# Just ordered a Smart-Holder log holder on sale



## wetwood (Jan 1, 2010)

Found the Smart holder on sale for $49 at Northern Tool+Equipment. Regular price $99. Only difference between it and the one Bailey's sales is red paint and the Remington brand name. Northern says holds a 8" log Bailey's says 9" log but I doubt there is any real difference.  At that price I had to get one to try.

Northren Tools smart holder log holder


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## wendell (Jan 1, 2010)

Thanks, looks like it is time to pick one up.


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## WayneB (Jan 1, 2010)

After the second or third time I saw bailey's video of the Smart-Holder I found another video from somewhere in europe that had a good close up of how they worked, so I built one. For the new price, I would have bought one, that's barely over materials, never mind what your time is worth. All that being said, they are nice to use. I hunt for mostly standing dead pine, cut into 4 to 7 foot pieces and load into truck/trailer, once home load into log holder, position wheelbarrow and commence to cutting. Nice tool


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## CaddyUser (Jan 2, 2010)

I've been thinking about getting one of them for awhile now.  With the talk of sawbucks, smart holders, etc on the forum, I'm not sure what to consider.  I've always been one to buck on the ground, turning the log to keep the saw up out of the ground, but I'm thinking it might be time to consider something else.  

Wasajco, do you have pics of yours, and/or a link to the holder design?


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## WayneB (Jan 2, 2010)

I'm not much of a picture person, here is the link to the European vid:

Hope it helps. I changed the design to use thinwall square tube, all one size instead of the what looks like part rectangular and part square. I also used angle for the legs instead of square tube. Identical paint though! Looks like harbor freight orange. Drilling the holes and then jigging for the welding so the pins and holes line up is the only really "hard" part, just takes patience and thinking through the process. Some folks might not enjoy that part of the build. I needed a drill press, and multiple clamps for that part, so it would all fit together. It worked and It can hold a pine log approx 6+' long and over 12"dia. with ease. Dry of course, wet is too heavy to lift anymore, but the design can take it, but I shouldn't, might rupture my other bicep. :shut:


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## wetwood (Jan 2, 2010)

CaddyUser, I Googled "smart-holder firewood holder" looking for the same information when I found northern tool had it on sale. There are several sites with various photo angles of the holder that one can acquire sufficient information to build one. If that does not work I will post some pictures of the smart holder when it gets here.


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## CaddyUser (Jan 2, 2010)

Thanks folks, that's great information.  I think I might just take the plunge and make one or purchase one.  I know the closest place that I can get one is about $120 plus shipping.  For that price, I can probably weld one up anyhow.

Thanks again for the info!


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## LLigetfa (Jan 2, 2010)

Three things I would change in the design as they would annoy me to no end:

1.  The pivot pins.  I would shorten one of them so that the holes can be aligned one at a time rather than trying to align both at once.  You can see in the video the the guy was having problems to get them both aligned.

2.  The angle braces.  I would double-nut the bolts so that they stay put when the wingnut is removed.  A slot rather than a hole would allow disengagement without having to fully remove the wingnut.

3.  The top dog.  I would make it like a mouse trap so that it could be held open and the log shoved in from the side rather than trying to thread the end in like a needle.  One tends to carry a log centred in the middle so with longer logs you are further from the dog and thus a smaller target to hit.


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## LLigetfa (Jan 2, 2010)

Oh, one more thing...

If always used with a pickup as your wood go getter, I would make it to plug into the hitch receiver rather than have it free standing.


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## YZF1R (Jan 2, 2010)

LLigetfa, I have the Remington from Northern. Got it the last time they were on sale for 50 bucks. I have yet to use it, but to answer your valid concerns;

 1- One of the pivot pins is shorter than the other so you don't have to line both up at the same time.

2- The angle braces are slotted. The bolts have a spring on them under the wing nuts.

3- Although it won't close by itself if you use it, you can open the jaw and pull it out a little and it will rest on a support piece.

Steve


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## WoodMann (Jan 2, 2010)

And here I went adn built this..............


