Bounce! Why on earth...

[Burnham]

...does WesSpur not offer a proper faller's axe? I find this oversight a huge disapointment. Not that I need one myself, but almost everyone else here at the THouse is using some poor approximation of a real wedge driving, bark removing, stub bumping short handled heavy headed axe. Aside from me and Stumper, they all need one :).

Really though, kidding aside, why not carry the standard PNW version of this tool...5 lb. head, 26 inch handle. Must be a reason...

Here's what I'm talking about, from one of your competitors.


http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=15655

[lumberjack]

You seem to contradict yourself as to your needing one or knot. :shifty:

My 4lb thumper:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v639/10mmsheepdog/Trees/DSC04750.jpg

When the going gets tough I break out the maul with an 8lb head or a throwline and a rope.

[Burnham]

Your reading comprehension needs some brushing up :D.

[lumberjack]

Haha reading all the words would be beneficial. Your avatar is smirking at my shortcomings.

[Burnham]

Can't see your picture, Carl...what's your 4 lb. thumper look like?

[squisher]

It looks not at all like an axe! It's a little sledge.:D

[Mr. Sir]

Can't see your picture, Carl...what's your 4 lb. thumper look like?

Now THERE'S a statement that could easily be taken out of context. :O

[Cedarkerf]

Already got one. But they are readily available around here.

[top hopper]

Now THERE'S a statement that could easily be taken out of context. :O




:lol::lol::lol:

[stehansen]

Why the short handle Burnham? Here is what I use sometimes, I also have a small 8lb. sledge hammer. I have 2 of these axes in my truck and they are used for cutting roots more often than anything.

[lumberjack]

It looks not at all like an axe! It's a little sledge.:D

With a 14" handle.

[fishhuntcutwood]

I like the short handle because as you're standing right at the cut, and need to drive a wedge or peel some bark, you 1) often do it one handed and 2) the short handle allows you work close to the tree with both hands on the handle, vice the big long handle getting in the way of your swing.

And a shorter handle is easier to drag through brush.

Don't forget to paint the head orange!

[stehansen]

Is there any reason to paint the head orange other than the tool is less likely to be left at the job site?

[MasterBlaster]

Visibility!

[squisher]

He means for the bush so you can find it again if you drop it or set it down. You need just the right size of axe for woods work. Big enough to effectively drive wedges and small enough to get around with still.

[stehansen]

I fixed up my one axe that had a loose handle this morning and painted both of them orange.

[Dave Shepard]

Bright blue works too, especially during fall foliage season.;)


Dave

[fishhuntcutwood]

I bet that would work. Pink too, but who'd be caught dead with a pink headed ax?!?!

[gf beranek]

I have a heck of assortment of steel heads and wood handles. Some heavy, some light, some short and some long.

In the woods around my parts blue shows up the best. Early years I use orange and floresent but it blends with the dead needles and leaves.

[rumination]

I bet that would work. Pink too, but who'd be caught dead with a pink headed ax?!?!



At least you know it wouldn't get stolen.

[Stumper]

+1 for Flo Pink.

[JonnyHart]

I'm very happy with my Estwing axe with 26" handle, be careful not to bury it in your shin, the short handle makes it not hard to do. I also bring a 6 lb maul to all jobs.

[Burnham]

The Estwing is way too light for real wedge driving, Jonny. And a maul is just wrong, you need a cutting edge for parts of the task.

But I've said all that before...you guys just go right on, using inferior tools and looking like you have no idea how to properly fall trees :D.

I'm not sure why I should expect anything different...in reality, the type of felling I have to do and what is required of the majority of y'alls arbo jobs are quite different.

So go on, ignore me, it's understandable :cry:.


;)

[stehansen]

How about my single bit axe Burnham. Does it get a thumbs down also?

[Burnham]

How about my single bit axe Burnham. Does it get a thumbs down also?

That head looks about right to me, Steve. I vote for a 5 pounder, though I have seen people get by with a 3 1/2...yours looks to be in that range. Like Jeff said, a shorter handle works best out in the brush, but for your work I'm sure that will do the job just fine.

For using an axe to actually chop wood, I want a full length handle, too. It's only for my felling axe that I insist on a shorter handle. So the axe that goes with me to do trail clearing in mandated federal wilderness (where a power saw is prohibited) will have a full length handle.

Choose the right tool for each task :).

[stehansen]

Yeah, my axes will drive a wedge once in a while and will mostly cut roots close to a sidewalk or building. The old school guys would probably cringe at the thought of an axe striking dirt. I hardly ever work more than a 30 second walk from our truck so we don't have to rely on whatever tools we can carry in one trip. And we certainly don't have any power saw restrictions at least not yet. Is this because of fire danger?

[Burnham]

No, it's the law that within any federally mandated wilderness area no internal combustion engines may be used. Electric motors, too. And no wheeled conveance, like a mountain bike. I hear that even a wheeled game carrier is illegal, though I don't know that for a fact. Illegal to land a helo or other aircraft, or fly lower than 500 feet over. The objective is to preserve wilderness values.

