Can we have a wood pickerupper showdown/shootout please?

[KiwiBro]

Pulp hooks, pickeroons, hookeroons, etc.

Much like learning what best combo of chains, bars, sprockets to be using, I think it's time I tried, with the help of the collective experience of your good selves of course, to work out the pros and cons of the various options.

What have you tried, and what did you settle on as best for:

1. picking up rounds of wood to load into the back of your truck or onto the splitter?
2. fetching rounds of wood from the far reaches of the bed of your truck

Thanks.

 

[Nosmo]

Homemade Gafs

I made these gaffs several years ago to help landing bigger catfish. Now I use them (mostly the longer one) for pulling rounds out of the front of my pickup bed. It sure beats stretching and bending.

Nosmo

 

[KiwiBro]

I made these gaffs several years ago to help landing bigger catfish. Now I use them (mostly the longer one) for pulling rounds out of the front of my pickup bed. It sure beats stretching and bending.

Nosmo

That's a bit like a combo of pulp hook and hookeroon. What's it like for picking up rounds off the ground to put on the splitter?

Is it easy enough to release the hook when placing or throwing wood?

 

[redheadwoodshed]

I don't have picture, but I took a piece of schedule 40 1" pipe and welded a sharp finger on the end for a pickeroon.I use it to flip blocks/rounds onto the splitter and general handleing.

 

[redprospector]

opcorn:

 

[redprospector]

I don't have picture, but I took a piece of schedule 40 1" pipe and welded a sharp finger on the end for a pickeroon.I use it to flip blocks/rounds onto the splitter and general handleing.

You sound like as big a redneck as I am. I'm gonna have to try this one.

Andy

 

[KiwiBro]

If anyone has seen the built-rite splitter videos those operators really know how to swing a pulp hook. Makes me think the hooks would be great for short range wood handling and the hookeroon for anything longer range?

 

[wagz]

i load and unload em all by hand...

 

[Nosmo]

The Bigger Rounds

That's a bit like a combo of pulp hook and hookeroon. What's it like for picking up rounds off the ground to put on the splitter?

Is it easy enough to release the hook when placing or throwing wood?

I just use the longer one for reaching into the front of the bed and pull the rounds to me so I can pitch them into a pile. I don't use either of them to pick up the big rounds onto my splitter -- I have a crane for that purpose.

Nosmo

 

[benp]

I have one of the ones from Pickaroon.com. Made and sold locally.

I wish Fiskars would make an axe that had a pickaroon end on it. THAT would be SWEET.

 

[Kevin in Ohio]

Most of the smaller stuff (under 2 ft in diameter) I just lift by hand. Getting older and maybe wiser on the bigger stuff so I decided to try something on the splitter I built and really love it.

I was skeptical and how well it would work but was pleasantly surprised and glad I did it. I sharpened the points but as of today, it has yet to let one slip out or fall. That said, I still leave myself an out at all times. Hook came from Northern Hydraulics. It has a cordless winch and it may not be lightning fast but it keeps you out of trouble in my eyes. Winch is rated at 3000lbs so that isn't a factor.

This is Beech that is a little over 3 ft in diameter. If someone can lift these up by hand my hat is off to you

If I was getting a lot of big rounds, say from a tree trimming company on customers site, I'd probably go this route mounted on a truck bed. Sure would save the back. We cut in our own woods, saw where it fell and back down the length of the log splitting as we go.

I know I'm spoiled now and don't want to go back!

 

[Sandhill Crane]

In the woods for larger rounds I use an old pair of two handled ice tongs to pick up the heavy stuff. It allows me to keep my back straighter and lift with the legs. Added a pulp hook and hook-a-roon last year. Use the hook-a-roon to untangle cord wood logs at the front of the pile, and pull down the higher ones that could be a hazard. Use the pulp hook when splitting to pull things closer when rounds are stacked just out of reach on the trailer. Pulp hook takes some getting use to.View attachment 255815

 

[CTYank]

If anyone has seen the built-rite splitter videos those operators really know how to swing a pulp hook. Makes me think the hooks would be great for short range wood handling and the hookeroon for anything longer range?

