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technique to get the “feel” of using the saw before you
begin a major sawing operation.
1. Take the proper stance in front of the wood with the
saw idling.
2. Accelerate the engine to full throttle just before
entering the cut by squeezing the throttle trigger.
3. Begin cutting with the saw against the log.
4. Keep the engine at full throttle the entire time you are
cutting.
5. Allow the chain to cut for you; exert only light downward
pressure. Forcing the cut could result in damage to the
bar, chain, or engine.
6. Release the throttle trigger as soon as the cut is
completed allowing the engine to idle. Running the
saw at full throttle without a cutting load can result in
unnecessary wear to the chain, bar, and engine.
7. Do not put pressure on the saw at the end of the cut as
this may cause the saw to drop in an unsafe manner.
FELLING TREES IN HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS
WARNING:
Do not fell trees during periods of high wind or
heavy rain. Wait until the hazardous weather
has ended. When felling a tree, it is important
that you heed the following warnings to prevent
possible serious injury.
Do not cut down trees having extreme lean or large
trees with rotten limbs, loose bark, or hollow trunks.
Have these trees pushed or dragged down with
heavy equipment, then cut them up.
Do not cut trees near electrical wires or buildings.
Check the tree for damaged or dead branches that
could fall and hit you during felling.
Periodically glance at the top of the tree during the
back cut to assure the tree is going to fall in the
desired direction.
If the tree starts to fall in the wrong direction, or if the
saw gets caught or hung up during the fall, leave the
saw and save yourself!
PROPER PROCEDURE FOR TREE FELLING
See Figures 16, 23 - 25.
1. Pick your escape route (or routes in case the intended
route is blocked). Clear the immediate area around the
tree and make sure there are no obstructions in your
planned path of retreat.
2. Consider the force and direction of the wind, the lean
and balance of the tree, and the location of large limbs.
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will fall. Do not try to fell a tree along a line different
from its natural line of fall.
3. Cut a notch about 1/3 the diameter of the trunk in the
side of the tree. Make the notch cuts so they intersect
at a right angle to the line of fall. This notch should be
cleaned out to leave a straight line. To keep the weight
of the wood off the saw, always make the lower cut of
the notch before the upper cut.
4. Make the back cut level and horizontal, and at a
minimum of 50 mm above the horizontal cut of the
notch.
Note:
Never cut through to the notch. Always leave
a band of wood between the notch and back cut
(approximately 50 mm or 1/10 the diameter of the
tree). This is called a “hinge” or “hinge wood.” It
controls the fall of the tree and prevents slipping or
twisting or shooting back of the tree off the stump.
5. On large diameter trees, stop the back cut before it is
deep enough for the tree to either fall or settle back on
the stump. Then insert soft wooden or plastic wedges
into the cut so they do not touch the chain. Drive
wedges in, little by little, to help jack the tree over.
6. As the tree starts to fall, stop the chainsaw and put
it down immediately. Retreat along the cleared path,
but watch the action in case something falls your way.
WARNING
Never cut through to the notch when making a
back cut. The hinge controls the fall of the tree,
this is the section of wood between the notch and
back cut.
REMOVING BUTTRESS ROOTS
See Figure 26.
A buttress root is a large root extending from the trunk of
the tree above the ground. Remove large buttress roots
prior to felling. Make the horizontal cut into the buttress
first, followed by the vertical cut. Remove the resulting
loose section from the work area. Follow the correct tree
felling procedure as stated in
Proper procedure for tree
felling
after you have removed the large buttress roots.
BUCKING
See Figure 27.
Bucking is the term used for cutting a fallen tree to the
desired log length.
Cut only one log at a time.
Support small logs on a saw horse or another log
while bucking.
Keep a clear cutting area. Make sure that no objects
can contact the guide bar nose and chain during
cutting, this can cause
Kickback
. Refer to Kickback
in the Specific Safety Rules section of this manual for
more information.
During bucking operations, stand on the uphill side so
that the cut-off section of the log cannot roll over you.
Sometimes it is impossible to avoid pinching (with
just standard cutting techniques) or difficult to predict
