throwing 20" diameter pine top, over 22'

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Daniel

Daniel

Carpal tunnel level member
Location
Suburban Philadelphia (Wayne)
throwing 20\" diameter pine top, over 22\'

Got a call yesterday from my best customer.. This guy loves trees.. they had a big white pine struck by lightning. The top 30' of a 100' tree exploded and landed in their front yard.. the remaining stick was around 70', which would have been a challenge to rig down from a 55' bucket in a tight LZ, as the whole top was showing 1-2" open cracks right through the semi-exposed heart.. We've had soaking rains for days, so even with the mats, soil compaction in the root zone of his other beloved trees was another issue if we were going to use the bucket..

Crane rental was another option I considered. Set up in the lawn area, away from the other trees' root zones. Still that was going to be expensive, and getting a crane op I could truest on a weekend with short notice was unlikely. This rest of the top looked like it was ready to go the next time the wind blew.

I decided to use the bucket. Then changed my mind when I was laying in bed thinking about the tree last night.. There was a 8' privet hedge, some 17' from the tree. After that is was wide open lawn. If I could throw the top over the hedge, I'd be golden and the remaining 40' stick could be dropped from the ground.. Still that was a long way to throw the top, especially as heavy as it was, 20" diamter at the cut, and 30'+ tall.. That was going to take a perfect cut and some serious force. I was going to have to cut below the major cracks, but high enough to have the air to get this thing moving forward to clear the hedge.


The more I played it out in my head, the more I thought I could pull it off, but I wasn't 100% sure, so I'd have to explain the situation to the clients and get their approval.


They OKed it and I gave it my best shot.. set the pull line, made the cut, came down, tied off the lowering line to the pick up, jumped in and hit the gas..

Hopefully it came out OK on tape.. Have yet to see it.. will post soon.. That was fun! That is the farthest I ever threw a top..
 
Re: throwing 20\" diameter pine top, over 22\'

Yeah, the old thinking-about-it-in-bed trick!!

Sounds good, post up that vid.
 
Re: throwing 20\" diameter pine top, over 22\'

That was cool!
Thanks for taking the time to explain it all and introducing us to your clients. Nice touch.

Did you do full removal?

I have never top dressed and seeded or sodded my divots.
We use Potato forks or garden forks to lift and fluff the area.
In the worst case when the turf is mangled we spade/cut out the area retrieve the turf than Rebuild the area, relay the turf and top dress with some vonlunteer soil from neighbouring garden. In a week or so its usaually growing better than before.

Thanks again
 
Re: throwing 20\" diameter pine top, over 22\'

[ QUOTE ]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y5_bGt-sL4
OK,
Here's the video.. it turned out pretty well.. might be a little long for you action junkies.. You can skip to 11:00 to see the top getting thrown.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well done Daniel! At first I was all, "no way", and then when you told that old man that it would cost 700, maybe 800 more dollars to get a crane in there, and his oldass faked a heart attack while sitting on your chipper, I was all, "yes way!".

You are out there proving that pick-up trucks truly do belong in modern arboriculture. Especially when you eloquently describe the relationship between an almost new trueblue rope, the accelerator of a Dodge truck, and the unknown force needed to break your step cut.

You have made a science of this work. I fear others may not ever understand the level you are working on.

Keep up the good work!

SZ
 
Re: throwing 20\" diameter pine top, over 22\'

Nice work Daniel, that was pretty neat to see. Bet the customers were pretty happy with that. Was that Hurricane Irene damage or just normal thunder and lightning storm?

-Tyler
 
Re: throwing 20\" diameter pine top, over 22\'

WTF? OK, so that worked out alright, you're still a clown. Why not just flop it through the hedge?

Obviously showing off, too bad I didn't vid the tri-stem DED elm I flopped this morning - held together with two ratchet straps, a Cum-a-long, and a GRCS to prevent any wireward-lean. Triple hinge to allow gravity to pull all three stems simultaneously, perfect flop. Sorry, no You Tube vids.

Let's all have one for Murray.
beerchug.gif
 
Re: throwing 20\" diameter pine top, over 22\'

[ QUOTE ]
Daniel, just think what you could do with one of those giant bunge cords!
rolleyes4.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

AND a Bobcat!
jamminz.gif


Next time I expect something REALLY exciting!
 
Re: throwing 20\" diameter pine top, over 22\'

Daniel, you need to spend sometime with more experienced tree workers. This video highlights huge gaps in your knowledge of treework.

There are some fundamental issues you need to address.

Find some good people to work for.

Good luck.
 
Re: throwing 20\" diameter pine top, over 22\'

[ QUOTE ]
Daniel, you need to spend sometime with more experienced tree workers. This video highlights huge gaps in your knowledge of treework.

There are some fundamental issues you need to address.

Find some good people to work for.

Good luck.

[/ QUOTE ]

Typical boy scout response. So sure of what can and can't be done. Daniel is out there doing it every day, and cleaning gutters on the side.

If Daniel ever catches sight of a picture of you, he would certainly be able to tell you that you don't have what it takes to cut secret cuts like he does.

I am going to ask Daniel if I can intern with him next summer to learn his techniques for dealing with his cheapass clients. I need to learn that suave sales talk he obviously has going on.

