We're going to be debarking around 60 Aspen to build our cordwood home, and are considering using The Log Wizard to make this a bit faster and easier.

Have you used one of these for debarking? What's your opinion?

ive only used one once, however a friend of mine builds log homes ans uses them regularly, they work very good. I do offer a piece of advice, wear chaps, or some kind of padding on your legs especially below the knee, the wjzard throughs the bark back and it stings like crazy. If you have a lot of logs it becomes unpleasant.

brian lee wrote:ive only used one once, however a friend of mine builds log homes ans uses them regularly, they work very good. I do offer a piece of advice, wear chaps, or some kind of padding on your legs especially below the knee, the wjzard throughs the bark back and it stings like crazy. If you have a lot of logs it becomes unpleasant.

Ah yes. I can see where it would. I'm bothered by the saw chips hitting my legs!

No personal experience with them, but a couple of hand made log home companies around here use them.  I watched one guy debarking a large spruce with one in a much shorter timeframe than the same job could have been done with a draw knife or bark spud.  Logs looked good when peeled with it.  Be careful, wear chaps, gloves eye and ear protection while using it.

I build log houses and use a log wizard on every iog. When I first got one I mounted on the end of a 18" bar (shortest I had at the time) and found it very hard to control. But then my logs will become someone's wall paper and siding. For cordwood a smooth finish may not be important. I found that adjusting how far the blades stick out of the drum can make the cut much easier to control (I use a $10 harbor frate caliper to keep them even). To keep the unit as short as possible, I get 2 bars with bad tips from my saw dealer, cut the engine mount end of both and weld them together. One end on the saw and the log wizard on other with no drilling (not easy with a saw bar). I once hired someone to debark logs who thought the trigger was a light switch,  all the way on or all the way off. The problem is that if the log wizard isn't using all power saw has it stop sparking (fireing) ever other time and the unburned gas built up carbon under the piston rings forcing them out until they ate the cylinder on 3 new saws, about 6 weeks each before I figured out why. You should keep speed near max but not wide open. Good luck with your cordwood house. I once a cold northern Wisconsin winter in one and stayed warm inside with a small wood stove.