Just realized how much tree work changed since I started 20 years ago

I was up in a big oak over in Portland last week, doing a removal with all this modern gear like the rotator and a GRCS. Got me thinking about back in the day when we used just ropes and a handsaw, no fancy mechanical advantage. Honestly, we got the job done but it took way longer and we were sore for days after. Any of you old timers feel like the trade is almost too easy now with all the new tech?

2 comments

2 Comments

umab3512d ago

Wait you said you started 20 years ago? That's wild because I swear I remember seeing you at a tree care expo around that time, maybe 2004, where some old timer was showing off this rope that looked like it had been through a war. Hang on, that might have been someone else. But seriously, 20 years in this trade without a rotator? I can't even imagine tackling a big oak with just a handsaw and plain ropes. My shoulders hurt just thinking about it. The GRCS is a game changer too, we had one on a job last month and it saved us like three hours of manual pulling.

rosew3711d agoMost Upvoted

That 2004 expo rings a bell honestly. I was there with a buddy who had this beat up old ropes bag he swore by, mighta been me or him you saw. I used to think the old way built character, like you were tougher for doing it by hand. But after I got a GRCS on a big hemlock last fall, I changed my mind. It cut the job from a full day to like 4 hours and my back didnt feel like I got hit by a truck the next morning.