I have three large oaks in my yard that need to have deadwood removed and a couple over-weight, decay-in-the-inclusion branches lightened. I've been talking to a couple local tree service companies, both large and small, all with good reputations. Each of these companies has expressed a desire to do pruning with spikes, and when asked only one offered to do the work spikeless, albeit for a substantial upcharge.
One of the oaks is in great health, and the other two appear to be in decent, though not perfect, health. My inclination, without knowing much apart from what I read here and on various pruning-related websites, is that working these trees with spikes is not in the trees' best interest. These are old trees that are located close and/or over my house, and I'd prefer to keep them alive and well for as long as conceivably possible and in as good a state of health as possible. I'd also prefer to pay someone to do all three trees, since I can only get to two of them with a borrowed 30' bucket + Stihl HT, and would destroy my lawn if I did it myself.
Am I out of line to require spikeless on pruning on these trees?
One of the oaks is in great health, and the other two appear to be in decent, though not perfect, health. My inclination, without knowing much apart from what I read here and on various pruning-related websites, is that working these trees with spikes is not in the trees' best interest. These are old trees that are located close and/or over my house, and I'd prefer to keep them alive and well for as long as conceivably possible and in as good a state of health as possible. I'd also prefer to pay someone to do all three trees, since I can only get to two of them with a borrowed 30' bucket + Stihl HT, and would destroy my lawn if I did it myself.
Am I out of line to require spikeless on pruning on these trees?