip line other than what it was meant for is awesome. I use to use it to prevent things from underneath from being damaged, but now it's also used to move the limbs from the A-position, the tree, to the B-position... anywhere closer to the chipper!... making the drag or carry much shorter. It's not often I can zip the limbs right to the chipper, but when I can I do and love it! LOL!

If you're like me, then it probably kills you when you see another outfit lowering every limb and you're there wondering "How come he doesn't just cut the limb, grab it and throw it where it needs to go? !!!... instead of monkeying with the rope?" LOL!

I usually do what the job requires as far as getting it done as quickly as I can without sacrificing safety.

As for milking or putting on a show for a crowd, I normally don't do anything there, but I have on several occasions slowed a job down because it was going to well. I've had clients upset with my price after they see how fast we sometimes get it done. LOL! I guess they think it's going to be an all day job or perhaps two days, but when they see us roll in and get it done within hours, it can be overwhelming to see the cash(check) roll from their pocket to mine in such a short amount of time. That's why I prefer to not have the client there sometimes.

For the most part, I'm a C,G&T guy!

StihlRockin'

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

The biggest factor is what my drop zone looks like. I do not like cut and chuck, just because it takes more effort then roping. With the GRCS, I can go big without shock-loading the system.

Sometimes flopping a tree will make a bigger mess to clean up then rigging the tree out, but when i get to the trunk, I will drop the longest stick possible.

 

[TimberMcPherson]

whatever the environment allow for it to get done safest and effeciently.

 

[Raymond]

I like to go high and use the lower limbs to guide the tops to the ground. Then sometimes fold the lower shelves, sometimes never pulling out but one rope.

But yeah every tree is different and obstacles play a factor.

 

[Rftreeman]

dropping depends on the client's lawn and how fond they are of it, if they say they don't want the lawn all torn up then it gets taken down on ropes in pieces but if I can drop it and get away with it then it's notch it and watch it...........

 

[Nailsbeats]

I do a lot of roping or free falls mainly. I will do whatever I think is the fastest. Speedlines are sweet, but I usually take bigger pieces on a rope and let the ground men deal with it.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Today I did a boxelder for a buddy/client. Half of it was bomb it and the other half was swinging off the roof. I might have done a zip-line on three pieces, they would have gone right to the chipper, but it was not worth the setup time.

He told me he had six hours allotted for me , and i did it in three, so he paid me for five

 

[treemandan]

Im rather new to this site and Im curious, how do you all take yours down? Lets not try to argue about whats right, lets just state how we do our thing. I like to cut and throw myself, but Ive also noticed that I drop alot o dem big boys that the other companies spend hours climbing or bucketing. Dont get me wrong though, Im also a rope master. You know, legend in his own mind kinda, hehe...

So you like to cut and throw yourself huh? Well, I don't know how to get many trees down like that.
I am not trying to twist your words but at some point you need a rig line, everytime.

 

[treemandan]

Today I did a boxelder for a buddy/client. Half of it was bomb it and the other half was swinging off the roof. I might have done a zip-line on three pieces, they would have gone right to the chipper, but it was not worth the setup time.

He told me he had six hours allotted for me , and i did it in three, so he paid me for five

He stiffed ya?

 

[ozzy42]

If there was some sort of way to take an accurate assessment of how "Mad" an individual is when it comes to dropping trees, I'm certain I'd be somewhere near the top of that list. People who know and worked with me understand that many drops I did required some serious grapes to pull off.

I personally cut, grab and throw most of the limbs that are being removed. I use to lower quite a bit of stuff and have taught others the C,G&T method as well. It's fast. With rookies climbing or people with weaker hands, wrists and forearms, we'll zip line a lot so the climber/cutter doesn't have to be engrossed in looking over each cut limb. I also found over time that utilizing the zip line more has it's advantages.

Using the zip line other than what it was meant for is awesome. I use to use it to prevent things from underneath from being damaged, but now it's also used to move the limbs from the A-position, the tree, to the B-position... anywhere closer to the chipper!... making the drag or carry much shorter. It's not often I can zip the limbs right to the chipper, but when I can I do and love it! LOL!

If you're like me, then it probably kills you when you see another outfit lowering every limb and you're there wondering "How come he doesn't just cut the limb, grab it and throw it where it needs to go? !!!... instead of monkeying with the rope?" LOL!

I usually do what the job requires as far as getting it done as quickly as I can without sacrificing safety.

As for milking or putting on a show for a crowd, I normally don't do anything there, but I have on several occasions slowed a job down because it was going to well. I've had clients upset with my price after they see how fast we sometimes get it done. LOL! I guess they think it's going to be an all day job or perhaps two days, but when they see us roll in and get it done within hours, it can be overwhelming to see the cash(check) roll from their pocket to mine in such a short amount of time. That's why I prefer to not have the client there sometimes.

