Favorite set up for a Faller's Axe

[thunderstick]

Faller's Axe = the one you carry with your chain saw to drive wedges, clean out notches, shave bark off, clear brush etc.
Your preference of:
1. head style
2. head weight
3. straight or curved handle
4. length of handle

 

[A17]

Beat up no-name michigan, 3.5lbs I think, and straight 28 inch miners axe haft. It hasn't pounded any wedges yet, but it will. It's based off of M muleman77 's setup for felling.

 

[muleman77]

Ive got lots and lots of these. Basically I like the full size axe on a shorter strait handle. 28" is my favorite but I've got em from 25" to 28", and head weights from 3 to 5 pounds. A few are rafting patterns, some jerseys, daytons and michigans.

They all work good, and each is better than the others at some point.

I like a particular 4 pound Dayton I have with a hardened poll about the most overall.

I really like the council Jerseys I have set up for it too, and they are not hard to replace.

The rafting heads really put the hurt on a wedge, and they can take a beating but are heavier to pack around. Also the wide head makes sneaking a wedge a couple inches deeper into a kerf than flush a lot harder. But sometimes they're just what you need to hammer in a tough one.

I'll round up a group photo tomorrow.

 

[DB_Cruiser]

Everything I have been processing is already fallen, so I have had little need to drive wedges (except to get a saw out of a pinch a time or two). A Hults Bruk Kalix has been my goto tool for a lot of the tight limbing and clearing work. That is on a 28" curved handle.
This year I expect heavier work as I get closer to the trunks of these trees. I anticipate many hardships that only a full sized axe can manage. So I will be using my vintage Keen Kutter. This is a 3.25lb Jersey with a 32" curved handle. Haven't used it for much yet except some light splitting to test the hang, but it is sharp with a nice grind. I expect it will earn its keep starting in a few weeks.

 

[Yankee Josh]

It's interesting that this particular thread came into existence at this moment. Since i started collecting axes a couple years ago I've been falling my firewood with an axe exclusively. But I'm out of hardwood I'm willing to cut on my 4 acres. Since I'm going to need to go on others property(with permission of course) I decided to make myself a chainsaw companion axe. I'll probably end up using my saw to be faster due to being away while doing the work.
It's a #3-1/4 Snow&Neally on a 25" haft. I'm pretty sure this will be ideal for me but I may end up wanting a little longer haft.

 

[thunderstick]

It's interesting that this particular thread came into existence at this moment. Since i started collecting axes a couple years ago I've been falling my firewood with an axe exclusively. But I'm out of hardwood I'm willing to cut on my 4 acres. Since I'm going to need to go on others property(with permission of course) I decided to make myself a chainsaw companion axe. I'll probably end up using my saw to be faster due to being away while doing the work.
It's a #3-1/4 Snow&Neally on a 25" haft. View attachment 1089914 View attachment 1089916 I'm pretty sure this will be ideal for me but I may end up wanting a little longer haft.

I like that set up.

 

[thunderstick]

Right now my closest thing to a Faller's axe is a 4lb head on a moderately curved 30" handle. The balance on this axe is pretty good and the edge is moderately rounded and the cheek has a minimal center swell which makes it a generalist for limbing, felling, or falling duties.

I'm thinking a dedicated Faller's axe would be a 28" straight handle to make a full size head a little more head heavy. Perhaps a fairly square edge with minimal cheek rise for stripping bark or for cleaning out the felling notches.

 

[bikerector]

I like a 28" to 30" handle. Normally, I've done the 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 boy's axe but recently rehung a 3.5" head on a straight octagonal handle and I'm really enjoying it a lot. I need to sand out a few of the lines as they're creating hot spots but the use has been great. It seems like I can swing it around for quite a while and the portability is still good.

I do like the rinaldi trento axe from baryonyx. I sized the handle down so it's closer to 32" or 33". It's fun to use and works well on dead stuff since it's a very thin bit. It can really do some work but it's prone to sticking if you really give it hard swings so the limitation there keeps it off the front. It's also a bit of a pain to carry with the long edge and pointy toe and heel. If I'm only bringing one axe for a lot of work, I do bring that usually. I've used it like a brush axe to clear around the work are, which it also does well at, and then it still destroys some wood if you take moderate swings instead of wailing on stumps. I like it more for bucking than taking trees down though, since it's not polled.

Edit to add: in the case of the trento axe, it's far better at clearing stuff than for pounding wedges. Because of it's difficulty to carry, I wouldn't stray too far from the truck/buggy/cart with it but I do have intentions of trying to carry it around with a sling. I really want a boys axe size of this head since the thin, long edge works so well clearing branches. And, the feller size doesn't have a poll, the backside is flat so doing pounding is possible.

Lastly, I'll add that I have tried a hudson bay on a 28" handle and while it was a sweet limbing axe, I could never keep the head from wobbling for too long. Even on the stock handle, it didn't last. I'm sure the new handles are from my lack for experience with new hafts, but I have to think some of it is the leverage it puts on the handle, as square_peg describes in his post. To be fair, I was treating it like a super light felling axe for 8" and under trees that I had to walk a fair distance to get to, and carried either a 28" dandy saw or a 15" irwin general purpose hand saw. I like to cut by hand most of the time for exercise and trail maintenance purposes.

