Felling smaller ash trees

[ShiftyFireBush]

So I have minimal experience felling trees, mainly bucking for firewood. I have about 20-30 small diameter ash trees to fell. All dead or close to dead because of the Emerald Ash Borer(EAB). The largest ones are maybe 8 inches in diameter.

Some are near the property line with a fence so have to make sure they go in the right direction. My main concern is barber chairing.

Saws that are in my possession are a Dolmar 350 and a '79 Poulan 3400.

Basically looking for safe cut advice so I don't take a tree to the face or smash a fence. I don't think plunge cutting is an option simply because of the diameter of the tree...

 

[buzz sawyer]

How tall are they? Any leaners? Unless they are leaning severely, sounds like they are small enough that barber chair is not likely.

 

[EchoRomeoCharlie]

Barber chair isn't a huge factor unless you're pulling too hard on the tree or there is significant lean. Even if there is significant lean, small trees and big saws means you can eat wood fast enough that chairing isn't an issue. Make sure your chains are well sharpened and your saw is full of gas.

The big problem with small trees is not having enough room for a wedge if one is necessary. So use a line and get a few buddies to pull if they're straight up or slight back leaners. Significant back/side lean might be time for a professional.

 

[uniballer]

Last year I removed a few dozen small trees, many ash, from the area just to the south of my house. My plan was not to drop anything in the direction of the house or property line (or 180 degrees from them in case the tree fell the wrong way), but 45 to 90 degrees from those targets was OK. The trees were densely packed, and mostly 50 to 60 feet tall, so I started by "walking down" a bunch of the smallest knowing that they would hang up in the other trees, but that would give me more room to drop the bigger trees. I had to get the come-along out once to pull out the butt of a 10" DBH ash tree that I knew would hang up (slow, but safe).

I just snap-cut anything less than about 4.5 inches DBH, and put an open face cut on anything bigger. I put a line in any tree I was in doubt about the direction of fall, unless it was so small I could just push it after snap cutting. I had my wife or a friend run the pull line when needed.