Felling Large Trees - Poulan Pro 2055 Instruction Manual

the cut, dam age to the bar, chain, or en-
gine can result.
• Release the throttJetriggeeras soon as
the cut is completed, allowing the en-
gine to idle. If you run the saw at full
throttle without a cutting _oad,unneces-
sary wear can occur to the chain, bar,
and engine.
• To avoid losing controlwhen cut is com_
plete,do not put pressureon saw at end
of cut.
• Stop the engine before setting the saw
down after cutting.
TREE FELLING TECHNIQUES
_I_WARNING: Check for broken or
dead branches which can fall whi_e cutting
causing serious in ury. Do not cut near build-
ings or electrical wires if you do not know the
direction of tree fall, norcut 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
_ine, the utility company should be notified
immediately.
• Carefully plan your sawing operation in ad-
vance.
• Cleartheworkarea. Youneedacleararea
all around thetree SOyou can have secure
footing.
• The chain saw operator should keep on
the uphil_ side of the terrain as the tree is
likely toroll or slide downhill after it is felled.
• Study the naturalconditions th_ 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 operato£
Check for broken or dead branches which
can fall on you whi_e cutting.
Make sure there is enough room for the tree
to fall. Maintain a distance of 2-1/2 tree
_engthsfrom the nearest personor other o1>
jects. Engine noise can drown out a warning
call.
Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, sta-
ples, and wire from the tree where cuts are to
be made.
Plan a clear retreat pathto the rear and diag*
onat to the line of fall.
Plan a clear retreat path
;t*"" "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 inthe 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 preventdulF
ing of the chain.
NOTCH CUT AND FELLING THE
TREE
• Make notch cut by cutting the top of the
notch first. Cut through 1/3of the diameter
of the tree. Next complete the notch bycut*
ting the bottom of the notch. See illustra-
tion. Once the notch is cut remove the
notch of wood from the tree.
Final (feIling) cut here, 2 inches
(5 cm) above center of notch.
First cut _'1 "_,'::<1-'2'I I/
Notch ... Ji-"
•7 Hinge
• After removing the wood from the notch,
make the felling cut on the opposite side of
the notch.This is done by making a cutabout
two inches 5 cm) higher than the center of
the netch. Th sw eave enough uncutwced
betweenthe felling cut and the notch to form
a hinge. This hinge will help preventthe tree
from falling in the wrong direction.
Hinge holds tree on stump and helps
control fall
Opening
of fel_ing
Closing of
notch
NOTE: Before felling cut is complete, use
wedges to open the cut if necessary to
control 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 felF
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.
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