On 04/29/2026 McCarthy Tree Service did tree work at my home. The field team is: owner Mark…read moreMcCarthy and his friendly assistants Ray and Aidan. I witnessed a high level of skill, excellent team work, and a safety-conscious approach to the inherently hazardous work.
The first task was pruning of the maple in front of my house. It's approx. 60 feet tall. I'd asked Mark McCarthy to remove a big branch extending over a peak of my house close to where the electrical wires come into the house. I need to have my house re-roofed; it would endanger the roofers to leave it in place.
Watching Mark weave through this large tree in the bucket of his bucket truck while cutting branches with his chainsaw was mesmerizing. The houses in my area of Saint John Street are close together, and the electrical wires come into the front of each house; at my house, the maple tree branches were near the wires. Mark had to make sure the bucket wasn't too close to my wires, and he had to look back at the bucket truck's arms when he was changing position to make sure they didn't get near my neighbor's wires. It was skillful choreography.
I live on Saint John Street; the past few years it has gotten very windy (thanks to global overheating). We had wind gusts including up to 60 mph about 1.5 years ago; they took down my neighbor's solid wood fence. Although my maple doesn't shed much during storms, I asked him to prune it with the strong/increasing wind in mind to prevent the loss of larger branches, and he did. The skillful pruning of the canopy resulted in a very lacy look. When Mark assessed the job, he suggested that a large trunk that had grown up in the center of the maple tree should be removed for its health; I agreed to that, and he did so. Ray and Aidan chippered the branches as Mark sent them carefully to the ground.
When he was done, he banded the maple as we'd agreed during the initial consultation; he indicated that the banding will keep the tree from falling onto the house or into the road, and that when the tree leafs out fully that I won't be able to see it.
I have peonies in the front garden that have struggled as this tree grew larger. With its crown being opened up a great deal, I think they'll get the sunlight they need to thrive again.
At the entrance to my backyard there's a small self-seeded tree. Mark told me that it was a butternut tree; I did some research and found out that they're endangered. He had suggested trimming some branches to prevent the squirrels from getting on my roof. I also asked him to trim some branches that are close to my neighbor's roof for the same reason, and he did so.
Ray tackled some light pruning of the blue spruce in my backyard - a nice edit for a tree that adds four-season color to the yard.
Also in my backyard, I have huge, handsome red oak. Mark had pointed out a large dead section about 40 feet up and identified it as a danger. He had spoken very calmly throughout the assessment, without any rash words or tones. So I knew when he used the word danger that he meant it. He said dead oak branches that remain on the tree harden and eventually fall, and have the potential to harm someone below.
The bucket truck didn't fit in the backyard so Mark climbed to the dead section. Ray and Aidan helped tie the ropes around Mark to keep him secure, and would tighten or release ropes as Mark moved up the tree. It was both impressive and unsettling to watch him climb with the chainsaw hanging from his belt, hoisting it up once he found a good perch for cutting, and turning it on to cut the dead section of truck. When it came down, it hit the ground with a resounding thud. It looked to be 15-20 feet tall. They had to cut it in several pieces in order to get it to the chipper.
At my request, they took down a large branch on the red oak. It attracts Oriental bittersweet vine which isn't healthy for any tree. Ray cut most of it down using a pole saw; the amount of light coming into the backyard immediately increased.
Lastly, all three of them tackled my two large brush piles. Ray and Aidan had the idea to winch the piles to the chipper. I watched as they skillfully knotted their heavy duty ropes around the piles and pulled them to the yard opening. They would knot, unknot, and reknot as needed. This work was truly above and beyond, and I appreciate it greatly - my backyard is looking much better.
All members of the team wore quality PPE which included ear protection (the industrial chipper is loud). They communicated with hand signals while the chipper was on.
The price was very reasonable. Indeed, I offered Mark McCarthy more money when the work was done because I think it ended up being a bit more than expected. (He declined.) Tree work is inherently hazardous. I greatly appreciate all their skill, and all the work that they did.
Thank you also to Mark McCarthy's wife Susan Cassidy who handles the quote processing, emails, and background work so essential to any business.
