Three days to cut down a tree.

[micky]

Three days to cut down a tree. 30 minute video.

Craine company backs out after first day.

[Vic Smith]

Those guys were fools. Should have used a crane until it was down. That chimney could have let loose at any time, with no warning.

[gfretwell]

After Charley we took a tree like that off of my neighbor's house without much drama at all. We just picked it apart, lifting out a limb at a time. When we got down to the trunk, the thing was light enough for the crane to lift it. He did get pretty close so there wasn't much "stick" out there. The mango tree on my screen cage came off in one lift.

[dadiOH]

That was an exceedingly interesting video. It is amazing how little uncut wood it took to support the still sizeable remainder on the final cut.

[Terry Coombs]

If you listen , you'll figure out the crane company bailed on him . At one point he comments that he'll never use them again .

[Vic Smith]

I heard that. Not a good reason to risk the lives of your men.

[Terry Coombs]

Son , I've been around the block once or twice , and I saw nothing unsafe about the way they did this job . They were probably in more danger on their way to work .

[Terry Coombs]

His mommy keeps his balls in her purse in an old Chivas bag , along with her stash . And they ain't brass , more likely Pla-Doh .

[micky]

I woudn't either. But he doesn't say anything about trying to hire another crane for the next day.

If I were the arborist, I would have brought out the owner, who would have said to the crane guy, "If you had never been here, you'd be okay, but you lifted the tree up, and if you let it down, there's no reason to think it will just settle where it was this morning. It may come tumbling down taking the chimney and part of the house with it. And I will be holding you and your crane company liable for all of that. and all the consequential damages.

So why don't you stick around tonight and tomorrow and fulfill the commitment you made when you hooked up this morning."

I think it's a fair position for the owner to take.

I would expect the owner of such a fancy house knows how to talk tough, but if he doesn't, the arborist could have said these things.

Except for the guy who chose to stand on the chimney (How did he get there?) I don't think the men were in any particular danger. But the crane should have stayed there to keep the house safe.

BTW, that little 40 foot tree that I had hanging over my back yard rose up to about 15 feet when I cut off the top 25 feet of the tree. A miniature version of this, but not touching the house. (My neighbor eventually got someone to get rid of the remaining 14 feet.)