First time riding the ball

[Affordabletree]

I am looking for any pointers from all of you experienced climbers out there. I have been using a crane guy that is some what local to me and he is a great guy charges me $125 an hour for a 28 ton crane with 137' of main stick. I have been just hiring in a contract climber recently, but the climber is starting to slow down and sand bag me on crane removals. So my crane guy said that he would help me out and do a removal for free if I rode the ball up and did the removal. I have never done a crane removal and he said that he is willing to talk me through it but I was looking to get some pointers before the removal comes around. So Vet, Ducati and anyone else that has done crane removals any pointers for me? The removal he is willing to do for free for me is a 52" silver maple with a canopy spread of about 60' and 55-60' tall and it is all wood. trees were topped a while ago and it is just sucker growth on the tips of the logs. Crane is able to be within 10' of the trunk of the tree.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Good things are rarely free. Free things are rarely good. Best advice I can give at this point.

 

[Affordabletree]

thanks blake I have used this guy before and he is an honest guy. he just heard what I am paying my climber and thought that it is outrageous what he is making for how fast he is going. So he wants me to learn.

 

[defensiblespace]

If you have a few years of climbing under your belt and you've watched crane removals before, it shouldn't be a problem as long as the crane operator has plenty of experience. Tree biggest thing is don't overload or shock load the crane. The operator will know his weight capacity, but the weight of the pieces being removed is only an educated guess. A 28 ton crane is not a huge capacity, so when it doubt, make your cuts on the smaller side. You should have a radio on you to be able to communicate with the operator. Listen carefully to him. If he's good, he'll know what side of the wood to place the ball on, what kind of cuts to make, etc. Once you get the hang of it, you'll wish you had a crane for all of your removals.

 

[Affordabletree]

Thanks defense the guy has been doing it for 12 years and it has been primarily tree work so I will see.

 

[defensiblespace]

Sounds like you're in good hands. Have fun and good luck.

 

[LostMontanan]

If youve got the crane 10' from the tree, and theres no brush, and you can ride the ball, then use an equalized rigging system and take them as big as the crane allows. With a straight up pull like that, you shouldnt have any surprises and can move through whole branch systems fairly fast. just my two cents

 

[NYTREECLIMBER]

Make sure to balance any limbs and do not cut anything that will be top heavy and flip over and shock load the crane and slings and make your cuts slow and deliberate

 

[Zero_sum]

All good advice above. Sounds like a good radius and a good operator to start out with, work on balancing your picks and you'll be fine.

 

[DR. P. Proteus]

Make sure to balance any limbs and do not cut anything that will be top heavy and flip over and shock load the crane and slings and make your cuts slow and deliberate

YES! Great way to put it - slow and deliberate.

 

[ducaticorse]

I don't get the whole 28t with 137 main. That thing is picking toothpicks with that much boom out at anything under 75 degrees. Are you sure that's not with a jib?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[ducaticorse]

Also, as I am relatively inexperienced with crane work, all I can say is that you need to have excellent comms with the operator. If the canopy is full when you do it, hand signals will be near worthless. Just go slow,check and recheck everything. One you make that cut, that's your ass.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Affordabletree]

my mistake on the boom ducati, it was 123 feet fully extended but for the first maple he only used two boom sections, when he comes back out for the second one he will have three sections out. We took some good size picks with the crane because he was so close. they were averaging 4000lbs. The operator said that it was the heaviest maple he has done thus far due to the fact that the tree was topped a while back and had almost no brush on it. So it was just wood being lifted.

 

[ducaticorse]

The 28 will do 4k all day long in close. My 25 will too. Gotta be careful out far with 123ft on a 28. Just be careful.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[chief116]

Couple quick tips

1.Double check your choker placement. look for the weak links. If using 2 chokers, make sure they tension together and one isn't loose.

2. Learn to use half hitches to shorten the choker when you are near the boom tip so the crane op doesn't have to override the LMI to tension the pick.

3.Use long chokers if you have to limb walk, and the crane op can help you back into position to make your cut. We routinely swap out 12 footers for 20 if its going to be a long horizontal limb walk.
3a. Use a notch and under cut to lift horizontals to vertical

4. If you are afraid of the piece flipping and hitting you, instead of tying yourself in a bad spot, stay tied into the crane and use a snap cut, get clear, have the op break the snap cut and hold the piece while you tie into the tree or descend the ground.

 

[dbl612]

my mistake on the boom ducati, it was 123 feet fully extended but for the first maple he only used two boom sections, when he comes back out for the second one he will have three sections out. We took some good size picks with the crane because he was so close. they were averaging 4000lbs. The operator said that it was the heaviest maple he has done thus far due to the fact that the tree was topped a while back and had almost no brush on it. So it was just wood being lifted.

my mistake on the boom ducati, it was 123 feet fully extended but for the first maple he only used two boom sections, when he comes back out for the second one he will have three sections out. We took some good size picks with the crane because he was so close. they were averaging 4000lbs. The operator said that it was the heaviest maple he has done thus far due to the fact that the tree was topped a while back and had almost no brush on it. So it was just wood being lifted.

i have never heard of a 28 ton boom truck with 123' of main boom. what brand and model is that? thanks.

 

[Affordabletree]

The crane is a Manitex 28102s so the original specs say he has 102' of main stick and a max tip height of 137' but my guy said that adding the job on he has a final tip height of 157'

 

[Affordabletree]

http://www.affordablecraneservicemi.com

 

[ducaticorse]

So it has 102 of main, not 127. Makes way more sense

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

 

[Affordabletree]

But the jib isn't 55 feet long