Sounding hammers

[xtremetrees]

Does anyone use these to detect decay on columns of wood. I used one this week for the first time. The tonal qualities are very different on strong wood and different on decay. I think its a great way to detect decay.
I guess the potential customer had called 3 or 4 different companies and we were the only ones that used a sounding hammer.

[MasterBlaster]

Gotta link?

[xtremetrees]

Kinda like this, a soft blow hammer.

[MasterBlaster]

That would work!

[xtremetrees]

Were currently looking at the picus tree radar because it gives instant graphs and charts on the job site about a trees condition.!
Thats all well and good but one cant hammer roots.
10 more people have gotten aboard the tree radar there are now 11 more units in UK.

I might forget Im wearing my hammer and walk into walmart, people would just look

[Burnham]

I sound every tree that I fall, just about. I use that aforementioned proper falling axe, 5 lb. head 26 inch handle.
If I sound a tree prior to climbing, I use the same, because I have decades of experience in the sound that the axe produces under various internal conditions, educated by the subsequent felling of those trees.

Anything that will give a solid thunk will work, I reckon. But you need to have experience to read the thunks.

[Frans]

I thunk a few trees in my time
:)

[Burnham]

I thunk a few trees in my time
:)

I'm not surprised in the least ;).

[doggonetrees]

Used them on poles- when I do tree work I use one also.

[treelooker]

I used to use a solid rubber hammer but it was darn heavy. Went to a model like robert posted cuz it's much lighter; rubber on one end fiberglass on the other. And yes you can thunk roots; why not?

Picus is great if you have $15k+

[Frans]

Picus is very limited. Why spend so much for a machine which can only 'look' into the trunk section well above ground?

Decay in the trunk sections can usually be spotted by either seeing it with your eyes or sounding with a hammer.

Its the root flair and buttress roots which are unknown...

[Husky385]

your won't be able to detect roots rots with a Picus with Extreme