whadja do today?

[tree MDS]

Here’s one from this week. Spider lift in the back of garage, crane in the front. Downpours all day long. We pulled off our real job to do this. Been a decent week. Oh, and I just got my log truck back. Has an entirely new pistons (dump angle correct now) and tailgates, etc, now. Kicks ass. I think that truck is finally all set. Really starting to love this thing now!!
View attachment 896033

 

[tree MDS]

Here’s the stupid pic I was looking for. Lol

 

[tree MDS]

Looked at some jobs and then greased the log truck today. Sorted the last two emergency conifers into one load while working the grease in. Not bad for a Sunday. This is just the way I planned to utilize this truck.,

 

[mikewhite85]

Took out 58 ash trees the other day. Customer wanted us to prepare "Hugelkultur" garden beds with the logs. Pretty cool process I had never heard of before. https://richsoil.com/hugelkultur/

Between the John Deere and the Mini skid we can move A LOT of wood fast. I could never go back to slicing and dicing everything to firewood length.

 

[Jester3775]

That article was interesting, thanks for sharing mikewhite85.

 

[mikewhite85]

Another one bites the dust to EAB

 

[mike515]

Our guys got rained out today. I still went out for estimates, etc. Trying to put together some numbers for this place I've mentioned with over 300 medium to large stumps to grind. At first, we were talking about just grinding them and walking away. Now they are asking for them to be ground 12 inches deep, chips removed and then have the holes filled with dirt and possibly seeded over. I mean......I keep telling them that we can do anything they want.....it's just a different price. And it sounds like they want it done asap. But that's a lot of stumps to do while we are getting the spring rush. I'll make it work. I need to move some people around. I'm not complaining because it's for our state arboretum and I'm really happy to be building this relationship with them. It's actually kind of an honor to be able to help restore the place after such a catastrophic storm.

 

[tree MDS]

Jesus, 300 stumps to grind, topsoil and seed! Maybe you need to sub out the other Mike’s crew. They ought to be able to do that in a day and a half or so....

 

[mikewhite85]

Jesus, 300 stumps to grind, topsoil and seed! Maybe you need to sub out the other Mike’s crew. They ought to be able to do that in a day and a half or so....

Road trip. Mikes unite!

 

[mike515]

I chipped some brush today. As I was doing it, I thought about how I don't actually get to chip very often these days and it's always been something I thought was fun.

I remember my first day on a tree crew. I was right out of high school. I thought this chuck and duck chipper was pretty awesome. Lost a glove and got whipped a few times in the first few minutes. Welcome to tree work!

 

[mikewhite85]

35 spruce, ash, maple, and oaks today.

 

[mikewhite85]

This lady calls me last night, says it's an emergency, she's got a branch about to break over her rental home, and asks that I come right away. I tell her I'll be there today mid morning.

So today I leave our job and drive 40 mins to see this massive silver maple. About 40' up there is a 12-16" diameter limb with a 4' lateral split. Kind of hard to explain but basically heavy tip weight caused a crack in the middle of the branch. You can see right through it.

Driving all the way back, taking my guys off a lucrative job, and grabbing the bucket truck was not an option so I offered to temporarily guy the branch right then for $200 using a throwline, rope puller, and 3 strand rope. Then return tomorrow for $1300 to take out the limb (FYI there is supposed to be rain and 40 mph gusts tomorrow). She looks at me like I have 3 heads. "Fifteen hundred dollars?!?!?!" She thinks I'm crazy and says no she's going to shop around. The tenants are like "That branch hangs over my children's room and there is a storm tomorrow!"" I politely gave her the number of another arborist much closer to her locale. Maybe he can do it cheaper? I don't know.

Would you guys have guyed the limb anyway? It would have been irksome to drive all the way back there after some other tree service had removed the limb to retrieve my gear. On the same token, I'd hate for that limb to smash the house when I could have saved it. Of course, she wasn't begging me to do it anyway.

In retrospect, I could tell it probably was not going to be a profitable endeavor from her first phone call. Was a bit of a bummer to lose 2 hours today. I've been doing trees long enough that I shouldn't be still making these mistakes. I'm still half expecting to get a call from her tomorrow morning! We'll see....

 

[treevet]

Had a major operation 2 weeks ago to remove protate with cancer. Great doc and he got it all out and it had not spread. Biting the bit to get back at it now as feeling better each day. I did a huge removal 2 days before the op. Doc is pretty amazed at my recovery which should be about 6 weeks and he cleared me to "do anything" next Wed on which is exactly 3 weeks post op. It pays to stay in shape.

Mike White, ease your conscience. You are right. I have helped out people in emergency numerous times and when the smoke cleared they brought in the cheap guy. Just give a price on the whole job, get a sig and then secure the limb. Partial performance is a legal binding contract. She will def shitcan you after you bail her out and go for a cheaper guy.

 

[Dave1960_Gorge]

This lady calls me last night, says it's an emergency, she's got a branch about to break over her rental home, and asks that I come right away. I tell her I'll be there today mid morning.

