treevet
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This song goes out to my new pal...."Rabid puppy dog"... 
whadja do today?
- Thread starter treevet
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Enough with the lobsters already!! I can't take anymore!!!
*crustaceans
gorman
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Had to rig this one over a pool. Kinda wanted to fall in.
old bay FTW
To be honest, you’re a crane away from doing 5k to 6k a day. With an elevator and a tracked lift, the guy setting the straps wouldn’t even need to be able to climb. Just set a strap and make the cut. If you got a crane/knuckle with a grapple mecanil, you wouldn’t even need to set straps till you get to the big wood.
Is that a bypass grapple? I think that’s the way to go with residential tree work. A lot easier to use when feeding the chipper with the log truck.
A Knuckleboom crane with grapplesaw attachment is my ultimate end goal. Not sure I’ll ever get that far, or even want to, but kind of getting set up for that eventually anyway. I’m just not in a huge rush. I like the journey of the whole tree thing. Financially it would obviously be quite a ways off anyway. But the main reason (other than $’s) I didn’t attempt to do even a smaller one now instead of another lift is because I’m tired of learning curves for a bit. I’m still getting better with the log truck (and still a little stressed by that even), but generally very comfortable with the equipment we’re running/maintaining now, and like it that way for a bit.
That’s why I went with another Omme, I’m 100% comfortable operating and maintaining the one we have now, so zero learning curve, just an opportunity to make a lot more money - that and it forces me into making more steps that I might’ve put off making otherwise.
Hope that makes some sense, still need coffee lol.
Yes, bypass grapple, very similar to the one on my giant.
treevet
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I appreciate the perspective that a second porty lift will give you more of a chance to run a second crew but you might underestimate the drastic difference of how much your work load will change when ALL the untreated ash are gone. Also a crane WILL give huge increases in revenue. Not likely to facilitate a second crew unless you can have one crew with the crane and a lift (the elevator or the porty) and the second crew with just an aerial device (like you run now).
Cranes are overthought in difficulty to set up and operate. I am on my 5th crane since my first in early 1970's. Each one got bigger and more useful but a 32 ton, 120 footer plus jib is a good starter and should cost less than what you are dropping on a new lift if you buy slightly used and there are a lot around (see the Crane Network). Actually the huge ones are a chore to set up and squash driveways and walks and can cost $ in that way.
Owning a crane just makes you hugely more diversified in the work you can do (trees over buildings...which are the largest $ jobs) and competitive with ANY other tree service. A second porty lift has its own challenges in damage that can be done by someone else other than you running such a delicate lift and damage that can be done while working it. Without a crane you can't really be considered a threat by other companies around you that have one. If you absolutely HAVE to buy a second lift...I'd sell that log truck in a heartbeat for a crane, and run a log truck like the old one you had...and just load it with the Giant....and buy a mini with grapple for back yards to forward to it.
I hear you. The lifts do seem delicate at first, I’ll agree with that, but like anything once you get used to it it’s not really a thought. With my lift(s) you can cut at 75’ with the machine 35’ away, that means for most trees you’d have to be retarded to hit it lol. That’s a major advantage of 50/52’ side reach.
treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
You also might consider with all this economy affecting Biden Afghanistan schit...a second porty lift will be more of a deficit to have in the lot than a crane. And I have found no other piece of equipment easier to sell than a crane in all my years...while at the same time...more heart breaking to lose. Work can actually be done with NO lifts and a crane.
What else is cool is practically endless reach for most trees… that and zero tail swing and being able to set it up almost anywhere without the headaches of a big truck and elbow threatening to take off the chimney behind you, etc. That and 2.2 gallons of fuel per day is nice too. Sometimes if I get sick of listening to the pony motor, need to talk to the customer, or whatever, I’ll just shut it off and operate it in electric mode. There’s a lot of things that just make life nice. That and every retard and the cousin doesn’t have one just yet lol.
treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
You can run your lift (either one) and teach even one of your most bone headed guys or even the homeowner to pull the levers on the crane after you set it up and it is actually like you are running it with the Sena headsets on. You want the headache ball moved 3 inches to the right...it gets moved 3 inches to the right. It is really that easy. I could have a guy off the street do a giant crane removal tomorrow with us both head setted.
Crane work really is practically effortless with these things too..
treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
That is what I am saying. I may buy one later this year for tax write off.
You’d love it! It’s like luxury tree work with a crane!
Can you imagine what a nerded out scene it would be running a grapplesaw truck with remote from a 90’ lift? Lol
treevet
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Oh yeah...and it might take another 5 minutes to teach him to read the chart and tell me what I am good for after he looks at the boom angle and extension number in feet and crosses them.
treevet
Addicted to ArboristSite
I just can't get my brain around reading what you are good for with the piece torqueing sideways in the grapple and a leader cut off at the base weighed down with foliage. I think a whole lot bigger section could be safely taken with a load line esp. with a guy in a lift nearby. Why not have both lol? No need for the lift nearby with a grapple saw and it would be so fast if would make up for not going big I guess.
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