Should this have been a crane removal?

[ChipDoogle]

I recently posted some pics of this tree trying to determine the species. Have come to the conclusion thru the majority of your responses that it is an elm. After seeing some of the crane removal pics on here, and especially that this tree was supposedly dead for 7 years prior to removal I am thinking that crane out is the route I should have took. The tree was approxiamtely 100' tall. I used a 36,000 lb 80' Articulating lift to work from, as the limbs were quite dead towards the top. My questions are A. Should this have been craned out? B. If it were craned out, would you climb it, or work from a lift to make the rigging attachemts and cuts? C. And can you give me any idea what a job like this should go for, as I lost money doing it at $2,500 leaving the stump and doing some minor trimming on a few other trees on the property. This was my largest most hazardous removal so far, I am new and learning so any feedback would help. Here are links for pics and video.
Thanks :newbie:

Pics http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/ind...iewPicture&friendID=420516551&albumId=1368380

Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em3wS3xXLcM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KF9jc9Ylds

 

[TreEmergencyB]

if its down nothing or no body got broke....no crane needed...

 

[fishercat]

i would have probably climbed it.

i would have whacked it with a hatchet as i went.

i cannot say i would have rigged of it but i wasn't there.

crane would have been the safest and fastest way to get it down without a doubt.it always is no matter what but sometimes you can't get the crane in there or they can't afford it.

 

[treemandan]

Yeah it looked like you really had to be careful on that one. I guess the lift took care of you being safe and not putting yourself in needless danger. I think the HO should be fined for leaving a hazzard like that for so long. I mean ,hell, they fine you if your grass gets over a foot high but a big dead tree that could hurt someone? Oh that's fine, just find a cheap price to have it removed at leisure.
That stick was no joke and I wopuld have felt better on the boom lift rather than swing them brittle limbs over my head with a crane and having no place to duck. I think you handled it the best way. Hell, try to pick a crane piece on that and the butt will break off on ruin your helmet.

 

[Tree Pig]

if its down nothing or no body got broke....no crane needed...

+1 :agree2:

 

[treemandan]

I wonder if it still would have been " an act of God" if it fell and went through the house.

 

[tomtrees58]

your cuts are to big small is better on a tree like that a Crane removal gos 3000 to 5000 we do them all the time and yes we would have had one on that tom trees:smoking:

 

[fishercat]

that's insane!

your cuts are to big small is better on a tree like that a Crane removal gos 3000 to 5000 we do them all the time and yes we would have had one on that tom trees:smoking:

i know it's expensive down there but that is ridiculous!

 

[Rftreeman]

if its down nothing or no body got broke....no crane needed...

:agree2:

would have been climbed and rigged most likely but I would have to put an eye on it to be sure and I would have made decent money at $2500, that lift must have cost a fortune to rent..

 

[tomtrees58]

i know it's expensive down there but that is ridiculous!

well rental is $1100.00 a day 5 men +1800.00 dumping clean up the next day it add up and thats if you can do it in 1 day some times its 2 tom trees

 

[ChipDoogle]

your cuts are to big small is better on a tree like that a Crane removal gos 3000 to 5000 we do them all the time and yes we would have had one on that tom trees:smoking:

The cut in the video link was probably the largest one we took besides the thick pieces we took last. Most were smaller than that.

 

[ChipDoogle]

Yeah it looked like you really had to be careful on that one. I guess the lift took care of you being safe and not putting yourself in needless danger. I think the HO should be fined for leaving a hazzard like that for so long. I mean ,hell, they fine you if your grass gets over a foot high but a big dead tree that could hurt someone? Oh that's fine, just find a cheap price to have it removed at leisure.
That stick was no joke and I wopuld have felt better on the boom lift rather than swing them brittle limbs over my head with a crane and having no place to duck. I think you handled it the best way. Hell, try to pick a crane piece on that and the butt will break off on ruin your helmet.

Yeah, it was a rental property to top it off, the company that owned it had money, they were just trying to find somebody to do it for nothing. They turned down another guy who was around 2,200 because some guy said over the phone he would do it for 800. When he got out there, he said :censored: that, and didn't even want to attempt the job.

 

[treemandan]

Yeah, it was a rental property to top it off, the company that owned it had money, they were just trying to find somebody to do it for nothing. They turned down another guy who was around 2,200 because some guy said over the phone he would do it for 800. When he got out there, he said :censored: that, and didn't even want to attempt the job.

