need some opinion......

[Brian1966]

ok, in spite of the fact that I know I'm going to hear alot of opinions telling me I'm a loon. I already now this, so don't tell me.

I have considerable experience cutting down trees from the ground. From in the tree I have none, yet. I have an experienced ground man who gaff climbed trees in the past, he's gotten a little chubby over the years, this is where I come in. I have already bought my spikes, saddle, flip line and adjustor. Already have rope. Saddle is Petzl Navaho Vario, any opinions on this saddle? Also any opinions on a good ascender? Have helemt, safety shield/glasses. Am I missing anything? besides common sense. Going to pick up a copy of the tree climbers guide tomorrow.

Also, any advice or tips would be appreciated. I have a few trees on my properties that need removed. I can't drop them from the ground and a crane/bucket truck can't get close enough. 1 is a 80' maple or box elder i didn't really look that close. 5' base, it's a big one. The other is a black walnut, maybe 50'. Since the trees are mine and theres no time or rush, I figured this was a good place to start. Then, "branch" out from there. I don't fear heights, or falling, but I do fear that sudden stop at the bottom.

I'm sure I'll be adding more to this after some input. I'm in Findlay, Ohio so if anyone is nearby maybe we can work something out. thanks in advance.

 

[SRTTech]

the Petzl Navaho Vario is a well known saddle amongst rope access technicians worldwide, not just arborists or treeclimbers. Good Choice!, nice to see more tree climbers using different rope access gear other than the standard "cookie cutter" tree saddles.

 

[treebear]

OK, maybe one little piece of advice - maybe some training first? Or are you that rare kind of a guy who learns practical skills from reading a book. Don´t get me wrong, I wasn´t trying to make fun of you, but felling trees from top down is a dangerous thing taking a lot of experience to do safe. I´m concerned for your and other beginners safety, we don´t want to lose any collegues.
Navaho Vario? not my choice.
Welcome to the board.
Svein

 

[TC]

Sorry to say, but I have used the Petzl Navaho Vario, I found it to be unbearable to use. It is by far the worst harness I have ever used. It was obviously not designed by treeclimbers.

If you are new to climbing I would suggest you try a Buckingham Traverse. Climbing on the Petzl may put you off treeclimbing for ever.

Get some training by a suitably qualified climber, before you go up those trees.

 

[guymayor]

[ QUOTE ]
Saddle is Petzl Navaho Vario, any opinions on this saddle? ... Am I missing anything? ...
Also, any advice or tips would be appreciated. ... 1 is a 80' maple or box elder i didn't really look that close.

[/ QUOTE ]Advice: Look Close, before you cut. Clarify your goals and learn to ID your trees or you may be cutting what should be kept and vice versa.

Saddles: every body is different so it's hard to judge what works best on yours.

learning: contact a local pro and learn to do it safely.

 

[Blinky]

[ QUOTE ]
Advice: Look Close, before you cut. Clarify your goals and learn to ID your trees or you may be cutting what should be kept and vice versa.

Saddles: every body is different so it's hard to judge what works best on yours.

learning: contact a local pro and learn to do it safely.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good advice since it sounds like you're pretty determined to do this.

Learn to climb first, then start thinking about taking a saw with you. There is plenty that will go wrong once you start mixing ropes, falling limbs, handsaws and the stress that goes with being out of position. It takes a while to learn your climbing system and to position yourself for two handed work... until you begin to get positioning under control, you're gonna be physically stressed in the tree.

Saddles are personal, long as it has side D-rings and a central tie in point you can get by. If you keep at it you'll probably look at something different later on. Good, well maintained gear is makes climbing easier, but it's what's in your head that's important.

The thing I always tell myself is, "Trees have surprises, something unexpected WILL happen". It makes me think through what I'm doing and keeps me prepared.

The Tree Climber's Companion is a must have but you can learn more in an afternoon from an experienced climber than you can from reading every book there is on the subject. You know climbing can be very dangerous already... but it can also be relatively safe if you're schooled and confident in the basics.

Personally, I think you'll do better without spikes in a big spreading tree like a maple. I hate trying to mix climbing a tree with spiking because the spikes eliminate the instep on a boot... and the instep is really useful once you're away from the stem. Spikes are great for going up, assuming you're sure you want to kill the tree... which brings up a question.

Why would you want to kill a healthy Maple or Box Elder of that size? It sounds like a magestic tree. I would love to have a tree that size in my back yard just to climb on, teach the kids on and test ideas... no way would I cut it down unless it was dead or very dangerous.

Good luck.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

The 'Tree Climbers Companion' is always the first on my list of mandatory reading material. The 'Tree Climber's Guide' published is a very close second. They actually should be read as one.

Before you use any power saws in the tree spend LOTS of time using a handsaw to make cuts. When you can make all of your cut branches drop, spin or fly the way that you planed then you should think about using a power saw. Always tie in twice, even while using a handsaw.

Learn how to setup basic rigging for lowering limbs. Practice in trees that have lots of space and no ground targets.

Take all the time you need to go back and read the archives here at Treebuzz. You've tapped into a collection of knowledge that has been almost six years in the making.

 

[Brian1966]

ok I've gotten pretty much the responses I expected. I do understand that reading a book is no substitute for hands on training which would be the prefferred method. I don't necessarily have that luxury right now. The climbing part itself doesn't necessarily concern me, be careful, know your limits. The actual cutting the tree from the top down is going to be semi-new territory. I've got a game plan as far as that goes and I have a safe drop area. I don't plan on trying to drop anything to large, other than brush most is coming down in chunks. The area is fairly clear, only a chain link fence and my own garage. So bad aim won't hurt me to badly.

I do plan on just going up and starting out with a hand saw at first that was always the plan. Most of the limbs on this tree are pretty much straight up, shouldn't be much limb walking if any. When I get to the point of using a chain saw I've got a 14" homelite, it ain't like my 880 magnum but I couldn't see carrying that beast into a tree

Tieing off twice is good advice, I also intended to set up my rope so I could also be lowered to the ground, from the ground, if necessary.

I also intended to bring the tree down fairly evenly, meaning take it down, but try to watch the weight balance too. The equipment, I tried to stay middle of the road as far as pricing, no point in payout out the nose for something I may never use again If I can't handle it. But I sense an upgrade in the future. Luckily, I have a supplier in town.

If I could keep the tree I probably would, but it drops branches alot and I want the firewood. It's not in my yard, just in the yard of a property I own and If it ever did come down uncontrolled, it could hit the garage, 2 different houses, and a fence. I'm already aware of being careful of dead limbs. The unexpected you can't prepare for but I expect something on that line to happen.

In case I didn't mention it learning from/with an experienced climber is the best method, I have no illusions about that. I'll see what I can do about some pictures when I get going on the thing, maybe some video. Lots of good info on the site, alot of varying opinions too.