How to Bore Cut a Tree In 5 Easy Steps

Bore cutting (also known as plunge cutting) is one of the best and safest practices in tree felling, and it is the method that we here at the Timberland Investor promote as being the best for back cuts. That said, bore cutting often gets a bad rap (from the misinformed) because it requires using the kickback zone to cut into the tree. Properly executed, however, the kickback zone is not used until the saw is sufficiently buried into the log. This creates a sort of containment chamber that allows you to bore cut with the tip of the saw without causing any kickback at all. It may sound intimidating at first, but with a little practice, you will find it isn’t difficult at all and in fact yields many benefits to the feller, including massively improved safety when felling rotten and defected trees. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know to safely and competently bore cut.

The bore cut method was developed by professional loggers and arborists who recognized the limitations and dangers of traditional back cutting techniques. Unlike the conventional approach where you cut straight through from the back of the tree, bore cutting gives you complete control over the hinge formation and allows you to establish a “trigger mechanism” (the strap) that lets you retreat to a safe distance before the tree commits to falling. This extra measure of control is particularly valuable when dealing with unpredictable wood conditions, heavy leaners, or situations where barber chair splitting is a concern.

Why Bore Cutting Is Superior to Traditional Back Cutting

Before we dive into the technique itself, it’s worth understanding exactly why bore cutting offers significant advantages over traditional felling methods. First and foremost, bore cutting allows you to set your hinge precisely before the tree begins to fall. With a standard back cut, you’re essentially racing against gravity as the tree’s weight begins shifting the moment your saw approaches the hinge. This can lead to a rushed, uneven hinge or, worse, accidentally cutting through the hinge entirely.

Secondly, bore cutting dramatically reduces the risk of barber chair incidents. A barber chair occurs when a tree splits vertically up the trunk as it begins to fall, often with explosive force that can kill or seriously injure the sawyer. By cutting through the interior of the tree first and leaving only the strap holding the tree, you eliminate most of the internal tension that causes barber chairing. The strap acts as a controlled release point that breaks cleanly rather than splitting catastrophically.

Third, the technique provides an escape route advantage. Because you release the tree by cutting the strap from the outside rather than being buried in the back cut with your saw, you can move to your escape route more quickly and aren’t trapped should the tree begin to fall unexpectedly. This alone has saved countless lives in professional logging operations.

Finally, bore cutting is far superior when dealing with compromised wood. Dead trees, rotten centers, frost cracks, and other defects can make traditional back cuts extremely dangerous. The bore cut allows you to assess the internal condition of the wood as you work and adjust your strategy accordingly, something that’s impossible with a standard back cut where you can’t see what’s happening on the far side of the tree.

Essential Safety Equipment and Preparation

Before attempting any bore cut, ensure you have the proper safety equipment. This includes a properly fitted hard hat with face shield or safety glasses, hearing protection, chainsaw chaps or pants, steel-toed boots with good ankle support, and work gloves with adequate grip. Your chainsaw should be in excellent working condition with a sharp chain, properly tensioned, and with all safety features (chain brake, throttle lock, etc.) functioning correctly.

Bar length is an important consideration for bore cutting. Ideally, your bar should be at least 150% of the diameter of the tree you’re cutting. This allows you to complete the bore cut in a single pass from one side. If your bar is too short and you must complete the cut from both sides, the technique becomes more complex and requires additional skill to ensure the cuts meet properly in the middle.

Always clear your work area of obstacles and establish at least two escape routes at 45-degree angles away from the expected fall direction. Remove any tripping hazards, and if working in snow, packed down your escape paths thoroughly. Have your felling wedges and hammer readily accessible before you begin cutting. Being properly prepared before you start cutting is not optional—it’s the foundation of safe tree felling.

