Felling a Tree

(Page 4 of 4)

October/November 2005
By Malcolm Margolin 
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It is possible that the hinge will get thinner and thinner, but the tree will give no indication of which way it is heading because it is balanced on the hinge. It may fall one way or the other; or with no hinge to guide it, the tree may slide off the stump and kick out at you. When you notice this happening, stop sawing and use ropes, a pushing stick or wedges to get the tree down.

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If the tree does not fall completely, but instead gets caught in the branches of another tree, there is only one safe way to dislodge it-wrap a cable around the butt end and use a winch, come-along or truck to pull it free. Or just leave it in place, and do not try to cut it down. Eventually the weight of the tree or wind may dislodge it; until then, avoid walking under the tree.

Always take your time and think through each step. You can minimize injury by paying careful attention and stopping if you are tired or confused. With practice and patience, you can learn to fell a tree safely.

Adapted from The Earth Manual: How to Work on Wild Land Without Taming It by Malcolm Margolin, 1975. Used by permission of Heyday Books, Berkeley, Calif.

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  • Bill Ross 1/1/2009 8:22:49 PM

    I have cut many trees but I recently cut one and it began to fall in the wrong direction, threatening some power lines. I called the power company who came out and cut every tree that could conceivable fall onto a power line for free!

  • James Meisner 5/21/2007 12:00:00 AM

    Having felled hundreds of trees, I know first hand that even
    professional tree fallers occasionally have difficulty forcing
    trees to fall a certain direction if the weight of the tree (and/or
    the wind) is pulling it in another. Look at the tree from all
    angles to determine which way gravity is likely to pull it once you
    start cutting. Be aware of wind strength and direction. If you have
    room, allow the tree to fall where nature wants it to and make your
    cuts accordingly. Inexperienced tree fallers have been killed
    trying to defy gravity to get a tree to fall in an unatural
    direction. Large trees weigh several tons and will snap guide ropes
    and ignore wedges and hinges if gravity (and wind) have any say in
    the matter. Be careful. Keep glancing up at the top of the tree
    while sawing for any indication of which direction the tree is
    falling. Waiting to hear crack means the tree is falling and it may
    be too late. Use your eyes and your brains. Park your truck outside
    the radius of tree height or risk making an akward calim to your
    insurance company.Inexperienced fallers need to take care not to
    cut the wedge too deep into the trunk or the tree is likely to fall
    180-degrees from where you wanted it to.Be careful...

  • PETER Schaible 1/3/2006 12:00:00 AM

    Tnank you for such timely tip. Here on Cape Cod, we are still
    cleaning up after an unexpected Nor'easter three weeks ago that
    damanged literally thousands of trees, toppling many of them.It's
    worth noting that whether using a chain saw or a bow saw, one needs
    to make that first 45 degree wedge cut slowly and gradually,
    cutting first a little of the top of the angle, then removing the
    saw and cutting a little of the bottom of the angle, and repeating
    this until the wedge cut is complete. Otherwise, you risk getting
    the blade of the saw wedged into the sagging tree -- almost
    impossible to remove! -- Peter

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