Young generation of tree workers

[no tree to big]

I am new to the industry, just over a year in and climbing the whole time. I work hard and do my job so I can live my life. If you want a good climber that will move on a rope go put a job ad in your local rock climbing gym. Save time by getting someone who thinks 100ft up is privilege and not a chore. Age is not the issue I think your guy has an attitude problem and I'll bet cold hard cash his ol' man is the same way. Find someone with an open mind not experience or whatever they may claim they have.

I don't mean to bring back a dead topic but I'm with youngbuck and I think I've heard enough of back in my day stories. Trees have not changed and climbing is still climbing.

yea we got one of those "rock climber" guys lol he sucks worst part is he thinks he's good. wont leave the trunk leaves stubs, dog ears, flush cuts and the pole saw is his best friend

 

[Gologit]

I am new to the industry, just over a year in and climbing the whole time. I work hard and do my job so I can live my life. If you want a good climber that will move on a rope go put a job ad in your local rock climbing gym. Save time by getting someone who thinks 100ft up is privilege and not a chore. Age is not the issue I think your guy has an attitude problem and I'll bet cold hard cash his ol' man is the same way. Find someone with an open mind not experience or whatever they may claim they have.

I don't mean to bring back a dead topic but I'm with youngbuck and I think I've heard enough of back in my day stories. Trees have not changed and climbing is still climbing.

:monkey: Some of those "back in the day stories" might teach you something. They might even save your butt.

They could even make you a better climber. Or not. Your choice entirely.

One thing about it, if you don't want to listen to anybody...pretty soon you won't have to.

 

[treeclimber101]

Call me crazy but I love arrogance , I love to see real arrogant people shut down when they fail miserably , its just fun to watch .. As far as old heads well think about it thats all a lifer has are stories, memories and how they remember things ...

 

[reynog61]

I will eat my words on the rock climber advice. I never said anything about not listening, I listen to everything I am told and read everything I can get my hands on to become better at my job. I hear a lot of what I do wrong that is not backed up by correctional instruction and I think that would get old fast for anyone. I have a lot to learn and will always have something to learn, but nothing good comes from insult and degradation. There are plenty of hard workers in the younger generation, you just have to find them.

 

[Nailsbeats]

I will eat my words on the rock climber advice. I never said anything about not listening, I listen to everything I am told and read everything I can get my hands on to become better at my job. I hear a lot of what I do wrong that is not backed up by correctional instruction and I think that would get old fast for anyone. I have a lot to learn and will always have something to learn, but nothing good comes from insult and degradation. There are plenty of hard workers in the younger generation, you just have to find them.

When I worked road construction, every move made was based on insult and degradation. Rode the pussies out of town real fast. Ahh, the good old days, lol.........

 

[Toddppm]

When I worked road construction, every move made was based on insult and degradation. Rode the pussies out of town real fast. Ahh, the good old days, lol.........

Haha, some lines of work should be like that sometimes including this one. No sense in coddling someone along that doesn't have the heart or brains to do this kind of work.

 

[flushcut]

I bust balls to see where a guy stands if he takes it and gives it ,good, if not, bye bye.

 

[treeclimber101]

I don't know what it would be like to not have my balls broke daily , I mean I dish it out just fine and take it too , as far as young guys go , i like to have 1 around from time to time they usually are a hot mess and when they have a good sense of humor makes the day a bit more tolerable for sure

 

[beastmaster]

We use to ride new guys so bad, more then once a guy had left ready to cry, never to be seen again. I've work at places that by the end of the day I was telling my self, I'm not coming back in the morning. But I always did come back.
Most my time in this industry I have been the only white guy on a crew. I have been seen as an outsider by my co-workers and had to put up with a lot of sh_t. I learned to roll with the punches, and over time get accepted and respected.
I see other crews that I have worked with drive by and we all give each other the finger as a greeting. But were smiling while we do it.
I run across a lot of young climbers(that's anyone under 35) who have only worked for one or two places, and think their the sh_t, but in reality they're very limited in experience. Yet they think they know it all. I've yet to meet a climber of any age who'll say,"I don't really have much experience.
A little advice to you youngsters who think you know it all(or oldsters for that matter)Don't let a cocky, proud attitude prevent you from learning new things. I still learn from other people. I am not proud, if you have a technic that works better then what I'm doing, I'll give you props and start doing it too. Guys that think they know it all, don't grow or learn. You have to work at being good, just saying it, doesn't make it so.
If you don't continue to learn and grow throu out your life, you'll be that old know it all guy, one day, who really never grew beyond what he learned his first few years. Where you think all those tree toppers come from?

