i have a pine tree in the corner of my lot that i would like to cut down and leave just the stump. my main reason is to allow more light into my yard and make more room for an also well established pear tree. i have an electric chainsaw i can use. but i need to be able to direct the fall into a rather limited area to cause as little damage as possible to surrounding plants. it is about 30-40 ft high and i can remove all the branches up to about 15 ft or slightly higher before felling. i intend to cut off just slightly higher than i want the stump to be so that i can then fine cut at desired height to place a small table top on it. i will need to do this by myself or possibly with minor help from my lady. any advice on how to cut so as to aim the fall and reduce damage below desired height will be appreciated.

If you need a written explanation I'd guess you've never done this or seen it done. Do yourself and your lady a great service and hire an experienced and insured expert to cut the tree down for you. You can cut the tree up and finish the stump if you want. But the feling operation endangers you, your lady and the things you prefer not to hit with the falling tree. An electric chainsaw adds the extra hazard of a cord you might trip over.

I used to tell my experienced employees that I couldn't buy them a new arm or leg after an accident. This all the more applies to a homeowner. Whatever the cost to hire an expert, it's less than what you could lose.

I have to agree with Scott on this one. Hire someone with experience (and insurance). Taking down trees can be dangerous for many reasons. There is a lot ofphysics that goes itno judging where the tree is likely to go, knonwing how to cut and control the fall of the tree, even as it is beginning to fall. There is always the risk of internal decay that makes it even more risky.

There are people with enough experience to drop a tree on a mark. Most can’t even get it to go in the right direction. The risk of injury or damage is too great to attempt this on a tree in tight quarters.

--
Russ Carlson, RCA

Go to your local chainsaw store. Get a manual on how to cut down a tree safely. If they do not have one, try your local library. Failing that, call your local tree service and have them cut it down, then you do the ground work to save money. Or take your best shot. I remember the first tree I cut down, for my uncle, using his electric chainsaw. It landed on his swingset.

first, thanks to all who have replied so far.

i really want to do this myself for various reasons not the least of which is being unemployed and really strapped for cash. i also really enjoy the sense of everything in my yard being my accomplishment, perfect or not. hence my reason for asking instead of hiring.

actually i have cut a few trees before in my past but it has been so long ago that i forget the nuances. i also know that there are different methods, depending upon the size of the tree and other factors.

there is nothing in any direction the tree could fall that would cause unrepairable or expensive damage so i'm not that worried about missing by a bit. i just want to make sure i have it headed in the best direction for the least amount of hassle afterwards.

i am also quite used to using electric tools in the yard and am quite confident i can deal with the cord. having cut my power supply in two several years ago, i am now very aware of where it is at all times.

peter - you make it sound like i've asked a much bigger question than i would have thought - a whole book's worth of answer. but i will check into this. thanks for being supportive of the old 'do-it-yourself' and the idea that everybody has to start somewhere.


so let me specific with the questions i think i need answered. my memory is that you start your cut from the opposite side from the way you desire it to fall. is this correct? also, with a tree this size (about 8-10" around), a straight cut should be ok. no need to to angle a notch cut. i also intend to finish removing the branches to about 2/3 of the height - what i can reach with a ladder.

You can probably find simple instructions online. If the tree is straight and you can tell which way it leans (if at all), that may help you figure which way it "wants" to fall. You may leave more weight of branches on the side facing the direction you want the tree to fall. That helps gravity take it there.
You get more control of felling direction if you make a "face cut" (open angled cut) on the side towards the intended fall. Then make a "back cut" which approaches the bottom of the face cut, leaving an even width of "hinge" wood between.
The weight of the tree reacts to gravity over the face cut, where support has been removed, while the back cut releases it to go over. The hinge helps to keep the trunk on top of the stump and falling in the intended direction.
That said, it is always important to make sure no one else can be hit and that you have a planned escape route (about 90 degrees away from direction of fall). Keep an eye on movement of the top as you approach with the final cut, not cutting through the hinge. As soon as you see it begin to go, turn off the saw and walk away, keeping an eye on the tree.
If there is any suspicion that the holding wood is decayed, then you can not rely on the hinge to help you control the direction of fall.
There are many ways to get hurt doing this, so be sure you can get emergency help, and don't ever work alone.

Mark is right on target about cutting the notch first, even for an 8 to 10 inch tree. It keeps the tree from tearing the bark down the side and twisting in the process. It also greatly shifts the center of gravity, making the tree more likely to go where you intend. The back cut should be made so it is parallel to the inside edge of the notch, and both are perpendicular to the direction of fall.

Please write back when it is done, and tell us you made it through OK.

--
Russ Carlson, RCA

Now we're logging. To be concise; in the direction you want it to fall, make a cut that is parallel to the ground to go only 1/3 of the way into the tree. Then make a 45 degree cut from above, angled down to meet it. This is the easiest face cut.
On the back side, go 2 inches above your horizontal part of the face cut. Keep it level. Cut in and stop at least 2 inches sdhort of meeting your face cut.
You Have Already Put A Rope in this tree, at least half way up, even if it is straight-up growing. Immediately put a plastic wedge into the back cut (bought at your local chainsaw store very cheap.) Hit a a few times, while your friend pulls on that rope, watch out she is twice as far from the tree as its height, and then have a glass of lemonade after it is safely on the ground.