Just realized climbing spikes vs a bucket truck on a tight residential job is no contest

Last week I had this job in a super cramped backyard in St. Louis, tree was right up against the fence and a shed. I started setting up the bucket truck thinking it'd be faster, but after 20 minutes of maneuvering and still not reaching the main limbs, I gave up and grabbed my spikes. Got up that oak in like 5 minutes flat and had the whole thing trimmed in under an hour. The truck just couldnt get the angles right with all the obstacles. Now I'm wondering if I should just stop bothering with the truck on anything but wide open lots. Has anyone else found spikes are just way more practical for tricky access jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_drew8d ago

Totally been there. I had a similar job last month where the house was built right into a hill and the only way to reach the back trees was through a 3 foot gap between the garage and a retaining wall. After 45 minutes of trying to wiggle the bucket truck in, I just strapped on my spikes and was up in the canopy messing with a dead limb in like 2 minutes. Way less stress on the gear too since you're not worrying about scratching the customer's siding.

julia_jones728d ago

Yeah I feel that completely. @the_drew you nailed it with that whole "way less stress on the gear" part. I had a job last fall where the only way to reach a big oak was through a narrow path between two sheds. After 10 minutes of trying to squeeze my truck in and almost taking off a gutter, I just grabbed my rope and climbed up. Was up there cutting a broken limb in no time and didn't have to worry about dinging any of the customer's stuff. Plus you get a better feel for the tree when you're actually up in it with spikes rather than sitting in a bucket. Climbing saved me a ton of hassle and the customer was happy their property stayed clean.

haydenj908d ago

Ngl that 3 foot gap sounds like a nightmare. I've been in those tight spots before where you just gotta ditch the truck and go old school. Honestly the worst part is when you spend all that time trying to get the bucket in and then realize you could have just climbed it in half the time. Good call on the spikes though, sometimes the simple way is the way that saves your back and the customer's siding. Props for making the call instead of forcing something that could have ended up a mess.