Advice for Seniors with a bad back

[qlty]

I have had a bad back for years and now with severe artritis I use an old hand held fishing Gaf for picking up and placing large rounds on my vertical log splitter it saves me from bending over many times I can even roll very large un split rounds to the splitter and adjust their position for each split.its like having 3 hands its 30 inches long with a real sharp stainless steel point.Try it you will be amazed.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

My dad is old and fat and tired so what he does is have me do most of the work

 

[ScotO]

View attachment 95488 I have had a bad back for years and now with severe artritis I use an old hand held fishing Gaf for picking up and placing large rounds on my vertical log splitter it saves me from bending over many times I can even roll very large un split rounds to the splitter and adjust their position for each split.its like having 3 hands its 30 inches long with a real sharp stainless steel point.Try it you will be amazed.

I think that New York Giants sweatshirt is the culprit. Try putting a Pittsburgh Steelers sweatshirt on, you'll feel like Superman before you know it......you'll be heaving those big rounds all over the place....

Hey, whatever works for you. Glad you figured something out to keep you moving and processing. That's much better than doing nothing, then your arthritis and bad back will have won out on you. Stay with it, my friend....

 

[velvetfoot]

That's like a hookaroon. I have one with a replaceable tip, but I'll be darned if I know who made it. I think it comes from Canada.

I really like my Husky Timber Tongs; they eliminate a lot of stooping:
http://www.amazon.com/Husqvarna-12-...1362238043&sr=8-1&keywords=husqvarna+log+tong

 

[Ehouse]

Bending over can sure take the enjoyment out of work when you get older. I use a machete with a square tip to clear trails and flip the branches out of the way. It also works great for picking up small rounds and splits (sink the front tip into the side of the round). I've been thinking of fixing a tine to the top rear of the blade for some pickaroon action. It's also good for making kindling and prepping around a tree before you fell it, then lopping off the small stuff before you limb.

 

[Woody Stover]

A peavey, cant hook, or pickaroon can be handy for moving big rounds, as well.

For arthritis, try turmeric. Start out with one cap to make sure your system can handle it; It's spicy. The arthritic toe joint that would painfully flare up on me every few weeks is in total remission...no pain now, and the swelling has gone way down. I think it's actually reversing the damage to the joint to some extent. I gave a neighbor a bottle of turmeric a couple weeks ago, and he said he noticed improvement within a week (so did I) even though they say it may take several weeks to build up in your system. It has other benefits as well (anti-oxidant, etc.) We are both taking two caps a day (1000 mg.) It's like $7 for six weeks at that dosage. You can get it at Wal-Mart, even...

 

[Ralphie Boy]

I have a pair of Lockhart log grippers and they work very well.I've moved a lot of rounds with out bending anything other than my knees.

 

[save$]

I switched to pellets. Got a cart and a sled to move them with. Wife and I moved and stacked 3 tons in 3 hrs last summer. We are both seniors and hate to ask the kids for help. They do help out a lot with other stuff, so I don't want to become a dependent pest unless it is the last option. I can't climb, or lift much so I use pickups. Get a cart that that can be put on the end, then roll the log or what ever into it then tip it back on the wheels and away you go. Bigger wheels move best. Put a ramp in over the steps and you can bring the cart right up and in if you need to. Ramp is one foot extension per inch of rise. If that isn't possible, you can make a dumb waiter from a garage door opener. (google it) You can often find them on places like craig's list for $50-100. and not mush more for the rest of the materials.

 

[andybaker]

That's great qlty. If I ever have to stop doing stuff I think I'll whither away quickly. I'm not sure why, people think I'm nuts, but I really enjoy gathering and processing wood. Almost as much as burning it. Here is a link to a tool I couldn't live without. I suggest this to anyone handling wood and wants to keep doing it for a while.
http://www.baileysonline.com/itemde...=42296468185&gclid=CMvW_e6D37UCFaI-MgodQzoAHQ

 

[Backwoods Savage]

View attachment 95488 I have had a bad back for years and now with severe artritis I use an old hand held fishing Gaf for picking up and placing large rounds on my vertical log splitter it saves me from bending over many times I can even roll very large un split rounds to the splitter and adjust their position for each split.its like having 3 hands its 30 inches long with a real sharp stainless steel point.Try it you will be amazed.

Welcome to the forum qlty.

For a minute there, I thought you were talking about me! Bad back big time. A little deformed from polio then a bad accident in 1984 really put me down. Here are three tools, make that four that I'd hate to be without:

 

[andybaker]

Hey Sav, I've never used one of those what you call it, picaroos? For vertical splitting that looks like a great tool. I don't think my pulp hook would be near as handy doing that way. I might like my pulp hook over that husqvarna thing there. Is that easy to use? Remember a few weeks ago I had a post about an old dead Oak I was given. Today I went and looked at it up close and took my axe to see how deep the punk went into it. Seeing a big old tree from across the way isn't anything like walking up to it and seeing how big it is. That thing must be close to 36" across and best part, the dry rot is only an inch or less into it. The thing looks solid as a rock. There's a lot of wood burning there.

 

[velvetfoot]

I love the 12" Husky Timber Tongs. They like having longer arms and giant, strong hands when handling rounds. If I'm sitting there splitting, I can reach way over with the hookaroon, or go closer with the Timber Tongs. I've just about phased out the hookaroon except when I'm tired of picking up splits.

I'd look into a hookaroon instead of a pickaroon. I think they're easier to get out; another plus is that, for me anyway and it was only one time, the hookaroon didn't go through my boot leather.

 

[qlty]

I love the 12" Husky Timber Tongs. They like having longer arms and giant, strong hands when handling rounds. If I'm sitting there splitting, I can reach way over with the hookaroon, or go closer with the Timber Tongs. I've just about phased out the hookaroon except when I'm tired of picking up splits.

I'd look into a hookaroon instead of a pickaroon. I think they're easier to get out; another plus is that, for me anyway and it was only one time, the hookaroon didn't go through my boot leather.

hookaroon eigh I thought I had invented something with my 30" hand held fishing gaff although mine with more of a curve to it as well as being free as a second use has a lot more grip for lifting JMO

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Hey Sav, I've never used one of those what you call it, picaroos? For vertical splitting that looks like a great tool. I don't think my pulp hook would be near as handy doing that way. I might like my pulp hook over that husqvarna thing there. Is that easy to use? Remember a few weeks ago I had a post about an old dead Oak I was given. Today I went and looked at it up close and took my axe to see how deep the punk went into it. Seeing a big old tree from across the way isn't anything like walking up to it and seeing how big it is. That thing must be close to 36" across and best part, the dry rot is only an inch or less into it. The thing looks solid as a rock. There's a lot of wood burning there.

They are great for reaching. For sure better than standing up to go get more wood. This way I can split a lot before moving the splitter.

The log tongs are super! I had considered the other set of grabbers but with the log tongs, this now means there is very little to no bending to pick up the logs. It also seems that you can actually pick up heavier stuff easier. If I have to lift those bigger ones that weigh right up there, I simply use two of the tongs and push with my knee, sort of like we used to do when baling hay or loading milk cans. Makes things go much easier.

For sure get that oak Andy. I got some this year that has been sitting around at least 10 years! Solid stuff too.