minuteman tree
ArboristSite Member
Fantastic job!!! Good for you.
I did it my self
- Thread starter beav700
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sgreanbeans
Treeaculterologist
Man u guys be some haters, lol.
Beav, ya did fine. We see alot of guys come here and..........well, we see some pretty crazy stuff. So far, you have topped the cake. You actually listened!, researched and studied, by the looks of it, did everything as correct as possible. Your right, your yard your pace. I would rather see a guy do this than the 1000's of gore videos we see all the time. This isn't rocket science, there is a hell of a lot more! That's why most of the time we get pics from the ER. It doesn't surprise me that a smart educated guy (engineer) who is in working form (triathlete) who took his time to learn something, could do this, no problem. Now, if you start doing it on the side and stealing food off the local Arborist table, well then all bets are off! I don't think that is the case though, lol. Now you have a real clear understanding why most do not do this, day in day out! I think that it proves, that those who genuinely want to learn, listen. If you stay interested and keep honing your skills, who knows maybe one of these guys brings ya out and learn ya, start being the "hired gun" on the weekends...........just don't bring your saws, they will have that covered!
Then they will be able to say "Who's doing that one" "We will just leave it to the Beav"
KarlP
ArboristSite Operative
Great job Beav! IMO, it took a lot more guts than I have to tackle that as your first tree cutting experience. I'm looking to get into climbing with a whole bunch of felling experience to deal with some much shorter trees.
My hobby is collecting knowledge and tools. Any homeowner that reads forums that lean towards the professional crowd will eventually discover that anyone who owns a home is a complete and total moron.
On plumbing forums, homeowners shouldn't touch anything or they will flood/blow up their houses. I've replaced two toilets, a dish washer, a washing machine shutoff valve, two sinks, and added a new outdoor faucet. I've also replaced the gas stove, washer, and dryer. Haven't floated away or exploded yet.
On auto forums, homeowners shouldn't touch anything or their engine will seize, brakes will fail, or gas lines burst into flames. In the last 18 months, I have replaced timing belt, water pump, alternator, brake pads, brake hard lines, and fuel hard lines in my beater car. The mayhem was limited to one bloody knuckle and a few lessor scrapes.
On electrical forums, homeowners shouldn't touch anything or they will electrocute themselves or their local lineman. Replaced a horribly unsafe subpanel with a safe one to code. Replaced just about every outlet and switch in my house. Rewired light fixture on a threeway switch that was originally powered by two different circuits. Added eight extra basement light fixtures. Installed totally isolated generator wiring. Haven't zapped anyone yet.
On landscape forums, homeowners shouldn't touch their grass or they will kill the grass or amputate their toes mowing their lawns. My lawn is still sorta green. My 36" Chinese dual-hydro-drive walk-behind mower (which is apparently the worst mower ever made) is way better than anything I have ever seen at Lowes/Home Depot where most homeowners buy their mowers. It might die at 1000 hours unlike a (3x the $) true commercial mower, but since it now takes me just over an hour to mow my lawn I don't care.
On wood/pellet/coal heat forums, homeowners shouldn't install their own stove/chimney liner or they will burn down their house. My woodstove, my dad's insert, and my own insert later, my family is still alive.
On HVAC forums, homeowners shouldn't replace their own oil filters or clean their own furnace/AC unit or there will be a huge environmental cleanup or the homeowners family will all die from carbon monoxide poisoning. CO detectors go off about every 18 months telling me their batteries are almost dead. Can't say I've ever had them go off from cleaning my own furnace.
On building forums, homeowners shouldn't do framing, insulation, drywall, roofing, etc or someone will die of something. Oops! Guilty again.
So I'm not really surprised when I read the replies to cutting questions in the homeowner helper forum that almost always include "hire a professional arborist", a statement that someone will die, or a youtube video of some moron dropping a tree on their house. Sure it might be HELPFUL to point out the dangers without exaggerating things, suggest reading the OSHA felling guides, pointing out youtube videos showing good technique instead of bad, suggesting a GameOfLogging class or practicing on smaller trees far from anything else so they could educate themselves, but where is the fun in any of that? Its more fun to accuse someone who did a great job for their first attempt of hiring a professional. Right guys?
