Stihl MSA 220.0 T Instruction Manual page 30

English
8.4.2 Back Cut
B
C
A
► Begin the back cut (C) on the same level as the bottom of
the notch (A).
► Cut horizontally toward the notch.
► Leave approximately 1/10 of the tree's diameter uncut (B).
This is the hinge.
► Do not cut through the hinge – you could lose control of the
direction of fall.
When removing sections of a tree:
► Make sure all bystanders are clear of the area before
starting work.
► Maintain adequate distance from the nearest structure to
prevent property damage from falling material.
► Take extra precautions in the vicinity of roads, railways
and power lines. Inform the police, utility company or
railway authority before beginning to cut.
28
A B C
WARNING
￭ Never cut through the hinge when making your back cut.
The hinge helps control the fall of the tree. Cutting through
the hinge will eliminate your ability to control the fall and
may result in serious or fatal personal injury or property
damage.
￭ In order to reduce the risk of personal injury, never
position yourself directly behind the trunk when it is about
to fall, since part of the trunk may split and come back
toward the operator (barber-chairing), or the tree may
jump back off the stump.
￭ Always position yourself and your equipment away from
material being removed.
￭ When the material starts to fall, withdraw the bar and
release the trigger switch. After finishing a cut, activate the
chain brake before changing position in the tree.
WARNING
￭ This chain saw is not designed for cutting large diameter
trees, and using it to cut large diameter trees could result
in an inability to control the fall, which can lead to serious
or fatal personal injury.
￭ Before starting any cutting operation, make sure the saw
you are using has sufficient size, power and run-time to
complete the cutting task efficiently and without re-
charging. Alternatively, have multiple charged batteries
available for use, select a more powerful chain saw, or
select a more powerful battery.
￭ There are a number of factors that may affect the intended
direction of fall, e.g., wind direction and speed, lean of
tree, surrounding trees and obstacles, sloping ground,
wood structure, or decay.
– To reduce the risk of severe or fatal injury to yourself
or others, look for, analyze and plan for these
conditions prior to beginning the cut.
– Removing portions of a tree with a diameter greater
than the effective cutting length of the guide bar
requires use of special cutting techniques (e.g.,
sectioning method, plunge cut). These methods can
8 Basic Working Technique
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