Fell a Tree

Cutting down a tree may be necessary for safety reasons, including interference with power lines, dead wood and other hazards. Felling a large tree is very dangerous if not done correctly.

Below are some general tips, but consult with a professional if you have no experience felling trees.

Steps

Assemble the Gear

  1. Make sure you have all the tools you need listed in the Things You'll Need below.
  2. Use adequate protection. Felling a tree is a very dangerous activity. Dress in protective attire before starting the process.

Assess the Tree, Surroundings, and Hazards

  1. Assess the general condition of the tree. Look for dead branches, loose bark, cracks, or debris.
  2. Walk around the tree and note the following:
    • The direction it leans. Try hugging the tree and looking up to further assess.
    • Branch distribution
    • The height of the tree
    • Broken limbs in the canopy that can fall
    • The best place for a drop zone (should be free of people or anything that can be damaged)
    • Large branches from other trees touching or entangled with the tree you want to chop down. These will need to be removed from the adjacent tree.
  3. Examine the base of the tree.
    • Look for signs of root instability including: cow pie fungus, other uprooted trees, roots near a river or lake.
  4. Other considerations:
    • Wind direction
    • Whether or not the drop zone is level.
  5. Make an escape route.
    • Clear a path at least {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} from the stump. Your exit should be at a 45 degree angle from the sides and back of the tree. Go behind another tree for protection, if possible.

The Cutting Process

  1. Clear out a workspace.
  2. Sound the tree.
    • Hit the tree with your falling axe to determine the soundness of the wood. Sharp 'thonks' or cracks indicate live wood, while dead wood sounds hollow or muted. Sound at several spots all around the tree and at different heights.
  3. Determine the lay.
    • The lay is where the tree is going to drop or fall.
    • Select a direction that is as close to the tree's natural lean as possible, while avoiding getting the tree stuck in the branches of another tree.
    • Pick your lay, or drop zone, being thoughtful of what the tree will do when it lands. Uneven ground can cause a tree to roll, break, bounce, kick back at you, or explode.
  4. Make the first cut, the horizontal cut.
    • The first cut is horizontal and determines the depth of the Face Cut, along with the direction of the fall. Make it no higher than hip height.
    • The horizontal cut should be no deeper than 1/3rd the width of the tree. The straight line of wood inside the cut is the front of the holding wood. The tree will fall perpendicular to this line.
    • Most professional saws have "gunner sights", a line that points perpendicular to the edge of the saw. When the gunner sights are pointing in the direction of fall, pick a point as reference for later.
  5. Make the wedge cut.
    • The wedge cut finishes the face cut by cutting a wedge out of the tree.
    • The horizontal cut should be 3" above the acute angle created by the first cut. This will prevent or reduce the chance of kick back.
    • The piece of wood that comes out of the tree should look like an orange slice.
    • The face cut can be made from the bottom or the top of the first cut. Face cuts that open down are known as a Humboldt cut, used to get the most wood out of a tree.
      • An easy way to make your cuts match up is to place a stick in the off-side of your horizontal cut, causing it to stick out a little.
      • Start a cut on your side of the tree, lining up the bottom of your cut with that side of the horizontal cut. You can project your cuts path by looking down the bar.
      • Stop cutting and peek down your bar to see if you are lined up with the stick on the other side. Adjust as needed.
  6. Make the back cut.
    • Determine how thick you want your holding wood (the "hinge" with which the tree will fall) to be based on the lean, depth of face cut, and the size of tree. The safest way is to maintain the maximum thickness of wood and still have the tree fall.
    • Holding wood should have an even width in most cases. Differences in thickness on each side can be used to twist a tree into "directional falling" which is a technique beyond the scope of this article.
    • Make a mark on your side of the tree where you want your Back Cut to stop, determining the width of the Holding Wood. The Back Cut should be a horizontal cut least {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} above your Horizontal Cut.
    • Start the cut on the back of the tree and bring the saw around toward the holding wood.
    • Bring the edge of the cut on your side to your mark and pivot on this point, cutting. As soon as you have space, place a wedge cut to discourage the tree from sitting back on your saw.
    • Continue cutting until your gunner sights are even with the spot you picked on the Horizontal Cut — indicating the holding wood is even on both sides — or the tree starts to move! As you do the Back Cut, keep looking up at top of tree and at the kerf of your back cut.
    • Tap in wedges or add additional wedges as the Back Cut progresses. Constantly look for signs the tree is moving in any direction and be ready to act based on where the tree may be going.
  7. Use your escape route to escape the falling tree.
    • As soon as the tree shows signs it is going over, use your escape route. Never turn your back on the tree. Look out for broken branches in surrounding trees.



Tips

  • You can rent chainsaws at heavy equipment rental companies.
  • Check with your local city ordinance board for local rules regarding the felling of trees on your property.

Warnings

  • More people are killed while felling trees than during any other logging activity.
  • Beware of Chainsaw Kickback. Chainsaw Kickback is when the nose of the bar catches the wood but does not cut it. This can throw the bar of the saw (with a moving chain) backwards or upwards in your direction.
  • Felling trees is very, very dangerous. Only properly trained people should fell trees.

Things You'll Need

  • A chainsaw with the appropriate power and bar length, a sharp chain, and a full gas/oil tank.
  • Ladder
  • Rope
  • Wedges
  • Falling axe
  • Extra gas, tools to fix your saw, and files
  • Protection
    • A quality hard hat
    • Eye and ear protection
    • Foot protection (like steel toe boots)
    • Kevlar leg coverings
    • Quality working gloves.
  • Medical supplies to treat bleeding, broken bones and crushing injuries.
  • A safety-first attitude
  • A partner

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