Tree felling with a chain saw

Never under estimate the damage that can be done, and injuries caused by tree felling with a chain saw. The first golden rule in tree felling is not to try and fell a tree that has a trunk diameter greater than the bar length of your chain saw.

Before tree felling Take note of your environment. Whether your using a professional 24 inch Husqvarna chain saw or a more modest chain saw, make sure there is room for the falling tree, so that it won't get caught up in other trees, or cause damage. Be especially cautious of power times and telephone cables. Tree felling around such hazards can cause problems for the most advanced tree surgeon.

Also, note the lean of the tree to make sure it is not tending away from the direction in which you want it to fall, and clear away any underbrush and low-growing branches. Its important you know the tree will come down where you expect it to. Before tree felling clearing low growing branches will make the felled tree more workable, and make chain saw work easier.

There must be room not only for the tree to fall, but also for you to get away. Don't forget the chain saw you are holding is extremely dangerous, and will make escape more difficult. Make sure of a clear escape path at 45 degrees to both sides of the fall line. If there's no clear path, make one, cutting away under growth as needed. Once the tree begins to fall, exit quickly but calmly along one of these paths, with your chain saw.

To make good on all your plans, however, you need to make cuts that will direct the tree to fall where you want it to. The keys to directional cutting are an open-face cut that will allow the trunk to fall gently toward the ground, and a hinge that will control the rate and direction of the fall. These are the tried and tested principles that experienced tree surgeons use, and will require considerable control of your chain saw.

Start the open-face cut by making a steeply angled slice downward, no more than a quarter of the way into the trunk, on the side toward which you want the tree eventually to fall. Finish the face with a shallower angle cut upward, until it meets the downward cut. Face cuts should be made at a 90 degree open face--a 65 degree top cut and a 35 degree bottom cut. This should allow for controlled tree felling and also the top of the tree will be on the ground before the trunk breaks free of the hinge.

Next, move to the opposite side of the tree, check your escape paths, and begin to make the tree felling cut. It should enter straight and level, parallel to the ground, at or just above the level where the two parts of the face cut meet. The tree felling cut should stop 1 to 1-1/2 inches before it meets the face cut. This line of uncut wood is known as the hinge. It is now all that holds the tree up. If there is any lean at all in the direction of the fall, the tree will fall of its own accord. If not, encourage it by driving one or two plastic wedges (available from your saw dealer) into the straight cut.

For home gardeners this may all seem a little over the top for the use you are about to put your chain saw to. However, the safety precautions of tree felling mentioned above still apply. The tree trunk will be narrower more than likely, and your chain saw not as large, but you can never be too safe.

To further control the tree felling process it can be useful to work as a pair. Tie a rope near the top of the tree and use it to control the fall. It should be pointed out that this is not to pull the tree down, but to help control the fall. However, just by doing this the second person is putting themselves in the line of fall and should ensure they are beyond the reach of the tree as it comes down, and a clear escape route to the side.

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