Have you ever refused a job because you think its too dangerous?!

[TonyX3M]

I refused to climb two trees this week- one was a split (almoust to the ground) two trunk tree [dont know the exact name in english (in latin it is:Tilia cordata)] - it was about 75 feet high with two trunks - one was leaning abot 10 degrees right and enother about 40 degrees to the left with hughe cavity in middle and cracks all the way to the ground in between.
Stump diameter was about 4 feet and hollow (full of dirt - cost us a chain)- and as we did find out- the upright part was hollow too; up to about 20 feet.
Anyway - I refused to climb that tree (I forgot to mention it was a graveyard- so we could not drop anything big) and to rope huge pices off of a leaning cracked tree just scared the hell out of me!
Am I paranoid or would you guys do that job no questions asked?
The oher one was easy - it was lighting struck to splinters, but still up 60 '
And BTW - I dont like working in skimpy lift- any kind of movement up in the air scares me...

 

[deevo]

I refused to climb two trees this week- one was a split (almoust to the ground) two trunk tree [dont know the exact name in english (in latin it is:Tilia cordata)] - it was about 75 feet high with two trunks - one was leaning abot 10 degrees right and enother about 40 degrees to the left with hughe cavity in middle and cracks all the way to the ground in between.
Stump diameter was about 4 feet and hollow (full of dirt - cost us a chain)- and as we did find out- the upright part was hollow too; up to about 20 feet.
Anyway - I refused to climb that tree (I forgot to mention it was a graveyard- so we could not drop anything big) and to rope huge pices off of a leaning cracked tree just scared the hell out of me!
Am I paranoid or would you guys do that job no questions asked?
The oher one was easy - it was lighting struck to splinters, but still up 60 '
And BTW - I dont like working in skimpy lift- any kind of movement up in the air scares me...

1 method would be use a crane big enough or get a high enough lift=problem solved. Either way is has to come down and that would be the safest approach. Are you afraid of heights by the comment you made? Hire someone that's not afraid to be up in the air! I really never refuse anything, just think outside the box and use other tools necessary like I mentioned. If they won't pay for it then too bad for them! I've refused to climb a lot of trees, you only live once, and you have to know by experience what to climb and what not to climb. By the sounds of it you did a good size up of the trees. Got any pics?

 

[arborman3]

No way.

The tree sounds too unsound to safely climb, never mind trying to rope it out. If it were my job I would have a crane do it, if you could get a crane to it. I once had a job taking down a hollow, rotted sugar maple in a historical cemetery We couldn't get a crane or bucket truck to the tree so we moved some headstones and dropped it. Moving the stones added to the cost of the job but it was the safest solution. Whoever sold the job should have assessed the condition of the tree and planned an alternative method of removal other than by climbing. Always inspect a tree before climbing. Never be afraid to refuse to climb a tree you feel to be unsafe. There are too many dead climbers who climbed the wrong trees.

 

[deevo]

The tree sounds too unsound to safely climb, never mind trying to rope it out. If it were my job I would have a crane do it, if you could get a crane to it. I once had a job taking down a hollow, rotted sugar maple in a historical cemetery We couldn't get a crane or bucket truck to the tree so we moved some headstones and dropped it. Moving the stones added to the cost of the job but it was the safest solution. Whoever sold the job should have assessed the condition of the tree and planned an alternative method of removal other than by climbing. Always inspect a tree before climbing. Never be afraid to refuse to climb a tree you feel to be unsafe. There are too many dead climbers who climbed the wrong trees.

Well said! It's always good to point out dangerous conditions of the trees to customers and explain it can only be done the way your planning and our safety is #1 priority. Like you said if possible move whatever you can in the DZ. At the end of the day we all want to go home to our families!:agree2:

 

[arborman3]

You're right Deevo, safety is #1, everything else is secondary.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Sometimes you have to look at job and say that it is not something that you do. I used to do nasty trees, but as I got older I came to th conclusion that the risk:reward was not worth it.

People put off the crappy trees till they are falling apart, then want to find a low bidder to do the removal. Then some poor schmuk climber has to risk life and limb because the property owner is so cheap. You have on little thing go wrong and poperty damage takes all the profit from the job. Forign objects dull the big saw so that the butt cut takes thre times as long.

