Boulder CO crane work

  • Thread starter Levi
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Nice one, Levi.


What is your typical work like there? What trees do you work on most?

Levi, you mentioned on TB that you do mostly pruning, with few takedowns. I see you have a grapple truck at your disposal. Is that your grinder in your avatar? I guessed a mid-sized grinder meant more take-down work. A for-hire grapple truck is like having an extra employee or three, without overhead or W/C.

Someplace, people were discussing you gearing up. If trees and lots aren't too big, and you're doing mostly pruning, a good brush and wood cart might be all you need, leaving more room for your debris in your trailer behind your truck. Do you have a pick-up or just the jeep?

Can you tow a small pruning chipper ($5-8k), and chip into your bed, with a Load-handler? Might be a good step up, one year in, rather than considering bigger iron. How is the snow for towing a heavier load in the truck, while towing? Trailer brakes might be necessary. I wonder if you can get studded tires on a small chipper tire.

Is there a removal market to diversify? Do you have any insects coming your way that will hammer a species into removal, like EAB?
 
I enjoyed this one as well. I've noticed a lot of your vids are pruning work. I find them much more relaxing to watch.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #155
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Levi you have gone to the top 10 of my treetube watch lists.
Awesome!!
Thanks reddog!

Sean, we have no grapple or grinder, the one in my avatar I a guy at my old job, I thought it was funny!
EAB is here which is one reason I went on my own last year, I figured everyone would go crazy chasing EAB money and leave the "normal" work neglected...
Currently we have an F250 w/toolboxes, and this trailer.

Edit: why is it upside down???
 
Does this idea of people chasing the EAB money hold water?

If you're going to build your rep as a pruner/ preserver, and are starting out, what is your take on becoming a CA, if you're not?

Can you get in on EAB treatments, or is it too late? Seems like easy money with little overhead or risk.

http://www.loadhandler.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=108 Load-handler for trailer. A while back I tried rigging up a trailer to use my LH, but neglected the project, basically, as I didn't need it much. I just had two pieces of 2x4 welded to the rear, and built a wooden extension that would act like a tailgate. If you box in the trailer width to the size of the LH, it will probably work better, and put a tarp under the drag-sheet for low-friction.


Recognize that in a short while all the start-ups chasing EAB will move to the general market, and have to start into pruning, too, or 'pruning'.

Make your mark, now. Get your rig/ trailer signed. Constant advertisement.
 
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  • #160
I'll do my best!

That's a gnarly tree!! 16 years ago? You must have a serious photo collection, ever thought of writing a book?
 
Yeah, I can't believe it's that long ago. I was one of only 3 contract climbers in Auckland at the time. There was lots of big tree around and about the place. Now, lots of traveling arborists go there....and with no tree bylaw protection in place, who knows what it looks like now.

Think I'll just stick to writing on the forums for now, haha.

Edit: that tree was a euc by the way
 
Nice vid, Levi! You left those trees looking nice.

Pita ground work, for sure!

Fun ending to the job, and the vid:thumbup:

Reg, great pic.
 
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  • #167
Here's a short vid from a small Spruce we took down at a local café. Me climbing and Ray on the ground.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tdndkb45bNA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
That looked crispy and the log chunks bouncy. Be mindful that hitting wood on wood, instead of wood on dirt, can cause a more significant ricochet.

What is that music.
 
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  • #169
Yeah it was a bit crispy. You would think I was trying to hit that root on purpose, I was not! It was a bit of a sloppy day for me, bad hangover... I need to reign that in, hence the music choice, Paul Clayton "If I Had a Bottle of Rum"

Thanks for watching Sean.
 
Bad hang-over is a recipe for an accident. A crispy tree like that might be more of an a-game tree than a feel like a POS-game tree. Work safely!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #172
I know it Sean. It's embarassing but true. I'm sharpening up though, I think.

Thanks for watchin Jim.
 
Mental note for the future, if there is a high school hangover, there should be a building project the next day, with lots of hammering.
 
I remember one summer hangover, it was about 110 on top of that combine, getting it ready for harvest. I think he purposly waited until the heat of the day to work on it.

Every 10 minutes or so I would barf over the edge, he would ask if I was feeling okay. Would I like to go back to the house with the wimmin?
 
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