Shop around for a new insurance company.

Seriously, I did this when we bought a beach double wide. Allstate inspected it and wanted us to add a front railing and paint the eaves. I said, it rains all winter, I'll catch it in the spring. We were insured by one of their affiliates and I figured we were good. In February I get a "we are disowning you" letter. They had reinspected, saw I did what I said I would do and cut us off. Went to USAA and it was better insurance for exactly half the price and no inspection bullshit. Moved every bit of insurance over to them (cars, rental homes, etc etc) as they would carry the beach place.

When the allstate agent called me with the "we're sorry to see you go" riff, she was answered (to her stunned silence) by "I didn't leave you, you left me".

Now, if you feel the work really needs to get done, have at it and get it done, but don't let insurance people force you.

What I've heard is that many insurance companies are dropping policies in this state. Those that remain are not taking new customers but are requiring stronger fire defensive actions.

Leaning toward hiring someone for the oak branches (need elevation above ground) but I'm still thinking about handling the maple trees myself (ground level work).

I'm looking at this: #1 - cheapest offering but seems capable.

#2 seems good to but a different design w/ the motor at an angle. Not sure if that's good or bad or indifferent (just more accommodating for tight spaces but otherwise functionally identical?).

#3 seems best for the value; brushless motor, additional features. Reasonably priced but almost 2x #1. Buy once, cry once? I guess I'm thinking #1 or #3 unless #2's design with the offset motor is more recommended. If not, should I go for brushless motor or not?

Any recommendations? I don't really know what I'm buying here...


#1 CRS180B ($90):
https://www.boschtools.com/us/...ws-crs180b-249183-p/

#2 GSA18V-083B ($120):
https://www.boschtools.com/us/...sa18v-083b-249295-p/

#3 GSA18V-110N ($150):
https://www.boschtools.com/us/...sa18v-110n-249338-p/

#4 GSA18V-125N: $350 (too expensive)
https://www.boschtools.com/us/...ws-crs180b-249183-p/

Defiantly hire a professional for anything overhanging your house. Otherwise you could end up with roof replacement expenses, to say nothing of a hospital stay

While they are out giving you bids on doing the Oak work, ask how much more to take care of the Maples too. Than compare that price to what it would cost to to buy the tools and pay the dump fees...unless you're really looking forward to filling your Organics Can every week for a number of weeks while having piles of branches laying about. You'd be surprised how few cut-up branches will fit into those cans.

I've had trees done, about the same size as you're talking about, in my old house (with mature trees) and it was well worth having someone else do all the work. Just having someone haul all the cuttings away was worth it.

Attempting doing this yourself is a false savings

If you find yourself asking the best way to "Do It Yourself", then you are already in over your head (tree pun not intended...).

If you use a pole saw or other overhead saw, you risk in about 50% of the cuts where the branch is 6" diameter, that the blade will bind, and you are now stuck with a saw 30-50 feet above you, and you with diminished strength (and perhaps ability and understanding of how to un-fuck yourself) with no real recourse to remedy the mess you now find yourself.

Better to put that money and effort into contacting and explicitly relaying what you need and want done, for the agreed to, cost. Then relax and let them worry about the things that would make you hate life.

I understand both "history" where you have battled less, and the pride of having to admit that a man has limitations that come faster and have greater impact as we near the finish line of life.

Or, as other's have opined, "call the man..."

Time to make a phone call. A 6" oak branch is dang heavy and not a trivial thing to cut overhead. It's outside the realm of a recipe saw and well into chain saw territory.

I strongly advise you to hire out the taller work. A coworker of my wife was killed while using a lift on a slightly inclined property. The kicker was he was certified to use one and died anyway. Please don’t.

Also, as a contractor whose crews have used hundreds of reciprocating saws I would not recommend one for the type of work you’re trying to do. They are difficult to hold and operate. I would recommend getting one of those battery operated small electric chainsaws. I bought one last year to do exactly what you’re trying to do and enjoy the heck out of it. Mine has a 12” bar and is very easy to operate. Heck, even my wife uses it occasionally. I have a Stihl Farmboss gas chainsaw and I’m probably going to sell it as my days of cutting 15” trees are over.

Please be safe!

While I think it’s a crime to cut down Japanese maples, I agree - get someone else.
This is the first year I successfully lobbied to get my folks to allow me and a family member to help them open up their winter home in Fl. Lots of brush cleaned up, lots of branches trimmed. Saved my dad’s back for other adventures.

I bought a Stihl GTA 26 last month for the smaller stuff that doesn't need a gas saw but too big for a pruner.
Works great and they have a $30 off right now.
Battery life is good and I've cut up to 6" stuff easily.

The rest, hire someone that's a pro with a real wood chipper.

Here's a link to the Stihl saw.

https://www.stihlusa.com/produ...ry-hand-tools/gta26/

Hiring a tree service will be cheaper and much less painful than a visit to the ER for a broken femur, as my 78 year old dad found out under somewhat similar circumstances.

