Tree felling carries significant risk, often leading to serious injury or property damage if not executed with precision and planning. Over 100 fatalities occur annually from falling trees, many involving homeowners attempting the task without professional training. This guide provides an overview of the process, but for large, complex, or compromised trees, consulting a certified arborist remains the safest choice.
Planning the Fall and Hazard Assessment
Before any cut is made, a comprehensive assessment of the tree and its surroundings must be completed to ensure a controlled outcome. Begin by evaluating the tree’s natural lean, which is the direction the tree is biased to fall due to uneven weight distribution. The intended direction of fall should align as closely as possible with this natural lean for maximum control.
Walk the perimeter to identify all potential hazards that could be struck by the falling tree or its debris. This includes power lines, nearby structures, and ground obstructions like rocks or stumps that could cause the tree to kick back. Ensure all people and property are clear from an area at least twice the height of the tree. For instance, a 50-foot tree requires a clear zone of at least 100 feet.
Establish two clear escape routes approximately 45 degrees away from the planned direction of fall. These paths must be cleared of all tripping hazards, such as brush, rocks, or tools, because the operator needs to retreat immediately after the final cut. The “90-15-5 rule” highlights the urgency of a quick escape, stating that 90% of felling accidents happen within 15 seconds of the tree starting to move.
Inspect the tree for signs of decay, such as fungal conks, deep cracks, or excessive resin flow, which indicate internal rot and an unpredictable fall. Inexperienced operators should avoid trees with significant internal defects or a severe lean, as they are prone to “barber-chairing,” a dangerous vertical split of the trunk. Finally, check local municipal or homeowner association rules, as many areas require permits for tree removal.
Necessary Equipment and Personal Protection
Executing a safe felling operation requires specific tools and mandatory Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to mitigate inherent risks. The primary tool is the chainsaw, which should be appropriately sized for the tree; a minimum of 50cc displacement is recommended for medium to large trees. Before starting, ensure the saw’s safety features, including the chain brake, throttle lock, and chain catcher, are fully functional.
Felling wedges and a breaking bar are necessary for directional control and preventing the saw from getting pinched in the cut. Wedges are driven into the back cut to help push the tree over and keep the hinge intact until the fall is complete. For extra control on difficult trees, a rope or winch can be secured high on the trunk to assist in guiding the fall.
The operator’s first line of defense is the correct PPE, which is non-negotiable for chainsaw work. Head protection consists of a hard hat, preferably one with an integrated face shield to guard against falling branches and flying debris. Hearing protection, such as earplugs or earmuffs, is required to prevent noise-induced hearing loss.
Leg protection is particularly important, as nearly four out of five chainsaw injuries occur to the legs. Chainsaw chaps or pants are constructed with layers of cut-resistant material, such as ballistic nylon, designed to snag and stop the chain upon contact. Steel-toe boots with non-skid soles protect the feet from falling objects and provide stability.
Making the Felling Cuts
The standard method for controlling a tree’s fall is the three-cut technique, which creates a hinge to direct the tree’s descent. This process begins with the face notch, or directional cut, made on the side facing the intended landing zone. The notch consists of a top cut, angled downward at 45 to 70 degrees, and a horizontal bottom cut that meets the top cut to remove a wedge of wood.
The depth of the face notch should be between one-fifth and one-third of the tree’s diameter. The horizontal bottom cut must be perfectly level and perpendicular to the direction of fall, as this line dictates the exact point where the tree will begin to move. The goal of the notch is to allow the tree to fall smoothly without splitting prematurely, which is called “barber-chairing.”
The second cut is the back cut, made on the opposite side of the tree and parallel to the horizontal cut of the face notch. This cut should be positioned slightly higher, approximately one to two inches above the notch’s horizontal cut, to create a step. This step prevents the tree from kicking back off the stump. The space between the back cut and the apex of the notch forms the hinge wood.
The hinge is the most important part of the felling operation, acting as a mechanical pivot to guide the tree to the ground. The back cut is advanced toward the hinge but must stop before reaching the face notch to leave sufficient uncut wood. The hinge should be roughly 10 percent of the tree’s diameter, providing maximum control until the tree’s weight overcomes the remaining wood structure.
As the back cut nears completion, insert and tap a felling wedge to begin the felling action and prevent the saw bar from being pinched. Once the tree begins to move, immediately remove the saw, engage the chain brake, and retreat along the pre-planned 45-degree escape path. Continue to observe the tree’s descent while moving to ensure no debris or “widow-makers” (dead branches) fall toward the retreat route.
Processing the Downed Tree
Once the tree is safely on the ground, the next steps are limbing and bucking to prepare the material for transport or use. Limbing involves removing all branches from the trunk, done progressively from the butt end toward the top. Always stand on the opposite side of the trunk from the branch being cut, using the log as a barrier between the saw and your body.
Limbing presents a high risk of kickback, so the upper quadrant of the saw bar tip should never touch other branches or debris. A particular hazard is the “spring pole,” a branch or small tree bent and held under tension by the weight of the fallen trunk. Cutting a spring pole incorrectly can cause it to snap back violently toward the operator.
To safely manage a spring pole, make a series of shallow, controlled cuts on the compression side of the bend to gradually relieve the stored energy before completing the cut. Following limbing, the trunk is prepared for bucking, which is the process of cutting the log into manageable lengths. This step requires careful attention to where the trunk is supported, as this creates areas of tension and compression.
Logs resting on the ground at both ends will have compression on the top and tension on the bottom, which can cause the saw to pinch if cut from above. For this situation, make an undercut on the tension side (bottom) first, followed by the final cut from the compression side (top), ensuring the cuts align to prevent pinching. If the log is supported only in the middle, the tension and compression zones are reversed, requiring the top cut to be made first.