Hand Tools and Machinery for Country Living

[MDEnvEngr]

I like my husky saws. I have also used Stihl and like them too. What I really like is a small "pruner saw" - it has the handle on the top rather than behind the engine. The balance is much better and you can hold it in one hand while you move a branch out of the way. One of these days I'm going to get a nice battery saw though.

With a nice property like that you are going to need some trails. For trail work you must have a Rogue Hoe:

7HR – 7″ Hoe/Rake | Rogue Hoe

You can hike your loop with this one tool and do everything to the tread that needs to be done.

You might also get to looking around and thinking that the stones need to be stacked into some nice walls - a fantastic way to spend some time. That log carrying cart shown above could be easily adapted/used to move larger stones. A 2 wheeled garden cart is good too. And a 5-6' piece of steel rod for a lever. And a couple of 6"X 6" scraps for the pivot.

Bob

[j44ke]

John Deere do all they can to prevent farmers to repair their tractors themselves or by independent mechanics. It is purely software based locking. You can replace the transmission but unless you call John Deere and pay an expensive and purely arbitrary fee the tractor will refuse to start with the new part. For this very reasons some farmers end up running unofficial unlocked firmwares downloaded with possible safety issues if said firmware is buggy.

This is a shit show and it doesn't have to be. Farmers just want to be able to run their and repair their tractors as quickly as possible.

Tractor Hacking | This site is dedicated to hacking into John Deere tractors and publishing our findings in an open source manner. The project is through California Polytechnic State University’s Capstone I/II class and sponsored by iFixit. Material on this site is protected from DMCA takedown by a DMCA exemption granted by the US Copyright Office.

Observationally, it looks to me like the Case (International Harvester) tractor salesman went through Hillsdale, because quite a few of the bigger farms have shiny new Case tractors. Might have been the soybean loss-of-trade subsidy also. Not a lot of Deeres. Some Kubota. A lot of old blue Ford tractors. And then a wide range of old tractors that seem to keep on going. Farmall, Chalmers, Ferguson.

Speaking of old tractors, I got lost on this guy's YouTube channel the other night. Watching him rescue a digger lost in the forest and return it to functioning shape is impressive.

[j44ke]

I like my husky saws. I have also used Stihl and like them too. What I really like is a small "pruner saw" - it has the handle on the top rather than behind the engine. The balance is much better and you can hold it in one hand while you move a branch out of the way. One of these days I'm going to get a nice battery saw though.

With a nice property like that you are going to need some trails. For trail work you must have a Rogue Hoe:

7HR – 7″ Hoe/Rake | Rogue Hoe

You can hike your loop with this one tool and do everything to the tread that needs to be done.

You might also get to looking around and thinking that the stones need to be stacked into some nice walls - a fantastic way to spend some time. That log carrying cart shown above could be easily adapted/used to move larger stones. A 2 wheeled garden cart is good too. And a 5-6' piece of steel rod for a lever. And a couple of 6"X 6" scraps for the pivot.

Bob

Rogue Hoe is on the list, along with the Weed Wrench. I think those two tools are going to be in heavy rotation. Our forest floor is pretty clear, but the above ground root content just under the decaying layer of leaves etc. is really high. Even an iron rake doesn't get far. The Rogue Hoe seems perfect for that. And I can't wait to try the Weed Wrench on the Barberry bushes. Those f45ckers have got to go.

[ides1056]

I removed a Multiflora rose the other day with my 9000 pound, fifty-horse tractor: I put a choker around the base, linked to a chain and hooked this to the backhoe. When I drove away, the front wheels lifted off the ground. So I tried different angles until I managed to yank it out. I did not expect it to be so tenacious, particularly since it was in boggy ground.

Barberry is a pain. You will want very good gloves because the thorns will find their way in, and you'll know they are there for a long time after.