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## LLigetfa (Jan 2, 2010)

YZF1R said:
			
		

> LLigetfa, I have the Remington from Northern. Got it the last time they were on sale for 50 bucks. I have yet to use it, but to answer your valid concerns;
> 
> 1- One of the pivot pins is shorter than the other so you don't have to line both up at the same time.
> 
> ...


Sounds like they one-upped the original design.  The mousetrap thing would be an easy retrofit.  Just need a prop rod that you can bump with the log to trip.  The inertia of the fall would probably help set the dog into the wood.


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## Jabbers (Jan 4, 2010)

This seems like a waste of money. If you need a vice I have used my log splitter to hold several pieces of wood at one time.


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## k3c4forlife (Jan 6, 2010)

After seeing this post, buying one is tempting... I would want it to hold a bigger diameter though, maybe up to 12"...


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## YZF1R (Jan 7, 2010)

Just to add a little to its' attributes’:

1- There is a small screw on the outside of each upright about 8 inch's up. They each have a nylon shoulder on them about an 1/8 th inch. When you unfold it to set it up, they raise the angle braces up and out from between the upright frame and bottom frame enough for you to easily grab them to set it up.

2- Also, the pins that the jaw pivots on are two different diameters so you can't get the jaw on backwards. (The teeth are angled to bite best in one direction.)

3- The jaw also has 4 different sets of holes so that the teeth will be properly set in the size branch/log you are holding.

Steve


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## precaud (Jan 7, 2010)

Thx for the heads-up on this, wetwood. At that price I can't resist!


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## Gator eye (Jan 7, 2010)

What a absolute waiste of time.  If you have to bend and pick the log up to put it in that POS you would be better off just bending over with the saw in hand and cutting it on the ground. 

It would take me 2 years to cut one years worth of wood with that thing.


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## precaud (Jan 7, 2010)

At 6'5" and late 50's I don't want to be constantly bending over to do ANYTHING. I'm looking forward to it.


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## WayneB (Jan 7, 2010)

Re: Bending
The way I figured it, I can go into the woods, cut 4~7' logs, one bend to cut, one bend to pick up, toss in truck or trailer. Get home, then either leisurely unload into smart-holder, and cut into wheelbarrow and stack/split, or toss onto pile, then pick up ONCE, insert into holder, and do previous. Or I could bendover and cut, bendover and cut, bendover and cut the same 4~7 foot log, then bendover and pick up, etc. and load into pickup and then stack/split. I do believe I will be bending over a lot less often. Plus, I can bendover in a nice flat gravel areas where I process the wood, v.s. whatever is under the snow, like the other day when I stepped on a hidden branch, and did my usual graceful fall with chainsaw, bending chain, and looking foolish. BTW, after using awhile, you get an eye for what opening to use, and you pick similar sized logs for inserting. you put in a slight upward angle, pushing until the top of the log engages the top dog teeth, then lower and the weight locks it very well. The last cut has that portion falling down behind the holder, the only one that misses the wheelbarrow. Mine will take over 12", but they get a little heavy then.


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## billb3 (Jan 7, 2010)

I use a saw horse for the light stuff, too, when I can't cut right on the falled tree.
Or th whole tree _ is _ light stuff.

The one advantage to that is probably cutting that last piece. Especially with really small stuff.



My back isn't getting any younger and  my log cuts on the ground are getting done with one knee on the ground.
Course, those logs wouldn't fit in that metal thing and  they would crush my sawbuck.


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## YZF1R (Jan 8, 2010)

Gator eye said:
			
		

> What a absolute waiste of time.  If you have to bend and pick the log up to put it in that POS you would be better off just bending over with the saw in hand and cutting it on the ground.
> 
> It would take me 2 years to cut one years worth of wood with that thing.



I don't really think it is ment for "logs". It's just an easier way to cut larger branches without trying to hold the branch in place on the ground with your foot while bending over with the saw to cut it and hoping the saw doesn't bounce over into your foot because you're using the end of the bar to cut it. Yes, a homemade saw buck will probably do fine. For fifty bucks I figure do it either way. Materials and $10 per hr. for you to build one or buy the metal one.

