Before you fire up the chainsaw, it’s important to know what you need to do to cut down a tree with a chainsaw and how much to cut down a tree!
In this simple guide, you will find all there is to possibly learn about cutting down trees using a chainsaw. We have carefully prepared this guide for everyone, we have coved aspects like the pre-preparation required, what types of trees should you cut down, the method you can use and how much to cut down a tree.
All in all, it is a very well-comprehensive and informative guide for anyone with questions regarding the tree cutting down process using a chainsaw.
When to Cut Down a Tree
Now you might be learning how to cut down a tree for various reasons, you might want to remove the old tree in your backyard or need wood for a do-it-yourself home improvement project.
We all know that trees are important for a healthy environment and shouldn’t be cut down unnecessarily. That being said, it doesn’t mean you can’t cut trees at all.
In fact, some trees need to be cut down for multiple reasons and we will share them with you in this guide. Once you learn all the reasons a tree needs to be cut down, you can look for a tree that matches the criteria and cut it down for its wood. It’s literally all that simple!
Let’s look at all the factors when a tree needs to be cut down:
– Fungus Growth
When fungus starts grown at the bottom of the tree it is an indicator that the tree is slowly dying and should be cut down. To identify a tree with fungus you can look for mushrooms growing at the bottom of the tree, the rapid growth of fungus seen on the trunk and along the paths of the roots.
If this is the case, then the tree is struggling to survive and can be cut down using a chainsaw. We will explore later how much to cut down a tree later in this guide.
– Trunk Condition
By just looking at a tree’s trunk you can tell a lot about the health of the trees. If the trunk is cracked, sounds hollow once you knock it or if the bark is falling off then that’s an indicator that it might be dying.
The trunk of a tree is one of the crucial indicators of a tree’s health, and if the trunk is weak then it might suddenly collapse which means it can be cut down because it might fall on its own.
– Rooting Rots
How do you tell if the roots are rotting? Hole and dips start appearing around the tree or rapid mushroom growth can be seen over the dead roots.
Even though roots are below the ground and can’t be seen it can cause a huge problem because once the roots start disintegrating the tree becomes unstable and can fall at any time.
If the tree you want to cut down is in your backyard and the roots are rotting cutting it down immediately is the way to go about it.
These are some of the reasons a tree needs to be cut down. Now if you are cutting down a tree for a home improvement project or some firewood, instead of cutting down a perfectly healthy tree you should look for a tree that is unhealthy by determining its health by the above-mentioned indicators.
Once you have found yourself a tree to cut, you can move on to the next steps, keep reading!
How Much to Cut Down a Tree?
One of the major confusions when it comes to cutting down a tree is how much to cut down a tree. Well, in all honesty, there is no exact measurement we can recommend because the truth is there isn’t any.
What really matters the method used to cut down a tree. Cutting a tree is not an easy task, even if you have a power-tool like a chainsaw by your side.
A chainsaw is a complicated power-tool and needs to be learned how to use. In this guide, we will teach you how to cut down a tree using a chainsaw in a few simple steps.
How to Cut Down a Tree?
Step 1: Deciding the Fall Zone
Cutting trees is a risky business! Before you cut it down, you need to take all the safety measures. The first thing you need to make sure is that the tree you are about to cut is in a place where it won’t damage anything around it once it falls.
Therefore, when you are preparing to cut a tree using a chainsaw take a look at the vicinity thoroughly and decide which direction the tree can fall safely. Depending on which direction is the best fit for the “fall-zone” you can move on to the next step.
Step 2: Cutting Lower Branches
If the tree has low branches you can easily cut, you should cut those using a chainsaw before cutting the entire tree. Cutting the branches is a good idea because it will give you more space to cut the whole tree down and it will also eliminate any snapping would that could fly back in your direction.
Just make sure you don’t chop any branches that are higher than your shoulder because it is a recipe for disasters.
Only chop off the lower branches that are lower your shoulders length as you will have more control and will not cause any injuries.
Step 3: Cutting a Tree Using a Chainsaw
There are three methods to cut down a tree using a chainsaw. Each method has one thing in common, each method requires three cuts to be made which is called a notch.
There is no wrong method, in fact, it’s actually a matter of personal preference. The results will be the same. You can pick a method that you think will be easier to execute.
Face Cuts
The first two cuts you make using a chainsaw to cut a tree are called the face cuts. They are called face cuts they face you and it is also the direction you would want the tree to fall in.
To make a face cut, a comfortable height would be 24 inches from the ground and the depth of the cut would be 20 to 25% of the tree’s trunk’s diameter.
This also answers the question of how much to cut down a tree, as you will be cutting 24 inches above the ground, we can conclude that only 24 inches of the tree’s trunk can be left behind.
Depending on if you are right-handed, make the cuts on the right-side and if you are left-handed, make the cuts on the left side.
The Three Types of Face Cuts
- Conventional
Two face cuts make a notch, and a conventional notch is when a cut is made at a 45-degrees angle. The top face cut is angled-downward and the bottom cut is flat.
- Open-Faced
This is basically a wider cut and is at 90-degrees. However, it can be at 70-degrees as well. If the tree is huge, then a 90-degrees angle is the way to go about it.
- Humbolt Notch
Here we do the reverse of the conventional-notch. The top cut is flat, while the bottom cut is at a 45-degrees angle in an upwards direction.
Step 4: Back Cut
Now that you have learned how to make the face cuts, we move onto the last cut which is called the back cut. This is the cut that will disconnect the tree from its stump and create a hinge for the tree to fall.
The back cut should be 10% of the tree’s trunk’s diameter. You will have to stop the chainsaw once you see that you are only a few inches away from the notch created before.
When it comes to making the back-cut, it is on the opposite side of the face-notch, while the height depends on the type of notch you chose before.
- Conventional
The back cut for a conventional notch needs to be 1-inch from above the bottom cut.
- Open-Faced
The back cut has to be made at the same height as the face-notch.
- Humbolt Notch
The back will have to be 1-inch above the top cut.
When you are done making the cuts, the tree will start falling down and if it doesn’t you can use a wedge to help it fall. Once the tree starts to fall, you will have to move away quickly to keep yourself from any possible accidents.
Final Thoughts
We hope that this guide was helpful and you learned how much to cut down a tree using a chainsaw. If you follow the steps, we have mentioned in this guide on how to cut a tree with the help of a chainsaw you will be able to cut it down in no time.
Just make sure you don’t miss out on any of the steps and also make sure that you have your protective gear on when you step into the field to chop the tree.
