It’s a poor workman who quarrels with his tools.

When most people think of a professional arborist at work, they picture him or her near trees.  That’s often the case but, without a lot of work in the background, that tree work is, at best, inefficient and, at worst, dangerous.

Take maintenance equipment for example.  When a storm hits an area and a tree falls across a driveway, a homeowner needs to get that area cleared as fast as possible to get back and forth to work.  That kind of damage happens to many homes at once so there is little time to deal with chain saws that stall or chippers with dull blades.  A good arborist will make sure that all equipment is in good working order and ready to go when needed, whether the need is an emergency response or scheduled maintenance.

The equipment used to bring a tree back to health or cut it down is varied and pretty serious stuff.  An aerial bucket is a great way to access branches high off the ground but an extended reach is its secondary purpose.  A bucket’s primary job is to keep the arborist safe in the work area.  When the person operating a chain saw feels confident with a perch, then there is also greater safety for those on the ground supporting the work done by quickly moving material from a drop zone.

Trees are very heavy and moving tree limbs and tree trunks can be back-breaking work.  When a tool like a winch operates smoothly, more branches can be dragged as the team remains fresher longer and can do more work in a day.  Homeowners are happier with a cleaner, more beautiful yard and families can enjoy weekends with their beloved arborist, who has the energy to lift kids and play games.

Many tools used to work with trees aren’t mechanized.  Climbing gear, including ropes and boot spikes, are vital to the safety of an arborist as he or she gains access to tree limbs that might be too far from a safe landing space to locate a bucket truck.

Speaking of trucks, even the vehicle that brings the team to a homeowner’s property must be reliable.  A professional will never want to delay or even cancel a job because the engine won’t start.  A true professional arborist will want to show up on time, work through the day on the job at hand and not the tools that should be running well all day long.  Just keeping blades sharp will mean healthier pruning cuts and better chips for property use. 

Tree care can produce a harsh environment, with sap and sawdust mixing with dirt and hard-earned sweat.  Tree-scape and Fitch wants to make life easier for everyone on the job and everyone who will enjoy the fruits of their labors as trees shade a beautiful parklike setting.