Peavey or cant hook?

[mitchmaine]

anyone ever try using a pickaroon? judging by the number in our toolshed, some one in our family liked them, and i gave them a try more than once out of somesort of family loyalty, but i’ve discovered that a pulp hook is my first choice. wondering what you thought.

mitch

[lancek]

Hey Mitch we use them for alot of things lifting logs rolling logs and evey once an awhile geting up on the truck pulling chains down and keeping the pesky nighbor away thats mad because your dog peed on his tires! So here in the midwest we use them alot! Tim,

[Rick Alger]

Around here they used to use them at the mill to pull 4-foot wood out of the river onto conveyors. Truckers unloading by hand would use them to pull the top sticks down to a lower level tier. Some stump cutters used them to drag sticks to the pile. I think they also used them on the 4-foot river drives.

[Rick Alger]

Just remembered they also used them in an ice house to switch the cakes off the main slide into a bay.

[mitchmaine]

thanks guys. they made a great tool unloading at the mill. the local mill let you unload sometimes into the flume. a pulp hook might stick in a big stick and pull you over if you didn’t let loose. always wondered whatever happened to those hooks. the wood was ground between stones. a pick let go pretty easy, and like you said made it easy to draw off the top of the pile.

[Jim Ostergard]

I use them all the time now. Gave up the pulp hook. I have a short one that is great for reaching the end of a 4′ stick without bending down. A longer one I use on 8′ wood as it gives me the leverage to pick up the end and balance it with the other end in my left hand. Also just for rolling small logs around when the peavy is not handy.
jimbojim

[mitchmaine]

hey jim, i just never could get the wrist for a pick. but i hear you about the 8′ and small logs. see you at unity, right? mitch

[TaylorJohnson]

I use an Axaroo all the time. It is just a pick with a small blade on the back. It is nice to have that blade incase there is still a limb on a stick that was missed. We use to buy them by the arm loads for the guys. I have seen A LOT of guys stick there legs with a pick, I always tell them how to swing and were to stand but they don’t often listen most generally they have to take a little skin off to learn lol . I always use the short handle type it just works out well for my hight and arm length. Taylor Johnson

[Scott G]

I often use a pickeroon when I’m unloading 8′ posts by hand off the back end of my flat bed at the post mill or wood yard. You can really haul a** once you get a rythm going and end up with a nice neatly stacked deck to boot. Use tongs a phenomenal amount of the time as well for moving small wood. They permanently hang on my wedge pouch belt. Just goes to show every woods tool out there had/has a specific purpose for which no other would work as well. Quality woods hand tools are cheap when compared to saving your back and being inefficient.

[jwayne972]

Just received my Peavey Mfg catalog today, and after looking over the options I have a question. They are offered in handle lengths from 2ft to 5 1/2 ft, what length do you guys find the most effective?

[Does’ Leap]

I have a 60″ peavey and like it. The bigger the better depending on what you are moving. I have trouble rolling large hemlock on occasion w/ that size. Does anyone have the aluminum logrite peavey http://www.baileysonline.com/itemdetail.asp?item=XPV+060&catID=? Thoughts?

George

[Carl Russell]

Wooden handles, and the older the head and hook the better. I use 3 1/2′ handles (that would make the total length about 50″). While the longer handles provide better leverage, I tend to snap them off more often, so I made a compromise. With that size handle I can put some serious torque on pretty big logs….. but no doubt hemlock logs can be nut busters.

I am sure the log rite tools are OK, but I am so used to the older style. I use a peavey as a precision tool, leading to habitual handling that is completely interrupted by the weight and design of the log rite tool. Thus I admit to never giving one much of a try…..

I will say however that Brad Johnson came to work with us this summer with one, and after several months of trying to make it work has now dug and old wooden handled one out of his neighbors wood shed to use this winter.

Carl

[Gabe Ayers]

The Traveling Woodsman (Ben Harris) on here has one of the blue log rite alumnimum ones and it is bent. Always seems difficult to get a hold on the log, but it must have taken hold to get bent.

I like and agree with Carls contention about older ones. My favorite peavy was built by Warren and has a hook on it I transferred over from one I got out of my grandfathers shed in the middle of the night. This was after he lay in the bed in the hospital and told me, boy, if you want any of that old stuff, you go get it right now. I did exactly what he said. He died the next day.

Makes you wonder if the people that manufacture this new stuff ever actually use it?

[Tim Harrigan]

I have never used an aluminum one but it is probably made to be lighter than wood. But I like heft of the wood and also the varying contour of the wood handle, particularly when I swing it into the log to get a good bite with the hook. Probably depends on what you are used to.

[Scott G]

I’ve tried mtetal & fiberglass handled woods tool and dont like them. Hand tongs would be the only exception.

The feel, balance, etc.. always seems wrong. Maybe I’m just biased though towards wood..

Peaveys, 4 1/2 ft. Peaveys & pickaroons, Dixie Mfg., great quality.

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