Notch Cut

squerly

squerly

Active member
I saw a felling technique the other day called a notch-cut. I had never seen this before so I just went out and tried it. For those who don’t know, you start out with the usual wedge cut our of the face of the tree. Then you take the point of your chain (avoiding the kickback side) and basically drill through the tree. Once you are through the tree, place a wedge in the opening (on the back side) and hammer it in firmly. Then you cut the sides of the tree until the chain is almost in line with the edge of the wedge. Do both sides and then tap-tap-tap on the wedge. Down comes the tree.


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I probably did a poor job of explaining the process so here is a video of the pro's doing it!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLkgWFh9lDs&feature=player_detailpage"]Video[/ame]
 
The video does help. Pretty kewl. :thumb: I'll be trying that next time I down a tree.
 
That video has been around for some time, and yes I have also done it, curiosity. In my honest opinion it just adds more cuts then are what is necessary. Not writing it has no use but not sure where it would be needed. I also don't feel a greenhorn should be trying to jab a chainsaw into a tree, kick back. I have fell well over a thousand trees in my life and just don't really see a need for a cut like that. All in all it is a neat video and another way to fell
 
I'm with 20/20 in that although it looks neat in concept and may work on a perfectly straight on a 20' palm tree, once I make my notch, I'm not going to spend (waste) time making yard-art cuts in the tree before getting it to the ground.
 
I have not felled that many trees. Most of my chain sawing is cutting trees that are already down. But to me that seems like a good way to be precise about which way the tree falls. Better than the way I had done before. I was surprised they fell the direction they did more than once, but I admit, I'm a rookie at it.

I would cut out the wedge then cut a diagonal cut from the opposite side down towards the wedge.

How do you avoid the kickback if going straight in with the nose of the saw?
 
That's pretty neat.

Like Doc, I've dropped a few big ones but most of my cutting are ones that are already on the ground or small diameter stuff so the old fashioned way usually does me just fine.

If I have a tree that has to be dropped precisely on a line I may give it a try. I must admit though that once I have my notch cut, I feel a darned sight safer behind it rather than standing in front of it and running a chain saw through its guts. :yum:
 
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