Free Climbing

[Jlarnard]

I just had the chance to observe a tree service (thats what the side of the truck said). I should have videoed the guy but I was awestruck and didn't even think about it. He had a 200t, Nice uniforms, nice big pickup with dumping trailer, a badly beaten 34 foot or so extension ladder and a 24 foot step ladder. He would lean the ladder up against a branch way out at the end, climb up there with saw in hand, throw the saw and a leg over the branch, and the groundman would move the ladder. He would then slither way out to the ends of the branch and make several ugly cuts.
They did have what the called a safety net though. as the brush came down the groudman kept stacking it under the climber. You know the kind of pile that if you tripped and fell from the ground it would hurt, and poke little holes in you. Anyway he survived the climbing part, so I could relax, I was holding my breath the whole time he was up there.
He gets on the ground and fires up the 200t and cuts up all the brush and logs, but he refuses to use 2 hands on the saw. He also refused to look at what he was cutting, he was busy looking around as he one hand cut. They did an a-1 cleanup and that was that. Now the tree looks pretty bad but it will survive. I will post a pic soon.

 

[Mikecutstrees]

Scary stuff......

 

[Nailsbeats]

get er' done!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I'm Hack, and this is Slash.
We're the Butcher Brothers Tree Service!

 

[jomoco]

Free climbing is something I'm very guilty of on removals that I'm putting a rope into up to 75 feet, I simply use the rope as a lanyard going up, and a sliding triple wrap on my right arm going down, with gaffs ofcourse. I'm dropping these trees from the ground ofcourse.

I know that it's breaking the rules, but production is king and time is money.

Ive gaffed out a few times and used the rope to prevent a fall, and I use either long or short gaffs depending on species bark thicknesses.

Confessions of a 34 year madman!

jomoco

 

[pdqdl]

I watched a fellow remove a sycamore once, almost as scary.

He would rope down branches over the house, but spurred all over that tree with no safety equipment. No buck strap, no saddle, no safety rope. Spurs only, and he would go all over that tree hanging on in weird ways to accomplish what would be easy with a belt and buck strap.

Some folks are so good at tree work, you couldn't possibly know enough to tell them something useful.

 

[Nailsbeats]

Free climbing is something I'm very guilty of on removals that I'm putting a rope into up to 75 feet, I simply use the rope as a lanyard going up, and a sliding triple wrap on my right arm going down, with gaffs ofcourse. I'm dropping these trees from the ground ofcourse.

I know that it's breaking the rules, but production is king and time is money.

Ive gaffed out a few times and used the rope to prevent a fall, and I use either long or short gaffs depending on species bark thicknesses.

Confessions of a 34 year madman!

jomoco

Do you have a figure 8? I use it for the same thing as you use the triple arm wrap.

 

[(WLL)]

use a throw ball and save your energy

 

[jomoco]

Do you have a figure 8? I use it for the same thing as you use the triple arm wrap.

I don't use a figure 8 because I like to be able to quickly switch from an arm wrap to a lanyard rope grab, especially on tall fat thick barked trees like iron bark eucs, totally treacherous in short gaffs near the bottom.

Of course I would never recommend this stuff to a newbie, or veteran for that matter, your life is worth the extra time to do it right.

I'm just an over confident old jerk by the way.

jomoco

 

[tomtrees58]

yup thats fla a big tree service is a pickup here not on L I i pull up with 800.000 in eq to do a 400.00 job tom trees

 

[rbtree]

yup thats fla a big tree service is a pickup here not on L I i pull up with 800.000 in eq to do a 400.00 job tom trees

huh?

 

[oldirty]

I'm just an over confident old jerk by the way.

jomoco

me too. just not old. yet.

yup thats fla a big tree service is a pickup here not on L I i pull up with 800.000 in eq to do a 400.00 job tom trees

huh?

i think ol tom here was saying that a pickup and saw guy in florida is a tree service but he rolls up on a job in long island with almost a million in equipment it to do a 400$ job.


hey rb. where are those saw vids? your climbing saws that is.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

almost a million in equipment it to do a 400$ job.

That's the way I took it, slipped a decimal.

 

[treemandan]

huh?

You need to be on something to understand Tom sometimes but I think it was a reference to the original post... somehow. Hey Tom! Got any pics?

 

[(WLL)]

You need to be on something to understand Tom sometimes but I think it was a reference to the original post... somehow. Hey Tom! Got any pics?

in that case, i understand why u read Toms words so clear. takes one too know one i guess

 

[Little Monkey]

free climbing is dangerous mainly because of the unexpected, a friend of mine who is a veteran tree surgeon decided to free climb a 90 ft poplar tree that was due for removal when he got to about 70 ft he was sorting out his rope to tie in and start work when a rather irate squirrel jumped on his face attacking him, ( i guess he thought he was a burglar), and as such he nearly fell out of the tree,

 

[jefflovstrom]

I guess the moral of the story is to let the guys (like me) and alot of you who might not admit it--we free climb when we want to and don't care cause we know why we do! By the way, I am not sugggesting it and those who do, I know you know what I mean!
Jeff Lovstrom

 

[TreeTopKid]

I guess the moral of the story is to let the guys (like me) and alot of you who might not admit it--we free climb when we want to and don't care cause we know why we do! By the way, I am not sugggesting it and those who do, I know you know what I mean!
Jeff Lovstrom

I never climb for free

 

[OLD CHIPMONK]

.......If you run into them again......suggest they join us..........so we can enlighten their lives........while they still have one.......:jawdrop: :jawdrop:

 

[tree MDS]

I guess the moral of the story is to let the guys (like me) and alot of you who might not admit it--we free climb when we want to and don't care cause we know why we do! By the way, I am not sugggesting it and those who do, I know you know what I mean!
Jeff Lovstrom

Hey Jeff, go check out the injuries and fatalities section thread entitled
"man falls 35', in critical condition"

I think it said he had 30 years cimbing as well.