I trained first as a groundsman then as an arborist to work my way through school--did that full-time for about 3 years. Since graduation I've averaged about 5 jobs a year on my own for the past decade, mostly for myself or friends as the opportunity arises, which I never seek out.
My advice would be for you to call all the arborists in your area and ask for a quote. Talk with them about their experience, ask to see their liability insurance papers, and check with the BBB for any information about them. Then go with the one that gives the lowest bid while being at least half-intelligent. If it's just a couple of big pines, they should cost anywhere from $200-400 each, especially if they're near buildings. I know that sounds like a lot, but really, it's dirt cheap compared with problems that could ensue because of hundreds of possible things that could go wrong, and that arborists are trained to handle.
It's not impossible to do it yourself, safely even, but you must be willing to invest in the correct tools: one safety-blue line, one limb line (roughly $100 each), one climbing harness with steel-cable guts (about $150-200), a pair of good climbing spikes ($150), helmet w/ muffs and visor ($40), a small climbing saw (Stihl 09 if just for occasional use, about $300), one larger saw for cutting the lower trunk and the larger pieces on the ground ($400+, although the one you have may suffice?), competent groundsman to help ($100-200 for a day). You'll also need a way to cart the branches and trunk away, but you've probably already figured that one out. Make sure your insurance is paid up.
In addition to the tools, you'll need to study trees, pines specifically, which react differently to cutting than hardwoods. They tend to SNAP at inopportune moments, especially if rotted--and you can't always see if there's rot inside a trunk. You should get some experience to be able to determine just how much force you can get away with to get X top leaning Y degrees to fall Z direction. You should get some experience to find out which cut to make in which place, where to have your body positioned in case something does go wrong (and it does even to experienced arborists), what redundancy systems you should have in place for a particular situation (like backup ropes, another $200 or so). Learn the basic knots that arborists must be able to tie quickly for different circumstances (minimally a bowline, prussik, blake, half-hitch, tautline, sheet). You must be able to climb, much like a mountain climber, but with some differences: your equipment is much heavier, so it needs to be good quality and fit well, otherwise it will dig and hurt; you'll be carrying some heavy equipment and must learn to trust your ropes etc., so simply practice until it feels comfortable. It's best, overall, to start as a groundsman in order to watch how it's done, then have the climbers teach you. I was fortunate to have two wonderful and very skilled arborists invest their time for my education in trees. They were very safety-oriented, a fact that I have come to appreciate more and more with each passing year that I'm still alive.
I think you see my point by now: either do it right and learn the trade correctly, or hire the skilled labor. Half-assing it will get you half-assed, half-legged, or worse. Chainsaw accidents are among the most common for inexperienced and even experienced users. Timber-cutters don't lead the nation in the highest mortality rate per job for nothing:
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luck, H