Just follow up on a previous post (Falling Tree)

[Karla]

Just fell a big red oak yesterday behind my shop, and it went the wrong way, ugh I did have it planned correctly but only mistake was the tree has been dead for the second year, and was in pretty bad condition about 70 feet tall, I should have taken it down last year. I wanted it to go straight back away from my shop, but it actually broke one of my wedges and went off to the side, the good news is it didn't fall backwards and come down on my steel roof building that would have been really ugly. Lol.

Karla, Dec 1, 2016Report
#244+ QuoteReply

I did call a Tree Service, after the tree went the wrong direction, since it also got hung up in a larger Oak, supporting it at the top. Only the second time in my lifetime that a tree went the wrong way, and then got hung up, so I guess I have been pretty lucky. Also since the tree had been dead for two years, there was no way I was going to climb it or try to put a ladder against it, so I could tye a line to the tree to pull it dowm. There also was no real branches left on the tree except a large fork in the top near the top but the tree was about 70 feet tall, and the fork was up about 50 feet, so there was No easy way to throw a line up there, unless I could find someone like Robin Hood in the woods, but he was no where to be found. Anyhow, I decided to call a Tree Service to help with taking it down.

 

[Karla]

End of the story, The tree service called me back at the end of last week, saying they just got my message, which I left on their Business Phone number, and said they would get to it. Anyhow another week came and went, and No Tree Service, I was getting ready to call again since I was getting a little impatient, and really didn't like leaving that tree hanging, I knew it would only take my local tree service probably 15 minutes to get a line on it, maybe by climbing the big healthy tree, and the pulling the tree over with their truck winch. Anyhow they never showed up again, and I left a second message, and I know sometimes they get real busy. Then Two days ago, we had a bad storm with heavy winds, and the tree finally came down on its own, fortunately, nothing got damaged. The top broke out into several large pieces from the fork in the tree to the top, and piled itself up at the base of the live tree, and then the trunk of the tree fell free of the live tree, and left me with 50 feet or so of nice size wood ( 12-14" diameter) which I now can cut up into firewood logs. Oh, I am still waiting for the Tree service to call back on my second message to them, but nothing heard, I will probably have it all cut up and moved to my firewood pile in another week. Its raining for the next couple of days, otherwise I would probably Have it done. Lol. I did get the top portion cut up a little, and its a lot of firewood, which I can use this winter. Also, I used my recently rebuilt Model 545 Autotune, so I am getting some good hours of run and cutting on that saw, too funny.

 

[TheJollyLogger]

Cleaning up a homeowners mess is about a pros least favorite job, not really shocked they put you at the bottom of the list. Glad nobody got hurt.

 

[Karla]

Yup, and Thanks, and I Knew it was Not a priority for the tree service company. However, I do personally know him, and he has a small company but lots of really neat Tree Service equipment ( big double boom bucket truck, Large Diesel wood chopper, a Dump Truck with winch, and maybe a winch on bucket truck too, a small trailer) anyhow he has lots of toys, and always helps me out. So just sort of surprized, he didn't show up or call me back. I agree with you, that cleaning up problems is probably not there real tree service work.

 

[jefflovstrom]

End of the story, The tree service called me back at the end of last week, saying they just got my message, which I left on their Business Phone number, and said they would get to it. Anyhow another week came and went, and No Tree Service, I was getting ready to call again since I was getting a little impatient, and really didn't like leaving that tree hanging, I knew it would only take my local tree service probably 15 minutes to get a line on it, maybe by climbing the big healthy tree, and the pulling the tree over with their truck winch. Anyhow they never showed up again, and I left a second message, and I know sometimes they get real busy. Then Two days ago, we had a bad storm with heavy winds, and the tree finally came down on its own, fortunately, nothing got damaged. The top broke out into several large pieces from the fork in the tree to the top, and piled itself up at the base of the live tree, and then the trunk of the tree fell free of the live tree, and left me with 50 feet or so of nice size wood ( 12-14" diameter) which I now can cut up into firewood logs. Oh, I am still waiting for the Tree service to call back on my second message to them, but nothing heard, I will probably have it all cut up and moved to my firewood pile in another week. Its raining for the next couple of days, otherwise I would probably Have it done. Lol. I did get the top portion cut up a little, and its a lot of firewood, which I can use this winter. Also, I used my recently rebuilt Model 545 Autotune, so I am getting some good hours of run and cutting on that saw, too funny.

You post very well,
spelling and punctuation is very good and your story kept me engrossed with your plight,,,
Jeff

 

[Jeffsaw]

There is a real problem in our area with tradespeople and contractors. You call and leave a message but they don't phone you back! It is very frustrating. Even if they're too busy at the time, they should at least let you know.

 

[benjo75]

For the last year and a half I have been booked solid for at least 3 months out. My normal work load is about one month. Give or take a month. I don't like to give estimates for that far out. Due to weather and such. Most days I work daylight til dark. Then spend the nights working on equipment and saws. Not to mention I like to eat and take a shower before bedtime at midnight. So during my busy season if I return every call I get in a day, I can easily be on the phone for 2 hours. And then 3 out of 4 home owners want the job done before they hang up the phone. So if I return every call something else has to go. Like going back a second day to work for an hour when I could have finished it the day before but decided to take calls instead. Or maintenance has to be put off. Or skip supper. Or not get to bed until 3 or 4 am. I'm a small crew. So I'm the secretary, estimate giver, climber, equipment operator, raker, chasing money at the end of week and mechanic. Yeah I need another guy or two. But since there is no one within 100 miles that has any sense about work ,especially tree work, then we remain small. If I hire another person,they just screw up everything they touch and I still have to pay them.

Needless to say some calls go unanswered for a day or 2. But I do return every call asap. When they hear 3 months they say they'll call someone else. Fine by me. In 3 months they call back and want me out there right then saying that I told them I would be free in 3 months. When I do get to them I'm cleaning up their mess or the mess from one of the other "professional tree services" around here. It happens a lot more than you would think. I'm definitely not putting someone at the top if the list who just wants it done now instead of waiting for quality work. I do the jobs in order they say go. Except for emergencies. Procrastination on someone else's part doesn't make it an emergency on my part. There's a reason I'm so far behind.

Go to a major city like Ft. Worth and try to get a doctor appointment. 6 to 8 months wait. People don't start digging around in their self trying to fix the problem. They wait. But everyone with a saw is a tree expert. I couldn't count the homeowners mess I've had to clean up in the past due to impatience. And even more than than from other "tree services" jobs that went bad or just unfinished. I always tell them "just think of the money you saved". As the tree is laying across their house. Or their neighbors house. Sometimes the reputable businesses are booked up for a while. Be patient, we're not just sitting around the house twiddling our thumbs laughing at all the homeowners that need work done. We're going as hard as we can. Usually being pushed farther and harder than we really should have to be.