How to Chainsaw a Tree? | Felling Steps That Work

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Cutting down a tree is one of the riskiest jobs a chainsaw can do. The working sequence that pros follow is the same one you should: check hazards, pick a fall direction, prepare an escape path, cut a notch, then make a back cut that leaves a hinge. Each step protects you from the one thing that kills people — a tree that falls somewhere unexpected. Here is the exact order, with the cut geometry that matters.

Before You Start: Hazard Check and Escape Route

Walk around the tree before you pull the cord. You’re looking for lean, rot, dead branches, and anything nearby the tree could hit — power lines, roads, buildings, or other trees.

Clear the work area of people, brush, and debris. Then plan two escape paths on the side opposite the fall direction, angling back at about 45 degrees from the line of fall. If the tree does something unexpected, you move diagonally away from it, not straight back. Keep bystanders well clear —

The Right Cut Sequence: Notch First, Then Back Cut

The cut order is not a suggestion. You cut the directional notch first on the side facing where you want the tree to fall, then you make the back cut on the opposite side. The wood left between those two cuts is the hinge, and the hinge is what actually steers the tree down.

The notch is a wedge removed from the trunk. Either depth works; the key is that the notch faces your intended fall line and the cuts meet cleanly.

Once the notch is out, walk to the other side. Make the back cut level and parallel to the notch’s bottom, positioned 1 to 2 inches above it. That’s the detail that matters most — a back cut too low acts like a second notch and removes your steering. Watch the tree as you cut. Do not cut through the hinge. The hinge holds the tree to the stump and controls the rate and direction of the fall. Cut through it and the tree can twist, sit back, or go sideways.

When the tree starts to move, the job changes instantly. Shut the saw off, set it down, and walk your escape route at that 45-degree angle away from the fall. Watching the tree go over from a safe distance is a good day. Watching it from the stump is not.

Limbing, Bucking, and the Mistakes That Get People Hurt

Felling is only half the job. Once the tree is down, limbing and bucking carry their own rules. Never cut above shoulder level — Missouri Extension warns against it, and so does CCOHS. When a branch is under tension,

The most common failures in felling are all avoidable:

• Skipping the hazard check for lean, rot, dead limbs, or overhead lines.
• Starting the cut before the escape routes are cleared.
• Cutting the notch too deep, which weakens the hinge.
• Making the back cut too low or through the hinge itself.
• Standing in the fall line or overreaching instead of moving.
• Forcing a cut when the tree binds or sits back — stop and use wedges instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size notch do I cut in the tree?

The top cut angles down at about 45 degrees and the bottom cut stays level, forming a wedge you remove entirely before the back cut.

How far above the notch should the back cut go?

Keeping the back cut above the notch leaves a hinge of uncut wood that steers the tree. Cutting too low reverses the two cuts’ roles and you lose control.

What do I do if the tree starts to bind or sit back?

Stop cutting immediately. A bar pinched by a leaning tree is dangerous to force. Never keep cutting through a bind; reassess or call in a professional for hazardous trees.