Hookaroon: LogRite vs northern tool Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company

[John Mc]

Can anyone tell me if there is a significant difference between the LogRite 30 inch hookaroon
and this northern tool Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company Hookaroon ?  (Hey! I finally figured out how to link to a different text than is displayed!)

I'm all for buying quality tools, but for $27 vs $49 I have to wonder if there is a difference... especially since the northern tool Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company product description is obviously copied from the LogRite site.

John Mc

[Fla._Deadheader]

  They also copied the tool, along with the Cant hooks.

  Support the FF Sponsor, NOT the cheap Chinese knockoffs. 

[Jeff]

Buying the northern tool Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company cheap ass knockoffs is a slap in the face to the Forum and Logrite tools and a slap at America if you know the whole deal and buy one anyhow. northern tool Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company are cheap fakes. This has been posted about before. Crappola and Crud and a bunch of words my own censored words would pick up if I typed what I really felt about the rip off pieces of junk.

Anyone that buys a northern tool Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company copy of LogRite's tools, after being told they are ripoffs deserves to get his ass broke when the tool fails.

Now, ya want me to tell ya what I REALLY REALLY THINK?   It'll have to be in person as this is a family site. 

[SeeSaw]

I agree totally with FDH nad Jeff on this one.  I've seen to much of our work leave this country because they pay cheap nothing wages in other countries.  Our economy and our people have taken such a hit and there is no end in sight.  I absolutely will not buy something from a foreign country if I have a choice in the matter. Please go for the Logrite and support America.

SeeSaw

[John Mc]

Whoa... calm down guys, I just asked. I'm relatively new here, and have not seen the discussions on various tool makers. I followed a link given to me by a friend of mine when I was asking about something to help me avoid screwing up my back again. He gave me the name of the tool, and mentioned that NT sold them. After looking at NT's site, I came here, followed the LogRite link, and had to ask the question.

With the description obviously copied from LogRite's web site, I had to wonder if they were selling re-badged LogRite hookaroons bought on a special order or something. Since LogRite's description has a copyright notice on that page, I assumed NT had permission to use it. If it was a re-badged LogRite, I would probably buy it. NT is obviously hoping their description will cause people to assume that is the case. Since from your response, I gather it is not, I'll buy the LogRite. The information here on this site has done me a world of good (a whole lot more than the $20 difference). If LogRite is helping make that possible, I want to support them. Still, I do wonder what exactly the difference is... substandard materials? poor construction?

If any of you have a connection at LogRite, you might point out the obviously pirated description... then they can go spank NT for stealing copyrighted material.

John Mc

[John Mc]

See Saw -

Your post came in as I was typing mine. I agree with your sentiment. However, I won't support junk no matter where it is made, US or overseas. There is a lot of junk coming out of China and other places. There is also a lot of crap made right here in the USA. Happily, LogRite is not one of those companies.

I do think there is a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, it comes too late for a lot of American jobs. The weak dollar has helped a lot of US companies become more competitive (an investment expert friend of my father's has been saying for about 15 years that the dollar was unsustainably high... so he'd say the dollar is not weak now, it's where it should be). A manufacturer of wooden toys just down the road from me has had a record year. It seems their main competition was from China. With all the scare about lead-based paint, the shortcuts taken by some Chinese companies are coming home to haunt them. This guy makes quality stuff, and the US consumers are finally starting to appreciate it.

John Mc

[Jeff]

They know about it.

The northern tool Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company are absolutely inferior. I use to have a video here of a cant hook copy that was purchased just to see what they were made of.  It was tested on a froze down log and the handle bent.  The northern tool Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company are absolute copies other then materials and workmanship.   No offense meant toward you John Mc.  We just always want to be as clear as clear can be when it comes to this topic on the Forestry Forum. LogRite tools are built to last and are a great great tool. The chinese versions will get you hurt.

[CLL]

John Mc, I broke and old wooden cant hook I had, and since I needed one immediately, I bought a cheap hook. MISTAKE, after about an hour of moving small logs, it bent and almost caused me to get hurt. I bout a LOGRITE and even thought it was considerably higher than the cheap ones , its the best value I ever bought. The way people should look at it buy a quality product to last for years and years, or knockoffs that will last weeks and get you hurt.

[DanG]

John Mc, welcome to the forum, and I'm glad you asked the question!   NT's blatant hijacking of Logrite's good name has been a sore subject around here for a while now.  It has perpetrated a virtual boycott of NT by most of our members.   I still get their catalogues, and look through them, but they'll not be getting any of my money!

On the other hand, I and many many more FF members can personally vouch for Logrite in just about any aspect you care to think of.  We know their products, how they do business, and we know them personally.  We even know their kids!  I can say without the slightest reservation that they are the Cream of the Crop!

[timberfaller390]

Dixie Industries, manufacturers of cant hooks peavies hookaroons and etc. is just up north of me in Chattanooga. I bought a NT cant hook with a good wooden handle to save a few bucks and it looked like a quality tool but the point of the hook has such a thick round taper that you had to drive it into a log for every turn and it was bad to slip. I should have bought a Dixie (and I will very soon)
P.S. nothing against Logrite I just like tools with wooden handles.

