Why is Do-it-Yourself Tree Care Dangerous?
Though it may seem simple, tree work is actually extremely complicated, technical and dangerous. Homeowners have been injured and even killed by falling limbs, faulty equipment, or general carelessness while attempting “do-it-yourself” tree work.
Common accident factors include:
- Use of extension ladders. If you need to use a ladder for your tree care work, think twice. If your ladder does not extend at least 3 feet past the branch, cutting off the end of a branch will cause the branch to rise up beyond the ladder. Many ladder related fatalities occur this way. Do not make the mistake of setting the ladder on something unsteady to get the reach you need.
- Improper tools. Faulty tree care equipment, such as a dull chain saw, can cause terrible accidents. It is very easy to lose control or misuse the tools, which often results in a trip to the hospital.
- Lack of knowledge about tree physics and biology. Aimlessly hacking away at the tree with your axe or chain saw is dangerous! For example, homeowners are often tempted to cut corners by removing limbs in massive, unwieldy sections. The weight makes the limb section difficult to control, and this may damage the tree – or you.
If you are at all uncertain about what could happen by attempting your own tree work, contact a qualified tree care professional. Safety is the cornerstone of the tree care profession, and professional arborists have the experience and training necessary to navigate hazards.
In particular, arborists are trained to:
- Identify trees or branches with decay, cracks or unbalanced weight
- Avoid nearby overhead electrical wires and other conductors
- Prevent falls from trees they are working on
- Remove portions of or entire trees without causing bodily harm or property damage
Read TCIA’s “Do It Yourself vs. Hiring a Tree Professional” brochure to learn more
If you need tree work, click here to find a professional arborist in your ZIP code. Doing so may prevent an injury, or even save a life!
Watch TCIA’s “Protect Your Investment by Hiring a Professional” video to learn more.
Interesting post about some of the dangers that could be involved when engaging in tree care. Thanks for the post.
Blue Rivier served us twice this year. In the sirpng the guys came to trim the 150 year old American elm tree as well as trim our old crabapples. When we were hit later by the Halloween snow storm with all the leaves still on the elm tree, branches began to crack, break, hang and dangle. The Blue River crew arrived on Halloween morning to clean up the widow-makers that threatened our little trick or treaters. Great service, skilled job, excellent cleanup. I won’t use anyone else.
I appreciate you sharing this article. I think it’s important to not that some forms of tree care can be easy and safe. However, the bigger things—like trimming large branches—requires professional help. I haven’t always been the best at following that advice, but I’ll be sure to remember next time when I’m trimming my pine tree.
I have seen a neighbor have one of the ladder accidents. Luckily he dropped everything and was able to grab the next branch over. I helped guide him from the ground as he descended the tree.
builder to remove trees on the lot that are in or close to the fnpooritt of the home. As I’ve written about before, you can’t remove certain trees without a permit, and trees such as live oaks are expressly
I agree that do-it-yourself tree care can be very dangerous. That is why you should always hire a professional tree service for your tree care needs. Like you said, arborists are trained in how to safely perform tree care work. When it comes to working at such great heights, safety is very important.
Great read, I try to preach this on estimates to my customers on a weekly basis. Very good points in this read.
Very dangerous indeed, we know f a customer who purchased all the right gear but didn’t have the expertise to carry out the task, he ended up staying in hospital for 8 weeks.. Needless to say, for difficult tasks like this its worth getting in the professionals with years of experience to execute the task.
This is some great information, and I appreciate your point that tree professionals will know how to work safely. I have a very large apple tree in my backyard, and I would like to prune some of the branches, but I’m worried I would injure myself. I’ll definitely look into having professionals come and do it instead so the job is done safely. Thanks for the great post!
This is some really important information for any DIY aficionados out there. I agree completely that it is far too dangerous to try to do most tree care work on your own, and I know far too many people who have hurt themselves because they didn’t think they needed a professional. But hiring a tree care service for removing or pruning trees is very important, and choosing not to can put you in a lot of danger. Thanks so much for writing!
Great information! We have seen some mishaps and it is not worth it. The homeowner should look into having a local profeesional tree care company to handle tree removal and tree pruning. It is dangerous and should be handled by a professional.
