What Non Essential Gear Do You Think Is Worth Owning?

[WoodCutr]

Brake pedal depressor-log.

I almost cut one for the bucket truck last week, had to back into a steep driveway to chip brush, half a box of chips and an 8000 pound chipper behind it on a 15 degree hill, parking brake would not hold the truck, second time this year ive had this issue, bunch of chocks worked tho

edit, forgot to mention, this log works on any sort of brakes, but hydraulic brakes can bleed down, and as the log isnt going to account for that it can certainly be an issue, air brakes will keep dumping air into the brake chambers should there be a leak in the system anywhere

wreckers have a "winching brake" which puts down any lift axles, and applies all the service brakes

Go for cheap hardware store cord, thicker and weaker.

I was thinking throwling to keep it compact, but I can see how it may be too strong and/or impossible to remove with gloves on

 

[cory]

I often drop down and help with clear up mid job, so I try to keep the shedding of harness/spikes as quick and convenient as poss.

#workhorse

 

[Mick!]

Do you mean firewood lengths?



Very, very rarely do I cut single rounds, or bother with anything more than a MS460/ MS461, commonly a MS362 unless it's thick or cutting singles.

Someone here posted something with a clever name. It was a matter of starting the second cut after the first is finished, 'parking' the saw in the second kerf, pushing the first, finishing the second, 'parking' the saw in the next...rinse and repeat.

Once the saw is in the tree, it doesn't go back on your saddle between cuts.

Carrying minimal gear helps, too.

yes, large pieces, not ringing down small stuff.

 

[Mick!]

#workhorse

Never been called that!
I just like to go home early, plus it’s unfair watching the guy(s) struggle when you’re enjoying the view.
Its another instance where ladders are handy, get the lad to put the ladder up the tree so you can come down and help, and more importantly get back up (well at least some of the way) with a lot less effort.

 

[cory]

I just like to go home early, plus it’s unfair watching the guy(s) struggle when you’re enjoying the view.
.

Ditto

 

[flushcut]

It’s all essential gear.

 

[Kaveman]

Man, I don't know any more. As my wife pointed out, I climb with a lot less on my harness than any climber we know.

I saw guys at the local TCIA competition with a metric phukthat of junk on their harness that they never touched, except to move out of the way.

My general rule is that if I don't know I'm going to need it, it stays on the ground. Once I've finished with whatever it is, it comes out of the tree. If I don't need an item until later, it don't come up till later. That said, I never take a top without a wedge handy, and if I think I'll need it soon, I call, or come down for it before hand.

 

[treebilly]

Love my monkey beaver suspenders. First saddle I had with them but I’ll never go without again.
I’m with @Kaveman. I climb with very little on my harness. My climbing system, lanyard system, a few loop runners, and a couple extra carabiners. Hand saw and chain saw as well. Anything bigger than a 201 I pull up when I need it. Blocks and rigging rarely go up till I need them.

 

[lxskllr]

My most annoying piece of extraneous gear is the Stein extending hook. Bermy recommended it, and Mike used something similar with a fishing pole. I thought the short reach wouldn't be that useful, but noticed most of the grabs I did were with my silky, so instead of being careful not to cut my lines and stuff, I got the Stein. It works fine, but it gets caught on EVERYTHING while climbing. I've already ripped the ring off when it got hung up. I like having it available, but man it can be a PITA. Maybe make a hood for the hook or something...

edit:
I was just running it through my head, and maybe a throwline constrictor on the hook itself, and hang it upside down on my saddle will keep it from getting hung up.

 

[SeanKroll]

A biner on the end of the rope makes a vine-hook on the end of Silkys a good retriever. Sometimes I even find a stick in the tree that makes a good rope-retriever.


I blew a rivet on my MCRS 6 years ago. I was sent a replacement around-the-waist piece. I didn't put the gear loop cord onto the new one. There are (2) ~1.5" gear rings. This holds everthing I need just fine. I don't have any biners that serve no purpose beyond holding other gear, as I see some people do.
Sometimes, I even carry two chainsaws (2511t and 200t or a rear- handle for wrecking tall conifers), a shorty 5# ax and wedge pouch.


