Peavey or Timber Jack

[Nandy]

Forgive my ignorance but I'm learning as I go. I was at northern tools today and got me a timber jack as it is what I thought I needed. I got the all steel one as I'm short in money and the wood I can get my hand on is not too big. I saw the peavey and it looked to me as it will accomplish the same plus the timber jack will let me buck a log off the ground. Is there any other use for a peavey that I'm missing?
Thanks.

 

[iowa]

A peavy is basically just used to roll a log around. A timberjack grabs the log and lifts it off the ground so you don't ground your saw! I built 4 timberjacks last yr. One for me and 3 for some other guys at work. They love them. I put at least a 5' handle on them and they're heavy duty. You can roll quite a big log up on them!

 

[Nandy]

This timber jack I got you can take the part that raise the log off and roll the log. That is why I think of it as a peavey IF all you do with a peavey is roll a log. Thsnks for your imput.

 

[iowa]

This timber jack I got you can take the part that raise the log off and roll the log. That is why I think of it as a peavey IF all you do with a peavey is roll a log. Thsnks for your imput.

Yup. I seen them in the catalog also. Hopefully it works good for you!

 

[half]

A peavy is basically just used to roll a log around. A timberjack grabs the log and lifts it off the ground so you don't ground your saw! I built 4 timberjacks last yr. One for me and 3 for some other guys at work. They love them. I put at least a 5' handle on them and they're heavy duty. You can roll quite a big log up on them!

wow I need to build one too we cant buy them over here. I was thinking of making the top link where the pawl is on a slide ,so it can be adjusted for log size Any thoughts?? I have a 7ft lengh of 1/1/2 od steam pipe I was going to use for the handle

 

[TreePointer]

A timberjack (aka logjack) is a CANT HOOK with a foot on it. As already mentioned, many models allow you to remove (unbolt) the foot to make it a simple cant hook. (Note that Logrite makes a foot that may be installed on either their cant hook or peavey.)

A PEAVEY is similar to a cant hook, but not exactly the same tool. It has a point (often replaceable) on the end that is parallel to the long handle. A cant hook has a spike near the end that is perpendicular to its long handle.

I have a 48" timberjack that is long enough to turn the big logs I encounter, yet not so long as to make it unwieldy. It's almost always used as a cant hook for turning, but there are times when its lifting ability is very handy. You don't get as many cuts on a jacked log as you might expect before you have to reposition the timberjack farther down the log.

 

[sawfun]

My buddy and I find that we use our cant hooks alot more than my Peavy. I even use my timberjack more than a peavy. I have a new "made in USA" stamped steel timberjack that I hate, a Dixie industries that is good and an old steel Oregon that is the best. The Oregon opens up much wider and has better leverage. My cant hook & peavy are Dixie as well, the quality of those wheather old or new is top notch.

 

[Ronaldo]

I understand how a cant hook works and use one a lot when cutting, but I dont get how a peavey is supposed to function. The peg on the end is parallel with the handle and doesnt appear it would hold anything while the arm is grabbing the outer portion of a log. What am I missing here?

 

[Woody912]

Forgive my ignorance but I'm learning as I go. I was at northern tools today and got me a timber jack as it is what I thought I needed. I got the all steel one as I'm short in money and the wood I can get my hand on is not too big. I saw the peavey and it looked to me as it will accomplish the same plus the timber jack will let me buck a log off the ground. Is there any other use for a peavey that I'm missing?
Thanks.

my peavey has a homemade handle 6' long and about 3" in diameter, if I need to get log off the ground I just roll it back on itself. I have read some complaints about people bending the handle on those timberjacks. These days I mostly use a wedge to open my kerf and keep the saw out of the ground if I can't roll it

 

[moondoggie]

I use a peavey a customer gave me. Sure works better than a tamp or rock bar!! It changed my life. I have rolled 40" logs with it 10' long

 

[sawfun]

I understand how a cant hook works and use one a lot when cutting, but I dont get how a peavey is supposed to function. The peg on the end is parallel with the handle and doesnt appear it would hold anything while the arm is grabbing the outer portion of a log. What am I missing here?

The only time my peavy seemed a better tool than the cant hook was when I needed to move or pick up the end (butt) of the log. For rolling , turning, or holding, I just couldn't beat the cant hook. I think a lot of folks call a cant hook a peavy and you can turn wood with one, but the cant hook is so much more positive in its holding and safer to me.

 

[Dalmatian90]

cant
noun
Definition of CANT
1
obsolete : corner, niche
2
: an external angle (as of a building)
3
: a log with one or more squared sides
4
a : an oblique or slanting surface

I suspect you'd find Peavys were used more in the process of bringing logs to a mill -- were you would be rolling them on the ground to get them lined up to load in a sled for a trip to the river and such, and being able to jam the point in the ground to give yourself a pivot point was useful. Or picking at log jams on the river. Or jamming them upright into the earth to keep a log in place while you went and got a rope around it for your ox team to then pull it up on a sled. Etc, etc.

Cant hooks...to turn the wood on the frame of the sawmill.

I have a Logrite Peavy with a foot currently, and suspect it's just user preference for how we deal with logs today making firewood.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Peaveys are nice for sticking in between logs in a pile to pry them apart. Also, you can stick them in the ground so you don't lose them or have to bend over to pick them up. That said, I have 4 cant hooks and zero peaveys. They bite better and I like them more for what I do.

Also, I bought a peavey from northern tools and the hook broke on the first log I tried to roll. Literally the first one. I took it back asap and got a full refund. My favorite one now is from logrite. Not exactly cheap, but very nice, very durable, and the color makes it easy to see in the woods.

Never have used a timberjack. Maybe I don't know what I'm missing, but I just saw 4-6 cuts 3/4 of the way through and then roll the log (with my cant hook) and finish the cuts.

 

[sawfun]

I understand how a cant hook works and use one a lot when cutting, but I dont get how a peavey is supposed to function. The peg on the end is parallel with the handle and doesnt appear it would hold anything while the arm is grabbing the outer portion of a log. What am I missing here?

The only time my peavy seemed a better tool than the cant hook was when I needed to move or pick up the end (butt) of the log. For rolling , turning, or holding, I just couldn't beat the cant hook. I think a lot of folks call a cant hook a peavy and you can turn wood with one, but the cant hook is so much more positive in its holding and safer to me.

 

[sawfun]

I agree on the cant hook bite being stronger than a peavy but could see using the peavy point in a deck or log pile. I don't use my timberjacks much as you seem to have to reset too much/often. On small logs, like under 15" its just much faster/easier to cut them on the ground and roll them over for the final cut. And on the big logs the timber jack won't open far enough or have the leverage and strength to hold them anyway. You don't see them used often around these parts for those reasons I suspect.

 

[TreePointer]

Get your timberjack/cant hook and a nice hookaroon. You will then learn that processing firewood is a bit easier than you had thought.

Heck, the hookaroon is pretty much my favorite hand tool these days. It's hard to imagine something so simple can be so effective.