Essentially, that's it. I use both, with the hookaroon (LogRite) having arrived 6 mos ago.

I find that, with some species, a good hit with the 36" hookaroon in the end grain of large rounds lets you lift them enough to haul them 20-30' off to a truck with much less effort than carrying them.

Both of them let you keep your fingers out of harm's way, and lengthen your arm (much more so with hookaroon than with pulp hook, obviously.) They both greatly increase the endurance of your back besides. It's harder to hit yourself in the leg with a 36" hookaroon than with a pulp hook, if you're accident-prone; that'd really hurt.

Lots of interesting hookaroon/pickaroon designs out there.

 

[benp]

Most of the smaller stuff (under 2 ft in diameter) I just lift by hand. Getting older and maybe wiser on the bigger stuff so I decided to try something on the splitter I built and really love it.

I was skeptical and how well it would work but was pleasantly surprised and glad I did it. I sharpened the points but as of today, it has yet to let one slip out or fall. That said, I still leave myself an out at all times. Hook came from Northern Hydraulics. It has a cordless winch and it may not be lightning fast but it keeps you out of trouble in my eyes. Winch is rated at 3000lbs so that isn't a factor.

This is Beech that is a little over 3 ft in diameter. If someone can lift these up by hand my hat is off to you

If I was getting a lot of big rounds, say from a tree trimming company on customers site, I'd probably go this route mounted on a truck bed. Sure would save the back. We cut in our own woods, saw where it fell and back down the length of the log splitting as we go.

I know I'm spoiled now and don't want to go back!

Great idea!!!!!!

Beech is dang heavy!!!! I have messed with quite a bit of it when I lived in DE. I loved it as firewood. I wish we had it up here.

 

[KiwiBro]

I have one of the ones from Pickaroon.com. Made and sold locally.

I wish Fiskars would make an axe that had a pickaroon end on it. THAT would be SWEET.

Now that sounds like a perfect plan, although it would just mean I'd lose two tools in one forgetful episode, as I'm prone to do when the days get long and the head gets cloudy. Might be better to keep 'em separate and diversify my losses
Finally, I think I've found a use for the portfolio theory they taught us at school.

 

[goosegunner]

The husqvarna 12" log tongs are awesome for carrying rounds to the truck or trailer. I also use them to lift rounds to the splitter from the pile.

gg

 

[redheadwoodshed]

Now that sounds like a perfect plan, although it would just mean I'd lose two tools in one forgetful episode, as I'm prone to do when the days get long and the head gets cloudy. Might be better to keep 'em separate and diversify my losses
Finally, I think I've found a use for the portfolio theory they taught us at school.

I spraypaint my woodcutting tools a bright yellow.They are harder to lose that :msp_thumbsup:way.

 

[Streblerm]

Maybe not exactly in keeping with some of the other tools in this thread but this is probably my favorite firewood moving/gathering gadget. In conjunction with my borrowed trailer with the fold down tailgate/ramp it can't be beat for moving big rounds. I'm pretty sure I have had close to 600# on it. The axle is bent slightly. It also works well for moving loads of smaller rounds. Again, right up the ramp and an easy dump in the trailer.

 

[lmbeachy]

Great idea!!!!!!

Beech is dang heavy!!!! I have messed with quite a bit of it when I lived in DE. I loved it as firewood. QUOTE]

I live in the little town of Greenwood, DE and cut a lot of it. It is good fire wood.

 

[Kevin in Ohio]

Great idea!!!!!!

Beech is dang heavy!!!! I have messed with quite a bit of it when I lived in DE. I loved it as firewood. QUOTE]

I live in the little town of Greenwood, DE and cut a lot of it. It is good fire wood.

I like it too as it normally splits nicer, as a rule. than Hickory or oak. doesn't last too long when it goes down so we have to get them ASAP when they do fall or die. Amazing how one will split nice and another right next to it will have the wavy grain.

Shown this one before as it was our biggest. Like to see someone role one of these rounds by hand. We used a backhoe.