If I bid a big nasty tree I will put a big number on and explain how it will be don and why it will cost a lot. I do not put much time and effort in them because that poor schmuck usually gets stuck.

If I am brought in to climb somthing that is way under bid for the risk, or I think that the risk is being shifted to me to save someone else some dough, then I walk away. I do it rarely enough that it does not P/O my clients, on occasion they thank me for getting them out of a stupid stuation.

Sometimes you have to take a big tree down in little pieces over a long period of time.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Never turned one down, but bid on some that I would like to turn down. Instead, I bid it to do it safely.
Jeff

 

[arborman3]

We never turned one down either. Always figured out how to get it done with ropes or equipment. I climbed for over 25 years, stopped when I hit 52. I took down many weak trees when I was young not realizing how dangerous the were until I saw a friend of mine top a rotted red maple than come out of the tree, to drop the trunk, and as he was rolling his rope the trunk fell on its own. The tree was rotted below ground too, and the shock of topping it must have compromised the last sound roots.

 

[fishercat]

never refused but....................

I have gotten down from a tree and changed the price and equipment requirements.

 

[jefflovstrom]

I have gotten down from a tree and changed the price and equipment requirements.

LOL!- isn't that another thread. Ha.
Jeff

 

[teamtree]

Never turned one down but may have priced myself out of a few.....

My thought process if it is dangerous....I am going to get paid to take my time to do it right

 

[arborman3]

The hairy ones always cost more to take down. I tell people the longer they wait, the more it will cost and I explain to them why; using the tree's weaknesses as as visual aid. I have had many people say to me, after I recommended taking down a hazardous tree, " I'll keep my eye on it". I always ask them what they mean; do they mean to keep an eye on it until it falls on their house, or just until it gets so weak that a fart could blow it over.

 

[komatsuvarna]

Never turned one down but may have priced myself out of a few.....

+1. A harder job calls for a heavier wallet. If someone else wants to do it for free, go for it.

 

[Groundman One]

Only walked away from one. A big maple, broken fifteen-feet up, not much meat keeping it together, right next to the house, leaning on two much smaller trees bent way over with the weight. A nice shed was right underneath the tree, along with the power lines going from the pole to the house, and the high-tension lines at the road were about fifteen-feet from the tree and below it's height. Meaning it could just roll right onto them if it wanted to. It was a bomb waiting to go off.

We looked at that thing from every angle and it was just too freaky. That was six-or seven years ago and I think we would still walk away from it today. I can't see how it could be done without removing the electrical lines and possibly the street lines as well and bringing in a crane. Too much of a headache.

 

[capetrees]

Walked away from one this past spring, first time. Guy wanted the limb growing out over his cottage removed. I get there and the "limb" is 16" diameter branch, 20'+ long, growing horizontal from the tree and about 6' above the cottage. Roof not strong enough to hold a ladder and no way to bring in equipment (crane, bucket). Real gnarly roping event if it ever got done.

Only other work I walk away from is if the tree/branches are above the bare high power lines. I DO NOT LIKE ELECTRICITY and will not mess with it.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Maybe I don't get it. I would not walk-a-way, You bid it to do it your way, right?
Jeff

 

[tree md]

Never turned one down but may have priced myself out of a few.....

My thought process if it is dangerous....I am going to get paid to take my time to do it right

Yep, same here.

I have gone to look at many and told myself that I want no part of this tree. That is when I shoot them an astronomical number and hope they don't call me. But believe me, several of them have called me back and I had to figure out a way to do them. When I see one that is rotten to the core and no access I'm like "well, I'll do it for this amount of money and your first born child" then walk away thinking to myself that if they do call I will figure something out.

I agree with JPS too. I hate the cheapskates who let their trees deteriorate to the point that it is life threatening to a climber. I am always sure to figure in the idiot tax in addition to the astronomical price for those folks.

I have come down out of trees before and figured out another way when I find an unforeseen defect or my spurs start burying up to the hilt. There's always more than one way to skin a cat.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Yep, same here.

I agree with JPS too. I hate the cheapskates who let their trees deteriorate to the point that it is life threatening to a climber.

So bid it that way, dont walk away. You either do it or not.
Jeff

 

[tree md]

Oh I never refuse a tree. I am saying that I bid them sky high when it's a really bad one. If they want to pay my asking price then I'll get it on the ground.

 

[tomtrees58]

some times its better to walkaway