"Brian Mitchell" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I have a line of leylandii very close to the house (like, seven feet)
which I need to fell and then reduce. I presume this is a supposed hedge
that got out of control and the average size is now 20+ feet high and
10" diameter (chest height).

I'm thinking of getting an electric chainsaw for this, since the job is
close to the house and I think an electric one might be more manageable
up a ladder than a petrol-driven one, but I would welcome any
experienced advice on chainsaws in general, electric ones in particular,
and brands. I'd also quite like to know how *small* a diameter of branch
it's feasible to cut with one.

I have taken down a large conifer in the last year, using a hand saw and an
electric chain saw.
A lot depends on the structure of the tree.
The one I took down had branches that curved down and then up, and also did
not have a single large trunk much above 12' - 15' off the ground.

What I did:
(1) Cut off all the branches I could safely reach from the ground using the
chain saw. This cleared a surprising amount.
(2) Stood on the flat roof of the shed (you would need a small tower or
stable ladder) and used a pruning saw (fold up one) to cut off all the
higher branches I could reach.
(3) Went up a ladder (tied to the trunk) and cut off all the higher branches
with the hand saw. There wasn't a main trunk above about 15' - just a load
of smaller branches. My beautiful assistant helped guide the branches down
using a rope.
(4) Felled the remaining trunk using my Bosch chainsaw.

Not all 100% H&S but no really scary moments.

This strategy is only likely to work if you have no main trunk going all the
way up.

You could use an electric saw (not a chain saw) such as the B&D Alligator
instead of the hand saw, if used with care.
Reciprocating saws are not usually as brutal and dangerous as chain saws if
used carefully.

However, I used this strategy as the tree was sandwiched between the shed
and the end fence and so I didn't have any room to drop the whole tree
cleanly. It sounds as though you might have a clean drop and so could
dispense with some of the branch clearing.

Whatever, please heed all the good advice over chainsaw safety.
A tower scaffold might be useful as a safe working platform if you can get
it close enough to the trees.
This would enable you to tackle the higher branches more easily.

HTH

Dave R