Husqvarna T435 Felling technique for tree tops, Limbing, WARNING! It takes a lot of experience to

WORKING TECHNIQUES

Limbing

When limbing thick branches you should use the same approach as for cutting.

Cut difficult branches piece by piece.

Felling technique for tree tops

WARNING! It takes a lot of experience to

! fell a tree. Inexperienced users of chain saws should not fell trees. Do not attempt any task that you feel unsure of!

Safe distance

During tree maintenance work above ground level, the working area must always be secured and marked out with signs, tape or the like. The safe distance between the top of the tree that is to be felled and the nearest workplace must be at least 2 1/2 times the height of the tree. Make sure that no-one else is in this risk zone before or during felling.

Felling direction

The aim is to fell the tree in a position where you can limb and cross-cut the log as easily as possible. You want it to fall in a location where you can stand and move about safely. The main thing to avoid is that the falling tree top should get jammed in another tree. Taking down a ”jammed” tree top is very dangerous (see point 4 in this section).

Once you have decided which way you want the top of the tree to fall you must assess which way the top of the tree would fall naturally.

Several factors affect this:

•Lean of the tree

•Bend

•Wind direction

•Arrangement of branches

•Weight of snow

You may find you are forced to let the tree-top fall in its natural direction because it is impossible or dangerous to try to make it fall in the direction you first intended.

Another very important factor, which does not affect the felling direction but does affect your safety, is to make sure the tree has no damaged or dead branches that might break off and hit you during felling.

WARNING! During critical felling

! operations, hearing protectors should be

lifted immediately when sawing is completed so that sounds and warning signals can be heard.

Topping a tree

Topping a tree is done using three cuts. First you make the directional cuts, which consist of the top cut and the bottom cut, then you finish with the felling cut. By placing these cuts correctly you can control the felling direction very accurately.

Directional cuts

To make the directional cuts you begin with the top cut.Try to take your position in the tree on the right side and cut on the pull stroke.

Next make the bottom cut so that it finishes exactly at the end of the top cut.

26 – English