When DIY Goes Wrong - Homeowner Rents a Spider Lift

In this video I am going to show you what happens when DIY goes wrong... I rented a spider lift to do a tree removal over my shed. Things do not go according to plan.
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[@songsfromthelord888]

Glad you're down safe, Elliott. Remember that God loves you 🙂

[@EverythingElliott]

It was touch and go for a second there

[@googleboy7]

OK. I've been at the tree cutting business for 50 years. Two questions: 1) Why would you risk your life using a piece of equipment in such obviously poor condition? And 2), Why wouldn't you have just tied it off, dropped it and chopped it? 😢 Shalom/gw

[@EverythingElliott]

The lift is in actually pretty good condition, its only 5 years old. That just how equipment looks in my area due to all the salt the state uses on roadways in the winter time. The owner told me it needed a new thermostat, so I replaced that for him and went to work...obviously the overheating issue lies deeper than just a thermostat. I could have tied it and dropped it, but I wanted to minimize cleanup and as you know, a dead ash explodes when it hits the ground, I didnt want to be picking tree shards up through my entire yard and wanted to keep it to the general area.

[@Bigfoot14000]

As long as you were up there, why not attach a 100 foot rope near the top, then crop the tree into the yard once you move the lift away?

[@Zappy1210]

No fear of heights, been in bucket trucks, manlifts 150 feet high without issue, but Im not tree cutter. It can get dangerous REAL quick. Call a pro.

[@markd1299]

If I'm not mistaken there is usually a manual hydraulic valve on the machine for just this purpose, just lets fluid run back to tank as you come down.

[@EverythingElliott]

It did have a button that said “emergency power” but I had no idea what it did and I wasn’t willing to test it to see what happens while I was 60’ in the air incase it did something I didn’t like.

[@davep6977]

Always have a ground man

[@d.l.harrington4080]

All lift units I have used had a "Safety Down" button or valve. Whether bucket or platform. They should have gone over all that when you rented the unit. Like what was said, always have a down person. I also recommend two-way radios like those family channel radios so you can call for help or talk to your ground person over the engine noise.

[@davidshettlesworth1442]

Yep! I have tremendous respect for all tree surgeons. There is wisdom in your decision to take a break and call the professionals. Carry on Sir!

[@EverythingElliott]

It certainly is a fine art...one that I have yet to master. Thanks for watching!

[@davidedwards3734]

Ive been stuck in a shorter manufacturing, not a Great feeling. Glad your back on the Ground!! Stay Hydrated and Have a Safe Day

[@EverythingElliott]

It was a tense 20 minutes or so, that’s for sure. Glad they were able to follow my direction yelling from the sky

[@lyleharkness-rv5vf]

Good video 😂 I'm not afraid of heights, but the thought of being stuck in a manlift extended that far up with no good way to climb down probably would have required a change of underwear 😅 Enjoy that beer. Thanks for showing the good,the bad, and ugly 👍

[@EverythingElliott]

I’m cautious of heights. Wouldn’t say scared. But that unit turning off while I was up there was a new fear I unlocked.

[@davep6977]

I've had to shinny down more than once

[@outdoorsinthe608]

“I need a beer”😂😂 Takes a little bit to get use to the sway!👍👍

[@EverythingElliott]

It sure does. It moves a lot more than I expected

[@johnclyne6350]

The higher you go the more sway. I'm a lineman for a local power company. I drive a beafier bucket designed with a jib to lift up to 1 ton. It has some sway but not like that model. The sway never bothers me.

[@jonseim4030]

@johnclyne6350 Our 60 ft bucket truck fully penciled has quite the sway! Took me a good minute to get used to. Our old 55ft bucket truck has a super stout boom. Me moving around in the bucket could barley make it move

[@johnclyne6350]

@@jonseim4030 I have a 50 foot Altec material handler at work. It’s very stout & has very little sway. Unless someone doesn’t feather the controls properly it can sway a lot! My employer has several larger buckets that go way higher. One we used was a 110’. They also have a 200’ Bronto. It has a large platform to work out of. Supposedly 6 people can ride in that? It’s not for hot line work though. I can’t tell you how much sway there is in those.

