T he hinge is the single most important part of the felling cut. It controls the felling direction, reduces the chance for hang-ups, and can increase productivity. If a proper notch has been formed, the hinge will control the fall of the tree all the way to the ground. Hinges should be the same thickness all the way across the stump. If the hinge is faced in the proper direction, using the site line of the saw, the tree will fall correctly.
Loggers often attempt to swing trees into openings by cutting the hinge off on one side.
Efforts to swing trees into openings often result in hung trees. This is because it is difficult to guess how much of the hinge should be cut off to swing a tree. It is much more accurate to aim or sight the tree and have it fall exactly in the intended direction. It should also be noted that the fibers of the hinge tend to break from the back. As the tree falls, fibers along the back of the hinge will break first.