The problem is not the tree. It's the branch sitting halfway up the canopy, above a low wall, in a private yard with freshly laid turf, and the only access is the pedestrian gate on the side of the house. Or it's the row of linden trees along a villa's driveway, where each plant has four or five insertion points to reach at different heights, and below them the surface roots make the ground anything but level.
On these jobsites, choosing the method is not just a matter of speed: it's a matter of who goes up, what they go up with, and what happens if something goes wrong.
Ladders and ropes: where they work and where they stop working
The stepladder or hook ladder is still the most commonly used tool for pruning medium-height trees in yards with space around them and reasonably level ground. It costs little, takes a minute to set up, and requires no specific training beyond basic working-at-height safety. It works well when the branch to reach is a single one, the footing is stable, and you are not working for hours on end.
The limitation shows up quickly: a ladder holds on level ground. On uneven or sloped terrain, even a slight one, it has no safe base. Leaned against a trunk, it sways when the canopy moves. And every time it needs to be repositioned — branch after branch, tree after tree — you climb down, reset it, and climb back up. On a long row of trees, or on a plant with many insertion points, the ladder moves alone account for nearly as much time as the actual pruning work.
Ropes and tree climbing allow you to work inside the canopy without leaning on the trunk, with freedom of movement. They do, however, require specific training, certified harnesses, and a second operator on the ground managing the ropes. They are not a shortcut: they are a precise trade, and anyone who does not know it should not improvise.
The tracked aerial work platform: what changes in practice
A tracked aerial work platform gets in where a ladder has no stable footing and where a truck-mounted bucket lift cannot get in at all. The tracks adapt to uneven ground, surface roots, and the slight slope of a yard. The machine stabilizes without having to level the surface first, and the operator in the basket works with both hands free without having to support their own weight with their arms.
The safety advantage is that the work point does not change every time the machine moves: the basket repositions without climbing down, without resetting, without losing posture. On a row of trees or on a canopy with insertion points at different heights, this reduces the riskiest part of the work — repositioning — to a command from the basket itself.
The limitation exists: some space is still needed to maneuver the base, even if minimal. And a ground operator is always required during work at height, for safety reasons and to manage the material coming down.
Who is in the basket and who is on the ground
The division of roles is not a formality. The operator in the basket prunes, cuts, and directs the fall of branches. The one on the ground controls the drop zone, keeps people clear, recovers the material, and maintains visual contact with whoever is at height. On many private jobsites there is a tendency to work alone: it is a bad habit, and with work at height it becomes a concrete risk.
For more detail on the regulations governing work on tall trees, see the article Pruning tall trees: rules and correct practices.
Material on the ground: it's not the easy part
Large branches, brush, and short logs do not leave the yard on their own. On tight jobsites where the gate is pedestrian-width and the driveway does not allow a large vehicle through, collecting and moving the material out often takes more time than the pruning itself. A compact tracked dumper or a multi-purpose machine with a log grapple attachment gets through the same openings as the aerial work platform, loads without manual lifting, and reduces the number of trips along the exit route.
The Cormidi range
The Cormidi tracked aerial work platforms include the KB11, the KB20, and the KB23. All three fit through a narrow gate and stabilize on uneven ground without surface preparation. The KB20 and the KB23 feature an underbridge-arm basket and are available with a crane kit, log grapple kit, and winch kit: useful both for work at height and for handling heavy material coming down from the canopy. The KB11 also mounts on CMF multi-purpose machines, which with the SP2 or SP3 tool-carrier plate can also carry the log grapple attachment to collect and load whatever is left on the ground.
Before choosing the method
Measure the height of the insertion points to reach and compare it with the payload of the basket you have available. Check the access route: gate width, gradient, and ground condition along the path. Confirm whether you are working alone or have a second operator available — without one, work at height cannot start. Then contact your local Cormidi dealer to see the machine in person and assess whether the right model for your jobsite is the KB11, the KB20, or the KB23.