Thanks for the helpful post on why tree care can be dangerous. I have two really large trees in my backyard, that I want to have removed. I was considering trying to do it myself, but I think that it might be too dangerous. I like what you said about the proper tools. I wouldn’t know where to even start with the tools and techniques for removing those large trees. I will be sure to call a tree removal service. Thanks for the help!
I totally agree with this post. While climbers are trained and experienced sometimes even the professionals get hurt while on the job.
Yes! So glad someone finally wrote an article about these dangers. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been called to do a job after someone tried it themselves using an extension ladder. Definitely not the tool to use to get you up in a tree!
It’s worth it to have a professional, expereinced Arborist do the job.
Yes! So glad someone finally wrote an article about these dangers. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been called to do a job after someone tried it themselves using an extension ladder. Definitely not the tool to use to get you up in a tree!
It’s worth it to have a professional, experienced Arborist do the job.
A friend of mine got hurt while trying to remove a tree himself. It’s not as easy as some DIY’s make it out to be. I think out of the three factors listed, it was because he didn’t have the right tools. It’s one of the reasons why I believe it’s best to just have a professional remove a tree.
I appreciate this article. I think it’s important to note that tree care can be easy and safe. However, the bigger things, like trimming large branches should be left for the professionals. I haven’t always been the best at following that advice, but I’ll be sure to remember next time when I’m trimming my pine tree.
This is a serious topic. If you aren’t 100% sure you have the skills and training needed to take down or trim trees yourself don’t do it. It’s just not worth it. Just hire a professional, I have seen many trees on top of roofs and cars and if they had it to do over again they all say the same thing. I should have hired out. Please be careful out there.
Good article on the dangers of going at it alone. Tree trimming or tree removal can have messy unintended consequences. It is always best to hire a professional that knows what they are doing!
Do it yourself tree care can definitely be dangerous for the trees as the average joe doesn’t not have the level of understanding necessary to make the correct trimming decisions. A distinction that should be made here is that every guy in the phone book that advertises tree care is not an expert. A certified arborist is essential for both tree health and ensuring that all care is taken with regard to safety and care for the client’s property.
http://www.thecityarborist.com
I appreciate the information on how doing your own tree trimming can be dangerous. I agree that it is so important to have the correct tools for tree cutting, it can make a big difference in the safety of the project and it can possibly save you from injuries or other accidents. My dad has been wanting to get a tree trimmed in his front yard, I will be sure to share this information with him.
Safety is the most critical part of tree surgery. Great advice thanks.
It amazes me how much people will risk to save a few bucks.I won’t even change my own motor oil these days let alone trim a tree by myself. Better to leave that sort of thing to trained professionals.
When I was younger I fell off a tall ladder and haven’t liked being on ladders since then. I just moved into a house full of tall trees that need to be maintained. I like your point that a professional tree service will avoid accidents and will get the job taken care of efficiently.
I have a lot of big trees on my property and I have been wondering if I should hire a professional to take care of them. It is good to know that an arborist is trained to tell if tree branches are decaying. That would be something I wouldn’t be able to figure out on my own.
This is some really good information about tree care. It does seem like a good idea to do what you suggested and make sure that you have safety gear on to prevent falls. I am really scared of heights and I would want a professional arborist to manage my tree care for me.
Good post. I tell my clients that you only get one chance to take a tree down right.
I really don’t recommend DIY in this type of job. There are professionals who can do the whole thing for you so let them do the work.
Very good information. I talk about this with my clients before we do any work.
This is great info for us to reference to our customers that request a tree trimming service from us because they often ask why they can’t just do it themselves. Thanks for publishing this info, we will definitely keep it bookmarked for future reference!
It made sense when you said that homeowners don’t know how to remove limb sections properly, which can make them dangerous and difficult to control. My brother and his wife moved to a new home last week, but there are a couple of dead trees in the yard that they want to remove soon. The info you shared here should help him see why hiring a tree removal service would be the safest option for him and his family!
It made sense when you talked about why using extension ladders is dangerous. My husband and I moved to a home with lots of trees in the yard. Your article convinced me that hiring a tree trimming service would be a good move.
This is very cool idea and informative one and even enjoying reading your blog is a great one. Thanks for this. Keep posting!
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Good advice that can save a life, clear explanations of what he is doing and most importantly.
Thanks for mentioning that the lack of proper tools, like sharpened chain saws, can cause loss of control and injury. My brother has a couple of trees that he wants my help taking down so that he can get more lighting in his home. I will be sure to recommend he find a service in his area that has the proper tools and know-how to remove the trees for him so that we can stay safe and prevent home damage.
