Bad crane day

[Ixion]

For a couch, old carpet or mats are the trick. Under the ropes to prevent rope marks . If the fabric is very soft use some corrugated cardboard as well.

Put the ropes right round the couch , so down from the deck, under couch , up to deck again. At each end (maybe a set in the middle if it's real big).

I moved all the heavy furniture into our house this way.

If you have a mate to heave on one end while you heave on the other , it helps. If i real doubt use a second pair of ropes and belay them after each lift, so even if you lose it it won't fall. Don't try to tie ropes round legs and such like they are never securely attached. DAMHIK.

[Timber020]

I heard today a rumour that treescape had been using the crane for drag lining logs up the hill(I think thats supposed to be a big no no). Not only does it make life tough in general for the crane but it can also mean the load sensors wont work accurately.

[trustme]

If that is the case then the crane driver had to know what was going on & was a party to it.
I understand what you are saying about the weight coming on suddenly when the tree is topped & would have thought the arborist if he had any sense of self preservation would have made bloody sure what he was doing was within the cranes capability as he would be directly in the line of fire if things went pear shaped.
You may well be right but if that was common practice I suspect arborists would be very much a dying breed , literally not figuratively.