Help with a possible job

Raven27

Raven27

Participating member
Location
Pittsfield, Ma
so I have this job I can probably get, but it's involving something I have been staying away from. It has 2 decent leaders over Primary Electric lines. I have included a video of the trees to give a good view of the job. Not sure how the audio will be on here. I have a couple ideas of how to work around them. Job is in East Greenbush, NY, and was hoping someone who's done plenty of this may want to work together on this. I am a climber only, so I'm sure that adds to my issue, I can easily see how to resolve this with an insulated bucket truck, LOL. Let me know, don't be too hard on me. I'm comfortable in the tree, just know when to get advise/ help until I learn more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiWfyMhIY9Y
 
Can you get the power company's line clearance contractor to cut back to the Minimum Approach Distance (or more) with you doing the clean-up?
 
I would say the heck with the road and peice out the brush in the leaders over the lines, undercut in a U-shaped fashion and a fast top cut and push the peice outward with the saw bar as it comes off.

that's what I'd be comfortable with and efficient.

then, when it is getting near to being over the lines, rig back to that more upright vertical leader with GRCS or Hobbs.

If you want to speedline, I will show diagram next.

But, it's a road, it's packed tight and should handle the impacts. Just keep leaving the brush on the road as you go, don't clean up until all peicing out is done.
 
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I would say the heck with the road and peice out the brush in the leaders over the lines, undercut in a U-shaped fashion and a fast top cut and push the peice outward with the saw bar as it comes off.

that's what I'd be comfortable with and efficient.

then, when it is getting near to being over the lines, rig back to that more upright vertical leader with GRCS or Hobbs.

If you want to speedline, I will show diagram next.

But, it's a road, it's packed tight and should handle the impacts. Just keep leaving the brush on the road as you go, don't clean up until all peicing out is done.

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I have a decent idea for the speedline, and have used one a couple times. And I also was thinking the same on rigging back to far verticle leader to swing pieces away from lines. my ground guy that I now have is real new, and not ready for this. Like I said, I'd rather do it safer with another experienced guy and make less, than to screw the pooch
grin.gif
 
It is NOT a good idea to learn how to perform some new technique when you have a job that has such a high hazard. The place to learn new skills is in a tree that you can flop or rig down using perfected skill.

Think about how many tree workers die every year from being electrocuted. Does that give you pause? It should.

Get hold of the utility. They will likely do the 'make-safe' pruning for you.
 
I have pause for sure, thats why I was hoping to enlist help here. Utility company wont do these, to them there's no hazard, homeowner wants them gone is all.
 
the homeowner should be able to call the power company and request them to cut the problem leads. a 3 phase line is nothing to be fooling with unless you know exactially what ur doing. you may have to raise a lil hell with them but it is their responsibility to take care of it.
 
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the homeowner should be able to call the power company and request them to cut the problem leads. a 3 phase line is nothing to be fooling with unless you know exactially what ur doing. you may have to raise a lil hell with them but it is their responsibility to take care of it.

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Agree wholeheartedly.


SZ
 
I looked at the video. For someone used to working around lines, it's routine work, bucket or climbing.
I agree with Tom & countryboy completely. Here's how to get the power company off their ...
Call the power company and ask who you're speaking to, and let them know you're taking down the name, date, and time. Tell them you have trees you want to remove and you'll be doing the job yourself and need them made safe. Let them know you will be using an aluminum ladder, an aluminum pole saw, and an electric chainsaw. That should get some sort of response.

as a side note, see all those stubs on the tree in your avatar? That's a terrible habit in regular tree work, but in line clearance it could be a fatal mistake.
 
I hope I'm correct on this as it is a serious issue.

It's my understanding that no primaries are insulated. There may be a coating on the line but it's just a weather protector for ther wire. The only insulated lines are the residential services which is why non utility pruners can work around them with no clearance issues. Just so you don't assume something is insulated that isn't.
 
No lines are "insulated" even a lashed service wire is just a wear and weather coating.

I'm not aware of the rules in NY for L.O.A but from that video the trunk itself is within 10' meaning an uncertified worker can't get near it.

If it were me doing the tree, I'd knock off the piece on the yard side, than pull the rest of the tree over in one piece.

You could also take the whole tree in one shot with a throwball and anchor to the tree in the back there, hard to push personal limits when you're not in the tree.

Didn't see any obstacles in the vid.
 
as a side note, see all those stubs on the tree in your avatar? That's a terrible habit in regular tree work, but in line clearance it could be a fatal mistake.

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Going to see if NYSEG will remove, if not, I'll probably pass on this job, sucks because work is slow, primary reason why I was hoping someone on here was from area, and able to help with this. As for the stubs on my Avatar, I don't leave them normally, that tree was all cut and drop, nothing got lowered, not the top, no limbs, so I didn't have concern over anything getting hung up, or hitting off them on the way down. Can't tell in photo, but it had a lot of lean, and had I just cut it from the ground it would have made a road, and power lines. I learned the hard way about leaving stubs the 1st time, what a pain in the &^@.
Thanks for all the input. I have a few days to give the guy my estimate, so I'll hope something changes. I know what the lowest bid is so far through a friend, it's right around where I would have been anyways, but helps.
 
My bottom line is, I always say if I can't do it safely, I won't do it. I also want to expand knowledge, and have had other opportunities similar to this that I had to pass on ( especially when I was really new at this ) At least you fellas offer advice without an attitude, LOL Other site I was on for a while would have gotten me a bunch of jackass comments, along with some instruction. Thanks.

Dave
 
Unfortunately not every tree "close" to the wires is the power company responsiblity. Many times the homeowner or contractor is told to get a line clearance certified arborist. The "i will scare the power co. into doing this tree for me" method seldom works. You get more bees with honey than vinegar. I only looked at the first 20 sec of video; I would prepare myself to have to hire a helper on this job. As for working around services, I think the voltage is the issue. Lower voltage going into the home allows for a non certified guy to trim. Please research that before taking that as gospel.
 
cutten, thats exctly what I want, someone to work it with me who haas done this before. hoping to talk with someone before I give a number to him. But I'm out of time Monday, maybe Tuesday.
 
Never propose a job you can't do. There is a ton of work out there, just need to go and get it. There is no compromise in safety. There certainly is no forgiveness in the primaries.
 
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