I ordered a Forester pickaroon but had to send it back...the handle was half sap wood, right down the middle. No sense in starting off with a planned failure. The handles are a bit thick for me as I have short fingers so I would strip off the finish thinning the grip at the same time and then treat the handle with linseed oil. Also the head seems a bit heavy but not bad, weight wise I think it would make a better hookaroon. For firewood rounds and split wood a lighter head with a sharp point seems a better fit. Either way there can be overlap.
As others have said, they’re for two different purposes. Though they both can be used for either. A Pickaroon is best for pulling, stacking, throwing and lifting split firewood. It’s also good for moving large logs, rolling and moving cut rounds etc.. The Hookaroon with its hook is more for picking up rounds and carrying them or loading them in a truck or trailer. The hook nose bights into the wood and doesn’t allow it to slip off when moving and bouncing around while walking. It tends to just night in harder and not just slip off. A real toe saving feature. It also requires a different swing method with a more sweeping “hook” method where you sort of flick it in at the last second. So use the hookaroon for dragging and loading your rounds, then switch to the pickaroon when splitting and stacking. They both will get the job done, but as you found out, one is better suited for their specific jobs than the other.
From what I've learned the orange Forester is called a hookeroon with a hooked tip, and old faithful is more of the classic pickeroon. I think I like the old one better too. Nice video, thanks
Hello friend, good video. Nice job demonstrating and explaining how these both suit, and not so suit, your needs. I would say a pickeroon is for picking up while the hookeroon is more for pulling something to you. You did brief this. Hookeroon is great for managing slab wood. Originally designed when the mills were belt and chain operated. It helped keep mill men at safe distance. The pickeroon would suffice for me doing both duties. Either way, now I want a pickeroon too .......thanks man. LOL
The forester with the hook is better for carrying rounds to the spljtter... the flatter ones work better with already split wood for stacking, unloading
I just ordered one and I may reshape the tip as well. It’s is my understanding, the reason the tip is shaped as such it is easier to bite the end of a round. Just and observation. Great video!
Thanks for the review! The quality is good for the pricepoint, with a straight grain hickory handle and a reasonably sharp tip out of the package. The handle to head attachment seems to be the same sort of wedge + epoxy fit that is typical in imported wood handled axes I've looked at which may not deal well with the sort of load that suspending logs from the head will inflict on the handle with just a friction wedge and some epoxy for support. I did notice one on the shelf at Menards with a bad/wobbly handle fit to the head that looked like it had been purchased, used and returned... so I'm curious how these hold up after a bit of use. I am considering drilling a support hole through the head/handle and installing a roll pin or peened steel rivet which seems common on the more expensive versions. I grabbed two of them, one that will live in my woodshed and one to keep with my chainsaw when I'm dealing with unsplit freshly cut rounds. These are the best deal going on a relatively easy to find version of this tool, the 28" model was on the shelf for $19.99 at Menards today. The Fiskars and Council Tool version of this usually go for $40-60, while the "name brand" variety are usually $80-$120. If you are stacking firewood wood in an enclosed space or want something small/portable to go with a splitting maul, this is the tool for you. If you're in an open area and want to work faster, a pick (pike) pole is the way to go as you can use it in a more upright position and use the long pole with both hands for better leverage, plus the wood is easier to twist off than the pickaroon.
I remember back in the 70s pulling poplar out to the main trail wasn't old enough to use a chainsaw my pickaroon had a Brodhead on the back side I use it to lim dad cut the bigger branches then he score the bark we leve the tops on them to such the water out of the wood Go back some time later cut trees into logs and me and my brother pat pill them with spuds maid from leafspings and nice strong oak handle and I drag them to the main trail and flip them on the skid behind the old farmall metal wheels maid me filll like a big machine. You can drag a helll of a log with the right langth handl mine looked like a mirror from sand and dirt l hone it on the old wet stone I peddled dam miss them days.
Council tool still makes the Hookaroon. I use this tool to cut dead trees down for a hunting blind. I love it, you will too. Much better than cut and grab.
Nice review. New subscriber here. I have been trying to get a Stihl pickaroon/ hookaroon, but they are out of stock. I would like to hear from others what they think the best one is. I have never used one b ut don't want to go to the woods this fall without one. Thanks for sharing this.
I have a hookaroon and a pickaroon and the hookaroon has more of a turn on the end and that is why it is called that because it has a hook so now you have two pickaroons
Try grabbing a higher piece of wood the perjury be more in line I noticed if u grabbing wood on the ground with the really carved one better be careful it tends skips off like to find out what job you would be doing with wood up higher maybe on a rigge or a stage something where your reaching in the same passion though out the job sher has a particular use . I ground the end of mine to. Before something bad happened . Love your old one she's sweet.
Hell, now just switch the handles. You aren't a City Slicker, so that should be no difficulty. Then, drill and put a roll key in to hold the handle in place.
I think they are meant for 2 different applications. The old one is short for firewood chunks and the new one is for pulling slabs off of a sawmill, that are still long.
![Pickaroon Hookaroon [Lost Tools]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/WGo7hgNFBiA/mqdefault.jpg)
Good video, just what i needed to know about the forester. Thanks for making this all those years ago
Glad to help.
I ordered a Forester pickaroon but had to send it back...the handle was half sap wood, right down the middle. No sense in starting off with a planned failure. The handles are a bit thick for me as I have short fingers so I would strip off the finish thinning the grip at the same time and then treat the handle with linseed oil. Also the head seems a bit heavy but not bad, weight wise I think it would make a better hookaroon. For firewood rounds and split wood a lighter head with a sharp point seems a better fit. Either way there can be overlap.
