BBB Pruning

The BBB called me a few years ago asking me if i wanted to sign up to have our company be a member.

I asked this, " If we ran a terrible business and had lots of complaints, would we be dropped as a BBB member?"

they said no, you would not be dropped.

I said, then what is the purpose of being a BBB member. You should only allow companies with outstanding service be a member of the BBB. You just want the money and nothing else matters.

I do believe they are a good tool for the consumer that has been screwed, the BBB does throw some weight around, but they should drop companies that get lots of complaints.

i told them AngiesList.com is a better company to show people how good a company is.

BBB on a tree companies advertising means NOTHING!
 
Agree re bbb.

Yes lack of undercut not monstrous, but also not good advertising to risk splitting the parent stem like that. SCA is not going to continue using the ad.

bbb and tcia put it together; we'll see if tcia, the ANSI secretariat, will keep its name on this fine example of noncompliance. See 5.3.7 in the pruning standard; big branches too big to handle with one hand SHALL be precut to avoid rips and splits. No wiggle room there, and no reason not to take that precaution.

Pic looks like a chainsaw ad, but lack of undercut sends the wrong message imo.
 
It could be a little better...an undercut/snapcut would be perfect but I've cut plenty of dead oak limbs like that with no tear out.

But...is there a better picture that would represent quality treework for consumers? What are they trying to illustrate?

having a climber outfitted with proper PPE, etc. gives consumers an image to compare. This sort of thing reminds me of using flash cards to learn math tables or plant names. Or, silhouettes to identify birds or enemy aircraft. Learn the shape and you know the right thing to do.
 
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It could be a little better...an undercut/snapcut would be perfect but I've cut plenty of dead oak limbs like that with no tear out.

[/ QUOTE ] Tom, have you really made your first cut that close to the collar? If so, what was the reason? Firewood length is standard that I've seen, same in MN? Why would anyone want to make a 2-3" piece?

Bark tear/rip is one thing, but wood splitting often escapes our notice. Yet it can be far more serious, opening infection courts to the core.

Only if the arborist is about to shut off the chain saw, grab the middle of the limb with his left \hand as he finishes the cut with a handsaw in his right hand, would this be standard work. Unlikely, and still risks wood splitting.

Tom yes the PPE is flawless and technique good. but the focus seems more on action and less on arboriculture. Flashcarding the positive PPE/technique image is good, but flashing the unlikely cut is not so good.

Both SCA and TCIA to their credit see the need for improvement and will replace the image on the next printing. But who knows how many are printed and informing the public about better tree care.
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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It could be a little better...an undercut/snapcut would be perfect but I've cut plenty of dead oak limbs like that with no tear out.

[/ QUOTE ] Tom, have you really made your first cut that close to the collar? If so, what was the reason? Firewood length is standard that I've seen, same in MN? Why would anyone want to make a 2-3" piece?

Bark tear/rip is one thing, but wood splitting often escapes our notice. Yet it can be far more serious, opening infection courts to the core.

Only if the arborist is about to shut off the chain saw, grab the middle of the limb with his left \hand as he finishes the cut with a handsaw in his right hand, would this be standard work. Unlikely, and still risks wood splitting.
tongue.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

ha ha ha, I love it.

It's like Tom attacking himself....
 
Attack? Man you are talking drama where there is none. that was cutandpasted from a letter to tcia, not flaming dunlap; sorry for lack of context there. :)

So X, how often do you make your first cut on an 8' branch from the top side and 2-3" from the collar? Sometimes, maybe, sure, but it's not a poster-child cut, so why print it?

Selling sizzle with half a steak. An undercut 12" out would show a lot more tree care, but no photo op for the spray of chips. So then okay show a cut 12" out coming down on an undercut.

Or better yet thinning tips with a handsaw; could be a beautiful picture.
 
I don't see an eight foot limb there...it looks shorter and really dead. In that case, and my experience with dead oaks...your mileage may vary by your region...it would jump off and not tear or fracture back into the tree.

But...we're being too much the arm chair arbos. Heck for all we know, the tip of that piece may be cradled by another limb or brush so it would never drop.

I doubt that anyone but us arbo nerds would even notice anything 'wrong' with the pic.
 
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