How do you guys decide which trees to climb?

[flashover604]

Hi all.

I'm not a tree man. I'm a phone man. That said, I have some ash trees around the house that didn't escape the EAB and will need to come down. I'd rather take them down than let the next big windstorm/derecho do it with no regard to my house or cars... I have several small ones than won't hit anything on the way down, but one is going to hit a pine tree if the top couple branches aren't removed prior to felling. My question is: DO you climb dead ash? If so, how do you determine if it's safe to climb? I know before I hook a pole I sound test it with a hammer, dig down a couple inches and poke it with a pole prod (basically a big ass ice pick) to check for rot, then throw a handline over it and weight test it. I'd like to get your input before I decide what to do. I've had an estimate of $500 to put it on the ground. I've got a dozen that need to be put on the ground. I believe I could get a basic rigging kit with a good rigging rope for around $500. This particular ash had leaves for the last few years. Last year had noticeably fewer leaves though. It's approximately 20-22" dbh and approximately 70-80' tall.


Thanks in advance.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Geez, Zack... I think I would hire someone to do the job.

"I'm not a tree man."

Your words, not mine...

 

[flashover604]

Understood. I appreciate it. By "I'm not a tree man" I guess I meant that I don't do it for a living. I've cut trees for firewood for years. I've just always been able to cut them and let them fall. Ive gotten pretty good at putting them where I want them with my notches, wedges and a rope in the top if need be. I've just never had to take anything off before dropping them. I'm not too concerned about the pine tree for $500. If I have to leave the ash intact and clobber it, I'll probably go that route. I'd love to be able to pay someone to do it, but it's really not much of an option with the other ones I want to take down too. If I can't get them down they'll just have to come down on their own and I'll clean up after they do. Once again, I appreciate the reply, I'll take your advice as best I can!

Thanks again!

Zach

 

[Raj]

Many companies up here have a no ash tree climb policy, for good reason. The roots seem to rot out with the EAB, not to mention punky limbs, that seem to be sheathed with a layer of slightly harder wood, so a simple pick test might not reveal a defect. With a hand saw you will notice, up here at least, there is significant difference between naturally dead wood, healthy limb and a EAB effected limb.

 

[flashover604]

Thanks for the replies guys. MB, I'll call and get another estimate or two.

 

[vharrison]

Many companies up here have a no ash tree climb policy, for good reason. The roots seem to rot out with the EAB, not to mention punky limbs, that seem to be sheathed with a layer of slightly harder wood, so a simple pick test might not reveal a defect. With a hand saw you will notice, up here at least, there is significant difference between naturally dead wood, healthy limb and a EAB effected limb.

Companies don't make decisions like that without good reason. We are in business to make money but not at the expense of our employees lives. I would make darn sure that the bid of $500.00 is from a company that has liability insurance and workman's comp insurance. I have heard horror stories about ash tree removal.

Did you say 80' tall? The answer is no, don't attempt that yourself. If the result was not potentially deadly, it is almost a laughable question. Homeowner writes in and says he has an 80' tall ash that has been affected by EAB and wants to know if he should remove it. No, no no no the answer is NO.

 

[flashover604]

Ok. Well, after further review, it seems my "I think I can do this myself." attitude may not be the best course of action. Sucks, I could definitely use the gear on other trees, but I guess I should leave this particular tree to the folks that know what they're doing...

Thanks for the insight. I appreciate it.

 

[Grendel]

Of course it is a very legitimate question, especially given your previous line work, but what Butch and others have said is absolutely correct. No one should encourage you to tackle such a potentially dangerous tree without considerable training and experience. Honestly, it sounds like a risky proposition, even for a pro, which is probably why many of them will only work on these things out of bucket trucks.

All that being said. . . Next time just show up with pictures and say "Hey, look what I did!".

 

[pantheraba]

"ahaha...and then we'll say, "you did WHAT? Are you crazy???"

You can't win, flash.

 

[flashover604]

There will be no pictures...

 

[pantheraba]

 

[flashover604]

Part of the problem will be my driveway. It's steep and angled at the bottom. You can't get a long truck in without the tail digging into the highway when the nose starts up the drive. So, Asplundhs trucks couldn't get up last time we had storm damage take down the power lines. That means no crane either... If you can't climb it, can't pick it with a crane or get a bucket to it, what's left besides dropping it whole?

 

[MasterBlaster]

You can always mat the drive to the angle needed. That's how we got this crane into this drainage canal...

 

[Thor's Hammer]

Always liked those pics Butch. We've done the same thing with big mats, I've tracked excavators across swamps doing the same.. picking them up behind me and placing them in front.

