Partner Tech P842 - Manual (Page 11)

11
S Keep the engine at full speed the entire
time you are cutting.
S Allow the chain to cut for you. Exert only
light downward pressure.
S Release the throttle trigger as soon as
the cut is completed, allowing the en-
gine to idle. If you run the saw at full
throttle without a cutting load, unneces-
sary wear can occur.
S To avoid losing control when cut is com-
plete, do not put pressure on saw at end
of cut.
S Stop the engine before setting the saw down.
TREE FELLING TECHNIQUES
WARNING
: Felling a tree requires
chain saw skills and experience. Inexperi-
enced users should not fell trees. Do not at-
tempt any task that makes you feel uncom-
fortable or unsure.
WARNING : Do not cut near buildings
or electrical wires if you do not know the di-
rection of tree fall, at night since you will not
be able to see well, or during bad weather
such as rain, snow, or strong winds. as fall is
unpredictable.
Carefully plan your sawing operation in ad-
vance. You need a clear area all around the
tree so you can have secure footing. Check
for broken or dead branches which can fall
on you causing serious injury.
Natural conditions that can cause a tree to
fall in a particular direction include:
S
The wind direction and speed.
S The lean of the tree. The lean of a tree
might not be apparent due to uneven or
sloping terrain. Use a plumb or level to de-
termine the direction of tree lean.
S Weight and branches on one side.
S Surrounding trees and obstacles.
Look for decay and rot. If the trunk is rotted,
it can snap and fall toward the operator.
Make sure there is enough room for the tree to
fall. Maintain a distance of 2-1/2 tree lengths
from the nearest person or other objects. En-
gine noise can drown out a warning call.
Remove dirt, stones, loose bark, nails, staples,
and wire from the tree where cuts are to be
made.
Direction of Fall
45_
Plan a clear retreat path
FELLING LARGE TREES
(15 cm in diameter or larger)
The notch method is used to fell large trees.
A notch is cut on the side of the tree in the de-
sired direction of fall. After a felling cut is
made on the opposite side of tree, the tree
will tend to fall into the notch.
NOTCH CUT AND FELLING THE
TREE
S Make notch cut by cutting the top of the
notch first. Cut through 1/3 of the diameter
of the tree. Next complete the notch by cut-
ting the bottom of the notch. See illustra-
tion. Once the notch is cut remove the
notch of wood from the tree.
Notch
First cut
Second cut
Final cut here. 5 cm above
center of notch.
5 cm
5 cm
S After removing the wood from the notch,
make the felling cut on the opposite side of
the notch. This is done by making a cut about
5 cm higher than the center of the notch.
This will leave enough uncut wood between
the felling cut and the notch to form a hinge.
This hinge will help prevent the tree from fall-
ing in the wrong direction.
Opening
of felling
cut
Closing
of notch
Hinge holds tree on stump and helps
control fall
NOTE : Before felling cut is complete, use
wedges to open the cut when necessary to
control the direction of fall. To avoid kickback
or chain damage, use wood or plastic
wedges, but never steel or iron wedges.
S
Be alert to signs that the tree is ready to fall:
cracking sounds, widening of the felling cut,
or movement in the upper branches.
S As tree starts to fall, stop saw, put it down,
and get away quickly on your planned re-
treat path.
S DO NOT cut down a partially fallen tree with
your saw. Be extremely cautious with par-
tially fallen trees that may be poorly sup-
ported. When a tree doesn’t fall completely,
set the saw aside and pull down the tree with
a cable winch, block and tackle, or tractor.
CUTTING A FALLEN TREE
(BUCKING)
Bucking is the term used for cutting a fallen
tree to the desired log length.
WARNING : Do not stand on the log
being cut. Any portion can roll causing loss
of footing and control. Do not stand downhill
of the log being cut.