I had to choose between climbing spikes and a bucket truck for a backyard job

Honestly, I showed up to this job in a tight suburban yard in Phoenix last Tuesday and realized my bucket truck wouldn't fit through the gate. So I had to pick between using spikes on this big old mesquite tree or renting a lift for 300 bucks on the spot. I went with the spikes since I was already there, and my foreman called me like 'you sure about that?' Well, I got the tree done but scraped the bark up way worse than I wanted and the homeowner gave me a look. Has anyone else had to make that call last minute and regret it?

2 comments

2 Comments

thea7048d ago

The bucket truck is tempting but honestly that mesquite bark is tough to save with spikes even when you're careful. Sometimes the homeowner's look is worse than the actual damage, they might not even notice in a week once it calluses over.

mason_flores218d ago

My buddy Dave had this exact thing happen to him out in Mesa a couple years ago. He was trimming a big old eucalyptus in a backyard and forgot his bucket truck keys at the shop. So he just grabbed the spikes and went for it, thinking he'd be fine. Well, he got about halfway up and the tree started making this weird cracking sound, and he realized the trunk was rottier than he thought. He had to scramble down real fast and ended up gashing the bark something awful. The homeowner came out and saw it and was pretty ticked off. Dave still talks about that job like it was a nightmare.