Picked up a used Yard Machines chipper for $150 last spring, spent $40 on new blades and two hours trying to get it to actually chip anything bigger than a twig before it clogged and bent the shaft, has anyone else learned the hard way that you're better off just renting a proper 6-inch drum chipper for a day?
He said leaving the small stuff on the ground helps the tree recycle nutrients and keeps the soil healthy. I was taught to leave it spotless every time. But after that call, the client wanted a full cleanup anyway, so now I'm stuck debating if he was right or if that's just lazy arborist talk. Anyone else get conflicting advice about how clean the site should be after a prune?
He told me I was leaving stubs on every branch and after I watched him make a clean collar cut on a 20-foot maple in under 30 seconds I went home and re-did all my last week's work.
I was using a closed-system friction hitch for years thinking it was fine. A old climber named Pete watched me prep a removal on a 90 foot doug fir and said I was asking for a jammed line. Switched to an open-system MRS setup with a Triple Hitchcord after he showed me. Anybody else get told their whole climbing system was wrong by a guy twice your age?
Everyone told me to stick with a manual maul for splitting firewood, said it builds character. But after three weekends of wrecking my shoulder on red oak, I rented a 20-ton splitter for $80 and bought my own the next week. Has anyone else found that spending money on a mechanized tool early just saves your body for the long run?
I was passing through Columbus last month and saw a crew pruning a big silver maple on a main street. They had the rigging dialed in perfect, none of that lazy tipping down branches that leaves bark tears everywhere. Watched them for 15 minutes and they used a porta-wrap on every single heavy piece. Makes me wonder why I still see so many guys in my area just letting stuff crash down. Anybody else got a random crew they've seen that actually impressed them?
Picked up a Silky Zubat for a big dead limb removal and figured it would chew through everything fine. But the blade kept getting stuck in the green wood because of the aggressive teeth, so I had to switch back to my old folding saw halfway through. Anyone else run into this with Japanese saws on live cuts?
I was always a rear-handle guy. Thought top-handles were just for climbers who wanted to look cool or speed up limbing. But last Tuesday I had to prune this big old red oak in a tight backyard near Portland. The branches were all tangled up and I kept fighting the saw angle. My buddy let me try his Husqvarna T540i for a couple cuts. Man what a difference. Being able to hook the saw on my saddle and reach over the canopy just made it smoother. I finished the job in about 3 hours instead of the usual 5. Climbing with it is way less awkward too. Now I am thinking about trading up. Has anyone else switched styles and regretted it?
That was way past my usual 30-35 max, and I'm pretty sure my lower back is filing a formal complaint. Anyone else ever push past their safe number and regret it the next morning?
I was walking my dog through a neighborhood in Portland last Tuesday and watched a crew absolutely destroy a mature oak. The owner wanted it 'thinned out' but the guy running the chainsaw clearly had no idea about branch collars or proper cuts. He left stubs everywhere and stripped the canopy way too thin. This tree is probably toast within 5 years if it doesn't get some serious follow-up care. Has anyone else dealt with homeowners hiring the cheapest crew off Craigslist?
I had a job last Wednesday trimming a big red oak in a customer's backyard. Everything was going fine until my throw line got wrapped around a branch and pulled tight into a knot. I thought I could just yank it free, but that only made it worse by twisting it around another branch. After 30 minutes of tugging and climbing partway up, I finally gave up and got my pole saw to cut the line. But then I dropped the pole saw and it got stuck in a crotch of the tree. So I had to climb up and get that, then spend another hour cutting and pulling the rope out piece by piece. By the time I was done, the sun was going down and I had only trimmed half the tree. Has anyone else had a throw line get this tangled up and have to just sacrifice the rope?
I was out in Arlington last Tuesday looking at this massive red oak on a residential street. The thing was clearly gone, no leaves on top, bark falling off in sheets. The guy kept saying 'it'll leaf out in spring' even though it was July. I showed him the mushrooms growing at the base and he still didn't budge. Has anyone else had a customer fight you on a tree that's obviously toast?
I know everyone here hates topping with a passion, but hear me out. Last spring I had a client with a 40 foot silver maple that was dangerously close to their roof. I did a proper reduction cut like we're taught, took off about 30% of the crown. Tree still looked awkward and in 6 months it was already sending up water sprouts like crazy. I went back and did a clean topping job on a different branch the next year, just cut it back to a lateral that was too small. That branch has been stable for 14 months now with no dieback. Not saying topping is always right, but I think we're too dogmatic about it sometimes. Has anyone else had a situation where a topping actually worked out better?
Was pruning a big red oak in Greenville and the rope got pinched on my ascent. Took me 45 minutes to get down and reset. Then my handsaw slipped and cut my glove clean open. Didn't even make it to lunch before I called it a day. Anyone else have a day where nothing goes right?
I was driving through a neighborhood in St. Paul last week and saw like 5 freshly topped maples in one block. I get that people are scared of branches hitting their house, but doesn't it wreck the tree long term? Anyone else seeing this a lot or am I just being dramatic lol.
I was at the local arborist meetup in Austin last Tuesday and this older guy claimed that decay from a bad cut on a live oak is just cosmetic. He said he's seen 20 year old stubs that are solid inside. Is there any truth to that or is he way off base?
I was doing a removal estimate on a big silver maple last spring and this older lady came out crying about how her husband planted it 40 years ago before he passed. I walked around it again and saw it actually had a chance with a good crown reduction and some cabling instead of taking it down. Has anyone else had a client change your mind about a tree's fate just by sharing their story?
I dropped $600 on a Pumpspotter 26 gallon backpack sprayer last spring for treating trees on bigger properties. First 3 months it worked like a dream, but now the pump seal is already leaking and parts are a pain to find. Meanwhile my coworker swears by the $150 Field King model he's used for 4 seasons straight. Has anyone else had one of these high end sprayers crap out fast, or did I just get a lemon?
I always thought spending $80 on a handsaw was ridiculous until I borrowed my buddy's to drop a 12 inch branch and cut through in 3 seconds flat, what cheap tool did you eventually upgrade and regret not doing it sooner?
I always liked having extra tail on my climbing line for choking limbs. Felt safer. But last month I was working a big white oak in Austin and kept getting my tail snagged on branch stubs. Took me forever to finish. Finally trimmed it down like he said. Made redirects so much smoother. Has anyone else dealt with fighting a line that's just a bit too long?
Always thought a handsaw was the only way to get a clean finish on a branch collar. Then a guy named Mike at a workshop in Portland showed me this 34 inch fiberglass pole pruner with a curved blade. Took one pass on a 3 inch maple limb and the cut was perfect. Anybody else find a tool they swore they'd never use actually works great?
Bought this cheap saddle off a Facebook marketplace ad thinking I got a steal, but the D-ring snapped while I was pruning a big oak branch. Has anyone else had luck with budget gear or should I just bite the bullet on a name brand rig?