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Lemme AXE you a question

jdcamb

Tool Time!
Feb 17, 2002
19,799
8,383
Nowhere Man!
A single bit axe is easy to sharpen and very effective an safe. I have a Craftsman, I borrowed it from my brother and never returned it. I ran it over with the tractor and took it back to True Value. They sent me the kit in the mail to replace it. No questions axed...
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
5,921
borcester rhymes
Our last house came with a nice saw, I think it was a husqy. I never needed it, and had never used a saw, so I just left it there for five years then sold it to our neighbors when we moved. Then like a month after moving into our new house, a tree fell and I realized I'd need a saw. Oops.
 

iRider

Turbo Monkey
Apr 5, 2008
5,648
3,089
my statement shouldn't be interpreted that stihl's pro grade stuff isn't good, just that if you are looking at that class of chainsaw, there are other options out there worth considering as well. below the $400-$500 price range i wouldn't recommend anything other than stihl.

disclaimer: i do not and have not owned anything that would be considered pro grade. this is based on info I've picked up from people who *are* employed as arborists.
I understood you correct and this is why I agreed! :cheers:
 

junkyard

You might feel a little prick.
Sep 1, 2015
2,601
2,303
San Diego
You could check out your local swap meet. Usually a few axes at those, but you should buy a log splitter.
 

maddog17

Turbo Monkey
Jan 20, 2008
2,815
105
Methuen, Mass. U.S.A.
whew!!! i really wasn't looking forward to talking rap/ebonics for now on. i really don't have the time to learn....i'd rather waste time doing other useless things
 

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,238
393
NY
You need to take more pics of your Truck. Perhaps a action shot of you jumping it over some big rocks in your yard?
LOL, I've already had to weld the frame together once. I barely got through this year of plowing my driveway. It has a battery, engine, and brake light on on the dash.
 

HOOWAH

Monkey
Sep 16, 2001
105
0
portland, maine USA
I've done about 6 cords per year for the last 3 years felling, bucking, and splitting. Husqvarna 460 rancher is a beast. I've been using a 20" bar. I started with a 24" bar, which seemed excessive, but honestly, I might go back because when you're limbing you don't have to move your feet or bend over nearly as much as with a 20" or 18" bar. Weight difference is nominal.

I use a fiskars x27 to split wood bucked into 18" sections It's pretty beat looking after 3 years and a bunch of splits where I hit the ground after but it's perfectly functional. I love it. 6lbs is just right. 8lb is excessive on 90+ percent of all logs. 6lb is excessive on about 60% of all logs. 3.5lb is underweight on about 50% of all logs. It's dull as hell and sharpening it doesn't seem to matter when splitting and super sharp seems to actually get stuck in the wood if you're swinging straight down on an angle / which I recommend trying to avoid going through to ground if you're not on a stump. If you're bucking to bigger than 18" because it fits in your stove it gets harder to split so you're not saving yourself much work.

I've hit a routine where I would take 15 minute breaks from the computer every 2 hours and try to see how much wood I could split and stack. So, split for 11 minutes, stack for 4 and don't give up on the tough pieces. That's a good workout and you're invariably going to miss a few if you're really giving it some effort and moving fast. The handle on the x27 is still pristine.

Felling trees is dangerous enough and a chainsaw helps keep control over the tree. I won't fell with an axe again.
 

Jozz

Joe Dalton
Apr 18, 2002
5,753
7,215
SADL
I've done about 6 cords per year for the last 3 years felling, bucking, and splitting. Husqvarna 460 rancher is a beast. I've been using a 20" bar. I started with a 24" bar, which seemed excessive, but honestly, I might go back because when you're limbing you don't have to move your feet or bend over nearly as much as with a 20" or 18" bar. Weight difference is nominal.

I use a fiskars x27 to split wood bucked into 18" sections It's pretty beat looking after 3 years and a bunch of splits where I hit the ground after but it's perfectly functional. I love it. 6lbs is just right. 8lb is excessive on 90+ percent of all logs. 6lb is excessive on about 60% of all logs. 3.5lb is underweight on about 50% of all logs. It's dull as hell and sharpening it doesn't seem to matter when splitting and super sharp seems to actually get stuck in the wood if you're swinging straight down on an angle / which I recommend trying to avoid going through to ground if you're not on a stump. If you're bucking to bigger than 18" because it fits in your stove it gets harder to split so you're not saving yourself much work.

