Still no crane!!

[Rupe]

I mentioned earlier that the people who live nearby had made a video of the job.

 

[Kevin]

Rupe;

Is that a Tuflex sling on the red block?

 

[Mark Chisholm]

Sorry Rupe, sometimes I don't keep up with the class. /forum/images/graemlins/nerd02.gif

It might have to do with reading EVERY post written at TreeBuzz!

 

[Rupe]

Yeah I think so! Big padded thing. I just use it as a re direct or in this case an additional anchor above the main cos the main was a bit dodgy. After getting the top out of this stem I move the main to a more suitable point before continuing to swing out the other stem onto it.

 

[Rupe]

That must take up a lot of your time! Especially with this new site and a lot more posts. /forum/images/graemlins/lam.gif

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Sometimes i brace with tight line med.high against the lean to stabilize tree to climb and rig. Present favorite is using a chain hoist tightening a line through a friction hitch. If anchored low, run around the tree high, then chain hoist used to tighten leg returning to ground ('U'-s around target tree) gives 2/1 - friction bracing 30'-50 from ground (real leverage). Adjust chain hoist tight; lock line off, and then fully extend chainhoist again. Plenty of tightening available on the spot to rebrace, after weight comes off the lean side bracing fights.

Sometimes loosen to slide down spar, to tighten again; and take piece were bracing was. Vertical trees, without definitive lean are trickier; must give them 'lean' with one line; then fight back with another etc. i try to imagine welding this super tight brace(s) from ground to target point; farther up; more leveraged support.

ChainHoist is very stashable, though a lil heavier than comealong; with chainhoist you can continue effort smoothly in same direction; without stop/start of come along slowing you down. Also you don't lose power like a come along; for the drum doesn't fill like a come along.

Still no crane- i look at and compare crane with overhead tree rig; as a tree rig is a fixed boom; this idea the bracing possibly.

/forum/images/graemlins/propeller.gif

 

[Mark Chisholm]

Sometimes, but it is definitely worth it. I've learned a bunch and met so many great people that frequent the "Tree Buzz Cafe".

 

[Rupe]

Next up! This little Redwood. We call them Wellingtonias for historical reasons. I was asked to quote (bid) for removal of a large dead Redwood. I was advised in advance that a crane would be required due to the size of the tree and that the other companinies "bidding" (see I'm picking up the language) were including crane hire for this job.

I was a bit dissappointed to drive down the road and see this sorry little tree! And since I never get a crane when I do need one I bid low to do it manually. Sorry to the other companinies but a crane for this! Not really necessary.

 

[Rupe]

Sorry forgot to re-size, try this one if necessary

 

[Rupe]

All I needed to do was go buy myself some 3/4 double braid and a bigger block (known as "big unit") and hey presto job done by 2pm. Previously I've been slabbing down, or cut and chuck, when things get big, but now I feel more confident with the GRCS I can start putting it to full use. I'm using the Alu bollard with this rope.

 

[Mark Chisholm]

Doesn't look like a job for a crane for your part, but might have made clean-up a snap. Did you have a long drag, throw it over the fence or was it close to the truck?

Rupe, have we met before? Your setup looks real similar! /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Rupe]

The chipper was about 12feet from the base of the tree to the right of the first picture so not much dragging. Everything was roped down to that side of the tree and chipped instantly. Logs needed to be carried into the truck but they kept the last 13feet of trunk in two sections to do something with. Not sure how they are going to move them but not too bothered!

The set up is pretty standard Mark, don't you think? I was inspired to go buy the big block though from some recent pics that you posted!

 

[Mark Chisholm]

Now it really doesn't sound like a crane job. You said earlier about being cheaper than the crane bids. At first I disagreed since it seems that doing a difficult removal with a crane saves a lot of time and man power, and doing it by hand adds men and time. It usually works out the same or sometimes cheaper with the crane to me. However, a tree like that one would definitely be cheaper to do your way than with the crane.

 

[stevebullman]

did a biggish beech tree myself last week, crane would have been nice for that as it was over hanging a cricket pavillion.
not as privileged as rupe to have a grcs so ending up slabbing down the trunk.

 

[Mark Chisholm]

Whatever it takes, right Steve.

 

[stevebullman]

thats generally the way of it.

speaking of which, got a real dodgy job coming up this week.
actually theres about a months work.....loads of crack willows to take down.
these trees are on highways land and backing onto a row of houses. they must have been dead/dying for a few years and are rotten as a pear. most of them are too dangerous to climb much more than halfway up, and with no rigging points to other trees its going to be pretty much hit and miss getting them down without doing any damage.
perhaps i'll get some pics tomorrow to post

 

[Rupe]

Steve, that scenario really does sound like crane job!

 

[Rupe]

I hear what your saying Mark. I don't know of any tree companies that own their own crane and hire charges here are huge, so cranes would only work out cheaper in some situations where they are really necessary. I've found that the GRCS will achieve many things where others may see need for a crane, and since access for cranes is nearly always limited and as I've invested in the GRCS plus all the extra stuff that goes with it I think that undercutting on price and winning jobs that way and getting them done safely and to the satisfaction of the client is the way forward for me. It seems to be working. Thats four jobs I've done this year with the GRCS that other companies bid for insisting that it could only be done with a crane. No one elso even put in a bid for the beech tree above! By cutting out the crane I can actually charge more for manpower and win the jobs and they may take longer but if thats included in the price then no worries.

Another thing that occurred to me is that we/I generally have much smaller chippers over here. Sure the big ones are around but they are not common, again this is due to access restrictions narrow roads etc. So using a crane and bringing down large limbs which cannot be chipped up might not actually be beneficial. You could end up with the tree down quickly and a big mess to clear up. This would certainly have been the case with the beech above. The crane may have gone in a day but the tree would have taken a couple of days to clear up with my 6 inch bandit! All the wood needed loading by hand too.

Roping down bit by bit and chipping as you go along seems efficient and tidy and not necessarily slower over all.

 

[Mark Chisholm]

I can see that. For me the crane is a better choice in scenarios where it will save time on rigging where there's no drop zone, moving debris closer to the truck, hauling wood out larger than rigging down, or just to remove a dangerous tree that requires low-impact techniques. Those are my main checkpoints.

If I can drop a good part of the trunk, back a truck close to it, or a combination of a few of the above points are reversed, then the crane is less efficient. The best people to sell a job are those that can identify how it should be done and what problems might be presented.

 

[stevebullman]

only way of having a crane on this job rupe would be to have a closure on the A12 and theres about as much chance of that happening as there is of me having a threesome with shakira and christina milian.