Anyone climb for firewood?

[avalancher]

I took some heat on the Arborists 101 board for taking work away from the Pros because I sometimes climb to take trees down for the firewood. I aint a pro, and I limit my climbs to GOOD firewood trees, namely oak and hickory that so often ends up in the county dump by the pros. I try and stay away from the real hazards that require a pro, IE trees leaning over buildings and power lines. I have taught myself, bought a bit of equipement and learned as I went.
Anyone else out there like me? Do a little light climbing just to get a tree down and bucked into firewood?

 

[Wet1]

Gotta draw the line!

No climbing for me unless I'm getting paid. I have a hard enough time doing someone else's tree work for free just so I can build my wood inventory, but I'm certainly not going to do technical stuff for free... to much work and more importantly, to much risk just for free wood.

 

[husky455rancher]

ive never climbed but i really wanna learn sometime. i gotta start saving for gear first lol.

 

[avalancher]

I dont climb for free, sorry I didnt make that clear. What I meant was I climb to get a tree down, and part of the money that I make is in the wood. For some trees I charge just a few hundred bucks to make the climb, but make it up in the firewood area. So many of the trees that I run across only require a cable up high to pul the tree to accertain that it is going to go the way that I want.
I just hate seeing the pros haul the stuff to the dump, especially the good big oaks and such. I have had no luck in getting any of them to call me to come get the wood when they are close by. They just dump it at the dump.
Hate seeing all that wood go to waste.

 

[danrclem]

I haven't ever climbed but I'm planning on renting a bucket truck very soon to take a big dead locust tree down. I probably wouldn't do that but it's for my sister. I believe the wood is still good but I bet it's gonna be hard on the chains.

 

[chainsawaddict]

I sure will. I grew up doing it that way. I dont do it often, maybe twice a year, but I really enjoy it! Its really pretty simple as long as you remember not to fall.

 

[arborworks1]

Guys, seriously if you called the companys that you see dumping it. they will most likely deliver it to you. It might cost a little bit. But hey hospital bills add up if you fall out of a tree.

If you desire to climb trees, get in touch with a local rec climbing group. You are taking work away from professional tree services that have all the equipment and insurance requirements.

 

[chainsawaddict]

Guys, seriously if you called the companys that you see dumping it. they will most likely deliver it to you. It might cost a little bit. But hey hospital bills add up if you fall out of a tree.

If you desire to climb trees, get in touch with a local rec climbing group. You are taking work away from professional tree services that have all the equipment and insurance requirements.

spoken like a true arborist!

 

[avalancher]

Guys, seriously if you called the companys that you see dumping it. they will most likely deliver it to you. It might cost a little bit. But hey hospital bills add up if you fall out of a tree.

If you desire to climb trees, get in touch with a local rec climbing group. You are taking work away from professional tree services that have all the equipment and insurance requirements.

This is exactly what I am talking about. Tell me, why arent I entitled to make a few bucks on the side doing what I love to do? I repair diesel equipement for a living, and have helped more than one guy fix his own stuff. Even spent a few saturdays helping a guy that I didnt even know fix his own stuff. Whats the difference? And yeah, I am licensed and insured to fix heavy equipement. Even have a large overhead too!

I have called more than a dozen pros to get wood. Always the same answer. Yep, I can hook you up. Havent had a call yet to come and get wood except for a fellow Arboristsite member, Clearview.

 

[oldirty]

i dont like this one at all.

i am not knockn you avalancer but i am not real comfortable hearing about a non tree guy climbing trees for money.


i got a wrench. can i come over and fix your diesel?

 

[olyman]

spoken like a true arborist!

soo true!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[KsWoodsMan]

I've been dragging 40 for a couple of years and still like to climb on some occasions. For firewood about the only reason I might go up in one is to tie a rope in it to pull it away from a fence row, not a real target. As a kid, I don't ever remember getting stuck in a tree. I never froze from heigths. I try not to climb for a profit but I have taken my saw in a tree and worked almost as comfortably as I would on the ground. It's not the line of work I want to go into but I wouldn't starve at it if I did.

There's one around the corner from me that has been waiting the last couple of years. The owner is willing to pay $50 to have it put on the ground, cut up and dragged to the street, anything I want from it I can keep. It's over his house, over his driveway , over the neighbors house and has several smaller trees under it that he wants to keep. For 50 bucks and the wood he can keep his tree. I don't think I will ever get hungry enough or cold enough to take that one out for him, at his price.

