How to cut the tree in the right direction

But we still advise to look at how professionals do it!

But if you do decide to fell the tree yourself, the algorithm of actions should be as follows

First prepare the tree for felling. Remove unnecessary items from the trunk, cut off lower branches, so they do not interfere with work. On the fall side of the tree to a depth of ¼ of the trunk make a slit from top to bottom at an angle of about 45 degrees. Then we cut it horizontally, and then we get a wedge-shaped cut. The next undercut is made from the side opposite to the fall. Specialists call it the felling cut. It is positioned a few centimeters above the felling as a wedge.

How to Safely Notch a Tree for Direct Felling

Back in the early days of my career as a gardener, I bought a 40 meter long rope at the market. It seemed to be a piece of climbing equipment. Before felling the tree at the highest possible height I tie the rope to the trunk. I do it from the extension ladder. If possible, I lift the loop of the rope with a light pole as high as possible. It is desirable that someone helps you while doing this, supporting the rope on the trunk with a light tension, otherwise the loop may slip down.

The other end of the rope I pull in the direction of the intended fall of the plant. While sawing the trunk the free part of the rope can be held by an assistant, and if you work alone, tie it to another tree, stump, peg or other object. The length of the rope must be at least twice the height of the tree. The free end has to be outside the fallen tree.

Make the felling cut very carefully, don’t miss the moment when the tree starts to move. Before reaching the wedge-shaped cut about a tenth of the trunk diameter, take the saw out and pull the free end of the rope in the direction of the fall of the tree. I repeat, you must keep a safe distance from the tree. I personally tried the described method of felling, but the diameter of the tree at the butt did not exceed thirty centimeters. I think for bigger and stronger trees you need a professional to do the felling.

That’s it, the main difficulty is over. We clean the trunk from the branches with the saw and axe, we saw it depending on its purpose: on the poles or on the logs.

The main thing is to be extremely careful and cautious, then you will succeed.

How to properly cut a tree in the right direction

Trim the lower branches to clear a path, to clean the garden of unwanted branches or to prepare the tree for sawing.

• Use it as a support and cover.
• Make sure the bar is between you and the chain saw and that it stays on your right or left side depending on the position of the branch
• Hold the chainsaw firmly and stand upright with your feet slightly apart.
• Try to take the chain saw’s weight on the branch. it’s less strenuous and you don’t put extra pressure on your back.

Make the felling notch on the side of the fall direction of the tree. The felling notch should be made from top to bottom at a 45° angle to the trunk.

The depth of undercut should correspond to 1/4 of the trunk diameter.

Complete the felling notch by sawing parallel to the ground.

4. On the opposite side of the tree make a 2 cm cut above the lower plane of the felling notch to avoid clamping the chain saw. Leave some distance between your cut and the felling notch.

To cut the tree in the desired direction, use wedges as leverage.

Make a crackling sound before the tree falls. For your safety, lay the chainsaw on the ground and move at least 5 meters away; the tree will fall by itself.

Carefully inspect the tree to make sure the trunk is stable. Using the lever, try to roll the trunk over so that it fully rests on the ground. If necessary, wedge the trunk in.

Saw branches off in the same way you would prune a standing tree. Hold the chainsaw firmly and stand up straight, with your feet slightly apart. Try to put the chain saw’s weight on the branch, it is less strenuous and you don’t put extra pressure on your back.

Saw about 1/3 of the tree diameter (A) and finish the cut on the opposite side (B), making sure both sides of the tree are level.

How to fell the tree in the right direction?

As any professional knows, felling large and young trees is a completely different job. To bring a tree down, you need to consider the nuances in both situations.

How to fell trees in the right direction?

A size equal to half the diameter of the tree is required. It can be done from the slant side, or from any other side you want to “put” a massive tree;

Making an incision on the opposite side with subsequent felling;

When encountering large trees, it is necessary to make a sloping top cut. You must consider the angle of the cut. 60 degrees. When undercutting the trunk part, 1/4 of the diameter is sufficient;

It is necessary to make the bottom cut of the felling notch in a horizontal form. Undercut converges with the top cut. Thus, we will have a side log cabin;

Move on to the second horizontal undercut (it is higher than the previous one). Felling is done strictly from the other side;

A wedge needs to be inserted in the 2nd notch. Once the felling cut is complete, use the spade and cut the tree.