I've come to the conclusion that plumbers, mechanics, electricians, landscapers, and arborists never make any mistakes, never do anything but their given profession, and live in apartments. :hmm3grin2orange:
My hobby is collecting knowledge and tools. Any homeowner that reads forums that lean towards the professional crowd will eventually discover that anyone who owns a home is a complete and total moron.
On plumbing forums, homeowners shouldn't touch anything or they will flood/blow up their houses. I've replaced two toilets, a dish washer, a washing machine shutoff valve, two sinks, and added a new outdoor faucet. I've also replaced the gas stove, washer, and dryer. Haven't floated away or exploded yet.
On auto forums, homeowners shouldn't touch anything or their engine will seize, brakes will fail, or gas lines burst into flames. In the last 18 months, I have replaced timing belt, water pump, alternator, brake pads, brake hard lines, and fuel hard lines in my beater car. The mayhem was limited to one bloody knuckle and a few lessor scrapes.
On electrical forums, homeowners shouldn't touch anything or they will electrocute themselves or their local lineman. Replaced a horribly unsafe subpanel with a safe one to code. Replaced just about every outlet and switch in my house. Rewired light fixture on a threeway switch that was originally powered by two different circuits. Added eight extra basement light fixtures. Installed totally isolated generator wiring. Haven't zapped anyone yet.
On landscape forums, homeowners shouldn't touch their grass or they will kill the grass or amputate their toes mowing their lawns. My lawn is still sorta green. My 36" Chinese dual-hydro-drive walk-behind mower (which is apparently the worst mower ever made) is way better than anything I have ever seen at Lowes/Home Depot where most homeowners buy their mowers. It might die at 1000 hours unlike a (3x the $) true commercial mower, but since it now takes me just over an hour to mow my lawn I don't care.
On wood/pellet/coal heat forums, homeowners shouldn't install their own stove/chimney liner or they will burn down their house. My woodstove, my dad's insert, and my own insert later, my family is still alive.
On HVAC forums, homeowners shouldn't replace their own oil filters or clean their own furnace/AC unit or there will be a huge environmental cleanup or the homeowners family will all die from carbon monoxide poisoning. CO detectors go off about every 18 months telling me their batteries are almost dead. Can't say I've ever had them go off from cleaning my own furnace.
On building forums, homeowners shouldn't do framing, insulation, drywall, roofing, etc or someone will die of something. Oops! Guilty again.
So I'm not really surprised when I read the replies to cutting questions in the homeowner helper forum that almost always include "hire a professional arborist", a statement that someone will die, or a youtube video of some moron dropping a tree on their house. Sure it might be HELPFUL to point out the dangers without exaggerating things, suggest reading the OSHA felling guides, pointing out youtube videos showing good technique instead of bad, suggesting a GameOfLogging class or practicing on smaller trees far from anything else so they could educate themselves, but where is the fun in any of that? Its more fun to accuse someone who did a great job for their first attempt of hiring a professional. Right guys?
I've come to the conclusion that plumbers, mechanics, electricians, landscapers, and arborists never make any mistakes, never do anything but their given profession, and live in apartments. :hmm3grin2orange:
sgreanbeans
Treeaculterologist
I would hire a professional, you may crush your house, do not ever try to do this..............EVER
I think that I will move this to the HO forum, it needs to be seen there, but noyt yhedt
superjunior
Addicted to ArboristSite
probably a good ideaeah
There are always people that have their houses cleaned or their lawn cut by professionals. Hey, if you are one of those workaholics who makes couple millions , sure get some help since you probably making 500/hr. But I see middle class people paying for plowing, grass, interior painting, etc. I'm like Karl. I do everything my self. The only professional I ever had doing anything at my house was the septic dude pumping you know what. Can't really do that my self.
