Swedish sectional ladders

Burnham

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Rather than go to far off topic in the 200 ft. climb line thread...

Burnham, could you post some pics of the stack ladders? I used some when I washed windows, and a few years ago I saw some in the back of a guys truck from a Cananda, that were for trees, had some fastner rig on the upper stack. been looking for some ever since.

Here's a few pictures taken at a training workshop I did a few years ago, Dave.

They should be available through Forestry Suppliers...but their website doesn't show the Swedish sectional ladders themselves, only listing a set of feet for them??? There is another variety of sectional tree ladder shown, but the FS doesn't use those as they have an unhappy tendency to come apart on uneven ground. So I'd just have to call them and ask, if I was after buying some. They are stupid expensive...last I recall, they were about $350 or so per 3 meter section. Probably more now.

The most sections I've ever stacked is 9. I know folks who have gone as high as 12, doing sugar pine cone collections. Some people get wiggy on those narrow little railroad tracks to the sky :).
 

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That's waycool. I'd like to have 3 or 4 sections for trimming big pines, but that hardly ever happens.

Is there a limit to how many you can use?
 
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  • #3
Not so far as the structural strength of the ladders goes, Butch. You need tree structure that is compatible; fairly straight bole without limbs, though you can always prune a path for placement if need be.
 
With them ladders everybody will be claiming to be a pro tree cutter:/:
 
Those look better than the ones we have here, which are just single pole with rods sticking out alternatively on each side, and a fork spike on the lowest, for jamming into the ground. They come with shoelace like ties for lacing around the tree at intervals. The Japanese can be nuts.
 
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At the price they run, not very likely to see many on the big box shelves, do ya think? ;)
 
It's funny. All the bamboo scaffold workers around Hong Kong wear safety harnesses, but I rarely ever see them actually tied in to anything. There's probably some regulation about having to wear a harness, but without explicitly mentioning tying in.

Apparently in the past for tricky tree removals they would build a bamboo scaffold around the tree and then cut it down in little pieces from the scaffolding.
 
Hi Mr. Burnham,

Good morning.
Our forestry company is operating in Sarawak, Malaysia. We are seriously in need of good climbing gears for seed collections in the forest. We've seen the Swedish Sectional Aluminum Ladder from your website and wanted to try a few sets of it. Can you provide us more information and or the email address so we can place order?

Your kind attention will be appreciated. Thank you.

Regards,
Elecio
 
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  • #19
nguwang, welcome!

I wish I could help you, but it seems that from my explorations through the internet, no marketer is currently offering this product for sale. The last company I have certain knowledge of that sold them was Forestry Suppliers, Inc. You might try direct contact with them with your inquiries. Perhaps they could offer some help.

https://www.forestry-suppliers.com/
 
I've read up on that bamboo scaffold before, very amazing stuff. Pound for pound it is stronger than steel, goes up several times quicker, and they can dismantle it something like 12 times faster. They use plastic ties and a simple quick lashing, and then just cut it off when it's done. Several scaffolds have survived typhoons in Hong Kong, that destroyed all of the steel scaffold in the area. The only problems with it is that other trades cut sections out to get to their work easier and the fact that they are starting to have problems sourcing the two types of bamboo. And it has problems if you leave it up forever lol. I wish we had it here, would be very cool to work around, and is better for the environment than steel.
 
nguwang, welcome!

I wish I could help you, but it seems that from my explorations through the internet, no marketer is currently offering this product for sale. The last company I have certain knowledge of that sold them was Forestry Suppliers, Inc. You might try direct contact with them with your inquiries. Perhaps they could offer some help.

https://www.forestry-suppliers.com/

Hi Burnham,

Thank you for your reply.

We could not find too. We did check with Forest Supplier but they said they don't carry such product.

Is there a way to know who fabricated the items used in the demo? We wanted to purchase some as we thought this is the most effective climbing ladder for seed collection in the forest rather than using sliding ladders or bamboo scaffolds.

Hope you can give us some idea or contact information.

Thank you and best regards.

Hi Altissimus and MasterBlaster. Thank you.
 
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  • #23
Elecio, I do not have any information regarding the company that originally produced the Swedish stacking ladders. Perhaps you don't know, but this is a product that came on the market in the 1960's or before, and has generally fallen out of use since the 1990's.

Frankly, there are almost certainly better methods for accessing canopies of trees for seed harvesting available today. Current methods of access by either DRT or SRT by properly trained climbers is efficient and offer far more access to the whole canopy than ladder systems ever did...in fact, by ladder alone, precious little of the seed bearing portions of a tree are accessible.

I'd advise that your company pursue training opportunities along those lines of skill acquisition, rather than chase the Swedish ladder. If you need help finding a vendor that can fill your training needs, I could offer a few suggestions if you wish.
 
.....Frankly, there are almost certainly better methods for accessing canopies of trees for seed harvesting available today. Current methods of access by either DRT or SRT by properly trained climbers is efficient and offer far more access to the whole canopy than ladder systems ever did...in fact, by ladder alone, precious little of the seed bearing portions of a tree are accessible.

I'd advise that your company pursue training opportunities along those lines of skill acquisition, rather than chase the Swedish ladder. If you need help finding a vendor that can fill your training needs, I could offer a few suggestions if you wish.

Elecio, you would be wise to follow this most excellent advice.
 
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