[@jonseim4030]

@@johnclyne6350 I won't be trying the 110 or 200 footers anytime soon!🤣

[@stigmartinrnning6751]

Glad that was you and not me😊😊. Hights scare the s... out of me😂😂

[@EverythingElliott]

Wouldn’t say I’m scared of heights, I’m certainly cautious of them though. But being stuck up there unlocked a new fear for me

[@outdoorswithlarryrobin]

Danger Will Robinson! 😂🚜👍🏼🇺🇸

[@EverythingElliott]

Made it back to early safely…this time!

[@dancox7154]

Well- The sun came out and your luck sure changed! I appreciate the tone of your voice changing for the better when you were back on the ground! Grab 2 beers!!!

[@EverythingElliott]

Things were a little stressful up there. I was actually stuck in the air for about 20 min while my father in law tried to figure it out. Through the magic of editing it only seemed like a couple seconds.

[@oldguyfirewood]

Just saw this video Elliott. The older I get the more I have problems with heights. The tree service I'm friends with has a 90" Spyder lift. The amount of sway at 90' is insane... I don't know how they do it.

[@EverythingElliott]

Yeah it was very unnerving

[@jonseim4030]

Welcome to a day in my life! I run a 60-foot bucket truck for my company. Im always trying to yell down to the guys to try and explain things and with the truck running and chipper running, its impossible. I thought you did pretty good for a first time

[@EverythingElliott]

You can keep that. Once was enough for me!

[@johnclyne6350]

What you needed was a helmet with a microphone like the pros have. They never tell & they communicate just fine

[@jonseim4030]

@johnclyne6350 We looked them up before, and last we checked, those helmet and comms combo were almost $ 2,000.00. Hopefully things have changed since then, but I don't think Elliot would've justified that purchase for a one time...

[@johnclyne6350]

@@jonseim4030 There is a tree service local to me that uses those. They ironically are on YT as well & I follow them. The other option is a set of walkie talkies. We use them when we are pulling in wire at work. Those are always handy to have. Where ever the guy that rented that spider lift from? I’m almost positive there were other pieces of equipment he could have rented with it? Honestly I’m surprised that bucket had a plastic dialectic liner in it. Our buckets have those inside. They are tested with the boom to be sure they protect us in the unlikely event of a high voltage contact.

[@kevinstenger4334]

I wondered how you thought you were going to get the pieces down without ropes to keep them from hitting your shed.

[@EverythingElliott]

hopes, dreams, a little luck, and realizing my limits...

[@jrcrandall6047]

"Done for the day" is the quote for this summer. And " I need a beer ". New it was going to be a good video when the saw got stuck.

[@EverythingElliott]

And it certainly was a day. That’s for sure, thanks for watching

[@NewLeaf1-zs4sy]

A few things that simply make no sense first the design of the bucket, it seems intentionally designed to promote accidents, least in my estimation, can't explain it just know it to be true, second WHY NO SAFETY BODY HARNESS THAT TETHERS YOU TO THE BUCKET?

[@EverythingElliott]

Not too sure why there isn’t a tether point…just isn’t.

[@BS.-.-]

It's odd this video came out today. Saturday at 2pm I was stuck in the towable, electric, 50' version of this. I was stuck between power lines and my house. I was able to lower it enough to jump off onto the roof. The rental company had to come and take it appart to get it to where they could tow it back. It was a 2016 JLG model with 166hrs..the main electrical motor quit working.

[@EverythingElliott]

Sounds like our Saturdays were very similar! Glad you made it out safely, and commend you for being brave enough to go near power lines

[@johnclyne6350]

Don't be ascaid! It will hardly kill you is what an old chief I used to work for would say.

[@1965JB]

I’m a handyman and I had a client who was mad because I wouldn’t just rent a lift, set it up on a major sidewalk in the middle of a college campus without a permit and scrape about an acre of lead paint off the side of the building. I don’t answer his calls anymore.

[@EverythingElliott]

well, thats just ignorant on his part. Good on you to stick to your guns.

[@AmericanCountry716]

That sucked! What made it overheat it sounded like a sweet running engine till it shut down. I don’t think I would fit in that little basket lol

[@EverythingElliott]

Owner said it needed a new thermostat, I put a new thermostat in, still overheated. Probably needs a coolant flush

[@MASTER3RDEYE]

I’ve used lifts to remove inspection panel on 747’s vertical stabilizer. When it starts rocking back and forth 12” my knees get weak.

[@EverythingElliott]

It certainly is an uneasy feeling!

[@rcmark24]

We had a 64' Niftylift that was awesome for this type of work.

[@rubinbrown8142]

Man your way up there!

[@EverythingElliott]

That was not an ideal situation. Thanks for watching!

