I was overrun by dead trees and bushes, too. I followed the advice above, especially using Tom and my neighbours, and got the mess cleared up really quickly. But I still follow the guidelines, otherwise I'll end up right back where I was.
I also suspect that the more you have of some of these things, the more drop! Or maybe it just feels like it. Anyway, I try not to let my stocks of axes and saws drop below about 40 (edit: that probably seems like a lot to you now ;)), and I always seem to have enough now. Good luck!
