I haven't cut down a tree....

I got a quote from two guys that do yard work.... $300 to cut it down.

I looked at craigslist and found an electric chainsaw for around $50.

so I save around $250, but I have to cut it down on my own. I have one of those ladders that fold into 4, I'm not sure if that's tall enough.

My goal is to wait until all the leaves are gone that start with the smaller branches... then the bigger ones I can cut down and hopefully it doesn't hit any of the shrubs below it.

If you're confident of doing it safely, that's great. It looks a little tall for me to do it myself, but I hate heights and I'm not comfortable on ladders.

Keep in mind that one mistake--like the tree crashing into something--will cost you more than $300...

Another thing to consider is that electric chainsaws are usually pretty underpowered, so it might be tough to cut down a good sized tree with one. I cut down some small trees and if you're careful and read up on the proper way to make the cuts (it takes several to correctly topple a tree and aim it to drop where you want) you should be able to do it, but if I were cutting down a large tree, I think I'd hire it done to avoid damage to my house.

Another thing to consider is that electric chainsaws are usually pretty underpowered

+36 BP. Exactly what I wanted to say.

It all depends on whether you're handy in the yard. Birches are multi-trunk and great practice for a real tree.

That's a very beautiful riverbirch to get rid of

I agree. But I try to not judge any OP's decisions.

That is a small birch. Just buy yourself a good axe and go to town. You can then cut it into smaller pieces for curbside pickup using a circular saw.

If you really are decided to cut it, here is what I would do.

1. you need another person

2. buy a strong rope. You need a ladder. Put the rope at 10-12 ft high on one of the main trunks. No need to reach the topmost part. But don't put it in the middle since you won't do much enough bending. LOL.

3. one person will be pulling the rope towards him and towards an area where nothing will get damaged. The rope should be long enough so that the top part of the tree won't hit him. Looks like 40 ft long rope is good enough. Of course he won't pull it if there isn't much cut done. LOL.

4. the other person will start cutting the lower part of the tree. The part that will be cut should not be visible to the other person pulling the rope.

That means, the trunk you will be working on will be in between you and the other person.

Then like what eriocaulon mentioned, just use your circular saw to cut it into small pieces.

thanks for the advice...

I haven't decided what to do...

I know I'm waiting till all the leaves are gone so I have a better idea of I can do it on my own or not. Yes, there are 3 main trunks on the tree. I plan on cutting the branches first, at least those that I can reach first, those that I can reach with a ladder.

it's either the birch or the maple, and the birch is just too close to the house and I don't want to keep on trimming it every year. Yeah, it looks nice, but in the long run, I think I'll be spending more on it for trimming it. So cut I thought of cutting it down now, while it's not too big.

how are chainsaw's measured? hp?

the trunks are around 8 inches in diameter

Mostly they're rated by bar length and engine cc's.

A 14" bar will handle an 8" diameter tree OK, but if an old tree loses a major limb that is 16" or 18" in diameter, you won't be able to do the job. It happened to me. Now I own a 22" Stihl chainsaw.

We cut down 10 pine tress over here ourselves and then had a maple tree dropped,chipped and stump grind for $500.00. Worth EVERY penny to have the tree cut down professionally.

andy10917 wrote:Mostly they're rated by bar length and engine cc's.

A 14" bar will handle an 8" diameter tree OK, but if an old tree loses a major limb that is 16" or 18" in diameter, you won't be able to do the job. It happened to me. Now I own a 22" Stihl chainsaw.

Ha Andy I cut down a tree in my front yard with my 14" Stihl chainsaw. The trunk was close to 3-4 feet wide. I think as long as the saw has the power and right chain then you can just work your way around just fine.

If i were to recommend a saw to anyone it would be a Stihl hands down.

$300 is a good deal. Id pay a pro.

My neighbor and I cut down 5 white pine trees yesterday - maybe 75 to 100 ft tall. I pulled on the rope while he made a wedge shaped cut in the trunk (in a spot that was facing me) and then finished by making a horizontal cut on the opposite side. Worked like a charm, but he knew what he was doing. I would have had to call a pro. I own a craftsman chainsaw and it's a pos. I also generally hate chainsaws.

I love river birch trees, but not too close to the house. Made that mistake once.

My neighbor and I cut down 5 white pine trees yesterday - maybe 75 to 100 ft tall.

Do you have any pictures? What did you do with all that wood? We cut down 10 pines(we had a dumpster,wood chipper,Bobcat...) and it was still a VERY BIG mess,wouldn`t recommend that "project" to a homeowner with out the right equipment!
Sometimes its well worth it to "pay the man" to get it done.

kingofgreen wrote:

My neighbor and I cut down 5 white pine trees yesterday - maybe 75 to 100 ft tall.

Do you have any pictures? What did you do with all that wood? We cut down 10 pines(we had a dumpster,wood chipper,Bobcat...) and it was still a VERY BIG mess,wouldn`t recommend that "project" to a homeowner with out the right equipment!
Sometimes its well worth it to "pay the man" to get it done.

Sorry for not paying closer attention to this thread, but no we didnt take any pictures. The trees were tall but sparse. We chopped them into manageable pieces and dragged them across the street to a wooded building lot that will need to be cleared anyway. Yours must have been bigger than mine because I was surprised at how quickly it went. We did not however, do anything with the stumps. just left them there.

Pay th $300 and have it hauled away at that price, it is a bargain.

I agree with TW. A friend of mine owned a tree service business and used to tell me stories about what happens when you combine chainsaws, ladders and a typical homeowner.

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turf_toes wrote:I agree with TW. A friend of mine owned a tree service business and used to tell me stories about what happens when you combine chainsaws, ladders and a typical homeowner.

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And Beer!!