- 1). Move anything that is below or near the pine tree. When you cut the tree down, it could damage things that are below it. Measure the pine tree's canopy to make sure you have enough clearance.
- 2). Cut into the side of the pine tree, notching out a section on the side you want it to fall on. To make the notch, the first cut should be parallel to the ground and waist-high. Make a second cut above the first. It should be at a 45 degree angle, angle toward the center of the tree and meet the first cut you made. These two cuts should remove a triangle-shaped section of the tree's trunk. Cutting this piece out will make the tree lean in that direction.
- 3). Run the chainsaw into the tree at the opposite side of the notch. Make a single straight cut, just above the center of the notch you created. As you are about to hit the notch with the blade, the pine tree should start to fall.
- 4). Exit the area quickly to get as far away from the tree as possible. Even though the tree is falling in the desired direction, there could still be debris that kicks back up.
- 5). Sell the pine tree, if applicable, as a Christmas tree so that you can make money from the project. If the tree is too large to be used for decoration, you can take it to a saw mill.
- 6). Cut up the pine tree to make firewood. Making smaller pieces out of the tree will make it more manageable. Stack the wood somewhere nearby and get rid of the foliage in nearby woods or in a controlled-burn fire. Obtain legal permission for the fire before lighting it.
- 7). Deeply soak the area around the tree trunk with water. This will make the roots more pliable. Assume that the roots have grown as wide as the tree canopy above.
- 8). Insert a shovel into the ground a few feet from the roots. Wedge the shovel in and under to lift the roots up. Try to pull them out by hand. Stubborn roots can be cut with a pruning saw.
- 9). Rent a stump grinder to remove remnants of a pine tree, if necessary. Use the manufacturer's instructions for using the tool.