My neighbor used a much better method. He used his shed, which he built last year, to keep the tree he was cutting down from smashing on the ground. It worked great.

A lesson I learned the hard way this week is that even if you cut your wedge properly, you still need to take into account other trees and sometimes the branches can make things... problematic...

Stump shot (back cut being higher than the face cut) is critically important to keep the butt of the log from kicking back over the stump if the tree hits something during the fall. Secondly, it allows the wood fibers in the hinge to more freely flex, guiding the tree farther through its fall as the tree goes over instead of being broken sooner. Then again, I'm just a guy who certifies the highest level of fallers for the largest land management agency (based on number of employees) in the United States, so I probably don't know what I'm talking about. I agree that cutting off the holding wood is the biggest mistake that most people make in falling fails. Stump shot is not a mistake. Heck, OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) actually requires it in their rule book.

I work as a utility arborist. The reason for a 1 inch step up on the back cut is to prevent the stem from pushing off the stump the opposite direction. Also, you should always have at least 1/3rd of the diameter of the tree as holding wood. This is why we have ropes, wedges, and turfers. When there are powerlines, you don't get to just simply go with a lean. I kind of wonder if your brother has ever needed to fast cut a top, to have it fall straight down without tipping.

good to see that tip again. My dad showed and told me 60 years ago that was not a good way to cut down trees. But many people think I do not know what I am talking about when I say it. Glad you did a video on it.

I am just amazed on how well you’re folks from Sweden speak perfect English

Buckin billy just spit his morning coffee out watching this

You can do the second cut higher but not that high. Generally you want to do it a little higher so it doesn’t kick back when it falls. The danger is when you cut too deep and you don’t have a lot holding the tree from rotating or falling in another direction.

Tree felling vids are the best! I'm an amateur, that drops trees at my own place. I never had any training or anything, just KZfaq for all my knowledge. I've probably watched 200 hours of arborist vids, dropped 50-100 trees and every tree still gets my blood pumping. I watch all your vids. You put out great stuff, thank you for sharing.

I'd love to say this was someone else, but I gotta own this. Years back I was heading a team tasked with recovering a plane fuselage from a mountainside. To get the chopper line in we needed to fell half a dozen trees. Our pro took them out but we lost light so we came back the next day - minus the pro. When an additional tree (225' x 36" dia) needed to come down I figured I could handle it (after all I watched him do 6 the day before!) 2 cuts... one low and one on the opposite side 6" above it. Stopped to refuel chainsaw and BANG... this three to five ton behemoth snapped and the base shot past the point where I was standing 30 seconds earlier. It continued 15-20 feet where it impacted a 10" dia tree and UPROOTED IT. I learned later this was called a 'barber chair' cut and every bit as dangerous as you describe. Fortunately, God loves animals and idiots.

The hinge wood was a little thin and the back cut was a little high. When falling trees that is among other trees you want about a couple of inches so that when the tree starts falling and falls into other trees the tree has something to push against to prevent the butt of the tree from shooting backwards. This helps to keep things a little safer.

It is very necessary to make your back cut at least 2" above your notch cut, I cut timber professionally for 3 years and later taught timber felling classes for another 3 years, the reason for making the back cut higher than the face cut is to keep the tree from skidding backwards off the stump as it falls, I had an uncle that made the mistake of cutting his back cut at the same level as the face notch cut and the tree slid off the stump catching him in the crotch and using the stump as a fulcrum it threw him 60' through the air where he landed in a pile of basalt boulders, it caved the side of his head in and by only a miracle, he lived through it, do not teach people to make there back cut the same level as there face cut, that is what is very dangerous! When you cut a tree down be sure to leave about 1/10th the diameter of the trunk for holding wood and if the tree won't go over, use a wedge to help it but don't cut your holding wood all off ever, that also is very dangerous.

When felling I use the correct notch for the type of wood the tree is. Here in the NE U.S. some hardwoods are straight grain and can split the tree where others are more of fiber grain and hold together like some Elm trees.

