trust your gut instinct

[MillerTreeMN]

i had 2 choices today- to climb this tree, or to get it down without climbing.

my gut instinct told me NOT to climb this one, and due to that, im here and not the E.R.

it looked like it *might* have been fine to climb, 40-45 foot poplar tree, 1 foot or more across at the base. on a small slope with a slight lean to it. 1/2 dead at the top. no problem, climb up, rope off the top 10-15 feet to itself, and block the wood on my way down.

but something told me no, and im glad i listened to that little voice for once, instead of just "man up and do it"

so i set a rope 30 feet high over one tree with the poles and hook, then used the poles to set the rope in the leaning poplar tree, and hook the rope to itself around the poplar.

a simple pull on the rope... made the base of the ( healthy looking ) poplar CRACK.... it looked solid at the bottom, but we could have pulled this tree over without a chainsaw even touching it... i cut her from the base, and walked the but out while the guys on the rope slowly lowered the poplar tree down safely to the ground. we did 2 more trees ( 35 foot elms ) like that right next to it. the second job though HAD to be climbed... nice easy 40-50 foot maple in a tiny yard... that one came down safe too.


trust your gut instinct fellas.

 

[lone wolf]

Wow could have went bad but something warned you lucky I would say. Always trust your first instinct.

 

[treemandan]

 

[himiler]

Too many years ago my brother went down to Houston area after a hurricane hit. He was working for the power company and climbed what was supposed to be an inspected to be safe pole. Fortunately when it broke and rolled the ground was still muddy and soft. He never climbed again after getting out of the hospital.

 

[tree md]

The first year I climbed I was climbing under the tutelage of someone else. We had about a 70' dead White Pine (we called them lob lolly pines) that we had to take down. I was sent up to just put a rope in the tree to pull it over, I went about 2/3ds up the tree as the guy I worked under told me to take it easy so I wouldn't shake the dead top out of the tree. I got my line around a good stub and rapped down with the guy I worked under screaming at me to be easy coming down and stay close to the pole... We notched it and when we got a pull it uprooted and came over without putting a saw in it... I learned a lesson on that one.

If you ever have any question you can get a rope in it with your throw line and give it a pull test before climbing.

 

[PineFever]

The first year I climbed I was climbing under the tutelage of someone else. We had about a 70' dead White Pine (we called them lob lolly pines) that we had to take down. I was sent up to just put a rope in the tree to pull it over, I went about 2/3ds up the tree as the guy I worked under told me to take it easy so I wouldn't shake the dead top out of the tree. I got my line around a good stub and rapped down with the guy I worked under screaming at me to be easy coming down and stay close to the pole... We notched it and when we got a pull it uprooted and came over without putting a saw in it... I learned a lesson on that one.

If you ever have any question you can get a rope in it with your throw line and give it a pull test before climbing.

:agree2:
Very good piece of advice.

 

[pdqdl]

Another good piece of advice: get a 3lb mallet and keep it in the trunk. It's a quick diagnostic for weak or rotten: it sounds wrong when you hit the trunk. "Thud" with no vibration is bad, "bonk" is ok. If it sounds like a kettle drum...that could be a real problem.

Hit a few, you learn to tell the good ones from the bad ones.

 

[remington69078]

If the tree top broke out while cutting your back cut or the tree uproots doesn't that indicate the pull of the rope was too soon?

 

[Mikecutstrees]

i, 40-45 foot poplar tree, 1 foot or more across at the base. on a small slope with a slight lean to it. 1/2 dead at the top.

Big hint there, 1/2 dead poplar. Poplars and Tree of Heaven are about the worst trees around here. I'm very leery of them. climb safe.....

Mike

 

[capetrees]

Tree of Heaven aka Alianthus is the WORST tree to take down, healthy or not. Was in one Saturday. All went well but even the owner was surprised when he saw me in it. Even he knew they were a very unsafe tree to work in.

 

[flushcut]

Another good piece of advice: get a 3lb mallet and keep it in the trunk. It's a quick diagnostic for weak or rotten: it sounds wrong when you hit the trunk. "Thud" with no vibration is bad, "bonk" is ok. If it sounds like a kettle drum...that could be a real problem.

Hit a few, you learn to tell the good ones from the bad ones.

Some of the best advice! I do that on every tree. I always tell my guy if it doesn't feel right it's not right.