For sure they do! Not only that but keep all your clothing drier and cleaner because you don't have most of the wood next to your body like you would when just picking up wood by hand.
Actually I don't use the wrist movement at all. Simply pushing down on the tongs releases them. For picking up, just set the tongs on the log and they open by themselves. One caveat. Every pair I've seen, when they are shipped, they seem too tight. A simple squirt of WD-40 fixes that little problem. Also 2 or 3 strokes with a file will make the tips a bit sharper if you have some tight barked wood, like beech or red oak or younger soft maple.
Great points. I’ve noticed that my wood cutting britches wear out quicker at the left side pocket from handling wood and I have to patch them. The tongs should slow that wear and tear down some
After searching for a pickaroon all summer I finally found a fiskars. Used it mostly for reaching and dragging wood to the back of the truck bed or trailer so far, rounds or splits. That’s what I got it for. Probably start using it more as time goes on
I would not be afraid to buy that one, although I much prefer a cant hook over the peavey. Also, I would highly advise when you do buy one, stick with about a 3' handle. 4' is harder to use and longer is ridiculous. Yes, the longer handles give you more purchase on the logs but a 3' is a good all-around tool that is much easier to handle. I would also highly advise to stay clear of a timberjack. I found those to be one of the most useless tools for making firewood.
When using the log tongs on small stuff or splits, it is advisable to not try to get the teeth of the tongs into the wood. Simply grab them close to the center and let the tong go around the log or split. As you pick it up, the log will not stay straight but instead go at an angle but if you grab it right it will still allow you to pick it up easily. Many times when I'm grabbing small stuff I'll use just one set of tongs. I'll pick up a piece and then transfer that to my free hand. I may even do that a couple times or more then finally when I pick up the last piece walk to the trailer. Then instead of only 1 or 2 pieces of wood I'll have more, which hastens the work along without undue strain on the body.
I have a home made one like buzzsawbrad I made from a reclaimed fiskars ax handle but the only thing I use it for is to extend my reach into the back of my pickup truck when I have the tailgate down and I am unloading it to pull rounds closer to me so I can grab them with my tongs.
I use my pickaroon for retrieving rounds out of the truck, once in a while for rolling. It doesn't usually go with me when I go out cutting. My cant hook/timberjack goes out for rolling logs when bucking. The timberjack foot is completely useless, and has never left the shop. Log tongs are looking more attractive.
I agree about the foot on my timberjack being useless, sinks right into the sandy soil around here. I need to take it off, then I believe it would be a pretty useful tool & wood probably use it more. To cumbersome with the foot on
I agree with the comments about the uselessness of the timberjack foot. As for reaching wood way in the front of the pickup bed, I use a clam rake (garden cultivator for those without clam stalking experience). I can reach right to the front from the tailgate.
Heres mine. A simple carriage bolt ground to a point. Broke the bolt once since April and simple replacement. IMO i shouldve ground the bolt flat on two sides rather than a point...next time.
I find it strange that you wouldn't use a pickaroon to pick up wood. Anything that keeps me from bending over again and again is worth using.
Indeed you can use it for lifting and it can save some bending but it is not the best, especially for someone with a bad back. Just look especially at that last picture on how the stress would be on the low back muscles. Now imagine someone who has had a surgery on the lower back, or like mine with 3 surgeries there. That motion just will not work but with the log tongs I can keep the back straight while lifting and can do so much more. Therefore, would it not make sense that if someone even with a good back could lessen the strain on those muscles, perhaps he might make his body last a bit longer?
In our neck of the woods 40 years ago, that was a "corn fork". Used to pull ear corn to the door of the crib or to the elevator leg when cleaning out a crib of ear corn.
How many of you think of unloading silage using a bent pitch fork like that? Used ones like that to get the silage our of the wagon and into the silo filler.