I am reading a book written at the turn of the 18th century by a relative who travelled the Northeast over several decades. Barberry was an invasive scourge then, blasting several cereal crops and proliferating over hill and dale. I pull them whenever I find them. Bittersweet is another serious pia.

[m_b_b]

Yet another vote for the Fiskars X25/X27. Cheap, effective. I look forward to using it. Definitely worth going to the shop to see if the 28" or 36" version works for you. I'm about 5'10 (and ride a 54cm or 55cm top tube, if that helps) and I find the X25 28" version to be plenty.

I determined this by standing in the back aisle of Home Depot alternately hoisting the 28" and 36" versions overhead. Another customer rounded the corner to find me holding the axe aloft, muttered an "excuse me" and backed away slowly.

[j44ke]

I removed a Multiflora rose the other day with my 9000 pound, fifty-horse tractor: I put a choker around the base, linked to a chain and hooked this to the backhoe. When I drove away, the front wheels lifted off the ground. So I tried different angles until I managed to yank it out. I did not expect it to be so tenacious, particularly since it was in boggy ground.

Barberry is a pain. You will want very good gloves because the thorns will find their way in, and you'll know they are there for a long time after.

I am reading a book written at the turn of the 18th century by a relative who travelled the Northeast over several decades. Barberry was an invasive scourge then, blasting several cereal crops and proliferating over hill and dale. I pull them whenever I find them. Bittersweet is another serious pia.

Bittersweet. Ugh. Cut back in spring and fall, inject large vine trunks with Triclopyr, wear out the root sprouts with a trimmer, find the rhizome lines by the sprouts and dig them up. Repeat this for 100 years.

[Rhys]

Speaking of old tractors, I got lost on this guy's YouTube channel the other night. Watching him rescue a digger lost in the forest and return it to functioning shape is impressive.

Small world. He's my cousin.
He's got some videos/opinions on chainsaws on the youtube. If you need more opinions.
I like the washing machine waterwheel.

[j44ke]

Small world. He's my cousin.
He's got some videos/opinions on chainsaws on the youtube. If you need more opinions.
I like the washing machine waterwheel.

Oh that's great! Tell him I have a lot of respect for his mechanical skills and determination. I'll go look for the chainsaws and washing machine videos.

[mmoore]

we have a husky chainsaw. its great. cant remember the size but its on the normal to large side. it rips and never has had any problems... its about 20 years old now.

I rarely proactively buy tools. Keep some funds aside for a job and buy the tool as you need it. I only rent tools that i wont regularly use or are cost prohibitive based on the frequency of use.

That said, if im recommending things: with more than 10 acres i would buy a used tractor especially so if your planning to uproot basically anything. Roots are incredibly difficult to remove, especially so for woody type growth. I removed several lilac trees from my back yard and the root ball was nearly 4 feet tall, making even the 3 ton excavator struggle and tip.

Do you have a sizable shop to keep all of this stuff?

[fortyfour]

<SNIP>

But what about...

@Jorn: For reference sake, how many acres do you own and approximately how much is cleared vs how much is not? That will give me an idea of what kind of upkeep we're talking about.

For example, we own 3.5 acres and I'd gather about 1.5-2 acres is cleared but bordered by encroaching forest and tree lines. I went the first 10 years without a chainsaw and things just accumulated. I've come to the conclusion it's novel to use a handsawm, and in some cases, that's all you will need but over time, with storms, weather, wind, encroachment of nature and Mother Nature doing it's thing... the novelty wears off and making a phone call every single time you need something cleared or tended to gets in the way of just taking care of it yourself. And in most cases, you can.