As for the original question... I would advise getting a decent tree service to put them on the ground. You'll get a decent price reduction for no clear up anyway.

 

[flashover604]

Always liked those pics Butch. We've done the same thing with big mats, I've tracked excavators across swamps doing the same.. picking them up behind me and placing them in front.

As for the original question... I would advise getting a decent tree service to put them on the ground. You'll get a decent price reduction for no clear up anyway.

Good to know. I've got someone to take the wood...once it's horizontal.

 

[MasterBlaster]

More to that story...

After the mats were set, it rained and washed it all out. Most of those timbers were never seen again!

 

[candoarms]

Flashover604,

Many of us will climb a strong, healthy tree, located next to the dead one. We'll work the dead tree while having our climbing lines secured in the healthy, neighboring tree. This is usually a good alternative to climbing the questionable tree, but this isn't something a beginner should attempt to do.

Getting yourself up to the top of a tree doesn't require much equipment. As you stated, 500 bucks will get you the equipment needed to get up there. However, the majority of my money is spent on the rigging gear that is used to get the tree down safely. If I had to guess at what I have invested in tree rigging gear, it would be in the 12,000 dollar range.....and I'm always finding myself wishing for more.

This is not a job for a beginner. Trust us on this. We aren't working for our friends here. This is just one of those jobs where you'd be much better off learning from those who do this for a living.

Joel

 

[flushcut]

12 grad amateur, lol
I really don't want to know what I've spent on rigging gear just off the top of my head about three g's in just blocks and pulleys.

 

[HolmenTree]

Don't give him any ideas Joel. The best investment in Flash's situation is take some proper training courses starting with basic climbing and work positioning. Then experience and confidence comes later.

I hear of stories of the thousands of $ spent on equipment but very little spent on training.lol.
I've spent a heck alot more $ on training courses then climbing and rigging equipment.

 

[Raj]

There will be no pictures...

pictures are nice to look at......

 

[flashover604]

I appreciate the replies and advice. I've got what I need to get INTO a tree. It's the rigging stuff that I don't have and would really like to get. Treestuff has a nice basic kit with two slings, a block, and a port-a-wrap for $299. That coupled with a decent rigging rope would be pretty useful. Last summer I helped a friend take down a tree house. I used what I had, which turned out to be an out of date rock climbing rope, a couple webbing straps, a snatch block and a retired stainless steel rescue-8. It worked, but if like to have beefier equipment for anything heavier. I think it'd be handy for lowering broken branches too.

 

[MasterBlaster]

What would happen if you hurt yourself doing this?

 

[flashover604]

Which part? The climbing? I already climb for fun. The limbs are more of a problem solving thing. I can find a dozen ways to hurt myself. I ride motorcycles too fast up hills that are too steep. I've scuba dived UNDER Mexico. I've jumped out of an airplane. (If I ever jump out of another one, that sumbitch is on fire...) I like to climb. If there's a dead branch stuck in a friends tree or my tree above where our kids play, I'd like to be able to remove it. If in going to remove it, I'd like to have the equipment to do it right. I'm not going to start Zach's Whack a Tree. I've just always liked solving problems myself if I could. This fits that. I also like to research before I do something new. That's what brought me here. I've learned a lot here. By no means do I think I'm a logger, or an arborist, or a right of way guru. I'm a homeowner who's put a lot of firewood through a couple stoves. I've cut a lot of wood for a homeowner. I remember cutting wood with a buzz saw mounted on the front of a Farmall Super H with my dad when I was probably ten or eleven. I'm comfortable cutting trees DOWN. I have no experience cutting while I'm IN THE TREE. I understand most homeowners would just pay Bob's Tree Service to come out. That's probably what I'll have to end up doing. I don't like it, but I'll probably have to do it. Looking at it from the ground I can see what I want to to. I don't think we're that different at that point. It's the years of experience on your side that sets us apart. I'd LOVE to be able to work with some of you guys. I think I'd really dig the work. Unfortunately I've got 2/3rds of a career already wrapped up in the phone company. It's kind of a grass is greener kinda thing. You guys must enjoy SOME part of your jobs or you wouldn't do it. I do a very tiny bit of tree work for fun. I enjoy it. I can quit when I want to though.

 

[Cobleskill]

I can quit anytime myself. Just don't feel like quitting right now.

 

[HolmenTree]

Flash you have a dozen big trees to get down safely
Pay the outfit $500 to get them on the ground. Enjoy the other 1/3 of your phone company carreer unscathed .I don't care how many planes you jumped out of.





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