Any tree surgeons or arborists here?

[Ham Radio Nut]

I need your pro opinion please.

I have an average sized pear tree in my backyard, that split down the middle (probably due to a heavy branch or weak spot in the trunk) at the top of the tree. It needs to be taken down, without stump removal (i'm keeping the stump as a stand for a flowerpot with cactus plant). One tree specialist quoted me $200, but he never showed up. Another quoted me $450. Yet another $700!!!

Why the huge variance? What is a fair price to charge for this kind of job in the Northern Ohio market?

Thanks!

 

[uzziah]

are you kidding? go get a chainsaw and chop that sucker; what's the problem?

city folk.............harummphhh

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Oh for cryin' out loud...I thought the title said "Any tree surgeons or abortionists here?"

I need to get my eye checked....

 

[fatcat28037]

OK, on the serious side. If it split down the middle, it's gone,get rid of it. Rent a chain saw for $30 a half day and,cut it up in little pieces and take it to the dumpe. No dump? Over a period of weeks put it in with your regular grabage

 

[fran]

Insurance for those guy is crazy. You'll find that the expensive ones are insured and the cheaper ones often aren't.

Using a chainsaw can be fatal! When you get the saw, also get the safety gear, boots, chaps, gloves and helmet. Sharpen just before you need to. RTFM before you start.

I know a good few guys that use a chainsaw daily as part of their jobs and they all have a very healthy respect for it. You should have even more considering you're not used to it.

The guys here say that timber is great for warmth. You get warm sawing it, get warm splitting it, get warm stacking it, and get warm burning it!

Fran

 

[beerguy0]

We had a mulberry tree removed from our backyard a couple years ago, and a I recall it was around $450 to cut it down, and another $80 to grind down the stump. $700 seems high. (The tree was pretty big - taller than our 2.5 story house.)

 

[fatcat28037]

Another Idea, it's worked for me, cur the wood up into fireplace/woodstove size pieces, pur it on your curb and label it "FIRE WOOD $10"

 

[wafflesomd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh for cryin' out loud...I thought the title said "Any tree surgeons or abortionists here?" I need to get my eye checked....

Yah, I thought that too.

 

[Ham Radio Nut]

Thanks for the replies!

Well, I can't cut it down myself, since the tree is about 25 to 30 feet tall, and very close to the house. Furthermore, I have NO experience with a chain saw.

To those that commented on 'arborist' initially looking like 'abortionist', hell, if an abortionist can fell my tree for a good price, i'll consider one too!

 

[Redo]

Call the guys quoting $700 and ask why they are quoting so high.


30' tree close to the house, no way I would cut it down!

 

[john_jcb]

When they take down a larger tree the normal process is that one of the crew climbs the tree and ties off the high limbs then with a chainsaw cuts them loose from the tree. He will then lower it to one or two guys on the ground that haul it to the chipper. Normally only the trunk and larger limbs of a hardwood tree are saved for resale as firewood. It takes some skill and practice to safely bring down a tree near a home. $700 seems high even with stump removal.

 

[beerguy0]

Quote:

Originally Posted by john_jcb /img/forum/go_quote.gif When they take down a larger tree the normal process is that one of the crew climbs the tree and ties off the high limbs then with a chainsaw cuts them loose from the tree. He will then lower it to one or two guys on the ground that haul it to the chipper. Normally only the trunk and larger limbs of a hardwood tree are saved for resale as firewood. It takes some skill and practice to safely bring down a tree near a home. $700 seems high even with stump removal.

Exactly what the crew that cut down our tree did. The crew chief climbed the tree with leg irons, and started lopping branches as he went down. The ground crew put everything in the chipper. The end was kind of funny - the crew chief got the tree down to about a six foot trunk, then handed the chainsaw to one of the other guys, like "Nurse, you may close".

It was pretty amazing to see just how quickly the tree came down.