Well i finally did it.......

[TDunk]

..........I finally knocked an electric wire off a house yesterday. We were at a camp in BFE. Over grown trees and power lines running everywhere. Knocked down a Maple first, about 22" and 65' tall, no probs. at all. Then there was a dead spruce tree about 20" and 65' tall. Not a live needle on it. Bark was falling off and was infested with those long white wood grubbs. The tree had a pretty good lean towards the power line (witch we estimated to be about 70' away) I wasn't about to top it for fear of the top getting hung up in another tree and kicking back or snapping the spar, so i climbed up about 35' and put a rope in it to pull it into a small opening between some other trees. If it got hung up i could always drag it out with the truck. So we started tightening the rope up and the tree started to crack and pop with out that much tension on it. Cut the face and tightened a few more pulls on the massdan and popped again. So started the back cut nice and slow and i didn't make it to far before the hinged just snapped and right towards the line. Well apparently the tree was about 73' tall because it clipped the wires and down they came. Broke the weather head on the house and snapped the wires there too. No body could tell me what it's gonna cost, so i guess we'll just wait and see.

 

[tomtrees58]

its happens have a stone dead norway spruce this week 2' from house drop tree is 85' fun tom trees

 

[Treetom]

at least no one got 'lectrocuted.

 

[TDunk]

Yup, everybody is fine and the HO wasn't to upset either. It kind of bums me out because this is the first "major" problem i've had and i've only been doing this for about 4 years.

To make up for it, me and one of my helpers went to do a 3 drop-and-leaves this morning that were kind of difficult. Makes me feel good that they all went smoothly.

 

[outofmytree]

..........I finally knocked an electric wire off a house yesterday. We were at a camp in BFE. Over grown trees and power lines running everywhere. Knocked down a Maple first, about 22" and 65' tall, no probs. at all. Then there was a dead spruce tree about 20" and 65' tall. Not a live needle on it. Bark was falling off and was infested with those long white wood grubbs. The tree had a pretty good lean towards the power line (witch we estimated to be about 70' away) I wasn't about to top it for fear of the top getting hung up in another tree and kicking back or snapping the spar, so i climbed up about 35' and put a rope in it to pull it into a small opening between some other trees. If it got hung up i could always drag it out with the truck. So we started tightening the rope up and the tree started to crack and pop with out that much tension on it. Cut the face and tightened a few more pulls on the massdan and popped again. So started the back cut nice and slow and i didn't make it to far before the hinged just snapped and right towards the line. Well apparently the tree was about 73' tall because it clipped the wires and down they came. Broke the weather head on the house and snapped the wires there too. No body could tell me what it's gonna cost, so i guess we'll just wait and see.

Making mistakes is easy. Manning up and admitting it, is something else entirely. I liked how you PM'd the fall and worked out why it happened.

You better believe there will be times in your life
When you'll be feeling like a stumbling fool
So take it from me you'll learn more from your accidents
Than anything that you could ever learn at school

Billy Joel really knows his stuff.

 

[tree md]

Hate it when that happens. I took out the cable TV, house drop and broke the weather head on one last year. Only had to pay for the weather head. I think it was around a hundred bucks to repair. Got lucky to get someone out there for an emergency call on the weekend or my client would have had to spend a night in the dark. I would have felt very bad had that happened.

 

[TDunk]

I feel bad that it happened, but i look at it this way too.......i wouldn't have done anything differently. The Maple that we knocked down first and the Spruce looked to be about the same height standing, so after we knocked the maple down we measured it and then measured to the lines. We took all the precautions that we could but the tree was just to dead, leaning,and it was raining. I wasn't about to try topping a dead tree into a group of other trees, i know what can happen first hand.

On the plus side the linemen that came out were pretty cool. He said that they were down repairing the same line not to long ago because a tree fell on it. The lady in the office said they might not even send a bill because it was only a matter of time before it fell on the lines anyways and it was an accident so......

