Wedges: Steel vs plastic

[pdqdl]

In another thread recently posted, it was alleged by one fellow that steel wedges were unsuitable for felling trees. The feller using a steel wedge in a video was referred to as an idiot. Quite frankly, it's been a long time since I used a steel wedge, so I thought I would post this question.

I like the plastic wedges, they are easy to see when you lay them down and cheap to replace if you lose or damage them. They don't seem to hurt the chainsaw when you hit them, so there is a big advantage there. The ones with interlocking grooves seem to work pretty well for situations where you need an extra wide wedge.

On the other hand, there have been a few times where my plastic wedges would not drive in or lift the tree. This was a BIG problem. I believe that if I had a steel wedge at the time, my problems would have been nonexistent. I believe that a steel wedge will also drive and lift easier, because the steel will not compress, transferring the energy of the hammer into instant lifting motion.

I got stitches one time when a steel wedge popped out of a log, flew straight up into the air and came down on my hand, clearly not a problem with the plastic wedges which cannot even be used to split wood.

I think everyone who does this for a living should have some steel wedges for the big jobs, and plastic for the rest of the time.

Opinions? Comments?

 

[Tree Pig]

I have used both, but mainly use the plastic ones, I know the Euro guys use a lot of metal wedges. Steel and aluminum like below.

 

[tree MDS]

I heard a story one time about a guy that was busting up logs with a maul and wedge. I guess a piece of the peened over slag on the end of the wedge broke free and hit his juglar vein.. killed him.

 

[Nailsbeats]

Both can and will pop out given the right situation. Plastics are what I use for 95% of the time with a 4lb hammer. The 5% goes to steel for driveability with an 8 or 10 lb sledge.

Here's a situation I was in a few weeks back. I'm dropping the last 15' of a 5' diameter Maple, the saw is a 394 with a 36" bar so I have to cut from both sides. The cuts over lap slightly so I have to break a small shelf. Get the steel Estwing splitting wedges with wings and drive them through the kerf breaking the shelf and finishing the pull with the truck.

 

[treeman82]

I use the plastic wedges far more than the steel ones, however if I'm felling a large tree (3' diameter or more) I will go with the steel wedges because by the time I can get them in there, the saw is far enough away that the likelyhood of getting hit is minimal under normal cutting conditions. Also I feel that the steel definately gives better lift, and doesn't readily deform like the plastic ones do.

 

[tree md]

I only have a steel wedge but would prefer to use plastic most of the time. One of the guys I work with sometimes has a set of felling wedges and I have really learned their value while working with him. I have been meaning to get a set for myself for the longest but it is just one of those things that keeps slipping my mind.

I do like the steel wedge for the very thing that nails mentioned. They are great to get some lift so you can cut with a shorter bar and to break the shelf. I use it on large stumps all the time as well. On really big logs it is great to spread the kerf. I have seen very seasoned cutters get their saws pinched up while bucking large logs and have to go for another saw to free the first one. A simple steel wedge will eliminate the risk of that altogether.

I never learned to use felling wedges when I was starting out. We always put a rope in the tree and cinched it to where we wanted it to go. I really dig using the plastic wedges when I can these days though.

 

[treemandan]

Wedges? Steel? Plastic? I say leave them wedges on the truck and put a rope in it before you post a video on youtube and people start calling you an idiot.

 

[Crack Head Bob]

I heard a story one time about a guy that was busting up logs with a maul and wedge. I guess a piece of the peened over slag on the end of the wedge broke free and hit his juglar vein.. killed him.

I still have a small chunk stuck in my leg. Almost 20 years now. Doctor said its nothing to worry about, and no need to cut me open for something that isnt giving me problems. People love it though, I can take a magnet and stick it to my leg.

 

[137cc]

if your going to use a metal use one made of magnesium. Yes they will rock your chain if you hit them, but they have amazing power to drive a heavy tree over. Not as dense as steel but a bit lighter if have to carry them around all day. A good mag wedge also works to tap in most of plastic wedges as well.

They also make hard head plastic wedges. The head of them are metal but the rest is plastic. They make a good choice as well.

But in truth i use plastic wedges most of all. There price and weight makes them most appealing.

The problem with using metal wedges is that people start using splitting mauls as a wedge.

 

[Bermie]

I use plastic most of the time but when I need some extra lift I use a Euro 'high lift wedge', it has an aluminium tip with a replaceable wooden shaft, and an aluminium ring around the end to minimise the mushrooming...gets a good lift...

