Palm climber

[Tom Dunlap]

http://tinyurl.com/327koo

 

[Jesse]

I wonder if that thing would fit around a large canary island palm. It may be worth giving a try. Somebody else get one and let me know how it works. I am a Kentucky boy moved to California and I hate to prune a palm tree. Anything to make it easier is welcomed.

 

[Colin]

Hmmmmm.

 

[Mrsmorningwood]

[ QUOTE ]
Anything to make it easier is welcomed.

[/ QUOTE ]

A bucket truck.

 

[jf1962]

yea! I'd like to see this in action in a video. I can just see someone breaking their back when a large cone of mexican fan palms falls on top of them. Not to put down this new device, but I've done thousands of palm trees and I still prefer using my big shot over the top with my srt climb.

later in SO-CAL climb safe

 

[treesandsurf]

it sounds like it was designed for climbing coconut trees, where the hazards of dead fronds falling in rings like on other palms is not near as dangerous...

but also, the article makes it seem that now climbing coconuts will be totally safe, what about stem breakage which seems to happen quite often... was wondering if anybody out there has ever used a rock climbing technique of tying off there line at the bottom (with porty or other...) and then cliping in 2/3 way up (sling/biner), if they suspected some sort of rot, or reason that they wanted to be extra safe...

jp

 

[Colin]

Also the trunk of a coconut palm is softer and has lots of ridges unlike Cubans and Queens.

It would be a sit, stand episode and I dare say positioning around the head to get the various angles for what we do would be a right PITA, but for coconut gathering it might be OK.

 

[Alves]

Down here we only really have sabal palmettos, And something like that may work wonders. Ive seen alot of unsafe practices too, maybe something like this would reduce it

 

[vharrison]

Interesting devise. I would like to see it in action.

 

[Bermie]

Have you guys seen the 'Tree Bicycle'? I got the info from Laz2, it is made for palm climbing as well.Can't find the brochure, sorry. I think they use them in Spain, Italy. I did see it on the internet, try a search.

 

[Al57]

Is it something like this contraption?

 

[Bermie]

No, it has two foot plates with steel bands that go round the palm, your feet are buckled into them then a buckstrap/flipline attached to your harness, you kind of just shuffle up the tree. The band tightens when you stand on the footplate, step up with the other one, transfer your weight, step up, alternate.

 

[JesseHuffman]

I live here in Phoenix Az
We lose at least 2 people EVERY year to those stupid overgrown blades of grass
I love trees
I hate palms
I did 80 Date palms last week.....nightmare

 

[Alves]

Tried the palm climber...or swedish bycicle a couple of weeks back, I really didnt like it. I found there to be alot of excessive adjustment...I'll give a more thorough write up later this week with pics if i can.

Disapointed with it.

 

[sean_freeman]

Haven't ever tried it but here's a photo waiting to hear Alves full report on his experience

 

[fastlil1]

It's just like a climbing tree stand, and I bet they make a lot of the tree stands more comfortable.

 

[andy_engelsk]

We had the swedish bands (not abba) when i worked on the big island, they take a few hours to get used to then you can almost be as fast as on spikes, also they dont leave any gashes or marks which looks so much better than spikes.
the adustment mechanism is a bit of a pain, and with heavy use you have to have spares or a stand by set as they wear out quickly.
I have not done palms for years now and doubt i will again but i thought the bands were great.

 

[Cyrus1254]

I watched Alves use those leg straps in a palm tree and they were very uncomfortable and you had to stop every 2 feet to adjust and they were a pain in the butt. It took three times as long to get into the tree as with spikes. I have lived here in the south for almost 20 years and yes spikes do hurt the palms but sometimes there the only way to prune them in my opinion.