I got a job to remove 4 Norway spruce trees in a ladys yard. 3 where about the same size. 26" diameter 4' up. about 80 feet tall. very straight. so I had the chance to work them and see which method was the most comfortable. heres what I did and what I determined.
most spruce trees I do I spike up them removing the limbs around the tree as I go. drop the top and descend. what sucks about it is standing in pretty much the same position all day and the fact that your in the sap all the time. so the first tree I did that. I dropped the top at the last 15 feet. moved down 15 feet and dropped another section. it left me with about a 50 foot stem. I dropped it. it all took about 2.5 hours.
the next tree I spiked up about 20 feet removing all the limbs. (explain in a bit) I then climbed the limbs til the last 15 feet. I cleared it out a little and dropped the top. which left a stem and the remaining branches. I worked my way down removing the branches from the top down. I removed another part of the stem at about 15 feet down. as you figured, not all of the branches fell through to the ground. this was the down side to this. what was nice about this was I always had limbs to stand on. the reason I removed the first 20 feet was so no limbs would have the tips touching the ground piling up vertically against the trunk. this method was a little messy but less fatiguing than just spiking. including dropping the stem, it took about 3 hours.
the last method I used was I spiked up to where I could climb the limbs. I climbed to the last 15 feet and dropped the top. I double wrapped and choked a sling and ran my friction saver through it. I descended clearing a narrow path as I went down. then simply drt'd my way back up clearing the stem. I removed my sling/friction saver, descended 15 feet and dropped a section. descended and dropped the stem. this took me about 2.5 hours. this was by far the best method. if I got tired from hanging, I could rest on the spikes. it was organized, I had the most control and freedom.
these where big trees. it was a good time to play. most spruce trees the growth it too tight and the limbs are too small to just climb them. anyone know of a way to set a friction saver around the stem in a pine from the ground? hmm?
most spruce trees I do I spike up them removing the limbs around the tree as I go. drop the top and descend. what sucks about it is standing in pretty much the same position all day and the fact that your in the sap all the time. so the first tree I did that. I dropped the top at the last 15 feet. moved down 15 feet and dropped another section. it left me with about a 50 foot stem. I dropped it. it all took about 2.5 hours.
the next tree I spiked up about 20 feet removing all the limbs. (explain in a bit) I then climbed the limbs til the last 15 feet. I cleared it out a little and dropped the top. which left a stem and the remaining branches. I worked my way down removing the branches from the top down. I removed another part of the stem at about 15 feet down. as you figured, not all of the branches fell through to the ground. this was the down side to this. what was nice about this was I always had limbs to stand on. the reason I removed the first 20 feet was so no limbs would have the tips touching the ground piling up vertically against the trunk. this method was a little messy but less fatiguing than just spiking. including dropping the stem, it took about 3 hours.
the last method I used was I spiked up to where I could climb the limbs. I climbed to the last 15 feet and dropped the top. I double wrapped and choked a sling and ran my friction saver through it. I descended clearing a narrow path as I went down. then simply drt'd my way back up clearing the stem. I removed my sling/friction saver, descended 15 feet and dropped a section. descended and dropped the stem. this took me about 2.5 hours. this was by far the best method. if I got tired from hanging, I could rest on the spikes. it was organized, I had the most control and freedom.
these where big trees. it was a good time to play. most spruce trees the growth it too tight and the limbs are too small to just climb them. anyone know of a way to set a friction saver around the stem in a pine from the ground? hmm?