I'm a saw instructor for the US Forest Service, and I wholeheartedly agree with your main point, which is the need for CONTROL of a falling tree, and that proper cutting technique is the way that you accomplish that. This was a very nice demonstration of how to do it wrong. If this were a full sized tree, I'd be terrified to tap that wedge--no way of knowing where the bottom of that tree is going to go!

I was wondering what ever happened to bam margera

You guys show the best way. I tried finding your video after some years to show my son. When I found you this time I subscribed.

Great video, gets right to the point. Keep rocking dude. :)

Good video, I agree that different countries have different methods of teaching basic felling cuts. In the UK I guess it's similar to Sweden. We are taught to make the back cut about 1" or 25mm higher than the bottom of the face cut, a little higher is acceptable but never make the back cut lower than the bottom of the face cut. The hinge thickness as we are taught should be about 1/10th the diameter of the tree but again with experience some species may need a slightly stronger hinge I think in reality once you start working as an arborist/lumberjack experience will say how you use different cuts but for less experienced guys it's easier and safer to stick to the recommended basic method until you gain more experience. Good video, very interesting to see how your brother works compared to how I was taught, quite similar I think, I hope you both can show some more treework. I hope we all have a safe week ahead.

So glad you posted this. I see way too many homesteading and Bushcraft video where they make no directional felling cuts. They just making a back cut that goes all the way through the tree and the tree slides down the cut and falls back at the Faller. They can twist and fall in any direction. And Never go falling trees without a good selection of wedges

Your advise is exactly opposite of every other arborist and tree feller I have known or video I have watched. The back cut, MUST , be higher than the bottom of the wedge cut. In your demonstration the tree fell PERFECTLY. Where you stop the back cut depends on the diameter and size of the tree.

Very good demonstration. I don't let me brother cut down trees when we are out cutting for firewood.....he just knows that the tree is most likely going to hit the ground. but no clue as to the direction.

I didn't look this up. I would have never thought to look this up, yet here I am.

Thank you for creating and uploading this video. It is very useful, indeed.

Thank you for making this and your safety.

Great video - what you have just described is the "holding wood". It's a crucial hinge that guides the tree and helps it fall in the right direction. It's also one of the first things I was taught when I was first trained as a sawyer 25 years ago. Thanks!

thank you so much i just finished cutting a huge tree 🎄 in my front yard and i was able to make it fall right where i wanted, thank you for your instructions. i was given an estimate of 1500$ to do it, again thank you so much

I've never cut down a tree, or even used a chainsaw, but I liked the video.. I like seeing people doing what they do best.. Good job, and thanks for sharing.. Love from Ohio..

At first glance I thought Bam Margera was showing us how not to cut down a tree lol great video! And good info. Thanks!

You must have very cooperative trees in Sweden. That offset is used to backstop the tree when the notch closes or if your hinge breaks prematurely and the tree begins to rotate around its centre of gravity rather than the (now broken) anchor point. I have watched your other video, falling an un-notched tree, and it amounts to basic limbing technique with wedges. If you wanted to go with the lean, you could just hack through it. It's a completely valid method for small trees, but should the hinge break prematurely, the butt end will fly back a metre or several and hit you in the face faster than you can retreat. A notch with the back cut an inch or two (depending on tree size) above the apex prevents this. On large trees you cut well above the root flare, which might be 1.3 metres or more above grade. This creates a huge lethal area for that trunk to fly around in once the hinge breaks. The safest method is to cut a wide but shallow notch which provides a reference for you to back-cut a precise hinge to, roughly equivalent to 10% of the diameter of the trunk. The back-cut should be above the apex of the notch to create the back stop. Without the notch you're guessing at the bounce off a round stump. For small trees with small root flares, if you want to work that close to the ground all day, well, go for it. Personally I find it necessary make a second stump-cut anyway - which I'd rather do without 12 tonnes of wild windy wood sitting on it. I say this as a guy with no scars who mostly just angle-cuts leaning 0.5 metre leaning white cedars like twigs. 12 trees, six minutes. I'm not a safety guy, but being that close to the ground with your face that close to a couple of tonnes of potential destruction is only for the very nimble, or the foolish. The above-notch back cut is the standard for a reason.

