I decided to bang a tree over about a 28 inch around standing dead wood maple I could shoot it just over the road or away from the road.

a few wedges and some pounding sounded better than moving all the wood further

I had 3 Wedges explode on me in just a few hits , I finished with a pair of steel wedges and I dropped it right in the hole I was aiming for

2 of them were timber tuff , a brand I am done with the other was some yellow no name they had at the local saw shop I won't be getting any of those either

looks like farm and fleet has Stihl , Oregon and Echo brand wedges or I am ordering online

I have a few Oregon's they seem ok but I mostly have the small ones I used when bucking logs to keep from pinching the bar

I need to replace 3-4 8 inch wedges

it may have been that the wedges were cold because they nearly shattered

but it isn't like I am going to start cutting in July it's going to be cold when I cut

temp was a very comfortable and sunny 20 degrees today

Get Hard Head or K&H wedges. Used 3 today in 2F weather to drop 4 trees.

Make a little fire and toss the metal wedges in it to heat them up.

Problem solved.

WS

the metal ones did fine no fire needed but hey are very hard on chains

the ones someone else is using.

I use my wedges in below 0 regularly.....I whack them with a splittin maul and dont hurt them a bit. All i remember is they werent cheap and they are red steel 8 inches or more. Buy a good wedge and you wont regret it.

2X. Also check out auctions and flea markets. If your lucky you’ll find “old”.

I will check into the Hard head an K&H

when I say came apart these were some of the pieces I picked up

I've used Stihl wedges for years with no issues. Like anything else with that name on it they aren't cheap but I've never had one explode like that.

I used to use steel wedges but, like you, found out how hard they are on chains. now I only use them for splitting.

A couple of Long snatch ropes and a vehicle in 4WD low is my preferred wedge of choice. LOL

I've broke them all anymore I graduate from a short study one to a longer one a d don't break as many because the longer ones can get in farther before engaging

If you don't hit them straight you can break any of them. I sawed in the woods for several years and bought whatever tha saw shop carried between losing,breaking and sawing into them none lasted more then six months.

X 2 no problem hitting them with a 3 lb axe at -20. Metal are ok until you saw into one. It has been my 50 years of experience felling timber, if you are breaking wedges regularly, most likely your trying to lift a tree with too much lean and/or your hinge is still too wide, and not hitting them squarely or hitting them way too hard.

I've broke them all anymore I graduate from a short study one to a longer one a d don't break as many because the longer ones can get in farther before engaging

I don't know if the current generation of loggers down here know what a felling wedge is. It's cutter bunchers or nothing in the south.

I don't see why they couldn't be made out of aluminum.

K&H and Oregon work for me. Both have their place, the Oregon have a little more lift when needed. 1" vs 1/2" on K&H.

They do make aluminum wedges. Like someone said earlier, if you dont hit them square they break pretty easily, especially in very cold weather.

Mine are all branded Husquvarna of Jonsered. Ive mushroomed a couple and sawed on a few but never broke one. I dont like steel felling wedges at all, but i use big open face notches and always drive my wedge before i cut the backstrap. It is common for me to get into the wedge with the saw alittle from time to time, which isnt a big deal with a plastic wedge

I have cut the corners off a few in the past , I have mushroomed the ends but this was a wack and just about shatter set another whack it chunks flying and yes I was using the pole of the ax not the sharp end

my notch was big and clean plenty of room to travel

I would have understood them breaking on the 10th or 20th crack with the ax trying to over lift , this was a few taps to set them and 1-2 good cracks with a 3.5 pound ax
heck the yellow one was so new the price was still legible after it broke written in marker right where you hit it

once I switched to the 2 steel wedges and hit them with the back of my Maul it really didn't take much to lift it over the direction I wanted