 

[Beast12]

I took out a power line going into a house once a few years ago. I cut a top out of a spruce tree and dropped it away from the line. Little did I know that a branch from the tree had grown around the wire. So, when the top went over it took the wire with it. I was not very happy with myself.

We called the power company and they had to let a local contractor put the wire back up on the house. The stack for the wire was not to code so it had to be put back together to the current industry standard. Ended up costing $1000. I think we ended up making NEGATIVE $500 or so on that job.

Oh well, live and learn.

-Matt

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I took a trip to another state several years ago to work for a father and son startup. The job was a previously topped out silver maple in a somewhat tight backyard. They did not have the power disconnected so told them that we need to be very careful...

I have the GRCS and multiple blocks in the tree so we can rig light on low friction so that I can get the long sprout branches out.

After transferring over to a new stem I look back and see that the leg of the rigging line between the spars is caught on a sprout about 20 feet below the rig points. I was already set up on a little branch with a tip-tie so I told the father to remind me correct the positioning of the rope before I do the next, heavier, rig.

Of course we both forgot about the problem and the next cut falls straight to the ground, bending the mast, and taking out the power. It being a Saturday, it cost $300 to have the utility come out and restring the service drop. Of course my client wanted me to cover the full cost of the repairs since I as the professional. "Your an adult, I asked you to remind me and you acknowledged the request; why should I take it all?"

 

[newb]

The only time I pulled out a power line, I was working for a farmer. Limb fell wrong and pulled out the line. I got on the phone to call the electric co. and the homeowner came out and said I hope your not calling who I think you are. The farmer comes walking down from the barn with his tool box and ladder. He says that happens alot, thats why the tree is coming down. He has a disconnect on the pole, shuts down power and fixes the line. No charge. Hows that for luck. Pete

 

[outofmytree]

Can I get that farmers cell number? Does he travel? :greenchainsaw:

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Can I get that farmers cell number? Does he travel? :greenchainsaw:

Probably if you paid per diem.

 

[outofmytree]

Probably if you paid per diem.

Per diem. That's like a quarter of a dollar right?

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Per diem. That's like a quarter of a dollar right?

Including travel

 

[oldugly]

Working in a little cabin owners land assosciation last year, we drove our combo unit in to do clean up. After climbing a couple of trees over cabins, wires, etc. and doing a couple more with the bucket over the same, we cleaned up the brush, and started to drive away.

Over the driveway is a triplex that feeds the entire little complex. Why I didn't hit it on the way in I don't know, but on the way out I hit it with the boom, and ended up losing money on the job. I couldn't believe how the feed was wired, nor how low it was strung. Several trees hid both poles completely from view, a perfect trap for a tall vehicle.

Oh well, the super of the complex was more than happy that I had the electrician out imediately to re-string and re-hook up the cabins. And that I paid for the TV that was trashed when the wire shorted out. Someday I hope at least one of the cabins there brings their electric up to code.

 

[wigglesworth]

I have put many, many risers and weatherheads back on where they have been torn off and such. If you can get away with just the riser and weatherhead, your looking at $500 to $700, if you have to replace the meter base too, your looking at $1k easy. That is in my area though, you might be luckier, or not.

 

[chip's-tree]

stinky

well my good day ended up a stinky one. I fell in a septic tank with my bucket truck. the HO told me where to drive and even flagged the tank (he was wrong) I walked it out on the outriggers and finished the job..

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

well my good day ended up a stinky one. I fell in a septic tank with my bucket truck. the HO told me where to drive and even flagged the tank (he was wrong) I walked it out on the outriggers and finished the job..

Are you taking it on your insurance, or is the HO taking it on his policy?

 

[chip's-tree]

his baby

Are you taking it on your insurance, or is the HO taking it on his policy?

he is taking ---I ask him who was paying and he said that it was his because he is the one that told me to drive there....I was there to get a tree off of house---then remove 5 move trees.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

he is taking ---I ask him who was paying and he said that it was his because he is the one that told me to drive there....I was there to get a tree off of house---then remove 5 move trees.

Great customer, i'd think of cutting him some slack just because he did not make an argument of it