Echo Electric Chain Saw FELLING VERY LARGE TREES

FELLING VERY LARGE TREES

Pertains to gasoline-powered saws only. Small gas powered saws and electric powered saws should not be

used to fell very large trees. Only those that have been trained to cut very large trees should attempt these

techniques.

WARNING! Call a professional tree-felling service to handle jobs that are beyond your abilities and

knowledge. This includes large trees, trees that are near power lines, homes, buildings and public roads.

Timber of a diameter exceeding the length of the saw blade can be felled by using

one of the following methods. To fell a leaning tree, see “Felling Extreme Leaners”

below.

DRAW-ACROSS METHOD - Standard procedures are used here, except that the

cuts have to be extended from one side to the other when the blade doesn’t fit

across the trunk.

Start the lower cut of the notch by pivoting in from one corner to a depth of 1/3 trunk

diameter. Then reverse the saw direction, reinsert saw in cut, and draw it across to

the other corner. Complete the cut on that side. Do the same thing to make the

intersecting top cut. Be careful to keep your body out of the kickback path when

making this angled top cut. Remove the cut wood wedge.

For the back cut, start at the corner at least 2 inches (51 mm) above the intersection

of the notch. Plan to leave 10 to 12 percent of the trunk diameter uncut as a hinge.

Pivot the saw from the back towards the hinge. Reverse saw direction, reinsert

saw into the cut, and draw it across the back of the tree. Cut the other side to

complete the felling cut and the hinge. Follow standard felling procedures from this

point.

PLUNGE CUTTING METHOD - This method uses the same steps for notching

and felling cuts as described in the “Draw-Across Method.”

WARNING! Plunge cutting entails boring inside the tree. Be aware that

there is always a chance of kickback even when the plunge cut is expertly done.

After notching the trunk, stand at the left and aim the saw at the middle of the notch

intersection. Throttle up to a slow chain speed. Make contact at the middle with the

bottom edge of the bar, NOT THE BAR NOSE!

Pivot the saw in to a depth of at least 6 inches (15 cm) before smoothly increasing

speed to full throttle. Then gradually shift cutting angle and pressure to bore straight

into the trunk. When all the way inside, hollow out the trunk. But do not cut away

any more of the hinge wood than necessary. Now make the back cut to fell the

tree.

FELLING EXTREME “LEANERS” - Do not assume that the lean makes notching

for directional control unnecessary. The notch is needed, but should not be as

deep as the standard 1/3 diameter notch. Before back cutting, make some notches

through the sapwood on both sides of the trunk to relieve some of the stress, which

causes splitting. Stay on the alert for possible splitting, because a splitting tree is

dangerous.

DRAW-ACROSS METHOD

NOTCHING

CUTS

WEDGES

FELLING CUTS

START OF

PLUNGE CUT

OR BORE

COMPLETION OF BORE

FELLING CUTS