Christmas lights on tall trees

[IBenDcars]

So my wife has decided that we need to give the Griswalds a run for the money on outside lighting this year. The house is the easy part but we have several Elm and Russian Olive trees that are over 20' tall. Does anyone have an easy way to put lights up on them short of renting a skylift?

 

[KPSquared]

Rent a bucket truck?

There is no safe way to put lights up that high IMO other than having the proper equipment on the ground. You just need cooler friends with more toys. . .

I have zoom booms and bucket trucks at my disposal in trade for my home brew. . . its a good deal!

 

[HMCFab9]

1st choice: Keep the plug end in one hand & throw the other end as high as you can get it.
2nd choice: would be telling your wife that if she wants lights up there, she can do it.
3rd choice: Cut the tree down, wrap the lights around it as best you can, then set the tree back up.
4th choice: Cut the tree down all together & sell it for firewood. Then you never have to worry about breaking your neck to put some stupid lights up.

Seriously though, it's not worth risking breaking your neck to put lights up.
Unless you rent a lift, i'd skip that idea.

 

[redsand187]

This + these

 

[Matt M PA]

My wife bought me pole that telescopes. It came with all sorts of attachments for doing windows, washing bigger vehicles, cleaning ceiling fans...etc. I can't say how long it goes when fully extended as I've never had to put it out that far.

Perhaps a telescoping pole with a hook, etc...could be used for placing lights higher up in a tree?

Perhaps you could check a paint supply house for extendable poles for roller painting.

 

[upgrading]

I know my HD used to have a towable 30ft lift available for rental.
Unsure if they do anymore.

 

[shocksandstrutz]

i have a fiberglass extension pole, like the ones used to change light bulbs that extends 24ft. I took and bent a wire hanger into a hook pattern and place a section of lights on it and then sweep them throughout the trees in my front. has worked great and works pretty good getting them off too........i dont have access to a boom nor am i going to rent on for christmas lights

 

[mayday0017]

2 words... Potato Cannon

 

[awdblazer]

i have a fiberglass extension pole, like the ones used to change light bulbs that extends 24ft. I took and bent a wire hanger into a hook pattern and place a section of lights on it and then sweep them throughout the trees in my front. has worked great and works pretty good getting them off too........i dont have access to a boom nor am i going to rent on for christmas lights

i basically did the same thing for a 30 foot tree but used some 1/2 emt and some couplers

 

[Paul1956]

Careful with installing lights at high elevations...

I have a friend who was installing lights on the eaves of his
2-story house that fell. He ending up breaking his back and
went through a long recovery.

Is it really worth the risk for perhaps a 2-week season of
the year? If you have the lift equipment... then go for it.

The lights I put up are within easy reach of either me on
the ground or on an 8-ft step ladder.

 

[Falcon67]

Done some of that - plan ahead because the going up is a lot easier than the coming down. At 30', I'd be renting a bucket truck. Or - Plan B - hire it out. Landscape companies do a lot of Xmas lighting because it's now off season. And they have the equipment to go heights.

 

[xyster101]

I had a tree that was 20' tall. I would use my tree pruner. Just pull the latch down, place plug end in it, raise it up, pull rope to release.

 

[jabberwoki]

Spent a couple of weeks in Sydney stringing up lights in hundreds of tall trees. Go rent your self a telescoping snorkel lift.

 

[Old Steamer]

1st choice: Keep the plug end in one hand & throw the other end as high as you can get it.
2nd choice: would be telling your wife that if she wants lights up there, she can do it.
3rd choice: Cut the tree down, wrap the lights around it as best you can, then set the tree back up.
4th choice: Cut the tree down all together & sell it for firewood. Then you never have to worry about breaking your neck to put some stupid lights up.

Seriously though, it's not worth risking breaking your neck to put lights up.
Unless you rent a lift, i'd skip that idea.

Can't argue with that logic.

As one who fell off his house 12 years ago whil putting on a chimney cap, trust me - risking falling from a tree putting up lights without proper equipment ain't worth it. The fall is fine. The sudden stops tends to hurt for a while.

 

[Professur]

Cross bow.

 

[Bobf]

Back when I had a job with a computer outfit we had to run cat5 wire through the ceilings. It wasn't practical to move a ladder every couple ceiling tiles so we used what was referred to as a "gopher pole" This was made of fiber glass about 5ft long collapsed and 24ft long extended with a bent wedged shaped hook on the end. Don't know who the mfg was, probably available at electrical supply houses.

 

[MyGarageGuy]

Sounds a little simplistic and you have to keep into account that I own an irrigation company as well, but, I use 3/4" or 1" PVC pipe.

I cut a 3/4" V groove in the top of the pipe to hold the wire and aim it where it needs to go. The pipe will already have a bend in it, (it'll bend, but wont break) which reaches up and over branches vs. a straight pole that jabs.

Problem with extension poles etc is the grip on the end.

I light a lot of 33' - 38' palms.

White LEDs up the trunks are a breeze.

It's the green lights in the frawns that will getcha!

Low Tech ........

 

[hillarysqt]

I would use my tree pruner. Just pull the latch down, place plug end in it, raise it up, pull rope to release.

 

[eeyore1]

Use rope lights in trees they don't get stuck on the small branches. Easy to pull down in 2014!

 

[Kevin54]

We use one of those extendable poles that is used to change light bulbs way up high, then I made a "Y" hook out of some aluminum rod. The bulb will pay right down in the fork of the hook, raise it up and you are good. We've used ours for quite a few years now.

I just now saw that Shockandstrut uses the same idea.

 

[IBenDcars]

Thanks for the replies. Well I called and priced a lift for the weekend and it was $750. That ain't going to happen.

I also had the wife google up some tree lights and finally convinced her that lights on elm and russian olive trees just don't look good. No way to put them on uniformly. So now I am just going to wrap the bottom 8'and call it good.