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mic687

mic687

ArboristSite Operative
Joined
Dec 3, 2008
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Location
Midland Michigan
Monday evening my wife and I went to look at a job I have scheduled for Saturday and on the way this in what I saw. I was driving by a house and see a five colored pickup with two ropes tied from it to a Maple and a guy with a chain saw about to cut. I stopped to watch and I notice the guy cutting is not doing a face cut but just cutting in from the back side of the tree. As he starts cutting the tree is popping from the tension they had on the tree and the guy is jumping back each time it pops. Now I can tell whats going to happen which is a barberchair and as he gets half way thruogh the tree splits right up the middle and breaks off about 7' up. I could have intervined but I am not sure how appreciated it would have been and I figure we have alot of these guys around and when times get tough there are lots of tree guys and I figure the way those guys work they won't do it long. It was pretty clear they were hired by the way the home owner did not interact with them and two things come to mind. The home owner gets what they pay for and if you are going to sell yourself as professional service then you should know what you are doing. I don't want to see anyone get hurt what would you guys have done besides film it.:blob2:
 
I don't think you were wrong to not intervene. It's not your fault if they get hurt or damage something. I think sometimes the best way to clean up the ever muddying waters of tree service are to let the idiots fail on their own.
 
It depends, If I thought they would get seriously injured or killed or do the same to innocent bystanders then I would probably speak up. If less damage than that, I would wait till the homeowner realized he had hired idiots and then hand him my card and say " Education cost money, you can pay for them to get theirs or pay for the one I already have".
Rick
 
Some people have no idea how to even wipe their own Arse- Their like "Oooooodeedooo daaaa oh look i watched ax men so i went and bought a poulan pro tree cutter thingy with a 18 in blade on it and i gots a dead tree lets go wack on it a bit..." and it ends bad for them... cant help but laugh:) or really you feel bad for their stupidity.

But on the other hand i have ####ed up and done more stupid things than alot of other people
 
mic687 said:
Monday evening my wife and I went to look at a job I have scheduled for Saturday and on the way this in what I saw. I was driving by a house and see a five colored pickup with two ropes tied from it to a Maple and a guy with a chain saw about to cut. I stopped to watch and I notice the guy cutting is not doing a face cut but just cutting in from the back side of the tree. As he starts cutting the tree is popping from the tension they had on the tree and the guy is jumping back each time it pops. Now I can tell whats going to happen which is a barberchair and as he gets half way thruogh the tree splits right up the middle and breaks off about 7' up. I could have intervined but I am not sure how appreciated it would have been and I figure we have alot of these guys around and when times get tough there are lots of tree guys and I figure the way those guys work they won't do it long. It was pretty clear they were hired by the way the home owner did not interact with them and two things come to mind. The home owner gets what they pay for and if you are going to sell yourself as professional service then you should know what you are doing. I don't want to see anyone get hurt what would you guys have done besides film it.:blob2:
Click to expand...

i dont think you were wrong unless you could really tell that someones life was in danger or the home was going to be seriously damaged but still its not your problem to go out of your way to show them how to do it properly. who knows if you got out and tried to help they could have been recieving and taken your advice or they could have been like who the f is this guy. but still what could you have done. they prolly dont climb or anything so it prolly wouldnt have done any good. luckily no one got hurt.
 
Had a band of three working next door the other day "pruning" ash trees with a ladder, a polesaw, a chainsaw, and an huv. Maybe they are in business, maybe just helping a friend save a buck. I took a pic, a video, and continued my work on a large walnut removal. At one point I heard an ambulance going out from the hospital a few blocks away, but it didn't come our way. I peeked in on them every so often and if I'd have seen a man down I would have offered my first aid kit.

I care, but I don't. Let them have their way, I run my own race. I did have their HO visit me twice and I got to explain my operation in some detail. He was impressed, maybe he'll call me next time. The neighborhood saw the contrast. I'll let that speak for itself.
 
I have stopped a few times, when seeing a sure disaster in the making. Most of the time its someones ground guy doing a side job. Often I see the hacks out and about, always a good show. I love it when I loose a bid to these guys and then they tear stuff up, then the HO calls me back and wants me to finish. NOPE! Best ever was watching a guy cut him self outa the tree. Butt hitched his way right to the ground! I watched to make sure he was ok, then honked to let him know I was there and seen the whole thing, they managed to take out 3 sides of a chain link. Last side was ridiculous, must have been trying to hit it! That line in Days of Thunder - "Cole, I want ya to hit the pace car, ya hit everything else, I want ya to be perfect" came to mind!
 
We've stopped a couple of homeowners who were obviously over their head. Both times they were relieved that the calvary showed up. They knew they were over their head but didn't know how to make it right.
 
I'm surprised that most of you guys have an "oh well" attitude towards chainsaw and a pickup folks.

15-20 years ago I partnered with the top residential climber around to start a tree service (I was groundy where we worked). He taught me to climb and I got a F-700 dump and a whisp chipper together.

I signed up for these forum because two careers latter (the last 9 years suit and tie), I have to climb to pay the bills.

It just surprises me that you folks are semi-OK with cut-throats. I am one right now. During my first day at the local line clearing Co back then I was given TT pay, so I'm competent, but I can't see how your OK with guys that will drop and leave on the cheap.
 
peetar said:
I'm surprised that most of you guys have an "oh well" attitude towards chainsaw and a pickup folks.

15-20 years ago I partnered with the top residential climber around to start a tree service (I was groundy where we worked). He taught me to climb and I got a F-700 dump and a whisp chipper together.

I signed up for these forum because two careers latter (the last 9 years suit and tie), I have to climb to pay the bills.

It just surprises me that you folks are semi-OK with cut-throats. I am one right now. During my first day at the local line clearing Co back then I was given TT pay, so I'm competent, but I can't see how your OK with guys that will drop and leave on the cheap.
Click to expand...

They are a fact of life, whether we like them or not. The only way to keep them out is more regulation and if you want opinion on that just do a search on this forum and you will find thousands of comments - pro and con.

As far as cut and leave, if that's what the customer wants to pay for, then that's what they get. We're assuming that the cut and leave folk are not overly concerned about their reputation as a professional company around town.
 
peetar said:
but I can't see how your OK with guys that will drop and leave on the cheap.
Click to expand...

that is how i pay my bills, homey. am i my own worst enemy? i do a ton of sidework if i don't have to put a ton of hours in at the regular tree job.

i think you are the problem though seeing as how you still out there whoring yourself around even though you put a tie on to get paid. at least my customers are still getting professional treatment and not by some 1 day a week type of guy. that screams hackery to me.
 
BC WetCoast said:
We're assuming that the cut and leave folk are not overly concerned about their reputation as a professional company around town.
Click to expand...


you ever wonder who it is making that easy money? you can't get a better professional in your yard than me, pal.



oldirty said:
that is how i pay my bills, homey. am i my own worst enemy? i do a ton of sidework if i don't have to put a ton of hours in at the regular tree job.
Click to expand...
 
i'm guilty of stopping to watch the obvious happen. It makes it better when I lost the job to some fly by nighter. I offered advice once while I was finishing a job next door and was told "I've been doing this longer than you've been alive". I walked back to my job and had my crew take a break to watch. The guy did great in the climbing part of the tree, taking some big ballsy butt hitches, but didn't have a clue as to the length of the spar. I tried to warn him before he dropped out but his groundie said it would fit. The climber told me he had at least ten foot of extra space but some how it went across twenty feet of concrete drive. We all clapped our hands and cheered for him. I'll admit i'm not the best but I would at least second guess myself if another "professional" would put his two cents in.
 

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