[Ed]

The quality of a Logrite tool is second to none! Good products.

I would suggest actually getting your hands on the hookeroon before buying. I found the handle was to big in diameter for me, it just wasn't comfortable.

Ed

[Jeff]

I should have bought a Dixie (and I will very soon)
P.S. nothing against Logrite I just like tools with wooden handles.

I'll credit that to your age and level of experience.   Get a little more of each and the dixie will become a wall hanger. Do yourself a favor and do a side by side comparison in a real working environment before you waste your money.

[woody1]

My wife got me a logrite for christmas. My helper at the mill wouldn't even look at it. He would only use the wooden cant. Lately I've been hiding the logrite, just to here him say "where's that blue thing". 

[Corley5]

I ordered a 48" canthook and log scales from Timber Pro a couple days ago.  I'm going to retire my wooden handled hook I use for turning logs on the carriage and have been lusting after one of their log scales for a longtime so I bought two an International and a Scribner    I wouldn't consider any other log handling tools 

[John Mc]

I would suggest actually getting your hands on the hookeroon before buying. I found the handle was to big in diameter for me, it just wasn't comfortable.

I'd like to, but I don't know anyone around here with one. I wear a medium sized glove, so it sounds as though this will be too big for me to use comfortably. Bummer.

John Mc

[Reddog]

I would suggest actually getting your hands on the hookeroon before buying. I found the handle was to big in diameter for me, it just wasn't comfortable.

I'd like to, but I don't know anyone around here with one. I wear a medium sized glove, so it sounds as though this will be too big for me to use comfortably. Bummer.

John Mc

John, To me  they are a good size and I use a med to large glove. Call and talk to Logrite. They will have some insite into the sizing also.

[Tom]

I find the handle quite comfortable. If it were smaller, it would twist in your hand like a broomstick.  When you are using it to pick up the end of a slab or pulp log, it's good to have something healthy to hang onto.

I like council's Hookeroons too.  But, their handle is much like an axe handle.  It helps to let your mind know where the hook is pointed, but, because of the flat surfaces, you have to twist your hand.  There's good points and lesser good points, but when it comes to bending over, the tool is a God Send.

[timberfaller390]

I'll credit that to your age and level of experience.   Get a little more of each and the dixie will become a wall hanger. Do yourself a favor and do a side by side comparison in a real working environment before you waste your money.

I guess I'll have a purty living room decoration in a few years then.

[Tom]

I like Dixie canthooks too.  They are good equipment. The duckbill points are there for a reason, but you have to know how to draw out a point if you want the tool to have much longevity.  The breadth of the point is to keep it from tearing out of soft woods.  It works for that pretty good and doesn't go so deep that it gets locked in the wood. 

Around the mill, I still like the configuration of the Logrite points.  They are narrow, penetrate bark good and hold when you lift the handle. So many people jerk the handles and try to throw the logs rather than roll them that they don't understand why the different points don't work all of the time.   I've tried to work with people who do this and they try to do all of the work, leaving me standing there with a hook in my hand.  That's how you get hurt, or hurt someone else.

If I couldn't get a Logrite, Dixie would still be my choice.   If you take your time, both tools are excellent.

Wooden handles will weather.  The fasteners of the Dixie's will come loose when the wood handle softens.  When they fail, it is usually all at once.  Sometimes the slivers of the broken handle are very dangerous and nothing to be rolling with on the ground. 

I can understand one's desire to use a wooden handle.  I like wood axe handles better than fiberglass.  Still, for a tool with a lifetime guarantee that is light and works, Logrite is second to none.

[Ed_K]

 Ive had my hookaroon for a couple yrs now and it still sharp and in decent shape from hard use. If you want to drop down to just below Brattleboro, you try out mine. Hook cant an axe  .

[CLL]

John Mc, just for your information, I have small hands and the Logrite does well for me. The grips make it so easy to use.

[John Mc]

Just ordered a 30" LogRite hookaroon through Bailey's.

John Mc

[ADAMINMO]

Good call ... You did the right thing!!! You will not be disappointed.

[crtreedude]

Just to throw in my dos colones, living in one of those cheap work places, we only use Logrite. Pete brought one down once, and we have been buying them every since.

Given that I have to pay for shipping here, customs and such, it will tell you what I think of them. And I think I just might have a riot if I suggested anything else... of course I am tempted to order some pink ones just to see the reaction... 

[jokers]

I`ve got a LogRite cant hook that is 60" or so long and it is a dandy tool, I`ve really reefed on it but I haven`t had it long enough to know if the extra price over a quality woodhandled tool is justified. One big advantage to the LogRite if you are accustomed to leaving your hook out in the weather is that the handle shouldn`t deteriorate like a wooden handle but my wood handled tools have always lasted for years.

I understand and appreciate wholeheartedly the negative sentiments directed at NT for their promotion of piracy, I`m right there with everyone else who has spoken out on the matter, but it seems that there was a general wolf packing of John for essentially asking what the quality difference was and what justifies the price difference. Then Timberfaller390 was belittled and spoken down to for stating his preference for wood handled tools. Sometimes this forum takes on the atmosphere of paid for infomercials.

