Stihl 018 Instruction Manual - Page 20

001BA088 LÄ 001BA040 LÄ 001BA041 LÄ 1 1/2 1 21/2 Felling Instructions: When felling, maintain a distance of at least 21/2 tree lengths from the nearest person. When felling in the vicinity of roads, railways and power lines, etc., take extra precautions. Inform the police, utility company or railway authority before beginning to cut. !Warning! The noise of your engine may drown any warning call. !Warning! There are a number of factors that may affect and change the intended direction of fall, e.g. wind, lean of tree, sloping ground, one-sided limb structure, wood structure, decay, snow load, etc. To reduce the risk of severe or fatal injury to yourself or others, look for these conditions prior to beginning the cut, and be alert for a change in direction during fall. Escape path First clear the tree base and work area from interfering limbs and brush and clean its lower portion with an ax. Then, establish two paths of escape (B) and remove all obstacles. These paths should be generally opposite to the planned direction of the fall of the tree (A) and about at a 45° angle. Place all tools and equipment a safe distance away from the tree, but not on the escape paths. Buttress roots If the tree has large buttress roots, cut into the largest buttress vertically first (horizontally next) and remove the resulting piece. 18