Reducing Dry Branches into Firewood Lengths?

[max2cam]

Fiskars Loppers

I recently tried out a friend's Fiskar's "Power-Lever" Bypass loppers with long 30" fiberglass handles and a very sharp carbon steel blade (around $30US).

It was AMAZING how good that thing worked. It cut dry pine branches easily and munched right thru them effortlessly. The first couple cuts thru thick branches, I thought: "I'll break this thing." But nope. It held up perfectly. Yet it is lightweight and long-handled so you don't have to bend over very much. By far the BEST branch-brush cutter I've ever seen and a great addition to my firewood tools as soon as I can get my own.

Dry oak branches were a bit much for it, but since it's dry PINE branches I need to reduce in size for my summer water-heater stove that's no problem.

I have no investment in Fiskars, but this loppers is a really FINE tool! Just try one and you'll see. Not to mention how GREAT it would work cutting green brush without burning gasoline!

The bundle-chainsaw method for cutting up branches still has a place, but this Fiskars loppers is a MUST HAVE tool.

Check one out.

 

[Engineeringnerd]

I've never used one, but I've seen a device called the "Chainsaw Buddy" on Bailey's that attaches to your bar and has a set of arms that grasp the branches and allows you to pivot the bar into the branches. Supposedly it both holds the branches and keeps you from putting your bar in the dirt. I think it was about $30.

 

[mga]

let's see how long it takes someone to come up with a hydraulic chopper to do this.........

 

[joesawer]

let's see how long it takes someone to come up with a hydraulic chopper to do this.........

They already have. In the early 90s when I was trimming for power line clearance, the bucket truck was outfitted with quik-connect couplers beside the bucket. There was a hydraulic chainsaw, polesaw, and pruner. The pruner was by far the fastest on limbs 2 1/2" and smaller, just hook the limb and squeeze the trigger, pop, the limb is cut. Not cheap I'm sure.

 

[stonykill]

Here's a hardcore wood-fuel problem:

What do you guys use as the easiest (least labor intensive) and safest means of rendering dry tree branches into stove-wood (18") lengths?

I have used my knee, my boot, axes, hatchets, bowsaws, and chainsaws to reduce dry branches into short lengths but none of those ways are entirely satisfactory.

With knee or boot you can only do weak small stuff plus you always risk hurting yourself.

With an axe you have to keep repositioning the branch and the pieces can go flying several yards away. A hatchet is not quite heavy enough and again the pieces go flying.

The bowsaw is way too SLOW and laborious.

The chainsaw works fairly well if you pile up the branches on a sawbuck and do them en masse, but it's kind of dangerous as 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 as the only loppers I own do well on green branches but dry hard branches bends the blade.

I may invest in a heavy-duty (and expensive) loppers, but of course I'm wondering: How well do BIG exprensive heavy-duty loppers work on dry branches?

Anyone use that method?

There is another way that I tried once and forgot about until just now. That is to securely fasten a heavy wide pipe onto something solid, then stick the branch down into the pipe and bend it until a piece breaks off. Sort of like the knee or boot method, but using a section of pipe instead.

By gar, I'm going to set that pipe unit up again!

There is an incredible wealth of BTUs in branches but reducing them in size is actually more labor intensive and difficult than sawing up and splitting a log!

For years I've just burned branches in the woods on bonfires but I'm sick and tired of seeing all that energy wasted with gas and propane at insane rip-off prices!

I want to fight back any way I can!

Please post any other unique and novel means you guys use of rendering dry branches into shorter lengths. I can't be the only one who wants to utilize them as fuel.

PS: My useage for branches is both as indoor woodstove kindling material, but also in an outdoor boxstove I use during warm months to heat water every morning for coffee and for a simple shower/bathing unit. It works like a charm with a few handfuls of sticks for fuel!

No expensive propane for this child!

:rockn:

I got one of those chainsaw buddys from Baileys. I thought it would be a toy, but the thing works great!!! I put it on my 346xp most of the time, and my branches are ready to make hot water in the owb in no time!:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[max2cam]

Chainsaw Buddy

Never heard of that Chainsaw Buddy unit. Guess I'll head over to Baileys for a look.

Everybody needs a chainsaw buddy.

Thanks for the tip!