As others have said, they’re for two different purposes. Though they both can be used for either. A Pickaroon is best for pulling, stacking, throwing and lifting split firewood. It’s also good for moving large logs, rolling and moving cut rounds etc.. The Hookaroon with its hook is more for picking up rounds and carrying them or loading them in a truck or trailer. The hook nose bights into the wood and doesn’t allow it to slip off when moving and bouncing around while walking. It tends to just night in harder and not just slip off. A real toe saving feature. It also requires a different swing method with a more sweeping “hook” method where you sort of flick it in at the last second. So use the hookaroon for dragging and loading your rounds, then switch to the pickaroon when splitting and stacking. They both will get the job done, but as you found out, one is better suited for their specific jobs than the other.
From what I've learned the orange Forester is called a hookeroon with a hooked tip, and old faithful is more of the classic pickeroon. I think I like the old one better too. Nice video, thanks
Yep. That’s it. The difference is subtle. Kinda like a peavy vs. a cant hook.
Hello friend, good video. Nice job demonstrating and explaining how these both suit, and not so suit, your needs.
I would say a pickeroon is for picking up while the hookeroon is more for pulling something to you. You did brief this. Hookeroon is great for managing slab wood. Originally designed when the mills were belt and chain operated. It helped keep mill men at safe distance. The pickeroon would suffice for me doing both duties.
Either way, now I want a pickeroon too .......thanks man. LOL
The forester with the hook is better for carrying rounds to the spljtter... the flatter ones work better with already split wood for stacking, unloading
I took the Forrester and immediately switch to a camp axe, short one .
I also Bent my hook a little more. It helps in softer wood..
I just ordered one and I may reshape the tip as well. It’s is my understanding, the reason the tip is shaped as such it is easier to bite the end of a round. Just and observation. Great video!
Thanks for the review! The quality is good for the pricepoint, with a straight grain hickory handle and a reasonably sharp tip out of the package. The handle to head attachment seems to be the same sort of wedge + epoxy fit that is typical in imported wood handled axes I've looked at which may not deal well with the sort of load that suspending logs from the head will inflict on the handle with just a friction wedge and some epoxy for support. I did notice one on the shelf at Menards with a bad/wobbly handle fit to the head that looked like it had been purchased, used and returned... so I'm curious how these hold up after a bit of use. I am considering drilling a support hole through the head/handle and installing a roll pin or peened steel rivet which seems common on the more expensive versions.
I grabbed two of them, one that will live in my woodshed and one to keep with my chainsaw when I'm dealing with unsplit freshly cut rounds. These are the best deal going on a relatively easy to find version of this tool, the 28" model was on the shelf for $19.99 at Menards today. The Fiskars and Council Tool version of this usually go for $40-60, while the "name brand" variety are usually $80-$120.
If you are stacking firewood wood in an enclosed space or want something small/portable to go with a splitting maul, this is the tool for you. If you're in an open area and want to work faster, a pick (pike) pole is the way to go as you can use it in a more upright position and use the long pole with both hands for better leverage, plus the wood is easier to twist off than the pickaroon.
I remember back in the 70s pulling poplar out to the main trail wasn't old enough to use a chainsaw my pickaroon had a Brodhead on the back side I use it to lim dad cut the bigger branches then he score the bark we leve the tops on them to such the water out of the wood
Go back some time later cut trees into logs and me and my brother pat pill them with spuds maid from leafspings and nice strong oak handle and I drag them to the main trail and flip them on the skid behind the old farmall metal wheels maid me filll like a big machine. You can drag a helll of a log with the right langth handl mine looked like a mirror from sand and dirt l hone it on the old wet stone I peddled dam miss them days.
They save a lot of wear and tear on the old back. Bending over as one gets older gets tougher with age.
Thanks for the review. I wasn’t familiar with these. May have to watch for one at auctions.
Council tool still makes the Hookaroon. I use this tool to cut dead trees down for a hunting blind. I love it, you will too. Much better than cut and grab.
Nice job god bless
Nice review. New subscriber here. I have been trying to get a Stihl pickaroon/ hookaroon, but they are out of stock. I would like to hear from others what they think the best one is. I have never used one b ut don't want to go to the woods this fall without one. Thanks for sharing this.
Your orange one or new on is a Hookaroon and your old one is a Pickaroon.. Both have thrown purpose and that is why they are different
I have a hookaroon and a pickaroon and the hookaroon has more of a turn on the end and that is why it is called that because it has a hook so now you have two pickaroons
Guess i've no need for a hookaroon :)
Try grabbing a higher piece of wood the perjury be more in line I noticed if u grabbing wood on the ground with the really carved one better be careful it tends skips off like to find out what job you would be doing with wood up higher maybe on a rigge or a stage something where your reaching in the same passion though out the job sher has a particular use . I ground the end of mine to. Before something bad happened . Love your old one she's sweet.
The old one definitely works better! You want it to stick on the first swing.
Hell, now just switch the handles.
You aren't a City Slicker, so that should be no difficulty.
Then, drill and put a roll key in to hold the handle in place.
Plus they work better if the wood is not Frozen
I've found the opposite
I think the hookaroon has more hook and the pickaroon has less hook
Danke
You converted a Hookaroon into a pickaroon.
I think they are meant for 2 different applications. The old one is short for firewood chunks and the new one is for pulling slabs off of a sawmill, that are still long.