Tree Felling ... How ... And Why

This is the correct way---usually---to start a saw. The right foot is holding down the back handle and the left hand is holding down the front handle, so the saw is very firmly supported. the right hand pulls the starter cord straight out until the pawls catch. Then the cord is pulled straight out smartly. Don't let the cord drag against the side of the hole it comes out of---it will wear out the cord and the housing. Don't pull the cord so that the pawls engage with a jerk---that's needless abuse.

For most saws, the throttle is locked up to a fast idle, the choke set, and the cord pulled until the saw starts, then dies (as the mixture is still too rich. Then the choke is turned off and the cord pulled again, and the saw should be alive. Squeeze and release the throttle and the saw sould idle happily. (Some saws have primers that inject a bit of fuel, instead of, or in addition to, the choke. The starting rules for these may be a bit different.)

However, often the ground is covered with slash or snow or mud, and you can't very well set the saw down. Then try this:

The trick here is to grab the saw with the left hand at the 45° corner (or "Northwest" corner) of the front handle. The back handle is clamped between your legs. The starter cord is pulled straight out---the force of the pull is resisted by the side of your right thigh. Do NOT pull UP!

DON'T DROP START the saw! It must be supported to start safely and lessen the chance of injury to you or your saw. Make sure that the bar and chain are well clear of touching anything when you start!

Then...

Clear away any brush, limbs, or loose rocks from around the tree. You want to be able to see what's going on, and you don't want your your saw to get tangled in brush where it might get caught, kick, and hurt you. And also clear a path, angling off 45o from directly in back of the tree. This will be your escape route. When the tree starts falling, you will back away down this path. You don't want to trip at the wrong time! For instance, if you wish to put this tree on the ground directly away from yourself, you want to be able to back away along the green path to the left or the green path to the right. Clear both paths. (You certainly don't want to find yourself in the position of having to escape on the righthand path the way it is now.)

But...

Please don't do this! The chain saw is over the logger's head and he's unbalanced. One slip and he'll fall forward, allowing the bar tip to touch something and kick back, pulling the backhandle out of his right hand and forcing the tip of the bar into his mouth! (I had to get a logger out of the woods once after that had happpened -- I don't think you'd like it very much!)

Better...

It's better to hold the saw parallel to you when clearing limbs. That way, if the saw kicks it will go off to the side. away from you. Even better is to have the bar on the other side of the tree. And don't go so high! Notice, however, that this logger is wearing proper protective gear: boots, pants, gloves, and shirt with Kevlar to slow down the chain and, hopefully, cause any accidental cuts to be less serious. And a hard hat with face screen and ear protection is a must.

The undercut

You want to leave an uncut band of wood that will bend and, like a hinge, guide the tree to the ground. This is done by first cutting a "notch" or "undercut", or "face" on the tree on the side to which it will fall. Cut in one-quarter to one-third the diameter of the tree, and up from the ground where the swell of the butt stops and the tree begins a straight taper.

	It doesn't really matter what the shape of the undercut looks like, as long as the tree can fall through at least 45o before the undercut closes and the hinge breaks.
	Don't get fooled by cuts that don't meet! -- if one of your cuts doesn't exactly match the other, you will have created a small undercut that will close when the saw kerf closes, and the hinge will break far, far too early!

The backcut

Make the backcut, or felling cut, higher than the highest point of the hinge -- about 1" higher for each 10" of tree diameter. When the cut is deep enough, put a plastic wedge in the cut, behind the saw. Don't cut all the way through -- leave the uncut wood to bend and act as your hinge.

Thar she goes!

If the tree starts to fall, pull the saw out, set the chain brake, and back away down your 45^o path. If the saw gets stuck, the tree starts to go the wrong way, or whatever -- just leave the saw and retreat.

Wedging

Or maybe it doesn't go down. Don't keep cutting and destroy your hinge. Instead, take your saw out, and put in another wedge. Now alternately drive each wedge with a sledge hammer or the back of a single-bit axe. When the tree starts to fall, retreat.

The breaker bar

For trees with a diameter of less than a foot, the breaker bar (or "log breaker" or "felling lever") is superior. The downside is that it's made out of steel, and if you run your saw into it, your saw chain will be severely damaged, if not totally ruined. Here's a way that will not only work for a breaker bar, but will also work with a wedge where the tree is too small to get both a wedge and the chain saw bar in at the same time.

	The method is to cut the backcut only part way across, then remove your saw and insert a wedge or the breaker bar.
	Continue the cut from the other side. However, cut so that the tip of the bar is lower and cannot hit the breaker bar.
	When you have cut up to -- but not into -- the hinge, remove the saw and -- using your legs, not back -- pull up on the lever (or drive the wedges) until the tree starts to go. Then retreat.

But wait...

Before you go back to the tree, look up! Make sure that nothing is in the air, or hanging precariously on another tree, that will fall on you.

What if the tree wants to go the way you want it to?

Seems like that would be good ... But if it leans too hard in that direction, it will start falling before the hinge is thin enough to bend. Instead, it may split up the tree, which not only wastes wood. but can seriously injure you. Here's what to do.

What if the tree leans to one side?

If the hinge wood is good, you can send a tree up to 90^o to the left or right of the way it's leaning. Here's how to do that.

And, always watch for KICKBACK!

When you have a sharp chain, it can kick back on you. Know how to protect yourself!