Poulan 530087857 Tree Felling Techniques, Felling Large Trees, Notch CUT and Felling the Tree

SAllow the chain to cut for you. Ex- ert only light downward pressure.

If you force the cut, damage to the bar, chain, or engine can result.

S Release the throttle trigger as soon as the cut is completed, al- lowing the engine to idle. If you run the saw at full throttle without a cutting load, unnecessary wear can occur to the chain, bar, and engine.

S To avoid losing control when cut is complete, do not put pressure on saw at end of cut.

S Stop the engine before setting the saw down after cutting.

TREE FELLING TECHNIQUES

Carefully plan your sawing operation in ad- vance. Clear the work area. You need a clear area all around the tree so you can have secure footing. Study the natural con- ditions that can cause the tree to fall in a par- ticular direction.

Natural conditions that can cause a tree to fall in a particular direction include:

S	The wind direction and speed.
S	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
	determine the direction of tree lean.

SWeight and branches on one side. S 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 fall. Maintain a distance of 2-1/2tree lengths from the nearest person or other ob- jects. Engine noise can drown out a warn- ing call.

Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, sta- ples, 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

Direction of Fall

45_

WARNING: Do not cut near buildings or electrical wires if you do not know the direc- tion of tree fall, at night since you will not be able to see well, or during bad weather such as rain, snow, or strong winds. etc.

FELLING LARGE TREES

(6 inches in diameter or larger)

The notch method is used to fell large trees. A notch is cut on the side of the tree in the desired 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.

NOTCH CUT AND FELLING THE TREE

SMake 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 cutting the bottom of the notch. See illustrated. Once the notch is cut remove notch of wood from the tree.

Final cut here. 2 inches abov

center of notch.

First cut

Notch

Second cut

SAfter removing the cutout of wood, make the felling cut on the opposite side of the notch. This is done by mak- ing a cut about two inches 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 fall- ing in the wrong direction.

Hinge holds tree on stump and helps control fall

Opening of felling cut

Closing of notch

NOTE: Before felling cut is complete, use wedges to open the cut when necessary to control the direction of fall. Use wood or plastic wedges, but never steel or iron, to avoid kickback and chain damage.

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