17
OPERATION
BUCKING
See Figures 16 - 19.
Bucking is the term used for cutting a fallen tree to
the desired log length.
Always make sure your footing is secure and
your weight is distributed evenly on both feet.
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
Precautions Against Kickback
earlier in this
manual.
When bucking on a slope, always stand on
the uphill side of the log. To maintain complete
control of the chain saw when cutting through
the log, release the cutting pressure near the
end of the cut without relaxing your grip on the
chain saw handles. Do not let the chain contact
the ground. After completing the cut, wait for the
saw chain to stop before you move the chain
saw. Always stop the motor before moving from
tree to tree.
Sometimes it is impossible to avoid pinching
(with just standard cutting techniques) or difficult
to predict which way a log will settle when cut.
To avoid pinching while cutting, rotate or move
the log so that the pinch is eliminated.
BUCKING LOGS UNDER STRESS
See Figures 18 - 19.
When the log is supported along its entire length,
it should be cut from the top or overbucking.
When the log is supported on one end, cut 1/3 the
diameter from the underside or underbucking. Then
make the finishing cut by overbucking to meet the
first cut.
As the log is being cut, it will tend to bend. The
saw can become pinched or hung in the log if you
make the first cut deeper than 1/3 of the diameter
of the log.
Give special attention to logs under stress to prevent
the bar and chain from pinching.
When bucking on a slope, always stand on the uphill
side of the log as shown in figure 18. When “cutting
through,” to maintain complete control of the chain
saw, release the cutting pressure near the end of
