I had a job last Wednesday trimming a big red oak in a customer's backyard. Everything was going fine until my throw line got wrapped around a branch and pulled tight into a knot. I thought I could just yank it free, but that only made it worse by twisting it around another branch. After 30 minutes of tugging and climbing partway up, I finally gave up and got my pole saw to cut the line. But then I dropped the pole saw and it got stuck in a crotch of the tree. So I had to climb up and get that, then spend another hour cutting and pulling the rope out piece by piece. By the time I was done, the sun was going down and I had only trimmed half the tree. Has anyone else had a throw line get this tangled up and have to just sacrifice the rope?
I was out in Arlington last Tuesday looking at this massive red oak on a residential street. The thing was clearly gone, no leaves on top, bark falling off in sheets. The guy kept saying 'it'll leaf out in spring' even though it was July. I showed him the mushrooms growing at the base and he still didn't budge. Has anyone else had a customer fight you on a tree that's obviously toast?
I know everyone here hates topping with a passion, but hear me out. Last spring I had a client with a 40 foot silver maple that was dangerously close to their roof. I did a proper reduction cut like we're taught, took off about 30% of the crown. Tree still looked awkward and in 6 months it was already sending up water sprouts like crazy. I went back and did a clean topping job on a different branch the next year, just cut it back to a lateral that was too small. That branch has been stable for 14 months now with no dieback. Not saying topping is always right, but I think we're too dogmatic about it sometimes. Has anyone else had a situation where a topping actually worked out better?
Was pruning a big red oak in Greenville and the rope got pinched on my ascent. Took me 45 minutes to get down and reset. Then my handsaw slipped and cut my glove clean open. Didn't even make it to lunch before I called it a day. Anyone else have a day where nothing goes right?
I was driving through a neighborhood in St. Paul last week and saw like 5 freshly topped maples in one block. I get that people are scared of branches hitting their house, but doesn't it wreck the tree long term? Anyone else seeing this a lot or am I just being dramatic lol.
I was at the local arborist meetup in Austin last Tuesday and this older guy claimed that decay from a bad cut on a live oak is just cosmetic. He said he's seen 20 year old stubs that are solid inside. Is there any truth to that or is he way off base?
I was doing a removal estimate on a big silver maple last spring and this older lady came out crying about how her husband planted it 40 years ago before he passed. I walked around it again and saw it actually had a chance with a good crown reduction and some cabling instead of taking it down. Has anyone else had a client change your mind about a tree's fate just by sharing their story?
I dropped $600 on a Pumpspotter 26 gallon backpack sprayer last spring for treating trees on bigger properties. First 3 months it worked like a dream, but now the pump seal is already leaking and parts are a pain to find. Meanwhile my coworker swears by the $150 Field King model he's used for 4 seasons straight. Has anyone else had one of these high end sprayers crap out fast, or did I just get a lemon?
I always thought spending $80 on a handsaw was ridiculous until I borrowed my buddy's to drop a 12 inch branch and cut through in 3 seconds flat, what cheap tool did you eventually upgrade and regret not doing it sooner?
I always liked having extra tail on my climbing line for choking limbs. Felt safer. But last month I was working a big white oak in Austin and kept getting my tail snagged on branch stubs. Took me forever to finish. Finally trimmed it down like he said. Made redirects so much smoother. Has anyone else dealt with fighting a line that's just a bit too long?
Always thought a handsaw was the only way to get a clean finish on a branch collar. Then a guy named Mike at a workshop in Portland showed me this 34 inch fiberglass pole pruner with a curved blade. Took one pass on a 3 inch maple limb and the cut was perfect. Anybody else find a tool they swore they'd never use actually works great?
Bought this cheap saddle off a Facebook marketplace ad thinking I got a steal, but the D-ring snapped while I was pruning a big oak branch. Has anyone else had luck with budget gear or should I just bite the bullet on a name brand rig?
I keep a log of every job since I started my own outfit 4 years ago. Last month I hit 500 tree removals, which surprised me because I didn't think I was that busy. Most of them were in residential backyards around Portland, but about 50 were storm damage calls. That number made me realize how many close calls I've had with rotten oaks and tight drop zones. Has anyone else tracked their job count and been shocked by the total?
The cylinder housing cracked clean through when I was trimming a 4-inch oak limb, and the manufacturer said it wasn't covered because I used it over the rated width, so has anyone else had luck with a different brand that holds up better?
I've been watering my three silver maples every dry spell for 10 years, thinking I was helping them out. He said I was encouraging surface roots and making the trees weaker, so I quit cold turkey last summer. Sure enough, one of them tipped over in a storm last week with a root ball about 6 inches deep... anyone else had an old school trick that backfired or actually worked?
Been arboristing for 8 years and always swore by chainsaws for anything over 2 inches. Last month in Auburn I had to take down a big oak with a busted saw and grabbed my old pruning handsaw out of desperation. Took longer but the control was crazy good, no tear-out on the bark. Any of you guys mix hand tools into jobs where you'd normally go power?
I figured I'd knock out this 30 inch red oak stump in a day with my 20 ton mini excavator. Three hours in I realized the taproot went straight down through a layer of caliche like 2 feet deep. Ended up digging a 6 foot trench around it and using a 3000 lb strap to yank it out. Any of you guys ran into surprise rock layers or clay pockets that turn a 2 hour job into an all day thing?
I was grabbing some new rope at the supply house on Tuesday and this older logger was telling a young guy that trees don't have feelings so stop babying them. It got me thinking about how we all treat trees different based on who taught us. I see some arborists that go way too rough on removals and leave nasty stubs while others are way too slow on a simple dead oak. Where do you draw the line between being efficient and being respectful to the tree?
After 3 tries on a rough Bradford pear branch, the saw left zero tear-out while the lopper mashed the bark... has anyone else noticed this messing up tree healing?
I rented a stump grinder from the big box store last Saturday for a 24 inch oak stump in someone's backyard. Paid $300 for the day and the thing kept bogging down every time I hit a root wider than my thumb. After 6 hours of fighting it, I only got it ground down maybe 4 inches below grade. Called a guy with a commercial machine and he finished it in 20 minutes for $150. Has anyone else had better luck with smaller rentals or am I just cursed with these things?
I was pruning a big oak in a backyard east of Austin last Tuesday and my friction hitch locked up solid right as I leaned back for a cut. Had to hang there for a good 4 minutes working it loose with one hand while my arm was shaking. Anybody got a go-to method for avoiding line pinches on thick crotches?
We had a big white oak with a massive cavity full of old concrete where a limb had been cut years ago. The concrete made the saws dull so fast, and we had to keep stopping to sharpen. It was supposed to be a one-day job, but it took us three full days to get it down safely. Anyone else run into something weird like that inside a tree?