Step 1: Begin Cutting Into the Tree With the Attack (Bottom Tip) of the Saw

With your notch having already been cut, begin your bore cut by positioning your saw parallel to the ground and taking the attack of the saw (the bottom tip of the bar, opposite of the kickback zone), and using it to cut into the tree. The initial cut is best placed positioned back a bit from the hinge, as this provides a margin of safety that prevents you from accidentally cutting into or through the hinge. It is also good practice to take your time to ensure your bar is truly level before initiating your cut. The two most common bore cutting mistakes of beginners is creating uneven and slanted cuts on either the horizontal or vertical axis of the tree.

Let’s break this down further. The “attack” is the bottom quadrant of the bar tip—the underside of the nose. This part of the bar pulls the chain downward and into the wood rather than back toward you, making it safe to use. Position yourself with a stable, balanced stance, typically with your body slightly to the side of the bar rather than directly behind it. This gives you better leverage and keeps you out of the direct line of any unexpected bar movement.

Before you pull the trigger, take a moment to visualize the cut. Your initial penetration should be approximately 2-4 inches behind where you want your hinge to be. For a 20-inch diameter tree with a 2-inch hinge, you’d start your bore cut about 4 inches back from the face cut. This buffer zone is your safety margin and allows for minor errors in alignment without compromising your hinge.

Continue this cut until the bar is dug into the stem by at least half of the bar’s diameter. Some experienced fellers prefer to bury the bar two-thirds of the way before rotating, as this provides an even larger containment chamber. The key is creating enough of a trench that when you rotate the bar, the kickback zone will be fully enclosed within the kerf you’ve just created. If you don’t bury the bar deeply enough, there’s a risk the tip could catch on the far edge of the kerf when you rotate, potentially causing kickback.

During this initial cut, maintain full throttle and steady, firm pressure. The saw should be doing the work—you’re guiding, not forcing. If you find yourself having to push hard, your chain is dull and needs sharpening. A sharp chain cuts effortlessly, producing long, uniform chips rather than fine dust. Apply steady downward pressure with your right hand (or left if you’re left-handed) while supporting the weight of the saw with your other hand on the front handle. Keep your body weight distributed evenly between both feet, and avoid overreaching.

Step 2: Rotate the Saw to Be Parallel With the Hinge

Once the bar is dug into the stem at least half the diameter of the bar, it is time to rotate the saw to be parallel with the hinge. At this point, the kickback zone will be engaged, but the trench dug in step one of the bore cut will contain the bar, preventing it from causing kickback and jumping away. You may feel the saw at first bounce around a bit inside the cut, but it will be fully contained. However, it is important that you move onto step 3 quickly and not hold the saw in this position for long, otherwise the cut will widen, potentially causing the bar to escape.

The rotation movement should be smooth and deliberate. Think of it like rotating a key in a lock rather than jerking or forcing the bar. Keep the saw at full throttle throughout the rotation—this helps the chain clear debris and maintains cutting momentum. As you rotate, you’re essentially pivoting the bar on the far edge of the kerf you just created. The bar will now be pointing straight through the tree, perpendicular to the hinge and parallel to your face cut.

During this rotation, you may feel the saw vibrate or “chatter” more than usual. This is normal—the tip of the bar is engaging wood at an angle it’s not typically used for. Don’t panic and don’t let off the throttle. The containment you created in step one will keep everything under control. However, this is why you need to move quickly to step three. If you hesitate too long with the bar positioned tip-first into the cut, the constant chain movement will widen the kerf and could allow the tip to escape the containment, creating a kickback hazard.

Once more, I will reiterate that the two most common mistakes beginners make are creating uneven cuts on either the vertical or horizontal access, so be sure the bar is relatively parallel with the hinge and notch before proceeding. This is why the bore cut was initiated with offset toward the rear. It gives you an error allowance of about 15 degrees.

To ensure proper alignment, many professional fellers will quickly glance at both sides of the tree before completing the rotation. If you notice your bar isn’t parallel with the hinge, it’s better to withdraw the saw, reassess, and start a fresh bore cut than to proceed with a misaligned cut. A misaligned bore cut can result in an uneven hinge that causes the tree to fall unpredictably or a back cut that angles up or down, both of which are dangerous situations.

