Poulan 2150PR, 1975, 2155 Tree Felling Techniques, Plan a clear retreat path, FELLtNG Large Trees

IMPORTANTPOINTS

•Check chain tension before first use and

after f minute of operation. See CHAIN TENSION Lnthe ASSEMBLY section

•Cut wood only. Do not cut metal, plastics, masonry, non-wood building materials, etc.

•Stop the saw ff the chain strikes a foreign object. Lnspect the saw and repair or re- place parts as necessary.

•Keep the chain out of dirt and sand Even a small amount of dirt will quickly dult a chain and thus increase the possibil*ty of kickback.

•Practice cutting a few small logs using the foIIowing techniques to get the "feeF of us- ing your saw before you begin a major sawing operation.

•Squeeze the throftle trigger and allow the engine to reach full speed before cutting.

•Begin cutting with the saw frame against the log.

•Keep the engine at full speed the entire time you are cutting.

•ALlow the chain to cut for you. Exert only light downward pressure. If you force the cut, damage to the bar, chain, or en- gine can result.

•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 cutting Load, unneces- sary wear can occur to the chain, bar, and engine

•To avoid tosing conttoL when 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

WARNING: Check for broken or

dead branches which can fall wMle cutting causing serious injury. Do not cut near build- ings or etecthcal wires if you do not know the direction of tree fall, nor cut at night since you will not be ale to see welt, 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 Youneedacleararea

alI around the tree so you can have secure footing.

•The chain saw operator should keep on the uphLtl side of the terrain as the tree is likely to rolI or slide downhill after it is relied.

•Study the naturat conditions that can cause

the tree to falI in a particular direction. Natural conditions that can cause a tree to

falI 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 plumb or level to de- termine the dLrection of tree Lean.

•Weight and branches on one side.

•Surrounding trees and obstacles

Look for decay and rot. if the trunk is rotted,

it can snap and fall toward the operator Check for broken or dead branches which

can fall on you while cutting.

Make sure there is enough room for the tree to fail. Maintain a distance of 2 1/2 tree

lengths from the nearest person or other ob- jects Engine noise can drown out a warning 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 diagonal to the line of fall.

_x_ e Plan a clear retreat path

_"- _ - O'''"_ - Direction of Fall

FELLtNG LARGE TREES

(6 inches (t5 cm) in diameter or Iarger)

The notch method is used to fell large trees. A notch is cut on the side of the tree in the de- sired direction of fal_ 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, ff 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 of the tree. Next complete the notch by cut-

ting the bottom of the notch. See i_lustta- tion. Once the notch is cut remove the notch of wood from the tree

Final (felling) cut here, 2 inches (5 cm) above center of notch

First cut \.._1 ..._2 ,___

i'	... J..
Notch _	2-

Second cut

•After removing the wood from the notch, make the felling cut on the opposite side of the notch. This is done by making a cut about two inches (5 cm) higher than the center of the notch. This will leave enough uncut wood between the felling cut and the notch to form a hinge. This hinge will help prevent the tree from fal_ing in the wrong direction

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