Steve


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## precaud (Jan 16, 2010)

Got my Smart Holder yesterday. Fit and finish is very good. It will be a month or two before I'll use it. It turns out the $49 isn't really a "sale", but is the new price for it. Look on Remington's website and they list it as $49.99 .



> I don’t really think it is ment for “logs”.


I guess it depends on where you live and the size of trees you have access to. Looking out at my four unprocessed stacks, I'd say 80-85% of the logs will fit nicely in this holder. From now on I'll stack the larger logs at waist-high level so I won't have to bend over bucking them either. There are easy workarounds for most problems...


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## YZF1R (Jan 16, 2010)

Let us know how it works out for you. As I said earlier, I have yet to use mine. I don't have my own woods, so most all of my wood are logs bucked to length and brought home on my trailer to be split. My wife saw it in the Northern catalog and said I should get me one of those. I don't hear that very often. When she says I can get something I get it and I'll worry about what it is later when it arrives.

Steve


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## wetwood (Jan 17, 2010)

Have not been able to use mine yet either. It is well made and looks like it will fit my needs. here is the pics.


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## precaud (Jan 20, 2010)

An interesting bit of info on the SH18A. Mine came without a manual, so just for the halibut I emailed Northern and asked for one. They didn't have one and gave me the manufacturer's phone number. I called it and got a recorded message that DESA declared bankruptcy in December 2008 and there was no product or warranty support available.

The DESA website is almost empty:  http://www.desatech.com/

The SH18A is on Remington's website:  http://www.remingtonpowertools.com/products.cgi?cat=9

Since both Remington's and DESA's name is on the product packaging, it's hard to tell what's going on here. But then I saw this:

http://www.remingtonpowertools.com/product_reg.cgi

So it appears that the Remington brand name, and some products in the line, were bought by the new owners (MTD Southwest) from DESA in May 2009, and this was one of the products they took.

They certainly will sell a lot more of them at $50 than they did at $100. But there is no way they can profitably continue to produce and sell them at this price. When they sell out of current inventory (acquired from DESA) I'll bet the price goes back up. So if you've been thinking of getting one of these, I'd do it soon...


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## YZF1R (Jan 20, 2010)

Interesting. Thanks for the heads-up.

Steve


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## hariot (Jan 23, 2010)

I'm still a little confused about the two versions of this tool. The green one (as seen on amazon for $99:00) states it holds logs up to 9". The orange Remington states it holds up to an 8" width. Are they really both the same tool that actually hold the same size log or does one really have a larger capacity. Anybody know?

Thanks


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## precaud (Jan 23, 2010)

The Remington will probably hold larger than 8" logs; the swivel fence is 8" wide, but the opening is 11". The Remington is heavier, weighing 34 lbs vs 27 for the Bailey's. It's natural to suspect that the Remington is a cheap knockoff, but it's not; as stated on the box, it is produced under license of the patent holders. As I said above, this is clearly a distressed inventory sale brought on by the DESA bankruptcy. Think about it; there is absolutely no way these things can be produced and retailed for fifty bucks while giving reasonable profit margins to all parties involved. I'll bet it's less than what Bailey's cost is for theirs.


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## wetwood (Jan 23, 2010)

I weighed the Remington holder on the bathroom scales and it was 28lbs also. Remington holder is made in china. Bailey's says their holder is invented by the Swedish but does not say where it is made. I'll bet there the same holder made in the same Chinese factory just different paint and stickers.


