I went to HomeDepot and bought a chain saw for $50 and am going to do this myself after being quoted $300 for the same thing to have someone do it for me. Stand by as the story unfolds.
$50 for chain saw seems kind of cheap...I hope it holds up to the task....I picked up a middle of the road Stihl last year and it set me back $300...be safe....a chain saw can make some serious wounds...after all... those halloween slasher flicks chose a chainsaw over a string trimmer for a reason.
Here is an update: it was Sunday, so I bought a HomeLite 14" 9 amp chain saw for $50 at HomeDepot. I got done what i needed to get done- which was chop up as much as I could and get the large limbs off the street. I did not want to spend $300 on someone doing this for me, but I am going to have to rent a larger chain saw to finish the job - which should run about $30. I am actually glad I got the smaller one because I can use it to do trimming around the yard and not have to pay the
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Alan, That's a healthy chunk of change you saved by "chunking" up the wood by yourself! Can you sell the logs? Maybe you can get your $80 back! Great job!
You still have what it takes man! Save the logs and spend $70 on supplies for a fire pit. The tree will be gone, you'll have a new chain saw and a new fire pit for half the price.
This tree looks dead...is that so? If it is then the firewood is already partly seasoned...hardwood from a live tree can take 2 years to season and result in a good hot fire.
I am traveling right now and back home next week. Will chop it up some more and save it for the winter...... uh.... our winter is not exactly always "winter," but we do get a few cold nights....
And now... the video: I finally finished up the tree - I rented a high end chain saw for $70 and saved $400 by doing it myself. Here is the video I posted on YouTube of my taking down "that bad boy...." View : http://youtu.be/KPXGL0esEP0 - always wear safety glasses.
Couple of pointers on safety....set the saw on the ground when starting....the "flying pull start" is where many people see injuries. Hearing protection is also a must for long term use. I have and use, a hard hat rig that has a screened face shield and built in ear muffs....for users that work a lot Kevlar chaps or pants are highly recommended.
Thanks for your collective input. The whole thing took about an hour. I did use safety googles. If I did this for a living or was really going to do a massive job of this sort, I guess I would have had been wearing more durable gear. Kelvar seems a bit extreme...
If you ever saw what a chain saw does when it gets caught on some clothing and "runs" up a leg. You would have wished and hoped for some kevlar. I have seen pics from some EMT safety and training courses. Its not the spurting blood like in the Hollywood movies...its more like a plate of hamburger. Glad you cam through with out a scratch.
You still have what it takes man! Save the logs and spend $70 on supplies for a fire pit. The tree will be gone, you'll have a new chain saw and a new fire pit for half the price.