Pro tip: give the old climbing spikes a second look on removals

I spent 15 years swearing spikes were only for the dead stuff, but last spring a gnarly white oak lean in Ohio had me pinned and the ground crew talked me into spiking up just to get the top tied off. It felt wrong at first, but that tree came down clean in under an hour. Anyone else eat their words about spiking trees that still had a little life left?

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reese8628d ago

Took me a decade to admit the same thing. Honest to god, I used to call guys who spiked live trees lazy hacks. Then I had a sketchy red oak with a split crotch that had to come down in pieces. Roping it from the ground was taking forever and it was getting dark. Threw the spikes on out of pure frustration and it changed everything. The control you get being up there with the saw and making tiny cuts beats fighting ropes and friction all day. Now I still try to climb clean when I can, but I dont judge anyone who spikes a living tree anymore. Sometimes its just the smartest tool for the job.