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5 Best Picaroons for Logging in 2024 – Reviews and Buying Guide

Lifting and rolling big logs is one of the biggest challenges for a woodworker. Among the range of tools that can make your work easier is the picaroon. The picaroon is a wedge-like device used to lift and roll logs vis-a-vis a cant hook. 

The metal top end has a spike for sticking into wood pieces, while the long handle is for lifting/rolling leverage.  Unlike a cant hook, the picaroon has a fixed hook that faces towards the handle. Some picaroon models have a downturned hook (hookaroon) while others have an ax blade opposite the hook.  

The picaroon is an incredibly useful tool, especially if you are dealing with back problems.

Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

How to choose the right picaroon

Bending, together with twisting and turning is to blame for my current sore back. I am now 60, but in my egotistic youthful years, I loved to put my muscles to the test, I would bend and handle massive logs with my bare hands, paying little attention to back safety. Now my body is paying the penance; bad back and hurtful knees. The right picaroon for me should minimize stooping as much as possible, and of course, save my energy.

A long handle helps with force and accuracy

When shopping for a picaroon, remember that the deciding factor for how much you bend when you work with it is the length of the handle. The main impetus for working with a picaroon is to minimize stooping, and so a long handle is ideal. A long handle also helps with mechanical advantage, by reducing the effort that you will have to use to reach the log, roll it, or lift it to a splitter. 

Analyze handle material; it goes hand in hand with durability 

A time of financial constraints, you will want to get the most value from your equipment. For that reason, find a picaroon that you can use for many years to come.  First, starting with the handle, analyze it to ensure that it is sturdy enough to withstand pressure. Wooden handles are usually replaceable, but generally, cedar, oak, hickory, and ash are adequately long-lasting. New designs in the market use composite or steel handles. These are much preferable.

A few more pointers for wooden handles include:

• A cross sectional curved handle  is much easier to swing
• No varnish- it makes the handle slippery
• The wood grain on the ax should be running vertically 
• The growth rings on the wood should be many and narrowly spaced
• A rubber grip on both metallic and wooden handles will give you comfort and ability to work  longer 

A sharp metallic head will work in your favor

Remember that the most critical part of a picaroon contraption is the head. The head, in most cases is made from carbon steel. A metal head with powdered coating would be ideal; the coating minimizes the effect of wear and tear.

For efficient function, choose a picaroon whose head is dynamically shaped and sharpened to a keen hooking edge. The very end should be thin enough to hook into the wood, but thick enough to withstand breaking and chipping.  When you pick a wood piece with the picaroon, most of the weight of the wood will fall within this head, so strength is vital.

The ability to achieve a powerful and sharp hooking edge is contingent on the type of steel used in the head. You can replace handles rather easily (It’s a DIY undertaking), but if the head is scrappy and poor, there is no resurrection apart from auctioning it to for scarp.

Lighter picaroons are easy to swing, but heavier ones are more powerful 

Your choice here should depend on your intended use. If the task is light, you could do with lighter picaroons.  These are easier to use; you can wield it all day and suffer no fatigue. On the other hand, heavy picaroons are efficient in the manner that they stick into wood. No slips and falls, but get ready for a rigorous workout!

Find out how much grip the hook has 

It’s unsafe if the wood pieces you pick with your picaroon keep slipping and falling. You might injure your leg, but that’s not all, it’s just inefficient, and your work will take longer. The grip of the hook is dependent on its sharpness and design. 

5 Best Picaroon Review 

1. Council Tool 36″ Hookaroon

Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Council Tool, a premier manufacturer of woodworking tools, has been in the business since the 1800s.  But does the 36” Hookaroon live up to their reputation?

This Hookaroon (picaroon with the hook pointing downwards) has an old school design with a wooden handle.  The handle is 36 inches long for easy swinging. You will be spared from straining your back muscles because of this handle length.

The handle is not without some ergonomic compliments. It’s curved just the right way to streamline motion and direct the pressure force to the head. This design also helps with balance.  Additionally, the holding end is sculpted for comfort with a palm-sized crown. 

The weight of the whole contraption is 3 pounds, and the balance point is situated 7 inches from the head. Because the hook reaches 5 inches into the handle edge, you shouldn’t be worried of it coming loose when lifting weighty logs.  This hook then tapers into a doubled edged blade with a sharp point for steady penetration and grip of wood pieces. 

Most of the 3 pounds weight falls on the head. This extra weight allows for a powerful swing and a sure grip on the hook end.  Its penetration, however, varies from wood type to wood type. You can sharpen it when performance starts to wane. 

