Worst mistake you've made?

[Tree94]

several times I've underestimated the weight of a log / limb and didn't have my ground guy (who's new) take enough wraps while rigging..
I've gotten pretty lucky not to do any damage (thankfully) but ground guy usually suffers rope burn

 

[Zale]

Never made a mistake. I never broke a window, got the truck stuck, broke a fence, broke a flagstone, cut down the wrong tree, ran over a saw, dropped a saw out of a tree, put a hole in a roof or cut various cable and telephone lines grinding stumps. Nope, never made a mistake.

 

[Stihlmadd]

listened to another climber when deep down I knew better.

 

[Oldmaple]

Never made a mistake. I never broke a window, got the truck stuck, broke a fence, broke a flagstone, cut down the wrong tree, ran over a saw, dropped a saw out of a tree, put a hole in a roof or cut various cable and telephone lines grinding stumps. Nope, never made a mistake.

Never did tree work either.

 

[BC WetCoast]

Never made a mistake. I never broke a window, got the truck stuck, broke a fence, broke a flagstone, cut down the wrong tree, ran over a saw, dropped a saw out of a tree, put a hole in a roof or cut various cable and telephone lines grinding stumps. Nope, never made a mistake.

So what you're saying is you did all those on purpose.

 

[jefflovstrom]

The question is very ambiguous,
"Worst mistake you've made"
Shall I expand?
Jeff

 

[Zale]

If you want to expand it, in hindsight, my marriage wasn't the best decision of my life.

 

[derwoodii]

digging with 2 foot auger for planting tree had been over site with all utilys to determine if ok to machine dig & i watch colored wires come up on spade uh oh phones were out for a few suburbs no penalty we had covered our asses well


Using steel rod stakes to hold root balls down in advanced tree planting i drove a stake clean tho a gas line & did not even know had done it till weeks after i see gas crew pulling up the site and my handy work revealed no hiss no pop or smell the steel rod had made a neat penetration seal fit

 

[Jbaker]

Trimming a big old willow with a couple of 8 in dead crossing branches right over the clients house. Cut the lower branch first in small manageable pieces and everything was great till I hit the cross. Got half way through the last lower branch cut on the trunk side and the whole 10 ft upper branch went… turns out the upper branch was being completely supported by the lower and my dumb butt didn't check it. Luckily as it fell the branch rotated enough only the gutter was gently removed form the house. Called my buddy who does gutters and had a new seamless gutter up an hour later. When people ask me what was one of the most important things you did when starting your business I tell them "making friends with other contractors."

 

[Gugi47]

The very worst mistake.......................hmmmmm................when I got a wife in the house.....LOL

 

[gorman]

Worst mistake I made was buying an f350 dump that had been a plow truck for my start up rig. I poured every dollar I made for 4 years into that truck. Looking back, if i had made any other purchase I would be further ahead with my biz right now.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Mine is probably not getting into management earlier instead of thinking I would just climb until I die,
Better late than never,
Jeff

 

[rarefish383]

Letting my Dodge Challenger 440 SE go!

Did it go to the same place my 67 Dodge R/T 440 went, I'd like to get it back, Joe.

 

[acer-kid]

Worst mistake?



Deciding tree work was the best way to eat.

 

[acer-kid]

Stood a wind throw back up with me connected to it my first year.

Tied my rigging to the branch BESIDE the one I was taking. Just for a sec. Just to keep it out of the way while I cut the face. Saw ran out of gas. Sent it down to be refueled. Finished the face w/ handsaw. Got saw back. Ripped through the back cut. And the rain gutter. And a patio set. Never retied the line.

Dropped a top on its tips in the front yard. It stood on end for three years. Then it seemed to decide "know what? That's a stupid place for a bay window." Smashola.

First time I ever tried to cradle a boom from the lower controls, I pretty near drove the bucket through the cage. Boss man NOT pleased.

Clipped into that stupid bungee thing behind your d ring on a Sequoia saddle. Advancing my tip. Yesterday. Heard the clink of metal. Thought for sure I was in. Complacent and stupid. Pissed my pfanners.

Pruning a lead out of a tight crotched little leaf linden. Bore.
"Yer inta tha good leadt dummy."
"****. How bad?"
"W'all do it. . werst I ever facken seent."
Turned into a removal.

There's the tip of the worst arborist ever iceberg.

 

[ropensaddle]

Worst mistake I made was buying an f350 dump that had been a plow truck for my start up rig. I poured every dollar I made for 4 years into that truck. Looking back, if i had made any other purchase I would be further ahead with my biz right now.

Wow it musta been some truck 400 k truck ? Cummins ? I mean I have rebuilt my f350 two times but I bought a extra for parts etc. So far I replaced the motor, tranny,and rear end,shocks, front king pins and radius arm bushings and lower control bushings, radiator, steering sector, rear lights several times. Clutch two times too! Its time to re- do king pins. I figure I have 7 k in it total but then I did all the work. I still like it more than a payment

 

[ropensaddle]

Never made a mistake. I never broke a window, got the truck stuck, broke a fence, broke a flagstone, cut down the wrong tree, ran over a saw, dropped a saw out of a tree, put a hole in a roof or cut various cable and telephone lines grinding stumps. Nope, never made a mistake.

Ahhh so you sit in a truck lol

 

[Zale]

Yep, I just sit and polish my hitch pins.

 

[tomtrees58]

Nearly blew up a gas station about ten-years ago when we dropped the top of an elm and it hit and ripped down the power line going to the gas station, which then touched the tin roof and caused a massive shower of sparks and flames to shoot out both ends of the tin roof.

It was quite exciting.

good one

 

[tomtrees58]

worst mistake.......................getting marry. happy and single now