Felling Large Trees; Important Points - Craftsman 358.350160 Operator's Manual

plumbor level to determinethe di-
rectionoftree 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.
• 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. Engine 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 clearretreatpath
;_ .... L ._--'m'_ - Direction of Fall
FELLING LARGE TREES
(6 inches 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 desired direction of fall. After
a felling cut is made on theopposite
side of tree, the tree will tend to fall in
the direction of the notch.
NOTE: If tree has large buttress roots,
remove them before making the notch.
NOTCH CUT AND FELLING TREE
• Make notch cut by cuffing the top of
the notch first. CUt through 1/3 of the
diameter of the tree. Next complete
the notch by cutting the bottom. See
illustration. Once the notch is cut, re-
move the wedge of wood from tree.
Finalcuthere
Firstcut
Hinge
• After removing the wood, make the
falling cut on the opposite side of the
notch. This is done by making a cut
about two inches higher than the cen-
ter of the notch. This will leave
enough uncut wood between the felt-
ing cut and the notch to form a hinge.
This hinge will help prevent the tree
from falling in the wrong direction.
Hinge holds tree on
stump and helps
control fail
Opening of
felling cut
NOTE: Before felling cut is complete,
use wedges to open the cut when
necessar,/to control the direction of fall.
To avoidklckback 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 up-
per branches.
• As tree starts to fall, stop saw, put it
down, and get away quickly on your
planned retreat path.
• Be extremely cautious with partially
fallen trees that may be poody sup-
ported. When a tree doesn't fall com-
pletely, set the saw aside and pull
down the tree with a cable winch,
block and tackle, or tractor. Do not
use your sawto cut down a partially
fallen tree.
CUTTING A FALLEN TREE
(BUCKING)
Bucking is the term used for cutting a
fallen tree to the desired log size.
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 operator.
• 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.
• Do not cut in an area where logs,
limbs, and roots are tangled. Drag logs
into a clear area before cuttingthem.
BUCKING TECHNIQUES
WARNING: If saw becomes pinched
or hung in a log, don_ttry to force it out.
You can lose control of the saw result-
ing in injury and/or damage to the saw.
Stop the saw, drive a wedge of plastic
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