Under-rated processing tools?

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maple1

maple1

Minister of Fire
Sep 15, 2011
11,082
Nova Scotia
Mine is the humble wedge. And after yesterday, I think I might need to get a couple more.

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That's a 2 year old windfall that was sitting uprooted with the top against another tree all that time. Decided to tackle it this weekend. The root ball didn't fall back all the way of course, leaving the thing under serious compression the whole way. Things got better after I decided to move to the top end after it settled enough that I could safely reach things, after I managed to get both wedges quite firmly stuck. The first cut was a little tricky - but they saved me from a whole lot of struggle several times. Especially that first cut.
 
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How bout this......a Sharpie marker. I used it to make a mark 17 inches from the tip of the chainsaw to the casing. It makes bucking logs the exact same length every time without a tape measure or eyeballing it. Huge time saver. I also carry it for writing the date on stacks to know for sure how long it has seasoned. In case of emergency and a tourniquet is needed use it to write the time you put it on to help the medical people. I always have one with me in the woods.
 
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A hookaroon type grabber. About all i use mine for is reaching wood up near the cab of my truck from the tail gate with less back strain.

After a long day felling and bucking that thing paid for itself in about ten minutes.
 
TheAardvark said:
How bout this......a Sharpie marker. I used it to make a mark 17 inches from the tip of the chainsaw to the casing. It makes bucking logs the exact same length every time without a tape measure or eyeballing it. Huge time saver. I also carry it for writing the date on stacks to know for sure how long it has seasoned. In case of emergency and a tourniquet is needed use it to write the time you put it on to help the medical people. I always have one with me in the woods.
Click to expand...

I did the same thing on my bar with a Sharpie, but the mark didn't seem to last. So I masked off a couple stripes on my bar, one each side, and spray painted it a couple weeks ago when I was painting something else. Can see that 18"" mark on my bar in the pic. Will see how long that lasts.

Hope to not have to worry about the tourniquet thing - that would hurt. In blood & pride. Ouchie...
 
I would never go cutting without at least 4 wedges, especially if I am felling. I really like the Stihl yellow wedges that have groves that fit into each other so that you can pile them on top of each other and they will not slip sideways. It is really good to do that when you have very thick bark or rotten wood so you can get the wedging action deep into good hard wood.

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My back. My back is definitely under rated. It tells me so later that night or the next day. To be fair I have 2 messed up disks but even with a healthy back it probably rough at times.
 
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Well, on that note... Beefeater Gin and Schweppes tonic. Nothing makes your back feel better, at the end of a long hot summer day in the woods. In the winter, substitute The Balvenie or Macallan.

In the woods, my favorite "under-rated" tool is my 25 foot chain with choker on one end. Used to skid every log I cut out of the woods.
 
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My most under-rated tool... a weight lifting belt. Not the stiff leather style, but the more flexible style used by shelf stock employees. I find that my back is far less irritated if I use that during wood processing.
 
Jags said:
My most under-rated tool... a weight lifting belt. Not the stiff leather style, but the more flexible style used by shelf stock employees. I find that my back is far less irritated if I use that during wood processing.
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Irritated? I work long hours at a desk during the week, so processing wood is one of the many ways I make my back feel better after too many hours of sitting!
 
Big pry bar - they are tall and heavy, but saves a lot of sledge and wedge time - once you get a crack in a round it's easy money. It is also very easy to roll a big log on the ground with one. I use a digging bar - flat head on one side and pointed head on the other.

You can also use it to put big weighted ag tires on tractor, tamp fence post, put on tractor implements if you don't have quick attach, and it will move just about anything you can get it under.
 
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Ashful said:
Irritated? I work long hours at a desk during the week, so processing wood is one of the many ways I make my back feel better after too many hours of sitting!
Click to expand...

Likewise here.

But I think I will consider some back support after reading a couple comments here. I used to have a kidney belt, dirt bike kind, no idea where that went. The chainsaw work doesn't seem to fiz my back, but some other things do, like stacking. And sometimes splitting.
 
Ashful said:
Irritated? I work long hours at a desk during the week, so processing wood is one of the many ways I make my back feel better after too many hours of sitting!
Click to expand...
I too work many desk hours. And yes, I claim that the wood stuff actually helps me in the long run, but come back to me 15 years from now and tell me that 4 or 5 hours of making firewood doesn't irritate your back.>> Young pups....;lol;lol;lol
 
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Ibuprofen , I take a couple before starting work and it makes a big difference afterwards.

I love the plastic wedges, I can get real close to the chainsaw blade and not worry about sparks. The trade off is occasionally I tag them and that's why I buy a spare when Labonville's has there 20% off sale.
 
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In addition to the crowbar, which was already mentioned, I get a surprising amount of use out of my hand truck. The tree service dropped some huge soft maple rounds in my yard, and I use the hand truck to help prop them up for rolling. I also use it to help position/maneuver large rounds under the splitter in vertical position. Of course, it's handy for quickly moving medium sized rounds as well.
 
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