Safety Equipment

• Before the chainsaw is started, make sure you are wearing proper attire. Full protective headgear with properly fitting eye protection is a must to keep errant limbs and saw chips from injuring your head and eyes. A good pair of leather gloves and a set of chaps will keep your hands and body from sharp limbs. Boots with anti-slip treads and full ankle support will give you the footing needed when operating a chainsaw. Keep the chain sharp in the saw. A dull chain can make for additional work for you and place excess pressure on the bar and saw.
  
  

Dropping the Tree

• Use ropes to help pull the tree down into the selected area. Yards with small clearances will require the use of a rope and some help to guide the tree down to the open space. Be aware of your surroundings and any overhead wires or other trees. Trees with power lines in the "down" path should be left for the utility company to deal with. Use a plastic wedge to prevent the tree from settling back onto the chainsaw blade. If possible, keep a backup chain saw handy in case something happens to the one you are using.
  
  

Limbs

• Once the tree is down, begin removing limbs on the outside areas of the tree, and work your way into the tree. Cut limbs into manageable lengths. Keep all personnel away until the tree limbs are free of the trunk. Cut tree limbs that are close to the trunk from the opposite side of the trunk. In other words, attempt to keep the trunk between you and the limb you are cutting. Cut all limbs as close to the trunk as possible.
  
  

Trunk

• Cut the trunk into small sections that can be handled by either personnel or equipment. Cut trunks that are laying on the ground halfway through from the top; then roll the trunk over and finish the cut. Cut trunks that are supported on one end from underneath to one-third through the trunk; finish by cutting from the top down to meet the underside cut. This will prevent the trunk from binding the saw due to excess bottom pressure.
  
  

Stump

• Hire or rent a tree stump grinder to remove the top area of the stump. You can attempt to burn the stump out, but this practice can take a long time. You can also rot the stump in the ground by cutting grooves in the top of the stump and filling the cavities with salt. The salt will kill the roots and accelerate the wood's decomposition. It may take several years for the stump to completely rot.