Today....

[southsoundtree]

Worked in some very skinny wood to get next to this crusty alder near a house. It bent a bunch, but held full weight, with a high TIP in a tall fir, a bit under 20' away.

As training/ another climbing opportunity, I sent her up to retrieve the climbing line.
I needed foot loops.




Tall (80'ish), 12" dbh alder. This is the topping height for a 25-30' top.





Alder at topping height (behind rope) with TIP-fir in the middle.





2 "pitch" rope-retrieval.




A feller with a purse!

 

[southsoundtree]

More crusty alders (6). Second to last one, next to the shed, got a 90⁰ retainer line. Plus a pull line. Whizzy, triple hinge.

Hung the last one off a neighboring tree, keeping lots of the weight on the ground (no pic), taking rounds off the bottom with snap-cuts and pushing.


No cleanup!



5 in this pile. Kept as much of the apple as possible.




We speedlined this fir canopy raise a few weeks back, opening the view of the red maple to the left.




Much better view of the meadow, too!

 

[27RMT0N]

I just liked this series of photos. Partially uprooted fir leaning over a fence, set a high pull-line, a redirect, face and fell it into road, winch into chipper.

 

[Bendroctanus]

I just liked this series of photos. Partially uprooted fir leaning over a fence, set a high pull-line, a redirect, face and fell it into road, winch into chipper.

View attachment 91376

View attachment 91377

View attachment 91378

Bing, bang, bam.

 

[27RMT0N]

Buying (aka: being able to afford) a nice chipper with a winch was one of the best things I've ever done for my business.

 

[southsoundtree]

Worked in some very skinny wood to get next to this crusty alder near a house. It bent a bunch, but held full weight, with a high TIP in a tall fir, a bit under 20' away.

As training/ another climbing opportunity, I sent her up to retrieve the climbing line. View attachment 91359
I needed foot loops.



View attachment 91360
Tall (80'ish), 12" dbh alder. This is the topping height for a 25-30' top.




View attachment 91361
Alder at topping height (behind rope) with TIP-fir in the middle.




View attachment 91362
2 "pitch" rope-retrieval.



View attachment 91363
A feller with a purse!

I should mention, i was on SRS, had cut the top off the small- wood fir so I could see, and manipulate the falling alder top. I finished the back cut with a (throw-away-from-me-able) Silky, sheathed the saw, and gently pushed the top. The top landed across some fir branches. I hoped it would push through the fir branches. I knew the top was more likely to break on them, which they did, but on the far side of the fir branch. I naturally used stump shot on this top. The top stalled after tipping 30⁰, ish. I pushed the top free, carefully, giving it a shove. Well clear of the house and a keeper plant.

Had I gotten in trouble, I could have pulled my lanyard up a few inches and off the fir stub.
My ground support had a belay on me by way of my climbing tail, preventing a pendulum back to my TIP tree about 18' away, by standing about 35' back and diagonally away from my little fir (far from the dropzone), ready to "let 'er run" a bit of needed to stay on her feet (she's 2/3 of my weight), as I would swing away from the alder.

I definitely wouldn't have negative rigged that top onto itself.

No drama ensued. Just stacked odds in my favor.

 

[oceans]

Buying (aka: being able to afford) a nice chipper with a winch was one of the best things I've ever done for my business.

I have to agree, but also would say that a chipper winch can really be in the way when feeding mechanically. I would love to see a version where the fairlead could be swung aside if desired, or even be adjusted depending on the length and size of what’s being winched. All that aside, I would still take any winch over none.

 

[VenasNursery]

I have to agree, but also would say that a chipper winch can really be in the way when feeding mechanically. I would love to see a version where the fairlead could be swung aside if desired, or even be adjusted depending on the length and size of what’s being winched. All that aside, I would still take any winch over none.

Sounds like a million dollar idea

 

[oceans]

Sounds like a million dollar idea

Already have the full design in my dome. Trick is getting it out on paper then made up in metal.