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## PapaDave (Jan 23, 2010)

WASAJCO said:
			
		

> I'm not much of a picture person, here is the link to the European vid:
> 
> Hope it helps. I changed the design to use thinwall square tube, all one size instead of the what looks like part rectangular and part square. I also used angle for the legs instead of square tube. Identical paint though! Looks like harbor freight orange. Drilling the holes and then jigging for the welding so the pins and holes line up is the only really "hard" part, just takes patience and thinking through the process. Some folks might not enjoy that part of the build. I needed a drill press, and multiple clamps for that part, so it would all fit together. It worked and It can hold a pine log approx 6+' long and over 12"dia. with ease. Dry of course, wet is too heavy to lift anymore, but the design can take it, but I shouldn't, might rupture my other bicep. :shut:




HAHA, I almost spit out my coffee when right near the end, he decides to blow off a little piece of something. Wouldn't want it getting dirty now, would we? Too funny.


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## PapaDave (Jan 23, 2010)

YZF1R said:
			
		

> Let us know how it works out for you. As I said earlier, I have yet to use mine. I don't have my own woods, so most all of my wood are logs bucked to length and brought home on my trailer to be split. My wife saw it in the Northern catalog and said I should get me one of those. I don't hear that very often. *When she says I can get something I get it and I'll worry about what it is later when it arrives.
> *
> Steve



Steve, that's funny. Blind leading the blind? Next time might be a toaster. HEHE
Kinda funny too, is that my wife's laptop is taking a nosedive and getting pretty old. I have a Dell acct., so I mentioned new ones. She says, yeah, do that. Hers will be here next Tues., mine the following week.
Where she leads, I will follow, ....as long as it's a tool or computer stuff. :coolsmile:


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## precaud (Jan 23, 2010)

Sorry, my bad. On an electric shipping scale, mine also weighs 27 lbs. For some reason the UPS shipping label on the box says 35 lbs., and I was going by that.


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## PapaDave (Jan 23, 2010)

Here's a question for all you smartholder users. How many logs are you doing per session?
I only ask because when I go out to buck logs, it takes about 60 8'er's on average to get a cord. If I cut in half to load this thing, that's 120 times I have to lift a 4 ft. mini log. Cutting at waist height would be SOOO much easier though.
I DO hate all the bending over to buck on the ground, then moving the rounds into a pile (and there are 6 rounds/8' log, which is 360 rounds/cord).
I dunno' you guys might be onto something here. Man, doing the math, I'm getting tired before I even go out to c/s/s.
I should quit that.


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## precaud (Jan 23, 2010)

Huh? You don't have to load it.


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## PapaDave (Jan 23, 2010)

precaud said:
			
		

> Huh? You don't have to load it.



The video shows picking up a log, then putting, placing, or loading the log into the jaws. 
Have I got this that basackwards?


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## precaud (Jan 23, 2010)

Sorry again, too many things going at once in the brain this morning. I meant, you don't have to _cut in half_ before loading.


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## PapaDave (Jan 23, 2010)

precaud said:
			
		

> Sorry again, too many things going at once in the brain this morning. I meant, you don't have to _cut in half_ before loading.



HAHA, wanna' bet. I've lifted these things to position for cutting. They're heavy. I am no longer the strong virile youth that I may have thought I once was.
Sawbuck might fit my needs better, since I could lift one end up, then slide. 
Need to do something to help the back though.


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## LLigetfa (Jan 23, 2010)

PapaDave said:
			
		

> If I cut in half to load this thing, that's 120 times I have to lift a 4 ft. mini log...


If you're going to cut them into 4 footers then you may as well buck it all on the ground.  You don't actually have to lift the entire log.  You can lift one end onto the holder, drop the dog, and then lift the other end to set the dog.

I get my wood in 8 foot lengths and anything I lift goes onto my sawbuck.  Lifting onto the sawbuck is more effort than lifting into that holder.  Cutting them in half wouldn't work for me as I get 5 rounds out of every log.  Stuff too heavy to lift, I roll out onto 3 skids and buck them there.  The skids hold the logs up about a foot off the ground so I don't need to bend as much.  I shovel out the buildup of sawdust from between the skids.


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## PapaDave (Jan 23, 2010)

LLigetfa said:
			
		

> PapaDave said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks, that's what I was looking for. Good info.


