I want to state clearly that I am not a tree removal expert, but I'm pretty sure this isn't how it's supposed to work. A brand new video share shows a crane that was trying (remember that word) to remove a tree end up on top of a house.
Sometimes it's just better to let a pro do the job. I'm guessing that's what is going through the mind of one man who tried to cut down a huge tree near his house himself and...well, he now regrets that decision.
Is there ever a time when one doesn't have to rake the yard? In the spring, summer, and maybe fall, it's grass clippings, and primarily in the fall, it's tons and tons of fallen leaves. The leaves you pile up to jump into, the leaves you stuff into a giant smiling jack-o-lantern (garbage bag) with for Halloween decor, the leaves that fill the gutters, and so on.