 

[Mike H]

The Vermeer AX17 and AX19 have hydraulics to raise the winch arm up and out of the way

 

[oceans]

The Vermeer AX17 and AX19 have hydraulics to raise the winch arm up and out of the way

Which is great if you own one of those! Maybe there’s a way to make something that would work on a variety of machines…

 

[southsoundtree]

Reg had a Honda Capstan mount added to his BB chipper. I love the idea, though haven't moved to copy the idea, yet, for my chainsaw powerhead-powered Simpson capstan.

 

[27RMT0N]

I remember that video and have the same portable gas winch. It works, and has its place, but honestly is like 1/5 as powerful as the chipper winch.

 

[Bendroctanus]

I remember that video and have the same portable gas winch. It works, and has its place, but honestly is like 1/5 as powerful as the chipper winch.

Can’t beat the hydraulics. The first chipper I bought for my business started showing its age the spring of 2021, and we decided to bite the bullet and just buy a new chipper. I made sure to get one with a winch. We got a Vermeer BC1200XL gas with the winch option and I would have to agree with everything being said about winches. I don’t use it all the time, but when I do use it, it is invaluable.

 

[southsoundtree]

I remember that video and have the same portable gas winch. It works, and has its place, but honestly is like 1/5 as powerful as the chipper winch.

Certainly not an equal replacement.


A long time ago, due to a landslide, we had to fell about (50+) 10-14" doug fir for a road-widening project.
A 60 year old arborist with a bad knee, an out of shape agency office worker engineer and I felled and put them through out BB 250 in a day.

If chipping as much as possible is the MO, a chipper winch is fantastic.

I'm not usually in the chip-it-all camp.
I have free wood hauling available to me by people with good capacity and availability.

 

[Bendroctanus]

Certainly not an equal replacement.


A long time ago, due to a landslide, we had to fell about (50+) 10-14" doug fir for a road-widening project.
A 60 year old arborist with a bad knee, an out of shape agency office worker engineer and I felled and put them through out BB 250 in a day.

If chipping as much as possible is the MO, a chipper winch is fantastic.

I'm not usually in the chip-it-all camp.
I have free wood hauling available to me by people with good capacity and availability.

The PNW is great for that.

 

[Shadowscape]

There are times when we get to thinking speed is important when in fact it may not be. Chipper winches are an example. We want the speed of the winch high to get the tree to the chipper, but once there the chipper is slow moving compared to what we just did.
The capstan winches are not their equal, but a simple 4:1 set up with the line can make them so. It is slower, but do we really need the speed. We want it, but do we need it? How long down the pike is the next tree arriving to be winched.
Then there is the connivence of the chipper winch over the capstan gas winch. Making sure it has gas in it and pulling to start it vs the hydraulic chipped winch. Both will get the job done if used properly. Time is the difference. Is it important time?

I regularly lift full maple and aspen trees with a 4500 lb winch mounted on a tiny Bombardier 4 wheeler. I carry rigging gear with me to create enough M.A. with that little winch to get the job done. But, if I can get my truck to the location I am just like the rest and just hook up to the 25,000 lb winch on the truck. We like speed and less farting around with gear. Me especially if it is cold or raining. But we should not poo-poo the capstan winches for not being as strong. They have enough power if we are willing to do a little work ourselves, and far better thing that using horses, which I have done as well.

 

[flyingmosstreen]

A few from the past week or so

My bud took some really good pictures of a job out a family friends cabin. Split and crispy dead ash. Tied into the poplar behind, couple wimpy ratchet straps for piece of mind and bombs away.

 

[Bendroctanus]

A few from the past week or so

My bud took some really good pictures of a job out a family friends cabin. Split and crispy dead ash. Tied into the poplar behind, couple wimpy ratchet straps for piece of mind and bombs away.

Nothin’ like a real tree man doin’ real tree work. Thanks for sharing!

 

[oceans]

A few from the past week or so

My bud took some really good pictures of a job out a family friends cabin. Split and crispy dead ash. Tied into the poplar behind, couple wimpy ratchet straps for piece of mind and bombs away.

Send it in!