The Official Work Pictures Thread

[forestkeepers]

Only 3 Yesterday

1). Tree trimming a rental -- 2 Siberians and an American elm, trimming back from the roof. Also raising the crowns on a small maple, sweet gum, and sycamore out front to clear for parking. Quickie!

2). Previous customer (lives next to the champion Ginkgo) had some down limbs from the recent rains & storms. Turns out one "limb" was the major leader of a mature Golden Raintree. It only had one live branch left, growing toward power lines. So she had us remove it. First Raintree we've worked on in over a year. Love the grain near the stump cut -- beautiful swirls.

3). Globe Willow removal in a backyard, over a fence & patio. No lowering, just piecing out limbs & leaders, then I chunked out the "spar" in place and we stump ground it.

 

[Ryan]

That power polesaw looks like something you would feel obligated to use but the whole time you know there is a better, easier way.

Always enjoy your pics and posts FK.

 

[forestkeepers]

Thanks! Other climber had the 200T so he could start on the other job, so we only had the power pruner and big saws on hand. It was just one branch to hinge down, so no biggie. The HT-133 does come in handy for light crown raising, though. Probably only comes out of the truck 1-2 times per week. We are a climbing crew, without a doubt.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I was wondering if he was gonna make that cut with that PP. I wouldn't have liked doing it.

 

[squisher]

Be prepared to Run! Lol.

Great work pictures everyone.

 

[Burnham]

I'm with Butch here...that looks like beggin' for a bruisin'. I'd much rather spur up there in 15 seconds, use one of the nasty ol' big saws for another 6 seconds, and be done.

But perhaps I'm somewhat unusual...as perhaps is Butch . Carry on, sir.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Unusual?

 

[Burnham]

Yep...no doubt in my mind you are nearly off the scale, sir.

 

[forestkeepers]

Spurs were with the 200T in the pickup with the other climber. Wasn't more than a 5" diameter branch, so a good fit for the power pruner saw. It came down salami style, butt to the ground, head of the branch hung up in a hackberry. So then the pruner came in handy to piece out the tips to release the tension without getting under it.

 

[pantheraba]

Good work picts, GP...always like to see what y'all are doing.

 

[Mick!]

I love my PP, especially the 4mix one (can’t remember the model)

Anything that saves a climb.

 

[forestkeepers]

An ash-inine day...

Just rolled in at 10:30; quite the day -- where everything was fraught with situations and nothing came easy. But we all made it through with a positive attitude, completing 3 jobs. Today was Ash Borer cleanup day.

Left late and due to circumstances, no time to dump before leaving town. Thought we'd be okay with 1/2 a load, but didn't realize how big the first job was.
2 medium sized ashes in Olathe, KS (KC bedroom community, 30 min out) -- should've been easy drop-n-chip w/stump grinding, should've taken 3-4 hours. We arrived, rolled out gear, set a pull line, dropped a couple of limbs. I revved up the chipper for winching, and immediately it sputtered and died. No fuel. Back out to the main road to find fuel. 3 gas stations later, found one with diesel. Went ahead and fueled up everything. So there goes nearly half an hour. Back on the job, we pulled over the ash across the road (not a very busy small residential street). Chipped up a lot of leaders, watching our space in the truck dwindle. Someone set the winch line on top of the chipper and it vibrated down into the feed wheels. I hit the reverse bar and saved the rope from winding in, but it was too late for the karabiner -- it went through. We had just flipped the knives 2 days ago! Now at least 1 looks as if it were serrated. Got enough of the road clear to re-open it as we filled up the truck. The 2 others went off to dump (at least 30 min each way to the Kansas City chip dump). I stayed back to load the feed table with the last 2 remaining limbs and cut up the rest of the main trunk, cookies and halves. The ever darkening sky let loose with a soaking rain, but it turned out to only be a 10 min cloudburst -- it was actually cooling and refreshing. Then began stump grinding the first stump. They got back an hour later, we dropped the other tree and chipped it, stump ground it.


