So most of our laurels are destroyed by the ice.  And they are on a slope and under lots of strain.  Very bad conditions for use of a chain saw.  You get much better control using a hand saw, or an axe.  And if you miss, or get it stuck, you are less likely to loose a limb.

Of course, all that being said, I did end up buying a chainsaw because I simply have too many trees to cut up.  Though I still do most of the felling with hand saw and axe, and almost all of the limbing with either an axe or bypass pruners.

Tree fell on the house.

One of our trees.

This is the view this morning from my front door.