Pruning or Removal?

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Regarding climbing, which do you prefer?

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I don't like big removals and neither do I like to prune big trees. In my old age I like to do small to medium size removals that does not require more than a 75' climbing line and a 120' lowering line. I especially like the ones that do not require anything more than my MS200 until I am on the ground and can finish it off with my MS441 and a 24" bar.

The reason I don't like to do big trees any more is the lengths of rope you need to pull and having to use a big saw in the tree. All very tiring.

I must say that I also enjoy pruning that only requires my handsaw and cutting of branches no more than 1.5" in diameter.
 
I do think I find (thus far) more of a peaceful Zen kinda of feeling in a prune when I am climbing... More laughter from me and the ground.. might just be me... I guess I approach it more like a stroll in the park and more serious when I am rigging a TD and such. Don't know why...... I think I pace myself better in a prune also.. more relaxed pace ....
 
Im set up for removals, have all the toys for it (wheel loader, knuckle boom) and I like the fact that it is so difinative, yes your tree is gone! Trims are so open to personal opinion, "Dont you think that limb should have come out??"

Sidenote I really enjoy deadwooding Huge poplars now since I get a free ride to the top on the Wraptor
 
Strictly from a climbing perspective, I prefer pruning jobs because they usually require a lot more movement throughout the canopy. I get to limbwalk and swing around a lot more when I'm pruning than when I'm standing on my spurs doing a removal.
 
Removals. For exactly the same reasons John posted.

On the skills thing, I can put a biggish tree on the ground in an hour, that would take a learner or less experienced guy 2 - 3 hours. Its the spatial awareness and experience thing that allows me to dump a big top into a tight space, or let a limb tear and swing back a touch so that it misses a fence, whereas a less experienced climber would rope everything.

And yet, on pruning work, I can set fresh learner trainee climbers on it, and I would be not be that much faster.
 
Finally made my mind up... voted removal as its what I do better for now. Also, it is a finished product with out the customer scrutiny. Very much like fire clearance brushing. I will eventually get some tree pruning from the TD work as it just naturally opens the door. I also get the feeling of relief from the homeowner like when we fire clear, that the threat they have been feeling has been reduced or eliminated, a job well done.

I will be curious to come in here and look back in about a year with more education and climb time pruning, and see how I really feel then as I improve in my learned skills. Where will my passion lie then?:)
 
An experienced tree pruner is much faster than a rookie because all the decision making becomes automatic while newbies dwell on their decisions.
 
I prefer to do removals, basically due to the fact that there is no grey area in the end. The tree is a stump no matter what. With pruning you get "I thought", " I woulda", "I wanted", which is a PITA after your on the ground and have cleaned up no matter how much you've explained to them in the beginning.

I enjoy doing pruning though, the climbs are fun, and the finished product is something to step back at and take in the site. Plus the fact you'll more or less be back to the site to take care of it in the future. Where I used to work we did 80% pruning, it was def. a more gratifying experience. The days all I do is slay 'em, I do very little pruning even after attempts to get a customer to due so.

Another side of things, removals is kinda multi step, climb, lower/dismantle, come down, buck wood, load logs, rake, blow, dump debri, blah blah. Pruning on the other hand, there is relatively little debri, chip some brush, rake, blow, not enough chips to dump, you know the deal.

That's why I enjoy doing pruning.
 
Old Monkey said:
An experienced tree pruner is much faster than a rookie because all the decision making becomes automatic while newbies dwell on their decisions.
Click to expand...

I whole heartedly agree. I am much faster at pruning and the tree comes out looking much better than when I was 15 years younger and less experienced. I can look at a tree and instantly know where I am going to cut.
 
<---- Noob, rookie, wanna be, gonna be.....
SO I also know what ya mean and agree... I sooooooo need to get the pruning knowledge into my head and really apply it to good standard.... I know I will get there... Just really frustrating till I get it down .. if you know what I mean...
BTW I want to thank you all for the respect you have given me as new as I am in this business... They are really hard on the new guys at other sites (so I have read), so I really am grateful to be part of this family :)
 
I find myself pruning trees in my head as I drive around town. One time I caught myself figuring out what cuts I'd make on a painting of a tree while waiting for my daughter in her dentist's office. Its a skill and a sickness.
 
I do the same thing Darin.. I was on vacation working the trees in my head around all the homes and such... we won't mention driving down the road.. Or critiquing the guys that do the work in town..:crazy:
 
I do love Pruning. It is a certain sense of accomplishment. Plus the climbs are always fun. Cleanup has never taken more than an hour.

I also enjoy killing them. Running big saws and all the equipment associated with removal process. I think the challenge of placing the tree in a small place is what keeps me going on removals.

Pruning by the hour is where its at. LEave nothing to chance.

"I thought you were going to do this?"

No problem its gonna take us another 2 hours, since we just finished raking up.
 
Put me down for removal. I love rigging and put wood down as fast as possible. Risks, gambles, money cuts, it's all there.
 
Welcome to the 'House Nails!


I'm mostly a ground based treeguy, but I prefer pruning an apple tree to removing trees. I wouldn't mind having a small orchard to prune in the winters.

I find myself looking at trees from the perspective of a sawyer (sawmill). How would I buck the logs, and what would I saw them into. When you start doing it in your sleep, you know your in trouble. I had to stop playing Tetris when I was younger because I was doing it in my head all night long. I know, I'm not right.:roll:
 
Can't be here a minute without somebody calling you on it, thanks Dave. I just found this site after being on some others and it looks awesome.
 
Removals here. Pruning is rapidly diminishing part of my work-load. I find it easier to talk a young climber through a pruning job and do the wrecking work myself
 
Removals hands down. We do around 85% removals here and that is what we are most efficient at. Big trees with tiny landing zones ... yummy!
 
Pruning, do a good job make the customer happy and hopefully they will call you for the next prune job in a few years and keep the cash flow moving.
Removals one time thing, you make more but you want be going back to make anymore money off that tree.
 
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