Did you know that, in the United States, hundreds of people die in chainsaw accidents each calendar year? If you’re about to embark on a tree-cutting project, you need to make sure that you’re focused heavily on safety before doing so.
With that in mind, a lot can go wrong when cutting down a tree. There are tons of tips and tricks you need to know beforehand if you want to make sure things go smoothly.
The good news? We’ve got you covered!
Below we’ve broken down 12 tree cutting tips for beginners. So, keep on reading if you want to know everything that there is to know about how to cut down a tree safely today.
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Have a Plan in Place Beforehand
It goes without saying, but anytime you’re doing a large project around the house, you need to have a plan in place beforehand. This especially true if that project is somewhat dangerous, which certainly can be said about cutting down trees.
Our advice? Take a few days to plan out your tree cutting. Know what you’re going to do, what tools you need to do it, and even decide if the project is too big for you or not.
That way, when it’s time to start cutting down a tree, you have all the details situated beforehand.
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Have the Right Tools
To piggyback off of that last point, it’s important that you use the right tools when you’re removing a tree. Doing so will not only make things easier for yourself, but it can also make things safer, too, which is important.
After all, many tree cutting tools, like wedges, are designed to help you make sure your tree falls safely. Not using them, or making a replacement yourself, is never a good idea, as it can lead to serious injury or death.
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Be Aware of Your Surroundings
Whenever you’re cutting down a tree, there’s a good chance that there are objects around that tree that you need to be sure to avoid. During your planning process, it’s important to make note of those items, so you can ensure that nothing gets damaged along the way.
After all, some items, like homes, and even other trees, can’t be removed. So, before you go sending a tree crashing into the ground, you need to be aware of where those items are and if they’re too close to your tree for comfort.
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Have a Lookout
If there’s one thing that can make cutting down a tree safer, it’s a lookout. In fact, we recommend that you have a few people with you during the process, as cutting a tree is too dangerous of a job for just one person.
With that in mind, having at least two people involved in the project is a must. The closer you can get to the 3 or 4, however, the better, as it’s easier to keep everyone safe when you have more eyes involved.
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Be Careful on a Ladder
Did you know that thousands of people are injured via falling off a ladder each calendar year? If your tree cutting job requires the use of a ladder, that’s just one more safety hazard that you need to plan for going forward.
It’s worth noting that, another benefit to having someone with you while you cut down a tree is, if you need a ladder, you can have someone hold it for you. On top of that, if you’re afraid of heights, you can have someone who isn’t handle anything involving a ladder for you, which is recommended.
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Wear Safety Equipment
We get it. You want to cut down this tree and save as much money as possible by doing so yourself. But skipping out on safety equipment, for budget reasons, isn’t a good idea.
After all, not wearing the right safety equipment is a great way to end up in the emergency room one Saturday afternoon. And that emergency room visit will most likely be a lot more than what any safety equipment would cost, so there’s no reason to skip out on it.
Also, be sure that everyone involved is wearing safety equipment. Things like helmets, goggles, and proper footwear need to be involved for anyone and everyone helping you cut down a tree.
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Know Your Limits
Let’s be honest. There are some tree removal jobs that are just too complicated for you to go the DIY route with. These jobs usually involve cutting down a tree that is near your home, which of course is especially dangerous, for obvious reasons.
If there’s one tip you should take from this list, make sure that it’s this one: be sure to know your limits and get professional help when you need it.
Don’t try to take on a tree-cutting job that is too complicated or especially dangerous. Know what you can do, and more importantly what you can’t do, so you can keep yourself, and your home, safe and secure.
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Get Professional Help
It might sound redundant, but getting professional help is so important that we have to talk about it a bit more. Because getting professional help can save your home, and even your life, which is too important of a tidbit not to mention twice.
Again, know your limits. And don’t be afraid to call in the help of a professional if you’re worried that a tree removal project is too advanced for you.
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Secure the Dangerous Branches
Feel good about cutting down your tree yourself? Need some help making sure that everything goes according to plan? If so, you should consider starting by securing any dangerous branches attached to your tree.
Securing branches could be as simple as removing them first with a tree shear before your cut down the tree itself. You can also use ropes to tie down certain branches to ensure that they won’t damage anything when your tree falls over.
Regardless, securing branches is a huge key to making sure that your tree-cutting experience is a positive one. So, know what your problem branches are and take care of them before you chop down a tree yourself.
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Know How Your Tree Needs to Fall
If you’re cutting down a tree, there’s a good chance that there are only one or two ways that the tree itself can fall safely. Knowing what those ways are, so you can make sure that the tree indeed falls that way, is an obvious step in the process that takes a lot of work to perfect.
In fact, this is one of the most difficult parts of the entire tree removal process. And if you don’t feel comfortable with it, it’s a good sign that you most likely need to invest in the help of a professional tree cutting service.
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Don’t Forget About the Roots
Once you’ve chopped down a tree, the process doesn’t stop there. You’re going to have a stump, and even some tree roots, that also need to be removed, too.
This can be a tedious and strenuous task that takes a few days to complete. And for bigger trees, removing all of the roots is most likely not going to be something you or a professional tree removal service can do.
But you can get enough of those roots removed, and even make it hard to tell that a tree was ever there in the first place, which is the goal for many people.
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Saw the Trunk into Firewood
Not sure what to do with that giant tree that is laying down on the ground now? Need to figure out how to remove it from your yard completely?
If so, start by cutting the tree’s trunk into sections. Depending on the size of the tree, you can even use that wood for firewood, if you’d like.
Regardless, you have to cut the tree up into smaller pieces so you can haul it away for good. Once you’ve done that, and cleaned up your mess, you should be completely done with the tree removal process.
Need More Help With the Tree Cutting Process?
As you can see, there’s a lot of work that goes into the tree cutting process. But if you keep these 12 tips and tricks in mind, and focus on safety, you should be able to get the job done with no issue.
And again, if you’re worried, investing in the help of a The Local Tree Expert is recommended.
Looking for more tree-cutting advice? Check back with our blog daily.