The best time for such work is between November and December. In these months there is not a lot of snow, but the ground is already frozen. When working with a chainsaw, hold it strictly with both hands, without leaning on the wood with the other hand!

How to fell a tree if there are houses nearby?

If you are a beginner, it is not recommended to perform tree felling work (especially large ones) near the nearest houses. There are many factors related to this particular tree felling.

The slope of the trunk part should not be allowed less than 45 degrees;

The plant will have both a thin and high trunk;

There can be rotten areas, cracks, cavities which can be seen visually.

If near the tree there are a lot of houses, utilities, communications, then we will have very little space for work (otherwise you can hit something). That’s why experts prefer to fell a tree in pieces under such circumstances. That is, the element is cut down, suspended, then lowered. Without special equipment and professionalism such work should not be performed! The downing of the felled parts of the tree is done with the help of other trees located nearby. they are needed to tie the fragments of the tree.

What to do with the stump?

For its elimination, as a rule, rooting is used. This way you can get rid of the stump without “digging up” the soil and leave a level ground surface. To spend less time and effort felling trees it is recommended to chop up the roots. The procedure is performed at an angle and strictly in the direction of the root’s growth. To dig up roots quickly, use a shovel. But the visible part of the roots should be stripped of the bark. It is desirable to knock down the soil, otherwise it will be difficult to work with an axe, because it will blunt.

Today it is very rare to use a classic saw, an axe to carry out such work. Since you can fell trees much faster with electric equipment. When you have a short time it’s a good idea to call in a professional. Because to perform the work promptly and as effectively as possible is possible only with special equipment and skills to work with such equipment.

Take precautions

Working on a tree, especially a big one, has its own risks. You can’t eliminate them completely, but you can reduce them by knowing the safety precautions:

Special clothing, safety shoes, special gloves and a hard hat will be needed;

Before working with tools, make sure there are no breaks in them, that they will not shut down at the most inopportune moment;

Some equipment is not designed for prolonged work without interruption;

The wind may change the trajectory of a falling trunk. That is why it is a good idea to perform the work under calm weather conditions.

Make sure nothing obstructs the movement around the trunk. The working space should be cleaned, remove all unnecessary growth. It is not recommended to work in gusty winds.

Now move the saw to the opposite side of the branch and position it so there is a distance of several centimeters between the lower cut and the future upper cut. Start cutting at a slight angle, gradually moving toward the center of the branch. That way the branch falls freely under its own weight, leaving a stepped “stump” and without damaging the bark.

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Make the felling notch

Now it’s time to take the saw out. Make the felling cut just above the undercut, parallel to the ground. The cut is made almost to the middle of the trunk, but without touching the core. This safety rule allows you to determine the tree’s falling path. With its heartwood intact, the tree will hold, and you fell it carefully. Otherwise it will fall where it “wants” to.

If you hear the wood crackle, immediately move away to the opposite side of the tree!

At the end of the felling notch you can drive a wedge, cut from the driftwood undercut, into the gap. This will make it easier to work.

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The wood is cut. the fines are flying

For felled trees you can face administrative liability and a fine. from 3-4 thousand for citizens and up to 300 thousand for legal entities. And if you saw a lot and even mature trees of especially valuable species, there is a chance to face the Penal Code and go to a few years of “advanced training courses for loggers.

Even a tree planted by your grandfather on your property does not belong to you

Don’t be so quick to turn a blind eye: a birch or an old maple tree planted by your grandfather under your window or on your property doesn’t automatically become your property and you can do with it as you please. Nor should we be outraged by the domestic bureaucrats: green spaces are protected under the laws of many countries. For instance, in Germany you can be fined up to 50,000 Euros for cutting down a tree. And if you look at the situation without prejudice, it is probably right: you can not easily dispose of someone else’s life just because it bothers you or because chainsaws are freely available in stores. Even if it is only the life of a tree.

Sometimes trees pose a real danger. it’s better to prevent it in advance

Although, of course, situations are different: the trees on the site can threaten the buildings or power lines, to grow in the place where you have designated a construction site, to interfere with the cultivation of cultivated plants. But there are very few reasons why a tree can be unnecessary! And clearing an area of trees is possible. And legal obstacles serve as a “brake”, which will make the landowner think about the fact that he should not immediately bravely pull the starter chain saw. It may be worth trying to save an old tree that is sick; from a healthy tree. trim only the interfering branches; differently plan the construction. A rather tall but still young tree you can try to transplant to a place where it won’t interfere with your plans.