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## wetwood (Jan 23, 2010)

My boys and I got to try out the Remington holder on some 6"- 8" dead trees and here is what we learned so far:

There is a learning curve with this device but once we figured it out it worked well for us.
Will not hold crooked logs very well because of horizontal movement.
Manual states 3/4 of log/limb length must hanging over support frame and that works well.
Manual states spike frame length must be adjusted to 45 deg so it holds log, and it does need to be close to it.
After placing log in holder need to push down on end so leverage sinks the teeth into wood to hold it.
There is always some horizontal movement of the log but the chainsaw holds and cuts it without problem.
took 2 people to load large logs over 4'-5' long.
Think it will work even better on 3"- 5" logs.


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## precaud (Jan 23, 2010)

Thanks for the user report, wetwood.


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## precaud (Feb 27, 2010)

Update: A friend saw mine and was interested in getting one, so I went back and looked. As was suspected, this was a closeout sale and they are no longer available.


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## precaud (Apr 10, 2010)

Another update. I used mine for the first time today, bucking logs for a couple hours, and I really like it. Very easy to use. Perfect for 90-95% of the logs I gather. Much easier on the ol' body. And equally important, MUCH easier on the chain. Unless you drop your saw, there is no way for your chain to contact the ground. All in all, highly recommended. It's one of those tools you'll wonder why you never got earlier.


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## kenny chaos (Apr 10, 2010)

A 25" bar keeps you from bending over when bucking on the ground.
Having to keep setting the saw down, bending over and lifting a log,
wrestling it in that contraption and securing it, is for the birds.
It's not only harder on the body, it take soo much longer.
But be good consumers and buy, buy, buy.
Everybody; tweet, tweet, tweet.


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## precaud (Apr 11, 2010)

kenny chaos said:
			
		

> - And a few knives in the back


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## kenny chaos (Apr 11, 2010)

precaud said:
			
		

> kenny chaos said:
> 
> 
> 
> > - And a few knives in the back






My new name seems to be Dream Crusher.

You say you love yours so nothing lost.

I know when I bend over to put the saw down, it's there for awhile anymore.


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## precaud (Apr 11, 2010)

kenny chaos said:
			
		

> My new name seems to be Dream Crusher.


Oh, you're being too kind to yourself. Try.... Jerk. You seem to derive great pleasure from acting like one.

If one organizes the work flow, it's nothing at all like you describe.


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## kenny chaos (Apr 11, 2010)

precaud said:
			
		

> kenny chaos said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...









You must got's a tooth ache.  
Explain to us how you "organize the work flow" so you're not setting the saw down every 30 seconds or so to load
another stick.  Please?
It is not for someone with a bad back.


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## precaud (Apr 11, 2010)

Kenny, so the Smart Holder isn't for you. Big deal. But that doesn't mean you have to trash it. Let it go and move along.

If a 25" bar works for you, that's great. At 6'5", it wouldn't help me much. But that doesn't mean I have to trash it. Besides, a 25" bar on my Makita electric saw would be silly.

Maybe some details about my setup wouldn't work well for someone who isn't as tall as I am. I store my logs in 7'x7'x7' stacks so that little (i.e. normal sized) people can't steal them. So there isn't any "bending over to lift a log" until you get to the bottom of the stack. And my saw never gets put down on the ground, it goes on the chopping block, so I don't have to bend over very far. It doesn't weigh very much, anyway.

Place the Smart Holder in between the log stack and where the splitter goes and the work flow is very smooth. When I was cutting small rounds for the basement stove (that wood is stacked behind the house), I put the wheelbarrow right under the log and the rounds drop right into it as they're cut. No bending over to pick them up like I had to do before.

So that's why I say, this thing has improved my work flow and I'm bending over less using it.


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## kenny chaos (Apr 11, 2010)

precaud said:
			
		

> Another update. I used mine for the first time today, bucking logs for a couple hours, and I really like it. Very easy to use. Perfect for 90-95% of the logs I gather. Much easier on the ol' body. And equally important, MUCH easier on the chain. Unless you drop your saw, there is no way for your chain to contact the ground. All in all, highly recommended. It's one of those tools you'll wonder why you never got earlier.







