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Climbing spike debate: pro climbers vs. weekend tree guys, who's right?
Last month I got called out on a job in Portland for using spikes on a removal that wasn't dead. The customer's neighbor, who's a certified climbing arborist, came over and said "you're scarring that tree for no reason." I mean, it was a removal, so I figured it didn't matter, but he pointed out the tree was actually healthy and the HO had only asked for a crown reduction. I ended up having to talk to the client, change my plan, and finish the whole thing on ropes. Took almost 2 extra hours and I felt like a hack. But I've also worked with guys who spike every single climb, even for pruning, and they say it's just faster and the wounds heal fine. So I'm curious, is there a hard line on this or is it more situational? Has anyone else had a customer or another arborist call them out mid-job and have to switch tactics on the fly?
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christopherb591mo ago
Switching mid-job sucked, but owning it to the client kept things smooth and I learned to ask better questions upfront.
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