Handles on my logs...

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brenndatomu

brenndatomu

Minister of Fire
Aug 21, 2013
8,765
NE Ohio
I posted this elsewhere the other night, I thought these were pretty widely known about but people were pretty interested, so I thought I better share with y'all too, Christmas is comin ya know...;)

My wife got me these log grabbers from Northern tool for my birthday a few weeks back, didn't get to try 'em out 'til last weekend...the verdict...A+! I loaded a whole pickup load of Ash rounds by myself in 30-40 minutes, the wood was about 50' away from where I could back the truck to.
I wondered how easy they would attach, I found that it really is as simple as dropping them over the round and lifting. Same for taking them off, just lower the round until the grabber releases!
I have back issues so anything that makes it so you don't have to bend over as far and that balances the load side to side better, gotta love it! Plus, each trip is twice as productive (I had one in each hand unlike the guy in the pic)
I got both sizes to cover both my stove length wood and the longer furnace wood. That's about the only thing I can think of that is even remotely a downfall of these things, is the need to somewhat match the length the round to the right size grabber. For you guys that haul rounds out of the woods by hand, these are slicker than Pam on Spam!
[Hearth.com] Handles on my logs...
 
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Good luck selling that....
 
A member here with just one arm has used them for a few years and loves'em for flinging wood around. I actually wonder if they are strong enough for a little skidding that I need to do.
 
BrotherBart said:
A member here with just one arm has used them for a few years and loves'em for flinging wood around. I actually wonder if they are strong enough for a little skidding that I need to do.
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Probably some light skidding, their site says they have a 50lb limit but I know I had a good bit more than that on 'em and it didn't seem like anything was even close to bending/breaking
 
Just bought one on Amazon and will see how I like it
 
wahoowad said:
Just bought one on Amazon and will see how I like it
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One or two? One would make my back hurt, two gives ya a nice balanced load
 
I have a back problem as well. I would love to grab two rounds this way to take to the truck as apposed to holding two rounds against my torso which I feel puts strain on my back. Also as we all know once youve picked up one you have to bend over and pick up a second and third. These look great! You say you have to somewhat match them to the size of the round? Im assuming though I can use the same size grabber to pick up a round of 16" and with the other arm grab a 18? I shall look into these. Thanks for the idea!
 
Seanm said:
holding two rounds against my torso which I feel puts strain on my back.
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Exactly!

Seanm said:
You say you have to somewhat match them to the size of the round?
Click to expand...

The ones I have from NT say they range 12" - 18" for the small ones and 18" - 24" for the large ones. Toward the lower end of their range they can slip off when you go to pick up the log if the hooks haven't dug in enough. I think making the hooks a bit sharper will remedy this. I have been able to pick up round a bit longer than the rated length by putting it on the log with two hands instead of one, same to remove. The handle is really tight to the log when you do this and it would be hard to slide your fingers in to grab on if you had heavy gloves on.
Bailys has 'em too but theirs are in three sizes rated, small 15" - 18", med 18" - 21", large 21" - 24"

Seanm said:
Im assuming though I can use the same size grabber to pick up a round of 16" and with the other arm grab a 18?
Click to expand...

Oh yeah!
 
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What do they call them on Northern? They have twenty grand of my money in the last month. Another hundred or so won't be an event.

Maybe these won't break. Or have to go to the shop. Or be the wrong size and not fit.
 
brenndatomu said:
Exactly!



The ones I have from NT say they range 12" - 18" for the small ones and 18" - 24" for the large ones. Toward the lower end of their range they can slip off when you go to pick up the log if the hooks haven't dug in enough. I think making the hooks a bit sharper will remedy this. I have been able to pick up round a bit longer than the rated length by putting it on the log with two hands instead of one, same to remove. The handle is really tight to the log when you do this and it would be hard to slide your fingers in to grab on if you had heavy gloves on.
Bailys has 'em too but theirs are in three sizes rated, small 15" - 18", med 18" - 21", large 21" - 24"



Oh yeah!
Click to expand...
Thanks. Its on my wish list and if I dont get them for Christmas I will order them for spring.
 
The Husq timber tongs shown above also work very well for carrying or dragging smaller 8 foot logs. I use this a lot.
 
I've got the log grippers from Bailey's and they work great. I actually have 2 sets for different log lengths. The tongs work great too but are more money, so I opted for the cheaper log grabbers and haven't been disappointed.
 
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FIshing_Fool said:
Get a good wheelbarrow... On most terrain there's no need to carry rounds 1 or 2 at a time to your truck. Wheel em over!
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Where I was using my Log Grabbers for the first time it would have been a HUGE PITA to use a wheelbarrow, brush, small logs/branches on the ground, ruts, etc. Besides, I still say it is easier to pick up a round with one of these tools than to bend completely over to pick it up for loading in the WB. You only have to bend over part way to use the grabbers, or you could even do the "bend with your legs" thing. At 6' 4" I can't do the lift with your legs thing if I'm going completely to the ground. But hey, everybody is different,
Also, I didn't have room on the truck once I was loaded to take the WB back home with me. (I was on someone else's property a few miles from my house)
 
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Those are pretty cool-thanks for sharing them with us, it might help someone out. I also have back issues, front issues, mental issues lol :p ;lol

Hey, if it works for ya and you like it go for it!
 
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I've got two of them for my 16" long rounds. Got mine at a Fleet Farm in WI for about $17. I've seen them at TSC and a few other farm and ranch stores also.
Bottom line, I really like them. Agreed that two work the best compared to one. I like them for stacking rounds in the woods to start the drying process before I finally get around to splitting. Picking up a round in each hand at the same time equals half the trips to the ground for lifting.
My only knock...I've used mine enough that the hooks tend to sometimes swivel now. If I drop down to pick up a round and the hooks are not lined up, it's a wasted step to realign the hooks. The hook appears to be fastened to some crimped hydraulic fittings on a hose. I may bring them into work and try to recrimp the ferrule so they grab the fitting better.

@ BrotherBart --- I don't think they'd work well or be strong enough for any type of skidding. They seem to be purposed for doing just what the original OP photo shows. I thought I saw a YouTube on these too...I'll check.
 
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Here it is: The longer model. Another positive -- if those rounds were wet, no slip and no soaked gloves.

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Don't buy the Timber Tuff brand ones. Get the Lockhart Firewood Gripper. Better made. The Timber Tuff set I had both failed. The hook pulled out of the handle. The Lockhart's seem a heck of a lot tougher.

I bought because of tennis elbow. Helps a lot.
 
BrotherBart said:
What do they call them on Northern? They have twenty grand of my money in the last month. Another hundred or so won't be an event.

Maybe these won't break. Or have to go to the shop. Or be the wrong size and not fit.
Click to expand...
Wow! Twenty Grand! Mind my asking what kind of toys you got for Twenty Grand?
 
Tractor.
 
Pics or it didn't happen?:)
 
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