Some tree trimmers should be fired

[LD1]

Was driving around the other day and saw this poor butchered tree:mur:

Just thought I would share

 

[hosspuller]

That was the utility right of way... A perfect example of not realizing how big a mature tree gets when planting it.

I thought you were gonna post about a tree topping. That gets my inner tree hugger up in arms.

 

[LD1]

I thought you were gonna post about a tree topping.

Pleanty of those around here too. But this seemed a little more un-common

 

[Bluegill2]

They should have just dropped it!

 

[the old grind]

Maybe the power authority had to rely on a subcontractor due to budgetary issues.

So maybe they could have just called that over-advertised list of service people. (... who aren't given background checks... )

Planting a tree without accounting for its potential size at maturity is an American Tradition.

I'm sure the road commission will be there with their crew when it's their turn to uh, ... trim it again.

Yes, someone could have just put it out of its misery. Like me, it's not getting any younger.

Could it become the 'National Tree' this Christmas? The shape seems somehow symbolic of the era ....

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Most of the time the utilities hire sub contract agents to clear line right of ways. Those guys are just paid to clear the lines.
That tree is going to fall or break at some point due to the off balance. They know that it will fail at some point typically in a bad weather scenario. The tree was probably there before the house as well or just a natural growth. I do get a lot of work from Joe Homeowner that planted this little tree by the house or shed 10 years ago. Now it's tearing the gutters off or dropping leaves or needles every where.. So I try to educate them before they plant if I can.

 

[fordmantpw]

You think they trimmed it with one of these?



Which hangs from this:



This landed in my yard to refuel. Was great fun to watch!

 

[LD1]

They should have just dropped it!

Agreed
Around here, they also sub the line clearing out to large companies that specialize in nothing but that. But they are still idiots. They will butcher a tree and not think twice. I am okay with trimming, and understand why it needs done, but as a homeowner, just take the darn thing out and not worry about it ever again.

The trimmers and power company DO take input from homeowner around here though. They (power company) come through and mark the trees. Red X means remove Blue X means trim. About 3 years ago they were through here. I couldnt believe how they marked some of them:mur: I called them and told them to meet me out here and we would discuss things.

1. They marked in red a 8' tall eldeberry bush at the corner of my drive. I asked why as it was clearly NOT tall enough to reach the lines and gives them their 10-12' clearence. He said they though it was some type of plant that would climb the pole it was next to. I convinced him it wasnt and they left it alone.

2. They marked in red a ash tree that was about 20' from the lines at the base, and only a few small limbs within their 12' zone. I asked why it was red. They said cause it was ash and they were clearing ALL ash with in falling range of the lines due to the EAB. I told them I would rather they just trim my ash trees (I have a ton of them) and let mother nature run its course and give me time to establish other species. Now this ash tree was like two trees, forked at the base with each leg being about 12" diameter. Anyway, elec company complied and marked it with a blue X. a few days later when the trimmers came though, there was 2 crews so I couldnt watch both. They cut the one leg of that ash clear to the base. I was Pi$$ed. He gave me some crap about trimming to 1/3 of the lateral crap and they had to take it. I told him he may as well drop the other leg to as it now dont have a fighting chance.

3. I had a TALL and clearly DEAD white pine within falling range of the lines and leaning that way. It wasnt marked. (probably cause it wasnt an ash). I had them take that too.

I could go on, but...well you get the idea. Just makes me wonder about all those people who spent big $$$ to treat their ash trees and then they were all cut down if they were within range of the line :mur:

You think they trimmed it with one of these?

View attachment 326512

Which hangs from this:

View attachment 326513

This landed in my yard to refuel. Was great fun to watch!

Never seen one of them before but thats neat.

 

[xyz123]

They mark our 3 trumpet vines going down the lane orange, yellow, orange, when they clear our area lines and poles. They said if not certain height when they come by they will cut them at the ground.

No problem their poles and lines and I just play by the rules. So we trim them back to 6' after blooming.