If I were to recommend a definitive short tool list for a homeowner who owns an acreage amount similar to my own or who has a bit more, this is the list after 15+ years of dealing with this sort of thing:

- Workbench with good overhead lighting and/or task light.
- Vise (3-3.5" Wilton - swivel or no swivel, mounted on a stand or on the bench).
- Petzl Headlamp/s (I own 2 because having one dedicated to the shop saves a trip back up to the house to find the other one...)
- Atlas work gloves - one lightweight for summer work, one winter weight for colder weather work
- Bucket Boss - those darn things in a Home Depot orange bucket are so handy - pile shit in there and go to work.
- Mosquito head net.
- 16' tape measure - not just used for carpentry. I'm constantly measuring things outside.
- Step ladder - fiberglass (I think ours is a 10 or 12' - we also own an extension ladder too but that all depends on how involved you want to get with painting/staining/home repairs).
- 16' Pole Pruner (I own a 16' Corona fiberglass pole pruner - I use this ALL of the time trimming branches late in the summer or early spring before the trees leaf out)
- Felco No. 2 hand pruner
- Felco F-600 folding hand saw
- Lopper (We own a 26" Corona Bypass Lopper - WL3351)
- Wheel Barrow (1 wheel or 2 wheeled - I believe both of ours are True Temper 6 cu ft versions - wood handles plastic tub - the metal ones are on the heavy side).
- Shovel 1 long handled and one short. Don't argue with me on this. You'll need both because some holes require one or both...
- 60" "Pinch Point" Bar. This is essentially a type of long bar with a flat point that's weighted - dig a hole in New England, you'll be pulling rocks...
- Pick (a bit of an antiquated tool, but some times, you gotta bust this thing out to break up soil, roots, etc.)
- Rake (1 Folding landscape / Garden Rake for detail work - 1 larger plastic 30" rake with wooden handle)

If you're going to be cutting wood / supplementing with wood for heat:

- Hatchet (I own a Gransfors Bruk hatchet and forest ax which is akin to a limbing ax)
- Maul (Wooden handle - I find the fiberglass versions pick up too much feedback and hurt my wrists)
- Sledge Hammer (long handle and short handle - I'd have to check what the weights/sizes are )
- Splitting wedges (3 because you will get both of them stuck if you only own 2...)

Now, one could debate gasoline powered handtools vs electric powered hand tools for trimming, cutting etc. If you're going to debate this, then also consider what the carbon footprint of a battery operated saw when compared with a gasoline powered one and what the end of life for a battery operated tool looks like vs what a gasoline version looks like. I think that needs to be weighed and address to close the loop. There's certainly something to be said about a small electric powered chainsaw, but actually depends on what you are comfortable dealing with on your property. For most home owners, 16-20" bar chainsaws are enough saw. The Stihl MS 271 "Farm Boss" or MS 291 are a lot of saw for most and a really nice size for just about every job you could imagine. Those are also both relatively light saws too - once they get over the 10-12 lb weight, you start to feel those in hand for long days of work.

IF you have never used a chainsaw before, first take an afternoon with a friend who is experienced with one and have them go through the basics with you. This is incredibly important because you can be take dedicated time to start off with the right foot forward. Establish good habits from the staert. There's a few rules of thumb to adhere to and be mindful about, one of the most important being the understanding of how a kickback actually works and positioning when cutting along with what you should be looking at/being mindful of while cutting. (The most dangerous part of a saw being the upper 1/4 of the chain) But once you know what those good practice steps are, practice as they say makes perfect. IF you are going to purchase a chainsaw, electric or gasoline, here's my list:

- Tyvec chainsaw chaps - This seems like overkill to most, but for any kind of work, whether on the ground or at waist height (never cut overhead), it only takes a split second to fuck up.
- Helmet with visor and ear protection (I own a Husqvarna forest helmet, the technical version which is a bit lighter and is vented and the face screen offers a bit more protection).
- Safety glasses - often the face screen lets through small chips.
- Sharpening kit - know how to maintain and sharpen your chain. A sharp chain is a safe chain - a dull one gets you in trouble. Always have an extra chain on hand.
- Chainsaw Bar oil. Never run out - always top off when refueling it if gasoline powered.
- 1 or 2, 5 Galon gasoline plastic gas cans and a small one for mixing 2 stroke fuel and filling assorted gasoline powered tools if you choose to go gas powered

*There is something to be said about a gasoline powered chainsaw and mosquitos. When one is running, they leave you alone.

