Logger/Cutter tool/wedge belts

RKH Logging · May 09, 2014, 11:39:02 PM

I see in a lot of videos on youtube guys cutting and felling wear tool/wedge belts. just curious to see what kinda belts you guys wear or if you wear one at all. I cut and skid my own wood so i'm off and on my machine all day. just curious to see if guys cutting and skidding also find wearing these belts good or are they more for the strict felling/cutter guys? and if you do wear one is it homemade or bought? what kind would you recommend? pics are always great.. Thanks!! ;D

beenthere · May 09, 2014, 11:51:12 PM

I have a nylon wedge holster that I use some times. But always have at least two wedges with me and a pounding stick cut. And always the scrench in my chaps to remove the saw head from the bar.
Sponsor Bailey's has a leather pouch/holster as well.
pouch

thenorthman · May 10, 2014, 12:43:49 AM

I tend to cut in the morning and skid in the afternoon... seems quicker?

Anyway I gots one of them leather wedge pouchs like baileys sells, only local saw shops carry em, stuck it on a mil spec pistol belt with some y back spenders from the old a.l.i.c.e. days. hammer loop for my axe/wedge pounder, and mag pouch to carry my first aid kit and multi tool, and a spencer tape on there somewheres...

I intend to fab up an aluminium axe holder some day, or just break down and buy one... This rig is nice cause I can shrug out of it in a hurry when its time to drive equipment or whatever. The spenders made a world of difference on weight distribution and general balance, the belt was nice as a belt but they tend to drag my pants down and my poor elastic spenders are about maxed out just holding on to my water logged pants...

ozarkgem · May 10, 2014, 05:59:56 AM

I am usually close to my tractor so I leave all my stuff on it. Just carry my saw to the tree. My chaps make enough drag on me without anything else. I might try to sew up a wedge holster someday.

chester_tree _farmah · May 10, 2014, 09:40:31 AM

I cut like u do. On and off all the time. I use a smallish wedge pouch with 3 wedges in it and a small screw driver to adjust my saw if needed. Wear it on the right side so I can grab a wedge easily with my throttle hand and still hold the saw with my left. On the left is my loggers tape. Its handy in the woods if you are cutting saw logs and you need to cut a tree in half to get it out without damaging future high value trees in the way. I carry an axe with me as I don't like too much weight hanging around my waist. The important thing with pouches and belts is wearing suspenders IMO. The weight is on your shoulders so u don't notice it much.

Nice Ranger btw.

Ed_K · May 10, 2014, 09:57:19 AM

I have a belt from Baliey's with wedge pouch first aid kit and hammer loop. I wear it when cutting all day,or doing tsi work. I have wedges all over the skidder and tractor for when cutting & skidding. I wear spenders on my chaps (don't like the weight on my hips either ;D ). I use a hatchet on the belt and learned to tie a long shoe string from it to the belt.Their hard to find even with pink ribbon on them :D .

redprospector · May 10, 2014, 01:32:28 PM

Being a thinning contractor, with log sales being a "value added" part of my business I tend to cut for days at a time. 5 to 25 acres before I get on the skidder. I can't get my truck to most of the places I'm cutting so I tend to try to carry everything I'll need for the day. Gas & oil jugs tied together with a spare starter cord, a small pack with my lunch, some water, a spare air filter, a few parts and tools that have saved an otherwise ruined day. My belt is set up similar to thenorthman's. I've got a home made wedge pouch that I've been using for almost 20 years, it has a ring where I use a mini carabineer to clip my bar wrench, a military canteen pouch that carries a bottle of water, and a very small first aid kit. I've carried my axe in an aluminum scabbard for the last 25 years, and my Spencer tape is in the center of my back so I can measure from either side without crossing my body with the tape.
It seems like a lot of crap to carry, but it's all used every day, and as "loggers" we're not supposed to be scared of a little extra work.

lynde37avery · May 10, 2014, 03:59:46 PM

wedges go in my back pockets as well as a crayon and a tape measure on my belt. axe is all ways near when cuttin to pound wedge. i found the belt gets in my way when on/off skidder. but id defntly use one if i was just cutting timber all day.

