Taupotreeman

Carbons coupled with a lightweight harness like the TM just makes such a difference when your climbing a tree. My own gear is Skylotec and steel buckinghams. I go back to council work during the week and put on the lightweight gear and you notice it big time. You're right Mark, it's a real PIA going back to the heavier less comfortable gear.

Found under a rotten chunk of Pine buried in several years worth of Pine needles. I make no bones about it, I don't know anything about fungi so they're probably as common as but the experts out there can let me know.

Worry less about the work and more about the lifestyle Rob. Doesn't matter how crap the work gets the lifestyle here will always make up for it. And the work's pretty good anyway. Weather is usually at the worst half decent, people are way more laid back unless you live in Auckland and even then it's still not bad. It's very much an outdoors life, beaches, hunting etc. Ahh see, now you've got me started.

Voila, speak and he shall appear

Big outfit, lots of gear. Expect to be just a number and be worked into the ground. I don't want to sound like I'm slagging them off, I'm not. They have some great guys there but they already have a lot of their bases covered as far as good climbers. Out in the wopwops, not so much. They do a lot power line clearance and have several municipal contracts a landclearing division, railways contracts and heaps of other stuff. You should have no problem getting a job if you know your stuff (same applies with Asplundh) and you'll never be short of options but don't guarantee on getting the best position and top dollar. Last time I looked they had over 150 staff in NZ alone and they do some huge jobs (check out their website) but like I say, they can afford to turn staff over at a fair rate of knots. As far as skills; if you get on the right crew you should learn quite a bit. In fact, you'll be expected to learn and quickly. Some of the guys there are top notch climbers so there is the possibility to get some good experience but again, it boils down to which area/crew etc you get on. They are always advertising on trademe, as are Asplundh. I've worked for both outfits and personally I'd tip Asplundh over Treescape but not by a lot.

Trademe and seek would be the two main ones I'd be looking at Rob. Otherwise it's out with the phone book. Not sure who'd want to work in Ch'ch with all that ground movement at the moment though. Sure atree will be along soon enough to fight his corner

Nice tribute Pete, sorry for your loss. These fellas are a dying breed. I learnt my trade from one of them and a better man you couldn't wish to meet.

Mark, if it's of any consolation I'm in the same boat. I just bought both a rope wrench and a spider jack. I've had one small fly on the SJ and just one poxy ascent on the RW. My offsider showed just how good the RW can be if you can change over to it. He did a big ass Pine on Friday, all on RW, and didn't even break sweat. Ascended with pantin and foot loop connected to hand ascender and shot up the tree. The RW allowed him to work around the canopy without increasing the friction associated with the rope running over multiple rough barked limbs. It also saved him ascending and descending to keep his rope free of those limbs but rather, he could just run around the canopy almost at will. Now, he is by far a better climber than me and several years my junior. He has also a fair bit of experience with SRT, all of which helps. I'm still struggling with the whole idea of the RW although I understand and agree with the bulk of the concept. At the moment I'm struggling with the ascending and everytime I think about it the SJ is the first thing I want to pull out of my bag. When I'm up a tree with a tangled canopy I wish I had the RW. Confused? I spend most of my time like that. I think if you've done a bit of SRT and you can work it well AND you do a fair few decent size trees the RW is well worth it. Whether I can and want to adapt to it I'm still not sure.

I have an allergic reaction to my desk I'll have you know Mark In all seriousness though, the carbon fibres I have are just awesome. I have an old pair of steel buckinghams in my own kit and coupled with a heavy harness you sure know you've got them on compared to the lightweight stuff. Doesn't sound like much of an issue but we all know the more gear you have to lug up a tree the harder it makes the job. I still think the leather straps over the foot could be a better design though as getting that perfect fit is difficult. The newer leather straps don't seem half as good as the older ones. Haven't tried velcro straps around the foot but I like em tight so they don't slip over my heel so not sure if they would work. And yeah, in agreement Mark, the outlay is nothing really when you think how long they last. When I looked at buying the carbons most of the spikes were all within a couple of hundred buks of each other so that made the decision easier anyway. Right, back to climbing my desk!

