How to fell or cut down a tree?

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How to fell or cut down a tree? You can fell a tree in many different ways or using different methods.

How best to cut down or remove a tree and what is the safest and most effective method of cutting down a tree, depends greatly from situation to situation.

In other words, where the tree is located and how the tree is positioned.

Is the tree solitary and can it fall freely or is it next to a house or in a forest? Is the tree to be felled straight or is it tilted? Is the tree to be felled still vital or is it already in its final phase? Or is there rot in the trunk or are there other defects? And so on.

How to fell or cut down a tree therefore depends from tree to tree.

Don't forget: every tree is important to us as humans. Every tree also has great ecological, social and sometimes also financial value. Consider carefully whether it is necessary to fell a tree. There may be other options to preserve the tree, for example by... to prune tree. Which is often cheaper. If you have any doubts, please ask us advice about your tree. We can certainly help you.

Professional knowledge, ECC certificates and safety

The knowledge of the arborist to correctly assess the situation and determine how best to fell the tree is very important here. You can always rely on our experience here b‑Tree tree care.

Before determining how to cut down a tree, it is very important to consider everything safety rules to be taken into account. To prevent accidents. Consider, among other things, the use and dangers of a chainsaw. When using a chainsaw it is necessary to have adequate ECS training to have available. To be able to fell a tree safely.

Some points to consider on how to fell or cut down a tree include (but this is not a complete list):

where is the nearest hospital or emergency department?
Do I have a cell phone within reach?
is the battery of my mobile phone charged?
Do I have access to the place where we are felling or felling a tree?
Do I know the emergency number for the emergency services?
is there a counselor in my team?
are the executors ECC certified?
...

Note that using a tophandle chainsaw during pruning a tree also requires the necessary certification.

b-Tree Tree Care always carries out a risk analysis before starting work.

All the different points are discussed here. And we discuss this extensively within our team.

Felling a tree can be done using different methods

Please note: this is not a manual, nor a procedure. The following is for information purposes only.

Ordinary method by making a fall notch and felling cut

Ordinary method by making a fall notch and felling cut and whether or not to apply a pulling line in the top of the tree.
The latter if the tree to be felled:

leaning slightly backwards,
if the tree to be felled can fall freely and
the diameter of the tree is smaller than the length of the chainsaw bar.
This often involves applying a wedge to ultimately tilt the tree in the right direction so that it starts its free fall.
Here you can read more about safely felling a tree using the normal method by making a felling cut and felling cut.
Advantage: very fast to perform a felling. The least work and therefore the cheapest way.
Disadvantage: a lot of space is needed to allow the tree to fall freely and it cannot be used everywhere.

The reverse method

The reverse method is the method of felling or felling a thin tree that leans slightly backwards. And where the tree to be felled must fall to the other side than where it leans. With this method you first saw the felling cut. Then you insert the felling heddle into the felling cut and saw the felling notch. Now use the felling lever to hoist the tree over its center of gravity. To make it fall in the desired direction.
Advantage: very quick to carry out a felling of a relatively thin and slightly rearward leaning tree.
Disadvantages: only applicable to relatively thin trees. Also only on trees without a heavy crown.

The common method in which the saw blade is shorter than the diameter of the trunk

Method in which the felling cut is made in two passes. This happens when the diameter of the tree is greater than the length of the bar of the chainsaw used.
After applying one part of the felling cut, hammer a wedge into this part of the felling cut. To prevent the felling cut from closing when applying the second part of the felling cut. After making the complete felling cut, hammer the wedge further into the felling cut so that the tree will start to fall.

The Danish method

The Danish method (or safe angle method according to Husqvarna) consists of a felling cut that is made in two passes. But one piece of wood at the back of the second part of the felling cut remains. This last part is sawn away just before the final felling of the tree. A wedge is already applied in the first part of the felling cut. This means that the tree can never fall backwards during the second part of the felling cut.

The weight belt method

The halter strap method is for felling overhanging trees that lean in the direction of felling or felling.
With this method the felling cut is also made in two times. Just like with the Danish method. But a piece of wood at the back of the two parts of the felling cut remains. This part is only cut when the tree is finally felled.
This last part can be sawn through quickly and powerfully, causing the tree to suddenly start moving and its falling speed to be greater than with the normal method. The result is that when a tree is felled in a forest context, this tree has a greater chance of falling completely through the branches of the adjacent trees. And therefore much less likely to linger.