Above all friends stay safe. Trees can do anything when falling. I owned a small sawmill and as a designer/consultant designed many types of forest products mfg equipment. Both for my own company and for consulting engineers to the forest products industry, such as Mid-South Engineering. My main joy was working in the woods on our mountain place. I had many close calls but was never seriously hurt. Above ALL however you fall a tree be CAREFUL. FRANK

Thanks for this tip. I was felling small eucalypts on a property a few months back. Not sure if I made this exact mistake, but it will make me think twice next time.

Great vid, in the UK with the rise of Swedish log burners many use chainsaws with little or no experience. I'm always wary and respect the maintenace and condition of the tree. Once nearly had a tree kick back on me, my fault and could have killed me. Great stuff dude.

Your brother is like an international tree hit man for hire.

I learned much by watching "idiots with chainsaws" on KZfaq.

I gave it a thumbs up. It was informative for people unfamiliar with cutting trees.

Very informative video. By the remarks I see here I think everyone got the right impression on how not to cut a tree from falling the wrong way. You left one thing out. The shed! LOL God bless and keep you all safe.

Many thanks for the video - most enlightening. I'm constantly amazed at the very high level of English you Swedes always master. It puts we mother tongue speakers to shame!

Anytime you OVER CUT. Your hinge, you are making a mistake. Cutting above the wedge is not a mistake. Over cutting is the mistake. I always make my bottom flat cut first because I find it easier to sight down on the top cut to meet the first cut.

Thank you for all the videos Simeon.

This is the only tree cutting video tutorial that I have ever watched, and I watch many, that teaches to not make your back cut at least 2” above your under cut. This doesn’t make sense. What they should have focused on is, don’t cut too far. Leave a sufficient hinge. I have been cutting 80’-100’ pines and with a tree that tall, a 2” hinge will allow the tree to fall in the direction of the notch.

It amazes me how swedes speak fluently English, while in USA people struggle to learn it

This particular example has a pretty decent hinge, but the main key is that you need to use the edge of the V as the gauge for your hinge thickness, not the thickness straight across where you follow the back cut through. A v that is straight across on top and tapered on bottom is easier to judge since the top of the V doesn’t slope.

Good point on the cutting dow the tree I have cut down many trees and I never pay'd attention to this problem Thank you so much for shearing the video

Great video really enjoyed watching it thanks for sharing, y'all stay safe and God bless 🚜

man it is so satisfying to see someone who cuts their trees low, drives me nuts when people cut shit at waist height

As I learned - which might be different from you guys in Sweden - The Humbolt precut is good for exactly those situations (slopes etc.) , which makes perfect sense, since it is very easy to align the 2 horizontal cuts, with the opening in the pre-cut dropping away from both of them. This way the back of the stump still remains high, so the trunk does not skate back over your legs, since the hinge bends over forward, and catches the back of the stump when it falls. Any thoughts?? Of course this makes it more difficult to use the sightline on the saw, but other than that.

Thank you for posting this. if you have more I am looking for them. I use a chain saw and worry a great deal about stuff like this.

Great vid man. Thanks for making it. Cutting trees down can be dangerous and there are a lot of inexperienced folks out there trying it.

one thing i would add about safely felling a tree, especially for an inexperienced sawyer, is to do the cutting at a comfortable waist height, working a heavy saw while kneeling is awkward and makes it harder to get away once the tree starts falling. i would have used the word hinge more often in the explaination. you showed what it looks like with no hinge left, but i can imagine a more in depth description of the function of the hinge, and how to make a correct one would have helped out many who dont know any better. skol!

That way prevents kick backs it works well for me

Excellent explanation. It is more than obvious that your brother knows how to keep that chain in amazing condition. Thank you.

love your KZfaq and what a greAT fAMILY U HAVE

Interessting, I learned to always make the back cut above the v of the wedge so the holding wood doesnt cause the tree to split. This was from a course by Canadian dept of natural resources. They also talked about how some of the techniques used by their crews were adopted for safety without being proven to be safer or better in any other way. Its cool to see the differences in the way people work, I thought that cut looked like it needed a bit mor holding wood (1/10 of the diameter) but otherwise just like I learned. Keep up the great videos I appreciate the knowledge.