I think the biggest help for do it your self peeps is the internet. I really don't know how you old timers did anything in the 70s and 80s. I can't even imagine not having an internet and trying to do anything I have not done before. Almost every car repair I had to do, I could look up on the net forums and get detailed instructions with pictures, videos, part numbers, reviews on after market parts, best places to buy with fastest shipping. How the heck you did this before? It's not like you could walk into a car dealer service dept and ask the mechanic how to do the job or where to buy cheaper parts vs what they are selling. I know you older guys had service manuals, but you could not ask anyone for advice if you ran into a problem. It just baffles me.
Take my tree removal project. If I didn't have internet, I would die in first hour. I spent hours on this very forum reading what to buy, what not to buy, what knots to use, where to buy, when to use it, how to use it. what to avoid, what mistakes you guys made in the past. So I used all that info, plus countless hours watching professionals and clueless homeowners on tube. When I bought two books recommended by most of you, I realized that I already knew everything in those books just of the internet. The only way you could learn all that before internet era was to get a job in tree service company because trial and error is not an option 50 feet up in a tree.
I think the biggest help for do it your self peeps is the internet. I really don't know how you old timers did anything in the 70s and 80s. I can't even imagine not having an internet and trying to do anything I have not done before. Almost every car repair I had to do, I could look up on the net forums and get detailed instructions with pictures, videos, part numbers, reviews on after market parts, best places to buy with fastest shipping. How the heck you did this before? It's not like you could walk into a car dealer service dept and ask the mechanic how to do the job or where to buy cheaper parts vs what they are selling. I know you older guys had service manuals, but you could not ask anyone for advice if you ran into a problem. It just baffles me.
Take my tree removal project. If I didn't have internet, I would die in first hour. I spent hours on this very forum reading what to buy, what not to buy, what knots to use, where to buy, when to use it, how to use it. what to avoid, what mistakes you guys made in the past. So I used all that info, plus countless hours watching professionals and clueless homeowners on tube. When I bought two books recommended by most of you, I realized that I already knew everything in those books just of the internet. The only way you could learn all that before internet era was to get a job in tree service company because trial and error is not an option 50 feet up in a tree.
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I have no interest of doing this for a living. I helped two co-workers with a dead pine and few oak branches hanging over the deck. I love doing it on my own property, on my own time. If I don't feel like cutting wood, I let it sit there for weeks and that's fine with me. However I would love to give our local tree service guy run for his money. My neighbors had asked me that already. He is not a popular guy in our valley. On Monday he cuts all the wood he brings from the job sites. On Tuesday he splits it. On Wednesday he burns all the brush covering the entire valley in smoke. Then he is gone couple days doing the jobs, then starts over again. He has 2 acres of just piles of brush he is drying to burs. No wood chipper. I understand that a man is trying to make a living and landfills are expensive but his neighbors can't take it anymore. If you process all the wood you remove from job sites, have a property far enough from other people. He lives on 3 acre lot with homes all around him. Fortunately I live 1/2 mile away, 300' higher in elevation above the smoke and far enough not to hear his chain saws.
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OP, i have totally agreed with everything you've posted up to this post. however, couple of questions occur to me:
is he in the city limits? is he violating any ordinances?
if not and he is in conformance with laws and regs than TS on everyone. the guy has a right to do what he wants on his own property. you move in next door to me and tell me what i can or can't do then we're gonna have problems. my neighbors do things i don't like, i do things my neighbors don't like, we all move to the county to get away from those who felt they had the right to legislate what we do on our property.
if he is in violation of existing laws and regs then where are the enforcement people.
who lived there first? was there an established community and this guy shows up and starts defiling the peace? if he was there first and doing what he does and then everyone else moved in then again, TS. don't move next to an unsightly or smelly place and then start complaining. example, it happens every year where they've grown peaches forever. yuppies move out there and then started complaining when the smudge pots are fired up during spring freezes. it offends their olfactory senses and gets soot on their beemers. boohoo.
has anyone actually talked to the guy? does anyone have an alternate site where he can exercise his due diligence? will he agree to use a chipper if he had one? collectively buy him a chipper. many people live from check-to-check. sounds like he may be one.
sorry for the rant but property rights is one of my hot buttons. otherwise, love what you've done.
t613
ArboristSite Operative
Sorry, late to the game.
Congrats on a great job, done safely too!