 

[roostersgt]

Been a long while since I lasted posted on this forum. I want to say after bashing the prices climbers / tree guys charged, my opinion, appreciation and respect has changed significantly. I recently hired some climbers to take down a couple of 129' "hazardous" cedar trees near my cabin. The team I hired were relatively young (24-30), but very experienced. The boss, a 30 year old, said he was a third generation climber and worked for his grandpa's logging outfit since he was 12. The others all had at least 10 years in the business and similar stories. They climbed and dropped those trees in less than a full day without a single incident. The trees trunks were about 16" from the cabin and overhung it's rooftop. I watched as they chunked them down and finally dropped the 40' plus sticks that were left, falling on top of the day-glow rags laid on the ground as drop points. Truly awesome work. The cutting, climbing and coordination of the team was simply amazing.

I got both trees dropped and mostly "bucked" into firewood sized pieces for the bargain price of $1400. Not a bad days work for 3 guys and certainly worth it for me. Bids were all over the place. Time to complete the task was a different story. All bidders (6 total) except one stated they could do all required in one full day. One guy, the oldest and not a climber, stated it would take his 4 man crew 4 days. The bid went to the youngest crew with the average price. I liked that I was dealing directly with the main climber for the estimate and not just a foreman/owner.

The amount of physical labor those guys expelled in that 8 hour day made me thank God I didn't chose tree work as my way to make / earn a living. Those guys never slowed down and only took a short lunch break. Helluva work ethic. Those young guys really impressed me.

 

[tramp bushler]

Funny I found this thread . I've had 2 young guys working with me the past2 weeks. Today they started showing some good attitude and some desire to earn . I'm clearing residential row for an underground update .in Valdez . I'm the climber and faller on this job . They pull brush , feed the chipper do some bucking and lots of raking . I do find that as they get a hang of what we are doing they get more interested in what we are doing . One even said he wants to learn how to climb .
I'm an employee on this job so I don't have to think about their cost . Thats a relief !!!!!!!!! . But I may end up with some good hands if the job lasts long enough .

 

[littlejoetqt]

We use to ride new guys so bad, more then once a guy had left ready to cry, never to be seen again. I've work at places that by the end of the day I was telling my self, I'm not coming back in the morning. But I always did come back.
Most my time in this industry I have been the only white guy on a crew. I have been seen as an outsider by my co-workers and had to put up with a lot of sh_t. I learned to roll with the punches, and over time get accepted and respected.
I see other crews that I have worked with drive by and we all give each other the finger as a greeting. But were smiling while we do it.
I run across a lot of young climbers(that's anyone under 35) who have only worked for one or two places, and think their the sh_t, but in reality they're very limited in experience. Yet they think they know it all. I've yet to meet a climber of any age who'll say,"I don't really have much experience.
A little advice to you youngsters who think you know it all(or oldsters for that matter)Don't let a cocky, proud attitude prevent you from learning new things. I still learn from other people. I am not proud, if you have a technic that works better then what I'm doing, I'll give you props and start doing it too. Guys that think they know it all, don't grow or learn. You have to work at being good, just saying it, doesn't make it so.
If you don't continue to learn and grow throu out your life, you'll be that old know it all guy, one day, who really never grew beyond what he learned his first few years. Where you think all those tree toppers come from?

Although we may not have met in person,

I'm not singling you out beastmaster, but all the people who have little to no faith in those lacking the life experience that they have.

I don't really have much experience, in tree work or otherwise. I've spent almost 2 years making a living with a chainsaw. I seldom find anything I walk away from on the ground, I'm content to notch and drop just about any tree that anyone else will(short of the "heros" cutting out widowmakers instead of thinking of their children). I do know when to walk away, and I'm not ashamed, nor embarrased to do it when the need arises.

