Three Felling Techniques; Felling Large Trees; Notch Cut And Felling The Tree - Poulan Pro PP4218AVX Instruction Manual

• To avoid Iosing control when cut is com-
plete, do not put pressure on saw at end
of cut.
• Stop the engine before setting the saw
down after cutting.
TREE FELLING TECHNIQUES
_[kWARNING:
Check for broken or
dead branches which can fall while cutting
causing senous injury. Do not cut near build-
ings or electrical wires if you do not know the
direction of tree fall, nor cut at night since you
wiII not be ale to see weli, nor during bad
weather such as rain. snow, or strong winds,
etc. If the tree makes contact with any utility
line, the utility company shouId be notified
immediately.
• Carefully plan your sawing operation in ad-
vance.
• Cleartheworkarea Youneedacleararea
all around the tree so you can have secure
footing.
• The chain saw operator should keep on
the uphill side of the terrain as the tree is
likely to roll or slide downhill after it is felled.
• Study the naturat conditions that can cause
the tree to fal_ in a particular direc_on.
Natural conditions that can cause a tree to
falI in a particular direction inclode:
• The wind direction and speed.
• The lean of the tree. The lean of a tree
might not be apparent due to uneven or
stoping terrain. Use a plumb or level to de-
termine the direction of tree lean.
• Weight and branches on one side
• Surrounding trees and obstacles.
Look for decay and rot. If the trunk is rotted,
it can snap and fall toward the operator.
Check for broken or dead branches which
can fail on you whi_e cutting
Make sure there is enough room for the tree to
fall Maintain a distance of 2 1/2 tree lengths
from the nearest person or other objects. En-
gine noise can drown out a warning caN.
Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, sta-
ples, and wire from the tree where cuts are to
be made.
Plan a clear retreat path to the rear and diag-
onal to the Iine of fall
_. ,_. Plan a clear retreat path
-.%
I*'-_ -O" "_ _ Direction of Fall
FELLING LARGE TREES
(6 inches (15 cm) in diameter or larger)
The notch method is used to fell 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
will tend to fall into the notch.
NOTE: If the tree has large buttress roots,
remove them before making the notch. If us-
ing saw to remove buttress roots, keep saw
chain from contacting ground to prevent dull-
ing of the chain.
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 i_lustra-
tion. Once the notch is cut remove the
notch of wood from the tree
Final (felling) cut here, 2 inches
(5 cm) above center of notch
F.t c ut.\, ,__
! ....t..
Notch _ _2 _
Second cut
• After removing the wood from the notch,
make the felling cut on the opposite side of
the notch. This is done by making a cut about
two inches (5 cm) 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
ftom faIHng in the wrong direction
Hinge holds tree on stump and helps
control fall
Opening
of felling
Closing of
notch
NOTE: Before felling cut is complete, use
wedges to open the cut if necessary to
control the direction of fail. To avoid kickback
and chain damage, use wood or plastic
wedges, but never steel or iron wedges
• Be alert to signs that the tree is ready to
falI: cracking sounds, widening of the fell-
mg 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.
• DO NOT cut down a partially fallen tree
with your saw. Be extremely cautious with
partially fallen trees that may be poorly
supported. When a tree doesn't fall com-
pletaly, set the saw aside and pull down the
tree with a cable winch, block and tackle,
or tractor.
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