Hey ~ check out this groovy electric chain-saw type cutter from Black & Decker. It's called the Alligator Lopper and it's a much safer way to cut branches, trim trees, etc than getting out the heavy, old chain saw.These pretty pets cost about $80 and have had some great reviews on Amazon.com:

"I have a small gas-powered chain saw and also a gas-powered pole saw. The chain saw is heavy to hold up and I didn't need to use the pole saw for most of my pruning. Based on the reviews, I decided to give this product a try. This tool works really great! It's not super heavy and you don't have to mess with gas since it's electric powered. I've been using mine to trim oleanders with some branches 4" thick with no problems. Even with ratchet loppers, it's not always possible to cut the thicker branches and the Alligator Lopper solves this problem. You do have to put oil into a small covered hole but you have to oil and chain saw device. The jaws shield the cutters while closed so it's pretty safe to use." - S. Smith