Tbh, I took down a 70 foot live oak in a tight backyard and my rope got jammed halfway through, so I had to climb up and re-rig everything with a pulley I had in the truck. Took me an extra 3 hours but the stump came out clean and the client threw me a cold one. Anyone else ever had a line twist turn into a full rescue mission?
Last Tuesday I set up a canopy tie-off for a 60 foot pine job and a chunky squirrel grabbed the tail end of my 11mm line, bolted up a nearby fir, then dropped it into a storm drain, and now I'm wondering if anyone else has ever watched a rodent basically run their morning crew better than a trainee who forgot his harness.
I got called out by an old timer on a job in Portland when he saw me using a flat file on a curved blade, and now I actually get clean cuts through 2 inch branches without mangling the cambium layer. Has anyone else had a similar 'aha' moment with a basic tool?
I used to follow my dad's advice and top every maple that got too tall, but after watching a 30-year-old oak rot from the inside out last spring in Cleveland, I stopped completely. How do you guys talk sense into clients who still demand topping because 'that's how it's always been done'?
Been doing tree work for about 8 years now and I swear something always breaks or jams up on a job. Chainsaw needs sharpening mid-crown, chipper eats a rock, rope gets frayed. Last Tuesday we had a big white oak removal in a tight backyard near downtown and everything just worked. My 461 ran clean all morning, the chipper didn't clog once even on some gnarly brush, and my lowering line held up perfect on a 14 foot limb. Felt like winning the lottery. Anyone else have that one magical day where nothing went sideways?
Last month I was working a job in a backyard in Springfield. Had this big oak limb hanging over a garage, needed to take it down in pieces. I got out my 661 with a 28 inch bar and this homeowner comes running out. Tells me I'm being too loud and dangerous, says I should just use a handsaw because it's 'more precise.' I asked if he wanted to show me how and he just stood there. Spent the next 20 minutes explaining why that would take all day and probably still mess up his garage. Anyone else deal with customers who think they know your job better than you do?
That old hook tooth saw from my grandpa cut through the limbs cleaner than my Stihl ever did. Has anyone else found that manual tools work better in tight spots around houses?
He said stop looking up so much and feel the trunk for decay, and now I check every maple by running my hand down the south side first - has anyone else had an old pro change how you look at a tree?
I used to use my pole saw for everything up high, but after I started climbing and using a Silky Zubat for those same cuts, the bark healed way cleaner within just two months. Has anyone else seen faster callusing with a specific saw?
I finally retired my trusty Sterling rope today after it logged 500 working days on the job. That thing went up oaks, pines, and maples all over Nashville without a single major fray. I honestly didn't think it'd last half that long when I bought it three years ago. Has anyone else had a rope or piece of gear that just refused to quit?
Spent $300 on a hypodermic injection kit for treating my oaks with fungicide. Followed every step for 3 straight trees. None of them showed any improvement after 8 months. Called the company and they said I must have drilled at the wrong angle. No refund. Stick with soil drenching, it's cheaper and actually works. Has anyone else had better luck with trunk injections or am I just cursed?
Was working a job in Portland and the whole crown came apart at the union, now I always check for included bark before I even grab my climbing gear because that tree looked healthy from the ground, anyone else had a tree surprise them like that?
I had a set of spikes that I have been using for about 4 years now. Last Tuesday I was on a big white oak removal in a tight backyard. Got about 30 feet up and my left gaff slipped right off the tree. Turns out the bolt holding the gaff to the shank had loosened up over time and I never noticed. I came down slow and careful but it scared me pretty good. Now I check every bolt on my spikes before I even put them on. Has anyone else had a close call because of gear that just wore out slowly over time?
I was walking through my neighbor's property last Saturday after that big windstorm we had, and I saw something kind of interesting. Every one of their silver maples had cracks or splits right at the same crotch angle, around 45 degrees or so. Three of the four trees had major limb failures, and all of them were at that narrow V-shaped union where two big branches meet. I think the weak attachment there just can't handle the wind load like a wider U-shaped crotch can. Has anyone else seen this kind of consistent failure pattern in a specific species before?
Honestly, I thought I did a solid crown reduction on that red oak in my backyard near Portland, but a 6-foot limb came down during a calm night and punched a hole in my shed roof. Has anyone else had a tree surprise them like that months after working on it?
Volunteered at the Riverfront Park planting last Saturday. Some crew from a landscaping company was dropping in these 3 inch caliper oaks and they left the burlap and wire cages on. Said they'd 'rot away' in a season. I don't buy it. Anyone else have to fix jobs where people left the hardware on?
Had to take down a 60 foot oak in my neighbor's backyard that was rotting from the inside. I went with rope climbing instead of spikes cause I thought it would be safer, but it took way longer and my arms were dead by the end. Has anyone else picked one way over the other and regretted it?
I was doing an air-layer on a decent sized Norway maple branch back in June. Wrapped it up with sphagnum and foil, checked it weekly. After 3 weeks I went to tighten the wrap and the whole thing cracked right off at the cut. Lost a branch that would have made a solid 4 foot tree. My buddy Dave said I cut too deep on the girdle but I followed a YouTube video exactly. Anyone else have air-layers fail because the branch wasn't strong enough to hold?
Had a 70 year old climber named Jerry show me how to spot decay by looking at bark texture near the crotch of a big maple. He said most guys waste time staring at leaves while the tree is telling you right at the base. Anyone else have a mentor drop a weird simple trick on you like that?
I didn't even realize I was close until I counted back through my old logbooks. 500 trees taken down safely over 18 years, most of them in the Portland area. It surprised me because I never really thought of myself as that experienced, you know? But the one that got the number was a giant dying white oak, and the homeowner thanked us for not hitting their prize rose bushes. That part never gets old. Has anyone else crossed a weird milestone like this that caught you off guard?
We were working a job in Maplewood on a 60 year old red oak, and my groundie sliced into a branch collar leaving a 4 inch gash that would've let rot set in if I hadn't caught it and sealed it with tree wound dressing within 10 minutes anyone else ever have a close call like that where a split second mistake almost cost a whole tree?
I had this big maple in a tight backyard near a porch in Portland. Normally I'd reach for my Stihl chainsaw for anything over 6 inches. But the homeowner was nervous about noise and I figured I'd try my Silky Zubat handsaw instead. Honestly it took maybe 20 minutes longer per limb but the control was WAY better. No bar oil mess on their deck and I didn't scare their dog. I still grabbed the chainsaw for the trunk cuts but the crown work with the handsaw felt smoother. Has anyone else switched to manual saws for those tight residential jobs?
Walked past a crew trimming a live oak in July last summer near Austin and had to bite my tongue. Have you ever tried to explain oak wilt risk to a homeowner mid-heatwave without sounding like a know-it-all?
Bought a brand new hydraulic pole pruner from a local dealer in Portland. Second job trimming a bigleaf maple, the hydraulic line split right at the fitting. Dumped hydraulic fluid all over this lady's lawn. Took it back to the dealer and they said the warranty doesn't cover wear on hoses. Anyone else had luck fixing these lines yourself or is it better to just buy a different brand?
He said I was leaving the branch collar too exposed and making the tree heal slower (which threw me, honestly). Has anyone else gotten flak for following the textbook too closely?