Yeah, the moving part of the panic snap takes a beating, and it's probably only cast zinc. I'll never go back after using the archery release. If it breaks or starts acting up, I'll get a better one now that I know how nicely they work.
Sorry for getting the terminology wrong. I'd be disconnected from my primary life support (the ZigZag), but always have one lanyard in place while the other one is being moved, or both in place if I'm staying put.
I found a place where I could move around from limb to limb without getting...
They broke on either side of the hinge. I made new pieces for the moving side from aluminum stock, and bought new snaps when the fixed sides broke. I didn't have a hinge pin fail.
I often find myself where I want to work above my TIP once I'm up in the canopy, but I'm hesitant to disconnect from my primary life support. Setting up a higher TIP for my 2:1 moving rope system requires another climb. Sometimes there's no higher TIP available that'll give a straight drop...
I used panic snaps for a while, but they kept breaking. I got this $18 arrow release from Amazon which works much better. I made the plastic guard to protect the trigger and stop accidental releases. The pulley is part of my 2:1 tensioning system. The release pressure is very light, so my...
The climb went very well. I found some other stuff to cut this time, and there's some to justify another climb if I set a higher TIP.
Thank goodness I didn't have to drag that limb from the back of the lot.
I've only used a speedline or a controlled speedline a couple times since I got my 5" electric saw. Now cutting and tossing is my first choice. It's interesting how my method of working evolved as I gained experience and tried new things, but I'll probably always take my trusty folding razor...
Look at this beautiful pine I've finally found a reason to climb. Over three feet DBH, and perfectly shaped. I was talking to a lady in the yard across the street when I saw the dead limbs I couldn't see from the street. Bingo, and getting permission to climb was easy.
I'll be going after...
HO wants the suckers removed from this oak tree. They've been growing for years, and some are 3" diameter and 15' long. I decided to leave several that extend over the neighbor's old fence. I'll reposition my TIP and use rigging to keep them off the fence.
Nice addition to the yard debris pile.
I mis-judged this one. I was planning on cutting it into pieces after securing it with a rope. It looked firmly attached, but it broke free as I was tying it off. The lower limb caught it, and I pulled it down after I was on the ground.
I'll remember this one if I'm ever tempted to climb...
Another dead limb over a rickety fence Thursday morning.
Lowering a swinging limb to the desired touchdown is always tricky, but this was close enough.
And I made 79-foot climb to celebrate my 79th birthday Friday morning.
I was hoping I could set up a high working climb for my birthday, but...
An early morning climb for one broken limb over a rickety fence.
Had to cut it loose and pull it toward me as I cut it apart and tossed the pieces down clear of the targets.
The crotch in the tree behind the pine was just too inviting, so I removed the tree to prevent a dangerous hung-up tree situation. Plan was OK with HO. After cleaning the DZ, felling the pine was easy enough. It's 18" at the cut.
A surprisingly big pile from the smaller tree. Hoping...
Thanks, that's what I had already decided. The limb is overly long and has some weak spots. I can get a line on the end to break off enough to clear the pine, or just remove it entirely. HO doesn't care.
If I climb it and remove the smallish oak limb touching the far side here...
I could probably sneak it between the trees behind it. The HO's not too worried about collateral damage from the tree falling that direction.
I'd have to make the cut 2/3 up to fit the DZ comfortably. I'd be worried...
I've been doing a canopy reduction on this dead pine, working from the ground with the BigShot and rope with help from the beater Honda. One end of the rope is anchored to the base of the tree. The other end goes through an turning thimble and then to the Honda's rear tiedown.
Not sure what...
That picture reminds me of the time I loaded my FiL's '69 GMC (6cyl 8' bed) with all the 16' 2x10s for the house I was building. I realised my mistake pretty quickly, but the yard had closed by the time I got back. That was one scary 25 mile trip.
Emergency job for older couple with grandkids coming to visit. The fractured limb was six inches in diameter, so I had to finish some cuts with the handsaw. Just couldn't one-hand the little chainsaw into the right place.
All that kinda got lost in the huge pile of storm debris from other...
The storm passed over Valdosta which is thirty miles east of here. We had no damage, and the power came back on late Friday afternoon. I saw one big pine uprooted and several medium sized limbs down in the subdivision. There's one broken limb hanging in a tree I climbed in recently, so I'll...
A long (4me) climb to get a largish broken/hanging dead limb in a pine. I had just enough battery in my 5" saw to cut it apart on the way up.
Had a bunch of manageable pieces and a lot of straw to carry off.
Working eighty feet up with a cool breeze was pretty nice.