MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
There are several moron trolls at TB. Fug em.
GASoline71
'cause chicks dig scars
Fug the Buzz...
Gary
Gary
bonner1040
Nick from Ohio
Those guys are the most productive expert tree guys ever. They even WEAR OUT portawraps in 2 years. Yeah right.
Here you go:
The story behind it was that I had a not very hazardous hazard beech to fell. I had calculated that if we could just winch it 15 feet over, before the rotten hinge broke, it would clear the wire fence behind it.
If it didn't, repairing the "keep the frigging semi tame fallow deer out of the new oak trees" fence would take an hour to mend, so no big deal.
So I let the apprentice handle it. He climbed up and set an 18 ton Dyneema rope in the tree and hitched it to the biggest forwarder on the market by way of a porty.
Then he started cutting the tree, correctly starting at the side it leaned towards ( you always want to do that on a rotten tree, so if it breaks off the stump while you are cutting it, you'll be away from the side it falls towards and maybe save BOTH your saw and your life!)
It was rotten enough that it settled on his saw, so he signalled to the forwarder driver to pull, so he could get the saw unstuck.
The forwarder driver, who'd been told that when it was time to pull, he had to pull fast to get momentum on the tree, thought the tree was cut through and did the closest thing to a burnout a forwarder can do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Luckily the top didn't break out of the tree, the rope snapped but not before choking the hell out of the Porty.
It scared the shit out of the apprentice, who will now forever remember the importance of establishing a correct,failsafe procedure when communicating with operators of heavy machinery
The rope recoiled and ended up in the top of the tree, and the apprentice was too scared of life/trees/everything to climb up and get it down, so that task fell to me.
It worked fine, second time around. The tree fell at exactly 90 degrees to the facecut, clearing the fence by at least 15 feet.
I didn't have my camera that day, or I would have posted pictures of the whole thing.
I'm amazed the welding held up BTW.
The story behind it was that I had a not very hazardous hazard beech to fell. I had calculated that if we could just winch it 15 feet over, before the rotten hinge broke, it would clear the wire fence behind it.
If it didn't, repairing the "keep the frigging semi tame fallow deer out of the new oak trees" fence would take an hour to mend, so no big deal.
So I let the apprentice handle it. He climbed up and set an 18 ton Dyneema rope in the tree and hitched it to the biggest forwarder on the market by way of a porty.
Then he started cutting the tree, correctly starting at the side it leaned towards ( you always want to do that on a rotten tree, so if it breaks off the stump while you are cutting it, you'll be away from the side it falls towards and maybe save BOTH your saw and your life!)
It was rotten enough that it settled on his saw, so he signalled to the forwarder driver to pull, so he could get the saw unstuck.
The forwarder driver, who'd been told that when it was time to pull, he had to pull fast to get momentum on the tree, thought the tree was cut through and did the closest thing to a burnout a forwarder can do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Luckily the top didn't break out of the tree, the rope snapped but not before choking the hell out of the Porty.
It scared the shit out of the apprentice, who will now forever remember the importance of establishing a correct,failsafe procedure when communicating with operators of heavy machinery
The rope recoiled and ended up in the top of the tree, and the apprentice was too scared of life/trees/everything to climb up and get it down, so that task fell to me.
It worked fine, second time around. The tree fell at exactly 90 degrees to the facecut, clearing the fence by at least 15 feet.
I didn't have my camera that day, or I would have posted pictures of the whole thing.
I'm amazed the welding held up BTW.
Nick, you are wise to question bold and implausible statements made on the internet but I have enjoyed many long and in-depth discussions with Reg. I do not doubt his claims.
Dave
emr
Cheesehead Treehouser
I don't question that you can junk out a porty that fast. I will never use ours up..... ever. What's impressive is when you can junk one out and not do it in a dangerous or reckless way. My guess is that Red would fall into that category. He does some crazy shite but he always seems to be in control. I am sure there are a couple zof my competitors that could use up a porty within a year or two in a bad way. Well never know because they don't use them. Go trunk wraps and go home!
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
Funny and amazing porty story Stig. I think it is interesting how the metal reacted to the forces. Wild.
+2 on the Reg stuff.
+2 on the Reg stuff.
SouthSoundTree
Treehouser
Stephan, maybe you're thinking of Graeme McMahon, down under. Reg is the Brit moved to BC. He's designed some of the Stein stuff. Big Beeches and whatnot in small gardens.
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
My bad.... Yeah I get them confused from time to time. I'll go fix that
CurSedVoyce
California Hillbilly
And get some more coffee
PCTREE
Treehouser
FWIW I decided to start playing with SRT simply because I read a post Reg posted about how after using the Wrench for a week he would never go back. I have met him and believe he is a very proficient and intelligent climber so value his opinions.
bonner1040
Nick from Ohio
You guys are likely right, Reg's reputation does seem to speak for itself. However I cannot yet wrap my head around wearing out a portie through normal use.
Stig, your story with the dyneema rope effectively crushing it is pretty spectacular.
Stig, your story with the dyneema rope effectively crushing it is pretty spectacular.
Peter
Treehouser
I know Reg personally, we worked for some of the same firms in Manchester before I moved down to Cambridge and he moved to Canada.
If he says he wore out a portawrap in two years then he did. He does specialise in the heavy rigging work.
If he says he wore out a portawrap in two years then he did. He does specialise in the heavy rigging work.
bonner1040
Nick from Ohio
I will have to apologize then..
SouthSoundTree
Treehouser
Nick, Recoates is his youtube channel. Crazy big negative blocking. Double 3/4" double esterlon rigging lines, and such.
Bodean
Cali dreamer
Dirty sandy ropes can burn through a porta wrap after a while too,
especially with normal running of stuff.
especially with normal running of stuff.
Tucker943
Bamboo Plantation Owner
I just watched some of coates' videos of rigging down those pigs with 2 bull lines......
That blew my mind. That's confidence, experience, judgement, and balls.
That blew my mind. That's confidence, experience, judgement, and balls.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
TCOB and collect the check. 
SouthSoundTree
Treehouser
Nuts, eh?
He does some sweet cranework videos, too. SMOOOTH.
He does some sweet cranework videos, too. SMOOOTH.
MasterBlaster
Administrator Emeritus
They do have some outstanding equipment.
flushcut
TreeHouser
That guy is sick smoooooth! It is as almost as if he measures the balance point or something.
Marc-Antoine
TreeHouser
A wonderful skill and an awesome management of the rigging.
It's a pleasure to see and learn from his videos.
Funny too, with his sweet looking gestures, just what is needed, no more, no excess moves, even with the big chunks. It makes me thinking ...
It's a pleasure to see and learn from his videos.
Funny too, with his sweet looking gestures, just what is needed, no more, no excess moves, even with the big chunks. It makes me thinking ...
gf beranek
Old Schooler
Reg is quite the Treeman, and innovative thinker tinkerer. He has come up with some wonderful solutions to problems we all encounter. My hat is off to the chap, as well Graeme McMahon.
If all works out right I may even be making a trip to go see Mr. McMahon in the near future. That is if everything works out right.
If all works out right I may even be making a trip to go see Mr. McMahon in the near future. That is if everything works out right.
Burnham
Woods walker
That would be on any treeman's lifetime bucket list, Jerry. Hope it comes to pass for you.