[@dannypayne8150]

I’m not afraid of heights but even I would’ve use a safety harness. It’s not the fall that kills ya, it’s that sudden stop at the bottom.

[@EverythingElliott]

I don’t disagree with the harness idea, however there’s no tether point to hook a harness to

[@DudeRanchDIY]

This video made me chuckle 😂

[@EverythingElliott]

Glad we can all laugh at my expense

[@jonboyer4058]

The tow behinds and the track lifts has issues at times and if you are stuck, there is no engine controls up in the bucket. But so doesn’t actual trucks with buckets. Things happen in bucket trucks too

[@EverythingElliott]

Nothing in life is perfect. Just glad I had someone with me to give me a helping hand

[@terrencejreich]

Could you pull the shed out with the tractor, drop the tree, and put the shed back?

[@EverythingElliott]

I probably could do that. Attaching the shed to the tractor to pull it out might make that shed crumble though

[@terrencejreich]

@@EverythingElliott Bracing. But if it crumbles, it would make good YT content!

[@hayesrutherford9415]

Good one! Got a good laugh once I saw nothing tragic.

[@EverythingElliott]

At the time, being stuck in the air was not a laughing matter haha. I was actually Up there for about 20 minutes waiting for him to figure out how to disconnect the temp sensor.

[@bobbg9041]

A) the saw should hang outside the bucket. B) the saw needs to be on a rope thats short. C) you should tie off at the top of the tree with a slip collar and run a long rope out to lower branches out away from the tree with a ground crew to pull out and away from the shed. If you drop a big branch from that height, your going to need to buy a new shed, or if its the chain saw a new saw. Let's say this is over your house. New roof or serious home dammages. I'll give you props for trying this but its a risky task. And yes you could have droped that tree from the ground provided it had a landing area to the center of the yard. I do not see any reason why not. Its less risk then being up in a bucket.

[@EverythingElliott]

I’ll try anything once, and now that I’ve tried this. I’m good, and have no need to do it again. You should watch my follow up video on how I ended up getting it dowm

[@janosvadas]

I hope you started it by handing your wife your beer and then go to work….

[@EverythingElliott]

@@janosvadas dang...I wish I would have thought of that.

[@janosvadas]

@@EverythingElliott Still time to edit that in…. 😉

[@fricknjeep]

hi there well i thought did good , john

[@EverythingElliott]

Did god till it stopped running!

[@mikewilson8813]

Glad you’re okay 🗿

[@EverythingElliott]

Me too, thanks for caring haha

[@lounar482]

That's why I only rent electric. Same exact thing happened to me 50' up on a roof. The choke had slammed shut and I could not remotely start the lift. Can't remember who saved me, but it took awhile.

[@EverythingElliott]

That doesn’t sound like a fun adventure

[@Nightsweeper]

I would of done the same as you, way tree companies over price things (not all of them)

[@EverythingElliott]

I can't even imagine how much a tree company would have quoted me...

[@timberhitchllc]

Nice recovery. Homeowner or professional doesn't really matter when something like that happens, it definitely a problem either way. Luckily you seemed to know the machine well enough to bypass the over temp switch and had people the ground to do it for you. The "professional" recovery would be to have something like the Sterling FCX bucket evacuation kit and be wearing a harness to clip it to.

[@EverythingElliott]

Yeah, he told me it needed a new thermostat, so I replaced that and went to town. Seems the issue lies deeper than a thermostat. And I certainly don’t have a rope kit to repel out of the bucket!

[@Wayne-fu9qz]

I got one this Proyama top handle chainsaw from amazon. One of the simplest and easiest choke/start systems I have used. It is light weight, but sturdy. We will see how it holds up. A bit under powered, but once the chain is moving, it won't bog down with a sharp chain. Using the 25:1 mix for the break in period may be affecting performance. Going to the 40:1 mix may make a difference, maybe not. It is just right for my needs.

[@EverythingElliott]

I loved mine, until I snapped the handle clean off of it, the day after filming this video. Got it stuck in a tree and pulled on the handle, snapped it right off.

[@stevejesus6525]

Don't buy cheap tools man

[@MASTER3RDEYE]

I am glad you stopped.

[@jeffjones4006]

Lifts are required to have emergency override of the hydraulic system for just this instance you can lower yourself down safely. I’ve done it from 45’ .

