Crane climbing

[beastmaster]

I'v been trimming these huge multi-leadered Canary Island Pines, They were over done and liontailed before by the previous trimmers. The canary island pine is one of vary few pines that have lots of dormant buds. They'll grow from a stump, when over pruned they have to almost be shaved from all the sprouts.
These pines have limbs that go out and up 60 feet, competing with the central leader. Their pretty skinny and bridle out on the ends. Not having a basket truck we used the next best thing. The KB crane would park on the street and lift me up and over each section. Using it for a tip I worked all the ends off the boom. I used a static line and did it SRT so I could easily go up and down each section. Only had to move the boom a few times. boss world turn the truck off and leave for a while with me hanging off the boom. It worked out really good and I'm able to easily work work the outside tips and a lot of the inside.
I think it worked out better then a basket truck, I had more maneuverability and could drop in anywhere I wanted which sure came in handy. Always had the perfect tip.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Yep, working off the crane is a great option, especially when there's no good spot to tie into. Attaching a basket is another option, also. Collect the check!

 

[mikewhite85]

Expensive pine trimming! Nice.

 

[beastmaster]

Expensive pine trimming! Nice.

Not so bad when you own your own crane. They find a lot of uses for that KB crane that wouldn't be possible if you had to pay by the hour. I'm spoiled, any time we have a lot of wood to load from a removal, we just hook up a big cargo net to the crane and roll the wood into the net.
I was working on three other pines on the other side of property that had no crane access, and had to climb way out on some skinny limbs, 90 to 100 feet up in the wind. I wish he'd get a bigger crane.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I luvs me some crane work.

 

[treevet]

 

[squad143]

Yep, working off the crane is a great option, especially when there's no good spot to tie into. Attaching a basket is another option, also. Collect the check!

Yup X2

 

[treeslayer]

I love cranework, and done a hell of a lot.... I got a load of pics, why do I need an URL to upload?

 

[hunthawkdog]

When we get to use the crane I'd almost go to work for free.
I'm wanting to buy one I've found an 80'main /30' jib. 20 ton. Might be a good addition it's a Bucyrus Erie . I just got an insurance quote it was almost $5000. A year I thought that was stout.
The trunk pick on this one was 8500 lb.

Sent from my LG-US780 using Tapatalk

 

[hunthawkdog]

Didn't get this on the last post

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[richard t]

I love cranework, and done a hell of a lot.... I got a load of pics, why do I need an URL to upload?

You can load picture's straight from you're computer to the message board.

 

[DavidBrown1212]

I work in cranes(drilling rigs & crane sales/service side) and we never get to hang from them. Too dangerous, but 80k of drill string is OK? Oh well. Definitely jealous of you all.

 

[beastmaster]

I work in cranes(drilling rigs & crane sales/service side) and we never get to hang from them. Too dangerous, but 80k of drill string is OK? Oh well. Definitely jealous of you all.

Whats fun is riding down with the pick.

 

[derwoodii]

down here we been tryin to get this over the line with state or Fed OH&S but going not so good as too many nay sayers it has it place and needs to be sorted but they keep referencing to cranes & methods of a yesteryear the new stuff by far better

 

[beastmaster]

I don't think ANSI would of approved of me riding down with those picks here in the states either. I felt it was safe in that situation, and for sure a lot faster. It has to be a special situation to justify their approval. The(perceived)hazard of riding down with the pick, has to be safer then staying on a unstable tree. But they can't be everywhere.
Privately owned cranes with operators who do a lot of tree work are more open to bending a few rules everyonce in the while. Lots of the big crane company's won't even let you ride up on the boom.

 

[derwoodii]

I don't think ANSI would of approved of me riding down with those picks here in the states either. I felt it was safe in that situation, and for sure a lot faster. It has to be a special situation to justify their approval. The(perceived)hazard of riding down with the pick, has to be safer then staying on a unstable tree. But they can't be everywhere.
Privately owned cranes with operators who do a lot of tree work are more open to bending a few rules everyonce in the while. Lots of the big crane company's won't even let you ride up on the boom.

yup they be tellin me its safer on rope with saw on dead dodgy trunk too sure need control and certification but all this can not be done less they even try a controlled pilot run

 

[MasterBlaster]

 

[TreeGuyHR]

I have yet to work with a crane, but I have done around 5 crane removals so far with my climber (I climb too). I'll have to post some pics.

Did a multiple big pine removal last fall where we took log-truck sized logs with a 70 ton telescoping crane (120 ft. hook ht). The HO wanted long logs so that he could haul them off and mill them. We made a nice deck in his yard, but the self-loader driver couldn't get them because he couldn't pull along side.

The HO wanted the deck in a field around 150 feet away and on the other side of two large oaks. I explained to the HO that the crane operator would refuse to do this because he doesn't let his tower or cable touch anything, besides the fact that some of the logs were to heavy to extend the tower that far. I said that we could keep the crane another day ($350/hr) , cut down two large oaks, re-level the crane 100 ft. away, and move the pile, but he didn't want to pay. He may have a lot of firewood right now... or maybe he hired a guy with a skidder to move them.