Neglect, if you can prove it was someone else's then you are in the clear. That is what I tell people with trees like that; if there is some damage done by a limb breaking off and hitting the roof its not my fault because of the neglect to remove the tree when it was safer.

 

[Blakesmaster]

Did you do that to the roof? Did it have something to do with the canned champagne on the end of the log?

Anyway, from the pics I'd say $2500 was a fair price, and it does look climbable, a crane would have made the job go twice as fast and you probably would have been more profitable for it. It's hard to actually assess the situation with pictures over the internet so don't take what I said the wrong way.

 

[treevet]

Just a couple of thoughts....The cut in the video where the pulley is shown. You missed your notch with the back cut by a mile didn't you? You had way too much shock load when you let that piece go. Why not put the pulley on the limb below the cut? Also wasn't that garage all busted up on the roof?

On a takedown like that it is nice to have BOTH a crane and a lift truck if they can fit. If you use just the crane you have to be attached to the tree so if it is a choice of one or the other you made the right choice with the lift truck.

When you gotta go cheapo because of the owner on a tree like that it is a good strategic move to pass in the future. If you gonna lose money on a job do it on one with little liability and not so difficult and dangerous.

 

[ChipDoogle]

Just a couple of thoughts....The cut in the video where the pulley is shown. You missed your notch with the back cut by a mile didn't you? You had way too much shock load when you let that piece go. Why not put the pulley on the limb below the cut? Also wasn't that garage all busted up on the roof?

On a takedown like that it is nice to have BOTH a crane and a lift truck if they can fit. If you use just the crane you have to be attached to the tree so if it is a choice of one or the other you made the right choice with the lift truck.

When you gotta go cheapo because of the owner on a tree like that it is a good strategic move to pass in the future. If you gonna lose money on a job do it on one with little liability and not so difficult and dangerous.

Yeah the roof got messed up on the edge from pieces breaking when they were swung. I fixed it in a couple hours. They did not wanna pay extra for me to cover the roof with a 2x6's with plywood on top,( A SHIELD) Plus there was already a couple dozen holes quarter to baseball size in the shingles from the deadwood shedding prior to removal. The shockloading was kept to a minimum, plus that was brandnew 7/8 double braid 23k lb, which even with shockloading I don't think I got close to even 30% of the tensile. Anyways what in the hell is canned champange lol?

 

[ChipDoogle]

Did you do that to the roof? Did it have something to do with the canned champagne on the end of the log?

Anyway, from the pics I'd say $2500 was a fair price, and it does look climbable, a crane would have made the job go twice as fast and you probably would have been more profitable for it. It's hard to actually assess the situation with pictures over the internet so don't take what I said the wrong way.

See post above, and what in the hell is canned champange lol?

 

[treevet]

beer would be my guess

 

[treevet]

shockloading was kept to a minimum, plus that was brandnew 7/8 double braid 23k lb, which even with shockloading I don't think I got close to even 30% of the tensile.

Just a little advice since this is Arb 101....shockloading of that type severely degrades the line (Very expensive line I might add) and also you would be amazed how the drop of a piece increases the weight of it the farther it falls.
Also the attachments, whatever they be, hitch, knot etc. further reduces the WL of the line. In addition this may be what caused the damage to the roof (splatter).

Good luck in future tho, you appear to have some potential in this business.

 

[ddhlakebound]

The shockloading was kept to a minimum, plus that was brandnew 7/8 double braid 23k lb, which even with shockloading I don't think I got close to even 30% of the tensile. Anyways what in the hell is canned champange lol?

23k lb rope, heavy duty rigging gear. Nice. I'm curious as to what that tree was rated at???

Looks to me like the ring shake on the end of the butt log shows punky heartwood that added little or nothing to tree strength. Combine that with the exterior notches cut to hold the porty sling, and it doesn't look to me like you had much margin on what the tree could support.

With thanks to The Tree Spyder, I'd have been trying to minimize shock loading with a lighter line with more stretch. The heavier you go on rope, the greater the peak load on the stem is. I don't think breaking the rope was ever a worry, breaking the tree.....well, I'd have been thinking on that with every cut.

Canned champagne refers to the case of Miller Lite sitting on the log. Helps make ya look Extra-Pro.

Edit: After going back and looking again, the ring shake is present, but the heartwood looks more solid that I originally stated. Still good to always keep in mind the piece of the system which does not have a rating.