BTW, I`ve got big hands, big enough to be notable to many people apparently, and I find the LogRite handles to be kinda on the large side, but also acknowledge that they have to be or the tubing would bend too easily. What sense does it make to deny that they are on the large side?

[metalspinner]

I can appreciate and identify with small American owned and operated business'.  And when given the slightest chance will support those companies that develop and manufacture their own products.  I have two Log Rite peavy's - the 48" and the 60".  The Arky Super Stick is next on my list.    They are great tools that perform as mentioned by everyone thus far.

We do express strong opinions around here, but mostly in a respectful way.  I find myself reading our posts in a conversational way rather than in an adversarial light.  Those little smiley icons sure help to dissipate any misunderstandings in attitudes.

John, you will be very happy with your new hookaroon.  Let us know what you think after you give it a few laps around the track!

[jokers]

I can appreciate and identify with small American owned and operated business'.  And when given the slightest chance will support those companies that develop and manufacture their own products.

Metalspinner, if this statement is in reply to me you`re preaching to the choir, I`ve already stated my position supporting North American companies many times over and will never knowingly buy junk regardless of price, which I consider most Asian products to be. I also have major heartburn over the apparently Chinese government sanctioned practice of copyright/ patent infringement and piracy, but all idealism aside, virtually no one offered John any insight as to why the price difference between the NT copy and the original is justified. There was allusion to a video comparison and a story about a guy buying a cheap imitation that quickly failed but mostly this thread is just stories of tool lust with a few barbs thrown at John and timberfaller390 as if their statements were blasphemous. Did John ultimately state that he was buying a LogRite to get the forumites off his back? No one offered any justification for the significant price disparity, especially when timberfaller brought up his intention of buying an American made product.

We do express strong opinions around here, but mostly in a respectful way.  I find myself reading our posts in a conversational way rather than in an adversarial light.

The strong opinion that I`m seeing expressed is that anyone who buys anything but a LogRite is a fool in the eyes of some here. Not any great explanation of why LogRite tools are worth the price. They are pricey. I don`t know the manufacturers of these tools(or their children) although I know they are members of this forum, consequently "who they are" adds no value for me, and probably for most of the rest of the world. To say that it`s a slap in the face to the Forum if you buy something not produced by a sponsor might be a little...uhh...out there.  Is this a discussion forum or a branch of Scientology?

Those little smiley icons sure help to dissipate any misunderstandings in attitudes.

I used a "smiley", was it my smiley usage or the words I used that made you understand my message?

[John Mc]

I didn't take any of this as a personal attack. I understand that people have strong opinions on the subject. However, I was just asking what the differences were. From the responses, it seemed as though people took my post as pushing the NT model. It was not intended that way. (I work for an Ohio-based manufacturer of steel wire, and spent years in the manufacturing end of the business. We've faced competitors who make junk and those with good products, some are jerks, and some are good people. The jerks and the junk makers are not limited to any one country.)

Probably the best way to answer my question would be to compare and use the two items side-by-side. That's probably not going to happen, since I'm not going to buy 2 hookaroons.

BTW, Metalspinner: What is the "Arky Super Stick"?

John Mc

[metalspinner]

What is the "Arky Super Stick"?

That is Log Rites largest peavy. Is it called the Mega Hook on their site? It is designed to hook the very large logs.  Also, for people like me that weight one hundred and nothin', it will give me more leverage on "regular" large logs.

jokers,
I wasn't vaguely directing my comments to you.  They were just general observations of my thoughts while this thread developed. I'm sorry if I took you by surprise.  After reading it through again, I can understand if that might have happened. 

I am a small manufacturer of a product that works better than all other brands on the market.  The "big guy's" in my field have all too often stolen ideas from us custom guys to sell as their own.  I just know that sooner rather than later, I will be pushed out of the broader market by a cheap knockoff.  My sensitivities are raised when this subject is brought up. Personal attention and great customer service is what will allow me to keep my current customers.  Log Rite has proven to me that they deserve my business for their special product and service during the sale.

[timberfaller390]

I didn't take any of this as a personal attack.

I didn't take this personaly either. I have my own very strong opinions about certain things(like wood handled tools) so I understand where alot of guys are coming from. I'm sure Logrite makes an absolutely jam up product but I still intend to buy a Dixie cant hook because not only am I supporting the american economy I am also supporting my local economy because like I said earlier Dixie is less than thirty minutes from the house. I do support some of our forum sponsers on a regular basis so just because I buy something from someone who is not a sponser does not mean that I don't support our forum and sponsers. Yall like Logrite because they are members and sponsers and some of yall know them on a personal level and they make a good product and that is exactly how I feel about Dixie as well as other local companies.

[rebocardo]

> Still, I do wonder what exactly the difference is

On anything from northern tool Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company or Harbor Freight it is going to be the metal casting. I still buy a few tools from both stores, but, now far less from NT now that I know about them pirating the logrite design.

