Echo CS-352 - Manual (Page 21)

21 CS-352
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-de-
gree angle 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 op-
posite the notch and at a level about 5 cm (2 in.) above
the bottom 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 di-
rection. When the tree starts to fall, kill 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.
Direction of fall
45°
45°
Not this way
Retreat
Retreat
3 m (10 feet)
Felling cut
Hinge
Direction of fall
First cut
Notch
Second cut
One-third tree diameter
5 cm (2 in.)
5 cm (2 in.)
1
2
3