That one day last summer when everything went right on a big oak removal

I had this massive oak in a backyard in Portland that was leaning over a garage. The homeowner was super nervous about it, and honestly I was too. But on that Tuesday morning, everything just clicked. My groundie showed up early and we had the whole drop zone roped off in 20 minutes. The first big limb came down clean with my Stihl 661, no hinge tear outs, no surprises. I managed to drop the main trunk right between the garage and a fence with maybe 4 inches of clearance on each side. By noon we had it all chipped, stump ground, and the driveway swept. The homeowner actually teared up and tipped us $200 cash. Has anyone else had those days where the tree just cooperates and you feel like you can't miss?

4 comments

4 Comments

grantw411mo ago

Did you climb it or use a bucket for that tight squeeze?

corah751mo ago

I read somewhere that arborists call days like that "falling in the zone" where everything just lines up... makes me wonder if there's something to timing or maybe just luck mixed with skill. My neighbor had a similar oak removal near a porch and he said the tree almost seemed to lean the wrong way when he cut it, but yours sounded perfect. That tip from the homeowner says a lot too, $200 is not nothing these days especially for folks who are already paying for the job. Maybe it was just meant to be that Tuesday morning for you...

ray_sullivan1mo ago

Calling it "falling in the zone" is just making excuses for getting lucky. That oak was probably already leaning the right way, you just got paid for not messing it up. Those tight squeezes always work out once, then you get cocky and take down a maple too close to someone's deck.

lewis.brian7d ago

Did you climb that with spurs or did you set lines from a bucket for that directional job, cause either way that's some tight work... I've had oaks like that where the whole thing seems to twist on you if you're not careful with your face cut and back cut angles. The key for me on those leaners is taking a real good look at where the weight is sitting before I even start, sometimes you gotta make a little notch on the side to help steer it. Your groundie being early and ready makes a huge difference too, that's half the battle right there. That $200 tip tells me you earned their trust for life, those are the customers who call you back for every little thing.

-1