How'd it go today?

They wouldn't pick.over the primary, and came out and looked at the job to use an off road crane on another side. No go. Hollow trees can be very sound. Hollow trees missing a portion of the base can also kill you in a jiffy. I'll revisit this tree with frozen ground. That will let me get on one side of the tree with an offroad crane without burying a 55 ton machine. It will be done. But with the machines available at the moment, and the conditions presented, its not happening now. We walked for today, not for good. No, I'm not taking it down manually. That tree will take absolutely no less then 16 hours on the gaffs if done that way. I'm not talking 16 hours with a rookie climber either. It'll be the biggest tree I've killed yet. 130 feet. Heavy lean over a building, 60 feet of main trunk that turns into 3 monster leads that compose the rest of the top. MONSTER leads. We talked this tree over hard today and I just firmed up in my mind that it will he done with a crane, come hell or high water.
 
My uncle was here to play today, but he is headed back to his turf in the morning, so my next go round with this tree will be with me in it. I'm not doing it manually just to say I did. That makes young men old in a hurry.
 
No, not yet. It crossed my mind to take a few today but I guess I lost my train of thought. It's an unusual tree for this area. We don't grow them over 90 feet very often. Very rare. But we get a few red oaks and white pines here and there nearby to lakes that surprise me. Most of the trees around here are small to be honest. I gotta go get a skid steer off of that job in the morning. I'll get some pics.

I was shocked at my uncles fear if this tree. He makes his living on brutal trees. Last week he killed a mammoth red oak around philly that 4 companies set a crane up on and bailed out of. A lightning strike tree. He came in and whacked it as a sub. The tree went $9000. He looked at this white pine and flinched.
 
Well then, I'd go with your Uncle's wishes.

It's the homeowner's fault, IMO.

Try to give us an update, if you can. I'd love to know how they took care of it!
 
Climber says no.. then no. With your uncles experience Chris, good call man. Gotta listen to the voice :)

Today was hectic as all get out. 1st job was supposed to be a drop and walk with one crown minimally raised. HA! Held off on the felling and was givin 20 trees to raise. Had to drop Rob, go get the boys from Kat, then back to the job. Then off to another job just to cut and split some wood for a couple people that just had surgery. Kids obviously had a little too much sun ion the river yesterday and were dehydrated and coming down with a cold or something. Set tehm in the shade with water, bananas etc and got to it. Then back to the house, drop the boys and go pick up Lilly at day care. Rob had to walk home a mile and the gear was still on the first job for what he had to do. Had a B&B client meeting me at the house. Fixing dinner and feeding critters. Shhhhhhheeeeeesh. I am whooped.
 
Reminders to mini owners who ramp load into a truck:

1. Always chock truck tires
2. Tighten ramps securely with strap
3. Don't get comfortable because you had a good day
4. Fix truck e-brake if equipped with manual transmission

5. If any one, or combination there of fails to be accomplished, the mini loader will kick one ramp off the truck, eject operator, fall on it's side, and leak plenty of oil until you upright it

6. Carry speedy dry, good neighbors aren't always around.
7. When homeowners baby wakes up from inside with windows closed, you know it hit hard.


:D
 
Are you kidding me? That's a bummer. Hopefully your machine isn't damaged. Happy to hear you didnt get hurt. I'd venture to say that having the mini land on top of your head or torso could kill you quick.
 
Hate to hear that, Brendon. I watched Carl do a remarkable dance dodging his mini one day when one ramp turned loose. And yep, the oil runs out right freely!

Well, shucks! Thought my ship had come in. I got a call from some dude this afternoon (broken English) saying he was with United Parcel Service, and he was calling to inform me that they were going to be delivering, to my home, TOMORROW, a check for $950,000, an additional $55K in cash, AND a 2012 Toyota Corolla. All I had to do was produce photo ID when they arrived, and I was required to purchase "travelers insurance" as they aren't allowed to drive the car uninsured. I told him just keep the car and bring me the other....I'd go buy my own car. "I'm sorry Mr. Smith, we can't do that." Persistent devil, he called back several times even after I hung up on him. He's called at least 10 times this evening. The last time he called, I told him I'd believe it when they show up tomorrow. He hasn't called back....

And I was already planning on a new Gehl 340, a new 550 and a 24' gooseneck dump. Oh well, guess I'll just have to work tomorrow after all.....

Oh, and I had a hydraulic line blow off the grapple today. Iffen they bring my check/cash/Toyota tomorrow, I just might go buy a NEW hose rather than have a new fitting swaged on the hose that failed. :lol:
 
No doubt!

My mini broke down on me today. Atleast it was near the end of the day. The main drive chain on the left side broke and as luck would have it it was the master link. We were like 2 minutes away from a tractor/farming store so I popped over and got a new master link and got it on and the cheek plate on with only bar wrenches and a crescent wrench but for the life of me could not get the clip on without somehow squeezing the link together more. Could not believe that between both trucks there wasn't a single set of pliers or vice-grips. There sure as hell is now.

I was just getting in a good groove on this decent sized three maple removal job, because earlier in the day on the 1st run to the dump the lady there just grumped me and my employee right out. We were working in a town that I do very little work in about 40mins away from were I am. So we pull up to the dump and my man goes through 1st with the dump trailer loaded with wood(box-elder maple=garbage wood) and he says yah the next truck is paying. So I pull on the scale because I've got to pay to dump chips here $2.50/tonne and she says yah the wood will be $75/tonne. I'm like what? The rate is $20/tonne and hasn't changed that I ever heard of. Then she tells me it's because it's dirty stumps. I explain to her how no it's actually all clean wood, oversized yes, but clean none the less not a single stump in there. She makes a huge deal on it insisting it's dirty and it will be $75/tonne. Her attitude was full on nasty from the get go for no reason. So whatever, finally, I lose it, flip out swear a little and then it became $20/tonne. So what happens next.

The dump trailer truck gets stuck in the dump. Bend up the bumper a bit pulling it out. Furious by the time we left back to the job-site. On fire.

So by the time I limped the mini onto the trailer and headed for home I had to just laugh. Some days are interesting.
 
Lol. One of the things I mentioned in my rant was how at $75 a tonne I'd drive it out their gates and dump it in the ditch. That went over well.

I got really po'd because she questioned my integrity. Was all snoopy to my employee about what was in the box of the 1 ton(which is just used for storage)because it has wooden sides that you can't see in and then acted like I was trying to pull a fast one and dump my 'dirty' wood at clean wood prices. I don't take kindly to being called dishonest.
 
It's funny you say that. I can take a lot of insults, most of which I deserve in life. But calling me dishonest rattles my cage.
 
But you're a tree rat and the vast majority of us are no good, lying thieves. If you don't believe me then just ask anybody at the hardware store what they think about tree guys. :lol:

I love my job but I sure get the 'underdog' feeling a lot of the time. Always feeling like I need to prove that I'm just as good as the normal people.
 
I got a job today, because the comp sounded like a dirty old man. Customers direct comment.
Pretty sad.

Ive really been working on the company image the last year. If you present a professional image the you must be a pro right??
 
Heh image is part of it. I'm pro all the way, clean, top gear, top shelf work.

Being bizarre while interacting with clients is totally non-pro. I make sure to stay on topic as much as possible. I'm friendly but I'm not looking for friends, I'm looking to sell work, do it, and collect the cheque!
 
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