Then I'll use a felling lever sometimes, but in a split level cut because its steel...

 

[newsawtooth]

I don't really see the benefit of metal wedges for felling. If your saw is going to be in proximity to a wedge, why use metal wedges? I use them regularly as I learned timber falling before urban arboriculture. I start a wedge at the first available opportunity, just a few inches into the backcut usually. Wedging trees over rather than cutting preserves holding wood and gives the faller more control. If you need more lift, stack the plastic wedges. Not sure that using metal ones makes a person a dolt though. Pure wood wedges were phased out in most areas some time ago.

 

[Philbert]

I heard a story one time about a guy that was busting up logs with a maul and wedge. I guess a piece of the peened over slag on the end of the wedge broke free and hit his juglar vein.. killed him.

You can blame that on the wedge or you can blame it on the lack of maintenance on the wedge. Dressing off the mushroomed slag is one of the OSHA type rules that a lot of guys ignore and make fun of. Same thing with cold chisels and other striking tools.

Can't confirm the jugular story, but lot of metal chips get driven towards the face and eyes, and lot of hands get lacerated with the sharp edges of the slag.

I use steel wedges for splitting and plastic mostly for freeing saws stuck in the kerf when cleaning up downed, storm damaged trees. Occasionally, I am alert enough to use the plastic wedges to prevent the saw from getting stuck in the kerf.

. . . I use a Euro 'high lift wedge', it has an aluminium tip with a replaceable wooden shaft, and an aluminium ring around the end to minimise the mushrooming.

Got a photo of that? I would like to see what it looks like.

Philbert

 

[Philbert]

I like the plastic wedges, they are easy to see when you lay them down and cheap to replace if you lose or damage them.

Two other votes for plastic:
1) They are light to carry;
2) After they are hit with a chain saw, you can usually dress them them back into a usable shape pretty quickly with a disc sander or belt sander.

Philbert

 

[RacerX]

You can blame that on the wedge or you can blame it on the lack of maintenance on the wedge. Dressing off the mushroomed slag is one of the OSHA type rules that a lot of guys ignore and make fun of. Same thing with cold chisels and other striking tools.



Philbert

My thoughts exactly. Either the tool wasn't properly maintained or it had reached the end of it's useful life. In either case it shouldn't have been used in the first place.

 

[flushcut]

In another thread recently posted, it was alleged by one fellow that steel wedges were unsuitable for felling trees. The feller using a steel wedge in a video was referred to as an idiot. Quite frankly, it's been a long time since I used a steel wedge, so I thought I would post this question.

I like the plastic wedges, they are easy to see when you lay them down and cheap to replace if you lose or damage them. They don't seem to hurt the chainsaw when you hit them, so there is a big advantage there. The ones with interlocking grooves seem to work pretty well for situations where you need an extra wide wedge.

On the other hand, there have been a few times where my plastic wedges would not drive in or lift the tree. This was a BIG problem. I believe that if I had a steel wedge at the time, my problems would have been nonexistent. I believe that a steel wedge will also drive and lift easier, because the steel will not compress, transferring the energy of the hammer into instant lifting motion.

I got stitches one time when a steel wedge popped out of a log, flew straight up into the air and came down on my hand, clearly not a problem with the plastic wedges which cannot even be used to split wood.

I think everyone who does this for a living should have some steel wedges for the big jobs, and plastic for the rest of the time.

Opinions? Comments?

I don't think it was the use of wedges that was being made fun of it was the guys lack of skill. He made the undercut started the back cut set a metal wedge drove it and the next shot was dude cutting the tree off from the undercut side. I have used metal splitting wedges when I need a lot of lift in the trunk after it has been brushed out(using a 10lb sledge) but plastic for falling and bucking.

 

[imagineero]

I'm often surprised by how few guys carry and use wedges, as though they are so time consuming and difficult to use or something. They are way faster than rigging a rope and dead easy. Wedges have saved my bacon many times, especially up in the tree!

I carry and use both plastic and aluminum wedges. Plastic is definitely preferred for all the reasons mentioned here; hard to lose, cheap, wont trash chains, light (i carry them in my back pocket) etc... If the tree is big enough in diameter (anything over about a foot and a half) then plastic is brilliant. Once it starts to get real big (over 5 feet) then I use 3 or 4 wedges, and even then i find that the taper just isnt steep enough. Then you have to start stacking wedges.