Put me in a tree, if I'm not sure I will ask for advice from an "older" coworker. I do not trust myself, and I do not wish to. I approach every task on the ground and in the tree as if it's 100% critical to do it as close to perfect as I can. The guy who started me felling trees once told me "All the good ones are dead." and that's how I see it. I show up every day, work my can off and don't complain. If someone cracks a smartass remark about me, look out because I can lay it out just as well as I can take it.

The "old, toothless, bald, senile ******"(amusingly, he goes by the name of Rusty, I pick about that too) who is teaching me how to climb has actually became a good friend, even though there are 22 years between us. I won't post some of the things he calls me, as I might offend some women, devout christians and possibly most of my generation.

Though it is appropriate to say that most of my generation (I'm 26) is worthless, don't discount us all. Although my knowledge and experience probably wouldn't impress you, my work ethic, attitude and willingness to learn probably would. Some of my witty remarks might do the same...if I was as good in a tree as I am with my mouth(in a fun loving, joking manner of course) I would be worth the wage I make.

P.S: I killed a nice(38") Timber Rattlesnake yesterday, we were going to a big (4'ish) White Oak that needed some limbs overhanging a power line removed. Rusty walked right over it, stepping within 6" of it. I was in tow packing ropes and gear, dropped the gear and clubbed him with a nearby stick. I don't kill them just to do it, but we were going to be walking through there all day and I don't have the balls to catch one alive to relocate it. I put him on ice and took him home to show my wife and daughter firsthand what they look like. I put it in the sink, then ran out to the store. My wife beat me home, she called and asked where I'd gone. I told her, and said whatever you do, don't look in the kitchen sink. She asked why, and I told her. She said "Oh my God, that thing better be dead!" I just paused for a minute, building suspense before I told her it was. fun fun!

 

[arborealbuffoon]

Living wage, anyone?

While I am well past my 20's (and 30's!) I do have some insight into the plight of the younger generation in this economy.

When the cost of living continues to outpace stagnant wages, it is hard for anyone at ANY age to be really motivated, or to take their job seriously at all.

AND, to ask any one to risk their life, bust their butt, and ruin their body prematurely in an industry such as arboriculture is absolutely ridiculous. I am personally ashamed of the insane amount of stress, bs and suffering I have endured in this profession. If only I could turn back the hands of time....

I believe that every single human being that shows up for his 40 hrs and does his job deserves a pay check sufficient to house, feed and clothe him (or her) self. Basic needs cannot be met at todays woefully insufficient wages. Why should taxpayers be on the hook to pay for benefits because business in this country believes that 8 or 10 bucks an hour (and NO benefits) is enough. Prepare now for 80 percent of the working poor to receive food stamps....we're almost there.

And as far as risking my life, taking tons of #&^% off of some old "genius" tree trimmer, and then getting paid an amount that ensures my eligibility for public assistance.....you can definitely count me out. I don't need the practice that much!!

 

[Toddppm]

This is a weird thread. Do you think the last generation of tree guys and the generation before that were saying the same thing? Boy when I was a younger generation tree guy all my friends sucked too, none of them wanted to work hard, uh wait a minute I actually knew a bunch of guys that did work hard in all kinds of physical jobs.
Whatabout those guys that grew up in the 90's? I dunno, I was working too much, 80's? Only wanted to drink, smoke and rock and rol,l 70's? long haired hippy freaks didn't want to work did they?60's? Dope smokin fools, was it only the 50's and before that had a hard working younger generation?:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[treeclimber101]

This is a weird thread. Do you think the last generation of tree guys and the generation before that were saying the same thing? Boy when I was a younger generation tree guy all my friends sucked too, none of them wanted to work hard, uh wait a minute I actually knew a bunch of guys that did work hard in all kinds of physical jobs.
Whatabout those guys that grew up in the 90's? I dunno, I was working too much, 80's? Only wanted to drink, smoke and rock and rol,l 70's? long haired hippy freaks didn't want to work did they?60's? Dope smokin fools, was it only the 50's and before that had a hard working younger generation?:hmm3grin2orange:

its doubtful they had this thread tthey had no internet and didn't live past 30 there were no old heads they were just dead heads

 

[TreeSurfer]

Arrogance and a cocky attitude are found in all age groups.

yeah........cough cough jefflovstrom :msp_tongue: