I am planning on cutting down a few trees in my backyard and I’ll rather not trust my life to a random Youtube video without some confirmation first. Notice how, with the second cut, he saws through the center of the tree with the tip of the chainsaw. I was always under the impression that you don’t cut with the tip like that? Then with the third cut he saws halfway through the remaining portion so he can have room to insert the wedge. Is that really as easy as it looks?
I will be doing this by myself probably next weekend, I’m just trying to make this as safe as possible. Is this the best way to make sure the tree will fall exactly where you want?
There’s nothing wrong with a plunge cut in the hands of a skilled operator. It’s not something that I would expect a novice to use, as kickback is a concern. And it’s tough for the novice to make that cut cleanly and level. With a sharp saw with sufficient power the cuts he demonstrates can be that easy, but most homeowner saws aren’t kept in top condition, nor are the operators as experienced.
You also should avoid doing lots of chainsaw work when you’re alone. A spotter is very handy, especially when felling. You can put a rope on trees and your spotter can put tension on to ensure the tree falls in the direction you want. 180’ing is very common and dangerous.
best to read a book or view video that are published for sale. this increases the chance of quality and safe information. if on youtube then ones produced by people who have stuff published for sale (saws, books, video, arborists, safety agencies).
if someone is putting tension on a tree they should do so out of the fall zone. this is often best and easiest done through redirecting the rope (with or as if a pulley).
i didn’t yet view video linked. if you make a series of cuts then you minimize the tip doing cutting.
Direction is controlled by the hinge - provided this is formed properly, the tree is constrained to fall only perpendicular to it.
That plunge cut is a good technique for a tree that is not obviously leaning in the direction you want it to fall. It avoids the possibility of the back cut closing and trapping the saw.
If your trees can be allowed to fall in the direction they lean, you don’t need to bother with this technique, which, though not “experts only”, is indeed one that calls for some practice.
I’ve cut small trees before. Never did the plunge cut. I notched the back and then did my other cut. Wedges are definitely needed. Rope with a guy pulling helps a lot too.
Watch out for the tree jumping off the stump unexpectedly. It can spear you very easily.
The last tree I did we used a rope on my truck. I cut the tree about 90% through. A little pressure on the rope pulled it down. I wasn’t even near the stump.
I wouldn’t tackle anything bigger than what the guy cut in the video. Call a pro for big trees or any tree leaning towards a bldg.
I recommend buying a pair of safety chaps. The new ones have kevlar strands in them that will stop the chain almost instantly. I bought a pair of chaps a few years ago. I wouldn’t cut firewood without them.
Thanks guys! I am usually a very safe person so don’t worry about me. To be honest I’m still undecided if I want to do this at all since I would have to do so alone. Maybe I’ll call around and get a few estimates first.
If personal safety is the issue you can probably do fine just reading up on it. If you are asking because the direction is important so you don’t damage property I’d highly recommend hiring someone. It’s a thing where practice matters.
I’ve chopped down many trees and am very confident that I can drop them in the right direction but when it comes to tree’s near houses I let the professionals do it.
Please don’t drop trees alone. Even if the other person isn’t a worker, at least have someone present in case of emergency and to keep watch over the worksite while you’re concentrating on the cut to spot hazards or wandering neighbors.
Do call and get estimates. Pros will spot many things you won’t - trees that aren’t going in the direction they initially appear to be from the ground, conditions that will cause it to pop off the stump, etc. Most of them actually love to talk about their job, so one quick joke about how they’ll be making easy money because this tree’s so easy to drop will probably get you a full rundown. When I used to cut trees customers used to do this pretty often - ask for a bid with no intention of hiring just to get advice. Some companies would get upset, but we accepted it as part of the job and tried to be as helpful as possible so you’d call our company when you had a job you couldn’t do on your own.
As I mentioned up above, felling trees solo is generally not a good idea. Having a spotter is just good practice, as well as having someone to call 911 while you are pinned under the tree.
Right, though it’s not always easy to tell what the tree’s balance is.
Far easier to have a helper; tie a rope to the tree well up in the tree, and have them pull the tree toward them (with a nice long rope, and enough sense to step well aside when the tree begins to fall). That assumes the tree is reasonably well balanced, or else already obviously leaning the direction you’re going to drop it.
Also, there’s a huge difference between cutting small trees and huge ones. It’s best to start with smaller trees, develop some judgement, and work up in size. I suggest you find a friend with experience.
Note that the bottom of a felled tree can move in difficult to predict ways, so the cutter wants to be clear to walk well away from the stump in the opposite direction.
One good thing is that (especially with the traditional back cut, starting from the back edge) the tree starts to fall quite slowly, and you have plenty of time, provided you planned your egress and the path is clear.
I’ve cut or helped my brother cut hundreds of trees on family woodland property over a 40 year span; mostly cedar (which are ridiculously easy to cut) and pine, but also maple, oak, and ash. It’s easy if you start small and work your way up. I wouldn’t want to start out trying to cut a 2’ diameter tree!
We call pros for any hardwoods over about 14", or cedars over say 20" diameter. We never get a saw any bigger than 16", which is a pretty small saw.
And I agree – do NOT do it alone. You say you’re a careful person, so we can rest assured you won’t. No careful person would. It would be right up there with scuba diving alone.