 

[Square_peg]

I've been using a 3-1/2 lb hard poll Dayton on a 32" straight octagon haft. I like it pretty well. Sometimes I make do with a lighter Craftsmannn boys Michigan but it's not as good at driving the wedges. I like the idea of using a Michigan since the rounded corners are gentler on my plastic wedges. I need to set up a 3-1/2 lb. Michigan on a 28" or 30" straight haft and see how it goes.

 

[muleman77]

Heres an armload I pulled out of my shop.

The polls

S Square_peg , regarding Michigan's, I don't love them. I've broken a couple wedges that were half driven and real tight, by a glancing blow due to the rounded end. Maybe a better shot was the needed thing, but you know how the woods go. I like a flat face of some kind better. Just my preferance.

 

[lmalterna]

2 3/4lb Emerson Stevens(TBA) on a slimmed semi straight 29" handle.

I am 5' 10", this axe works well for me falling and limbing.

 

[thunderstick]

Muleman that's quite an arsenal of fallers. I've thinned down my axe collection significantly to mostly what I typically use. But I'm trying to cover the bases know with the specialty axes.

 

[muleman77]

Muleman that's quite an arsenal of fallers. I've thinned down my axe collection significantly to mostly what I typically use. But I'm trying to cover the bases know with the specialty axes.

It is quite a few. I've got a half dozen more scattered around in toolboxes and so on as well.
It's the axe I use most overall.

 

[KiwiBloke]

I need to set up a 3-1/2 lb. Michigan on a 28" or 30" straight haft and see how it goes.

Just curious does the straight haft serve a particular purpose in this task or is this purely your personal preference?

 

[muleman77]

These axes are probably used 4 to 1 or more as wedge drivers, rather than chopping. So the strait handle makes that a little easier done. A curved handle works for it too, but swings a little less natural backwards, especially when you really need to drive hard to get it done.

A little shorter to pack easier.

 

[thunderstick]

I like a curved handle when primarily using the bit, but I do not prefer using a curved handle in reverse geometry extensively, as it is accentuating the opposite geometry that was intended and works against you. It is sorta like having a curved double bit ax handle.

After reading this thread I'm thinking my 4# miner's axe with a straight 20" handle may be preferable for carrying. The miner's ax can be carried on my tool belt in an altered leather hammer holding loop.

Questions for you guys using a 28" haft:
1. Do you ever carry a 28" ax on your belt?
2. Do you use the same ax for limbing then?
3. Do you use thin flat cheeks instead of the high center cheeks?

 

[Square_peg]

Just curious does the straight haft serve a particular purpose in this task or is this purely your personal preference?

The straight haft makes the poll more usable as the last 2 posters said.

 

[A17]

I like a curved handle when primarily using the bit, but I do not prefer using a curved handle in reverse geometry extensively, as it is accentuating the opposite geometry that was intended and works against you. It is sorta like having a curved double bit ax handle.

After reading this thread I'm thinking my 4# miner's axe with a straight 20" handle may be preferable for carrying. The miner's ax can be carried on my tool belt in an altered leather hammer holding loop.

Questions for you guys using a 28" haft:
1. Do you ever carry a 28" ax on your belt?
2. Do you use the same ax for limbing then?
3. Do you use thin flat cheeks instead of the high center cheeks?

My answers, for what they're worth.
1. I don't belt carry any axe whether it has a 18-36 inch haft. I prefer holding it as it would hit my legs otherwise.
2. I've used it for limbing where it maybe is a little short but not enough to matter.
3. Having used flat and high centerline axes, I don't notice a difference unless I get it stuck. Then the flat cheek is a pain to get out while I just have to "rock" the high centerlined one.

 

[thunderstick]

The high center is preferable for tree felling with an axe, but when using it as a faller's axe to clean out chainsaw felling notches sometimes a flat cheek/low center gives more precision in cleaning out the felling notch.

 

[muleman77]

I like a curved handle when primarily using the bit, but I do not prefer using a curved handle in reverse geometry extensively, as it is accentuating the opposite geometry that was intended and works against you. It is sorta like having a curved double bit ax handle.

After reading this thread I'm thinking my 4# miner's axe with a straight 20" handle may be preferable for carrying. The miner's ax can be carried on my tool belt in an altered leather hammer holding loop.

Questions for you guys using a 28" haft:
1. Do you ever carry a 28" ax on your belt?
2. Do you use the same ax for limbing then?
3. Do you use thin flat cheeks instead of the high center cheeks?

I don't carry in my belt. How depends on what I'm doing, how far and how much fuel I need.

I've got a pack set up for just this, that I'll put it in sometimes. Usually the long range method I use. All my saw gear goes in it, saw on the pad over my shoulder.

I have a saw scabbard that carries an axe perfectly. Theres a little place for file, bar tool and a wedge. If I'm just cutting one or two down not too far in, I'll wear the chaps and my wedge pouch, and throw the rest over my shoulder.

Others, like falling on a fire line where I need a lot of fuel, I poke the handle through the dolmar handle, and carry that over a shoulder, or if I have a swamper he does.

Or if I'm just cutting a roadside I carry my axe along in the other hand and keep most of my stuff at the truck.

Just a few ways I've come to prefer.

I don't use a falling axe with a thin bit. Some are flat, some high center but in reality they're all similar thickness. This is not a job for thin light tools in my case. Either way you can get a toe or heel in a kerf far enough to know what you need to know.

In use I'd have an axe sheath on all these.