iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Felling levers

Started by Hawkshoe, May 06, 2009, 07:56:02 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Hawkshoe

I am thinking of getting one.  I never used one, will this replace my cant hook?  Are the $30 ones from Northern any good? ???
Made by the Maker
Bought by the Buyer
Broken by the Breaker

Gary_C

Quote from: Hawkshoe on May 06, 2009, 07:56:02 PM
  Are the $30 ones from Northern any good? ???

Naw, they are just cheap Chinese knock offs and they are probably made from toxic wastes.  ;D

Some of the chainsaw dealers sell them and they are probably made in the EU somewhere. That's still better than China junk and the EU ones are non toxic.  :D :D
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

woodsrunner

If you're trying to replace a cant hook with one you will be dissapointed. I know. If your use for it will be as a lever for wedging over small trees they will probably work. They are really useless as a cant hook. I tried one out to carry on my 4 wheeler. It is no longer on my 4 wheeler :D.

Scott

beenthere

I'd rather just carry 2 or 3 plastic wedges, and not have another tool to lug around in the woods. But I don't knock a lot of trees down at a time, or near one location. Keeping track of a felling lever wouldn't be of interest the way I work in the woods.
Might be great for others.

For a wedge hammer/sledge, I just cut a hardwood 2-3" limb about 3' long. It has plenty of heft and drive to put a plastic wedge tight into a kerf to lift a tree for me. 
I picked up a wedge pouch from Bailey's and really like how handy the wedges are, realtive to having them stuffed in my pockets. :) :)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

chevytaHOE5674

Quote from: beenthere on May 06, 2009, 10:21:54 PM
For a wedge hammer/sledge, I just cut a hardwood 2-3" limb about 3' long. It has plenty of heft and drive to put a plastic wedge tight into a

Why not carry an axe? You can use it to chop out a pinched saw, or bump small branches, clean up a notch, etc........

park ranger

A couple of weeks ago I welded a 5" length of truck leaf spring to a old bar from a car jack to see if the lever action was enough to work.  I have lots of Doug fir packed together and the lever worked pretty well.  Wedges bottomed out in the small fir I use for firewood.  As far as a cant hook, I'd just get a full size.

beenthere

Good points chevytaHOE5674

Just that I haven't found the need for the axe other than to hit the wedges tight. I can lose the stick with no regrets.   :)
But have given some thought to mounting an axe on the chainsaw scabbard so at least if needed it is close by in the woods.  Thanks for bringing up the idea.

Scabbard and maybe this cruisers axe mounted to it. ??





south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

ErikC

  I like a little heavier axe in the woods, with a shorter, strait handle. Drift pin it on, and about 10 coats of linseed oil will keep it good for a couple years even in hard use. I have one I use around the chopping block too. Once you get used to it no other type will do. Let the axe do the work, then you don't have too. ;)
Peterson 8" with 33' tracks, JCB 1550 4x4 loader backhoe, several stihl chainsaws

chevytaHOE5674

I've been carrying my fiskars chopping axe with me in the woods for the last few years. Its light weight and indestructible, but still has more than enough weight to pound a wedge. I love the fact that its so easy to carry yet you can't break it (if you do it has a lifetime warranty).

Use it daily to bump small knots/branches, mark log lengths, pound wedges, open beers, test for soundness, etc... 

RSteiner

Quote from: chevytaHOE5674 on May 07, 2009, 12:50:17 AM
I've been carrying my fiskars chopping axe with me in the woods for the last few years. Its light weight and indestructible, but still has more than enough weight to pound a wedge. I love the fact that its so easy to carry yet you can't break it (if you do it has a lifetime warranty).

Use it daily to bump small knots/branches, mark log lengths, pound wedges, open beers, test for soundness, etc... 

I was looking for an axe to drive plastic wedges that would be easy to carry.  The Fiskars axes caught my eye at the local hardware store but I was concerned that the head would not hold up to the stress of pounding in wedges.  Wanting a little heavier head I bought the splitting axe.

This axe has proven to be a great tool.  The head guard makes it easy to store and carry without worring about cutting something you don't want cut.  The handle is very strong, I have even used it as a pry bar at times that would have broken a wooden handle. 

Randy
Randy

4genlgr

I have a 990 JD to pull wood with and i built a wooden box to go on the left fender to carry tools in. Bolted it on where the grab handle was. made it the size to fit a 371 husky  power head, slotted the backside to let the bar hang out. Took a joist hanger and bent it *bolted itto the front inside of the long outter side of the box
to hold the head of an ax  with the handle resting on the top of the backside.works great for carrying stuff. I want to add something similar for the wedges so they are handy.
* something like this
    -_           _ ---------
     l  \____/                 l
     l                              l
     ----------------------   

beenthere

4genlgr
Sounds good, how about a pic?  :) :)
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

4genlgr

still working on pics  really do not undeerstand how to get digital pics of 100+kb down to the 45kb limit and out of the file i have them in????????


Ed

Quote from: 4genlgr on May 08, 2009, 07:00:00 AM
still working on pics  really do not undeerstand how to get digital pics of 100+kb down to the 45kb limit and out of the file i have them in????????




Use the java uploader. It automatically resizes for you.  ;)

Ed

StorminN

Watched my friend fell trees recently... he carries an axe, but if he's just setting a wedge and not having to drive a tree over, he just knocks the wedge into the cut by hitting the back of it with the back of another wedge... ie., drive a short plastic wedge by swinging a longer plastic wedge... tap tap tap...

-N.
Happiness... is a sharp saw.

Ianab

If you are just putting in a wedge as a precaution there is no need to drive it in. A tap with another wedge is enough to set it into place. Then if the tree does start to set back a little your bar isn't pinched and you can tap in a couple more wedges and drive it over. Without that precautionary wedge in there, occasionally you misjudge the tree, it sits back and you have a jammed saw, and no kerf to drive a wedge into.

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

arojay

A friend of mine has several of those felling levers.  He has to have several because he loses one or two a season.  Good news is that after the snow melts and a Sunday walk in the woods, he usually has several again.  I too, prefer wedges and an axe.  I like the straight handles but if I can't find one I just cut off a regular axe handle to where it is pretty much straight.   
440B skidder, JD350 dozer, Husqvarnas from 335 to 394. All spruced up

Hawkshoe

Well, that settles it.  I'm sticking to my cant and wedges.  Thanx again for a great forum!!!!
Made by the Maker
Bought by the Buyer
Broken by the Breaker

4genlgr

got the catagroy album thing set up    but when tying to add pics the illegal file extension box comes up   i"m lost

4genlgr


beenthere

Great pic. Glad you "found your way".

And thanks for the design of the axe holder. Gives me a good idea.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Thank You Sponsors!