I have always admired the Do-it-Yourself (DIY) mentality. You know the type, hears a noise in his car and crawls under with a flashlight in his mouth or knocks out the living room wall when his wife says “we need more room.” Having said that, there are practical limits to this DIY mentality. As an arborist I have seen a lot of well intentioned attempts at DIY tree pruning that wound up getting a home owner in over their heads. Would you rent a steam cleaner and take the day off work to clean your carpets when Carpet Doctor will do it for $39.  Your arborist has the right equipment, skills and knowledge to prune your trees and shrubs effectively and efficiently. One of the most important things I have learned in my DIY career is when to and when not to.  When it comes to your trees and shrubs, consult an arborist. Tree care is what we do.