Best felling wedges

[SuperJim]

I’ve got some big timber to drop and need to move past my small hobby wedges. My current ones just mushroom and fall apart when I actually drive them in.
What do you guys trust? Are those metal wedges worth the hype, or should I go old-school with a steel wedge and a sledgehammer?

Looking for something that can take a beating without self destructing.

 

[cjmac163]

K&H wedges work just fine for me. Been at it for almost a decade. Wedges are going to be one of those things that just need to be replaced semi-often, depending on how hard youre beating your wedges. If you get yourself into a bind, you're probably going to lose a wedge. Either way, K&H holds up fine for me, using a 3 or 4lb head, depending on how much swing i need and how my rotator cuffs feel on a given day.

 

[Steve Woodrow]

I’ve got some big timber to drop and need to move past my small hobby wedges. My current ones just mushroom and fall apart when I actually drive them in.
What do you guys trust? Are those metal wedges worth the hype, or should I go old-school with a steel wedge and a sledgehammer?

Looking for something that can take a beating without self destructing.

steel wedges can jump out on you

 

[Todd777]

steel wedges can jump out on you

And, if he makes the slightest mistake on a tight cut, he is going to ruin a chain.

 

[DW Birdsall]

I like 12 “ wedges. Shallower angle - they are easier to pound and lift. Gentler as well for helping to not let loose dead wood above. Also, I like using an axe with a larger Poll keeps the wedge from getting beat up so much. I’ve welded a piece of flat stock to the Poll of my axe for this reason.

 

[What]

I've never seen a professional faller using a steel wedge. They will kick out at the worst time, and your really screwed then. I used Husqvarna, or Oregon brand, plastic wedges. They last a long time, and when do require replacement, are cheap.

My question now to you is, why are you regularly hammering wedges in so hard?

Maybe on a rare occasion you get a tree leaning back, and pinching the saw, but if you do that often, then you need to ask yourself why.

I often just push a wedge in with my hand. If I do need to hammer it, then its gently with my small hatchet I carry, not beating the crap out of it. Something else is wrong, if you are regularly breaking a wedge.

 

[Todd777]

I've never seen a professional faller using a steel wedge. They will kick out at the worst time, and your really screwed then. I used Husqvarna, or Oregon brand, plastic wedges. They last a long time, and when do require replacement, are cheap.

My question now to you is, why are you regularly hammering wedges in so hard?

Maybe on a rare occasion you get a tree leaning back, and pinching the saw, but if you do that often, then you need to ask yourself why.

I often just push a wedge in with my hand. If I do need to hammer it, then its gently with my small hatchet I carry, not beating the crap out of it. Something else is wrong, if you are regularly breaking a wedge.

Thank you. I thought maybe I was crazy. Using a splitting wedge as a felling wedge just makes zero sense and seems like a recipe for disaster.

 

[What]

Thank you. I thought maybe I was crazy. Using a splitting wedge as a felling wedge just makes zero sense and seems like a recipe for disaster.

Ya, he needs to learn how to fall properly, as beating in wedges to compensate for lack of proper know how, is dangerous.

 

[DW Birdsall]

Using wedges allows felling trees pretty much 360 degrees. Facilitates getting the wood out easier, less residual stand damage, and can be a cheap insurance policy to get the tree to go where you want it to vs where it is wanting to go. And yes to “What” wrote above, they should not be used to correct bad technique!