•
Release
the throttle trigger as soon as
the cut is completed,
allowing
the en-
gine to idle.
If you run the saw at full
throttle without a cuttthg load, unneces-
sary wear can occur to the chain, bar,
and engine.
It is recommended
that
the engine
not be operated
for lon-
ger than
30 seconds
at full throttle,
•
To avoid losing controlwhen
cut is com-
plete, do not put pressure
on saw at end
of cut.
• Stop the engine
before
setting
the saw
down after cutting.
TREE
FELLING
TECHNIQUES
_I_WARNING:
Check for broken
or
dead branches
which
can fall while
cutting
causing
serious
injury. Do not cut near bui_d-
thgs or electrical
wires Jfyou do not know the
direction
oftreefall,
norcut at night since you
will not be ale to see well, nor during
bad
weather such as rain, snow, or strong winds,
etc. If the tree makes contact with any utility
line, the utility
company
should
be notified
immediately.
• Carefully
plan your sawing operation
in ad-
vance.
• Cleartheworkarea.
You needacleararea
all around the tree so you can have secure
footing.
• Study the natural conditions that can cause
the tree to fall in a pedicular direction.
Natural conditions
that can cause a tree to
fall in a particular
direction
include:
• The wind direction
and speed.
• The lean of the tree.
The lean of a tree
might
not be apparent
due to uneven
or
sloping terrain.
Use a ptumb or level to de-
termine the direction
of tree _ean.
• Weight
and branches
on one side.
• Surrounding
trees and obstacles.
Look for decay and rot. tfthe trunk is rolled, it
can snap and fatl toward the operator. Check
for broken or dead branches
which can fail on
you while cL_ting.
Make sure there is enough room for the tree to
fall.
Maintath a distance
of 2-1/2 tree lengths
from the nearest person or other objects.
En-
gine nc4se can drown out a warnthg call.
Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, staples,
and wire from the tree where cuts are to be
made.
Plan a clear retreat path to the rear and diag-
onal to the line of fall.
Plan a clear retreat
path
:t" ÷- "O"
u,,,,,,_ - Direction
of Fall
FELLING
LARGE
TREES
(6 inches (15 cm) in diameter
or targer)
The notch method is used to fell large trees.
A notch is cut on the side of the tree in thede-
sired direction
of fall.
After
a felling
cut is
made on the opposite
side of tree, the tree
will tend to fall into the notch.
NOTE:
If the tree has large buttress
roots,
remove them before making the notch.
If us-
ing saw to remove buttress
roots, keep saw
chain from contacting
ground to prevent dull-
ing of the chain.
NOTCH
CUT
AND
FELLING
THE
TREE
• Make
notch cut by cutting
the top of the
notch first. Cut through
1/3 of the diameter
ofthetree.
Next complete
the notch bycut-
ting the bottom of the notch.
See illustra-
tion.
Once
the notch
is cut remove
the
notch of wood from the tree.
Final
felling
cut here, 2 inches
5 cm above
center o notch.
Firstcot
\
'!.,_
Notch
_
Second
cut _
• After removing
the cutout
of wood,
make
the felling
cut on the opposite
side
of the
notch. This is done
by making
a cut about
twoinches
(5 cm) higher than the center
of
the
notch.
This
will leave
enough
uncut
wood between the felli ng cut and the notch
to form a hinge.
This hinge will help pre-
vent the tree from falling in the wrong direc-
tion.
Hinge
holds tree on stump and helps
control
fall
Opening
of felling
Closing
of
notch
NOTE:
Before
felling
cut is complete,
use
wedges
to open the cut when necessary
to
controtthedirection
of fall. To avoid kickback
and chain
damage,
use
wood
or
plastic
wedges,
but never steel or iron wedges.
• Be alert to signs that the tree is ready to falh
cracking sounds, widening
of the felling cut,
or movement
in the upper branches.
• As tree starts to fall, stop saw, put Jtdown,
and get away quickly
on your planned re-
treat path.
11