There are some jobs you can tackle like a pro when it comes to DIY home and landscaping renovations, while there are others you should leave to the experts. Does one paint a room? Try it out! Renovating a restroom? It’s challenging, but you can get it, right? Putting down a tree? Sure! How about cutting down a tree, though? Find out if it’s ever advisable and safe to cut down a tree on your own by reading on.

Is It Safe to Cut Trees on My Own?

Generally speaking, a tree is too big for you to securely remove if you need a ladder to reach and cut its limbs.

So many things could go wrong if you attempted to use a chainsaw while climbing a ladder. You run a serious risk of damaging both your house and yourself. You might lose control, drop the ladder, or even worse. Also, as you are wielding a chainsaw, the tree limbs you are cutting could fall on your house, smash a window, strike you, or even strike the ladder. Large and entirely unpredictable falling tree limbs are a perilous combination.

While there are many landscaping tasks you can safely and readily complete on your own, saving money on tree removal is not one of them. You’ll be hit with medical fees if you get wounded, and you’ll also have to pay for repairs if your house gets damaged. Also, Joliet Tree Service arborists provide free estimates for tree removal. They possess the tools, expertise, and insurance required to complete the task securely.

Can I Pull Tree Stumps With My Car?

In particular, if the tree you’re cutting down is close to your house or any other surrounding structures, we’d advise against it. It’s difficult to predict which way the tree will fall, which could cause a lot of harm. The money you save on tree removal will not be enough to cover the expense of fixing your house or truck.

In addition, trees can weigh a lot more than you might imagine. A two-foot-wide, 80′ maple tree would probably weigh more than 20,000 pounds, or 10 tons. The majority of regular pickup trucks are built with towing capacities ranging from 5,000 to 13,000 pounds. The stub by itself might go over that limit.

The ropes or chains you’re employing could snap if you try to remove a big tree or stump that’s beyond the scope of your truck. Alternatively, you could even lift your truck off the ground. Anything here has the potential to harm your truck.

The “savings” of DIY tree removal are simply not worth the possible harm to your home or truck.

How About ‘Small’ Trees?

It’s probably okay if you remove the tree yourself if it’s small enough that you can do it without using a ladder. Contact an arborist for advice if you are unsure if it is safe for you to remove the tree on your own.

Here’s how to accomplish that safely, if you’re ready:

1. To make the dirt simpler to dig in, water the day before you intend to remove.
2. How many inches long is the trunk of your tree? Plan to dig 6″ deep for every inch to reach the complete root system. Dig around the tree’s roots, which probably reach all the way to the tree’s canopy, using that depth.
3. Leverage is used to wriggle the root ball out. You can move the tree if its roots are still whole. Or, you may use a chainsaw to chop it up and dispose of it. If you choose that course of action, put on safety goggles, earplugs, and gloves.