Pine Ridge · May 10, 2014, 09:21:41 PM

I have two wedge pouches, one is nylon I bought from Baileys,It has room for a couple wedges, first aid kit, scrench and a D ring to hook your tape on. I think it was around 10 dollars or so,and I use it if I'm not gonna be in and out alot. I also have a Husqvarna pouch that I bolted two pieces of one inch wide leather to it to make the leather straps like two belt loops. I put two wedges in the pouch, hook my tape to the D ring, then slide it over my axe handle, carry it with the axe head down. If you need the axe and wedges, slide it off the axe handle. works good for me when I'm gonna be in and out alot.

thenorthman · May 10, 2014, 10:34:37 PM

Quote from: redprospector on May 10, 2014, 01:32:28 PM
Being a thinning contractor, with log sales being a "value added" part of my business I tend to cut for days at a time. 5 to 25 acres before I get on the skidder. I can't get my truck to most of the places I'm cutting so I tend to try to carry everything I'll need for the day. Gas & oil jugs tied together with a spare starter cord, a small pack with my lunch, some water, a spare air filter, a few parts and tools that have saved an otherwise ruined day. My belt is set up similar to thenorthman's. I've got a home made wedge pouch that I've been using for almost 20 years, it has a ring where I use a mini carabineer to clip my bar wrench, a military canteen pouch that carries a bottle of water, and a very small first aid kit. I've carried my axe in an aluminum scabbard for the last 25 years, and my Spencer tape is in the center of my back so I can measure from either side without crossing my body with the tape.
It seems like a lot of crap to carry, but it's all used every day, and as "loggers" we're not supposed to be scared of a little extra work.

I do the same thing with gas and oil, but I carry a gallon of water and leave it all in a little camp, chances are I won't be covering huge tracts of land between refills and drinks anyway. I've been thinking of getting a little canteen or sum such to hang on my belt, dragging that gallon of water around becomes a bit of a hassle at times and I really don't use a full gallon in half a day... well usually... And it sure would be nice to have a swig of warm water halfway down a limby ole ceder in the middle of august when the temps are a balmy 85 deg...

And I hang my spencer off an old heavy duty key ring on my right side, I have trouble grabbing the end when its on my back, and the left side just seems weird... just need to plan ahead a wee bit before stuffing the nail into the bark.

Also I started carrying a 75' tape, this way I only need to stick it once and just do the math for the rest of the logs (was that first one a 32 or a 34?) nine times out of ten I only get two logs to a tree anyway, although recently I've been getting 3 or more.

redprospector · May 11, 2014, 01:24:22 AM

northman,
Move the stop on your tape out to about 12" or so, makes it way easier to get aholt of in the center of your back. Biggest problem I've found with the tape in the middle of the back is....man that nail hurts when you forget and sit down on it. :D
If I was cutting "real" logs like you are, I'd use a 75 footer too. But thinning for fire prevention in the Southwest...a 50 footer is plenty. :(

John Mc · May 11, 2014, 12:09:20 PM

I carry a topsaw chainsaw multitool in it's belt holster, along with the leather wedge holster from Baileys (one of the few that will carry a 12" wedge), and a first aid kit. All are carried on a 2" wide webbing belt with a quick release buckle. The wedge holster is a pain if I have to climb on and off equipment, so I just hit the quick release and pop off the belt. If I'm going to be on and off a lot, I just leave the belt off, clipped in a loop, and carry the loop.

The axe gets carried by hand. I figured I wouldn't want the extra weight on my belt. I suppose I should try it on there some time... carrying it by hand can get old after a while, and I tend to set it down and forget it.

Unlike others on here, I'd rather carry the weight on my hips than on my shoulders (a good backpack does the same thing... it does not put weight on your shoulders).

John Mc

RKH Logging · May 11, 2014, 12:33:10 PM

well i guess everybody has a different combination on what works best for them. I'm gonna make some sort of wedge holder, and see how it works for me. i carry all my saw tools on my skidder. I'm usually only within a 100' of my machine. I drive in untill i find what I am looking for then hop off the skidder and burn a tank threw the saw, once the saw runs out I usually fill it up put it away and start skidding. I never really cut longer then one tank of fuel at a time, I find this works best for me.
If i spend the first half of the day cutting and the second half of the day skidding, I find that there is a lot of time wasted walking threw the bush. i get tired faster and i find that doing it my way breaks the day up. when cutting i also like having my skidder there for emergencies. I guess everybody does things there own way, and I'm sure there are a million people who can tell me why doing the cuttting and skidding in 2 halfs of the day is better..

