Hardest Part Of Tree Work

[clearance]

THE CLAWBACK! when the grapple that i use to swing top to top busts loose and the swingback to your tie in tree begins....the pain in my feet when spiking up big fatty trees....and gaffing out of crumbly bark on old growth fir and hemlocks....and the good old two second heart attack when something shifts suddenly on you!

I hear ya, cept no firs here and no grapples allowed, its the old kick out and try and catch a branch. About feet, I got a new pair of Viberg caulks, 109s I think, leather sole, I took out the three caulks by the heel for my spurs, nice. I sure don't miss the cleanup, chipper, tree hugging idiots, Hydro guys, traffic, dog????e, loser customers, etc. I have only done three res. jobs since I got here, all decent customers, good people. Good boss, good money, can't complain.

 

[1I'dJak]

no grapples eh? why's that? that's why i like the windfirming better than the stemming cuz you climb alot less and spend alot of time hanging around...what's the name of the company you work for clearance? i think there's gonna be a big demand for climber's here on the island cuz alot of the guys in the outfit i work for here got certified and are becoming fallers...i just got a call from another outfit that was willing to pay me more....but i like the gig i got....good crew and i just got a raise...amen to what you said...don't miss the busybodies in victoria giving me ???? or packng brush in a dogcrap filled backyard!

 

[Eagle1]

Heat, humid weather, and getting paid by the home owner

 

[rebelman]

I'm with X--stumps.

 

[jmack]

especially ones that say "im on my way" and then poof midair cant even find em.

the vince lombardi school, if your early your on time, if your on time your late, if your late dont even bother,

 

[jmack]

Training newbies.

you got newbies thats a really good problem training them is even a better one

 

[TimberMcPherson]

Hot weather, a couple hundred steps and big wood to hump out.

Controlling Big wood on steep hillsides.

Trying not to kill my lab pup after I see her take a running leap into a VERY expensive water feature, now with bent fountain, uprooted plants and less fish than before.

 

[BigJohn]

Finding the strength to get out of bed.

 

[Tree Machine]

Telling a client with accuracy when I will be there to do their job.

 

[Treeinnovator]

for me...
i can't stand going up on a ladder and cleaning out palm trees. all those little tiny red ants bite like a mother. the washintonian's thorns suck, and the queen palms leave you filthy. i get more dirty trimming palms than i do taking down a mature oak...and for ALOT less $$$

 

[Jim1NZ]

HEDGES! Grounding is hard, climbers have it easy i reckon especially with take downs & no rigging

 

[Thillmaine]

Pain in the ass customers, tree jobs near the ocean on bankings that are a seriously steep grade, cleaning up other tree companies mistakes, dragging bruch sucks but its part of the job, deintley out of everything, banking work neear the ocean is the worst, you have to be tied in and can only selectively cut so your rope is all tangle and wrapped around all kinds of other scrub brush, and if you fall, usually the native species arpound here include multiflora rose, barberry, brambles and other wonderful thornbushes. All in all tree work is the ????, customers can be a blessing or a severe annoyance.

 

[CraneOp1]

Working with new climber's on a crane crew who think they know more than the operator/climber who has been trained from day one to be a removal expert. Still don't know why they even bother to ask where to hook and cut it, when they still do it their way and wonder why they got their saw buried, or the lift just about got them. Nothing worse than FNG KIA what a PITA.:bang:

 

[kkottemann]

My business is fairly new and nothing is paid for, so once a month I sit down and write out payments for 2 trucks, skidsteer, stump grinder and the insurance to go along with all of it. Some months I almost don't make it. this is what really pisses me off. On the physical side of tree work I do not mind the heat. Oh, it gets to me but I look at it as another challenge. Draging brush is no fun, but the worst work of all is pruning hedges. I absoulty despise this work. I would rather block out a 100' pine and drag brush, hump logs and shovel stump chips all myself than prune 10 feet of hedges for the same price. Trying to manuver my grapple truck into a gas station in New Orleans to fill up gets my blood pressure up as well.

 

[treeman82]

Dealing with people.

Employees who don't know what they are doing and can't be trusted.
Customers who don't appreciate the time, energy, skill, and liability involved with performing their "simple" tasks.

Besides that... poison ivy. It's gotten better since I started taking Oral Ivy, but even still, climbing up a locust which is so encased in the stuff that you can actually climb the ivy rather than the tree for 50'... all the time knowing that you are going to get it by the end of the day, and finally the end of the day comes and you are itching like crazy. Kind of like death... you know that eventually it will come for you... you just don't know when. With PI you know it's coming for you, and you know pretty much exactly when.

 

[treeseer]

Besides that... poison ivy. climbing up a locust which is so encased in the stuff that you can actually climb the ivy rather than the tree for 50'... finally the end of the day comes and you are itching like crazy. Kind of like death... .

One more testimonial for the use of a Ladder. Long sleeves and gloves a must.

 

[treeman82]

Guy, I have yet to see a 40'+ ladder... so 20' or 50'... either way it's bad. What makes it worse is when it's a hot day...

 

[Ekka]

It's funny to read the "staff" issues. Some wanker prangs your truck and shoots thru.

So, it must be a global phenomena where the industry attracts the jail birds.

What annoys me the most is the 4 out of 5 pruning bids that request topping, people want their trees whacked.

Then, what makes it worse is these so called "tree loppers" doing it. Got a whole stinking phone book full of them.

Physically, I dunno, I got a mini loader so many times the log part is fun, but having to carry log out up stairs is a right bastid, and it's summer most year around here.

 

[beowulf343]

One more testimonial for the use of a Ladder. Long sleeves and gloves a must.

Treeseer, I am only asking this because i am genuinely curious (i've never used or even seen anybody use a ladder to get in a tree.) How do you secure the ladder to the tree? I don't see a problem if the tree is big enough that both the side rails of the ladder are on the tree. But what do you do if the tree is small enough that only the top rung of the ladder is actually on the tree and the side rails are touching nothing but air? Seems kind of wobbly to me.

 

[Jumper]

I have, and I agree it usually is a pretty wobbly affair even with the groundguy holding on for dear life. Doubly so if the ladder is a broken mess your skinflint boss refuses to replace. Works OK if the is a branch to lean it on though.