The marketing departments are strong in the tree gear world. Shiny, Shiny, latest greatest.

 

[Ryan]

I used summer bar oil last weekend in below zero temps. and while it poured thick and syrupy, the saw performed as expected and it got me wondering if winter bar oil was really necessary. I tried and failed to find some info on what temperature the oil reservoir reaches in a warm saw but am of the opinion that the powerhead is going to get as hot as it gets and the bar oil is going to get warm and flow freely be it winter or summer oil. Anyone experience anything to the contrary? Or blow the tip out of a bar using winter oil in above zero temps?

 

[lxskllr]

Main reason I switched to canola was for the improved cold weather pour performance. Regular oil seemed to work fine once in the tank though. I think the engine heat helps keep it going. This is in MD with temps around freezing. YMMV in Canuckistan.

 

[Kaveman]

I'm in AZ, so a lot of folk will foofoo me. I'm at 6200ft, how many folk are that high, all the time? I've seen temps at -15°(Freedom) and 103° (still Freedom). I've never noticed my bar oil letting me down. Unless it was our damned shagbark cedar, which only the old Macs with the aux oiler dont mind.

But I don't feel that I NEED heated grips either...Maybe it's just not cold enough bt the ski resort?

 

[SeanKroll]

In those temps, it would be worth the money to me.

 

[Tree09]

I sheared a plastic worm gear on my makita battery saw, canola in cold weather. Now i cut it with acetone to thin it a bit, not sure if that was truly the cause but I'm gonna make sure it won't be moving forward!

 

[Kaveman]

I sheared a plastic worm gear on my makita battery saw, canola in cold weather. Now i cut it with acetone to thin it a bit, not sure if that was truly the cause but I'm gonna make sure it won't be moving forward!

Is the acetone degrading the case? I'm always leery of the stuff. Grandad was a union painter for years, always used mineral spirits, said that Acetone causes nerve damage. Turns out he was right, that's why most women's nail polish remover specifically says "Acetone Free"

Also, I used a bit to clean a synthetic brush once. That stuff melted through the cup and turned the brush to goo.

I haven't touched the stuff since, except to break a rusted bolt loose. It's magic for that.

 

[Tree09]

Not that I've noticed, it's only a bit mixed in the oil and i just started. I learned it here.... on the makita mini thread which i don't know how to link...

i cut it with a bit of acetone to get it to flow.

 

[flushcut]

I keep the oil jug in the truck with floor heat on the way to the job and in the sun in the cab when at the job. We are running Mystic all season oil good flow in winter tho seems a bit thin in summer but I haven't noticed excessive wear and tear. I do have extreme cold weather oil but I'm not cutting in that kind of cold, it's just not worth it beating on the gear trying to get everything started and warmed up.

 

[lxskllr]

@stig 's trick on the plates.


Start with (2) single-layer (not stacked) wedges.

Before driving them too deep, as with stacking wedges, slip one wedge out, add a plate as deep as reasonable, allowing the first wedge to be reinserted about 1/3 to halfway in. Drive it.

This will let your second wedge come out, add a plate, re-insert the second wedge. Drive it.

Keep driving the wedges (can carefully hit the plates, if needed) until you need to add another plate to one stack, then add a plate to the other stack.

A few weeks ago I got a cuttingboard from the thriftshop, and it's just been sitting. I need to cut it up, and I was wondering what dimensions you use. The board's 8"x12". It has a handle cut into one end, but I don't see that as being an issue. Should I make 3 4"x8" plates, 2 4"x12" plates, or something else altogether?

 

[friedrich]

A few weeks ago I got a cuttingboard from the thriftshop, and it's just been sitting. I need to cut it up, and I was wondering what dimensions you use. The board's 8"x12". It has a handle cut into one end, but I don't see that as being an issue. Should I make 3 4"x8" plates, 2 4"x12" plates, or something else altogether?

i‘d go with the size of your wedges

 

[SeanKroll]

Yep

 

[stig]

That is what the inventor does