The 4 basic gasoline powered items we own are:

- Toro recycler 22" lawnmower
- Echo weed/grass/brush trimmer
- Stihl MS 271 Chainsaw with 18" bar (I may upgrade to a slightly higher powered saw - I've found it's a bit under gunned in some situations and going to a slightly larger saw will also increase the chain width adding to the overall capabilities)
- Red Max leaf blower, ours is the Professional EBZ7500 (I scorned these things for years but when you have to rake over 1 acre of land? We're talking days of work. I can leaf blow my entire property in about 1 hour now.)

After inheriting a Honda Foreman 4 wheeler with trailer and plow kit, I actually can't NOT think of not owning this thing. I move cord wood, plow our driveway, move mulch, soil amendment, rocks, brush, tow who knows what among other things.

We also inherited a larger electric powered wood splitter. It's good with most sized bucked rounds but for some wood types (beech for example), I have to split them into 1/3's or 1/4's before putting them on the splitter. If you are supplementing your heat with wood, this would be something to consider

Also, consider a generator if you are in a location where power outages are a common occurrence during the winter. We just got our house wired up to take one and I believe I'll be purchasing a Honda EU3000is with a wheel kit and extension cord. We don't plan on running all of our house and don't mind switching things on/off to say run the pump to take a shower, having running water, refrigerator and a few lights on at a time. It's mostly running water that is a PITA when power is out I feel the most acutely.

I'm probably missing a few things but that's what I'd recommend based on my experience here in NH.

[SteveP]

My second chainsaw is a stihl battery.
It is perfect as a replacement for a gas one that I had that finally died.
No gas, no pita. It's a great homeowner product... how much will you use it really... a woodsman you will not be..
it's also quite light and quiet... no ear protection necessary.

Battery one works perfectly and I can cut anything I want to sizewise. Easily cuts an 18" trunk and no way am i working on anything
bigger than that.
Splitting with a maul. good winter exercise.
Oak, Ash... easy to split... elm takes more hits but doable.
How much wood will you burn in the winter?
How much will you need? key question...I cant imagine needing a splitter for a few cords.
you could rent one if you had one big load to split.

We had a bunch of trees taken down over the last couple of years... ash, red oak and elm...
I am sitting right now in front of the woodstove burning last years wood...

In usually spend 1 1/2- 2 hrs in the am cutting, splitting and stacking wood through the fall.
I enjoy it really.... but now my wood stash in buried under 2' of new snow... so I guess I have a break.

[lumpy]

Barberry is a pain. You will want very good gloves because the thorns will find their way in, and you'll know they are there for a long time after.

I am reading a book written at the turn of the 18th century by a relative who travelled the Northeast over several decades. Barberry was an invasive scourge then, blasting several cereal crops and proliferating over hill and dale. I pull them whenever I find them. Bittersweet is another serious pia.

This is my life this fall. Trying to get our fields back to the fencelines and restore a line of old forsythia that's all intergrown with lilac and honeysuckle. The burn piles are enormous.

[ides1056]

I use the biodegradable bar oil. So much gets spat out everywhere, I figure it's a must.
Chaps are good to have. The one time you lift your leg into the chain you'll wish you had them on.
Wear earplugs as well as ear muffs. The latter don't make a great seal all the time, and when you are using a weed whacker the motor is right next to your head.
Stihl makes some great gloves. I use deer skin for the most part. They all wear out. They make one that has a cushioned palm like riding gloves and armored knuckles- another favorite.
Definitely get a few plastic wedges to insert into the kerf when you are cutting a tree. Read the manual Stihl publishes on how-to.

[j44ke]

Thanks all.

we have a husky chainsaw. its great. cant remember the size but its on the normal to large side. it rips and never has had any problems... its about 20 years old now.

