Quoted By:
falling is all about leaving an accurate hinge. the hinge is the strip of wood that is left uncut in the middle of the tree and it gives the direction of the fall and prevents the tree from falling sideways or from rotating
first you make a notch (undercut) in the direction of the fall with one horizontal cut and one at an angle, from above or from below.
it is important that these two cuts meet precisely so the tree can freely swing at the hinge, to achieve this there are no particular tricks and you just need to have good control of the chainsaw and make accurate cuts. if the two cuts do not meet well the tree can take a wrong turn
when i started falling big trees i would draw two lines with the tip of the chainsaw to avoid error, that's a good thing to do if you are unsure and many professionals do it too. if they still do not meet well after you've made them take your time and adjust, your undercut must be perfect
when the undercut is done you start cutting the back of the tree. here too you need to have good control of the saw, you need to know at all times where the tip of your bar is. you must leave the hinge intact and you must know when to stop. you must not stop too early or you risk barber chairing the tree, but you must not leave a hinge that is too thin
the hinge does not have to be straight across, if the tree has a side lean you should leave the hinge thicker where the pull is stronger
everything i have said is enough to fall a tree that is straight and in the middle of a flat grass field. when you are falling leaning trees and you are in thick woods there is a ton of things that you must consider and always be prepared for things to go wrong. also keep in mind that different species of wood behave in a different way
keep an eye on the top of the tree before, during and after falling. be aware of everything that is going on particularly of dead branches falling on your head, and get away from the tree as soon as possible when it is falling