SZ
 
Re: throwing 20\" diameter pine top, over 22\'

If the majority of the people on this site do not find a problem with this video , than the less are in the know .

I find this video disturbing on several levels . It can't be just me , I hope not .


If anyone wants me to say what I really think , let me know , if you can't say it , I will . Some things need to be pointed out here and it's not science , just basic wtf stuff . I'm here , just ask . can't wait to answer .
 
Re: throwing 20\" diameter pine top, over 22\'

I saw no reason for a climber to be in that tree. If it was DICONCERNING to be up there,you shouldnt have been. There was obviously bucket access(which you have one) there is no reason to be in the tree.
The customer was ok with turf damage so piecing it out with a bucket was a safer option.

Lightening struck pines can and often do have damage beyond the visible signs. If you were to climb it strapping the trunk would be prudent.
And the obvious of making a cut in the tree top and climbing out of the tree with a cut top is ridiculous.

What kind of hinge can you confidently set in a lightening struck tree with cracks in it. It worked this time but there is no science or experience....just luck.
 
Re: throwing 20\" diameter pine top, over 22\'

Oh yea... A crane would have been an awesome option also with a bucket truck if a large enough one couldnt do 1 piece.
 
Re: throwing 20\" diameter pine top, over 22\'

I'm pretty sure that you have trained the guys at envision tree service (my new fav. vid). would you have posted this if it went wrong? This is a video someone finds on youtube and laughs his off at the stupidity, waiting for the carnage, only to be disappointed that everyone walks away unharmed. Sadly, someone will see this and think to themselves that if this idiot can do it, I'm gonna do it and save me some money!

Riggs - I would love to hear what someone with your experience and professionalism has to say about this garbage. I do not have nearly the experience with these types of removals, but I do have one thing that Daniel seems to be missing - COMMON SENSE!!!!!!!!!!
 
Re: throwing 20\" diameter pine top, over 22\'

[ QUOTE ]
If the majority of the people on this site do not find a problem with this video , than the less are in the know .

I find this video disturbing on several levels . It can't be just me , I hope not .


If anyone wants me to say what I really think , let me know , if you can't say it , I will . Some things need to be pointed out here and it's not science , just basic wtf stuff . I'm here , just ask . can't wait to answer .

[/ QUOTE ]

Let it flow Riggs. I've already claimed that Daniel is a complete assclown. This video seems to validate that allegation. Trouble is, nothing anyone says will ever change Daniel's perception of his "advanced skills". An assclown is as an assclown does.

SZ
 
Re: throwing 20\" diameter pine top, over 22\'

no more dangerous than any of his other videos.

Wouldn't be all that terribly bad if it didn't have lightning cracks all through it and if Daniel (once again) would not have repelled right below a notched, back-cut and cracked top.

I just don't like the thought that others are watching this stuff on youtube and think it's a great idea. One of the comments even says something like, "this is a great idea Daniel".

Only Daniel should be doing these things people. Only he can do it, only he should do it.

Do it again, but to a non-split tree. When you descend have another line take you far away from the tree (on the non leaning side) so that you are never on the ground under this tree. Then it would not be as bad.

I do think that an opperator can learn the feel that a pickup truck or machine puts on a rope and can judge it. I know most disagree with that.

I wouldn't have been able to judge driving a truck that fast and knowing the stretch and what trueblue could handle though.
 
Re: throwing 20\" diameter pine top, over 22\'

[ QUOTE ]

Let it flow Riggs.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, I agree....I enjoy Rigg's posts.

Daniel posted this video at Arbtalk, after 89 replies the thread was eventually closed due to some personal attacks on Daniel's character, it would've probably got pretty messy had it not been shutdown.

Probably about 95% of the replies were highly critical of his techniques, the other 5% just felt sorry for him so tried to find a positive or supportive comment.

The final post in the thread by Matt Butler pretty much sums up the general mood - at Arbtalk Daniel has called himself 'dadio' for some inexplicable reason

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/video-forum/33312-dadio-throws-big-top-9.html#post536806

Its a shame really, no-one can doubt Daniel's enthusiasm for treework its just that his enthusiasm manifests itself in a rather self destructive way.





.
 
Re: throwing 20\" diameter pine top, over 22\'

[ QUOTE ]

The final post in the thread by Matt Butler pretty much sums up the general mood - at Arbtalk Daniel has called himself 'dadio' for some inexplicable reason

http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/video-forum/33312-dadio-throws-big-top-9.html#post536806


[/ QUOTE ]

What was that last bit Matt Butler said there about "left handed chainsaw use"? Never heard that one before?!?

As for Murph's vid, it was obvious he wanted to attempt it but the final call was the HO's. He pulled it off and I, for one, am glad to see that it can be done. Not something to use in a critical situation but it sure makes a small flower bed under the tree appear much less troubling.

Two issues I have with it. The loading of the rope would cause me to not trust it again. And why not just use your bucket? And don't say turf damage as I'm sure you have plywood or mats.
 
Re: throwing 20\" diameter pine top, over 22\'

It's just more stupid stuff presented as skill.
 
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