# Wedges and Cold Weather



## flyboy553 (Jan 22, 2013)

I was out cutting yesterday and today in sub zero weather. My wedges seemed very brittle, When I hit them on the head of the wedge, they easily chipped. Each hit chipped it a little more. I wrecked two of them before I was done. Yeah, I know, the easy answer is to not cut in cold weather like that, but I'm in a state that likes to get cold and stay cold so it is unavoidable.

My question is, are there wedges that withstand use in cold weather? My wedges are the yellow Oregon ones, the only ones available here that I have found. I see Bailey's has some but I don't know if they are better weather wise or not.

Thanks for any input!

Ted


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## flyboy553 (Jan 22, 2013)

Well? Apparently no loggers work when it is sub zero weather!:msp_confused:

I wouldn't either if I wasn't behind on wood cutting.



Ted


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## Jacob J. (Jan 22, 2013)

I had a snag-falling contract for the U.S. Forest Service that started early last spring at 6,000 ft elevation. The average ambient temp. was around 8° f when I started. 

I had good luck in that weather with both the K&H "Redhead" wedges and the Hardhead wedges (the ones with a metal cap.)
I blew a dozen of the lime green 10" wedges from Bailey's, many of them just snapped in half. The K&H wedges seem to be 
made from a polymer that stays fairly soft in the colder weather. The Hardhead wedges have that metal cap so as long as you 
hit them square, they won't chip. They will still snap in half if you hit them wrong.


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## flyboy553 (Jan 22, 2013)

Thanks Jacob J. Does Bailey's handle the K&H wedges? My area is not known for it's logging anymore, so there very few places to get logging supplies locally. In fact, I don't know of any.

Ted


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## bitzer (Jan 22, 2013)

What are you hitting them with? I was cutting this morning in 30 below and the wood was moving slow, but the wedging was fine. If you are hitting them square and your axe head has rounded corners it should not be a real problem for most wedges. I have noticed that the oregon ones do get brittle. It seems that new wedges may be more likely to chip over ones that were mushroomed a little on a warmer day.

Baileys has K&Hs as well as Madsens. Madsens may be a little cheaper. They also have wedges made by Double taper that are softer and meant for colder weather. Their blue wedges work just fine for me.


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## Rounder (Jan 22, 2013)

The K&H do seem to work best when it gets really cold. Madsen's can take care of you there. Any of the big shops on the coast should have/ship them. I've also had pretty good luck with the Stihl single-taper orange wedges, just kind of spendy. They get soft when it's hot, but seem just right when it gets chilly. -Sam


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## flyboy553 (Jan 22, 2013)

bitzer said:


> What are you hitting them with? I was cutting this morning in 30 below and the wood was moving slow, but the wedging was fine. If you are hitting them square and your axe head has rounded corners it should not be a real problem for most wedges. I have noticed that the oregon ones do get brittle. It seems that new wedges may be more likely to chip over ones that were mushroomed a little on a warmer day.
> 
> Baileys has K&Hs as well as Madsens. Madsens may be a little cheaper. They also have wedges made by Double taper that are softer and meant for colder weather. Their blue wedges work just fine for me.




I was hitting them with a 3.5 lb splitting axe. I busted some by not hitting squarely, but I wasn't whining about those, just the ones I hit square and they chipped/busted. These were new ones too. I will order some of those you mentioned from Baileys and see how they work! Thanks!

Ted


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## 4x4American (Jan 23, 2013)

The redheads and the hard-heads work good in the cold out here, the logging company I work for works year round in any conditions and bossman loves the K&H Redheads cause they last long, but then again, he dont tote an ax around, the crazy old guy cuts a strong limb as a wedge beater so he dont gotta walk into the woods with an ax or worry about where it is...I prefer to use an ax


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## Philbert (Jan 23, 2013)

Some of the larger catalogs note that some of their plastic wedges are better in cold weather. I don't know that 'blue' wedges (for example) are always the same material across different manufacturers. But I think it is worth asking.

There are always aluminum, magnesium, and wood wedges if plastic fails.

Philbert


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## 056 kid (Jan 23, 2013)

A k&h will bend like a bannana when abused enough. I think making sure to hit them as square as possible is what really saves them, that and keeping your saw away from them haha. 
Deffinately like them the most.


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## 056 kid (Jan 23, 2013)

4x4American said:


> The redheads and the hard-heads work good in the cold out here, the logging company I work for works year round in any conditions and bossman loves the K&H Redheads cause they last long, but then again, he dont tote an ax around, the crazy old guy cuts a strong limb as a wedge beater so he dont gotta walk into the woods with an ax or worry about where it is...I prefer to use an ax



A 5 lb ax will drive a wedge exponentially harder than a stick of wood. I used to do it often. My beater stick always ended up slabbing and useless.