That one pic next to the driveway has very impressive wood carnage! Holy crap, trunks everywhere!
I've been a hobbyist woodcutter for about 10 years but would still not attempt some of what you've successfully completed! Good job! I am very impressed (consider the source)!
Tim
Congrats on a great job, done safely too!
That one pic next to the driveway has very impressive wood carnage! Holy crap, trunks everywhere!
I've been a hobbyist woodcutter for about 10 years but would still not attempt some of what you've successfully completed! Good job! I am very impressed (consider the source)!
Tim
I don't know the history as I'm the new guy on the block. Like I said, I'm far away that I don't have to deal with it but his neighbors have been there since 1800s. If I was living next to him, I would have a problem. It's not a city but it is a residential area. Every time our local fire dept has some kind of event, people complain about this guy and they all lived there their entire lives. His property is also zoned as residential. I think the guy should at least stop burning truck loads of brush every week knowing that the valley holds that smoke in. Almost every house around here burns wood but he pumps 10 more smoke than all homes combined.
I don't know about you but I always try to be nice to my neighbors. My nearest neighbor that I can't even see through the trees owns trucking company and also drives. i asked him what days he is out on the road and those are the days I cut all my wood. Why have him listen to all the noise I'm making.
I don't know about you but I always try to be nice to my neighbors. My nearest neighbor that I can't even see through the trees owns trucking company and also drives. i asked him what days he is out on the road and those are the days I cut all my wood. Why have him listen to all the noise I'm making.
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if its zoned, and zoned as residential, then he's in violation of the zoning ordinance. that also means there is a governmental body with the authority, and duty, to remedy the situation. rather than complaining to each other your neighbors should approach the governing authority. before they do that they should approach the offender. always good to try and work things out small scale before hauling the big guns in. once the government is invited to become involved they will stay involved at their discretion. also, if the neighbors don't want to confront the offender then i question what size cajones they have. maybe they already did approach him and were rebuffed. if so, the only other alternatives are: to live with it and grip about it to each other OR make the government do its job.
either way, its good you aren't next to it. you can
opcorn: while watching. carry on
Carburetorless
ArboristSite Guru
What's a duesh? Isn't that German for jelly doughnut
I don't guess I'll sue you for calling me a jelly doughnut.
Carburetorless
ArboristSite Guru
I told you 27 posts ago, my digi cam is full of sawdust.
Carburetorless
ArboristSite Guru
Did AA and FTA move in together and now share a computer? Lay off the guy. Post some of your work if your such a pro
O.K. now I'm at a slight disadvantage, because I don't know who AA and FTA are.
tree md
Addicted to ArboristSite
My apologies if I came off as smug. I kind of got the feeling that you were trying to be when you posted and disappeared but I can see now that you are just proud of a job (tough one) well done. And rightfully so.
I've got to say I have a lot of respect for what you have done on your own. I mean if it was one easy removal or something like that no one would have probably noticed. This was a difficult job that was probably worth around 10 grand. To do it with no former training or experience is impressive.
No, it's not rocket science and I think anyone with reasonable intelligence could do the work. Doing the climbing is another thing. That takes a certain type of person which you obviously are. Hell, it takes a special type of person to dig up a stump that big.
Why is it always the engineers who want to put us out of business???
I have worked for a few engineers and they always want to help and give you ideas... Some of their ideas I have used and some I have tucked away in the not so helpful file.
Anyway, if that engineering gig don't work out for you you could always come swing some timber for me.
Johny Utah
ArboristSite Guru
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Easy there bud your gonna get neg rep and maybe an infraction if you piss to many of us off. Just sayen
Johny Utah
ArboristSite Guru
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Ok children let us not start a pissing contest over this. You are both the greatest humans that have ever lived.:hmm3grin2orange:
Johny Utah
ArboristSite Guru
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No worries mate. I think you did a good DIY job for the first time. You got bigger balls then me. Oh ya I pinch my saw every time I go in the bush so your not alone. lol
2treeornot2tree
Dont cry, just do it
I dont think I am the greatest human! Just dont like #### bags!
They are the two guys you call Daddy.
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