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10
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Keep thechain outof dirtand sand. Even a
small amount of dirt will quickly dull achain
and thus increase the possibility of kick-
back.
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Practice cutting a few small logs using the
following techniques to get the “feel” of us-
ing your saw before you begin a major
sawing operation.
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Squeeze the throttle trigger and allow
the engine to reach full speed before
cutting.
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Begin cutting with the saw frame
against the log.
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Keep the engine at full speed the en-
tire time you are cutting.
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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.
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Release the throttle trigger as 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. It is recommended
that the engine not be operated for
longer than 30 seconds at full
throttle.
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To avoid losing control when cut is
complete, do not put pressure on saw
at end of cut.
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Stop the engine before setting the saw
down after cutting.
TREE FELLING TECHNIQUES
WARNING:
Check for broken or
dead branches which can fall while cutting
causing serious injury. Donot cut nearbuild-
ings or electrical wires if you do not knowthe
direction of tree fall, norcut atnight sinceyou
will not be ale to see well, nor during bad
weather such asrain, snow,or strong winds,
etc.
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Carefully plan yoursawingoperation inad-
vance.
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Cleartheworkarea. You needacleararea
all around the tree so you can have secure
footing.
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Study the natural conditions that can
cause the tree to fall in a particular direc-
tion.
Natural conditions that can cause a tree to
fall in a particular direction include:
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The w ind direction and speed.
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The lean of the tree. The lean of a tree
might not be apparent due to uneven or
sloping terrain. Useaplumb or level to de-
termine the direction of tree lean.
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Weight and branches on one side.
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Surrounding trees and obstacles.
Look for decay and rot. If the trunk is rotted,
it can s nap and fall toward the operator.
Check for broken or dead branches which
can fall on you while cutting.
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 ob-
jects. Engine noise can drown out a warning
call.
Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, sta-
ples, and wire from the tree wherecuts areto
be made.
Plan a clear retreat path to the rear anddiag-
onal to the l ine of fall.
Direction of Fall
45
_
Plan a clear retreat path
FELLING LARGE TREES
(6 inches in diameter or larger)
The notch method is used to fell large trees.
Anotch is cut onthe side ofthe 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.
NOTCH CUT AND FELLING THE
TREE
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Make notch cut by cutting the top of the
notch first. Cut through
1/3
of the diameter
ofthe tree. Nextcomplete 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.
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After removing the cutout of wood, make
the felling cut on the opposite side of the
notch. This i s done by making a cut about
two inches higher than the center of the
notch. This will leave enough uncut wood
between the felling cut and the notch to
form a hinge. This hinge will hel p prevent
the tree from falling in the wrong direction.
Notch
First cut
Second cut
Final (felling) cut here. 2 inches
above center of notch.
Hinge