• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Tree work with hunting saddle

S

ShortFuse

Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2020
Messages
93
I feel like this is a really dumb question, but I’ll ask anyway.

The more I climb, the more addicted I get. Does anyone know anyone or personally use their saddles for doing tree work. I’m a complete amateur to skill standards and obviously would seek a mentor to climb with to do the work, but is a hunting saddle adequate to do the job needed or are other manufacturers specific for the arborist industry the right play.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Don't know the answer but I've been eyeing the same thing. Got some dead limbs in some big oaks that I've been considering SRT'ing up and cutting them down from my saddle.
 
As a professional in the tree care industry for 22 + years and a saddle hunter i can definitely recommend using hunting saddles for hunting and tree care saddles for doing tree work. Overall the similarities are close to being the same although tree care saddles have different weight standards and aluminum d rings to aid in different weight distribution and rigging forces while maneuvering throughout the tree. Hunting saddles are pretty much designed for ascending and decending strait up and back down. If you are looking for tree industry equipment Treestuff.com is where I would look. Hope this is helpfull.
 
I have used mine to trim some branches and it works for minor stuff and mostly straight up and down things. I had a somewhat difficult time to get the right angle to cut a fairly thick branch with my oversized chainsaw for tree work. It worked but didn't feel comfortable. I also dislike the idea of a chainsaw close to my tether or bridge.
That is probably a good reason why i am not a tree guy.
 
I would never advocate for a homeowner or any inexperienced person trying to do serious tree work, but what I can tell you from my entire life of doing it is the most common mistake people make is no undercut first when trimming, they just hammer straight down from the top and when the limb starts to go it rips the bark off the main stem, leaving nasty wounds, or worse yet if you have a linemans belt around the tree and do that when the limb comes down peeling bark with it as it goes and catches your belt you will be doing a face plant real quick in the tree. Treestuff.com is great and usually the promo code ARBORIST will save you something!!
 
ShortFuse said:
I feel like this is a really dumb question, but I’ll ask anyway.

The more I climb, the more addicted I get. Does anyone know anyone or personally use their saddles for doing tree work. I’m a complete amateur to skill standards and obviously would seek a mentor to climb with to do the work, but is a hunting saddle adequate to do the job needed or are other manufacturers specific for the arborist industry the right play.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Aerohunter saddles meet ANSI standards for arborist requirements. So short answer is yes you can do Tree work with a hunting saddle. Definitely seek mentorship or training because you usually end up higher when tree trimming. You also are yielding a chainsaw. I took a couple trees down using arborplex and my hunting saddle- it was more challenging then I anticipated and I’ve been climbing for years. Good luck and stay safe
 
WVtreeguy said:
As a professional in the tree care industry for 22 + years and a saddle hunter i can definitely recommend using hunting saddles for hunting and tree care saddles for doing tree work. Overall the similarities are close to being the same although tree care saddles have different weight standards and aluminum d rings to aid in different weight distribution and rigging forces while maneuvering throughout the tree. Hunting saddles are pretty much designed for ascending and decending strait up and back down. If you are looking for tree industry equipment Treestuff.com is where I would look. Hope this is helpfull.
Click to expand...
There are no weight standards for hunting saddles currently and the rumor is when TMA asked Aerohunter about helping form a saddle standards committee, that Aerohunter said their saddles meet the requirements of ANSI for arborist saddles and that was plenty good enough (which I agree). Point I am making is yes aluminum d rings, larger leg supports and a short fixed bridge are really the glaring differences however I can’t say weight ratings are different because currently there is no standard that hunting saddles must meet, so one can and will be stronger than others.
 
I don’t think you’ll be comfortable wearing a phantom with a 12lbs chainsaw on your side...
Unless you hunt out of a monkey beaver ...
 
TK161BOONER said:
I don’t think you’ll be comfortable wearing a phantom with a 12lbs chainsaw on your side...
Unless you hunt out of a monkey beaver ...
Click to expand...

Lmfao, I mean I wasn’t trying to be a professional arborist LOL. Just curious if climbing with a saddle like this vs one for arborist work is equal in safety


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:

Pruning in the Park with my Yellow Jacket(tm) Saddle

I started climbing in the park last year but would not go near this tree with a dead limb stuck in it. There was a work crew a few months ago and I figured they would remove it. They cut a lot of other trees but left this. I guess they were not climbers. Today I climbed up and removed it as...
saddlehunter.com
 
Topdog said:
I would never advocate for a homeowner or any inexperienced person trying to do serious tree work, but what I can tell you from my entire life of doing it is the most common mistake people make is no undercut first when trimming, they just hammer straight down from the top and when the limb starts to go it rips the bark off the main stem, leaving nasty wounds, or worse yet if you have a linemans belt around the tree and do that when the limb comes down peeling bark with it as it goes and catches your belt you will be doing a face plant real quick in the tree. Treestuff.com is great and usually the promo code ARBORIST will save you something!!
Click to expand...
What is the correct procedure when using a polesaw from the ground when u can't get an undercut? Those always tear on me...
 
Weldabeast said:
What is the correct procedure when using a polesaw from the ground when u can't get an undercut? Those always tear on me...
Click to expand...
So the easiest way to minimize the bark peeling is by reducing the weight of the limb, so making more cuts, I always make an undercut just be careful to not get pinched it takes some practice, if you cant make an undercut for some reason, like I said earlier take the limb in multiple pieces that will reduce the weight at the tip of the limb where all the leverage is that causes the fast ripping motion. What I do most of the time, it’s kind of hard to explain but I will try, I start cutting more on the side than the top, you gotta be real careful to not get pinched, right before the saw will get pinched I pull back on the pole say and let it build up RPMS and then hammer straight down fast before it can rip, hard to explain but it works, probably about like you explaining to me how to weld I couldn’t turn a welder on but luckily I have a good buddy that does.
 
I do some tree work on the side with a friend (licensed and insured) and have worn my saddle quite a few times.

I love trimming up trees and making someone's yard look better. If I didn't have such good benefits teaching I would consider doing it full time.
 
Another thing that’s good to know is a jump cut, I’m not sure if that’s the correct term but who cares. so while trimming with a pole saw make an undercut, and when you make your top cut just cut a little behind your bottom cut, so towards the tree from you undercut, that will jump the limb a little bit straight out from the tree and make it land flat if you do it right, instead of the tip landing first and then pole vaulting at your head or who knows where.
 
DanielB89 said:
I do some tree work on the side with a friend (licensed and insured) and have worn my saddle quite a few times.

I love trimming up trees and making someone's yard look better. If I didn't have such good benefits teaching I would consider doing it full time.
Click to expand...

I started my own tree service business 18 years ago, before that I had a state job for 6 years in a DOT tree department, I don’t regret doing it but I can tell you things just are not the same anymore as when I started, insurance and stuff is getting crazy, DOT laws and moving equipment is getting nuts.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top