[@EverythingElliott]

It did have a button that said “emergency power” but I had no idea what it did and I wasn’t willing to test it to see what happens while I was 60’ in the air incase it did something I didn’t like.

[@thomasschueler9176]

@@EverythingElliott read the operators instructions..these prevent people from getting injured or worse…..

[@NewLeaf1-zs4sy]

Cutting that piece at time stamp 11:25 COULD'VE GOTTEN YOU KILLED!

[@EverythingElliott]

Driving a car can also get you killed, we all do stuff that inherently dangerous, however we try to minimize risk. But sometimes, shit happens, and that’s what you witnessed. I try to keep things as real as possible and leave everything in the videos I make, because life isn’t perfect and there are too many people putting out videos trying to portray that their life is perfect. Just not me, I’m trying to keep it real so people can learn from my mistakes.

[@HiLineTree]

It said Professional on the guide bar. No worries.

[@KevinHarvey-qw5mj]

Drop it everyone does things differently they had one of these down at tree company used it for some back yard jobs seemed stable to me no swaying but expanded and got bigger so sold it got out of it what they paid for it looks like good firewood already dry 11:46

[@EverythingElliott]

Those logs are ready to burn that’s for sure

[@chevyjennings3404]

Hey you did your best and as well as you know, shit happens!! Just cable this tree and pull it over. Lots cheaper but please stay safe. Gravity sucks!!!

[@EverythingElliott]

Gave it the ole college try that’s for sure

[@thomaslomeo2736]

Better you than me, buddy, I can’t do heights, did you consider wearing a harness or don’t you have to wear one in one of those?

[@EverythingElliott]

If you’re supposed to wear a harness, I didn’t see anywhere it hooks in.

[@user-ml9ty6bf2l]

My bucket truck goes 62 ft

[@tooge47]

why not just DROP the tree ? You have MORE than enough yard !!

[@EverythingElliott]

Way too much lean over the shed to make that happen

[@RAMPHD]

…or just hinge cut those two big trunk sections - pull it down with a Masdam Winch?

[@user-ml9ty6bf2l]

I own my own tree service company and I would have took it down for $500

[@EverythingElliott]

How are you making money at that price. You’d never be able to get a bucket truck to that tree…

[@user-ml9ty6bf2l]

@@EverythingElliott that's if ur in my town

[@johnclyne6350]

Tree companies have thick plastic mats strong enough to drive on. They need about a dozen of them. They are the same size as a sheet of plywood. As the truck moves they move mats behind it to in front of it. It takes planning to pull it off.

[@user-ml9ty6bf2l]

What town are you in I am in Piedmont Alabama

[@bubbabubba2013]

Why did it overheat?

[@EverythingElliott]

Well, the owner self diagnosed it as a bad thermostat, so I changed that prior to using it...Guess I should have diagnosed it myself before going up, because that obviously wasn't the issue. Radiator is clogged and isn't allowing coolant flow, so it needs a radiator flush, or replacement.

[@jeromeschwartz3699]

NO HARNESS?!?!?!?!?

[@EverythingElliott]

No tether point

[@chrisgramstorff996]

You should have had Jake come visit

[@EverythingElliott]

That woulda make the process a lot simpler!

[@user-vd7jg4pi5s]

No harness???

[@EverythingElliott]

No tether point in the bucket

[@johnclyne6350]

I saw you unloading the Skyworker off the trailer & was wondering why you didn't start it first before untethering it? The fluids need to come up to temperature before moving it? Second the jack pads were not preloaded into the bucket before moving? The next question was why did you take on such a mission by yourself? No groundman? Then no harness for the bucket? That's an OSHA requirement! Your drop zone wasn't cleared before starting? Why would you have a young child near your work zone? You were taking too many big pieces on. Small that you can handle with one hand. Atleast you came to your senses when you momentarily got stuck up there. Hence why they have tree companies out there. Know your limits. They wouldn't be able to climb that & bring in a truck with mats. It costs more but isn't your safety worth it? There are lots of things I don't do because I have limits. I work overtime to pay other people to do stuff I can't do. They do it faster with better results than I can. That tree job would be one I could do but I have the tools & know how to do it safely.

