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whats the most stupid thing you've done


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When I first started Tree work, I was contracted out on line clearance. Had to clear the lines thru a wooded area (plantation of Poplars). First thing in the morning it was pretty gusty, so I worked the west side of the lines, no probs. Come lunchtime that side was done, the wind dropped to a light breeze, so we made a start on the East side. Did the easy stuff first to make sure the cut stuff wouldnt blow on the lines, no probs. Then I had a big leaner going right up and over the lines, so raised the bucket up as high as it would go to put a pull line into it, dropped back down, gobbed and backcut it, all was going sweetly, until....... I cut thru the hinge:eek:, the top flopped down like a beeatch right across the 33kv lines, fireworks evrywhere. the butt end was laying across the boom of the bucket, and arcing out, I'm about a yard from it :eek:. I dropped the bucket PDQ and got the hell out. Using the fibreglass poles, yanked the top off the lines, and chipped it up damn quick. Then had to call the line manager and explain what happened as the line had blown out!! Luckily he covered up for me, and bailed me.

The problem is in those days we were told not to ask for shutdowns, as the company got charged, we were expected to cut corners to make money, as our main opponent in the area was an up and coming utility company (at that time), and is now a major utility arb contractor.

Learnt a valuable lesson that day!! I was pushing myself w/o the necessary experience/skills at that time, to make someone else a lot of money. Aaaah they were the days :D

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I put degreaser in my bucket hydraulic system thinking it was hydraulic oil. It was the same color. I realized my mistake and drained the tank but some must have made it into the system as when I got to the job after about 15 minutes the boom froze. I had to have the guys throw me up a climbing rope and I "repelled" down out of the bucket then as the bucket wouldnl't fold up or anything I had to change the oil in the tank and take loose a line to drain some contaiminated oil from the system before it would move and I could go limping back home and I don't if that caused it but a spring broke in one of the by-pass valves and it took me about 3 days before I could get that figured out and got things working again.

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When i worked for my old man we once spent weeks on this one house that had gardens desighned by cabability brown acres of garden many trees most in a right crappy state covered in ivey half dead fit for felling.

The last tree of the day was a big pear tree full of ivey that i was told to dismantle about 3 metres away from a wooden clad bulilding that had just been renovated,it was a scorcher of a day so i think bollocks im just gonna drop it snead it and the mogs chipper will handle that ivey nicely.

stupidly with no wedges pull off rope or felling lever becouse if i go and get them my old man will know im planning to drop it.

gob it up put in the back cut and the wind picks up tree sits back and starts cracking off the hinge I realise suddenly that this tree is a lot bigger than i first thought so im standind there with my back in to it against the tree for what seemed like a long time screamin for some one to help..my grandad at the time was helping out driving timber back to the yard...he has spent his life growing up around the military so speaks perfect queens english and was never in a rush to do any thing, imagine wilson from dads army... he bowls round the corner and so im screaming and swearing at him to quickly get me some wedges and a pull off rope becouse i can feel this tree cracking And i dont think i can hold it from destroying this wooden building.

from the other end of the site the other lads are loading up timber and can see my grandad running around the corner so they know somthing is wrong when he gets over he stops gets his breath back and says in perfect english " i say does one know where one can find a wedge" they get the jist of what ive done come over and throw line pull off rope on the 4x4 and evan then it took some pulling.......i got a proper bollocking but my dad said it was worth it to see my grandad in panic mode and hear him ask for a wedge.

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