They're only expensive if you have to buy them yourself. Do what I do and work for a council who pays for top of the line kit for you

I bought a skylotec before I got the TM. The skylotec is really comfy but after using the TM I can't believe how bulky and heavy the skylotec is. Don't get me wrong, it's a great harness but it just seems so heavy compared. I do have one problem with the TM though and that's that it seems to rub quite badly around the groin. I must have it adjusted incorrectly so have loosened it off, which helps but I prefer a tight fit. Other than that it's a fantastic harness but then I haven't tried many others.

This has got dodgy written all over it. Assess the tree if it makes you feel better but I wouldn't even carry on the conversation after that unless the tree truly is dangerous. I'd also let the owner of the tree know what is going on.

And there in lies one of the problems. Most of us, probably all of us, do it for the love of the job but also have to make money out of it. Some of us can't or couldn't afford to be picky over what jobs we took on and what we turned down. When a particular job might be the only thing bringing in the income then you have to do it don't you? I once was told to go get another job if I had to take to topping trees to put food on the table. Really? So we are all prim and perfect in everything else we do? So we might save a tree by not topping it and doing the right thing but do we apply that "perfection" to everything else we do in our lives? Maybe I can't get across my thoughts properly but sometimes it does really get my goat to be told if you have to top a tree to earn a coin you're in the wrong profession.

"still get jim butchering away too". That's the problem, always someone willing to do it if you aren't and eventually you end up doing close to nothing because Jim and his cohorts do as the customer asks without querying. Plus, unlike the UK, we have less rules and regs regarding "trimming" of trees in NZ.

You have the same problem down in Ch'ch then Adam?

Must be just us out in the wopwops. Hadn't heard much about coronetting except on arbtalk so it's all new to me and a lot of my colleagues.

I am indeed though I have enough ink to be classed as half kiwi and I take great delight in telling people I'm not topping their tree now that I can

Just for the record; Now working for local council (who previously approved the topping of its own trees for views, light etc) I now adhere to a strict no topping policy. I still get the mayor and CEO sending down the order to top this tree or that tree because the rate payer has been in their ear/s about losing their view, sunlight or whatever. Occasionally we have to give in and do as they ask but 95% of the time now the tree isn't topped. Removed or remedial pruning carried out but rarely topped. We are in the process of getting new hand outs printed stating that we won't top trees (as opposed to the old one that said we would but would seek 50% of the cost from the complainant). Now working for council full time means I no longer have to accept those private jobs that involve butchering trees just because that's what the owner wants. Yes, I've tried to explain about the negative effects of topping only to lose out on the work and still see the tree topped by someone else a few weeks later (when I was self employed full time) and again, unfortunately, that is just the current school of thought in this area. Look at this way; if the council has been endorsing this type of pruning up until now how are you supposed to encourage the common or garden holiday home owner to not do this when all they are concerned about is their view of the lake and/or mountains?

Drew, Council or private job? How did the owners react to the suggestion of coronetting the tree and did you get any comments from colleagues etc? I ask as I believe the practice is pretty new in NZ and just wondered about people's reactions.

Just that little pile of fresh chip is yours then Adam?

Well you would just to be awkward Adam

I've got the carbons with the velcro top pads. I get on just fine with them as I don't usually have the top pads that tight anyway. The bottom leather straps are a bit of a pain in the harris but only because I have to haul on them to get from the hole that just that bit too loose to the hole that's just right. I actually think the velcro pads are more comfy than my old leather ones. Like spiking in slippers too.

Some of us do have standards, in fact I'd say virtually all of us. Just some can't afford to turn down a job just because it's not best arb practice. Again, I've had this argument before. If you can talk the customer out of it all well and good but if you can't I'd do what they asked if I needed to put food on the table. And yes, we are trying to educate the public into having trees trimmed properly but the high percentage of the public I deal with don't wish to be educated.

I left a 460 wedged in the fork of a tree below where I was cutting (yeah yeah I know) because I knew I needed it shortly after. Promptly forgot about it and dropped a dirty great chunk of log on it. Both handles, chain brake and fuel tank cream crackered. I didn't fire myself and I sure as heck should know better I also didn't make the same stupid mistake again. Cut the fella some slack.

Drew made it for me (DBtree) so it came with the order basically. My mate knocked up his own and it works better for him. To be fair I haven't really tried mine yet as I got carried away with SJ bling.