I think you are doing good teaching this.

Thanks for the advice. Good very clear sounding English language.

Great advice, thank you from Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

That was great. God bless you guys in Sweden, from Colorado.

I am a beaver. I chew trees down with my incisors, which by the way never stop growing. I notch the tree with never a care in the world. Try it some time.

You guys are awesome, and this video was super. Hope to lean more from you. Thank you for sharing.

Thank you for this video. I just cut a tree today using the incorrect method and fortunately, no one was injured but our pucker-factor was high. Thanks again for the video.

The hinge depends on the type of wood, thickness, and angle.

For amateurs looking to find techniques to cut hardwood.......... let me say you can take 99 percent of the stuff here on youtube and throw it out the window. Almost all the videos on youtube are of softwood that is mostly straight and true. In hardwood country the trees are uneven, close together, branches in all directions.... and most of the time it is impossible to make the tree fall in a certain direction no matter how much fancy pants cutting you do. The trees can be hollow and split, spin, or just plain old... you judged wrong. I ALWAYS have a 360 degree opening when falling hardwood. I try to fell it in a general direction, but even after 30 years of cutting.. sometimes physics gets the best of me. ALWAYS leave yourself an out. And... if I don't have 360 degrees of room around the tree, or have stuff around the tree that cant have a tree fall on it, I use heavy equipment. Cable and a loader to pull tree..... its the only way to safely do it.

The example given of having a tree not slide down hill off the stump can also be prevented by using a Hobart cut; where the wedge is from the bottom instead of the top. Very effective in my experience. As you say though, precision is key. Good video gentlemen. Thank you.

Great demonstration...good to know!

I think people's problem with this video is that it seems like you are saying never make the back cut higher, instead of always leave a real hinge that does not violate all of the vertical fibers. Everyone I know in America makes the back cut higher. It's the standard recommendation, and it just works. No one here with any experience seems to have a problem with cutting too far. It's not just felling uphill, but also hitting obstructions as the tree falls, or if the tree twists for any reason or the hinge doesn't behave as planned Beyond cutting too far as you say, which is a great point, I can only see it as good insurance to make a high back cut. I think the emphasis should have been more specific that the important part is to leave a hinge. It seems to me that the point is largely missed due to a sensational overstatement and vague emphasis.

More cow bell!! I mean more cow videos!! Great video! Here where I live in Texas we really don't have forest like you do in Sweden.

Thank you for your videos. We just bought 21 raw acres and we'll be testing out your methods soon! (Starting with very small trees!!!)

Yes, I see how that doesn't work so well. And thank you so much.

I worked on a storm crew several years ago, and had to clean up after a "professional" who cut down a large (roughly 3 ft across) oak tree, using EXACTLY the method that you demonstrated in this video. He had a rope in the top of the tree secured to the bumper of his minivan (remember, he WAS a professional), so as to make the tree fall the only safe direction there was in that location. But once he had made his cuts and there was nothing to keep the tree from snapping off, gravity and the wind took over and the tree fell exactly opposite the direction he wanted. Sorry, but a 4,000lb minivan just can't compete with a 40,000lb tree. It dragged his vehicle roughly 100 ft across the homeowner's front yard, and the tree took down the high-voltage power lines, telephone lines, and television cables across the road, broke the utility pole in the neighbour's yard, and hit the house across the road. I shudder to think of how much his mistake cost him, because even if he were insured as a tree-cutting business (which I doubt), even insurance isn't going to cover him for being stupid.

A few years ago I needed to fell a tree that was between my house and my shed. I'd never done that before. So I go on KZfaq and watched several videos on how to do so. The day comes to fell the tree. With everything in place I look at the space I have to safely drop the tree in, think about my plan. I shut the chainsaw off, go inside, make a phone call. Next day the arborist shows up. Does things the right way, the tree is on the ground. House and shed are fine. Sometimes the learning curve isn't worth going into.

