Tree Felling Techniques; Felling Large Trees; Notch Cut And Felling The Trees - Poulan Pro 2375 Instruction Manual

Allow the chain to cut for you. Exert
only light downward pressure. If you
force the cut, damage to the bar,
chain, or engine can result.
Release the throttle triggEer a s soon as
the cut is completed, allowing the en-
gine to idle. If you run the saw at full
throttle without a cutting load, unnec-
essary wear can occur to the chain,
bar, and engine.
To avoid losing control when cut is
complete, 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 felt white cutting
causing sedous injury. Do not cut near build-
ingsor electdcal wires if you do not know the
direction oftree fall, nor cut at night sinceyou
will not be ale to see well, nor during bad
weather such as rain, snow, or strongwinds,
etc. Ifthe tree makes contact with any utility
line, the utility company should be notified
immediately.
• Carefully planyour sawingoperation inad-
vance.
• Clear the workarea. You need a cleararea
all around the tree so you can have secure
footinlq..
• The c_ain saw operator should keep on
the uphill side of the terrain as the tree is
likelyto roll or slide downhill after it isfelled.
• Study the natural conditionsthat can cause
the tree to fall in a particulardirection.
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 forthe tree to
fall. Maintain a distance of 2-1/2 tree len s
_m theeeamst perasnc#atheY _s. _ths
ginenoisecan drown outa warning call
Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, naits, sta-
_eeS,and wire from the tree where cuts are to
made.
Plan a clear retreat path to the rear and diag-
onal to the line of fall.
_'Pe Plan a clear retreat path
_[----_-.,_- Direction of Fall
45° o_.
FELLING LARGE TREES
(6 inches in diameter or larger)
The notch method is used to fell large trees.
A notch iscut 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 to)p of the
notch first. Cut through 1/3of the diameter
ofthe tree. Next complete the notch by cut-
ting the bottom of the notch. See iltustra-
ban. Once the notch is cut remove the
notch of wood from the tree.
Final (felling) cut here. 2 in-
ches above center of notch.
! .... i
Notch "_ .
• 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 higher than the canter of
the notch. This will leave enough uncut
wood between the fellidg cutand the nofoh
to form a hinge. This hinge will help pre-
vent the tree fromfalling inthe wrong direc-
tion.
Hinge holds tree on stump and helps
control fall
Opening
of felling
cut
Closing of
notch
NOTE: Before felling cut is complete, use
wedges to open the cut if eecesse_/ to
control the direction offall. 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: c_ackfe9 sounds, widealn9 of the fall-
ing cut, or movement in the upper
branches.
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