What You'll Do

  • Stop saw engines, pull cutting bars from cuts, and run to safety as tree falls.
  • Appraise trees for certain characteristics, such as twist, rot, and heavy limb growth, and gauge amount and direction of lean, to determine how to control the direction of a tree's fall with the least damage.
  • Saw back-cuts, leaving sufficient sound wood to control direction of fall.
  • Clear brush from work areas and escape routes, and cut saplings and other trees from direction of falls, using axes, chainsaws, or bulldozers.
  • Measure felled trees and cut them into specified log lengths, using chain saws and axes.
  • Assess logs after cutting to ensure that the quality and length are correct.
  • Determine position, direction, and depth of cuts to be made, and placement of wedges or jacks.
  • Control the direction of a tree's fall by scoring cutting lines with axes, sawing undercuts along scored lines with chainsaws, knocking slabs from cuts with single-bit axes, and driving wedges.
  • Trim off the tops and limbs of trees, using chainsaws, delimbers, or axes.
  • Select trees to be cut down, assessing factors such as site, terrain, and weather conditions before beginning work.

Essential Skills

Operation and Control 3.38/5
Critical Thinking 3.25/5
Monitoring 3.25/5
Operations Monitoring 3.25/5
Judgment and Decision Making 3.0/5
Active Listening 2.88/5
Equipment Maintenance 2.88/5
Troubleshooting 2.75/5
Repairing 2.75/5
Speaking 2.62/5
Complex Problem Solving 2.62/5
Equipment Selection 2.62/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.

Common styles

Cautiousness, Dependability, Self-Control, Perseverance, Attention to Detail

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Reaction Time 4.13/5
Multilimb Coordination 3.75/5
Control Precision 3.63/5
Arm-Hand Steadiness 3.5/5
Manual Dexterity 3.5/5
Speed of Limb Movement 3.5/5
Static Strength 3.5/5
Trunk Strength 3.38/5

Technologies & Tools

Assisi Compiler Assisi Software Assisi Inventory Assisi Software Assisi Manager Assisi Software Assisi Resource BCS Woodlands Software The Logger Tracker BCS Woodlands Software Woodlands Tracker ESRI ArcView Geographic information system GIS systems Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Word

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Cautiousness (High importance: 4.75/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.65/5)
  • Self-Control (High importance: 4.3/5)
  • Perseverance (High importance: 4.2/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.13/5)

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How to Become One

Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for this career. Training is provided on the job.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

All-Round Logger Arborist Arborist Assistant Arborist Climber Arborist Representative Axman Certified Arborist Chain Saw Operator Climbing Arborist Cross Cut Sawyer Cutter Operator Hewer High Climber Logger Lumberjack Lumberman Paper Wood Cutter Pulpwood Cutter Sales Arborist Sawyer Timber Cutter Timber Faller Timber Feller Tree Cutter Tree Faller Tree Feller Tree Topper Utility Arborist

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.