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c/arboriststerry_jonesterry_jones15d agoTop Commenter

Thought climbing spikes were lazy work, now I use them on the regular

After 12 years of pure rope and saddle work, I finally tried spikes on a dead ash removal in Portland last month and they cut my time by 3 hours, but now I'm wondering how you all decide when it's actually okay to spike a live tree without getting judged?
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kelly385
kelly38515d ago
You ever notice how the same guys who swear by spikes are the first ones to yell at you for using them on a live oak? My buddy Tom, been climbing for like 15 years, got called out hard last spring on a big maple job. Homeowner was watching from the kitchen window, and you could just feel the judgment through the glass. Tom was only spiking dead wood up top, but the owner saw the leg straps and went full Karen mode. He tried to explain it, but the damage was done, guy stood there the whole time with his arms crossed. Tom still jokes that he should've just hired a bucket truck and saved everyone the drama. Point is, people see spikes and assume you're butchering the tree, even when you're being careful.
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