Well I Hope I Don't Do THAT Again!!!

Unfortunately I could share dozens of these stories, mostly small stuff. I'll throw out a few of the hits. They weren't all me but they all happened where I was working at the time.

Lately:

We've been having a hell of a time with our batteries and charger since we got the husky top handle battery saw. We've been back to pick up those buggers a few times in the last month.

My coffee cup doesn't even get lost, it's more like I work to hide it. As if a part of my subconscious mind is playing a fun game of hide the coffee cup. I work with my brother and he finds it in the weirdest places, saves me from having to buy a new one every week or going to paper cups.

Some time ago:

A couple of guys, including the head foreman, put a bunch of gear in the chip tray to travel between jobs. The gecko climbers rattled around behind or between the feed wheels and got eaten by the chipper when they fired it up at the last job. They didn't even notice, later it occurred to them what might have happened. They dug around in the chip box, found chunks of em (which made pretty good decorations in the office for awhile) and replaced the knives on the chipper.

The 395xp didn't fit in the box because the bar was too long so instead of braking it down some fellas put in the back of the chip truck and then dumped it. That was missing for a few weeks, eventually somebody realized what had happened and dug em out with a bob cat.

I had just started with a new outfit, they had a pretty rough fleet. Every time I drove a new vehicle or used a new piece of gear there were at least a few little quirks and tricks to keep it running right or whatever. Well there was a box on one of the trucks that would shut but inevitably rattle loose and fly open on the road unless you locked it. I didn't get that pro tip from the guys. I loaded up the GRCS and went out to do some tree work when suddenly I heard the door pop open and watched the winch go bouncing down the road at about 40 mph. Amazingly it was nearly unharmed, a plastic component on the crown of the winch broke but that was it.

I once made a nice little ring and ring out of some shiny new DMM green rings and that red OP cord. I sweated over those splices and man it looked good! Took it to the park on Sunday to climb on it right after I finished it. I had my boy with me, that led to me getting distracted and I left it laying there. It was gone later in the day when I returned. The second one went together much faster and looked better but I got little enjoyment out of making it.
 
about 10 years ago I had just completed a sub contracting job and was paid 500 dollars cash. I stopped by the hardware store on the way home and bought an arm load of supplies. while loading up my car I put my wallet on the roof and drove off. super depressing. two full years later I get a letter from the police department and they said thst found my wallet while cleaning out a drawer. lo and behold the 500 dollars was still in there. I bought a plane ticket and took a little vacation.
 
I did the wallet thing, too. I hauled ass to retrace my route and lo and behold! It was a couple miles down the street on the side of the road, sitting like a teepee. I couldn't BELIEVE it was still there and untouched! I was a lucky bastardo that day!
 
Similar story, my parents had just gotten the families first cell phone, and they had me take it as I was running errands for them. Put it on the dash of the truck, and then while making a turn it slid out the window. I pulled over, ran back to get it, and just as I got there I watched it get smoked by a semi lol. They had one of those flexible cloth holders for it, which contained all of the pieces more or less, so I handed that to dad when I got back home and he couldn't help but to laugh.

One of his co-workers did an awesome prank on him once. He was a teacher, and one day finally broke down and got a laptop. It was pricey, and he completely babied it. So his buddy at work asked to borrow it, and he very reluctantly agreed. They had found a broken one, same model and everything, so they smashed it and put it in a box. A few hours later they brought the box to him and just said sorry don't know what happened lol. He let him stress over it all night too haahahaha
 
Lol dad eventually was able to laugh at it hahahahaha. The best practical jokes usually take it right to the line....
 
Had a few leaves and recovers , makes me extra careful. I always double check the site before leaving , always. Breaking down after long days w diminished light I'll breakout my headlamp. Last two instances were a Shackle and a Carabiner on different jobs ...went back the next day and played the memory game until I won.
 
I left a port-o-wrap left tied to the neighbors tree on a job almost 2 weeks ago. It was drizzling & already dark when I got home. I had the pleasure of driving the 10 miles one way back there!

So, it was a good lesson -- always take things down as you disassemble rigging. My problem was I took the rope off the POW & then coiled it. Should have also removed the POW from the tree. At least it wasn't time to buy another!!

--andrew
 
Lost one like that. Probably still tied to a tree somewhere
Several jobs down the road we found it was missing. I have one in each of my three rigging bags, and a mini in my climb bag. The guys wonder why I get upset when stuff gets put in the wrong bags or just thrown in something.
 
A lot of tree guys around here seem to 'set up camp' when they get to a job site. Except lots of times it seems they tend to do it in the neighbor's yard instead of their customer's yard. Water coolers, backpack blowers, garbage cans, gas cans and whatever else they pull off the trucks ends up in a pile under the shade tree of the neighbor next door or across the street. I never could understand it. I try to keep everything on the truck put away when it isn't being used.
 
Agreed , camp set up is for camping. Other habit I've developed is after any job usually at home that nite or the next day I go through all the gear that was used (sometimes a tight knot I need to break or worst case worn or damaged rope sections cut out , downgrade and discard if need) this when I usually figure out something is missing.
 
Working for a regular, I got a homemade ring and ring stuck in a pitchy crotch at the end of the day. I said screw it, we'll be back and left it up there. I left that gig 4 years ago and Ive never been back. Wonder if its still up there?

I drove 1.5 mi back from a job last week, and the brand new 200' 1/2" stable braid line was still sitting on the open chipper feed chute. My current employer runs regular dump bodies with no storage for saws or anything else, sometimes they get lucky...
 
Well I Hope I Don't Do THAT Again!!!

Get fooled by the Engine Kill switch getting bumped at some point since I started the stump grinder last, a week or two ago.

I was frustrated. I don't have other engines with an emergency kill switch, and haven't run this machine much. Having flooded the engine, I dried the plugs and cylinders, then noticed heat damage to the plug, so I changed them after a trip to the auto parts store for plugs and backups, still wouldn't start. I used an induction-tester on the spark plug wire...nothing. WTF...then my employee, looking from the control end of the machine asked if it had anything to do with the switch being in the KILL position.
 
10 years ago, 2 guys and I were going to roll the tow-behind lift... Took a few minutes to remember it's a lot easier to push, or should I say, possible, WITHOUT the parking brake on. Never have had a trailer with a parking brake, otherwise.

Guess who set the brake!
 
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