I buy knowing what I am buying will not be exactly Snap-On quality. I do know the quality of the NT impact sockets has declined over the years since I started to buy from them. When I want something 1/2 decent I now go to Lowes and buy Cobalt. When I need a socket to deform while I pound it over a rounded fastener or anti-thief lug nut, it sure isn't a Snap-On sockets I grab first.   

I had a 6K boat winch fail for the same reason from NT, the cast gear shaft broke, that is when I decided to buy Warn. There are just some tools you don't need to totally fail.

My first log turner I bought from Bailey's was wood handled. The hook of all things broke and dumped me on my behind, which luckily was the only thing hurt besides my pride    They replaced the hook, but, after seeing how it looked cast and I could see where it broke because it was grainy, I decided on something better.

After reading about the Arky stick here, I decided to get the 60" peavy. I recently bought a used chainsaw and the guy was excited to show me his new tool, a shorter red/orange Stihl peavy. Ha! I bought mine first, it was blue, and bigger    So, I guess the logrite tools are starting to be carried by my local Stihl dealers.

I think the best thing about the logrite tools is the hook, besides being tough it has the correct angle to dig in, but, let go.

As for handle size, the person with small or medium hands might have a hard time with it only using one hand. The reason being is many times moving big logs I known I stand to the side, roll it with one hand, and then chock it with the other hand or opposite foot to the hand holding the peavy. A person with small hands that probably weighs 150 pounds or less might have to wrap both hands around the stick and interlock their fingers to get a good pulling grip. In that case I would test locally at a Stihl dealer on a log and then order a six footer.

[Jeff]

Russ this in my Forum, my website, and my views. If you dont like them, that's to bad but in all reality I can be as strong and as forceful with my words as I think I need to be in order to get my point across. I've got a lot of years in using and observing various types of log and lumber handling tools. In a commercial sawmill, unlike the woods, they are used constantly and continuous. From my catbird seat in the sawbooth, or all the other places around the mill I work, oh lets estimate 8 or 10 hours a day times 5 days a week I've probably got 60 or 70,000 hours of up time forming my opinions. Having been injured with wood handled tools in the past gives me even more basis for opinion.

Your statements are far more speculative then mine.  Yea, a slap in the face is kinda out there and over the top, sure, but ya know what?  Its my right wouldn't you think? I used that over the top to get attention as I feel more then casual about this topic. This sponsor as the others make it possible for people to come in and gather and share information this is one of those topics where I think I have a pretty fair experience block to be explicit with my views.

Your attitude towards my posts and words are off base, unwarranted and wrong. There is no personal attacks only personal concern. Now you on the other hand, you should use should use a northern tool Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company cant hook.   Don't take that as a personal attack. Its not.

[crtreedude]

A bit of perhaps my thinking on the subject of tools. There are tools that I would buy cheap, and there are other tools, I will buy the best I can. One deciding factor is, what will happen if it breaks.

For example, I will by snap-on instead of Craftsmen. Why? Both are (or were) guaranteed. But, if my hand is inside a motor hauling on a socket, if the thing breaks (which happens to me with Craftsmen), I will have a busted and bleeding hand. 

There is no way in the world that I will ever use a tool like a hook which would break, and I am not the one using them either. I could just imagine having to tell a widow of one of my workers that he died because I was cheap...

The strong reactions I don't think are because Logrite is a sponsor though some loyalty to those who make it possible for me to type this is commendable, it is because of the seriousness of the issue.

Bad tools, cheap knockoffs are not only thievery, they are dangerous. They deserve to be condemned strongly - very strongly, very publicly.

More on my opinion. Something I despise is the tendency in companies to value profit over ethics and people. I will never buy anything from NT due to their lack of ethics. If they will do something to a company who is capable of suing them, what will they do to you? If someone cheats another, I figure I am next in line.

A good tool will last years and years and years - perhaps a lifetime. A cheap tool will not, and perhaps will shorten the length of your life as well. Anything you are going to be throwing your weight on to move something that could rolling you as flat as pie dough is nothing to go cheap on.

just my dos colones

[crtreedude]

I am a small manufacturer of a product that works better than all other brands on the market.  The "big guy's" in my field have all too often stolen ideas from us custom guys to sell as their own.  I just know that sooner rather than later, I will be pushed out of the broader market by a cheap knockoff.  My sensitivities are raised when this subject is brought up. Personal attention and great customer service is what will allow me to keep my current customers.

Okay, let's not be bashful here... what is the product you make?

[metalspinner]

I spin products for brass musical instruments.  Mutes, specifically.  A mute is inserted into the bell of the instrument and change the sound and volume. There are many different models and styles depending on the kind of music being played.   We sell them world wide and they are played in every major symphony orchestra here in the states and many orchestras throughout Europe. Because they are handmade by an American (me  ) they are expensive compared to the other products on the market.  The professionals and semi-pros using my mutes will always be our customers and appreciate the hand made quality.  The student market is at the other end of the curve and they may choose economy over performance if given a choice by a knockoff that looks the same.   

Remember, you asked me not to be bashful.

