Best fallin wedges?

[48"BAR PINCHER]

I run 12" Blue OX. I've used Oregons, Stihls, etc.... These Blues are holding up the best so far. Never tried those red heads.

 

[tramp bushler]

Where do you find the Blue Ox wedges ????????

Are they Hard or soft plastic ... My blue ox wedges drove real easy , I like them ....

 

[Oldtimer]

I,ve been wanting to ask that for some time now ......Now Old Timer, don,t get all mad ...I,m not into having iron help fall timber .....by and large it is totally un necessary . And I,ve skidder logged in Maine ,and have pushed over trees with a wheel skidder ......
.
.It,s one thing that separates a timber faller from a logger ......
.
Not interested in an argument ,nor implying you don,t know your business . But you would get more wood to the landing if you did your falling , then did your loggin ....... It is alot more efficient . and alot more fun .

. Tho there are certain select logging senarios where pushing a tree over may be handy .. With a bit of thot almost 100 % of your timber can be fell with just your brain and a power saw ,I sure don,t pound over every tree I fall ............... in a 6 1/2 or 7 hour day of cutting timber , I may only wedge over 4 or 5 trees , out of 40 - 80 numbers .....
.

You're right, I don't have to push many, maybe 5 out of 100. I do tend to chop and limb for a day, then twitch.

 

[Industry]

Which state is the Pine Tree State?
I,ve been wanting to ask that for some time now .....
.

Maine.
For the small stuff I usually deal with the 5.5" Orange ones work well.

 

[48"BAR PINCHER]

Are they Hard or soft plastic ... My blue ox wedges drove real easy , I like them ....

Hard plastic. Got them at Madsens. I do a lot of resi take downs so a log skidder is not an option for me. My wedges get used alot

 

[tramp bushler]

Maine.
For the small stuff I usually deal with the 5.5" Orange ones work well.

.

.I should have known that ...Thanks ..

 

[dingeryote]

the ones that were in "that other" thread. Never had any problems with em.....I just used one on a 26" oak yesterday......worked like a charm. $3.00 a piece at fleet farm.

isaac,

I used a couple just yesterday. I bought 'em for the teeth. Paid about double what you did though! LOL!

Long story short, they don't hold up well for me, but they DON'T go spitting out on long dead standing cherry that has a bunch of crap falling from up top and ya can't afford to look at the stupid wedge! LOL!
I'm gonna keep a couple just for that reason.

Just wish they didn't crack,split, and mushroom as bad.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[056kid]

hit em squarer

 

[dingeryote]

hit em squarer

LOL!!!

Easier said than done while looking/waiting for the next bit of trash to come down.


Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[RandyMac]

What are you smacking them with?

 

[dingeryote]

What are you smacking them with?

Plain old Axe. Mostly off center, but sometimes with the edges of the butt on those trees, and not real hard either. Just enough to get lift and not shake things up too bad or inspire more junk coming loose while trying to respect an iffy hinge.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[RandyMac]

Plain old axes are good.

 

[tramp bushler]

Rafting axes .

For those who don,t know a rafting ax was designed for building and breaking down log rafts , flat and bundle rafts .....
However they are the perfect modern day fallers axe . the 5 lb rafting ax has a good heavy poll and just the right size bit .the 5 lb steers better for wedging than the 4 lb or 3 1/2 lb . the bit of the 4 and 5 lb is the same size but the poll (hammer end) of the head is larger ....... I had a 5 lb ax one time that I kept breaking off wedges with ......... I would get freakin out mad breaking off new 12" double taper wedges .. every tree I had to wedge I broke a wedge off in ....Finally in enraged desperation I looked closely at the poll and saw it had been ground with a very obvious angle on the striking face ... It was like as if when I would hit the wedge I was hitting it on a very down ward angle even tho i was swinging for straight on ... I ground like almost 1/4th " off one side ( the high side ) of the head and didn,t break or beat up another wedge till I lost that ax ......
. If you are using a Jersey Axe with the rounded poll YOU WILL BREAK AND RUIN PLASTIC WEDGES .........
.
. The poll needs to be 90 degrees to the bit and the handle both ways .longitudinally and perpendicular "lengthwise and cross wise " ........

 

[bitzer]

isaac,

I used a couple just yesterday. I bought 'em for the teeth. Paid about double what you did though! LOL!

Long story short, they don't hold up well for me, but they DON'T go spitting out on long dead standing cherry that has a bunch of crap falling from up top and ya can't afford to look at the stupid wedge! LOL!
I'm gonna keep a couple just for that reason.

Just wish they didn't crack,split, and mushroom as bad.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

They do mushroom some, but the funny thing is sometimes if you put them on the stump afterwards you can pound them back straight! With the cold temps this winter (-2F this morning) I've been snappin wedges left and right. I'd only broken 2 all last year. They do hold well in frozen wood. You can get an extra smack or two out of them over a plain wedge. That could be why they can get to chippin and mushrooming faster.

 

[tramp bushler]

You guys putting enough wedges in the back cut ??

If you have to really lift a tree , you will need a couple few wedges in the back cut ... Don,t just put one in and beat the hell out of it till it breaks ... When your ax starts bouncing back at you , thats as much as you ought to beat that wedge .......
. exactly what kind of ax are you guys using for wedging ??. Get a 5 lb rafting ax from Bailey's or Madsen's or Wood's ect ......

 

[Burvol]

If you have to really lift a tree , you will need a couple few wedges in the back cut ... Don,t just put one in and beat the hell out of it till it breaks ... When your ax starts bouncing back at you , thats as much as you ought to beat that wedge .......
. exactly what kind of ax are you guys using for wedging ??. Get a 5 lb rafting ax from Bailey's or Madsen's or Wood's ect ......

Spread out the load of the tree with more wedges.... If I know it's gonna be a sucker, I start planning on it right away.

 

[Greystoke]

If you have to really lift a tree , you will need a couple few wedges in the back cut ... Don,t just put one in and beat the hell out of it till it breaks ... When your ax starts bouncing back at you , thats as much as you ought to beat that wedge .......
. exactly what kind of ax are you guys using for wedging ??. Get a 5 lb rafting ax from Bailey's or Madsen's or Wood's ect ......

A 6 pounder with 36" handle with plenty of wedges in my pouch and in spares in my pack-sack was always the best combination for me if I was in the kind of wood to warrant it, and if it was not, it was time to break out some jacks.

 

[Greystoke]

My wedge selection

By the way, I always liked the 10 and 12 inch K & H wedges best, but I would always mix in a dozen 12 inch Madsens wedges in to help stretch the wedge budget, also used a 15 inch banana wedge (mostly for beating lightly, but also in nicer trees to get some extra lift with some other stacked ones).

 

[Burvol]

By the way, I always liked the 10 and 12 inch K & H wedges best, but I would always mix in a dozen 12 inch Madsens wedges in to help stretch the wedge budget, also used a 15 inch banana wedge (mostly for beating lightly, but also in nicer trees to get some extra lift with some other stacked ones).

Premium. We think alike

 

[tramp bushler]

By the way, I always liked the 10 and 12 inch K & H wedges best, but I would always mix in a dozen 12 inch Madsens wedges in to help stretch the wedge budget, also used a 15 inch banana wedge (mostly for beating lightly, but also in nicer trees to get some extra lift with some other stacked ones).

.

. I saw that bananna in your wedge pouch ./. My favorite heavy lifting wedge is the 12" Hard Head ..