On Wed, 12 Feb 2014 11:32:28 -0000, "Muddymike"
wrote:

We have a large sycamore tree that has to come down as its endangering the
roadside dry stone wall. Its a big bugger with four 2ft plus dia trunks
three times the height of the house, and of course only three feet from a
busy road!

I'm waiting with anticipation for the first quote to come through. Any
thoughts on a ballpark figure? I'm struggling to find anyone else interested
in taking on the job so my usual three quote rule for a big job may have to
me bypassed!

Mike

In April 2012 we had to have a very large willow taken down, in a
rural area, beside the bridleway access to neighbours' house. Willow
is relatively brittle, so it took our tree guy (who no longer climbs
himself) a while to find a climber prepared to do the job. At least 3
of them for nearly 3 days, chipping smaller stuff and cutting the rest
to pieces 1 man could move, but not stacking it. It had to be taken
down in pieces, the remaining trunk about 15 feet tall was then felled
- which made the house shake when it came down. They estimated it
totalled about 8 tonnes of wood of all kinds. Cost just over £1,000,
got £100 from a neighbour for some of the logs.

Gardening on Wilts/Somerset border
on slightly alkaline clay underlying soil worked for many decades.