The head is made of forged steel. The ax-like head is coated with enamel a feature that might help to prevent rusting. The makers have drilled the wood end and fitted into it a steel bolt to secure the head in place.

2. Fiskars Hookaroon 28 

Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Fiskars is another old company with a deep history of various cutting edge machines and works tools.  The 28” hookaroon features a blade with serrated edges to help with the grip force on logs. The head is made of boron steel, a factor that can help with durability. 

The 28 inches handle, though not as long as the Council Tool 36” will minimize bending when you work. This design feature will save your lower back muscles. Besides that, the picaroon has a handle flare to ensure that the tool stays firmly in your hand no matter the weight of the load on the hook. 

Unlike the wooden hickory handle in the Council Tool 36 inch, the Fiskars 28” uses a fiber comp handle. This material is a blend of carbon fibers and polyamide (plastic). That explains why the hookaroon is super lightweight. That can be both a good thing and a bad thing. One certain advantage of this material is its superb tensile strength, which means breakability is out of the question here.

As mentioned before, the handle flare on the modernistic handle helps with a firm and comfortable grip. You will be able to work with this tool all day, also owing to its lightweight nature. The main concern here, however, is that due to its lightweight nature, it can be problematic to sink the hook into heavy wood types. A weighty device like the Council Tool 36” would be more suitable for the job when dealing with hardwoods. But again, if you are working with light pieces of wood, such a bulky contraption will only tire you out. 

The synthetic handle excels in durability as compared to wood. Aside from the fact that its natural tensile strength is high, its resistance is also reliable.  That is because the synthetic road is hollow, as opposed to being stiff and solid. Tubular rods are theoretically known to be twice as strong as solid ones. 

3. LogRite 36″ Hookaroon

Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

The LogRite Company started in 2002 has a grass to grace story written with resilience and continuous improvement.  Their 36” Hookaroon features on this list inspired by that. 

The picaroon contraption weighs 2.95 pounds, which is moderate, giving you the perks of both light and weighty hookaroons. The handle is sturdy; the same ones used on the LogRite cant hooks.

All that there is to the head is an incredibly compact crown housing a hook that sticks out to a considerable length.  The clasp is curved with a sharp edge to help with a firm grip on the load.

The only concern is that due to the compact nature of the hook, the point dulls quickly. Sharpening means removing more materials from it, and soon you might end up with a non-functional piece. To make up for that, LogRite has used a powder coating finish to counteract wear and tear.

4. Woodchuck Hookaroon

Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

This hookaroon made by the Minneapolis startup has some design features that can entice anyone at first sight. First is the handle that is long (32 inches) and uses some rubber grip on the holding part. This gripping part has ample spaces to fit your fingers for a more comfortable and powerful swing.

The handle is stainless steel, a design feature that beats the Fiskars. The whole contraption weighs 2 pounds, which you might find to be a bit on the lower side. 

The hook is excellent for picking. You will find that the thin curved edge on the pointed hook delivers a reliable penetration in all wood types. As compared to old school designs like the Council Tool 36 inches, loads don’t slip out of the hook with the Woodchuck picaroon.  For that reason, you will have more control and safety in your work place. 

5. Peavey Mfg Hookaroon 36 inch

Last update on 2024-04-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

I often aim to save money even when I am looking to prevent back pains and attain efficiency. The MFG hookaroon presents that chance, with versatility in function. Its design allows it to work as picaroon and a Peavey at the same time. You will find it helpful in lifting, rolling, and wedging trunks of wood. 

Like the Council Tool, which so far has been the lengthiest in this review, the MFG hookaroon is also 36 inches end to end and features a wooden handle. This design is a significant advantage when you are looking to minimize stooping, or when you have to reach those logs of wood at the farthest end of your truck without climbing up.

It has a medium weight of 2.5 pounds, which means you will still get a powerful thrust but be able to save your energy as well.  A well-built man can to wield it one-handed. But an average built guy might not be able to swing it all day long. 

The hook is more pointed and slender, which makes it stick into wood pieces with ease.  Nonetheless, this feature might be of concern when working with hardwoods. The thin hook might not hold steady because its edge is not curved enough.

The best pick 

Compared to others in this review, the Woodchuck Hookaroon Pickaroon stands out with top qualities. The steel handle is durable and nearly indestructible. The handle features rubber holdings cleverly carved to fit your fingers for a firm grip.  

On the other hand, the hook is slender and curved a design that helps with sharp penetration and a non-slip tickety boo experience in all your tasks.

 

Last Updated on August 7, 2020 by