General guidelines for felling
trees
Normally felling consists of 2 main
cutting operations, notching (C) and
making the felling cut (D). Start
making the upper notch cut (C) on
the side of the tree facing the felling
direction (E). Be sure you don’t
make the lower cut too deep into
the trunk. The notch (C) should be
deep enough to create a hinge (F)
of sufficient width and strength. The
notch should be wide enough to
direct the fall of the tree for as long
as possible.
Warning! Never walk in front of a tree that has been notched.
Make the felling cut (D) from the other side of the tree and 3-
5cm above the edge of the notch (C) (Fig. 10B).
Warning! Don’t use the saw above shoulder-height, because
of difficult handling of the chainsaw which can cause serious
injury. Take care of a stable position so you have good control
on the chain saw.
Never saw completely through the trunk. Always leave a hinge. The hinge
guides the tree. If the trunk is completely cut through, control over the fel-
ling direction is lost. Insert a wedge or felling lever in the cut well before
the tree becomes unstable and starts to move. This will prevent the guide
bar from binding in the felling cut if you have misjudged the falling directi-
on. Make sure no bystanders have entered the range of the falling tree
before you push it over.
HELPLINE No. UK 0905-1460005
(£ 0,06/min)
• IRELAND 1520-932626
(
E
0,15/min)
WEB SUPPORT: www.heltec.eu
Model Number: GCS-2000
27
Operations instructions
Beware of rotational kickback
Fig. 2A
A = Kickback path
B = Kickback reaction zone
The push (pinch kickback) and pull reactions
Fig. 2B
A = Pull
B = Solid objects
C = Push
Kickback may occur when the nose or tip of the guide bar touches an
object, or when wood closes in and pinches the saw chain in the cut. Tip
contact in some cases may cause a lightning-fast reverse reaction, kicking
the guide bar up and back toward the operator. Pinching the saw chain
along the bottom of the guide bar may pull the saw forward, away from
the operator. Pinching the saw chain along the top of the guide bar may
push the guide bar rapidly back toward the operator. Any of these reacti-
ons may cause you to lose control of the saw, which could result in seri-
ous personal injury.
HELPLINE No. UK 0905-1460005
(£ 0,06/min)
• IRELAND 1520-932626
(
E
0,15/min)
WEB SUPPORT: www.heltec.eu
Model Number: GCS-2000
18
Safety instructions