Felling wedge difference?

[WV wood chopper]

Getting ready to buy some felling wedges for red oak, locust, hickory, and such. Bear with me, not sure what ones to get. Which are best, barbed or smooth?
What sizes are needed for best all around use?
How many should one man have?
I am getting ready to do some standing dead tree felling, mostly red oak. Is there any special way to use wedges that would benefit everyone out here including me?
Thanks for taking time to help out.
Craig

 

[fearofpavement]

Get about 4 of the 6" barbed. Get a couple longer ones. More is better but this will get you going. On the typical fell that I use wedges on I probably use three. I rarely stack them.

Be very careful pounding wedges into a dead tree, it can drop branches on you.

 

[Slamm]

8 & 10 inch hard head wedges is what I buy.

They last the longest and can take a beating. They transfer more force so each hit lifts more wood.

But others have and will work just fine. If you aren't going to use them much then most anything will work.

Sam

 

[s219]

I carry three on me in a belt pouch, usually two short and one long (have 6,8,10" ones in my toolbox and pick three based on the size of trees I'm felling). I buy extras if they are on sale, as they do crap out eventually, and once and a while I have to saw through one. Most recently had to bore in behind my wedge on a stubborn poplar, and that was the end of that wedge...

I like the smooth ones myself.

Agree on the earlier comment -- be careful hammering wedges into any trees with dead/dangling stuff up top.

 

[Anthony_Va.]

I would get a couple 10" for felling. An extra 8" for felling, and a couple 4" or 6" for bucking and felling smaller trees. Wedges are just as handy for bucking as they are for felling.

 

[Andyshine77]

I'm not a pro faller or anything, but the hard head wedges are the best I've used to date. The all plastic wedges mushroom pretty quick IMHO, they do cost less.

 

[SawTroll]

Shorter ones often have a steeper angle than longer ones, an assortment of 5 to 8" ones (several of each length) will do a lot. I prefer barbed ones.

 

[SawTroll]

I'm not a pro faller or anything, but the hard head wedges are the best I've used to date. The all plastic wedges mushroom pretty quick IMHO, they do cost less.

They do, and should be considered consumables. There is no way I would use metal wedges though, and I've never seen hard head ones for sale here...

 

[sawfun9]

You don't want hard head wedges coming in contact with any chain. I use the plastic ones and consider them expendable as Troll has indicated.

Personally I like the textured and barbed ones since I have had smooth ones come out on several occasions. But then I don't usually cut in icy conditions either.

I carry a couple of 6" ones in the pocket of my Stihl chaps for bucking. Longer 8 and 10 inch for felling and stumping.

 

[TreePointer]

I carry three on me in a belt pouch, usually two short and one long (have 6,8,10" ones in my toolbox and pick three based on the size of trees I'm felling). I buy extras if they are on sale, as they do crap out eventually, and once and a while I have to saw through one. Most recently had to bore in behind my wedge on a stubborn poplar, and that was the end of that wedge...

I like the smooth ones myself.

Agree on the earlier comment -- be careful hammering wedges into any trees with dead/dangling stuff up top.

Same here -- two short and one long. The rest (longer wedges and extras) are nearby in my sawing toolbag.

 

[pgg]

For felling, wedge size depends on tree size, most greenhorns will buy the biggest wedges they can get (a spinoff from the big bar small dik syndrome :bang but long wedges are useless unless the trees are consistently large 2-foot or over diameter. That's big trees. On smaller stuff too long is too clumsy and not enough room for hinges and general shagging around with your bar. The stubbier 5"-6" size are the best by far for 20" and under trees.

And plastic wedges only mushroom when you get tyros using steel hammers on them. Doh! For a wedge you use a proper wedge hammer, they're nylon head with sand inside for weight. Also a good hammer you can cut from a beefy branch and wield it like a baseball bat.

 

[Stihlman441]

As Sam and others have said these Hard Head wedges are very good.

 

[SawTroll]

Same here -- two short and one long. The rest (longer wedges and extras) are nearby in my sawing toolbag.

The wedges should be suited to the wood, and the shorter ones often have better "lift" than the longer ones.

 

[lly_duramax]

Mostly what I cut is standing dead red oak 20'' or less and I use 6'' smooth wedges when I need them. I have some 10'' smooth and I have used them on some of the bigger locust trees I've cut and they work fine. If you are cutting smaller trees ie. less than 16'' the shorter the better or you will end up cutting your wedge before it does you any good. I have cut shorter wedges in this case from wood I have laying on the ground.

 

[StihlKiwi]

And plastic wedges only mushroom when you get tyros using steel hammers on them. Doh! For a wedge you use a proper wedge hammer, they're nylon head with sand inside for weight. Also a good hammer you can cut from a beefy branch and wield it like a baseball bat.

Some people seem to be allergic to wedge hammers :msp_confused:

An axe is great if you're pounding big wedges to lift over big trees but I've found a 3lb deadblow wedge hammer can move most things. And its easy to carry on your belt

 

[D&B Mack]

Since this is the first time with wedges, I would get the all plastic cheapos first. You will hit a few with your saw until you get the hang of it and see how deep you need to back cut prior to inserting the wedge. After you get used to it, then get the metal headed ones.

 

[StihlyinEly]

I would get a couple 10" for felling. An extra 8" for felling, and a couple 4" or 6" for bucking. Wedges are just as handy for bucking as they are for felling.

Yup. And as already said, sometimes with smaller trees the shorter wedges come in hand for falling, too. Mine are all plastic. I've got about 20 in different sizes and brands. I just use a short ax to drive them. Sometimes they mushroom a bit. Have looked into the metal headed ones but haven't pulled the trigger on them yet.

 

[redoakneck]

Cut your own out of osage orange, and make whatever size you want.

 

[wvstriper]

I normally carry three smooth. Two long and short one. I find that I use the long ones more because they stick out of my pouch/back pocket more:msp_biggrin:

 

[Andyshine77]

You don't want hard head wedges coming in contact with any chain. I use the plastic ones and consider them expendable as Troll has indicated.

Personally I like the textured and barbed ones since I have had smooth ones come out on several occasions. But then I don't usually cut in icy conditions either.

I carry a couple of 6" ones in the pocket of my Stihl chaps for bucking. Longer 8 and 10 inch for felling and stumping.

I think some of you are a bit confused. The heard head wedges have a metal insert in the top, the rest of the wedge is plastic, so it's not an issue if the chain hits the wedge.