Wonder if this is common practice

[Gumneck]

Saw a local guy who was topping a 65-75' pine. No rigging necessary, could just drop all branches. Climbed with a single lanyard cutting branches as he went. Got to a position he must have felt comfortable with and hacked the top off. One lanyard. Then used a bullrope(at least 5/8ths)tied with a bowline to a rope snap which he looped around spar and used rope snap to hook back into line. Then rappelled down on that. One guy took the line climber started cutting (no notch), tree on ground.

Tree was straight I would say a typical pine with not much large head or top branches just typical.

I dont believe it took 35 minutes start to finish. :Eye:

 

[Lumberjack]

Yes it is.

Yes he is a hack/not to standard.

 

[Newfie]

Stupid people do stupid things repeatedly until it kills them or goes wrong in some other fashion. Really stupid people will continue doing the same stupid things no matter what the past results have been.

You'll just make your head hurt trying to apply rational to these knuckleheads. They don't have rational thought processes.

 

[Lumberjack]

This weekend we got a call from another tree guy in the area (hack) to grind the stumps. When my dad got there they where putting the weather head back on the house and repairing the roof. The guy smoked the service line and pulled it off the house. My dad says there was plenty of room to drop the trunk, dunno what went wrong.

Just a hack being a hack.

 

[Gumneck]

The unsafe practice I recognized was the one lanyard while cutting and no notch on the trunk when he took the tree down. When he took the top out, I didn't see if he notched that or not. I would feel more comfy with a notch up there and below as well. Someone more experienced and practiced everyday may not need that comfy feeling.

I know there have been other threads on this but was wondering about not putting a high line into tree first to be used as a safety. He avoided the time it would take to set that line and then reset another safety line b/c of all the branches in the way to get to the very top the first time. I guess he could have climbed up with one lanyard set his safety, take the top off, rappelled down and then climbed back up cutting as he went with his lanyard and safety.

Just wondered if this is what most commercial climbers do?

 

[SteveBullman]

if im stripping a pine or similar tree which is all cut and drop i would only have my strop round the trunk. i'd have my life line on my belt and put it round the tree when i took the top out. then spike back down chunking it off as i went
but id always notch anything decent sized

 

[Lumberjack]

If everything can be dropped on a pine, I use my Big Shot to run a line through the top of the tree, SRT to the top, setup on DdRT (or work off of SRT just depends). Pull out the top (always use a notch!), set a line to pull the trunk and come down skinning the tree. I have done some 100' pines that way in 20 min, but that is rare, and it makes a huge mess to clean up.

Thats what I would do if the homeowner decided it would be easier for him to clean it up.

Still a hack.

 

[alanarbor]

Some guys will work from the bottom up using their climbing line, and a lanyard, to maintain their double tie in while cutting. Makes for less of a rat's nest if you work from the bottom up. Just a matter of preference I guess. Not using a notch, that's just plain nuts.

 

[Lumberjack]

Deff alanarbor.

Top down is faster I would think when you dont have to clean up and everything can fall (including the spar after its limbed).

When I work I got from bottom up so I can rig easier (less to catch up on) and so I dont swamp the groundies too bad. I like for them to be done with the brush when I get down.

 

[topnotchtree]

I would strip from bottom up also. Just seems much easier that way to me. Definately notch anything big. And a tag line in the top would be set if I feel it needed it.

 

[Gumneck]

One interesting part I noticed was the rope thickness. I chatted with him afterwards and He said he didn't care for 1/2 " line. He said he couldn't feel comfortable with it in his hands and that he felt safer on 5/8ths +. Even his lanyard was heavier than 1/2".

I can understand that myself. I know its all in my head but sometimes 1/2 " just seems small, higher I get the smaller that 1/2" seems.

 

[topnotchtree]

After watching one of the greatest teachers I ever had rig out some enormous pieces using only half inch line increased my confidence in half inch lines. It is kinda freaky watching them stretch down to pruner rope size!

 

[NickfromWI]

Yes it is.

Yes he is a hack/not to standard.

Not yet sure he's a hack. From the decription in the first thread, had that guy had and used a climbing line also, he'd be up to snuff (assuming PPE!).

Let's not be quick to judge!

love
nick

 

[clearance]

Climb it with spurs and a single steel-core lanyard. Cut the branches and chuck them into a good position to drag them, blow off the top, leave a few stubs or cut a vee. Tie in with a tautline, rappel down, tie a running bowline, pull it up, undercut, get your groundsman to pull, backcut. On the ground, end of story, done it so many times, I can't remember a problem.

 

[Lumberjack]

But he didnt have the rope, and he didnt use a notch. I seriously doubt the tree was under the 4" limit of ANSI's rule saying no notch is required under 4".

So with him breaking 2 rules (important ones at that) leads me to an educated conclusion that he is a not to standard hack.

Not using a climbing line is not smart. Limiting your mobility by just using a lanyard is a bad practice. Using a climbing rope by itself is still in violation of ANSI but assuming the cutting is below your biners/snaps/knots, then I dont see a problem with it, as long as the climber uses the lanyard when it makes sense. If the tail of the rope is cut the climber doesnt fall, if its cut above your hitch then your SOL. I may be a hack because I will use a single tie in where I deem it safe, such as cutting a limb below my waist, using my handsaw ect.

I am not saying that not following the ANSI rules makes you a hack, but not following some of them, especially using no notch to fell a tree, does.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Climb it with spurs and a single steel-core lanyard. Cut the branches and chuck them into a good position to drag them, blow off the top, leave a few stubs or cut a vee. Tie in with a tautline, rappel down, tie a running bowline, pull it up, undercut, get your groundsman to pull, backcut. On the ground, end of story, done it so many times, I can't remember a problem.

Excellent post!

 

[Gumneck]

... Mb

Was wondering when you were gonna jump into this. :alien:

I was really interested in the rope size and rope snap with that size rope. I know the knots tied with 5/8ths can be bulky and you gotta make doubly sure its TDS'd properly. I would have expected a running bowline on the tie off up top. But like I said, he had a lg rope snap. IMO, if he were gonna use a rope snap on that lg diameter rope than he could have used that as a secondary on the way up alongwith a prusik and a snap thereby being up to standard/safe.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

I can't imagine working top down. Too many hangers. The way Clearence described was the way I was taught!

 

[Lumberjack]

I would use a running bowline.

Butch, your saying you dont see a problem felling a spar using only a backcut without a notch?

 

[begleytree]

I can't imagine working top down. Too many hangers.

Yep, I couldn't imagine fighting my way up through all of it either.

Pretty much what Clearance said.
-Ralph