I was out on a job in a client's backyard when a huge limb came down from a silver maple, split clean off. That Monday through Friday, every single call I got was about damage from that storm, and I pulled in nearly $3,200 in just five days. Has anyone else had a week where nature basically handed you all your work?
He told me to leave a 6-inch stub on that big maple branch last spring, I thought he was crazy, but after that windstorm knocked down three trees on my street that maple didn't lose a single limb has anyone else had old-timer tips that actually saved you?
Rented a little 6-inch chipper from a hardware store outside Nashville to clear storm damage. The feed wheel grabbed a branch sideways and kicked back so hard it snapped a 2x4 block I was using. Anyone else had a chipper that just refuses to take anything but straight wood?
I was trimming this old oak in a backyard near Portland and the homeowner's 70-something mother came out and watched me for a solid 10 minutes without saying a word. Finally she goes 'you're leaving too many stubs, cut back to the collar or you're asking for rot.' I was a little annoyed at first, but I looked at the cuts I'd made and she was right. I'd been leaving these half-inch nubs because I was scared of cutting too close and damaging the branch bark ridge. She showed me on a branch how to angle the cut so it heals clean, and now I check every single cut I make against the collar before I saw. Has anyone else had some random person on a job site drop knowledge that actually made you better?
I was reading an ISA article last night and found out that over 70% of newly planted tree failures in urban settings come from improper root handling during installation. That got me thinking about every time I’ve seen guys just toss a tree in a hole without teasing the roots. Has anyone else run into this stat and changed how they prep root balls?
I was out at a client's property last month, trying to save this big maple they're gonna lose to a retaining wall project. Finally got the roots to show after wrapping it in damp sphagnum and waiting almost 8 weeks. Anybody else have better luck with certain tree species for air-layering?
Last Thursday I was up in a big red oak in Austin trimming over a pool. Every time I reached back to swap tools my climbing line would catch on the edge of my crane saw holster. I must have cussed at it for 10 minutes before I realized the plastic guard where the carabiner hooks was slightly cracked and had a sharp lip. I just filed it down with a pocket stone I keep in my truck. Took 2 minutes. Now the line slides right past it without catching. Has anyone else dealt with holster hardware chewing up your rope?
Ngl, I've been cutting trees for about 10 years now and I used to be all about open face notches for everything. But after a job in Vermont last spring where a big red oak started splitting on me mid-cut, I switched to wedge cuts for anything over 20 inches. Now I'm seeing way more control and less bar pinching. On the flip side, open face notches are way easier to aim with. So which technique do you guys lean on for bigger timber? Has anyone else had a near miss that made them change their cut style?
Been climbing for about 4 years now on and off. Yesterday I had a big red oak removal in a tight backyard near downtown Austin. I tied in and just kept going. When I looked down I was at 50 feet and hadn't taken a rest. Felt good to finally have the endurance and technique dialed in. Anybody else remember their first decent climb that surprised them?
Last big windstorm here in Portland, I lost three limbs off a client's oak. I'd been making my cuts flush to the trunk every time, thinking that's how you do it. After the storm, an old timer walked by and asked why I left those stubs that got ripped. He pointed at my flush cuts and said 'you been cutting off the branch collar this whole time?' I had no idea what he was talking about. He showed me how to find the ridge and make a proper cut. Never even saw it in any training video. Anyone else figure out they were cutting wrong way later than they should have?
I was helping a guy in Tulsa take down a big silver maple and he just pointed at the trunk and said 'see that bend, that's where the wind been pushing on it for 40 years' and after that I never looked at a lean the same way, anyone else have a mentor drop a piece of wisdom that just stuck?
I was doing a removal in a backyard in Portland and the homeowner's buddy was "helping" by cutting branches. He kept using his folding saw on limbs way thicker than it was meant for. I saw him struggling and the blade was already binding up. I walked over and showed him a proper notch cut with my Silky instead. Has anyone else run into well meaning folks using the wrong tool for the cut size?
