Felling The Tree - Echo CS-310 Instruction Manual

Direction of fall
45°
Retreat
Direction of fall
5 cm (2 in.)
First cut
Notch
Second cut
One-third tree diameter
1
3 m (10 feet)
Retreat
45°
Not this way
Hinge
Felling cut
5 cm (2 in.)
3
2

FELLING THE TREE

warning
A falling tree can seriously damage anything it may
hit - a car, a house, a fence, a power line, or another
tree. There are ways to make a tree fall where you
want it, so first decide where that is!
Before cutting, clear the area around the tree. You will
need good footing while working and you should be able
to work the saw without hitting any obstacles.Next, select
a path of retreat. When the tree begins to fall you should
retreat away from the direction of fall at a 45-degree an-
gle and at least 3 m (10 feet) from the trunk to avoid the
trunk kicking back over the stump.
Begin the cut on the side to which the tree is to fall. Cut
a notch about 1/3 of the way into the tree. The position of
this notch is important since the tree will try to fall "into"
the notch. The felling cut is made on the side opposite
the notch and at a level about 5 cm (2 in.) above the bot-
tom of the notch. Do not try to cut through to the notch
with the felling cut. The remaining wood between the
notch cut and felling cut about 5 cm (2 in.) will act as a
hinge when the tree falls, guiding it in the desired direc-
tion. When the tree starts to fall, stop the engine, place
the saw on the ground and make your retreat quickly.
To fell big trees with a diameter exceeding twice the bar
length, start the notching cuts from one side and draw
the saw through to the other side of the notch. Start the
back cut on one side of the tree, pivoting the saw through
to form the desired hinge on that side. Then remove the
saw for the second cut. Insert the saw in the first cut,
very carefully so as not to cause kickback. The final cut is
made by drawing the saw forward in the cut to reach the
hinge.
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CS-310