How To Fell A Tree With An Axe

Felling a tree is a dangerous task that you should only do if you are skilled and knowledgeable. A common way to cut down a tree is to use an axe or a chainsaw. The latter is ideal if you want a motorized solution.

But if you need more control or lack a chainsaw, you should know how to feel a tree with an axe. Cutting down a tree with an axe requires proper knowledge of the technique and safety tips. In this guide, we explain how to cut down a tree with an axe.

When learning how to chop a tree down with an axe, you need to be familiar with the following:

• Safety tips
• Disposal strategy
• Types of cuts
• Cutting technique
• Materials required
• Best axes

Safety First

There are seven leading causes of harm when felling a tree. These include:

• Working too close to another plant or other people
• Incorrect felling technique
• Broken limbs or branches hitting you
• Being struck by a tree or another object from behind
• Felling dead trees
• Stem movements, such as butt swings and rebounds
• Hung-up standing trees that weren't previously felled using proper techniques

As a rule of thumb, you should not be closer than two tree lengths to the tree you want to chop down unless you are the person felling the tree or assisting the faller (the person cutting the tree).

Only the faller should use the axe within two tree lengths of the tree. Buddy cutting isn't safe. Here are some other safety tips to keep in mind:

• Plan the Felling Direction: Plan beforehand where you want the tree to fall. Make sure the area is clear of people and objects. Avoid felling trees towards power lines and buildings.
• Look for Hazards: Common hazards include dead branches and uneven ground. Nearby power lines are an electrocution hazard.
• Use Proper Equipment: If you're using an axe, ensure it has a sharp blade. A blunt blade will not make proper cuts, resulting in limbs falling off the tree trunk.
• Look Out For Kickback: A kickback occurs when the tree is falling, but its trunk snaps back. It can cause injury if you are standing too close.

Safety Gear

Here is the safety gear you should wear when cutting down trees with axe:

• Logger's Helmet: A hard hat will protect your head if branches or hard debris fall on you.
• Eye Protection: Wear safety glasses to keep debris out of your eyes.
• Steel-Toed Boots: These boots will protect your feet from falling objects.
• Gloves: Wear gloves to protect your hands from blisters and cuts when using an axe to cut down tree.
• High-Visibility Vest: If you're working in a public space, wear a high-visibility vest so that passersby and cars can see you.

Exit Strategy

Before you start chopping a tree, you should have a retreat strategy to get out of the way of the falling tree. Here's how to do that:

• Identify an Escape Path: The exit path is where you will move to stay away from the falling tree. It's wise to have two escape directions since you cannot always predict which way the tree will fall. If it falls in the direction you weren't expecting, you should always have a Plan B.
• Make Them 45 Degrees: Both escape routes should be at 45 degrees to each other. They should also be about 15 feet long.
• Clear the Path: After you've selected the retreat route, remove all obstacles and tripping hazards from the area to create a clear path. Common barriers include rocks, bushes, pets, etc.

If you're working with an assistant, communicate the escape plan to them too.

Picking The Tree

Even if you know how to cut a tree with an axe, how do you find the right tree to chop? Here are some guidelines.

• Identify the Species: Each tree species has different characteristics that will impact the felling process. For example, the tree's height, shape, and wood density will determine how easy it is to cut with an axe.
• Assess the Health: If the tree is dying, dead, or diseased, you're at risk of falling branches during the felling process. Felling such a tree is dangerous without professional help.

Determine Where The Tree Will Fall

Observing the tree leans is the best way to determine where the tree will fall. You can choose one direction for the fall consistent with the natural lean.

Basic geometry can also help give a rough estimate of the tree's falling direction.

• Use your left hand to make a fist.
• Extend your arm to hold the first before you, raising it to eye level.
• Measure the distance between the middle of your fist and your left eye. Suppose it's 25 inches.
• Hold a measuring stick vertically in your left hand. Your arm should be extended at eye level.
• Move backward, facing the tree, looking at it with your left eye.
• Keep moving until the top of the stick aligns with the tree top, and your fist is at the tree's base height.
• Mark this location. The tree will likely reach here when it falls.

Do note that this method will not work for trees on hilltops or slopes.

Another way to determine the direction of the falling tree is to notice the first cut. The notch or first cut goes about one-third of the way into the tree trunk. It is made onto the side where the faller wants the tree to fall.

While both these methods work often, they're not 100% accurate. The tree might still fall on the opposite side. So, have another retreat plan in place.

Why Are You Felling The Tree?

There are many reasons you're felling a tree. Some of them are:

• Disease: If the tree is diseased, you might have to remove it to prevent the spread of infection to nearby trees.
• Crowding: If too many trees grow together, they compete for nutrients and sunlight. You may have to remove one or more trees to reduce resource competition.
• Land Development: Trees may be felled to make space for infrastructure and road development.
• Harvesting: Trees are often chopped for their wood. The wood is used for paper production, furniture making, and construction.

Notching The Tree

Notching the tree requires some physics and geometry. You have to make a pivot point with the notch so the tree falls in your desired direction.

Make the first swing of the axe in the direction you want the tree to fall in. Aim between your knee and waist height. Go one-third into the tree's trunk.

You'll get a triangular cut that has a flat bottom. For the next axe cuts, make straight chops aiming at the lower portion of this triangle, with your axe perpendicular to the ground. The chops should alternate between flat and downswings.

After making the first notch cut, make the second notch one foot above the first one. It should be on the opposite side of the first notch.



Again, use alternating down and flat swings to create the second notch. Stop when you reach one-third into the tree.

Felling The Tree

Go to the original notch cut and deepen it with the axe head. Start from the same side where you made the first cut. Go slowly, ensuring every cut makes the tree less stable.

Follow the same pattern as earlier - switch between downswings on the top and flat swings at the bottom of the notch cut. If there's a cracking sound or the tree starts swaying, take the escape route.

Be ready to get out of the way quickly. Once the tree falls, you're set for splitting wood into firewood.

If you're cutting a tree more than 18 inches in diameter, use felling wedges after you make the notch cut. Start the felling cut and stop when you penetrate the wedges far enough to pound them behind the bar.



Let the bar stay in the cut while the saw is running. However, keep the chain brake locked in the wedges. Then, finish making the felling cut. The wedges will help guide the tree in the intended direction, avoiding potential property damage.

Knowing how to cut a tree down with an axe is not enough. You also need to dispose it of. Here are some ways:

• Contact your local waste management facility to check if they take felled trees.
• Hire a tree removal company.
• Use a rented wood chipper to create mulch for composting and landscaping
• Donate the wood to a woodturner or woodworker.
• Burn the wood in your fireplace.

Best Felling Axe

There are tons of different options when it comes to cutting down trees with axes. We have an extensive guide on the best axes. Be sure to check it out.

SNE's Final Say on Felling Trees With Axes

Unless you are a pioneer, there are better options than using axes to fell trees. We'd suggest a chainsaw, if possible.

But now that you know how to fell a tree with an axe, you can do it safely. If you follow the instructions correctly, the tree will fall in the right direction without much hassle.

Use a sharpening stone to sharpen the axe blade before you start felling a tree. If you're not confident about your skill level, hire a professional for the job.

Before you go...

Knowing how to fell a tree is only half the battle. You really need to make sure you pick out the right axe for the job. There's a huge difference between an axe meant for trails and an axe meant for chopping down trees. Be sure to read our next article so you can make sure you know you have the right axe for the job...

• The 12 Best Axes for Felling Trees in 2023

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