 

[brin]

Won't that tree now be more likely to fall over with all the weight and branches on one side...? I notice it is in Ohio...they get snow and Ice...imagine the weight of those branches in an Ice storm - Yikes...Sure is ugly too...I hate those vertical bush hogs or cutting devices..they just butcher trees.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Some folks just got no common sense. I never plant a tree or bush without planning for when it's full-sized. Of course I also don't cut or trim trees without thinking what's likely to happen to them 3 to 5 years down the road. That half tree is going to come down, in bad weather, and block that road. Hopefully it won't fall on anyone driving by, or worse, have someone crash into it.

 

[RandyT]

You think they trimmed it with one of these?

View attachment 326512

Which hangs from this:

View attachment 326513

This landed in my yard to refuel. Was great fun to watch!

I worked with those guys when I was working as a utility forester in Indiana. 10- 2 foot circular saw blades, powered by a 45 HP snowmobile engine. the pilot has controls to kill the engine, and to quick drop the whole unit in an emergency. Had to land and refuel every hour and 15 minutes. Could trim 5 miles of power line a day, both sides. Pilots work 10 hours for 10 days, then off for 21 days. The pilot that I worked with made $450 an hour.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

I would hate for one of them saw blades to hit some wire or cable and start flipping around while dangling from the helo-

 

[fordmantpw]

I worked with those guys when I was working as a utility forester in Indiana. 10- 2 foot circular saw blades, powered by a 45 HP snowmobile engine. the pilot has controls to kill the engine, and to quick drop the whole unit in an emergency. Had to land and refuel every hour and 15 minutes. Could trim 5 miles of power line a day, both sides. Pilots work 10 hours for 10 days, then off for 21 days. The pilot that I worked with made $450 an hour.

The pilot mentioned it's very hard on his neck looking down constantly with the weight of the helmet added in as well. And, of course, it's not cool in the chopper either. It was definitely cool to watch!

 

[300UGUY]

I had the tree trimmers do the same thing to a pine in my yard. I ended up talking to the forester, she directed them to cut the tree down. That worked for me. The also trimmed 1 tree, it had 3 trunks, 2 were overhanging the line, they cut those down, but left the one hanging over my garage. I tried to cooperate with them, but the really just don't give a xxxx.

 

[GGB]

You think they trimmed it with one of these?

View attachment 326512

Which hangs from this:

View attachment 326513

This landed in my yard to refuel. Was great fun to watch!

X2 on fun to watch. We watched one just like that in the Cotter, AR area last year. Amazing and frightening at the same time!

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I've experienced multiple situations with tree crews. On the high tension lines running through our property they are generally pretty good about working with us and vice versa since we keep the property mowed under the lines. Along the road though is a different story, again it all depends on the crews. One crew one year dropped a tree for us that was going to fall down anyway. This last year a crew came through trimming again (different crew) and I asked them to top the locust trees along the road and leave it and then it would be manageable for me to take the rest down. They refused. They trimmed the trees and cleared their brush and left. So the locust are still there and a hazard but now only have limbs leaning over our deer pens. They are so close to the wires I am not comfortable running a lift to do it myself and we can't access them from the pens without a lot of extra work.

I've also seen trees get left like the one that was posted at the start of this thread. They are usually left because the homeowners don't want to lose "their" tree and that is when you get these eyesores.

 

[jerrybob]

X2 on fun to watch. We watched one just like that in the Cotter, AR area last year. Amazing and frightening at the same time!

They are amazing to watch.....our local electric co. used one on several roads earlier this year. A few times.....he came real close to the line.......but never hit it. They said it was less expensive compared to having their normal tree trimming crew do the work. Funny thing.....the trimming crew were all there watching the helicopter....go figure!!

 

[HarryN]

Well, at least it probably won't fall on the guys house in a storm. But will catch the other side of the street!

 

[TroyR57]

Also they can only cut the air rights over the property line, so that may lead to what you see there.