Yes. It is very dangerous to use a ladder for tree care work. I just started reading your blog. Once I stumbled upon you and chainsawnerds, I stopped looking anywhere else. Thank you for the information.
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Awesome read!
We certainly advise most customers to avoid a DIY project without at least first consulting a professional. There are many risks associated with it, as you have outline here in this excellent break down. Our tree removal customers often times do not foresee the potential risks that we point out to them, which could have been catastrophic had they decided to go into the project blind. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for explaining that improperly placed ladders or not tall enough ladders can be cause for an accident when you’re taking care of trees. My brother came over to my house the other day and noticed that I have some dead trees. I think I’ll find a tree removal service to help me out instead of trying to do it myself.
The facts have been discussed is really important. Thank you so much for sharing a great post.
It’s good that you point out that it’s important to hire a professional to take care of your trees due to the safety issues involved. The trees in my yard need to be trimmed, so I’m considering hiring a tree care service. I’m going to look for a good tree care company in my area to use.
I totally agree with you when you said that using a dull chain saw can cause you to visit the hospital. My dad told me that he would like to get rid of the tree stamps that are in his backyard. I will tell him to contact a professional company to help him remove them.
It’s good to know that they’re trained to prevent falls from trees they’re working on, especially if a house or some people are nearby. I have two kids so I know that I’d want them to be safe while the arborists are working on the trees. If I hire somebody, I’ll make sure they know how to stay safe.
The facts have been discussed is really important. Thank you so much for sharing a great post.
The facts have been discussed is really important. Thank you so much for sharing a great post. tree service wichita
Tree care is certainly not something the average homeowner should attempt to take on. Especially with larger trees or more sketchy branches. Good article!
It caught my attention when you explained that issues with tools, like a dull chain saw, can lead to serious injury to the user. My brother told me he wants to reduce the size of the oak trees in from of his office building by lopping some of the branches off. I’ll share this info with him to help him see why a professional tree lopper would be a better option!
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Never do this yourself, we have seen many cases where people tried to do it themselves but in many cases it leads to danger and chaos, especially if there’s little children around. Tree removal needs to be done carefully and professionaly, great article.
Thanks for the post. The facts and information are highly important to know. Thanks again for this interesting read!
Thank you for this post. I see now that tree service is one of the more dangerous jobs so ensuring that everything goes safely and nobody gets hurt, makes it even a more valuable.
I agree, tree service should be done safely and with the proper equipment. I hope you can provide a lot more information in the future!
It is great to see tree service companies not only helping to prune and to cut away dead trees, but also to talk about planting new trees.
We do have a tree we need to remove, so customers for our carpet cleaning company can have a better look at the carpets we sell.
Thanks for informing us why the DIY tree care is dangerous. And letting us understand why this kind of job can’t be done without proper knowledge and training. I agree that this kind of job should be done by professionals to avoid accident and damages.
This post is very unique and informative for all. Impressive information you share in this. Keep it up and keep sharing.
We are not professionals and it is really necessary to know some safety tips before doing dangerous works. concrete driveway repair
Great post. Doing things on your own always gives way to possible issues. Always call a trained professional.
You rock! I just read this article on tree care. I have to say it’s one of the best articles I’ve seen in a long time. It really made me think about how often homeowners hurt themselves while attempting do-it-yourself tree work and the dangers that come with that. Thanks for posting such an awesome article! I truly appreciate your time and effort.
I found your post “Why is Do-it-Yourself Tree Care Dangerous?” . I was so impressed with the information you had to offer! It’s something that I wanted to share with my friends and family. The tree care industry can be confusing at times but this really made it easier for me. Thanks again for posting such an informative article.
There are so many factors that people don’t consider when attempting a DIY tree removal it’s often best to leave it to the professionals.
Thank you for explaining why DIY tree removal is risky. And explaining why this type of work can’t be done without the right knowledge and training. To minimize accidents and losses, I believe that this type of work should be done by specialists.
I just wanted to say thanks for posting an awesome article about DIY tree care! I’m glad you’re spreading the word and educating people on why it can be dangerous. It’s great that you’ve been doing research and asking questions about the safety of your trees – that’s what will save them in the end!
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