Poulan Pro 380 Operator's Manual page 10

• Study t henatural conditions that c an
cause the tree t ofail i naparticular direc-
tion.
Natural conditions that can cause atree t o
fall i naparticular direction include:
• The w ind d irection and s peed.
• The lean o fthe tree. The lean o fatree
might not b e apparent due touneven or
sloping terrain. Use a plumb or level tode-
termine the direction of t ree l ean.
• Weight and b ranches onone s ide.
• Surrounding trees and o bstacles.
Look for d ecay and r ot. I fthe trunk is rotted,
itcan s nap and f all t oward the operator.
Make sure there isenough room f or t he tree t o
fall. Maintain adistance of2-1/2 tree l engths
from the nearest person or other objects. En-
gine n oise can d rown out awarning call.
Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, sta-
ples, and w ire f rom the t ree w here cuts a re to
bemade.
x2. Plan aclear retreat path
%
;_.... t J"==_" Direction of Fall
45 ° /
FELLING LARGE TREES
(6 h_ches in diameter or larger)
The notch method is used to fen large trees.
A notch is cut on the side of the tree in the de-
sired direction of fall. After a felling cut is
made on the opposite side of tree, the tree
win tend to fall into the notch.
NOTE: If the tree has large buttress roots,
remove them before making the notch.
NOTCH CUT AND FELLING THE
TREE
• Make notch cut by cutting the top of the
notch first. Cut through 1/3 of the diameter
of the tree. Next complete the notch by cut-
ting the bottom of the notch. See illustra-
tion. Once the notch is cut remove the
notch of wood from the tree.
• After removing the cutout of wood, make
the feINng cut on the opposite side of the
notch. This is done by making a cut about
two inches higher than the center of the
notch. This will leave enough uncut wood
between the felling cut and the notch to
form a hinge. This hinge will help prevent
the tree from falling in the wrong direction.
Final cut here 2 inches
above center of notch.
First cut ,2>: _.
Notcb._ _._ "''_'z'
Hinge holds tree on stump and helps
control fall
Opening
,,,:\ ,' of felling
_'_k _ cut
Closing of_J,'_ t_,_
notch
NOTE: Before felling cut is complete, use
wedges to open the cut when necessary to
control the direction of fall. To avoid kickback
and chain damage, use wood or plastic
wedges, but never steel or iron.
• Be alert to signs that the tree is ready to
fall: cracking sounds, widening of the fell-
ing cut, or movement in the upper
branches.
• As tree starts to fall, stop saw, put it down,
and get away quickly on your planned re-
treat path.
• Be extremely cautious with partially fallen
trees that may be poorly supported. When
a tree doesn't fall completely, set the saw
aside and pull down the tree with a cable
winch, block and tackle, or tractor. To
avoid injury, do not cut down a partially fall-
en tree with your saw.
CUTTING A FALLEN TREE
(BUCKING)
Bucking is the term used for cutting a fallen
tree to the desired log length.
_A, WARNING : Do not stand on the log
being cut. Any portion can roll causing loss of
footing and control. Do not stand downhill of
the log being cut.
IMPORTANT POINTS
• Cut only one log at a time.
• Cut shattered wood very carefully; sharp
pieces of wood could be flung toward oper-
ator.
• Use a sawhorse to cut small logs. Never
allow another person to hold the log while
cutting and never hold the log with your leg
or foot.
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