In emergency situations exceptions can be made, but at a minimum by signature of the Forest Supervisor with jurisdictional authority...that's a pretty high muckity muck. Mostly they won't do it without concurence from their boss, a Regional Forester. Congress hates to see administrative violations of the Wilderness Act.

Congressionally designated Wilderness Areas, that's what I'm talking about, not just any ol' National Forest land.

[stehansen]

I understand now Burnham. I kind of figured they would let you guys do whatever was needed to maintain your stuff. Wrong again. I think you are allowed 3 per lifetime, so I have one to go.

[fishhuntcutwood]

The old school guys would probably cringe at the thought of an axe striking dirt.

Another thing with a cruiser ax is that it's not sharp like a falling ax. I keep an "edge" on mine only in the academic sense. It's enough to knock off bark, and bury in a tree to hold it if need be, but I don't want to be stumbling around in the woods with a finely honed edge. It's for kocking around and driving wedges, not making chips.

[Burnham]

Oh, everyone needs a "dirt" axe Steve. That's a specialized tool, just as legitimate as any other.

What's wrongheaded is not differenciating betwen that axe and the other couple you need to have that are for other tasks.
8)

[JonnyHart]

Yeah the estwing does have a tiny little hammer head. The maul drives wedges and splits every now and then, the axe is for chopping roots and knocking dirt off the log before I cut.
Ya'll roll a little different on the west coast though.

[Burnham]

I expect it actually is more a back woods faller vs. an urban/suburban tree cutter difference, Jonny. No common logger sets a pulling line while most arbos don't do precision felling with wedges. Different conditions, different solutions.

West coast arbos may be more influenced by local logging practice than you and the rest over thataway, but I think west coast arbos still do things more in common with your techniques than with what I do felling.

[squisher]

Yah we're not all backwoods like Burnham.:lol:

[Burnham]

Yah we're not all backwoods like Burnham.:lol:

Thank all the gods...crowded enough out here as it is :lol:.

[squisher]

Lol ya know I only razz ya cause you're such a good sport B.

[stehansen]

Lol ya know I only razz ya cause you're such a good sport B.

Who's razzing who here? Hey, thanks for your help Burnham. I got my axe dirty today. Only about a fourth of the orange paint is left on the head.

[Bounce]

Egads, how the heck did I miss this thread? Didn't see it till just now. Actually I just brought on one fallers axe, but it's only 2 1/4 lbs. I'm still waiting to receive the 6 lb ones. They'll be here soon though I hope. In the past we never carried them because they aren't "climbing equipment," which we have always tried to specialize in. But wtf, if folks need 'em, I say why not sell 'em?

[Burnham]

6 lbs.? Really? That's getting to be a bit too heavy, Sean...heck, you can buy splitting mauls that weigh 6 lbs. You need to be able to accelerate the head speed up there right fast, and also pack it through the brush all day.

5 lbs. I tell you, with a 24 to 26 inch symetrical handle!

[sotc]

picky picky picky:D

[Stumper]

Willie, There is the right tool and then there is everything else.

[lumberjack]

Burn is a prima donna wedge driver!

[Stumper]

For which he need not apologize.

[sotc]

Burn is a prima donna wedge driver!

haha "i aint touching that thing, its 8 oz to light":lol: :lol: :lol: j/k

[stehansen]

haha "i aint touching that thing, its 8 oz to light":lol: :lol: :lol: j/k

Might as well paint it pink.:D

[stehansen]

haha "i aint touching that thing, its 8 oz to light":lol: :lol: :lol: j/k

Might as well paint it pink and put some glitter on it.:D

[Al Smith]

I use an axe,a five pounder to split with . The steel wedges get driven with a sledge.

I don't own any of the plastic wedges .About a dozen steel splitters,auctions and garage sales ,cheap .

Somewhere in all my junk I have a couple of long skinny aluminum wedges .I assume they are falling wedges but I've never used them . If I've needed to wedge a tree I always used the steel splitters ,they've worked pretty well .

[Cobleskill]

Al,
I had a small wedge and it was sold to me as magnesium. Probably harder than aluminum? I finally bought some plastic falling wedges although I don't think I ever hit a steel one using it to fall. Makes it a little easier not having to worry about hitting the wedge. You can give more attention to the job of falling.

[Burnham]

In complicated felling situations, there have been a couple of times when I purposely sacrificed a plastic wedge to my saw to accomplish the task.

Magnesium wedges are harder than aluminum, can take the pounding of really hard driving like aluminum cannot...and still be soft enough to not destroy a chain. I keep two of these in my kit.

I have one antique steel felling wedge, very thin and long. On rare occasions I have needed it to open a kerf when I screwed up. It's a specialty tool, but then I'm a prima donna specialist :D.

Edit: Not saying it's rare that I screw up, but rather that it's rare that I screw up bad enough to need the steel razor wedge :D.

[Bounce]

I think I'm gonna take Burn's advice here and not do the 6 lb axe. I'll find a 5 lb somewhere. Stumper is right: there just isn't any substitute for the right tool.