...
I have called more than a dozen pros to get wood. Always the same answer. Yep, I can hook you up. Havent had a call yet to come and get wood except for a fellow Arboristsite member, Clearview.

This takes me back to some old comedy from the 80's. I forget the name but these 2 arms dealers are trying to get in some small wealthy nations pocket for years. Every time they go the head general gave them both a cheesy set of cufflinks. Like all was good and showed them around for the day. They never got the contract til someone else asked if they ever got a gift from the general. Their answer was "Well, shre if you can call it that". The next question was and what was your gift to him ? After that they came with gold Colt in a hand made cherry display case. Needless to say they were In like Flynn and got the contract.

Not really saying much but if you are the guy foremost on their mind after lunch, they are sure to remember your address or # at the end of the day. Cultivate a relationship with a tree crew and they might swamp you with their surplus. Log lengths are going for about $80 a cord, in places. Is it worth 1/3 of that to treat a 2-3 man crew to hot pizza and sodas some afternoon ?

 

[clearance]

Guys, seriously if you called the companys that you see dumping it. they will most likely deliver it to you. It might cost a little bit. But hey hospital bills add up if you fall out of a tree.

If you desire to climb trees, get in touch with a local rec climbing group. You are taking work away from professional tree services that have all the equipment and insurance requirements.

Wahhh, the guy is just cutting down easy trees, relax.

 

[bore_pig]

Never climbed myself. I have a friend who does it for me. I have, however, spent many hours in the bucket of the loader tractor.

 

[Wood Doctor]

I did this last year for the last time. I climbed on top of a 10-foot step ladder and dropped a big oak tree that was threatening (1) a high voltage power line (2) a city lamp post, and (3) a large apartment building.

The safest way to fell the tree to protect the surrounding property was to climb that ladder and drop it from that height, assuming that nothing would happen to me. I studied the situation for 30 minutes, walking around the tree several times. Then I dropped it, and it was a perfect drop. Afterwards I took her down flat to the ground, but even that was not easy.

I will never fell a tree that big while standing on the top of a step ladder or any other ladder for as long as I live. :censored:

 

[sawinredneck]

Ladders and tree work don't belong in the same sentence!! Trust me, I worked for a guy and thats all he would let me do, never wanted me to rope up a tree, always off the damn ladder!!! I still get chills from that!!!!
I climb, but not for firewood! If it's a good tree I will keep the wood, but it's always for pofit for me. I'm not risking my neck and risk of property damage for nothing!
I don't climb that much, but if it's a removal, I won't go up for less than $500. You want it cheaper, find someone else, because it's not worth it to me!

 

[Wood Doctor]

Ladders and tree work don't belong in the same sentence!! Trust me, I worked for a guy and that's all he would let me do, never wanted me to rope up a tree, always off the damn ladder!!! I still get chills from that!!!!

I climb, but not for firewood! If it's a good tree I will keep the wood, but it's always for profit for me. I'm not risking my neck and risk of property damage for nothing!

I don't climb that much, but if it's a removal, I won't go up for less than $500. You want it cheaper, find someone else, because it's not worth it to me!

I think you and I are on the same page. :agree2:

 

[sawinredneck]

I take the value of the tree removed into consideration when writing the bid. Lots of good firewood may get a small reduction in price but not much. Often if the wood is good firewood I give the same price if I take the wood or leave it, up to the client. If I am taking the wood I want all of the wood and not just the largest chunks that are left after someone else has taken the prime.


Firewood value is going to be a bigger and bigger concern as more people switch to wood. I think even pine and other lower grade woods are going to be in demand for woodstove fuel.

Thats al fine and dandy Dan, but realisticly, how much longer do you really think they are going to LET us burn wood?
I know, another thread, but just looking a S/F CA as an example, I can see the end of wood in the future.

 

[husky455rancher]

i personally dont have a probelam at all with what avalancher is doing. aside from his everyday job he has aquired a skill that he can use to make money. whats the difference if he dosent own a business doing it full time? would you rip on the kid cutting the neighbors grass for 10 bucks cuse he wasnt a fully licensed and insured landscaper?

 

[chainsawaddict]

I think wood heat is going to always be around. I'm looking forward to the next generation of even cleaner burning wood stoves.


In congested metropolitan areas where the air is already a health hazard on certain days it's a no brainer to limit wood stove use. SF was only suggesting 20 days per year would fall into this category.

It's a shame we need such regulation but when millions of people live literally on top of each other wood heat is not the best answer.

I agree.

Where I am wood heat will outlast regulation. It may be different in metro areas though.