#2). Yet another dying back ash, this one for a repeat customer (we'd already removed 2 for her, and she still has a smaller locust that is dying back). Pretty textbook drop-n-chip, no issues at this one. Here's our new hoss, a great friend and hard worker. He's about 6' 2" with a size 14 boot, if that tells you anything. Built like Hercules and works like Paul Bunyan!


#3). Nicer upscale development, but quite the backyard hill to where the work was. Removed two dead slender ashes, as well as a crispy white oak. Also took care of another ash hanger and a dead locust limb. Neighbor had us come over and take off one limb from his ash. Flush cut the oak, stump ground the ashes. Lots of hauling up the hill to the chipper at the street. We were soaked by the end of it! Headed home with another full load, yielding 60 cu. yards of chips today!


On the way home, foreman took us out to 5 Guys for burgers, seeing as how we had missed supper. Got there 30 min before they closed at 10. Home by 10:30; whew!

 

[SeanKroll]

I love my PP, especially the 4mix one (can?t remember the model)

Anything that saves a climb.

Had any valve work done? I have an old KombiSystem 4 mix. I heard they need a valve tune up if some sort, at some time.

I just blew mine out for the first time in forever with compressed air, and took off the muffler to look at the cylinder (quit using it the other day when I thought I heard something weird... Must have just been the voices). Can't see squat. To of the valve cover. Out it together. Works way easier. Maybe it's the weather, or the tank vent was clogged a bit, or something.

 

[SeanKroll]

Forest keepers, Paul Bunyan could use an Arbor Trolley. He could roll out a full cart on flat, hard ground in his sleep.

Or a home made cart.

Money well spent.

Carrying wood and dragging brush is inefficient when a guy can roll 5x's + as much material, maybe in the time to carry 2 loads, walking back empty-handed so many less times, with so much less effort. I buck wood while it's in the AT at a comfy height, off the ground, Ezpz.

I use PVC extension sleeves on the AT metal stakes, stacking brush over head high sometimes, then straight from AT to the chipper, as applicable.

ATs make a good axle for one end of a long log being carried at the other end by a machine.

 

[Mick!]

I heard the valves need some work after some time, never bothered having them checked, same for the Kombi power unit.

If it ain’t broke etc.....

 

[SeanKroll]

Round tuit, on my end.

Looked this up. http://s208.photobucket.com/user/RMartin631/media/mower stuff/STIHL-4-Mix.flv.html

 

[forestkeepers]

Forest keepers, Paul Bunyan could use an Arbor Trolley. He could roll out a full cart on flat, hard ground in his sleep. Or a home made cart.

I've looked at them and can appreciate the design of the Arbor Trolleys, had some interest in fabricating a homemade version. But as with anything, the need would have to be great enough to justify the time and expense in terms of work/time saved. We've had a 1000lb. hand truck (stolen from our warehouse) and now have a 700lb. big tire model from Harbor Freight. It's getting us by for now until we get our mini. Our guy there was hauling 2 logs uphill with the hand truck (sometimes I'd give him a boost up the hill).

 

[Raj]

I love my cart! Time saver for sure! Especially working solo. Wish I made it years ago.

 

[rico]

Just saw the photo of Butch in the graveyard. Epic photo boss!

 

[cory]

Raj whats up with that big mulberry slab, looks interesting

 

[Raj]

Storm damage from a few weeks ago, HO wanted the big wood gone, milling it makes it easier for me to remove..

 

[Grendel]

Minor lead got annihilated in a house fire and was about 80% deadwood. They didn't want to take it all the way down. I didn't really care.









And this on the second shot. . . haha

 

[cory]

Grrr that last pic!

 

[Grendel]

Ugh, Cory, I felt like such a doofus. They were on lawn chairs on the back deck watching my every move. . . The lead I was going to be working on was mostly dead, so I shot the other end up as high as I could and spiked the rest. . . Major loss that I tried to make look like a win. I fessed up when I got everything sorted out like half an hour later.

These things happen. . .

 

[cory]

Heck yeah, all good.

Its good to see your old buddy in the avatar, maybe after a few seasons the new guy will have earned his stripes and step up to avatar material.