Poulan 425 - Manual (Page 12)

e. 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 objects.
Engine noise can drown out a warning call,
f Remove dirt» stones, loose bark, nails, sta­
ples, and wire from the tree where cuts are
to be made.
g. Plan to stand on the up-hill side when cut­
ting on a slope. Figure 18 .
h. Plan a clear retreat path to the rear and di­
agonal to the line of fall. Figure 19 .
2. FELLING SMALL TREES—LESS THAN
6” IN DIAMETER
a. If you know the direction of fall:
1. ) Make a single felling cut on the side away
from the direction of fall.
2. ) Cut all the way through.
3. ) Stop the saw, put it down, and get away quick­
ly on your planned retreat path.
b. If you are not sure which way tree will fall, use
notch method described for felling large trees.
DO NOT CUT: ^WARNING
- near electrical wires or buildings.
-if you do not know the direction of tree fall,
-at night since you will not be able to see well,
-during bad weather — rain, snow, strong
wind, etc.
a.
3. FELLING LARGE TREES—6” Dia. Or More
The notch method is used to cut large trees. A notch
is cut on the side of the tree in desired direction of
fall. After a felling cut is made on the opposite side
of the tree, the tree will tend ro fall into the notch.
NOTE: If the tree has large buttress roots, remove
them before making the notch. Cut into the but­
tresses vertically, then horizontally. Figure 18 .
Make the notch cut. Figure 20 .
CUT 1; Cut the top of the notch first, through
1/3 of the diameter of the tree.
CUT 2: Complete the notch by making the se­
cond cut. Remove the notch of wood.
CUT 3: Make the felling cut on the opposite
side of the notch about 2” higher than the
bottom of the notch.
Make felling cmt on the opposite side of the notch
about 2” higher than the bottom of the notch.
Leave enough uncut wood between the felling
cut and the notch to form a hinge. Figure 21. b.
C-
A WARNING
Stay on the uphiU side of the terrain to avoid in­
jury from the tree rolling or sliding downhill af­
ter it is felled. Figure 18 .
NOTE: Before felling cut is complete, use wedges to
open the cut when necessary to control the direc­
tion of fall. Use wood or plastic wedges, but
never
steel or iron, to avoid kickback and chain daqipg^,
Cut
Buttress
Roots
Stay On Uphill Side Of
Tree When Felling
Figure 18 Figure 19
Figure 20
Opening Of
Felling Cut
Direction
Of Fall
Closing
Of Notch
Hinge Holds Tree On Stump And Controls Fall
Figure 21
Be alert to signs that the tree is ready to fall:
1. ) Cracking sounds.
2. ) Widening of the Felling Cut.
3. ) Movement in the upper branches.
As tree starts to fall,
stop saw, put it down, and
get away quickly on your planned retreat path.
Be extremely cautious with partially fallen trees
that may be poorly supported. When a tree
doesn't fall completely, set the saw aside and pull
down the tree with a cable winch, block and
tackle, or tractor. To avoid ipjury, do not cut
down a partially fallen tree with your saw.
NOTE; Thé hinge helps to keep the tree from twist­
ing and falling in the wrong direction,
g. Use a wedge if there is any chance that the tree
will not faU in the desired direction.
d.
e.
f.
DONT PUT YOURSELF IN THESE POSITIONS
Check the wind—
Don’t cut down wind
- 1 2 -
Check the lean—
Don’t cut on lean
side
Check the balance—
Don’t cut on weighted side