I've hit a routine where I would take 15 minute breaks from the computer every 2 hours and try to see how much wood I could split and stack. So, split for 11 minutes, stack for 4 and don't give up on the tough pieces. That's a good workout and you're invariably going to miss a few if you're really giving it some effort and moving fast. The handle on the x27 is still pristine.

Felling trees is dangerous enough and a chainsaw helps keep control over the tree. I won't fell with an axe again.
You split your wood when frozen I assume?
 

Jozz

Joe Dalton
Apr 18, 2002
5,753
7,215
SADL
If you buy anything from Stihl in the axe/hatchet/maul dept they are lifetime warranty, break it, take it back, new one on the spot. done!
Hello Stranger!

Fiskar is too. We mangled so many loppers doing trailwork and they just take whatever is left and give us new ones.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
5,921
borcester rhymes
bought the farm axe. Got the super splitter instead of the X27. I didn't really love the grippy handle, and the SS seemed lighter than the X27. Plus I liked the hook at the bottom and the death metal black paint. It should handle my logs just fine
 

stosh

Darth Bailer
Jul 20, 2001
22,238
393
NY
I've done about 6 cords per year for the last 3 years felling, bucking, and splitting. Husqvarna 460 rancher is a beast. I've been using a 20" bar.

That’s my main saw as well. Honestly I even bought a 40v Ryobi used battery chain saw to try out. Its super light and awesome for limbing fallen trees. Sounds silly but it’s great to get some of the small stuff out of the way quick. I usually fall and split 2 cords a year and buy 2 because it’s what my schedule and land allow for.
 

jdcamb

Tool Time!
Feb 17, 2002
19,799
8,383
Nowhere Man!
That’s my main saw as well. Honestly I even bought a 40v Ryobi used battery chain saw to try out. Its super light and awesome for limbing fallen trees. Sounds silly but it’s great to get some of the small stuff out of the way quick. I usually fall and split 2 cords a year and buy 2 because it’s what my schedule and land allow for.
My Honda Generator and Craftsmen Chainsaw serve me well. I limit my height by the length of my cord and the height of my ladder.
 

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
21,031
5,921
borcester rhymes
Well @jonKranked was right, for once. The super spliiter/x27 is fantastic. So easy to use and it did a number...but I threw my back out lumberjackin' and couldn't finish splitting my felled tree (plus it's pine and fresh, so it's sticky as fuck). The little gerber hatchet I got did well delimbing some trees and shit too, so I had a good time. Need to get my chainsaw sharpened to finish the job.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,562
24,182
media blackout
Well @jonKranked was right, for once. The super spliiter/x27 is fantastic. So easy to use and it did a number...but I threw my back out lumberjackin' and couldn't finish splitting my felled tree (plus it's pine and fresh, so it's sticky as fuck). The little gerber hatchet I got did well delimbing some trees and shit too, so I had a good time. Need to get my chainsaw sharpened to finish the job.
were you wearing flannel?
 

6thElement

Schrodinger's Immigrant
Jul 29, 2008
15,827
13,063
Probably didn't have the requisite length of beard to counterbalance the weight of the axe - leading to his dodgy back.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,232
20,015
Sleazattle
While I don't really have a use for an axe living in the city there is no point in owning a dull tool. A coworker and former lumberman taught me a trick today on how to sharpen an axe or other impact edge.

Hold a file handle end above the edge and angled so the cutting teeth are perpendicular to the edge. Slide the file along maintaining a proper edge angle, do not move the file up and down. I quickly tried this today with my very dull axe and fuck me if it didn't put a damn sharp edge on it real quick.

Perhaps this is common knowledge for people who use them all the time but it was new to me and rather effective.
 
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StiHacka

Compensating for something
Jan 4, 2013
21,560
12,504
In hell. Welcome!
While I don't really have a use for an axe living in the city there is no point in owning a dull tool. A coworker and former lumberman taught me a trick today on how to sharpen an axe or other impact edge.

Hold a file handle end above the edge and angled so the cutting teeth are perpendicular to the edge. Slide the file along maintaining a proper edge angle, do not move the file up and down. I quickly tried this today with my very dull axe and fuck me if it didn't put a damn sharp edge on it real quick.

Perhaps this is common knowledge for people who use them all the time but it was new to me and rather effective.
You sound inspired by your canadian trip. :D