Where do you see "the gear"

[carbon neutral]

I would like to go to a festival or competition where they have chain saw races and wood chopping competitions. I imagine at this type of thing there would be all sorts of manufacturers where one could view their products in person. I have looked on the net and through Stihls web site but they have nothing in the New England area. Can anyone reccomend a good show to go to? I know of one at the Hartford civic center in November but it is more for arborists, not for pyro wood burners.

 

[Eric Johnson]

Here's a link to lots of regional "Lumberjack Competitions." They tend to be held in the mid to late summer. I would recommend the Woodsmen's Field Days in Boonville, NY. Carpniels and I both go to that one, along with many other Hearth.com members, I suspect.

(broken link removed to http://www.starinfo.com/ljguide/index1024.html)

If you want to go to a trade show with boilers, portable sawmills, chain saws, wood splitters, chippers, etc. etc. all on display and being demonstrated, I would recommend the Northeast Forest Products Equipment Expo, which will be held next May in Burlington, Vermont. That's a show that's put on by the logging and sawmilling trade association I work for. There's also another one in Richmond, VA, about a week after ours.

 

[computeruser]

Go check out the chainsaw forum at arboristsite. Look for threads about GTGs (get togethers). Some are informal, some are sponsored/hosted by OPE dealers, some are more racing-oriented. But either way, they're a fun way to get together, run some saws and other equipment, BS with others who are similarly afflicted with saw/wood/powerequipment-itis, and learn more in a day of playing around than you would reading all the product brochures out there and visiting every saw dealer in a 200mile radius.

We've got one in Indiana coming up on the 27th of October, near Indianapolis, for those who are interested...

 

[Nofossil]

As soon as Eric posts a date, the Burlington show is on my calendar. For anyone interested in EKO installations, solar hot water, or unjustifiably complicated control systems, I'm 30 minutes south of the Burlington show (technically it's in Essex Junction, but who among us would resort to hair-splitting?). I'd be glad to arrange an open house. I'm not sure about smoked ribs and free beer, but you never know....

Here's a link to lots of regional "Lumberjack Competitions." They tend to be held in the mid to late summer. I would recommend the Woodsmen's Field Days in Boonville, NY. Carpniels and I both go to that one, along with many other Hearth.com members, I suspect.

(broken link removed to http://www.starinfo.com/ljguide/index1024.html)

If you want to go to a trade show with boilers, portable sawmills, chain saws, wood splitters, chippers, etc. etc. all on display and being demonstrated, I would recommend the Northeast Forest Products Equipment Expo, which will be held next May in Burlington, Vermont. That's a show that's put on by the logging and sawmilling trade association I work for. There's also another one in Richmond, VA, about a week after ours.

 

[Eric Johnson]

The dates are May 9-10. You can register for free online, after January 1 at nefpexpo.net. The website will contain an up-to-date listing of exhibitors, maps, hotel information and travel information, etc. etc.

We tend to get quite a few OWB exhibitors, but I'm trying to get more gasification boilers on display. In any event, it's a good opportunity to talk to a lot of different people in one setting and compare notes. You will also be able to buy accessories like hard hats, saw chain, bars, saws--you name it. We always have plenty of firewood processors, splitters and portable sawmills both on display and being demonstrated. And if you've got a million bucks or so to spare, there will be lots of logging equipment and some of those big "eat anything" industrial wood grinders in a live demo.

 

[carbon neutral]

Eric,
Thanks for the info on the shows. Do they have good deals at these shows, you know things on special? I know when I go to Oshkosh for the annual EAA airshow I save enough money on parts and toys to pay for the trip.

 

[Eric Johnson]

Oregon chain loops can be had for less than $10. I bought a really nice logging helmet (adjustable with ear muffs and face shield) at the Lake States Logging Congress for $20. Usually you can negotiate "show special" pricing on more substantial products on display, and then haul them off yourself and save the shipping to boot. We load that stuff up with a forklift at no charge. Usually, I'm the guy driving the lift.

Here's an aerial view of last Spring's show in Bangor, Maine. The two buildings and big-top tent at the top of the photo are jammed full of equipment and other displays. You can see part of the grinder demo on the lower left. We get about 7,000 people at the show and 250 exhibitors.