[jokers]

Russ this in my Forum, my website, and my views. If you dont like them, that's to bad but in all reality I can be as strong and as forceful with my words as I think I need to be in order to get my point across. I've got a lot of years in using and observing various types of log and lumber handling tools. In a commercial sawmill, unlike the woods, they are used constantly and continuous. From my catbird seat in the sawbooth, or all the other places around the mill I work, oh lets estimate 8 or 10 hours a day times 5 days a week I've probably got 60 or 70,000 hours of up time forming my opinions. Having been injured with wood handled tools in the past gives me even more basis for opinion.

Your statements are far more speculative then mine.  Yea, a slap in the face is kinda out there and over the top, sure, but ya know what?  Its my right wouldn't you think? I used that over the top to get attention as I feel more then casual about this topic. This sponsor as the others make it possible for people to come in and gather and share information this is one of those topics where I think I have a pretty fair experience block to be explicit with my views.

Your attitude towards my posts and words are off base, unwarranted and wrong. There is no personal attacks only personal concern. Now you on the other hand, you should use should use a northern tool Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company cant hook.   Don't take that as a personal attack. Its not.

Ahhhh.......looks to me like you`d recommend that I use a tool that was too dangerous for anyone else to use.........is this how you deal with a person when they disagree with you Jeff?

I don`t agree with most of what you`ve written in this thread Jeff and you`re proving my point, that you lose all objectivity when dollars could be at stake. BTW Jeff, how much did you pay for your LogRite tool? I paid $109.99 which is $40 more than a similar size Dixie, Snow & Nealey, or Peavey. I voted with $110 greenbacks of my own cash money to give the LogRite a fair shake and I`ve been actively using it in the woods since March of this year so I`m going to venture a guess that I`ve laid down both more of my money and more of my time giving the LogRite a fair evaluation than you have. Care to prove me wrong? I also stated that it`s a dandy tool, albeit expensive, and given the relative lack of complexity or engineering involved in making this tool I`d like to know what I`m paying for besides pretty blue powder coat and a rubber handle.

I`ll not be surprised if you ban me, maybe it will make you feel better. At any rate, I`ve got no use for a forum where people can`t present alternate viewpoints.

[jokers]

A bit of perhaps my thinking on the subject of tools. There are tools that I would buy cheap, and there are other tools, I will buy the best I can. One deciding factor is, what will happen if it breaks.

For example, I will by snap-on instead of Craftsmen. Why? Both are (or were) guaranteed. But, if my hand is inside a motor hauling on a socket, if the thing breaks (which happens to me with Craftsmen), I will have a busted and bleeding hand. 

There is no way in the world that I will ever use a tool like a hook which would break, and I am not the one using them either. I could just imagine having to tell a widow of one of my workers that he died because I was cheap...

The strong reactions I don't think are because Logrite is a sponsor though some loyalty to those who make it possible for me to type this is commendable, it is because of the seriousness of the issue.

Bad tools, cheap knockoffs are not only thievery, they are dangerous. They deserve to be condemned strongly - very strongly, very publicly.

More on my opinion. Something I despise is the tendency in companies to value profit over ethics and people. I will never buy anything from NT due to their lack of ethics. If they will do something to a company who is capable of suing them, what will they do to you? If someone cheats another, I figure I am next in line.

A good tool will last years and years and years - perhaps a lifetime. A cheap tool will not, and perhaps will shorten the length of your life as well. Anything you are going to be throwing your weight on to move something that could rolling you as flat as pie dough is nothing to go cheap on.

just my dos colones

crtreedude,

You`ve made good points and you were right on track had it not been for Jeff brow beating timberfaller when he mentioned buying a well known good quality tool manufactured by someone who is not a forum sponsor. I am passionate about not buying anything that has been pirated, even if quality were comparable, as it sometimes is. I respect the rights of those who have designed and manufactured anything that is quality and pirates just get in my craw, just like anyone telling me that I have to buy one brand over another, I`ll decide for myself, Thank You.

[Ironwood]

I won't express my views here, I will say I like the Logrite tools I have purchased. Each of us will need to assess the degree to which all these issues "hold water" for us. Like CRTREEDUDE said, for tools used ALOT, quality is nice. 

 Ironwood

[Jeff]

Yea, I'll prove you wrong but at this point feel no need to prove anything to you. My tools were not free. I bought them like everyone else does. I bought hookarooons for the guys at the mill several years ago and watched them used day after day. I watched them fight over who was going to use the first one until I had to buy a second. You are still wrong with your assumptions.

Russ, you apparently have a social skills problem and certainly lack the skills in successfully interpreting when you are being poked at in jest. I wish you luck in handling that. I don't ban people for disagreeing with me and you know better than that.

I apologize for offending you and trying to crack a joke with what I thought was a joker at the end of my post. Now, I'll say, cool your jets. I don't ban for disagreeing with me, but I wont tolerate someone trying simply to disrupt the forum so make sure that's not what you are doing.

[JimBuis]

Yes, I bought a LogRite and am glad I did. I bought the biggest they had. Handle size? I don't have big hands, but like and appreciate the handle size.