I rarely proactively buy tools. Keep some funds aside for a job and buy the tool as you need it. I only rent tools that i wont regularly use or are cost prohibitive based on the frequency of use.

That said, if im recommending things: with more than 10 acres i would buy a used tractor especially so if your planning to uproot basically anything. Roots are incredibly difficult to remove, especially so for woody type growth. I removed several lilac trees from my back yard and the root ball was nearly 4 feet tall, making even the 3 ton excavator struggle and tip.

Do you have a sizable shop to keep all of this stuff?

We have a 1 car and 1 utility vehicle (tractor, ATV, etc) space in our garage plus a workshop for bikes et al. plus storage space that will be built out with shelving. No lack of space for piles of tools, but I'd rather have just what I need so your route of buying for specific tasks is probably what I'll do. I don't think I am going to be pulling stumps. The land is naturally re-forested (not planted) land that was farmland 70 years ago, and there will be no lawn whatsoever, so I'd rather things rot naturally. Most of the cutting will be on downed trees that are either unsafe (in which case I will probably have someone else remove them) or lying across a road or elsewhere and in the way. Otherswise, they will just stay where they fall, unless I start cutting things up for firewood.

<SNIP>

@Jorn: For reference sake, how many acres do you own and approximately how much is cleared vs how much is not? That will give me an idea of what kind of upkeep we're talking about.

Thanks Kris for the comprehensive list.

We have 81 acres that are about 95% woodlands, about 60/40 pine/hardwood with some stands of hemlock and a few red spruce. Mostly what I am going to be doing is building trails and removing two invasive species - barberry bush and Asian bittersweet vine. I have 2-3 spots that need pretty aggressive treatment as the vine has started pulling down trees and overwhelming vegetation. We also have a small abandoned gravel quarry that we'll likely tap into for paths. It is cut into this big hill of glacially deposited pebbles. Very nice gravel actually.

Right now - as you said - the chainsaw would be a convenience. I am getting a good workout with handsaws that are remarkably proficient even with larger stuff. But the big chunk of pine down on one of our dirt roads on the back forty got me thinking a chainsaw was inevitable.

I converted our yard in Phoenix from a putting green to desert landscape and accumulated a garage full of landscaping tools, but all those hand tools I used then are long gone so it is good to have the list of shovels, rakes, etc.

And the encouragement on the Honda. I think with 81 acres and some trail building required to connect all 81 acres together for easy use, that is going to become an inevitability, like the chainsaw.

My second chainsaw is a stihl battery.
It is perfect as a replacement for a gas one that I had that finally died.
No gas, no pita. It's a great homeowner product... how much will you use it really... a woodsman you will not be..
it's also quite light and quiet... no ear protection necessary.

Battery one works perfectly and I can cut anything I want to sizewise. Easily cuts an 18" trunk and no way am i working on anything
bigger than that.
Splitting with a maul. good winter exercise.
Oak, Ash... easy to split... elm takes more hits but doable.
How much wood will you burn in the winter?
How much will you need? key question...I cant imagine needing a splitter for a few cords.
you could rent one if you had one big load to split.

We had a bunch of trees taken down over the last couple of years... ash, red oak and elm...
I am sitting right now in front of the woodstove burning last years wood...

In usually spend 1 1/2- 2 hrs in the am cutting, splitting and stacking wood through the fall.
I enjoy it really.... but now my wood stash in buried under 2' of new snow... so I guess I have a break.

That's a good question about firewood. Based on reading here, I think I may start with a pile of firewood someone else pulls from our property and cuts and splits. And then my job will be to keep that pile stocked after that. If I can keep up with it hand-splitting the wood, then I'll stick with that. If all the wood rots before we burn it, then I'll know we don't need so much and can adjust downwards.

One more question: I've stacked firewood and I know it is best to shield it from the weather, but how long does cut and split firewood last before it rots? 8 months? 1 year? Depends?

