Little crane gig.

[Blakesmaster]

That's what I am thinking. I get a crane out from time to time but never for something like that. That deal was really pretty ridiculous if you want to know the truth.

It was overkill, Mickey, and I won't deny it but you need to remember the size of my operation. Basically this tree would have been a real PITA without a crane or a bucket. I had considered renting a lift but I could have a 40 ton for a few hundred more, stream line everything and not have to load wood, why not go for it? This kept me out of the neighbor's yard ( the only place to put a bucket ) and in the road, cost me 5 bucks for the permit and I got serious visibility for my company. With crane prices being as low as they are I'm honestly shocked you guys don't use them more often.

 

[Blakesmaster]

don't climb with a top handle! c'mon....

that 361 with the short bar is good for 32 inches of wood man. fast for the smaller cuts!

you want the operator to stand it up then cut a leave it cut and get out the way. let him stand it up then after you free and clear, especially near them wires. i hope you weren't trying to get too cute and make a face cut just yet! lol. in time you see where that cut shines (usually on the far side of the tree and when you need a little pull to get the wood to where it needs to go. i say next time use the leave it cut.

don't let the haters hate bud. i'll hop in the bucket near them wires!

Yeah, I got cute with a few face cuts. I need more practice with the crane, yet another reason. lol Thanks for the encouragement and advice, bud.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Nice work Blakes, good experience for ya.

Thanks Nails.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Norway maple?

Why not use canvas chokers around the hots?

Yup, Norway. For all the work around the wires I was using 1/2 inch stable braid slings I made with either a clove or a running bowline to attach the branch. The clove works great when setting spider legs to get the right length of your sling. I took most way smaller than the crane needed and spider legged any branch I was uneasy about the balance on. There was very little room for error around all those wires and twisting was not an option. We didn't break out the steel choker till we were well below the wires and we were picking wood.

 

[mckeetree]

It was overkill, Mickey, and I won't deny it but you need to remember the size of my operation. Basically this tree would have been a real PITA without a crane or a bucket. I had considered renting a lift but I could have a 40 ton for a few hundred more, stream line everything and not have to load wood, why not go for it? This kept me out of the neighbor's yard ( the only place to put a bucket ) and in the road, cost me 5 bucks for the permit and I got serious visibility for my company. With crane prices being as low as they are I'm honestly shocked you guys don't use them more often.

I guess so. Crane prices aren't all that cheap around here.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Here's some more pics for perspective. Notice how close my head is to the porch roof, about 6 inches I figure, the other side of the trunk is just as close to the neighbors new fence. Just some of the things I took into consideration when getting the crane.

You can also see the sidewalks, porch steps, flowers and cable line that needed to be avoided. All the wood would have to be rigged down if done manually or with a bucket.

 

[oldirty]

dig them chaps btw. you going to be climbing in them full time? i wouldn't without mine anymore.



edit: and i am dig'n that fullwrap too! ya dude!

 

[Blakesmaster]

On the left of this pic you can see the split rail fence that would need to come down to put a bucket in the neighbors yard, or, if I did the tree manually we would be throwing all the brush over this fence in order to chip it ( after finding a halfway decent rigging point to lower from and setting a tagline on each piece and pulling it into their yard ). Also, not much fun.

 

[treevet]

absolutely no reason not to use a crane on that job is you got other stuff to move on to. good job, the more you do the better you do and the better you and the op and gm get together.

 

[Blakesmaster]

dig them chaps btw. you going to be climbing in them full time? i wouldn't without mine anymore.



edit: and i am dig'n that fullwrap too! ya dude!

I won't be in them day in, day out ( old habits ) but I have them now for the high vis jobs like this. The full wrap on the Husky is what your referring to? Yeah, it's pretty tight.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Here's another shot of all them wires with NYSEG's bucket in front. No way a bucket can do this tree from this side of the fence. You can also see a bit better in this pic how there is no other side of the tree to rig from. The only strong, high leads were directly over the wires. No fun sir, no fun at all.

 

[Blakesmaster]

the more you do the better you do and the better you and the op and gm get together.

And that was a lot of it, TV. When I met this op and found out my partner knew him, it kind of clicked that we might have found our NY crane op which was yet uncharted water for us. Having someone there we knew made transitioning into this level of work that much easier.

 

[oldirty]

just wear em. you got yourself the other day didn't ya? it's the little things that separate the average from the good.

drove by another tree company the other day and they were crane'n. not a lick of safety to be found on any of them. hacks.

 

[Blakesmaster]

just wear em. you got yourself the other day didn't ya? it's the little things that separate the average from the good.

drove by another tree company the other day and they were crane'n. not a lick of safety to be found on any of them. hacks.

You're right, bud. I won't try to justify my negligence.

 

[treevet]

Like you Blakes, I often hang double braid off the hook and it increases speed quite a bit imo. I use a 12 foot by 3/4" usually and the op can slap me in the face with it. No need to tiptoe with the ball into you as you don't have to take the choker off the hook. They love it when I do that.

Last summer tho while taking out a lead I had my op cinch up the choke and then I checked it like usual. Then he moved it and I could not see the choke in dense foliage but went ahead with the cut anyway. Next thing I know the lead slips down the boom from an overlapping limb and heads right at his cab. It fell off 10 feet in front of his face.

He turned off the crane opened the window and I said "sorry we almost killed you" The spliced end had come off the hook.

Some of those guys like to keep a loose safety flap on the hook so they can bounce the ball on stuff and the choker (steel) falls off without anyone touching it. Then they can move on quicker.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Maybe I'm getting old but I didn't really like the thought of loading all this wood by hand. lol Another benefit of the crane. What you see standing here totaled 5200 lbs.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Like you Blakes, I often hang double braid off the hook and it increases speed quite a bit imo. I use a 12 foot by 3/4" usually and the op can slap me in the face with it. No need to tiptoe with the ball into you as you don't have to take the choker off the hook. They love it when I do that.

Last summer tho while taking out a lead I had my op cinch up the choke and then I checked it like usual. Then he moved it and I could not see the choke in dense foliage but went ahead with the cut anyway. Next thing I know the lead slips down the boom from an overlapping limb and heads right at his cab. It fell off 10 feet in front of his face.

He turned off the crane opened the window and I said "sorry we almost killed you" The spliced end had come off the hook.

Some of those guys like to keep a loose safety flap on the hook so they can bounce the ball on stuff and the choker (steel) falls off without anyone touching it. Then they can move on quicker.

Good thing to keep in mind, TV, thanks. My slings ranged from 10 to 15 feet long. I made them myself by cutting up an old running line and tying a figure eight on a bight in the end. Probably not recommended but, like I said, we were taking pretty small pics with them and no shock loading involved. The thing I liked the most was I could have 3 on me and be setting up the next pick while the op was unhooking at the chipper. Especially in this situation where I couldn't ride, having light weight slings on my saddle made life easier.

 

[Blakesmaster]

####, I gotta go to bed. Later guys.

 

[mattfr12]

just out of curiosity and if you dont mind what did that crane run you.

 

[tree MDS]

Here's another shot of all them wires with NYSEG's bucket in front. No way a bucket can do this tree from this side of the fence. You can also see a bit better in this pic how there is no other side of the tree to rig from. The only strong, high leads were directly over the wires. No fun sir, no fun at all.

Maybe you should've slipped them dudes a twenty spot to cut and toss that bad boy for ya.. lol.