I've noticed many times that people buy a pickeroon (or hookeroon) and use it for picking up wood. To me that is strange. They are not usually used for that except for an occasional pick up of some small stuff. Around these parts the pickeroon is used mainly for moving logs rather than picking them up. For picking them up we use the log tongs. At a recent gtg we had some big stuff to move around and there are a couple ways of doing it. The first way is to use lots of muscle. Now comes the pickeroon. I watched a few of these logs being moved then picked up my pickeroon and easily moved some logs over to the splitter. Here I was just turning the log to point it in the right direction. The reason for this thread is just that it has gotten me curious over the use of the pickeroon or how some folks use it. Personally I've tried to use the pickeroon a few times for moving some firewood but found it took way too much work, but maybe that is because I have such a bad back and hips that slow me down. Therefore, I use the pickeroon to move logs (Small and large alike. Long and short alike). When I pick up firewood (and sometimes long logs) I use the tongs. It just makes the work go much easier.
I had never seen or used any type of pickeroon until i saw one on here. Made my own out of a reclaimed broken Fiskars handle back in April. 95% of its use is to unload the PU of either splits or rounds and it works okay for that. I tried Ctwoodtick's tongs when we went cutting together back in September. They worked great. My concern was the one sided lifting seemed to throw me out of kilter when i picked it up. Cant remember if it was a medium round or a quartered round. A member here had mentioned hurting his shoulder from them lifting that way. (i think it was T.Jeff Veal). I guess im a creature of habit and its "easier" to bend over and roll/pick up a round. Seems like when i work on wood im the "in a hurry type" of worker and it would slow me down? Ms. buZZsaw also says that i dont like change!
I use a pickeroon a lot. It's great for picking small rounds up for the splitter, dragging wood from the back of a truck, etc. I make maple syrup and I get free truckloads of mixed slabs and I use it to pull a slab off the truck and cut it on my cordwood saw.
I use it for emptying the truck to. When i get tired and want to keep going i have a broom stick with a sharpened nail rt in the center of the base and epoxied it in there. Its like a spear and i can stab splits and load em or stack them without even bending over. Its like a pick pole. Its slower but your still gettin it done. Its also handy for reaching rounds in the front of the p/u bed
I would kinda like to get some log tongs for picking up small diameter rounds. I've never used them, but it seems they could save your back a bit of work when cutting the smaller trees. In my area the traditional use of a pickeroon was for pulling boards or cants to you in a sawmill. Also can be used to flip cants or boards, and the forward momentum of the chain or conveyor made it easy to do.
I have a pair of the log tongs and a pickeroon. I use the pickeroon to retrieve wood in brush and to move longer small logs.
As was mentioned, the main use of a pickeroon for me anyways, is too extend my reach. Whether unloading a pickup or a trailer it enables me to grab pieces i'd otherwise not be able to reach without going in the bed. I do use log tongs to pick up pieces and even move longer small logs around (using two, or two people with one each). I use a cant hook to roll big rounds or logs around.
The pickaroon is a less specialized tool than the tongs. It extends your reach to hook rounds or splits out of a truck or trailer. You can use it to roll or manipulate rounds on the ground or get a good grip on any wood too big to get your hand around and then pull or drag it. It can also be used to carry splits or rounds but this is not it's most efficient use. While I don't have the tongs, it is plain to see that they are specialized for carrying or perhaps helping to drag a longer round. I have gotten used to using the pickaroon for all sorts of generalized tasks to the point that I would almost rather go home than gather firewood without it. The tongs look interesting and no doubt I would use them sometimes but I can carry and accomplish many other tasks with the pickaroon that the tongs couldn't do.
I use mine a ton. It's great for dragging stuff on the ground and works great for pulling stuff out of the PU. Really saves my back. When I'm working with really large rounds (30"-40") it comes in handy to get them off their face to get them rolling. I have a LogOx which I like but anything over like 18" makes it useless. For years my go to method has been hand splitting using the tire trick and a 4x4 platform as a block. I'd use the pickaroon to pick up rounds and flick them into the tire. Takes a bit of practice but it works pretty good once you get the technique down. Towards the end of this season I started getting the split/flick technique down with my splitting axe so I think I'm ditching the tire and platform and going straight off the ground. Saves a couple steps. With that said, I work mostly with softwood so sticking a pickaroon into that is much easier than hardwood.
I have had both of these. The one I made with the spike I threw out for the same reason. Actually I think I used the handle for something else.
I like the pickaroon for moving large rounds to the splitter and unloading. Those log tongs, I use them as a pair, like carrying buckets, two is more efficient and easier on the body. What I like best about my log tongs, a piece of wood that would require me to squat and pick up with both hands now can be grabbed easily in one hand thus I am carrying twice as much easier. It might not sound logical, but you can grab and carry in both hands at the same time what it would take both hands without tongs. Plus I don't have to bend my back as far and I feel better at the end of the day.
Yep, it was me, pulled a major muscle in my back from picking up on one side only. Should have had a second set of tongs or spilt smaller before moving it to the next splitter.
You are right but not only boards and cants but also logs when you don't have hydraulics. The best log tongs are the Husky brand and the large is 12" but don't let that 12" fool you as you can pick up much larger logs than 12". For sure it is a back saver.
I have and use both. With tongs I like to use 2 at once otherwise I get kinked up really quick too. I usually only use them when I have a bunch of rounds to move. The pickaroon is more of a multi use tool. Moving logs and large rounds easily, and I use it most when I’m splitting to extend my reach so I don’t have to lift my butt up off the bucket It’s great for that! I bought a new Fiskars last year after reading about it here and it’s by far the best I’ve ever used. The handle is so light I find it easier to control.
I made a hatcharoon out of a dime store junker. If I have to pick up rounds I’m using it. My spine doesn’t mind as much picking off balance with one arm. 40 years of masonry it’s used to it. What it doesn’t like is the bending forward and picking up with two arms which requires much more bending. Just a pic where it’s in it. I keep it next to the splitter lightly plunked into a round instead of dropping it to the ground. It’ll grip a 150lb oak round without pulling out. That’s more than I’m picking up on any regular basis these days anyway. The real heavy ones I can use a bowling type swing to get the round one handed onto the splitter bed without it letting go. Ash is a little funny wood. Doesn’t grip ash as well I’ve noticed. Has to be in the end grain for any decent grip. I sharpened what would normally be the top of the hatchet. Left the cut into the blade flat. Theory being when wood is hanging it’s resting on the flat edge and the blade and top edge are attempting to cut deeper. I think it works. If I had sharpened all the edges I doubt it would hold as much weight as it does. The birds mouth acts as a fulcrum. Along with the sharpened top edge you give it a whack on the handle and it lets go nicely. Tried on of those cable tongs sold at TC. Broke it. A little fussy to use IMO. Had to reshape the hook tips and sharpen. I fixed it after it broke. Not even sure where it is. The hatcharoon is mucho better.
My pickeroon has a 7ft handle I use it mainly for pulling unsplit or quarted rounds to the back of the pickup when splitting
For "moving" large logs, are you hooking them, then dragging them? Santa might be brining me a pickeroon. So, I'll figure out how best it'll work for me, then.
Thanks to Backwords Savage he steered me towards the log tongs years ago. They really save the back and extend the reach. Well worth the money .