Sometimes despite your best efforts a tree seems to have a mind of its' own. Some factors to consider when cutting down trees is the wind direction and which side has the largest or heaviest limb growth. This is especially important on tall trees.Good video here pointing out the importance of making the proper cut & the use of the proper PPE personal protective equipment. Safety is "NO ACCIDENT"

You are to be commended highly as you are undoubtedly saving many lives. Thank you!

Yeah, but you didn’t link how to fell a tree “right there”!

#1 mistake I see on 90% of videos is people cutting these oversized open faced notches and over cutting it where it meets.

Thank you! From Tallahassee Florida USA

Appreciate your professionalism

Yeah, exactly! I'm a horticulturist with basic arborist training. I'm talking a 1 week intensive training on a special school on the other side of the country, where we learned all about safety measures, safety gear, chainsaw maintanance and then 2 days of actual cutting. This is not your standard home and garden handywork. Just search for 'chainsaw accidents' to see the brute power of the forces you're dealing with. Try not to have nightmares afterwards. Arborist is one of the physically most dangerous jobs in the world. Also, keep other people well out of the way. Most people magically turn into complete idiots around tree felling. Count on it. You *can not* outrun a falling tree.

"Oh, I'm a lumberjack, and I'm okay, I sleep all night and I work all day.."

I LOVE the helmet with the built in ear protection and face shield! When not needed everything just moves away from your head! AWESOME! I want one!

I’m an American who’s 1/2 Swedish. My grandpa (my moms dad) is 100% Swedish. He moved to the USA from Stockholm. Great video guys!

40 years in the lumber business and I've seen pretty much everything. This is no better or worse than any other method I've seen used.

This is true. I bought a new saw and it came with felling instructions that describe the same as this video. The video is better. You may save life’s, trucks, cars, sheds, and homes with this video.

I was a faller in BC Canada for some years. But I've also worked in Germany, falling and logging. I'd say your technical method look pretty good for small trees. But the thing that was mind blowing to me in Germany was the little short saw bars... Some government approved rule apparently but completely nuts falling a 1 metre beech tree with a 40 cm bar!!. It was like chewing it down like a beaver. And dealing with blowdown... having to practically stand on the spring loaded tree to buck or cut root ball off. I couldn't get through the thick thinking and they killed quite a few fallers in Germany in the big 1990 blowdown before they started to use Harvesters. We use nothing shorter than a 60 cm in Western Canada and often a lot longer. Also much more productive on big trees.

Thanks for the advice. Very helpful.

You forgot to shout "TIMBER!"

What about an 150 foot White Spruce with a lean right up there with the leaning tower of Pisa?

Great videos, and very good instructions! Thanks

Agreed! Back cut should be 2 inches max from the gunning cut, ensures u have That holding wood to guide the tree down smoothly

I was always told that if u cut it on the same level it would kick back

tree cutting should begin with selecting a run away route, to run towards when it goes poorly.

Im new at this but at work I cut my back cut maybe 1" above my front cut. I'm always working on slopes and mostly cut twisted oak trees with a wide canopy

Hope all of you are doing good. Be glad when you start your videoing again.

Thought you were showing how to do it properly, was almost screaming at the screeen till I realized you were showing the wrong way.

Great for the newbies! Proper wedge cuts you can fell trees in the direction safely.. Retired 40 years Arborist >

Very informative and also a good video on safety on your own part too

I don't cut down many trees but that is exactly how I was shown and how I've been doing it. I will definitely take your advise when I'm next in the summer house. Where r u living? I'm in Stockholm

In America, you can't tell anybody anything that owns a chain saw. They are stubborn and would rather drop a tree on their house or truck than to follow advice.

Vell Yah... You - N - Sven are forsure gr8 lumber MENS! ! ! Nice Video... LOL.

Thank you very much babysitter for your wise knowledge.

When I heard that accent I thought, Yes, these fellers know about timber lol. Great video thank y'all