[@EverythingElliott]

The unit was operating at idle, it was 85 degrees out that day, fluids were plenty warm to be moving the machine at idle to unload it. The jack pads were taken off the unit by me prior to unloading because you need to remove them to swing out the legs, and I needed to swing them out to move the boom to prepare it to be worked on (I replaced a thermostat prior to using it, which obviously didnt solve the overheat issue) I took it on by myself because I am a 1 man show, I don't have help, I'm not a business with employees. OSHA applies to commercial operations, not residential DIY projects, osha would have an issue with the way you mow your lawn, I guarantee it. The kids were 200' away from the work area, when I actually started. There is no tether point on the bucket to tie off to. I am willing to try anything once to figure out what my limits are, this was my try, and you saw how I realized my limits and left it alone after that. How does one discover what they can or can't do without trying? You can check out my follow up video on how I got the tree removed. If I missed any of your questions, let me know.

[@johnclyne6350]

I wasn’t trying to be critical in your approach. I was trying to point out that as soon as you thought to rent that piece of equipment that there weren’t any alarm bells going off in your head? I’m a lineman for the power company & I farmed out the painting of my house because I knew I didn’t have the time to do it myself. It would take me a year to paint each side of my house & I needed it just done. They were in & out in a week. As for the warm up, setting up & placement of the machine. As well as your children & other items? I was trying to convey that there was little thought as to how you were to attack the dead tree in your yard. Personally? I would have moved the shed out of the way. Then I would have dropped the tree. I know you were thinking which is easier? Remove the tree without moving the shed. Dropping a tree or taking it apart is a two man job. You need a ground man. That’s a big job. I wouldn’t do that myself & I know what I’m doing. Stick to the DYI jobs that you can bite off yourself that don’t put your personal life in peril. You were very lucky you had a neighbor come over to help & your wife was nearby. When you realized you were in over your head happened when the bucket broke down. It’s a scary feeling when that happens. I know it happened to me once. A hydraulic line broke when I hit the high speed switch in the bucket. I was by myself & I had the fore thought to have my cell phone on me to call for help. I’ll look up your other video to see how you removed that dead tree in your yard.

[@user-wf1hr7kt1c]

Where's your harness da

[@EverythingElliott]

No tether point in the bucket

[@joshuapaul349]

Tore up the grass = fired before the first cut

[@EverythingElliott]

Didn't have mats...inevitable given how wet the yard was.

[@joshuapaul349]

I'm just giving you a hard time man. But speaking from experience, even on a dry day with plywood customers complain about the grass being flat.

[@MASTER3RDEYE]

Kids should not be anywhere around tree removal.

[@Anonymous-ff5wr]

No charge

[@EverythingElliott]

good thing it was from a buddy, and there was never any charge haha

[@HiLineTree]

No harness, lanyards or escape rope . Nothing to rig or tie with. Oops! It just stopped. I’m done watching… I say this is why it’s difficult to get and afford tree svs business insurance. Years with no claims or issues at all. Still I have to jump through a million hoops to ensure minimal risk to the insurance company. Want to learn how not to do everything? Watch some You Tube…

[@EverythingElliott]

Well, there's no tether point in the bucket, so no where to tie off to. And I'm not a tree service so I don't have to worry about getting tree service insurance. Same as if you were going to get an excavator, or bulldozer at your house to do site work, you wouldn't take out a million dollar liability policy on your self just to have an excavator for a weekend. There is always someone more experience than me at something I do, because its their day job and they have years and years of experience. Just like I am probably better than you at what my day job is. It shouldn't stop you from trying though. Thanks for watching

[@HiLineTree]

@@EverythingElliott I have seen many people lose their lives doing what you were doing. DIY’ers and people in the business. ANSI standards would show you how to be much safer. Advice from a local tree guy could help you tremendously. To watch people the way they handle a chainsaw for the first time… I ‘m saying DIY is great to an extent. Just get some real instruction first. Doing it to yourself is the risk. Sadly, I see it all the time. Don’t mean to sound negative towards freedom to do it yourself. More people should be self-sufficient. Just get prepared a little first. Dying ain’t much of a living.

[@RRabbit-pb1cm]

Rental or buddy’s? Lol Either way sounds like someone has some maintenance to do… There wasn’t an emergency override to release the hydraulic system?

[@EverythingElliott]

“Renting” it from a buddy. He told me it overheated and self diagnosed it as a thermostat, I changed that for him, flew it from the ground around my yard and it didn’t overheat so I thought it was safe…I thought wrong

[@EverythingElliott]

Also, not sure about the over ride, didn’t come with the owners manual haha

[@bradwiebelhaus7065]

Didn't get hurt, learn something.

[@EverythingElliott]

And that’s how you grow as a person.