Seriously - will someone take our ash, maple, elm and locust trees away?

Question

Take them for free that is - have had some outrageous quotes on removal.

Answer 1

Not for free, or go rent a tool at home depot. most places will charge depending on the tree size around $200 and up for tree removal.

Answer 2

I had a huge Oak that was (I thought) dying, the lowest estimate to remove it was $1,200! I later found a guy who agreed to cut out the dead wood for $300 and the tree came back quite vigorously.

You may find someone who will remove them for the firewood.

Answer 3

LK watch for city or county cutting trees along power lines, they may do it for you free.  worked for me.

Answer 4

Sure, cut them down, saw them into 18" pieces, splitting anything over 3" in diameter and set them out at the street with a "Free Firewood" sign on it.  

Seriously, felling trees is hard, dangerous and risky work (wouldn't you hold them responsible if a tree fell on your house or car, or blocked the street).  And of course, you'd expect them to clean up branches and leaves and haul them off?   And they would just happen to have a chainsaw, chopper, trailer or truck, boom, ropes, ladders, safety equipment and know how?  Why would you expect anyone to do it for free or for a paltry amount of unseasoned firewood?

edit:

When people always ask "why is this service so expensive?" I challenge them if they think it's like printing money to get into the business and start carrying the money bags.

Answer 5

We take down trees for free and use them for firewood all the time.  We burn any trees. They all burn. They all create heat. Some just burn faster and create more creasote than others, nothing we can't handle!... Advertise in the free section of Craigs List in your area and see if you get any takers.

Answer 6

If you are hoping to find someone here... you should post pics and location, lol...

You have a couple of possible avenues of approach here....

Depending on where you live, you might find a 'city forest reclaimer'..... this is a business that specializes in removing trees from a municipal area, along highways, etc, and using them in the woodworking industry, as opposed to just hauling them away as trash.  I know there is one such enterprise operating in the Chicago metro area, for example.  The trees are harvested, just as if they'd been in a forest, sent to sawmills, and kiln operations, and the wood is prepped for use.  This is a good way to find some 'specialty' woods, in an urban setting, and is also considered to be an envrionmentally responsible method of dealing with downed trees.

Another approach is to find someone who can use the wood... an 'end user' as opposed to a 'middleman'.  This might be someone who burns wood in a stove, or has a hobby of woodworking.  You might check with your local hobby clubs (occasionally you'll find wood turning clubs, etc), small cabinet shops, etc... to find a woodworker who would love to have the wood out of those trees.  If your trees are in really good shape, you might even find them willing to pay you for the trees, as opposed to having to pay to have them hauled off.  This is less likely, if the trees are split, rotten at the center, etc.

For use as a fuel, you might try contacting someone who hauls firewood into your area...they would have all the necessary tools/skills to cut the tree down, and then cut it into usable lengths.

Either of the last two approaches... the woodworker, or fuel burner, will not have any use for the tops of the trees themselves.  I'd suggest renting a chipper, and make mulch out the remains.

As to why its so expensive, its equipment, skill, and insurance, hehehehe... boom trucks are expensive, and so is the liability insurance for those in this line of work.  

Good Luck