Ignorance of the law is no excuse

The Civil Code says in regard to the right to own property in the form of a land plot: “The owner of a land plot has the right to use at his discretion anything that is above and below the surface of that plot. “. However the end of the phrase sounds like this: “unless otherwise stipulated by the laws on subsoil, on the use of airspace, other laws and does not violate the rights of other persons” (Art. 261, п. 3 OF THE CIVIL CODE ).

• Article 260 of the Criminal Code “Illegal cutting of forest plantations;

• The federal law “On environmental protection” of 10.06.2011.01.2002-FZ;
• Code of Administrative Offences (CAO), art. 8.25-8.28;
• Order of the Federal Forestry Agency of 5.12.2011 г. 13 “On Approval of the List of Species (Species) of Trees and Shrubs Whose Timber is Not Allowed to be Harvested”;
• Forest Code

Ignorance of the law does not exempt from liability And finally: large solitary trees may turn out to be geodesic landmarks and be recorded and plotted on a variety of maps from cadastral engineering to military. Therefore, before you cut down trees and shrubs on your property, you need to apply for permission from the environmental department of the district administration. In the statement should specify the reason for the need to remove the tree or trees, the approximate size (diameter of the trunk at a height of about 1 m), the breed.

Of course, in many areas, especially remote from the capitals, many people have never heard of any permits to remove vegetation from their own land. But do not hope that if your matchmaker, a neighbor or acquaintance 10 years ago, without any problems cut down a tree, no one asked, and he for this was nothing, then with you to happen exactly the same. Everything is changing, including the laws. In the last decade, the Environmental Police, a special unit within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, has begun to operate in some regions. And there are enough of vigilant comrades, driven by thoughts of environmental protection or how to harm their neighbors, everywhere.

If there are no special strictures with trees in your area, the administration of the settlement will simply give you a written permit, which will protect you from environmentally wary neighbor. And if everything is serious, a specialist will go to the place, who will assess the trees you do not need and the real need to remove them. He draws his conclusions, on the basis of which you get (or not) a felling ticket, paying the appropriate fee.

And yes: if you plan to use the services of professional sawyers, they will start their work only after you have received permits. Separately, it is worth mentioning that if a tree bothers you but is not growing on your land (on municipal land or behind a neighbor’s fence, for example), the owner must get permission to remove it.

The owner of the tree must obtain a demolition permit

The main difficulty in cutting down tall plants on your plot is the large amount of green mass and the bizarre shape of the intertwined branches. The deciduous crown is evenly distributed, which makes it difficult to correctly calculate the fall of the trunk. For this reason you should choose weather without wind and rain, but in the fall when there are almost no leaves.

Start removing branches from the bottom, so they will fall to the ground without clinging to the lower tier.

Felling and sawing techniques

So let’s find out how to cut down a tree with a chainsaw correctly?

Preparatory work

Beforehand, assess the condition of the chainsaw: check the gasoline and oil level, make sure the tool is in full working order. Prepare everything you need for the job.

Before you start working with the tree, you need to assess all the working factors:

• Whether the tree is upright, or tilted;
• Determine which way you need to fell the tree;
• Clean the work area (remove unnecessary items, cut down overhanging branches, twigs, bushes, etc.);. Make sure the tree is upright and level. д.);
• Prepare the tree: Remove root bumps, branches and limbs below the shoulder.

Tip: To correctly fell a tree, you need to take the axe in your hands and put it parallel to the tree on your outstretched hand. Now hold that position towards the fall until the tree is the visual size of your axe. You are now standing on the spot where the top will lie. If there are no obstacles in your path, your choice of side of the felling tree is correct. And, if there were still obstacles, try to remove them, or choose a different angle of fall.

Choice of tool

The key factor in choosing a chainsaw is the size of the bar. Choice of bar length and chainsaw power depends on the diameter of the trunk.

The chainsaw should be chosen for the job, taking into account the peculiarities of the tree

A thin trunk (up to 35 cm in diameter) and a medium trunk (between 35 and 65 cm in diameter) can easily be cut with a chainsaw with a guide bar length of 40 cm. For trunks with a diameter larger than 65 cm, we recommend using a more powerful chainsaw with a bar length of at least 45 cm.