The Locust Tree

The locust treeA guy who does tree trimming and removal stopped by a few days ago and asked me if I had considered getting the old locust tree to the right of the shed in the picture cut down. The tree has seen its better days and I have indeed thought of getting it removed.

So I said maybe, depending on what the price was. Well he looked at it for a while, mumbled about it being close to the power lines and and finally said $2,200. I was taken aback at the price and asked if that was the best he could do. He mumbled some more and said $1,800 was the rock bottom price he could do it for.

Now here’s the catch. This same guy took down two maple trees for me last year for about $950. Granted they were both smaller than the locust tree but the two combined probably involved just as much work as taking down the locust tree would.

So, how much would it cost for someone to do a job like this where you live?

7 thoughts on “The Locust Tree”

  1. Jim loves to cut down trees. He is the master tree cutter-downer around here. If you had a couple of good beers and stood around yacking with him while he did it, he’d do it for you for free. I’ll show him this when he gets home; I suspect he’ll FREAK OUT! That’s a lot of dough, I think.

  2. Yeah, everything is too damn expensive around here…think I’ll move to Montana and start a “Dental Floss Farm.”

    I might be movin’ to Montana soon
    Just to raise me up a crop of
    Dental Floss
    Raisin’ it up
    Waxen it down
    In a little white box
    I can sell uptown
    By myself I wouldn’t
    Have no boss,
    But I’d be raisin’ my lonely
    Dental Floss
    Raisin’ my lonely
    Dental Floss
    Well I just might grow me some bees
    But I’d leave the sweet stuff
    For somebody else…but then, on the other hand I’d
    Keep the wax
    N’ melt it down
    Pluck some Floss
    N’ swish it aroun’
    I’d have me a crop
    An’ it’d be on top (that’s why I’M movin’ to Montana)
    Movin’ to Montana soon
    Gonna be a Dental Floss tycoon (yes I am)
    Movin’ to Montana soon
    Gonna be a mennil-toss flykune
    I’m pluckin’ the ol’
    Dennil Floss
    That’s growin’ on the prairie
    Pluckin’ the floss!
    I plucked all day an’ all nite an’ all
    Afternoon…
    I’m ridin’ a small tiny hoss
    (His name is MIGHTY LITTLE)
    He’s a good hoss
    Even though
    He’s a bit dinky to strap a big saddle or
    Blanket on anyway
    He’s a bit dinky to strap a big saddle or
    Blanket on anyway
    Any way
    I’m pluckin’ the ol’
    Dennil Floss
    Even if you think it is a little silly, folks
    I don’t care if you think it’s silly, folks
    I don’t care if you think it’s silly, folks
    I’m gonna find me a horse
    Just about this big
    An’ ride him all along the border line
    With a
    Pair of heavy-duty
    Zircon-encrusted tweezers in my hand
    Every other wrangler would say
    I was mighty grand
    By myself I wouldn’t
    Have no boss
    But I’d be raisin’ my lonely
    Dental Floss
    Raisin’ my lonely
    Dental Floss
    Raisin’ my lonely
    Dental Floss
    Well I might
    Ride along the border
    With my tweezers gleamin’
    In the moon-lighty night
    And then I’d
    Get a cuppa cawfee
    N’ give my foot a push…
    Just me ‘n the pymgy pony
    Over the Dennil Floss Bush
    N’ then I might just
    Jumb back on
    An’ ride
    Like a cowboy
    Into the dawn to Montana
    Movin’ to Montana soon
    (Yippy-Ty-O-Ty-Ay)
    Movin’ to Montana soon
    (Yippy-Ty-O-Ty-Ay)

    — by the late great Frank Zappa, who also brought us such classics as “Don’t Eat Yellow Snow” and “Brown Shoes Don’t Make It.”

  3. TOTALLY Zappa! lol! God rest his ever loving soul. I forgot about asking Jim. Will do so. He’d probably like to raise dental floss, too. He objects to paying for anything! šŸ˜‰

  4. Talked with Jim. He said “Yea, that’s a lot of money.” He immediately launched into explanations on how this could done – there was a cherry picker involved and, of course, a chain saw. Perhaps it would be cheaper if you flew Jim out and got the beer ready.

  5. I just had 4 trees and one huge stump taken out for $2,000 (in Australian dollars though) including stump grinding.

    I’d think $1K Australian (about US$765) should be tops (but maybe American tree loppers charge more than Australian ones??)

  6. @Perry…thanks for the comment…hope you enjoyed your visit…come back and see us again šŸ™‚

    And, in the U.S., the price is typically a function of where you reside. If I still lived in the part of the country I grew up in, I suspect it would probably cost about US$500 or thereabouts.

    I live in Virginia about 20 miles or so due west of Washington, DC…cost of living here is ridiculously high.

    BTW, I'[ve been to Australia (Sydney) a few times in past…great place and friendly people….hated those 18 hour plane rides to get there and back though. šŸ™

  7. Thanks: I stumbled here from trying coComment and the title captured my attention.

    I’m not really a big city person, but Sydney does have some nice spots… my particular area is West of Sydney in the Blue Mountains (now that is a very special place!! šŸ™‚ )

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