The most dangerous trimming of the tree branch with a John Deere backhoe in my life..

[Buzzard7]

I have a digger pine tree next to my house that is more than 100 years old.
It needs to trim the agley branches which look so ugly.
It is quite high, about 30ft or more.
So, I had to utilize my Ryobi pole saw, a Husqvarna 450 chainsaw and John Deere 410 backhoe.
It was very dangerous to cut the branches and would be the last cutting for that tree in my life.
Jkk

You, obviously, are not married............................but the tree looks nice.

 

[Rockbadchild]

bah id do that while drinking a beer

 

[panamaguy]

I have a digger pine tree next to my house that is more than 100 years old.
It needs to trim the agley branches which look so ugly.
It is quite high, about 30ft or more.
So, I had to utilize my Ryobi pole saw, a Husqvarna 450 chainsaw and John Deere 410 backhoe.
It was very dangerous to cut the branches and would be the last cutting for that tree in my life.
Jkk

Well like they say if your not living life on the edge then your taking up too much space.

 

[gstrom99]

I bought an old bucket truck with a 40 ft boom to trim the trees around the yard and for anything that requires me to go up high. My original thought was that when I finished doing everything I wanted, I would just sell it again, but I keep finding things to do with it. I've had it for almost 6 years now.

I've been looking for a used bucket truck for a few years, but haven't been able to find one for a "reasonable" price. I've seen a few in the $8k range, but for that price, I've just been renting the tow behind ones.

 

[MossRoad]

I've been looking for a used bucket truck for a few years, but haven't been able to find one for a "reasonable" price. I've seen a few in the $8k range, but for that price, I've just been renting the tow behind ones.

So have a friend of mine and I. We're probably willing to go $3K, but that's never going to happen. All we need it for is his barn maintenance and my Christmas lights on 50'+ tree. We've found several cable installer-type vans, but they don't go high enough for either of our needs.

This year we rented one for less than $300 for the weekend. You can get a lot of weekend rentals for the $8K a bucket truck will cost. Plus no maintenance, insurance, or plates if you need those.

 

[Gregster613]

I bought an old bucket truck with a 40 ft boom to trim the trees around the yard and for anything that requires me to go up high. My original thought was that when I finished doing everything I wanted, I would just sell it again, but I keep finding things to do with it. I've had it for almost 6 years now.

jtokc, That's "exactly" what I've been looking for - for some time now! I want a used bucket truck for the constant annual trimming that I have to do - but they are very hard (next to impossible) to find!!

I'm thinking something like the trucks that I've seen phone people drive around in. They look about like a one-ton but have a basket boom set-up in the back. If I could 'just' find a used one of those I'd be a happy camper! I've got a one-ton with a dump box and it fits those needs I have perfectly.

But I don't want to spend hundred's of thousands for a bucket truck and that's all I can seem to find. Do you have any tips on searching? I'm all ears!! Thanks, Greg

Moss and 99, I didn't read past the bucket truck post before I replied. I see I'm not the only one whom can't find a decent (or any) deal! Still looking and hoping for some search tips though.

 

[gstrom99]

I usually browse CL and FB Marketplace. Another good search tool is Search Tempest:
SearchTempest: Search all of Craigslist nationwide & more

 

[RidgeHiker]

I appreciate the all the comments regarding the risks the OP created for himself but would not criticize the OP for doing it. He seems experienced and hopefully had a reasonable sense of the risks he put himself in. We work with potentially destructive machinery, tractors, mowers, chainsaws, chippers, etc., many of us use dangerous weapons, all of which always present a certain level of risk. Hopefully each of us has a reasonable sense of the risk, how far we are willing to push things (since risk is always there), measures to increase our safety, and keep learning. At the same time there is always unknown factors that could create unexpected results.

What he did in the video go beyond where I where I hopefully would be in the risk level scale but that is his choice. In choosing it is important to take into consideration not only the potential repercussions to ourselves but also to others that may be effected if things go wrong. Could anyone else be injured, are we creating higher risk for people we are working with or rescuers, what about impacts to family and friends, to people who depend on us for support, etc.

I do at times go beyond where others would go in the risk scale. I usually hike alone, often after dark, generally in areas where the terrain can be rough and/or steep, I hike in mountain lion and bear territory, etc. But it's what I love. I also take safety gear and have been doing it long enough that I have some sense of minimizing risk. Yet I am aware that this aging body with changing capabilities throw new uncertainties into the mix. It's all part of the adventure of being alive.

It is an interesting time to be discussing this in terms of the massive controversies regarding mask wearing, vaccines, social gathering, etc. Lots of different opinions and actions regarding risk. Just pointing it out, not taking a position, and not trying to start any arguments regarding this sensitive subject.

Seems like little is simple about being human.

 

[jtokc]

jtokc, That's "exactly" what I've been looking for - for some time now! I want a used bucket truck for the constant annual trimming that I have to do - but they are very hard (next to impossible) to find!!

I'm thinking something like the trucks that I've seen phone people drive around in. They look about like a one-ton but have a basket boom set-up in the back. If I could 'just' find a used one of those I'd be a happy camper! I've got a one-ton with a dump box and it fits those needs I have perfectly.

But I don't want to spend hundred's of thousands for a bucket truck and that's all I can seem to find. Do you have any tips on searching? I'm all ears!! Thanks, Greg

Moss and 99, I didn't read past the bucket truck post before I replied. I see I'm not the only one whom can't find a decent (or any) deal! Still looking and hoping for some search tips though.

I found mine on craigslist. There were several for sale when I was looking, but they were all around $10,000 and that's what I paid for mine.

 

[gstrom99]

Yes, decent running bucket trucks are up in that $ range. I've looked a few $3k ones - they didn't run, or had no brakes, or were missing important bucket function parts. I didn't feel like overhauling one and/or searching for old/obsolete parts. That's why I've been renting.