Tree felling using the hanging tree method

The hanging tree method is used to fell a hanging tree.
A winch or winch is used to safely pull out the tree.
The break strip, which is still intact after the felling, is sawn through in an adequate manner so that the hanging tree can be moved safely with the winch. Now the tree is pulled down until it falls completely.

Felling trees according to the top to bottom method or also called “tree dismantling” or removal

In addition to the methods mentioned above in which the tree can always fall freely, there is the top to bottom method. We first de-branch the tree while climbing. Afterwards we break the trunk into pieces.
With this method we often use capture techniques and hoisting techniques. To safely bring larger branches and larger pieces of trunk to the ground at once. Without causing damage to plants or other environmental elements.
This method is only used if the tree cannot fall freely.
Advantage: can be used almost anywhere, even if there is no place for the tree to fall freely.
Disadvantages: takes more time than other methods and cannot be applied to unstable trees. So not with an affected tree where there is a chance that it will fall over during the climbing works.

Method using an aerial work platform

Is the tree accessible with an aerial platform?

If the tree to be felled can be reached with an aerial work platform, it can sometimes be interesting to use an aerial work platform.
The tree is then broken down or dismantled in the same way as the top to bottom method (but without climbing structures). Despite the good accessibility of the tree to be felled, the use of an aerial platform is often not an option due to the cost price. Felling a tree by dismantling it while climbing, partly due to the use of efficient capture techniques, is often cheaper.
However, the use of an aerial work platform is more limited than the use of rope techniques. We list some advantages and disadvantages of felling with an aerial work platform.

Advantages of using an aerial work platform

One can fell trees that have become too unstable to climb (for example trees affected by wood rot or dead trees) and one can move quickly around the canopy to systematically remove branches to keep the canopy in balance while the tree is felled. This is only possible if the tree is free.
Sometimes time can be saved by using an aerial work platform, but certainly not always.
Are there others too? pruning trees near? You can reach them quickly and plan the felling process.

Disadvantages of using an aerial work platform

Due to its location, each tree cannot be reached with an aerial platform.
The supply and removal of an aerial work platform and the operating costs of an aerial work platform are additional costs that can often no longer be offset by being able to work more efficiently.
An aerial work platform weighs an enormous amount (tons!) and compacts the surface where the aerial work platform is located. If there are roots of other trees in the subsoil, they can suffer enormous damage. With death over the years as a possible consequence.
Not every corner of the crown of a tree can often be reached with an aerial work platform. For example, because of obstacles such as electricity wires or other trees with heavy branches that are located in front of the tree to be felled.
And the costs are often higher than other methods.

The telecrane, telescopic crane or mobile tower crane method

When do we use a telescopic crane?

The telecrane or mobile tower crane method can offer the only solution in some situations or can sometimes also be very cost-efficient, despite the relatively high hourly price.
Here, a telescopic crane or a mobile tower crane is used, with which the trees are lifted from their location in very large parts, or sometimes in their entirety.
An example: a small enclosed garden with a large tree that needs to be felled and where all wood can normally only be removed through the house (terraced house with enclosed garden); will require an enormous amount of manpower and hours. If there is an open space behind the garden to place a telecrane or a mobile tower crane can be placed on the street side, everything can be lifted out of the garden or over the house in large pieces, which extremely reduces working hours and therefore also the cost price.
This is work that b-Tree tree care is very good at.

Benefits of using a telescopic crane

Trees that are in danger of becoming unstable can be dismantled with it.
Very large parts of a tree can be dismantled at once and felling or felling is then done very quickly, thus saving a lot of working hours.
A tree can sometimes be removed in its entirety.

Disadvantages of using a telescopic crane

It is very costly or expensive because of the telescopic crane or mobile tower crane and the transport to and from the workplace.
A lot of knowledge and experience is needed; but this is not a problem for b‑Tree tree care :-).
Not every tree can be reached with a telescopic crane (telecrane) or mobile tower crane.

Remember that you can only fell a tree safely if you have received appropriate training and use the correct tools and personal protective equipment. Like b‑Tree tree care does this every day. Otherwise, call on the expertise of b-Tree tree care. We regret to report that many accidents occur in Belgium every year.

Make an appointment now for a no-obligation quote.

Choice of method for felling a tree

This can be very different. One method requires very little logistics, but much more manual labor. The other just the opposite.
It is the experience, knowledge and insight into what is possible and what is not possible and what takes a long time and what can be done quickly. We map all these parameters in order to make the best choice and determine how we fell your tree or trees.
We will agree with you what your highest priority is: speed and/or cost. We will inform you fully about the possibilities, the how and why and the associated costs.

Contact us without obligation for any trees you wish to have felled.