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Tree Felling Techniques; Felling Large Trees - Poulan Pro SM4018 Instruction Manual

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Release
the throttle trigger as soon as
the cut is completed,
allowing
the en-
gine to idle.
If you run the saw at full
throttle without a cutting load, unneces-
sary wear can occur to the chain, bar,
and engine,
It is recommended
that
the engine
not be operated
for lon-
ger than 30 seconds
at full throttle.
To avoid Iosh_g 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
_WARNING:
Check for broken
or
dead branches
which
can fall while cutting
causing
serious 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
will not be ale to see well, nor during
bad
weather
such as rain, snow, or strong winds,
etc. If the tree makes contact with any utility
line, the utility
company
should
be notified
immediately.
• Carefully
plan your sawing operation
in ad-
vance.
• Cleartheworkarea,
You needacieararea
all around the tree so you can have secure
footing.
• Study the natural conditions that can cause
the tree to fall in a particular direction,
Natural
conditions
that can cause a tree to
fall in a particular
direction
include:
• The wind direction
and speed.
• The lean of the tree.
The lean of a tree
might
not be apparent
due to uneven
or
sloping 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 fall on
you while 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 call.
Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, staples,
and wire from the tree where cuts are to be
made,
Plan a clear retreat path to the rear and diag-
onal to the line of fail.
p. Plan a clear retreat
path
(}--_-
Direction
of Fall
t
45 ° /
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 fail.
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 compiete
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.
Final (felling)
cut here, 2 inches
(5 om) above center
of notch.
First cut
I
,2";
I
/
= ÷ I/
• After removing
the cutout
of wood,
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 wilt leave
enough
uncut
wood between the felling cut and the notch
to form a hinge,
This hinge will help pre-
vent the tree from falling in the wrong direc-
tion.
Hinge
holds tree on stump and helps
control fall
Opening
of felling
7
Closing
of
notch
NOTE:
Before felling cut is complete,
use
wedges
to open the cut when necessary
to
controI the direction
of fall. 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 fall:
cracking sounds, widening of the felling 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.
11

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