Step 3: Push the Saw Straight Through the Stem

With your saw angled and aimed properly, begin the bore/plunge by pushing your saw straight through the stem. Keep going at full throttle until saw dust spits out the opposite side. stopping or feathering the saw risks the chain getting pinched, so you have to commit! If your bar does not make it all the way through the tree, you will have to line up your cut and continue from the opposite side of the stem. In these situations, it is best to start from the back on the opposite side and work forward once the initial cut is made.

This is the moment where confidence and commitment are essential. Once you begin pushing the bar through, maintain steady, firm pressure and keep that throttle wide open. The physics of the cut require momentum—the spinning chain needs to clear chips from the kerf faster than they can accumulate and pinch the bar. If you hesitate or ease off the throttle midway through, the bar can bind in the cut, which is both frustrating and potentially dangerous.

As you push forward, you should feel the saw feeding itself into the cut. If you encounter significant resistance, it could indicate several things: your chain is dull, you’re cutting through particularly dense or knotty wood, or your bar has drifted off course and is rubbing against the sides of the kerf. In most cases, maintaining full throttle and steady pressure will work through the resistance. However, if the saw seems to stall or bind completely, it’s safer to withdraw and reassess rather than forcing it.

Watch for sawdust coming from the far side of the tree—this is your visual confirmation that the bar has broken through. On larger trees where your bar length doesn’t allow a single pass, you’ll need to walk around to the opposite side and continue the cut. When doing this, it’s crucial that you start your second bore cut behind the first one (closer to the back of the tree) and then work forward to meet it. This ensures you don’t accidentally cut through the wood you need to keep intact for your hinge. Mark the far side of your initial bore cut with chalk or spray paint before walking around, so you know exactly where to aim your second cut.

For trees that require a two-sided bore cut, extra caution is needed. The two cuts must meet precisely in the middle, and there’s a risk of creating a weak point if they don’t align well. This is why experienced fellers try to overlap the cuts slightly rather than leaving a gap. It’s better to have a small amount of double-cut wood than to leave an uncut section that could cause unpredictable hinge behavior.

Step 4: Move the Bar Forward to Set the Hinge and Then Back to Set the Strap

Once the bar is completely through the tree, we can cut away the margin of safety we established earlier and cut the hinge to its proper width (usually about 10% the diameter of the tree). Push the bar toward the hinge to do so, taking your time to do it carefully, checking both sides frequently to ensure an even cut.

When you are satisfied with the thickness and quality of your hinge, pull the bar back and finish the back cut. Leave a section of uncut, sound wood toward the back so you can finish the cut from the outside. This part is called the “strap.”

This step is where the artistry of bore cutting really comes into play. Your hinge is the single most important element in controlling the direction and behavior of the falling tree, and bore cutting gives you the luxury of perfecting it without the pressure of the tree already beginning to fall. Move the bar forward slowly—you might advance it only an inch or two with each pass, constantly checking both sides to ensure even cutting.

The ideal hinge thickness varies with tree species and condition. Softwoods like pine, fir, and spruce typically work well with a hinge that’s 10% of the tree’s diameter. Hardwoods like oak, maple, and ash may require a slightly thicker hinge—around 12-15%—because they’re denser and hold together better. However, rotten, frozen, or brittle wood may need an even thicker hinge to compensate for reduced wood strength. This is where experience and judgment come into play.

As you establish your hinge, walk around the tree several times to check both sides. A perfectly even hinge on both sides of the tree is critical for a straight, predictable fall. An uneven hinge (one side thicker than the other) will cause the tree to fall in the direction of the thicker side—a potentially dangerous situation if that’s not where you intended the tree to go. If you notice unevenness, carefully thin the thicker side until both sides match. It’s helpful to mark your hinge thickness with a crayon or chalk on both sides before you start cutting so you have a visual reference.

