Lopper for DRY branches?

[max2cam]

I need to find a hand lopper heavy-duty enough to cut DRY branches (pine, spruce, oak, etc.) into firewood lengths. As you know, green branches cut easily but DRY branches tend to bend the blade on ordinary loppers.

Are there any loppers out there heavy-duty enough to cut dry branches and not self-destruct?

Thanks!

 

[Ax-man]

Have a look here

http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/drilldown_pages/view_category.asp?cat=211

The last one on the page, the Forestor , may serve your needs, I have one, it is an OK tool, expensive, but works good for rough jobs, it is kind of clumsy to work with.

You might be better off with a small bow saw or what they call a camp saw for what you are doing.

You also might check out the Corona website, I also have a big lopper made by them, most suppliers don't carry these bigger size tools.

Larry

 

[clearance]

You can use an axe, sometimes I use the back of an axe to just smack off the real dead branches.

 

[max2cam]

Thanks much for the replies.

I have used axes, hatchets, bowsaw, my boot, and chainsaw to reduce dry branches to short lengths.

With an axe you have to keep repositioning the branch and the pieces go flying. The bowsaw is too SLOW. The chainsaw works fairly well (pile up the branches on a sawbuck), but the chain tends to "snag" and yank the branches and bar around in unpredictable (risky) ways.

So I keep coming back to loppers as a simple means of snipping the branch up into lengths. Just go down it and "snip, snip, snip." Trouble is I don't know if it would actually work that nicely.

There is a wealth of BTUs in branches but reducing them in size is more labor intensive and difficult than sawing up a log! For years I've just burned them outside on brushpiles but I'm sick of seeing all that energy wasted and want to put it to good use.

 

[woodchux]

Try out the "chainsaw buddy" They sell for $30 at Northern tool.

Link>http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200333223_200333223

 

[yooper]

I usta get alot of stikker wood from a local saw mill that i would use as kindling wood i always used my skill saw to cut em up. with a chain saw they would fly all over the place.

 

[cntrybo2]

i have used a miter box or as some call it a "chop saw" for this many times, works EXCELLENT!!! you can even put length markings on the box to make sure you optimize your fire box space

 

[Canyonbc]

how are the chain saw buddy...i have seen them in the catalogs...wondering how much time they actually will save..

are they worth the mooney?

 

[chainsawjunky]

The chainsaw works fairly well (pile up the branches on a sawbuck), but the chain tends to "snag" and yank the branches and bar around in unpredictable (risky) ways.

Try tying the bundle together really tight with some rope. Evan