I know this, yet it still had to be done.

UPDATE: I ended up doing nothing to the tree. Half of it fell into the driveway today at about 4:30 PM. So I left work and rented a Makita chainsaw from HomeDepot. It's dark now and the heat index is still 95. So the work goes pretty good for a while, then I start having trouble getting the chainsaw started. I'm getting exhausted just pulling on the rope. Finally I took it back to HD. Sure enough it starts on the first pull in the store. I take it back home, get is started and start making good progress again. Then I have trouble starting the chain saw again. I'm talking about 20 or more pulls without starting. My theory is that there is a giant spring inside the chain saw and they use all the times I've pulled the cord to wind the spring. I'll try again in the morning if I'm not too sore to get it started. Hopefully I'll be able to get the drive way cleared before I have to have the saw back at 9:00. Half the tree is still standing. I guess I'll take it down later.

This tree is huge. I'll throw the little branches on my brush pile in the back. I'm saving the wrist size branches for smoking -- I'll have a life time supply. I'll probably have more than a half cord of fire wood I'll end up giving away. I hope to save a few nice pieces to turn into lumber. I want to make a jewelry box for my daughter (she grew up climbing that tree) and maybe carve a bowl out of another piece.

I hope this tree doesn't end up killing me.

Damn man.

I'd recommend chaps, arborist safety glasses, and heavy gloves if you're inexperienced with a chainsaw.

Good move removing it.
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http://tobytobin.com/

This question came up a few weeks ago. Give it a shot. 980 KMBZ in KC, Sat 6-10am.

http://tobytobin.com/

This question came up a few weeks ago. Give it a shot. 980 KMBZ in KC, Sat 6-10am.

These trees suck. Everyone i have ever known who had one said the same thing. Split in half when the winds blew hard.

Dude. I would try to save it. A tree that size is not easily replaced. Use Skips idea of bailing wire and try to cinch it tight little by little to see if it will "grow" back together. Put an old piece of rubber hose etc under the wire to keep it from cutting into the tree. IMHO its worth a shot before you turn it into BBQ fuel.

It's never fun to lose a large tree, but seriously, a bradford pear tree is one of the faster growing trees out there. That's often why people plant them.

Plant another one (tree), but not another one (bradford pear) unless you like those falling branch or tree halves.

It is a nice hard wood. Carve it/turn it while it's still green or you'll hate yourself.

Totally amateur. If you really want to save a tree, hire a professional arborist. You're creating a liability with your bailing wire and hose. Let me guess, you probably advocate tapping elms to avoid weep or paint over wounds with "tree bandage."
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I got the driveway cleared, even though the chainsaw would only start once this morning. The guy at HD gave me half off on the rental, so I'm good. I'm going to use the fire wood to bribe my buddy with a chainsaw or some random dude off Craig's list to help me cut down the rest of the tree.