Don't trash it?  It was your, "one of those tools you'll wonder why you never got earlier" that inspired me to post.
I explained why it's no good for regular size people with regular saws.
This ain't even your thread.  Don't take it so personal.


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## precaud (Apr 11, 2010)

Good luck, dude. Have it your way. I'm putting you on ignore.


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## kenny chaos (Apr 11, 2010)

precaud said:
			
		

> Good luck, dude. Have it your way. I'm putting you on ignore.







Thank-you.


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## oldspark (Apr 12, 2010)

In the video it looks pretty slick, I just might order one, been bringing home 6 ft lengths of wood for many years and this would have been easier for me to chunk them up.


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## Kenster (Apr 13, 2010)

oldspark said:
			
		

> In the video it looks pretty slick, I just might order one, been bringing home 6 ft lengths of wood for many years and this would have been easier for me to chunk them up.




I'm curious what the weight limits are for this thing.  Suppose I cut a 16 -18 inch oak, 25 feet long.   By the time I buck it down into logs that I can acutally move (barely) I may as well just keep bucking it on the ground.   For smaller logs, maybe six inches diameter, looks like it would be a great tool.


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## oldspark (Apr 13, 2010)

I think it is rated at 300 lbs.


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## precaud (Apr 13, 2010)

Yes, 300 is what the manual says. BTW, it won't take your 16 inchers, the manual says 8" max. Largest I did was 9". It looks to me like it can handle 10-11" no problem. Put the smallest end of the log in the jaws.


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## LLigetfa (Apr 13, 2010)

That smart holder would work well for most of the wood I get, which are 8 footers.  Right now I lift anything up to around 6" and set it in my sawbuck.  Bigger than that, I roll out onto skids to buck.


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## YZF1R (Apr 13, 2010)

I used mine for the first time last week for some 4 to 6 inch branches a neighbor wanted cut up. I never intended to use it for "logs". But boy is it nice for 4 to 8 inch branches 12 to 16 feet or so long. Just like the video. Load it in then just cut while standing. My back which has had two separate disk operations loved it. No kneeling to cut, reposition the branch and or me, cut, reposition the branch and or me, cut, reposition the branch and or me, etc., etc. Loved it for it's intended purpose.

Steve


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## kenny chaos (Apr 13, 2010)

That's two votes that it's fun to use the first time.
Anybody use it for three years and still using it?


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## oldspark (Apr 14, 2010)

kenny chaos said:
			
		

> That's two votes that it's fun to use the first time.
> Anybody use it for three years and still using it?


 You hate it that much?


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## precaud (Apr 14, 2010)

I justed used it for 2.5 hours (after a 7 hour workday). I don't feel tired and my back feels great. I am even more sold on it than before. It definitely makes it more fun when you're not holding your body in uncomfortable positions while fighting the wood. My saw's chain loves it - I didn't have to adjust it through the whole session. It's easier to cut the log square when it is presented comfortably horizontal to you, so splitting will go faster.

There is no way I will go back to cutting logs on the ground, unless they're too big to fit in this thing.


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## kenny chaos (Apr 14, 2010)

oldspark said:
			
		

> kenny chaos said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...








No I don't hate it.  I'm just pointing out that once the newness wears off, people understand how much extra time and effort they really are and leave them in their garages.
My buddy offered me his for nothing.  No thanks.


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## dave7965 (May 8, 2010)

Much of the wood I cut is larger that 8 inches. Has anyone actually tried to use it for anything larger than that ?


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## YZF1R (May 9, 2010)

I would think about 8" is max. The opening is only 9" from the top of the bottom row of teeth. I really think it is more for an easy way to hold branches for clean up after a storm or dropping a tree. I've used mine a number of times and it works great for that kind of thing. Most of the stuff I use it for is 4 to 6 inches. I'm in a development so there is a lot of that sort of thing.

Steve


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