[mjbabcock]

81 acres means you should start with a brush cutter (weed eater on steroids) and a backpack sprayer, round-up, and crossbow.

Knock it down and spray the regrowth. I hate the chemicals, but in cases where invasive shave taken over (blackberries, holly, bamboo) you will chase that crap forever.

[j44ke]

I've been working on the Asian bittersweet with some good results, but it will take several years of treating in fall and spring. I've been using Roundup and Triclopyr, but not spraying - painting and injecting. That's easier done when the vines are huge. And more effective if cutting and treating are done in early October when the vines draw starches down into the roots. But you have to go back in spring and hit the sprouts that come up from the roots. When the vine on the tree gets cut or stressed by chemicals, then it sends out a chemical message to the roots to send up shoots. So in the spring, if you did things right in the fall the trunk will be dead, but you'll see lines of shoots coming up out of the ground along the the root lines radiating around the trunk. You hit those with herbicide or you dig them out. Usually both.

[SteveP]

Remember... firewood needs to dry for a year before using it inside.
so, there's that.
Ash can be burned right away but, where you are I'll bet you mostly have red oak on the property...
needs a year of seasoning. What they are cutting now is next years wood.

If you keep it off the ground it will last awhile... cover it with some tarp or something just to keep the snow/ rain from soaking it
and in the sun/ wind is better than under a bunch of pine trees where it may stay wet and start to get soft.

If yr not heating the house and not there all the time... start with a cord and see how it goes.
You can always get more...
will give you the occasional fire to warm a cold few nights.

ps. you will have a wood stove or are you talking about fireplace fires?
different animal. Stove you keep going and will really provide heat and burn some wood...
burns all night, feed again in the am... actually provides heat for the house.

fireplace you start the fire, watch it for awhile, drink a glass of wine and it goes out.
Good to look at.

[j44ke]

We’ll have a Morso ”insert” that should be able to heat the house if needed.

We have a good amount of standing deadwood, mostly ash on the property. We’ve cut a couple dead ash down and the wood is not rotten over most of the log.

[fortyfour]

Thanks Kris for the comprehensive list.

We have 81 acres that are about 95% woodlands, about 60/40 pine/hardwood with some stands of hemlock and a few red spruce. Mostly what I am going to be doing is building trails and removing two invasive species
And the encouragement on the Honda. I think with 81 acres and some trail building required to connect all 81 acres together for easy use, that is going to become an inevitability, like the chainsaw.

81 acres is a pretty good chunk! That's super sweet. If you're going to be doing trail work and building trails, I'd get right down to it and say do research on what chainsaw you want and really consider a 4 wheeler too. Go gasoline because you'll be deep in the woods and you'll need frequent refuels. The trail network here down the road from us is pretty extensive and a chainsaw is a must. Tree fall is fairly common and once you establish a trail system, you'll be maintaining it each year.

I'd probably say the two most important tools would be a chainsaw and 4 wheeler.

One more question: I've stacked firewood and I know it is best to shield it from the weather, but how long does cut and split firewood last before it rots? 8 months? 1 year? Depends?

Typically green wood takes about a season to dry, some species (red oak for example) can take more time as it holds more water content. Ash can be burned green FYI. But once stacked and seasoned, if you protect it (only cover the top - let all 4 sides breath and allow for airflow between every 1-2 cords) you can have it for a while. As long as it's protected and can dry, you're good - we've had cords for about 2 years and it's fine. But it also depends on how much you're burning per winter. We supplement our oil heat with wood and we typically go through 2-3 each winter but I like to have a 4th as a backup just in case. It's a lot of work to buck logs, split and then stack them. Hence why I typically just get split seasoned firewood. It's enough to do just to stack it.

[Clyde]

Methinks you need some better steel toed boots. Whites Smokejumpers are super duty and will last a long long time, and are rebuildable. There are lots of options but damn I can't tell you how many times my toes have been saved.