Tree Services Tools of the Trade
Having a tree services company come to your home or business to remove or trim trees is serious business. A professional tree services company will bring trained employees as well as the proper tools to the job.
When you are paying good money to have trees professionally trimmed or removed you want to know the job is going to be done right. Having a professional that knows the proper tools of the trade can make the difference between a professional job and a tragedy.
Any trades-person will tell you, whether they are plumbers, electricians or tree trimmers, having properly maintained tools on the job-site can make all the difference between professional and amateur.
In this post we will take a look at a couple of the most important tools a tree services company will utilize. When it comes to tree trimming or removal the size of the job is going to dictate which tools are brought to the jobsite. As we all know trees come in many shapes and sizes, a professional will know how to approach each job as it comes up.
Large jobs may require a boom truck.
A boom truck is a vehicle that will lift one or more trimmers at a time to a place where climbing may not be safe. A boom truck allows a ground crew member to move a trimmer into the optimal spot to make precision cuts when removing or trimming branches. Boom trucks increase the safety factor by placing the workers outside the tree canopy and reducing the chances of unstable branches breaking or trees lurching when large members are cut. Workers should be wearing safety equipment like helmets and harnesses to reduce the risk of accidents.
Climbing Ropes and Harnesses.
Sometimes it is necessary for a trimmer to actually climb a tree to get parts of the job done. This is not like climbing trees when you were younger. There are many precautions taken when approaching a tree like this. Modern climbing technology includes high strength ropes, harnesses, footwear etc.
Knowing how to approach a job like this takes years of experience and should not be attempted until properly trained.
On smaller jobs it is simply smart to have sharp well maintained tools like Pruning Shears.
Also called hand pruners, pruning shears are perfect for cutting small twigs, up to 1 inch in diameter. To touch up small, live branches, look for bypass pruning shears. The tool resembles a pair of scissors and is good for trimming twigs at awkward angles. Anvil pruning shears have a straight, knife-like edge and should only be used on dead twigs.
Another tool that is much like a large set of Pruning Shears is the Loppers.
With a longer handle and sturdier blade, loppers can cut branches up to 2 inches thick. Like pruning shears, loppers come as anvil or bypass. Anvil loppers can harm live branches, so opt for bypass loppers unless you’re cutting dead limbs.
Utilizing another tool like a Pole Pruner, allows you to work from the ground and still reach higher up without climbing.
Pole pruners extend 10 to 15 feet to reach deadwood in any tree. Look for a pole pruner with both a bypass blade and pruning saw. The bypass blade can handle branches about 2 inches thick while the saw trims slightly larger limbs.
These are just a few tools that a trimmer or tree removal company would utilize on any commercial or residential job.
In future writing we will discuss the more dangerous gas and electric powered tools.
If you need a tree services company in The Minneapolis, Saint Paul area contact Ivan’s Tree Service. Licensed Bonded and Insured with over 25 years of experience dealing with trees, stumps, and brush.
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