When I'm wrenching on a big log with all of my 220 pounds behind that big, beautiful, blue handle, I want to know that the tool will not fail me. I have even had two big guys giving it their all on that Logrite handle and it did its job commendably.

I'd be afraid to put two guys on a wooden handle. It might break or it might not, but I KNOW the LogRite will take the punishment.

IMHO,
Jim

[Lud]

I make  my own hookeroons out of an old  shortened shovel handle and an old file that I heat with the  torch ,  bend a  loop,  pound the tang sharp with a little bend on the tip,  and wedge it on.  Made in America ! 

I've made two............couldn't find either one the other day........better paint the next one bright BLUE!!/color]

[Ed_K]

 A shortened hoe handle might work too, better paint it floresent pink tho.

[ely]

i won't get into the fray on here, except to the point of i have not bought anything from NT since they screwed logrite.
i have not and will not ever buy anything from harbor frieght regardless. because of the way i was treated in a store where i once did shop.
i will not even look at their catalogs anymore.
and to go one step further, i am trying not to purchase anything at all from walmart anymore, it seems i had to return a floor jack that i had purchased and the dufus in charge felt it necessary to treat me as a criminal. so i decided then i would not set foot in their stores again.

my opinon on the disaggreement in this thread is jeff is right and so is russ. each in their own way.
i do have my small red cant hook for my mill and i would not trade it for love or money.
in my line of work,which is linework we can't use the aluminum handled tools or i would have already replaced the wooden handled tools that leave us on our ass in the dirt from time to time.
we seem to always get a brand called oshkosh and they are good quality until they get a year or so of use on them.

[timberfaller390]

and to go one step further, i am trying not to purchase anything at all from walmart anymore, it seems i had to return a floor jack that i had purchased and the dufus in charge felt it necessary to treat me as a criminal. so i decided then i would not set foot in their stores again.

I absolutely will not go in a wal-mart store...EVER...PERIOD!!!!!!

[ADAMINMO]

Wal-Mart went to the crapper after Mr. Walton died. They are not as good as they used to be. Not near as friendly at some places as they need to be. I will never buy a firearm or muzzle loader from them.
 I bought a muzzleloader once(off the shelf ,ready to go, accessories included kit type deal) and got it home to set up. Muzzle loader season opened the next morning. Got it out and realized someone had purchased it before I did and brought it back. They had taken the 209 primer assembly out and swapped it in thier gun with the no.11 caps. So there I was with a useless gun. Drove the 60 miles back to Wal-Mart and argued with them for an hour to get my money back. They tried to tell me that I signed a waiver that states firearms purchased cannot be returned. I told them no I didn't and besides that it was an off the shelf purchase and not in their gun cabinets. Finally got my money back and went to a Bass Pro dealer and got a much better gun at a much better price. So we only buy household necessities at Wal-Mart and that is it. I bet it atleast 3 months before I ever set foot in any Wal-mart for anything. They really pithed me off!!

[Tom]

Look out, Adam!    I see some curmudgeoness developing. 

[timberfaller390]

certain things like that are why I have no use for wal-mart not to mention my absolute loathing of big business. If a non chain store don't have it I don't need it.

[metalspinner]

in my line of work,which is linework we can't use the aluminum handled tools or i would have already replaced the wooden handled tools that leave us on our ass in the dirt from time to time

ely,
In the brochure I recieved with my hook a couple years ago, Logrite offered a fibreglass handled hook for lineman's use.  However, I just checked out their websight but could not find it. You might wan to check with them to see if it is still offered.

[ely]

that is interesting, i never seen that.

[neslrite]

Ely,
We do offer a fiberglass tool for utility work.
Here is a link to our catalog page.
http://www.logrite.com/catalog06.pdf

Kevin

[Tim L]

I saw some Stihl brand tools that looked very similar to logrite , about the same price .Are they made for Stihl or copies ?

[beenthere]

They are legitimate LogRite.

Here is one I bought from my dealer.
 



And Kevin introducing them at the '05 Piggy Roast.

 

[rebocardo]

I was just at my local dealer Friday, they had the Stihl/Logrite cant hook displayed over the counter on the wall at the register easily visible.

[John Mc]

Finally had the opportunity to use my LogRite Hookaroon. What a well-made, nicely balanced tool!

I also heard back some facts in a private message on the difference between the Logrite and NT hookaroon. NT hookaroon point is just inserted through a hole in the aluminum tube handle, and pinned in place. You can see this if you zoom in on the photo on their web site. A design without much strength. I doubt this would hold up well under repeated use.

The LogRite hookaroon point is pinned into a solid piece of aluminum (not just pinned to the hollow tube). That solid piece is then welded and pinned to the aluminum handle. A much stronger design which should hold up well.

I would not have known to look for this difference if someone had not pointed it out to me. It's hard to spot on the website. Seeing the tools in person, it would be fairly obvious.

I'm happy with my purchase... I wish all my tools were of this quality. Time to start phasing in some upgrades.

John Mc

[ely]

john mc are trying to convince me that the chinese did not even buy a logrite when they copied it, i am not sure i believe you.

thats funny stuff, i just this last week recieved my two new fiberglass handled cant hooks from logrite and i am happy to say i have never seen that sort of quality from across the pond. thanks tammy and kevin.

