I don't use a chainsaw because I can't trust myself not to amputate a limb; I use a small handsaw- for the little branches- and an axe for the big ones. The branches are in both of our fields and I've very nearly cleared the top one now. By the time I've finished I'll have the mother of all bonfires.
What I haven't figured out is how to get rid of the very large boughs that are still propped up against the parent trunk. Should I leave them for Matthew? Probably. But, on the other hand, perhaps I could use rope to pull them clear. I can at least try- and I've got as long as I like to do it in...