Dave Shepard · May 11, 2014, 05:40:41 PM

I have a pouch from Bailey's for wedges and files that goes on the waist strap of my chaps. Sometimes it can really pull on my pants, but not always. My 66' Spencer hangs from my hammer loop. I will usually cut two or three trees, limb and ring (mark the logs), then skid them out. Depends on how much time I have and how many trees are in the area I'm working. I've run out of tape quite a few times this winter.

treeslayer2003 · May 11, 2014, 06:59:01 PM

two 10" wedges in the right back pocket, saw wrench in the left, stubby sledge in the left hand saw on right shoulder.
i rarely cut over a tank as well as thats normally a load. i do not wear spenders yet, i'm a pretty thin fellow and just sinch up the ol belt. the tape does bug me and i do use the 75 as we cut alot of 52s. i have been just clipping it to a left belt loop but it is probly a good way to loose it.

Jhenderson · May 11, 2014, 08:10:20 PM

I prefer a tool vest. The one I have now is a Stihl. I don't have enough hip to hold up a belt without running it so tight it hurts.

John Mc · May 11, 2014, 08:35:24 PM

Jhnederson - How is that tool vest for wearing in hotter weather? I've wondered about one myself, but figured it wold be one more layer I don't need in warmer weather. What has your experience been?

luvmexfood · May 11, 2014, 09:40:59 PM

I always thought a pocket on the front of your chaps over your thighs might be good.

Jhenderson · May 12, 2014, 06:47:59 AM

I sweat like a politician taking a polygraph all year round, but I don't notice too much difference with or without the vest.

John Mc · May 12, 2014, 10:15:12 AM

Quote from: Jhenderson on May 11, 2014, 08:10:20 PM
I prefer a tool vest. The one I have now is a Stihl.

Is this the Stihl tool vest you have?

Jhenderson · May 12, 2014, 07:05:27 PM

Yes. That would be the one.

M_S_S · May 14, 2014, 07:57:43 PM

I have a pouch I got from Baileys, carry a 10", 2 8" wedges, a srench and a file ( file doesn't do me any good if I forget to put my glasses in my shirt pocket lol). I made a harness leather belt for the pouch and made a holder for my axe on the belt. I wear suspenders on my pants so I just put some sissor (sp) snaps on the belt that hook to my belt loops. Leaves my hands free to carry saw, gas and oil. Works for me. ED

timberlinetree · May 16, 2014, 05:47:32 AM

I have a tool pouch and like the first aid kit it has and use it sometimes other times its the back pocket for wedges and t wrench in front pocket. If I'm cutting 20' firewood logs I use the tape but saw logs I use a 4' stick with marks and flip it. All depends on the job. What I really need is a water sack that goes on my back( camel back) insted of only getting a drink at fill up.

John Mc · May 16, 2014, 08:40:53 AM

The CamelBack has made a HUGE difference for me. I had no idea how much even mild dehydration was affecting my alertness, reasoning, and stamina until I started carrying one of these. A lot of the reading I did on it several years ago recommended frequent, smaller drinks, rather than waiting an hour and chugging down a quart or more at a time. That just doesn't happen when the water bottle is sitting on the ground back next to my spare gas an oil.

The only down side to a CamelBack is that in really hot weather, that pouch on your back can make you even hotter - unfortunately, that hot weather is exactly when you need to pay the most attention to staying hydrated.

SliverPicker · May 16, 2014, 06:17:29 PM

I've got one of the Bailey's leather wedge pouches. Works good. If you get one make your own belt. The one Bailey's sell is less than junk. I gave up on the axe a while back and started carrying a 4 pound machinist's hammer. It never snags in the brush. I tuck it in to the waistbelt of my wedge pouch. No holster at all. It never moves. Gypo jugs on a string. I use a Castrol 5 quart oil jug for my bar oil. It is super easy to pour in to the saw without spilling stringy "juice" all over the place. The neck on the bottle is just long enough to make pouring in that little hole nice and easy. The caps are easy to over tighten and strip however.