Thread: power line clearance without spikes/spurs.

are there any line clearance guys out there who do not use spurs on maintinence trees. i desperatly want to ditch the spurs and progress to spurless except for removals. is this reasonable. could i expect to be just as efficient without spurs.

It will be tough to climb "properly" and climb as fast as those climbing with no regard of the trees health.

love
nick

The only time spikes are to be used are on removals, period. That is unless you don't know how to climb with a rope.

Originally Posted by protreecare

The only time spikes are to be used are on removals, period. That is unless you don't know how to climb with a rope.

That's the way it SHOULD be, but that's not the way it is.

Shame, huh.

wbs- good to hear you're looking to join the good guys!

love
nick

yeah i agree that spikes should only be used for removals. unfortunatly that doesnt seem to be the norm around here. i run a line clearance crew and it just seems like spikes are the way it is. im going to start trying out rope climbing and maybe i can get good enough so that i can not use the spurs on some trees i just dont think i can get away with it 100% of the time. the utility that we are contracted with doesnt give a rats ass about the trees. it sucks. all they care about is production.

I get in a big argument with Asplunde every year when they come to do the clearance under the lines along the back of my property.The 1st thing is every time they come out they say the clearance is supposed to last 3 years ,they won't have to be back for three years and they are back every year.
The person who does the marking of the trees is always a different one and a newbee at that.
Mark every tree that looks like it MIGHT grow into the 20 or 30' clearzone within the next centurys time.
I call out their Arborist and we walk the trees that have been marked for cutting,he or she agrees with me and removes the mark from 95% of the marked trees saying they do not need cutting.
Then we talk about dirty tools and spikes to climb small young Oaks and pines when they do cut them.I told them I did not agree with this method,spikes were NOT needed,I could climb them without spikes and possible injury to the young trees by useing them.
Last time I walked out there(they had neglected to notify me that time,
The guy yells to his supervisor "Hey we got a hostile one over here!"I had just requested he remove his spikes or get the heck out of my trees.
I ask the super why he thinks it is OK for his crew to use spikes on trees that are only about 25'tall,
let alone use them on any live tree.
He said safety.I said bull....Anyway I have a absolutly georgeous pine thats at least 60'tall perfect in form and healthy.
It has one branch that is about 30' from the zone and every year I have to go out and argue and threaten law suits because they want SO BAD to spike up that tree and cut that limb off.
I protect it with my life and it is NOT within there line right-of-way,but they mark it every year and use spikes on all trees big and small .
One of these days I am going to miss them
and get no notice on my door and you can bet that's what they will do to this pine too.This has been going on for 10 years now

Bottom line, you're not a real climber unless you can climb without spike. a real tree man (arborist) would never put spikes into a living & saving tree. any further discussion on this is ridiculous. it's a black & whtie kinda thing. Spikes to kill - Ropes to maintain. it's as simple as that.

Starr

So SupaNovo, do you clean palms at all?

And if yes, do you clean them spikeless??

Dont throwball the powerline you climbing freaks!

Originally Posted by xtremetrees

Dont throwball the powerline you climbing freaks!

Ekka there was a man that throwballs and set rigging gear (spikeless climbs) palms in Cali. From years ago it was tree machine here on the site me thinks, i dont think he roped out palm tops thou

Other that perhaps for aesthetic reasons, why would you NOT use spikes on a palm tree?

Originally Posted by pantheraba

Done that!!!! Throwlined a powerline I mean !
Also ekka I have rope climed a couple of plams (Cocos) for a friend in Brisbane...it was all i had and iwanted to see if it could be done without spikes

Originally Posted by wbs

are there any line clearance guys out there who do not use spurs on maintinence trees. i desperatly want to ditch the spurs and progress to spurless except for removals. is this reasonable. could i expect to be just as efficient without spurs.

hey, this is off topic, but do the redwoods extend to your part of oregon? i live in south valley, so i havent got down there much, but i always wondered how far north the redwoods go.

WBS have you gone through JATC? You should have been shown a few different climbing techs. I.E. hip thrust, leg lock. Where did you go to school?

Cool site by the way thanks for letting me post.

I haven't seen a guy out climb a guy in spikes yet. Our contractor only cares about line miles and clearance specs.