Once your hinge is set, pull the bar backward toward the rear of the tree to complete your back cut. This is where you’ll establish the strap—the strip of wood that’s currently holding the tree upright. The strap should be approximately 1-2 inches wide for most applications, though the exact size depends on the tree’s size and species. The strap needs to be substantial enough to hold the tree securely while you remove your saw and set wedges, but not so thick that it’s difficult to cut quickly when you’re ready to release the tree.

Position the strap slightly off-center toward your primary escape route. This way, when you cut it, you’ll be starting on the side where you need to retreat anyway. Some fellers prefer to make the strap thinner on the escape route side, creating a “bypass” that lets them cut through most of the strap from the safe side before the tree commits to falling. The back cut should be level with or very slightly higher than the face cut (no more than 1 inch)—never below it. A back cut that’s too low reduces hinge effectiveness and can cause unpredictable falling behavior.

Step 5: Cut the Strap

The final step of bore cutting properly is cutting the strap to fell the tree. First. Lightly set a wedge in the back cut. This just acts as a place holder to prevent the tree from closing in on the back cut once it is released. Once the wedge is set, cut the strap from the outside, and be prepared to move away quickly. If the tree does not fall immediately, further wedging or levering may be required.

Before cutting the strap, take a moment to prepare for the tree’s fall. Clear your escape routes one final time, removing any branches or debris that appeared while you were cutting. Place your saw in a safe location away from the tree or prepare to carry it with you as you retreat. Some fellers prefer to set the saw down on the ground behind them, while others keep it with them but turned off and held low. Either method is acceptable as long as you’re not holding a running saw while trying to run.

The wedge you set in the back cut serves multiple purposes. It prevents the tree from settling backward and pinching your saw when you cut the strap. It also provides insurance against “sit-back”—when a tree leans back toward the feller instead of falling forward. Just tap the wedge in lightly with a few hammer strikes; you’re not trying to wedge the tree over at this point, just snugging it into place. In some situations where the tree has significant back lean, you may need to drive wedges more aggressively before cutting the strap, essentially lifting the tree and getting it committed to the forward fall direction.

When you’re ready to cut the strap, position yourself on your primary escape route side. Start the cut from the outside of the strap on this side, cutting toward the center. Maintain full throttle and cut decisively. The tree may start to move the instant the strap is severed, or there may be a momentary pause—be ready for either scenario. As soon as you feel the strap give way or see any sign of movement, immediately retreat along your escape route at a 45-degree angle to the fall direction. Never turn your back on the tree or assume it will fall in a specific timeframe.

In some cases, particularly with heavy or back-leaning trees, cutting the strap won’t immediately result in the tree falling. You may need to drive your wedges harder to create enough lift to overcome the back lean. This is where having multiple wedges can be helpful—you can stack wedges on top of each other to gain more lift, or you can use a hydraulic wedge for extremely stubborn trees. If the tree still won’t go, a safe approach is to use a rope and winch or come-along to provide additional pulling force. Never try to push a tree over by hand or use your saw to cut more wood from the hinge—both are extremely dangerous practices that can result in serious injury or death.

Once the tree is committed to falling, continue moving to your safe zone and watch the tree all the way to the ground. Trees can kick back at the stump, split unexpectedly, or have branches break off (called “widow makers”) during the fall. Only when the tree is completely on the ground and all movement has stopped should you approach it again. Even then, be cautious of tension in the branches that could spring loose when cut.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced fellers can make mistakes with bore cutting. One of the most common errors is rushing through the initial bore without ensuring the bar is properly leveled. This results in a slanted back cut that compromises the hinge and makes the fall unpredictable. Take your time during step one—an extra 30 seconds spent ensuring proper alignment can prevent a dangerous situation.

Another frequent mistake is making the strap too small or too large. A strap that’s too thin can break prematurely while you’re still removing your saw or setting wedges, potentially catching you unprepared. A strap that’s too thick can be difficult to cut quickly and cleanly, leaving you in the danger zone longer than necessary. The sweet spot is typically 1-2 inches, but this should be adjusted based on wood quality and tree size.

