The Dangers of Self Tree Removal

If you’re pruning or removing some of the trees on your property, there’s a good chance it’s because they’re starting to rot. While it’s a good call to address the problem of corroded trees, doing it on your own is very risky.

Decaying wood is very unstable and unpredictable.

A tree could collapse suddenly as you’re working on it, and loose limbs pose even more of a safety risk. If you’re inexperienced and unfamiliar with tree biology, then there’s a very good chance you could end up injuring yourself or somebody else.

It’s easy to miscalculate the important factors of tree removal.

A trained professional will be able to accurately predict where and when a tree will fall, based on education and experience. Unless you’re a certified arborist, you’re likely to make a mistake when it comes to calculating important factors like height and angles when it comes to tree removal.

If a tree falls sooner than you anticipated, you might end up injuring yourself or someone else on the ground. Similarly, if you miscalculate the height of a branch or the angle at which a tree will collapse, then it might end up on top of your neighbor’s car instead of your cleared-out front lawn.

You’re not used to working against your center of gravity.

Many trees have branches that will require you to move and bend at a height you’re not used to or have not properly anticipated. You’ll be vulnerable to losing your balancing and facing a long fall. One small mistake while trimming or removing trees yourself, can have huge costs in property damage, or significant injuries to you and those around you.

Mishandling equipment can be detrimental when working with trees.

The risk of injury when you take on the timber yourself is increased tenfold when you don’t know the right equipment to use or the proper way to use it. Tree maintenance requires the use of some dangerous tools as chainsaws, and wood-chippers to name a couple. In an untrained hand, these instruments can have devastating effects.

Working with trees usually means working around power-lines as well.

If you’re too focused on figuring out the equipment, you could potentially electrocute yourself, start a fire, or wipe out the power for your home or neighborhood. Plus, if you’re going to spend money on decent tools and the right protective gear, just invest in someone who already has those things and is skilled at using them.

Be smart about tree removal!

Thinking about all of the potential safety hazards and everything that can go wrong during the tree removal process is scary! You don’t want to end up with a huge bill from damaged property, or a life-changing injury for you or someone else just to save a couple bucks.

Don't believe in the dangers of self tree removal... watch this video.

Watch with caution this compilation of "Tree Cutting Fails" from Woodart Presents to see the BIG DANGERS of self tree removal. Brace yourself as some of these videos are hard to watch. We don't advise, condone, support or approve any of these "do it yourself" tree cutting video examples. If you have any questions please CONTACT US directly before doing anything. Hiring a skilled, qualified, insured and experienced tree care company is essential to safe tree maintenance and clearing.