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View Full Version : Logox forestry tool - Wow!



Brian W Evans
02-07-2018, 1:47 PM
I just received my Logox forestry tool today and I spent some time trying it out - no actual logging but did move some logs around with it.

My initial impression - wow! The cant hook and hauler features are going to be game changers for me. Right now (but not for long!) I have a wood/iron cant hook that is unwieldy and doesn't do a good job grabbing the logs. I always had to fight with it to make it grip properly. The Logox does not have this problem at all. The big deal for me is the hauler "mode" that uses a handle like you would see on a spade in conjunction with the cant hook to allow you to easily lift logs without bending down.

I also purchased the pickaroon attachment. I haven't used it yet but the build quality seems way too nice for a logging tool.

The electric company notified me that they will be taking down several trees on my property in the coming weeks, which is what prompted me to upgrade my equipment (also got a new pair of chaps, new boots, and a new chain sharpening tool). I'll update this review after I put some time in using the Logox.

For those who've never heard of this tool, check this out:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeD3q-AxT3I


Edit: No affiliation with this company whatsoever - just a happy customer.

Matt Day
02-07-2018, 6:50 PM
Looks like a good piece of gear if you regularly do tree work. Thanks for the link.

Chet R Parks
02-07-2018, 7:03 PM
I too want to thank you for the link. I really like the not bending over part so I'm kind of tempted???

ernest dubois
03-07-2018, 3:58 PM
I'll stick with my sappie and hand-sappie thanks, no tote necessary.

John K Jordan
03-07-2018, 4:58 PM
That looks useful. I like the way it grabs a small piece.

It will never replace a good cant hook, for me at least. It looks ok for rolling a log on the ground but at the sawmill I have to roll a log on the mill to position and then again to turn the cant - that's the harder part. The handle on that logox is way too short to muscle 2000 lb log on the mill. Sometimes it's all I can do by myself to turn a log with my cant hook with a 5' handle! I also have one with a 4' handle and sometimes we use both together when I have some help. BTW, to get the cant hook to grab on slick bark for turning on the mill sometimes I just slam the hook into the wood or smack it with a hammer or chunk of wood.

I do have something sometimes called a timber jack which is a lightweight cant hook with a support "leg" - roll the log up onto the leg to get it off the ground for sawing. I have a pickaroon too but don't find it very useful for what I do.

The web site tells me the Logox is about $175. That's more than twice the cost of a good cant hook. I may buy one anyway since it would be useful on occasion when pulling firewood chunks out of the poison ivy in the woods. I might be inclined to add a second handle for better two-handed use.

JKJ

ernest dubois
03-08-2018, 3:55 AM
380779
Hand-sappie
So much more versatile and useful for grabbing your blocks of firewood, even when they are all laid out nicely as in the promotion video and particularly in the real world when they are often stacked in a pile.

380781
Sappie/pickaroon
The same goes for a full-sized sappie where you can hook a stem or other wood from any angle rather than having to get into position.

And yes, where a cant hook is the best I also want one that's got some leverage.

This log, "cow", is what I'd call it, is aggravation looking to happen with all those loose parts and pieces connected together. The one handy thing it does is support the log off the ground for sawing, that is good, for the rest, gimmicky. And $175?

Bill Dufour
03-10-2018, 10:14 PM
Looks like a standard peavy with some modifications to me. I think a lot of it has to do with log diameter and weight. Soft wood vs hardwood.

Austin Roberts
06-07-2018, 6:58 PM
Hi Everyone,

My name is Austin Roberts, I'm one of the co-founders of the LogOX and I'm new to this forum. What's probably most well know about the LogOX is its patented Hauler feature that allows you to lift log rounds off the ground without the added back strain of bending over. As you can see in the video Brian posted, the cant hook and timberjack feature also help with using a chainsaw to buck log rounds. We're a family owned business based in Vermont, and invented this tool primarily to help with our own firewood harvest. However, as we've brought it to various shows across the country, a number of sawyers have taken an interest in it due to how strong, compact, and portable it is. It combines a 21" and 38" cant hook into one tool, and since a lot of them cut up their scrap wood and sell it for firewood on the side, they also appreciate the hauler and timberjack features.

Recently the website firewood-for-life.com wrote this product review (https://www.firewood-for-life.com/logox-review.html) after testing the LogOX (https://www.thelogox.com) and the sawyers/furniture makers at Deadwood Revival Design in CA put a couple of LogOX cant hooks to the test and shot this review video:


https://youtu.be/1M15qVs0Kzw

My intent with this post wasn't meant entirely as a shameless plug for my company, so I apologize if I've overstepped any forum guidelines. Rather, I came across this thread and website recently and wanted to weigh in and offer to answer any questions folks here may have. We're always looking for ways to improve on our designs and sincerely welcome recommendations from the sawmill and woodworking community.

-Austin Roberts

Jim Andrew
06-07-2018, 7:12 PM
For working with heavy logs on my manual mill, I use a Harbor freight 12v winch. Have to back it up with my truck, using a chain from the hook by the front bumper to the winch to keep it from bending my L shaped bracket that came with the mill. If I did NOT have a skidsteer and forks for loading the mill, would also use the winch to roll the logs up the ramps onto the mill. The nice thing is, I can roll logs to pick the best point to start cutting, as I am not worn out by the time I get the log onto the mill.