Max McGee, the free-spirited Green Bay Packers receiver who became part of Super Bowl lore after a night on the town, died when he fell while clearing leaves from the roof of his home. He was 75.Oct 22, 2007

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
Background: I'm old and weak.

Then, IMO, you shouldn't be thinking about doing any tree work that can't be done from the ground with anything more than a pair of loppers or a pruning saw.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
I'm looking at this: #1 - cheapest offering but seems capable.

"Seems capable" says the man who admittedly doesn't know what he's doing.

Sorry. Don't mean to be harsh or offensive, but, I think a bit of tough love is in order here. You're thinking about doing things you've clearly never done before and are admittedly not in good physical condition to do. As sigmonkey writes...

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
If you find yourself asking the best way to "Do It Yourself", then you are already in over your head (tree pun not intended...).

This ^^^^^ and ...

quote:

Originally posted by sigmonkey:
... as other's have opined, "call the man..."

... this ^^^^^

I would do the work you describe myself (depending upon how high are the over-hanging limbs, how big they are, and how far they're over-hanging), but, while old-ish, I'm physically fit, have regularly done such work in the past (as recently as just a couple months back), and I've the proper pro-grade tools for the job.

Call the man. You won't like the bill, but, they're unlikely to damage anything and you won't wind up in the hospital--or worse.

quote:

To renew home insurance, I ... need to cut down have trunks about 6-8" in diameter (Japanese maples).

To be honest, I'd change insurers in a heartbeat rather than cut down Japanese maples. Those are beautiful, generally slow growing landscape elements.

Call a nursery and ask what it would cost to replace.

And, as long as you've got the phone handy, why not call a couple other insurers for quotes?

Like I indicated above, that not really a viable option in this state. I wouldn't be doing this otherwise.

Thanks guys - I will hire someone for the overhead work (off ground jobs). I'll also inquire about the ground level jobs.

That being said, if I decide to do the ground level jobs myself, after doing some reading, I think I'm leaning toward the Bosch GSA18V-110N recip saw. Sounds like it'll be more versatile long run, safer for use by both me and my wife and less maintenance. Also, I think maybe a better choice for cutting roots and removing stumps. That was tedious when we did the cherry tree. The mini chainsaw does seem like a more ideal tool for certain tasks though. Ideally perhaps buy both tools but trending to unlikely since hiring someone for the overhead job is likely to be expensive.

Thanks for all the help and info! And the concern for my safety.

Smaller electric chain saw is your friend, that reciprocating saw won't be up to the task as efficiently and it probably will require several blades.

If you want to go low buck, Harbor Freight has a reciprocating saw, bought one for a small job years ago and it runs fine, true it's made in China, but what isn't today, HF gets some crap over it's stuff but some of it is pretty good, I'd put that saw into the "its good" batch.

They also have electric chain saws and pole saws.

I use the pole saw on most anything small low or up within it's reach, light weight, and makes quick work of branches, in fact mine cuts way to many branches as evidenced by its inability to say "ok that's enough".

Link Pole Saws


Link Electric Chain Saws

Link Reciprocating Saw

Anyone of those (I still wouldn't use a reciprocating) will work for all the smaller low stuff.

But, as others said, find out what removing the trees and big stuff costs then see how much to add in the little stuff. You might find it's less than buying the tools and taking into the consideration of the work.

If you are not sure about the expense, compare the cost of a hospital visit or stay and your OP costs to the costs of the other guy doing the work, and the deductible on the house just in case you drop a Maple on the home and have to have the roof replaced...

Check the united way, check The V.F.W. , check habitat, check the American leigeon ,
Community colleges and the honor roll participants at the high schools.

I use this for my branches. Works well and cuts with little effort. You can get another extension to 24’, but gets kind of unstable at that length.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d...pop_mob_b_asin_title

https://www.farmandfleet.com/p...3tv-kABoCK_QQAvD_BwE

This fiskers does very well by me

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
That being said, if I decide to do the ground level jobs myself, after doing some reading, I think I'm leaning toward the Bosch GSA18V-110N recip saw.

I'm not convinced a reciprocating saw is the right tool for felling a tree. I didn't know what a Japanese Maple tree was, so I Googled it -- not a large tree, but the possibility for lots of branches. As I see it, the possibilities for variably-stressed areas of wood and for a weight-unbalanced tree. If it were my tree, it would hesitate to take it down, given the saws I own. But....I've been felling, trimming, and bucking wood for many, many moons.

Every tree, every branch is different. Wood is weighted and stressed in ways we sometimes don't easily perceive. Trees are rarely balanced in their weight distribution. Wood must be cut correctly to break in the desired place, and to fall in the desired direction. If you're going forward with your own cutting/trimming, do some reading and watch some instructional videos.

The following is the kind of beetle- & drought-killed pines that I deal with regularly. Not your situation -- requiring a higher level of awareness. The first pics -- 21 inch diameter, 70 feet tall.





22 inch diameter and 65 feet




Understand that OSHA considers forestry work one of the most dangerous jobs out there. Small trees can be hazardous, too.
Lean how to properly fell a tree before you break out a saw.