Last summer I left my climbing lines coiled up in the bed of my truck for a week straight during a big job in Raleigh. They got stiff and took on this weird smell I couldn't shake. Has anyone else had luck with a specific storage method that keeps ropes from getting beat up?
I was about 3/4 through a 30 inch limb over a driveway in Portland when the saw just quit. No sputter, no warning, just dead. Pulled the cord maybe 20 times with no luck. Ended up having to tie off the limb and finish it with a handsaw while balancing on the ladder. Got it home and found the spark plug wire had completely corroded through at the boot. Never had that happen on a saw with under 200 hours on it. Anyone else run into weird electrical failures on these newer models?
I was about 40 feet up a cottonwood in Boulder last Tuesday trimming dead limbs when the homeowner comes out and hands me a bag of dog poop, saying "since you're up there anyway, could you toss this in the compost bin?" She thought I was the gardening guy because we both wore green shirts. Anyone else get mistaken for other trades while you're trying to focus on a climb?
I was trimming a big oak in a backyard in Salt Lake City last month and my chainsaw died halfway through cutting a 30 inch limb. Instead of driving back to the shop I grabbed my Silky saw thinking I could power through it. Man that took me almost 45 minutes of pure arm fatigue and the cut was crooked as hell when I finished. The branch also twisted slightly while I was sawing and pinched the blade twice. I learned real quick that big limbs need proper tools or you're just asking for trouble and a sore shoulder. Anyone else ever get stuck using the wrong saw for a job like this?
I was dead set against it at first. Looked like overkill for a guy who grew up working with just a belt and spurs. My old gear had gotten the job done since the late 90s, felt like a waste of money. But my foreman Jim kept pushing it after he saw me wincing on a big red oak removal near Austin. Finally caved after two months of him bugging me. First day with the new saddle I noticed way less pressure on my hips after a full day of removals. Still not sure I'd recommend it to everyone, but it did make a difference on those long canopy jobs. Anyone else switch setups later in their career and actually stick with it?
I was cutting down a big white oak for a client in Columbus last month, and after it fell I decided to actually count the rings on the stump just for fun. Got to 203 rings before I lost count, and it really hit me how long that tree had been standing there through storms, droughts, and everything else. Have any of you ever counted rings on a removal and been surprised by the age?
Comparing a 3-strand line I fought with for years to a modern arborist throw line is night and day, but honestly that old rope taught me better technique in a week than any new gear did in a month and I'm curious how many of you still keep a cheap hank around for practice?
Last Tuesday I had a 60 foot red oak that looked fine from the ground. Got up there and the whole top was rotten inside, nearly took me down when my gaff punched through. Had to call in a crane from Atlanta Arbor Care for $1,200 on the spot. Anyone else had a tree surprise them like that?
I was up in a big red oak in Portland last Tuesday, doing a takedown over a garage. The homeowner wanted me to piece it out, but the guy I was groundie for that day cut a notch that was way too deep on the back side. The spar started splitting before I even got my saw out, and I had to bail off my lanyard fast. Anyone else ever had a groundie mess up a notch so bad it nearly cost you the tree or worse?
That got me thinking about how some old school arborists swear by just feeling the branches through gloves when it's cold versus the younger guys who won't even start a job without a throwline and a pulley system, which side do you lean on when temps drop below 20 degrees?
That poor tree has been dropping leaves since June and she asked me why it looks sick, so I guess nature doesn't teach self-care after all, has anyone else had to explain basic watering to someone who should just stick to buying fake plants?
I was clearing a big silver maple job in Portland and the brush was wet from morning dew. Should have let it dry out but I was rushing to beat the rain. Got a massive tangle of vines and branches stuck in the feed wheel and it just stopped dead. Took me a solid 45 minutes to unbolt the side panel and pry everything out with a crowbar. Anyone else have a trick for keeping wet material from binding up in a small chipper?
I was at the hardware store in Springfield yesterday and some teenager asked his dad why anyone would use a saw that heavy. Made me think about how we used to run 50cc saws all day without any vibration dampening. Now I see guys my age swapping to battery powered pruners for the light weight. Has anyone else noticed the newer climbers don't even want to touch a gas saw anymore?