Many beginners also fail to check their hinge frequently enough while establishing it. They make cuts from one side only, resulting in a dramatically uneven hinge that causes the tree to fall in an unintended direction. Make it a habit to walk around the tree after every few passes with the saw, checking both sides of the hinge carefully. Your goal is absolute symmetry.

Finally, some fellers become complacent about escape routes once the bore cut is complete. They set up their wedges while standing directly behind the tree or fail to maintain clear paths away from the fall zone. The moment you start cutting that strap, you need to be mentally and physically prepared to move. Know your escape routes so well that you could navigate them with your eyes closed, because in the stress of the moment, you won’t be thinking clearly about where to go.

When to Use Bore Cutting vs. Traditional Back Cutting

While bore cutting is superior in many situations, it’s not always necessary. For small trees (under 10 inches diameter) with no significant lean or rot, a simple traditional back cut is often faster and perfectly safe. The bore cut method really shines when dealing with larger trees (16+ inches), trees with substantial lean, compromised wood, or any situation where barber chair splitting is a concern.

Use bore cutting whenever you’re felling dead trees, as the lack of living wood makes them more prone to unpredictable splitting and breaking. Bore cutting is also essential when dealing with trees that have significant tension (like trees bent under snow load or hung up on other trees), as the controlled release mechanism of the strap can prevent explosive splitting.

In professional timber operations, bore cutting is often the standard method regardless of tree size or condition, simply because it’s the safest approach overall and allows the most control. However, for homeowners or casual users doing small-scale clearing, it’s reasonable to use traditional back cuts on smaller, healthy trees and reserve bore cutting for situations where the extra safety margin is truly needed.

That’s All There Is to It

Despite its reputation, executing a proper bore cut without causing kickback is not difficult. The key is the initiation of the cut shown in steps 1 and 2. It takes a bit of practice, but one you get used to it, you will find it is really quite simple. If you are still feeling a bit nervous about giving it a shot, try it out first on a heavy log or high stump. That allows you to get the hang of the mechanics of the cut before you try it in a higher-risk setting. In any case, no matter your skill level or situation, always be sure to exercise usual felling and chainsaw use precautions. Use common sense and be careful!

Consider practicing on fallen logs before attempting bore cuts on standing trees. Logs on the ground allow you to focus entirely on the mechanics of the cut without the stress and danger of an actual felling operation. Practice the attack initiation, the rotation, and the plunge until these movements become fluid and natural. You can even practice setting up mock hinges and straps to build muscle memory.

As you gain experience with bore cutting, you’ll develop a feel for how different wood types behave. You’ll learn to “read” the tree and adjust your hinge thickness, strap size, and technique based on species, moisture content, defects, and lean. This intuitive understanding only comes with time and practice, so don’t expect perfection on your first several attempts. Each tree is different, and even experienced professionals occasionally encounter surprises.

Remember that bore cutting is just one tool in the tree feller’s skillset. It should be combined with proper notch placement, accurate assessment of tree lean and weight distribution, understanding of wind and weather conditions, and comprehensive knowledge of escape route planning. A perfectly executed bore cut won’t save you from a poorly planned felling operation. Take the time to plan every aspect of the cut, assess potential hazards, and only proceed when you’re confident in your preparation.

Finally, never hesitate to walk away from a tree that’s beyond your skill level. There’s no shame in recognizing when a job requires professional expertise. Complex leaners, trees tangled with other trees, trees near structures or power lines, and extremely large trees should be left to certified arborists or professional loggers who have specialized equipment and extensive experience. The bore cutting technique is powerful, but it’s not a magic solution that can overcome poor judgment or inadequate preparation.

Stay safe, keep your saw sharp and well-maintained, and continue learning and practicing. The bore cut method has saved countless lives in the logging industry and can make your tree felling operations significantly safer. Master this technique, respect the power of the trees you’re working with, and you’ll be able to tackle felling operations with greater confidence and control.