Walked From the Job

[NeTree]

Can anyone here honestly say there aren't still times in a dicey tree when yer boys cringe?

 

[John Stewart]

Ive lost the boys for awhile a couple of times!
Later
John

 

[a_lopa]

chucky you cant let that beat you,dont go in with plans etc just go climb it take it down youll feel alot better for it,if you were working for big orange or similar youd get paid your bowl of rice and cup of water to do it,just apreciate the challenge presented to you.i dont want to sound like a tree god or yoda but thats as easy as they come in a decent sized tree

 

[Tree Machine]

I'm also glad you didn't lock the keys in the truck

I think what Chucky is saying is that once up in the tree, you look around, you consider the equipment you've got, the time, manpower, cleanup, and you weigh it against the paycheck. You clearly know you are about to work your butt off for not very much money .

Gosh, thanks for sharing your wisdom and foresight with us. I have no doubt that if the tree had a $2,000 price tag, you'd be writing us with pics of the successful takedown.

Good job in not taking on the suffering. Life is too short.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by aussie_lopa
dont go in with plans etc just go climb it take it down youll feel alot better for it, just apreciate the challenge presented to you. thats as easy as they come in a decent sized tree

Aussie, take another look at that tearout wound at the main fork, willya? I enjoy a challenge too, but I've seen too many trees fail to hang my butt in every tree I see. Especially without a plan.

I'm sure you're safer on the job than you just were on the keyboard, or you wouldn't be able to write. Or breathe. Or anything.

 

[a_lopa]

are we saying if the moneys right forget the trees faults?this tree had a permit for removal beacause a similar fault,i didnt think it was a concern but the owner did.

i should have taken a picture of the sugar gum in the yard it had a small scar with a minute braket fungi which another tree co had said needed craning out

 

[Lumberjack]

I have a different veiw about walking because you underbid the job and got it.

Refusing to do the job because you underbid hurts your name as a reputable tree service provider (in the customers eyes). Recently I underbid a tree hugely, dont know wtf i was thinking when I bid it. However, that big ole pine has now been slain, and I have moved on. I guess it comes from pride for keeping your word.... similar to the power of language in ancient times. Something I say normally becomes reality, regardless of the strugles to get there.


It sounds to me that the tree isnt quite as far past your percieved abilities as it sounds, but you are walking because of the lack of profit.


I have walked from 1 job, it was when I first started and bid 300 dollars to remove a huge pine. Why did I decline? Saftey reasons (the profit part made it easier on my mind), the tree was so big, my lanyard I had then wouldnt reach around it, and it was near high voltage lines. Live and learn. Never have walked since.

How much did you bid if I may ask?

 

[fmueller]

Gald to hear I'm not alone. I was going to prune some large brances off a Walnut next to a house and hanging over a fence. I just had my 18 yr. old son as a groundie. I was going to chunk down the branch in peices (the one hanging over a new fence) til I realized (after I got into the tree) the size of the first chunk was to big for my groundie to lower with out getting sling shot o'er the top of the house! Nothing around to take a wrap on. So lacking the needed help I backed out. Called the guy and explained it to him. He was O.K. with it. The job is still there, cept even if I could find more help I would'nt feel right going back to him. Its frustrating but better safe and embarrased than sorry or bunged up. (Granted, I'm a weekend hack).

 

[NeTree]

fmueller, sounds like a port-a-wrap woulda saved the day.

 

[fmueller]

That would have done it. Maybe that should be next on my wish list. Or maybe I should just stick to puny jobs. I've looked at three jobs I've turned down cause I don't have the equipment or insurance. (Go ahead, flame). I have been sticking to small stuff with practically zero chance of destroying anything valuable. I turned down a big dead oak that woulda been nice but the lady did'nt want it to dent her asphalt driveway which was the only way to take it. Plus it looked too crappy to climb. Looked at another monster silver maple that they originally wanted pruned but then wanted removed. Har, me, my boy and a chainsaw, and a ranger pickup -think not. Whats funny is they would have let me try it! It sure seems there is plenty of work out there. Anyway, I don't think there is anything wrong with walking away from a job if your not comfortable with it. Its just obviously better to study the situation beforehand to make sure you don't get in over your head.

 

[fmueller]

Whuutt!?

 

[Tree Machine]

I don't think there is anything wrong with walking away from a job if your not comfortable with it.

Personally, I've never walked from a job. My favorite jobs of all time are the ones where other tree guys walk, and I come in for the 'special events' work.

I love the level of challenge, but I truly hate having to work my arse off in a super technical, life risking takedown just so at the end to find you coulda done better pruning dogwoods and crabs that day.

Lumberjack mentions credibility issues. Nothing douches a climber's credibility worse than carrying through with dangerous work, insufficiently equipped when the people on the ground can all sense potential doom.

Like Aussie said, this is really a straight-forward medium-big tree, from the standpoint of the takedown. 4-6 hours. The cleanup, however, is a bigger, much bigger issue.

I woulda just gone ahead and done the tree. I woulda lost my butt. This makes you smarter than me.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

I think mr. skwerl is about the fact that any time you have a tree trunk you have a place to take a wrap--just walk around the tree with the rope in your hand. My 14 yr old could do it, so your 18 yr old can.
So anytime you're in a tree you have a place to make a wrap. Yes gizmoes are better for the rope and for control, but they are not necessary.

 

[Tree Machine]

As Rocky says, there was definitely a place to a take a wrap, with or without a Port-a.

Sorry I screwed up the image rotation on the last pic.

 

[Treeman14]

Originally posted by RockyJSquirrel
LMFAO @ 'nowhere to take a wrap'.

Maybe they took out the big stuff first.

 

[DadF]

We have a Portawrap but I think we've only used it a couple of times. It's just too easy to take a wrap around the trunk, plus we can work from one side to the other without having to reset the portawrap. I am looking at a rescue rack and wondering why we couldn't be using one with some webbing double wrapped around the tree. Could 'biner on anywhere then and use the rack. Got one on order and will try it as soon as it gets here and we do another takedown.

 

[BigJohn]

No comment

 

[NeTree]

Sorry... but the "no insurance" issue outweighs all.

 

[DadF]

I didn't start doing side jobs until I had insurance-it took awhile to find someone to cover a side business but I wouldn' t work without it.

 

[fmueller]

Back to the original thread start, I was hack enough to know to walk away. (I won't even try to explain the wrap thing).