Brush Axe?

[Jamin_Mayer]

I'm wonderind if anyone uses a brush axe when limbing? Surely, it has it's place and surely it doesn't have it's place.

The other day I fell a small cedar. It had a lot of small limbs around (and smaller than) 1" diameter. I had my falling axe near, so I grabbed it to wack off the limbs. It was actually nicer than I thought. And not too much different (with time) than using a MS200T.

Which of these Brush Axes do you all prefer?

 

[chris_girard]

Jamin, the only times that I've used a brush axe like that was when I was younger and spent a summer with a survey crew cutting line for a new highway project. It worked great, as it wasn't always necessary to fell the trees as we needed only a line of sight for the transit (this was before total stations and GPS).

When I first started climbing and had a tree to top and fell, I would carry a small 3 lb axe for busting deadwood, and driving in a small topping wedge. Don't do that anymore, as I will usually pull a top if it has any chance of setting back.

 

[emr]

I have used one similar to the Swedish brush axe, and its amazing how well it works. I have used them to clear out a ditch with grasses and very small volunteers like buckthorn and boxelder.

 

[Blinky]

Rarely use it for tree work but for clearing and maintaining trails I use a really sharp lightweight brush axe. It's a sweet tool if you keep a nice edge on it.

 

[jf1962]

Hey Jamin , I only have one guy that runs saws down on the ground the other two guys use machetes and let me tell you those things are sharp ... My two guys are from Ecuador and they are good with those sharp machetes ...

Later from SO-CAL

 

[southsoundtree]

I've tried a sharp hatchet for limbing conifers on the ground.

One more tool to carry around, keep from getting lost. Chainsaws are pretty efficient.

No noise or fuel on the brush axe, but I got nervous when the guys would use it, as I trust myself more than others, and I am better with a hatchet/ ax than they showed themselves to be. A chainsaw can be more predictable.

Let us know how it works out.