Cost Guides · Tree Care
Tree Trimming Equipment: What It Costs to Kit Out a Crew in 2026
Tree trimming equipment for one crew runs about $2,200 to $2,750. Here is what each piece costs from suppliers that post a price, and how to build it into every bid.
What does tree trimming equipment actually cost?
Tree trimming equipment for one crew, a chainsaw, chaps, and a chipper, runs about $2,200 to $2,750. The chipper is most of that cost. Skip it and the kit drops to about $620 to $910 for the saw and chaps alone. Every price below names its supplier.
What chainsaw does a tree trimming crew buy?
STIHL lists its MS 271 Farm Boss, an 18 inch saw for pruning and small removals, at $529.99, on sale at $479.99 when we checked on September 26, 2026. That is a reference point, not the market. Crews running daily trim work often carry a second, lighter top-handle saw for climbing cuts.
Tree trimming equipment prices, by publisher
These four line items are the ones a publisher prints a number for. Everything else here is named by product, not by price.
| Item | Posted price | Publisher | Captured |
|---|---|---|---|
| STIHL MS 271 Farm Boss chainsaw, 18 in bar | $479.99 (list $529.99) | stihlusa.com | Sept 26, 2026 |
| WesSpur 91 Prochaps wraparound chainsaw chaps | $139.00 | wesspur.com | Sept 26, 2026 |
| WesSpur Clogger Wildfire chainsaw chaps | $380.00 | wesspur.com | Sept 26, 2026 |
| Patriot CSV-3100B 10 HP chipper shredder | $1,575.00 to $1,825.00 | patriot-products-inc.com | Sept 26, 2026 |
Every row is a single verified publisher, named in the table.
Turn a job-site photo into an itemized estimate, free →
What about pole saws and climbing gear?
A pole saw, a STIHL HT 103 or a Husqvarna 525 series unit, extends reach for high limbs without a climb. Crews that go up the tree also need a saddle, a climbing line, carabiners, and a helmet with ear protection. Buy each piece from an arborist supplier. We found no posted price for that gear, so get it on your supplier’s quote.
How much does a wood chipper cost?
Patriot Products lists its CSV-3100B, a 10 horsepower chipper shredder for branches up to 3 inches, at $1,575.00 to $1,825.00 on its own manufacturer page. A chipper is the priciest line in a starter kit, and the piece that turns a slow brush haul into billable hours. Crews that only trim sometimes rent one by the day instead.
What does chainsaw PPE cost?
WesSpur prices chainsaw chaps from $139.00 up to $380.00 for the Clogger Wildfire, with mid-tier options at $220.00 and $250.00 on the same page. That is one supplier’s list, a starting range. A full kit also needs a helmet, eye and ear protection, and cut-resistant gloves. None had a posted price we could check, so budget them as an add-on to the chaps line.
What does a tree trimmer get paid, and why the equipment cost matters
Tree trimmers and pruners earn a $26.91 mean and $24.50 median hourly wage, per BLS OEWS, May 2025. The bottom 10 percent earn $18.24 an hour, the top 10 percent earn $38.61. Those are wages paid, not rates billed. Your equipment cost, fuel, chain, and PPE replacement ride on top of that wage before overhead and margin.
| Measure | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Mean wage | $26.91 | $55,970 |
| Median wage | $24.50 | $50,960 |
| 10th percentile | $18.24 | $37,940 |
| 90th percentile | $38.61 | $80,310 |
BLS OEWS reports these figures for occupation 37-3013, Tree Trimmers and Pruners, May 2025.
How to price tree trimming equipment into a job
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List the gear your crew actually needs before you shop
Match the saw, pole saw, chipper, and PPE to the jobs on your calendar.
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Price each piece against a named publisher, not a guess
Check the manufacturer or supplier page yourself. A dealer’s floor price can run above or below the posted MSRP.
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Add fuel, chain, and PPE replacement to the day rate
Chain, bar oil, and chaps wear out with use. Fold a consumables line into every estimate.
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Show the equipment cost as its own line on the bid
A gear line on the estimate keeps the chainsaw and chipper payment out of your labor rate.
SimplyWise Cost Estimator for tree trimming equipment
SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a job-site photo into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds. Material, labor, and fee lines are editable, so your chainsaw, chipper, and PPE costs sit on their own lines. It is $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr, about $20/mo on annual, with a 7-day free trial.
Keep reading
- Tree Trimming Cost: what a trim job bills, by tree size.
Sources
Equipment publishers
- STIHL USA, MS 271 Gasoline Chainsaw, captured 2026-09-26.
- WesSpur, 91 Prochaps Wraparound Chaps, captured 2026-09-26.
- WesSpur, Chainsaw Chaps category, captured 2026-09-26.
- Patriot Products, CSV-3100B Wood Chipper, captured 2026-09-26.
Wages
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, occupation 37-3013, verified 2026-09-26.
- SimplyWise Cost Estimator, App Store, 4.8 rating, verified 2026-09-26.
Frequently asked questions about tree trimming equipment
The price of the gear
How much does tree trimming equipment cost for a new crew?
A starter kit, one chainsaw, chaps, and a chipper, runs about $2,200 to $2,750. Skip the chipper and the saw-plus-chaps cost drops to about $620 to $910.
How much does a wood chipper cost?
Patriot Products lists its CSV-3100B 10 horsepower chipper shredder at $1,575.00 to $1,825.00 on its own manufacturer page. That is the single verified chipper price found for this piece.
Buying the gear
What chainsaw do most tree trimming crews buy?
STIHL prices its MS 271 Farm Boss, an 18 inch saw for pruning and small removals, at $479.99, marked down from $529.99. Many crews also carry a lighter top-handle saw for climbing cuts.
What is a fair chainsaw chaps price range?
WesSpur prices chainsaw chaps from $139.00 to $380.00 for the Clogger Wildfire, with mid-tier options at $220.00 and $250.00 on the same page.
Pricing the job
Can I price a tree job from a photo?
Snap a job-site photo and SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns it into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds. Every line, including your equipment cost, stays editable.
Does SimplyWise Cost Estimator price tree trimming equipment into a bid?
It builds material, labor, and fee line items, each with unit, quantity, and price per unit, so your chainsaw, chipper, and PPE costs sit on their own lines. Pricing is $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr, with a 7-day free trial.
Turn your equipment cost into a bid that holds margin.
Snap a photo and get an itemized estimate with editable lines. Send a branded quote before you buy the next saw. Free to try, then $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr after a 7-day trial.