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## 2dogs (Jan 23, 2013)

When it is really cold here, like below 60, I stay home and cruise AS and watch TV. Right now I'm watching Event Horizon. Scary as heck.


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## All Tree NW (Jan 23, 2013)

i don't like paying for k&h wedges and didn't particularly care for the way they drive. i only buy madsens house brand wedges now. they're cheaper and they really drive like a mother!


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## logging22 (Jan 23, 2013)

Bought a few of the mag wedges from Madsens. Bullet proof.


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## 4x4American (Jan 23, 2013)

056 kid said:


> A 5 lb ax will drive a wedge exponentially harder than a stick of wood. I used to do it often. My beater stick always ended up slabbing and useless.



yea I hated using a stick for a wedge for the few times I tried it, after that I switched to an ax.


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## 056 kid (Jan 23, 2013)

All Tree NW said:


> i don't like paying for k&h wedges and didn't particularly care for the way they drive. i only buy madsens house brand wedges now. they're cheaper and they really drive like a mother!



Might have to give them a try.


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## bitzer (Jan 23, 2013)

The only problem with the K&Hs is they are easy to loose in the snow. I lost a brand new 10" and 12" a few weeks ago. My pouch is all blue now. Like the Kid said though, its all in how you hit them.


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## flyboy553 (Jan 23, 2013)

2dogs said:


> When it is really cold here, like below 60, I stay home and cruise AS and watch TV. Right now I'm watching Event Horizon. Scary as heck.



Well? They always say that in order to solve a problem, one should be smarter than the problem. Looks to me you got that part down well! 

Once again, thanks for all the tips guys!

Ted


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## Furious (Jan 28, 2013)

Ok, this may be a stupid rookie question lol, what about the magnesium wedges or metal ones?


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## Philbert (Jan 28, 2013)

Furious said:


> Ok, this may be a stupid rookie question lol, what about the magnesium wedges or metal ones?



See Post #9 in this thread.

Will not shatter. Will cause more damage to your chain if you hit them.
Heavier to carry; colder to hold; more expensive to buy.
And, _please_, don't lick them when it's really cold out!

Philbert


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## Furious (Jan 28, 2013)

lmao Philbert, I learned not to lick anything metal in the winter a looong time ago!!


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## springboard (Jan 29, 2013)

*wedges*

magnesium wedges work good in frozen wood. A word of caution:Magnesium cannot be x-rayed. A true 5lb. fallers axe with a short handle.


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## All Tree NW (Jan 29, 2013)

Oh yeah, I forgot about that part.....K&H wedges also break super easy. i think they're crap. the madsens' wedges really hold up and I'm 6'0" about 215 and use a 5 lb. axe with a 36" handle. plus, i grind the hell out of'em when they get all mushroomed over. i have a mag wedge, it's a driver, but i only use it as a driver every once in a while when the trees aren't leanin too hard, they really come apart if you drive on 'em too hard with an axe, but they are great for one purpose.....if you happen to misjudge a tree, got'er all faced up and you're putting in your back cut and you get your bar pinched, or it just sets back on you, they or a steel wedge is the only thing that's gonna open that back cut, back open again.


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## 056 kid (Jan 29, 2013)

I call be on k&h breaking. I have been running the same 2 for what? 6 months now. Lost one under a root wad so now I have a nice sharp 12"er. Then again. My self appointed nick name is King Swing!


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## Philbert (Jan 1, 2021)

*BUMP!*

It's pretty cold out now - any more thoughts on this topic? Newer wedge brands or styles?

Would wood wedges work well in winter? (_sorry, had to go for the alliteration . . ._ )

Thanks.

Philbert


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## Ryan'smilling (Jan 1, 2021)

Philbert said:


> *BUMP!*
> 
> It's pretty cold out now - any more thoughts on this topic? Newer wedge brands or styles?
> 
> ...



How much wood would a wood wedge wood if a wood wedge could wedge wood, Phil?


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## Jhenderson (Jan 1, 2021)

K and H 10 inch triple taper + 12 inch double taper. The two I’m using right now have about 250,000 bf on them.


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## cookies (Jan 1, 2021)

keep your wedge in your jackets inside pocket to keep it from getting brittle?


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## Jhenderson (Jan 1, 2021)

Nope. I don’t wear a coat. I sweat at -10. They‘re in my vest wedge pockets. You’ve got to hit them square.


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## northmanlogging (Jan 1, 2021)

K+H 10's or 12's depending on the timber with a triple taper for pinch hitting small dia and bucking wedge. **** the rest of em. 

hitting them square helps, a 5# council is hard on wedges though lol.


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