So today I leave our job and drive 40 mins to see this massive silver maple. About 40' up there is a 12-16" diameter limb with a 4' lateral split. Kind of hard to explain but basically heavy tip weight caused a crack in the middle of the branch. You can see right through it.

Driving all the way back, taking my guys off a lucrative job, and grabbing the bucket truck was not an option so I offered to temporarily guy the branch right then for $200 using a throwline, rope puller, and 3 strand rope. Then return tomorrow for $1300 to take out the limb (FYI there is supposed to be rain and 40 mph gusts tomorrow). She looks at me like I have 3 heads. "Fifteen hundred dollars?!?!?!" She thinks I'm crazy and says no she's going to shop around. The tenants are like "That branch hangs over my children's room and there is a storm tomorrow!"" I politely gave her the number of another arborist much closer to her locale. Maybe he can do it cheaper? I don't know.

Would you guys have guyed the limb anyway? It would have been irksome to drive all the way back there after some other tree service had removed the limb to retrieve my gear. On the same token, I'd hate for that limb to smash the house when I could have saved it. Of course, she wasn't begging me to do it anyway.

In retrospect, I could tell it probably was not going to be a profitable endeavor from her first phone call. Was a bit of a bummer to lose 2 hours today. I've been doing trees long enough that I shouldn't be still making these mistakes. I'm still half expecting to get a call from her tomorrow morning! We'll see....

I have done something similar —- and the people have been repeat clients for years, plus they live 5 min away. Luck of the draw.

She called me saying a tree was making a weird groaning and squeezing noise. I went over and found a large double black locust with the fusion splitting right into large roots and decay inside.

Whoa . So I put semi-truck tie downs and chain around both trunks at three levels, working from the bottom up. Yes, I climbed the tree , but then gave the job to another guy with a lift truck

Still use the chain so not a bad investment. I remember it getting dark as I cinched up the third level at about 30 ft

I probably spent $150 on materials and was in the tree for an hour, likely charged way too little. But returned to prune multiple trees three times and apply systemic to another large black locust a couple times for locust borer.

 

[Dave1960_Gorge]

I have done something similar —- and the people have been repeat clients for years, plus they live 5 min away. Luck of the draw.

She called me saying a tree was making a weird groaning and squeezing noise. I went over and found a large double black locust with the fusion splitting right into large roots and decay inside.

Whoa . So I put semi-truck tie downs and chain around both trunks at three levels, working from the bottom up. Yes, I climbed the tree , but then gave the job to another guy with a lift truck

Still use the chain so not a bad investment. I remember it getting dark as I cinched up the third level at about 30 ft

I probably spent $150 on materials and was in the tree for an hour, likely charged way too little. But returned to prune multiple trees three times and apply systemic to another large black locust a couple times for locust borer.

Actually, more like 50 ft for the top tie. Funny part was her describing the sound over the phone, like the call in radio show Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers. “Oooourrreeee. Ooouuurrreeeeee”. One stem would have wiped out her garage. I have some pics on my computer I can post— this was around 10 years ago, before I had a cell.

 

[tree MDS]

35 spruce, ash, maple, and oaks today.

More Hulgen-cultour?

 

[gorman]

Using my newish 201tc the other day and noticed the rings finally seat and compression get better in a span of five minutes. I pulled a Bruce Campbell and went “groovy”
Finishing up a white oak job today that was a biaatch but will yield a nice fat check now that the rain is holding off.

 

[tree MDS]

Using my newish 201tc the other day and noticed the rings finally seat and compression get better in a span of five minutes. I pulled a Bruce Campbell and went “groovy”
Finishing up a white oak job today that was a biaatch but will yield a nice fat check now that the rain is holding off.

Nice. I like the 201 tcm’s. We’re all set up and plywooded into a maple removal in the back yard. Gonna take out the stump and topsoil and seed too. Rain gear in house. Should be a blast. Beats sitting around all day waiting for a few sprinkles to validate taking the day off, though. I hate that!

 

[mikewhite85]

Had a major operation 2 weeks ago to remove protate with cancer. Great doc and he got it all out and it had not spread. Biting the bit to get back at it now as feeling better each day. I did a huge removal 2 days before the op. Doc is pretty amazed at my recovery which should be about 6 weeks and he cleared me to "do anything" next Wed on which is exactly 3 weeks post op. It pays to stay in shape.

Mike White, ease your conscience. You are right. I have helped out people in emergency numerous times and when the smoke cleared they brought in the cheap guy. Just give a price on the whole job, get a sig and then secure the limb. Partial performance is a legal binding contract. She will def shitcan you after you bail her out and go for a cheaper guy.

Thanks, TV. Get better soon!

 

[treevet]

Thanks, TV. Get better soon!

I am too tough to die...yet. Certain death if nothing was done. Too much $ out there people need to be relieved of too. I am almost providing a public service lol. Job finished 2 days before op....