9
CUTTING METHODS
OPERATINGTIPS
SCheck chain tension before first use
and after 1 minuteof operation. See
CHECKCHAIN TENSION in the MAINT E-
NANCE section.
SCut wood only.Do notcut metal,plas-
tics,mason ry,non-wood building mate-
rials,etc.
SStop the saw ifthe chain strikes a for-
eign object. Inspect thes aw and repair
parts as necessary.
SKeep the chain out of dirt andsand.
Even a small amount of dirt will quickly
dull a chain and increase thep ossibility
of kickback.
SPractice cuttinga few small logs using
thefo llowing steps. This will help yo ug et
the “feel”of using your saw before you
begin a major sawingope ration.
SSqueeze triggerswitch and allow unit
to reach fulls peed beforecu tting.
SBegin cutting with the saw frame
against thelog.
SKeep themotor at full speed the en-
tire time you are cutting.
SRelease the trigger switchas soon
asthe cut is completed, allowing the
motor to stop.
SKeep the cord away from thecutting
area. Position cord so it will not be
caught on branches and the like dur-
ing cutting.
STo avoidlosing control when cut is
complete, do not put pressure on
saw at end of cut.
SStop motorbefore setting saw down.
TREE FELLINGTECHNIQUES
WARNING: Check for broken or
dead brancheswhich can fall while cut-
ting causing serious injury.Do not cut
near buildings or electricalwires if you
donot know the direction of tree fall,nor
cut at night since you will not be able to
see well, nor duringbad weather such
asrain, snow, or strong winds, etc. Ifthe
tree does make conta ct with any utility
line, theutility company should be noti-
fiedimmediately.
SCarefully planyou rsawing operation in
advance.
SClear the work area. You need a clear
areaall around the tree so you can have
secure footing.
SThe chain saw operator should keep
on the uphillside of the terrain as the
treeis likely to roll or slide downhill af-
terit is felled.
SStudy the natural conditions that can
cause the tree to fall in a partic ular direc-
tion, such as:
SThe wind directionand speed.
SThelean of the tree. The leanof a tree
mightnot be apparent due to uneven
orslo ping terrain. Use a plumb or leve l
todetermine the directionof tree lean.
SWeightand branches on one side.
SSurroundingtrees and obstacles.
SLook for decay and rot. If the trunk is
rotted,it can snap andfall toward the
operator.
SMake sure there is enough room for
the tree to fall. Maintain a distance of
2-1/2tree lengths fromthe nearest per-
sonor other objects. Noise can drown
out a warning call.
SRemovedirt, stones, loose bark, nails,
staples, and wirefrom the tree where
cuts are tobe made.
Direction of Fall
45_
Plan a clear retreat path
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 thetree
inthe de sired direction of fall. After a felling
cutismadeontheoppositesideoftree,
the tree will tend to fall in the direction of
the notch.
NOTE: If tree has large buttress roots,
removethem before makingthe notch. If
using saw to remove buttress roots,
keep saw chain fromcontacting ground
to preventdulling of the chain.
NOTCH CUT AND FELLING TREE
SMake notch cut by cutting the top ofthe
notch first. Cut through 1/3 of the
diameter of the tree. Next complete the
notch by cutting th e bottom. See illustra -
tion.Once the notch is cut, remove the
wedgeofwoodfromtree.
Notch
Firstc ut
Second cut
Final cut here
Hinge