[John Mc]

john mc are trying to convince me that the chinese did not even buy a logrite when they copied it, i am not sure i believe you.

Oh I'm sure they did buy a LogRite... Then they figured out what they could do to cut the cost as much as possible. Unfortunately, they did so in a way that greatly reduces the durability (and safety) of the tool. If anyone is curious, they can see the attachment method by going to NT's web site, searching on "hookaroon", click on the red metal handled one that shows up in the search results, click on the "Images" tab and use the zoom function to get a closer look at the hook's connection point.

Unfortunately, the LogRite website's photos aren't quite as detailed: LogRite 30" Hookaroon, but you can see a difference. It's quite obvious when you are holding a LogRite Hookaroon in your hand.

John Mc

[WDH]

I got a 60" Logrite cank hook for Christmas.  I knew it was good from reading all the testimonials, but I found out that it is wonderful! 

Dodgy Loner came over to help me saw today and even he was impressed .

[Mooseherder]

And every time a northern tool Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company Catalog comes along here it goes directly into the trash.

[james]

now , if we could just get northern tool Note:Please read the Forestry Forum's postion on this company to print their catalogs on toilet paper
james

[WDH]

In the old days, that catalog would have worked just fine.  We have become so civilized .

Thank goodness for Logrite and civilization .

[sawdogs]

Heck with those tools!  Go to peavey's katahdin pattern hookaroon with a brush cutter blade.  It gives you a small handy hatchet to cut with on the back of the pick plus its USA!
www.peaveymfg.com.  I use this and was so pleased i bought another to put in my farm truck for pulling firewood and chopping off the small branches.

[beenthere]

sawdogs
Welcome to the forum.

You have some catchin up to do....

The LogRite will be at the top of the list of tools for spikin logs. Now for a handy hatchet....maybe the tool you mention would be of interest. 

[flip]

I would take pics. of my hooks but I think Kevin would have a stroke.  They have been used as cant hooks, hammers, wedges, pry bars, chin up bars, anger management tools , critter swatters and javelins and they still do what they were designed to, roll logs

[york]

sawdogs,

i went to the link that you gave and i can not find what your talking about....i would like to see it,thanks Bert

[Woodhog]

http://www.peaveymfg.com/pickeroons.htm


That item he mentioned is on the above page, about 1/2 way down, it has a little hatchet blade on the opposite end of the pickin end...

Looks a bit expensive, I am still waiting for everything to come down in price!!!!!like  the values of houses etc have come down...

[timber tramp]

  Flip- let's have a look. Not that I'd want Kevin to have a stroke , but I'd be interested to see these hooks.

[flip]

I'll get some pics. tonight or tomorrow...

[Don K]

Sawdogs, Welcome to the Forum. We have quite a history with LogRite, but I guess with enough reading you'll find that out soon enough.   

Don

[maple flats]

I have two Logrite's, a 60" cant hook and an Arky stick. I also have from years ago 2 old wooden handled cant hooks. The Logrite tools are much easier to use, the hooks swing freely and they always grab the log and do not slip. That is not the case for the older wooden ones. The only time the wooden ones get used is if I need help and get two helpers. Then I make them use the logrite while I use the wooden ones. I do this because if anyone gets hurt doing my work it should be me. I have even on one occasion ground the point sharper on the old wooden ones but it made little difference.
I find the logrite 60" is exactly what I need. In use it all of the time when moving logs around or on my sawmill. The only time the super Arky Stick (mega hook) gets used is when a log is too big for the 60" or if I have one helper. I have really horsed on the 60" and it looks and is exactly as it was in 05 when I bought it. My hands are only medium but I have no problem using it and I actually find it easy to handle and work with. I would even say this if Logrite was not a sponsor but the fact remains that they are great sponsors too, along with a top quality product.
You will find that the sponsors are screened by the BOSS or for him before the forum signs a new sponsor. This forum does not promote poor quality or service in any way just to get financial support from a sponsor.

[Dave Shepard]

I've got a Hookaroon, a 60" hook, and a 30" hook. They are all great. Only damage so far is the roll pin on the 60". If you think about it for a second, you will know that it could only have been broken by an abusive operator. We've been sawing some big sycamores lately, and I just grab the log with my LogRite, and watch as the guy on the other end tries in vain to get the old wooden handled hook to dig in, and that used to be the "good" hook. I think I saw it go flying out the back of the mill shed the other day.

[Tim L]

one of those Stihl/Logrites is on my to get list.

[Ironwood]

Pittsburgh Craig's List is showing a "tool" that resembles a Logrite, but doesn't specify if the shaft is alum. or steel I am sure it is appearing elsewhere as it sites shipping cost "to the Pittsburgh area" looks kinda funky in my opinion.  Looks like a REAL gem .  I think I'll stick w/ the real one.
http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/tls/979678700.html
 Ironwood

[tomtrees]

There has to be something about the beauty of a wooden handle. Wood is what I work with every day. I like the simplisity of wood. It gains character with time and I feel attached to a natural product like wood. Man has used it for so many years that I feel its something within that has draw me to work with wood and buy a saw mill. I think Logrite make an excellent product from what I read here ther are lots of happy customers but there is somthing to be said for a nice ash handle too.