For the most part, I'm a C,G&T guy!

StihlRockin'

Cut ,and throw ,the way to gf course this goes against the "never one hand the saw deal,"but it works for me.

I have seen some guys rope every single limb ,with nothing under the tree except maybe a fence on one side near the edge of the canopy.

Limb line has its place,and I can use it as good as the next guy,but a lot of the time it stays in the truck.

And when I have no doubt about where it will land,,,,Drop that baby,but I have seen a few climbers that want to drop everything,and end up scraping a lot of stuff,and a lot of times it would only take a few limbs here and there to make it an easy,safe drop.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

He stiffed ya?

Nah, I look at it as a two hour bonus. What I will often do on small jobs is ask what they see as an equitable fee, or "what do you have me bid in at?" I can usually beat it on time, so I make more then my hourly rate.

Most of my clients treat me fair, or they know i wont work for them as often. Those that i know are stingy i just work slower for.

 

[treebilly]

every job is different but I love it when I get to rig big. Especially when the competition is watching. Not to many companies around here can do the jobs my boss seems to find, nor do they have the equipment to do them efficiently. I'll cut and chuck but mostly just to remove smaller limbs in the way of rigging. In a fairly open area there's no sense in roping when a good notch will do. I do need some experience with a zip line( boss says he pays the groundies to get brush in the chipper, not me). I only set one once, probably not correctly but it worked. There was about a 200' drag at the last job of a 75 hour week, me climbing, and a 45 year old groundman who was getting thirsty. It worked but I bet set up properly it would be a heck of a lot faster. Oh, I'd still drop a tree if I have theoppertunity.

 

[md_tree_dood]

I do removals based on whats underneath me. That being said, its really annoying to watch people rope out branches and then bomb pieces of wood onto the lawn, what sense does that make?

 

[gitrdun_climbr]

I recently removed a big, big fir in a small, small backyard. Because of strong wind constantly changing directions I had to lower every branch (bouquets of 3). I got up to the top and was able to bomb a little 8' christmas tree off the top but waited 6-8 mins for the wind to die down for it. After that I bombed the life out of the yard with the chunks though. Heck some of these poplars have 40' limbs around here!

Seems like shattering dead brush versus lowering leaves such a huge clean up it's faster to just lower but as most seem to agree, every job and drop zone is different. Staff plays a part too. For some guys I'll face every branch and keep a nice easy pace to keep it simple for them. One company I fill in for has a ground crew equivelant to a black hole and they just want to be fed, right now. Boss chews me if I don't slash and burn a bit.

 

[prentice110]

So you like to cut and throw yourself huh? Well, I don't know how to get many trees down like that.
I am not trying to twist your words but at some point you need a rig line, everytime.

when you have a 60 foot over center bucket there are more than plenty 40 foot maples/boxelders/locusts(the list goes on) that dont need a rope. If you could see how john drags brush youd wonder why I bought a mini. Plus I dont mind raking. Most guys I know cant stand raking. Me , I cant stand dragging brush, so I make em' a deal, you drag and I ll rake. I can rake a decent sized yard faster than 2 or 3 guys can chip or drag out the brush. Anyway, Ive said it before and I ll say it over and over, theres only about 6 million ways to skin a cat in dis biz, jus wanted to know what the majority does, thought itd make for interestn convo.....

 

[tree md]

I still remember the guy who first taught me how to climb would always say "aanntt" when I went to lower a limb that I could grab and chuck. He would tell me to "manhandle it". I still do it when the occaision calls for it but I often find it quicker to daisy chain and lower multiple limbs than manhandle and chuck them all. LOL, I do love to see the lost expression on my groundsmen and home owners when I go to drop a top without a rope and you can see them stressing because they think I am going to drop it on something then I snatch it and sling it behind me, hehe.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I do removals based on whats underneath me. That being said, its really annoying to watch people rope out branches and then bomb pieces of wood onto the lawn, what sense does that make?

Control, if you can rope it down so that the ground crew can maneuver it into better position, you save time overall. Secondly, when you bomb big wood, it is usually in just one place;whereas with canopy you are all over the place. I do a cost benefit: is it easier to touch up a small area of turf, or rig out the entire spar?

 

[teamtree]

I am with JPS....roping is the way to go many times....but there are so many factors that no one way is the best. I like to rig big limbs that go straight to the chipper. Plus, as I spend more time in the business my philosophy is changing to where I want to make as few cuts as possible without taking on more risk. It may take a few more minutes to use a rope but if you can cut your saw cuts down by say 50% then you have made it safer. When I first got started and I had to cut everything into firewood so I could load by hand. Now I want nothing to do with cutting wood into firewood on a customers job....just means more saw time which in a sense is dangerous.

We drop big ones when appropriate and we rig things down as well. Sometimes keeping the mess right under the tree is the best for clean up.