Up in the tree, it's a different story. At the crown, you often find that even the smallest plastic wedges are too long and too small in taper to be of any use. I have a few small (about palm size) aluminum wedges with steep tapers that are ideal when the trunk is down to 6" or even less. Otherwise you can end up in some really freaky situations with 15~20' of tree above you and you've made your felling cut and the tree has leaned back in the wrong direction Those small aluminum wedges are great. You'll never muscle a crown that size over by hand, but this isnt a lot of weight we are talking about, and a small wedge easily deals with it.

Shaun

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

For me the chain issue is paramount. The wedge should be the sacrificial item, not the chain.

There are some occasions where a fat steel wedge is usefull, but more often it will cause a loss of efficiency. From hitting it with the chain, or trying hard not to.


I like the Hardhead brand with a metal strikeplate.

 

[tree md]

I think the main reason a lot of residential tree services do not use wedges more than they do is we are not exactly timber fallers. Sure we are going to take the opportunity to drop one when we can but those are few and far between in my experience. We are more accustomed to piecing them out. I worked for several tree services when I was younger and not one of them had a wedge on the truck. The first time I saw someone use a wedge to fall a tree was when I went on vacation in Northern Cali. I saw a 60 YO climber bring down a Redwood using felling wedges in the tree. I thought to myself, what a concept. I have yet to use them while piecing one out but there have been times that I wish that I did have one when bringing down really big chunks. I keep the metal one in the truck at all times now. I still put a rope in just about every tree that I drop to be on the safe side but the wedges are excellent tools for felling. You can bring one down in a much more controlled fashion with a wedge or two.

 

[imagineero]

I think the main reason a lot of residential tree services do not use wedges more than they do is we are not exactly timber fallers. Sure we are going to take the opportunity to drop one when we can but those are few and far between in my experience. We are more accustomed to piecing them out. I worked for several tree services when I was younger and not one of them had a wedge on the truck. The first time I saw someone use a wedge to fall a tree was when I went on vacation in Northern Cali. I saw a 60 YO climber bring down a Redwood using felling wedges in the tree. I thought to myself, what a concept. I have yet to use them while piecing one out but there have been times that I wish that I did have one when bringing down really big chunks. I keep the metal one in the truck at all times now. I still put a rope in just about every tree that I drop to be on the safe side but the wedges are excellent tools for felling. You can bring one down in a much more controlled fashion with a wedge or two.

That was a real genuine post tree md,
I'm willing to bet money that you've been up in a tree you were piecing out and had dropped all the branches and got to the point of chunking the trunk down. you climb up as high as you can (how high do you dare?). Then you have to top it. Maye you rope it, if it's not a concern maybe you don't. I come from a forestry background, but 100% of my work is residential nowadays, and where I can drop one, I do. It saves time! So you get up there, make your wedge cut. Then you make your felling cut, and the tree starts leaning back on the saw. Are you feeling sick yet? you've got no rope rigged at the top of that tree to lever off, and maybe it turns out to be bad news if it falls the wrong way. Tried pushing it by hand? Maybe even clime up a little higher and try to push it over? It's not a good moment.

I'll admit to doing some silly things up trees.... but one of the smartest ones is carrying small (4" or less) aluminum steep taper wedges and a small hammer. They entirely defuse the above situation; in 30 seconds the top is dropped exactly where you want it, and it gives you confidence to drop tops against the lean.

Shaun

 

[tree md]

I always put a rope in the top if I have any questions about the lean. There have been a couple of times that I have bit off more than I could chew or the wind has complicated things but for the most part I have never really had an unmanageable piece set down on my saw. I try to cut manageable pieces that I can deal with when chunking. I will make a make a face cut then make the back cut until the chunk is starting to set down on my saw, remove my saw from the kerf and push the chunk off. I cut at or a little above waist level and keep my lanyard level to my saddle. This allows me to stand up in my spikes, get kind of high on the chunk and gives me lots of leverage to push the chunk off.

I was doing a tree a couple of months back where I was having to drop 4' diameter chunks at about 20' off the ground. I had to drop about a 6' long chunk because I was in a knotty part of the tree and I had to come down about 6' on the chunk to get below the knots, notch it and make my cut. On the knotted end the chunk was around 5' diameter. Around a 6000 pound chunk of Oak. I had to get a rope on the top of the chunk and have 5 guys pull it off of me. It had a pretty good back lean. A couple of wedges would have come in real handy in that situation.