[Dodgy Loner]

I use peaveys with handles made of riven hickory that I carved and shaped myself, so believe me when I tell you that I know how nice it is to use a wood-handled tool.  That being said, there is absolutely no comparison between a LogRite peavey and a traditional wood-handled peavey.  It has nothing whatsoever to do with the handle (for me, at least) and everything to do with the geometry of the hook.  They simply bite the first time, every time, and there's no need to jam the hook into the log like with a traditional tool.  You can wax nostalgic about wood handles all you want, but the plain and simple truth is that the LogRites are tools with superior functionality, and you can't appreciate it until you try it.  I know I didn't .  I want some LogRites badly, but in the meantime I have other priorities on which to spend my money .

[Tom]

I've been waxing gibbonous for so much here lately that I forgot to wax nostalgic. 

[beenthere]

I used to feel like tomtrees.....that was before I used a LogRite.  I'll keep the wood for other uses. 

And it is the hook, as Dodgy Loner says.

[Jeff]

I have to disagree. It ain't just the hook. Take it from a big guy that's busted his arse and more when a wooden handle broke, it aint just the hook.

[Dodgy Loner]

I hear what you're saying, Jeff, but I think it would take an act of God to break the handles I made for my peaveys.  The hickory was split from 6' bolts of completely knot-free pignut hickory.  All of the handle failures I have seen, including axes, hatchets, peaveys, cant hooks and even hammers, have occurred due to grain runout from sawn hickory.  If you split it, there is no runout.  I can see myself getting impaled on a shattered peavey handle now that I've typed these words, but I'll be confident in the strength of my handles until I have reason to believe otherwise.   I have no such faith in store-bought handles.

[Jeff]

I'll be confident in the strength of my handles until I have reason to believe otherwise. Grin  I have no such faith in store-bought handles.

I think that's certainly a fine position to take.   

[Tom]

If you eat enough grits, you will find that wooden handles will let you down, eventually.

I made a handle, for a large cant hook, from a piece of 4/4 sweet gum, to use on large oak logs.  It lasted a long time.  One day,feeling very confident as usual, I hooked it into a big oak and the log didn't move.  I climbed onto the log and leaned back onto the handle, nothing moved.  I began throwing my weight, rather considerable, against the handle while my feet were propped against the log and the handle broke.  When I got my wind back and could breath once again, I found that the handle wasn't the problem, it was the piece of wood that goes through the hook and has the flat toe attached at the bottom.  The leverage that you can apply to that toe is tremendous when you are applying all of your force to the end of the 5 foot handle via the fulcrum of the hook.   The handle might make it just fine, but the short, whittled down piece on the log side of the fulcrum is really taking a beating.  Either one that breaks will drop you on your keester.

It's always better to lift and roll the log away from you.  We don't do it though and rambunctiously throw ourselves against the whole open world with nothing in front of us but air, ground and the sharp corners of mill. 

Those aluminum handles will do one thing that a wooden handle will not do.  They will bend before they break. I still use wooden handles on old hooks.  I do it because I can maintain them myself in the woods. Still, the logrite canthook is a work of art and it's difficult to beat a lifetime guarantee.  Not only are the strong, I find them pretty.  I have a red handled one and show it off everywhere I go. 

Did you know that the blue color of the logrite was chosen because Kevin and Tammy asked the forum what color would sell best?  We, almost unanimously, chose blue because we felt that we could see it in the sawdust and the leaves of the forest floor.  So, You as a ForestryForum member, can claim some ownership in the design element of the product. Pretty neat, Huh?  I'll bet you can't claim to have been on the design team of many other product lines in your life.  Logrite is the Forestry Forum's  own home-grown sponsor and there is a lot of pride there.

[rebocardo]

> it aint just the hook.

No, but, considering I almost knocked myself silly when I broke the hook on my "other" cant hook, the Logrite hook is good enough reason to buy one. The tools in the back pocket can leave a bigger bruise then the one on my pride   

I don't know about wood handles, besides the weight if they were six feet long and how thick they would have to be, I really don't think a 3" wood handle wouldn't break after resting my almost 300 pounds on it (what I weigh 270+30 pounds of clothes and gear) to move big logs.

With two guys on it moving logs, I get a bit nervous even with the logrite.

My only minor complain about the logrite is I have worn my rubber handle off, thinking about coating it with something to make it more wearable. Maybe bed liner?

[beenthere]

Is there an implication here that DL doesn't have enough arse to break a wood handle?   

[rebocardo]

Maybe not enough stomach, in my case? 

[Dodgy Loner]

I do have a lot of catching up to do if I'm to throw my weight around the way Tom and Rebocardo are able to

[Radar67]

Just get hitched, it won't take long. 

[timber tramp]

Just get hitched, it won't take long. 

I recall reading something about a "middle aged school marm with her own teardrop trailer".