Today....
- Thread starter Mark Chisholm
- Start date
Winchman
Carpal tunnel level member
- Location
- Southwest Georgia
That's a fascinating operation. It looks like you're using the portable hydraulic boom crane for life support and positioning while you cut and drop pieces of the tree. Is that correct? I also see you're wearing spikes, which make me think something else might be going on.
Yes, it is a spider crane, The tree was a Sycamore Maple, and loaded with large and extensive cankers located in the lower trunk wood. To rely on the tree alone for access would be higher risk than using the crane.
I set it up with with a dedicated life support shackle which is independent of the load hook. I double tie into that and set myself into the tree, set slings, then descend to the cut point. I then transfer into the portion of tree supported by the crane, pretension the load, then make the cut. I control the crane and lower pick from the tree, unless I’m landing totally blind, in which case I usually exit the tree and walk to the LZ.
With the limited LZ, these picks were in the range of 500 to 800 lbs. This tree was adequate to stay tied into after removing that much weight.
What you see in the photo is bringing myself back into the tree after coming down for a quick snack. Otherwise, I stay in the area of the previous cut and bring the crane back to me.
Last edited:
Tony
Carpal tunnel level member
- Location
- Lancaster, PA
Thanks for the kind words.
The switch and go is a few years old. We just like to keep stuff clean!
Tony
Reach
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Atglen, PA
You’re welcome, they were well deserved. That truck certainly did not look like it was a couple years old.
We try to do the same with ours, hopefully it’s working too.
I still haven't gotten much time in with the new 12XP due to it staying home on a different island than where most of my work is based, so I can learn all the new features and get through the break-in period to change filters at home before I move it to the other island. I just threw my back out again, so that is going to further delay things... But I did a small job with a cedar and mini-excavator the other day, and it can certainly take a huge bundle of limbs in one bite compared to the Vermeer BC1000XL. Being able to open the feed-wheels really helps for that kind of thing, plus the huge power increase obviously. The 145hp 4.3L V6 is also WAY quieter than my 85HP Cummins diesel in the Vermeer, which is nice on the jobsite.
I did spend a few minutes with the winch before throwing out my back, and it is great. I'm ordering a few new choker options right now to play with and find what I like best. More to come.
I did spend a few minutes with the winch before throwing out my back, and it is great. I'm ordering a few new choker options right now to play with and find what I like best. More to come.
Last edited:
Serf Life
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Maine Island
Hope your back heals up fast bud, take it easy and listen to your body. Back pain is just the worst!
Thanks, I've mentioned it in the past but I've had low back problems for over 20 years, since I was a teenager. Every year or two it goes out and puts me down for a while depending on how bad it is.
I can't say for sure, but on Sunday morning I was working (helping a friend...) on that small cedar removal in the photos, and spurred into a knot. That caused me to slip and jerk only about a foot downward, but it was a decent little slipping motion. About a half an hour later I felt some soreness in my back while tossing limbs into the chipper and knew it was 'back pain time' again. No idea how long I'll be down for, I'm canceling all this week of work and will reevaluate on Friday or Saturday. It seems crazy that such a little thing is probably what triggered it considering how hard I work all the time, but just one little 'off' motion can be all it takes to tear something.
I can't say for sure, but on Sunday morning I was working (helping a friend...) on that small cedar removal in the photos, and spurred into a knot. That caused me to slip and jerk only about a foot downward, but it was a decent little slipping motion. About a half an hour later I felt some soreness in my back while tossing limbs into the chipper and knew it was 'back pain time' again. No idea how long I'll be down for, I'm canceling all this week of work and will reevaluate on Friday or Saturday. It seems crazy that such a little thing is probably what triggered it considering how hard I work all the time, but just one little 'off' motion can be all it takes to tear something.
southsoundtree
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Olympia, WA
choker options?
Options I'll be comparing, so I'm not dragging the attached synthetic line across the ground and tearing it up. I might also just make something out of old rope I have and knots, plus soft shackles so there wouldn't be any metal at all in the system.
Last edited:
I'm not doing any tree work this week or next. Working on 2 cave gating projects. Started the first one yesterday. Had 18 loads of steel and equipment dropped in by helicopter due to the remote location. All went well except the rotor wash blew an unsecured generator down the hill and almost into the lake. We access the site by boat.
dmonn
Branched out member
- Location
- Port Washington Wisconsin
18 loads of steel? It must be a big entrance and valuable cave! It's been over 40 years since I worked on a cave gating project. I'm curious about what the latest version of a gate design is like.
southsoundtree
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Olympia, WA
@27RMT0N
I'd start out with scrap rope for most of the uses that you can't choke the hook and chipper line directly. If you have to skid from far away, you might get the line dragging on the ground more. If your pulling from near the machine, the rope stays up off the ground much of the time.
I use a cable chokers very rarely. "Jaggers" on chokers are a pain in the hands. It's useful to be able to poke a choker end under a log that is flat on the ground You can most often poke a rope under pile with a stick, or put a stick under the pile an attach the rope to, then pull back through.
Wondering if a slip-over chafe sleeve of tubular webbing would be easy and lightweight.
Does you chipper line need to be fully retracted for the feed wheels to operate?
Curious what others use. I thought a lot of people just choked the hook back to the line.
I'd start out with scrap rope for most of the uses that you can't choke the hook and chipper line directly. If you have to skid from far away, you might get the line dragging on the ground more. If your pulling from near the machine, the rope stays up off the ground much of the time.
I use a cable chokers very rarely. "Jaggers" on chokers are a pain in the hands. It's useful to be able to poke a choker end under a log that is flat on the ground You can most often poke a rope under pile with a stick, or put a stick under the pile an attach the rope to, then pull back through.
Wondering if a slip-over chafe sleeve of tubular webbing would be easy and lightweight.
Does you chipper line need to be fully retracted for the feed wheels to operate?
Curious what others use. I thought a lot of people just choked the hook back to the line.
Mick Dempsey
Carpal tunnel level member
- Location
- France
Dempsey Tree Surgery on Instagram: "First day on a local job felling a row of cedars."
Dempsey Tree Surgery shared a post on Instagram: "First day on a local job felling a row of cedars.". Follow their account to see 73 posts.
www.instagram.com
stuff.
Had several loads of equipment - generators, welders, ladders, scaffold boards, tools, etc., so it wasn't all steel.
Good progress for a half day yesterday and a half day today.
Will have a "bat chute" above the scaffold for the endangered bats. The cave has another much smaller entrance that will be gated too.
southsoundtree
Been here much more than a while
- Location
- Olympia, WA
Is it for habitat protection?
Roosting colony of gray bats, on federal land.
I just made a thread to talk about chipper winching here: https://www.treebuzz.com/forum/threads/the-chipper-winch-thread.47309/
