Wedge pounders for big trees.

[SouthSoundTree]

We have been beating over some big trees last week and this week at Parks. For small trees, we have a short handled 3# ax, for bigger trees, a 4# medium handled ax (for really big trees we have the Silvey hydraulic wedge, stored in the shop until we get our new job box mounted on the truck).

Myself, I have a 5# (EDIT 8#) full length splitting maul and a 4# sledge. I like the 5#, and have seen no drawbacks.

I have some sore wrists from all this wedge pounding, yes, from wedge pounding in trees. I would like a heavier pounder for big trees, especially if I'm in a confined space where I can't swing it fully. What are your thoughts? What do you like for hard wedging? My supervisor is a big dude, so I don't think he minds so much (I'm 190).

Are there drawbacks to a heavy pounder (aside from it being heavy to carry from the truck)? I'm thinking 5-8 pounds. We spent about 15 minutes last week pounding over one tree with about 6 wedges, as we didn't have the jacks in the truck. Seems it would have been faster and easier, with less soreness if we had a bigger pounder. I gather a flat faced pounder would be better than a slightly rounded maul head, though this hasn't been an issue for me. A narrower surface is good for pounding stacked wedges, as if you're accurate, you can hit one or the other wedge, and when a thick wedge is sunk to the wood, or deeper, you can still pound the wedge deeper into the backcut if your can accurately make it into the backcut.


Boy, that was a little long winded. Still a bit tired this morning.

 

[flushcut]

How about a pull line.

 

[Jack]

Sean, since you mentioned "confined space", you might want to consider a dead-blow hammer. I took some crap for posting the pic below awhile back because it's NOT AN AXE.

However, I do a lot of coppice thinning where it's all 'confined space' work. A short handled dead-blow hammer comes in handy for confined spaces and there's no risk of deflecting a blade into your own living tissue.

The small hammer is 2.5 pounds which effectively hits like a 5 pounder. The larger is a 5 pound hammer which hits like an 8 pounder. AND, both are easier on plastic or aluminum wedges.

I love 'em for tight work ... just a thought for your consideration ...

 

[MasterBlaster]

I might wedge a tree over once a year... I always set a line.

 

[Tucker943]

Look at that nice clean wedge! Mine look like hell. Id be ashamed to post a pic of them. haha

 

[Reddog]

As Jack has pointed out deadblows transfer more energy than a axe or maul.

But reading into you post SST, I think I would be setting a pull line more often or using the tree jack more.

 

[stig]

I wedge trees over all winter.
If I didn't have my almost 100 year old heritage 5,5 pds maul, this is what I would use:http://www.gransfors.com/htm_eng/produkter/new_prod/p_slaggyxa.html

 

[Burnham]

I prefer the high head speed that I get with a 5 lb. single bit axe to the slower strike that physics dictates from using a heavier driver.

 

[sotc]

This is what I use

 

[woodworkingboy]

Most people don't know how to pound things. Instead of making it a dead blow type effect from keeping bounce to a minimum, they just swing away releasing the tension at the strike. It makes a big difference.

 

[Bodean]

I have a 2.5 lb falling boy axe. fast and sharp. It's not the big increments gained with big swings but the small ones that add up.

Then the 5 lb maul, deadblow hammer......I've got a variety of things to hit things with.

 

[bonner1040]

I keep an 8lb sledge in my truck.

http://www.harborfreight.com/8-lb-sledge-hammer-with-fiberglass-handle-94058.html

I have a orange deadblow from harbor freight too, the metal wedges seem to tear it up, it certainly doesnt look nice like Jacks. It looks like its going to burst but has a lifetime warranty. I feel it is less effective though for pounding wedges. Maybe during the initial strikes its better but once the wedge is set you lose power IMO.

 

[Al Smith]

The plastic wedges a 5 pound dead blow works best for me .Damned axe tears them up.

The steel splitters it's an 8 pound sledge .

 

[Jack]

 

[Burnham]

For hard wedging situations, I like to use some mag wedges instead of plastics or even hardheads, though those are surely much better than plain plastics.

Have you tried them, Sean? Mags or hardheads, either one.

Al, if you hit 'em square and true, they last longer .

 

[RopeArmour]

This is what I use

Now that's what you call the "persuader"!

 

[Burnham]

Here's my two favs. The longer handled one has seen nearly 3 decades of service to me. The shorty I got from Gerry Beranek, and it's something I treasure for that reason alone. It works might fine in brushy and otherwise tight swinging conditions. Both are 5 pound heads.

 

[bonner1040]

I only saw the 1st pic and was pondering "why swing a tape measure at a wedge?"

 

[Burnham]

Specialized skill, hmmm?

 

[flushcut]

I only saw the 1st pic and was pondering "why swing a tape measure at a wedge?"

That's because B could swing a feather and wedge over General Sherman.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Sean, since you mentioned "confined space", you might want to consider a dead-blow hammer. I took some crap for posting the pic below awhile back because it's NOT AN AXE.

However, I do a lot of coppice thinning where it's all 'confined space' work. A short handled dead-blow hammer comes in handy for confined spaces and there's no risk of deflecting a blade into your own living tissue.

The small hammer is 2.5 pounds which effectively hits like a 5 pounder. The larger is a 5 pound hammer which hits like an 8 pounder. AND, both are easier on plastic or aluminum wedges.

I love 'em for tight work ... just a thought for your consideration ...

Never would I give you a hard tiome about that Jack .. I been wanting a couple for aloft. Ground level, I'll take a 5# single bit feller...

 

[Jack]

No worries ... I like a heavy long single bit just like everyone IF there's plenty of room!

But as mentioned in the OP, in close quarters I want something short, heavy, and dull.

UNLESS, I'm in a knife fight ... then I just run-a-way!

 

[Burnham]

Stephen is a tad more generous than I...all choices but a single bit axe of sufficient head weight are simply wrong. Anyone who argues differently is clearly pursuing a deviant perversion of what is right and proper .

Though I will allow that Stig's prefered tools, both old and new, slip within allowable parameters by the barest of margins .

 

[Jack]

Clearly nothing un-generous about "pursuing a deviant perversion" ... kinda sweet really .

 

[Burnham]

Never wish to be needlessly harsh, ya know

It's great we can have fun like this, ain't it . Thanks, Jack!!