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mike[_22_]

On 2/4/2016 3:14 PM, wrote:
On Thu, 4 Feb 2016 14:21:40 -0800, "Snuffy \"Hub Cap\" McKinney"
wrote:

I need to trim off some broken limbs 8-10 inches in diameter that broke off from the wind last week. I can handle the lower ones with my reciprocating saw. What's the best way to attack the ones 8-10 feet off the ground? I want to stay away from pole saws and chain saws.

I'm thinking about fastening my recip saw to a piece of 2x2 aluminum angle aluminum. I'm a metal fab guy, and by I mean bolted and supported properly with metal brackets, not fastened with duct tape.

But I would rather have something specifically made for occasional homeowner use on limbs.

Anyway, any other ideas besides these that you have used for occasional homeowner trimming?
The electric pole mounted chain saw I bought from Princess Auto for
$70 a number of years back was one of the best tool purchaces I ever
made.

A ricip on the end of a 2X2 aluminum angle is just an accident
impatient to happen. They jump around enough when held close to the
body with 2 hands.

I have an aluminum logger's gaff about 20 feet long. I duct taped a
trimming saw onto the end
and used it to trim some high branches. That was three years ago
and my shoulder still hurts. The joints apparently didn't like
the angle of the force.

I got an electric trimming chainsaw on the end of a pole.
It's extremely unwieldy because the motor is on the end of the pole.
You need to cut the branch from the top side. But you can't do that
with a typical pole saw. When you cut from the side, the chain binds
up as the branch bends.

I'd recommend one with the motor on the close end of the pole and
a shaft that runs the saw on the far end.

You can buy a chain with a rope on each end. You throw it over the
branch and pull on the ends to saw the limb. I figgered it wouldn't
work, but I found one at a garage sale and tried it. I was
right. It's impossible to make the chain saw. All you do is pull
on the limb and it flexes down. You can have mine for free if
you climb the tree and get it unstuck from the tree.

If you can climb up the tree...and have all the safety gear to do so,
you can cut limbs from above. My problem was that all the ones that
needed trimming would have to be cut from below. I wouldn't risk that.

Then there are the limbs that would crash on the house if you cut
at the trunk. You'd need to climb out on the limb and cut it
into multiple chunks. I decided it was better to risk a limb falling
on the house than me falling on the ground.

I did one stupid thing. I leaned my longest extension ladder against a limb
and proceeded to cut off the far end. When the branch fell, the limb
flexed up and off the end of the ladder. I was extremely lucky that
there was another limb close enough to catch the ladder.
I'd thought about the problem beforehand, but seriously underestimated
how far the limb would flex.

I guess, in your case, it depends on how far from the trunk you need
to cut and how big is the piece that falls off.
10 feet isn't very high. You can do that with a stepladder and a rope
thrown over a higher limb to stabilize you. Or lash your ladder to the
tree on the side opposite the cut.

BEST alternative is to call a tree service.
I accosted one doing some work in the neighborhood.
He said, that tree in that location ain't gonna be a problem.
But He'd trim it for $400 if I wanted, plus another fee
to haul away the wood.
I'm not gonna climb a 60' tree.
I'm not gonna spend $400 to trim a tree that the expert says
ain't gonna be a problem. Fingers crossed...