Tree Maintenance

Top Trees LLC is the best resource for any and all of your tree pruning needs whether you have us do the work or you need to do it yourself, we look forward to speaking with you.

Tip of the Day: How to Sharpen Pruning Shears

Pruning shears are by far the fussiest garden tool to sharpen. The principle is the same as for hedge shears, but filing along the curved blade asks a great deal of your fine motor skills. The other half of the pruning shears has a thick, blunt blade that the sharp curved blade cuts against. This heavier blunt blade is one reason this tool is able to cut branches more than 1 in. thick.

First, file along the factory bevel. File the edge of the pruning blade using two hands. Start at the point and follow the curve of the factory bevel. Make one complete stroke from the point to the base of the blade. Apply light pressure in a direction away from you. Examine the edge after each stroke of the file to ensure you’re following the path of the factory bevel. Once you’ve exposed fresh steel along a consistent curve, feel the back side for burrs. Sand away the burrs.

Then, file the blunt blade so it’s flat. The blunt blade needs a crisp 90-degree edge. Think of the edge on a freshly cut piece of granite. Both the top and the side surfaces are flat, and where they meet you’ll find a crisp, sharp edge. File along the factory bevel. Using a smooth 10-in. half-round file, file the inside curve of the blunt blade perfectly flat. Use two hands for control. Make sure you hold the file exactly 90 degrees to the inside curve. Once this surface is flat, sand both side surfaces of the blade with 300-grit paper to get rid of any burrs.

If you’re looking to do all of your own tree pruning, we will be your biggest cheerleaders. If you ever need advice, a quick tip, or just have a quick question, please call us anyways. We will be happy to help and assist any way we can. If there is ever a job that gets to be a little too big, please give us a chance to earn your business. We are the best tree pruning service in Benton City.

Top Tree LLC is your best choice for finding the best tree removal company in the Tri-Cities. We are professionally trained arborists and have the knowledge and expertise for any job that presents itself.

Tip of the Day: Proper Safety Gear

Safety isn’t a throwaway word when it comes to felling trees and running chain saws. You must take it seriously. There are a few absolutely essential safety gear items you need to wear for any chain saw work:

• A logger’s helmet to protect you from falling branches, a major cause of logging injuries.
• Earmuffs and a face screen protect your ears and eyes.
• Safety glasses to keep the dust out.
• Kevlar chaps, which will stop a chain instantly should you happen to drop the bar against your leg.

Bonus Tip of the Day: Buy Felling Wedges

Two plastic felling wedges will prevent your saw from getting pinched during a cut. You can find these at any outdoor power equipment store that carries chain saws.

We are very good at what we do. If you ever find yourself is a position where a job you wanted to tackle on your own became a little too big, we are here to help. We are highly trained and skilled arborists and some of the most reliable tree removal experts in the Tri-Cities.

Top Tree LLC is your best choice for finding the best tree removal company in Kennewick. We are professionally trained arborists and have the knowledge and expertise for any job that presents itself.

Tip of the Day: Estimate the Felling Zone

Trees are taller than you think and reach farther on the ground than you’d expect. You can estimate where a tree will fall by using the “ax handle trick.” Hold an ax handle at arm’s length, close one eye, and back away from or move toward the tree until the top of the ax is even with the treetop and the bottom is even with the base. Your feet should be about where the treetop will rest after falling. It’s just an estimate, though, so allow extra room if there’s something it might fall on!

Bonus Tip of the Day: Clear a Cutting Zone

Even when you’re sure which way the tree is going to fall, you’re still not ready to fell it. Cut away any brush around the trunk and clear two escape routes on the “non-falling” side of the tree. They should be about 45 degrees away from each other in opposite directions. The last thing you want is to trip while walking away from a falling tree.

We are very good at what we do. If you ever find yourself is a position where a job you wanted to tackle on your own became a little too big, we are here to help. We are highly trained and skilled arborists and some of the most reliable tree removal experts in Kennewick.