Ax Men

[rbattelle]

Anyone else watch this show? It started last week.



I like it. It's similar to Ice Road Truckers.



Anyway, if you liked Ice Road Truckers you might want to check out Ax Men.



Next episode is tonight at 9.



Ryan

 

[DBentley]

thanks for the heads up

I will check it out tonite

 

[Dl5treez]

Growing up in this industry, I can honestly say--other than the over-dramatic voice overs--everything you see on that show is 100% legit.



Actually, so far, they're pretty tame. It should get interesting.

 

[Chief USA]

I watched it last weekend and have the DVR set to record the other episodes. Definitely a different way of logging than how they do around my area. Gave me some good ideas on how to recover logs from inaccessble areas though.

 

[Todd G]

I have to say that show is WAY better than Ice Road Truckers! That show was BORING! Loggers put their life on the line every day.

 

[rbattelle]

other than the over-dramatic voice overs

The one thing I think is goofy about this show (and Ice Road Truckers) is the way they make it a "competition" to see who can haul the most loads.



Ax Men is good enough that it doesn't need the "help" of making it a suspenseful competition.

I have to say that show is WAY better than Ice Road Truckers! That show was BORING! Loggers put their life on the line every day.

I liked Ice Road Truckers, but you're right - it was a fairly boring show and the narration was written in a sometimes laughable attempt to make it more exciting.



Ryan

 

[Joe G.]

I enjoyed the show. When I was a kid I worked in the woods during the summer. Not a high lead operation like those guys, but plenty dangerous all the same. I almost lost all the fingers on my right hand. Another half second they would have been gone, but the cat skinner saw the problem just in time. Another time I was almost run over by a cat with brake failure. One guy who worked where I did who had worked in the woods for years had a log roll on him that broke his leg in six places. I had a big piece of a log that was about six feet long and pointed on one end fly through the air very close to me when it split off the log. All the guys on that show sound like my son-in-law who lives in Roseburg, OR and works in the woods on logging jobs just like the ones on the show. I don't know if they can continue to make the show interesting because logging is just hard work and you do the same things everyday.



I don't know about the competition idea. Everybody busts their butts all day to get as much wood on the trucks as they can regardless of what the other outfits are doing.

 

[Dl5treez]

Speed is the money maker... . you get a job, the fallers go in and cut, and the faster you get it up to the landing and out on the trucks, the more money you make.



Simple math---X amount of dollars to do the job/X amount of day on the job = gross per day income.



The faster companies get more work.



Most of the trucks are paid on percentage of gross hauled. Drivers for example in a company truck like Browning's will make between 32-36% of gross. Some drivers are by the hour but that's rare anymore, unless the outfit is union... . so a sitting truck = no money for the driver = driver looking for another place to haul. The rigging crews, shovel operator, yarder engineer, chasers, etc are all by the hour, so the longer they work, the more OT they make, but some companies have profit sharing bonuses to encourage faster work. Of course, too... . if you're slow, you'll probably get replaced by someone faster.



It's dangerous, but good money if you get on with a good company and can bust your *** ... .....



The "yoder" operation is relatively small. The high lead/skyline jobs on the other sides are higher production.



All these are small time compared to the "good old days" of 120ft Skagit and Tillman towers pulling carriages on two skylines... . loading out 40 trucks a day with two, sometimes three shovels under each tower. Used to be a ballet of chaos I tell ya.



We'll see how the show goes from here.

 

[midlife crisis]

I thought it was a cool show as well. Sure did bring back some memories.

Just as I was thinking -if someone gets hurt,they are very screwed-the one fella hurt his back.

Boy those Carriages sure lead a tough life. From the running inclination to the way they are treated- its amazing they last an hour.

Good use of a Sherman tank. . the guy running it must be the shows' "Mr. Attitude". Wouldnt be a Reality show without deadlines, tantrums and competition.

 

[stg2500]

I also thought it was a great show. I also enjoy the Ice Road Truckers and other similar shows. Sure beats some of the stuff on the major networks.

 

[Chief USA]

I also thought it was a great show. I also enjoy the Ice Road Truckers and other similar shows. Sure beats some of the stuff on the major networks.

AMEN! You sure got that right.

 

[BPowers]

I've only watched a little bit of it. But I like it. It shows what hard working americans do to make a living.

 

[rbattelle]

I notice quite a few Dodge owners on the show! Nice to see that sort of thing.

J. M. Browning drives a silver Dodge. Pihl's owner drives a red '06. The guy from the timber company that Pihl was working with had a white Dodge, although it looked like a 1/2 ton. I think I saw one or two others during last weeks show.

The lead site guy from Gufstafson (sp?) drives a lifted black Ford. And the owner of Gufstafson has what looks like a red Chevy.

Ahhhh... the beauty of DVR.

Ryan

 

[Dl5treez]

I notice quite a few Dodge owners on the show! Nice to see that sort of thing.



J. M. Browning drives a silver Dodge. Pihl's owner drives a red '06. The guy from the timber company that Pihl was working with had a white Dodge, although it looked like a 1/2 ton. I think I saw one or two others during last weeks show.



The lead site guy from Gufstafson (sp?) drives a lifted black Ford. And the owner of Gufstafson has what looks like a red Chevy.



Ahhhh... the beauty of DVR.



Ryan

So true. Out here in the great northwest, diesel pickups are a "must have"..... most kids in high school want a fast car---in this part of the country, they want 4 door 4x4 diesel pickups. "6 packs" as we affectionately call them. Gotta have the Protech headache rack, winky lights, and transfer tank, too. :-laf



Up until the fabulous Cummins and the nearly equally awesome Duramax, 99% of logger's pickups were Fords, with the occasional Suburban "crummy" thrown in the mix. It wasn't until the GM and Chrysler brought a decent engine to the table that you started seeing more the other brands in the woods..... and with the abomination of the 6. 0 Powerstroke many guys are using the Rams and Chevy/GMC's.



Older F350's with the 7. 3 are worth their weight in gold around here... .

 

[bigdaddydieseldan]

absolutely love ax men it is a great show. :-laf :-laf :-laf

 

[Skydiver]

I enjoyed it. There should be cameras mounted up high in the trees, yoder or carriage. Better view. I would like to see a spec. list on the cariage. Never heard of a carriage.

I was not thrilled with the editing. They should allow the crews to edit.



I had a 4 cord pulpwood truck in 82. The break downs were every other day. When my friend broke his ankle along with constant headaches I sold it all. I almost got in a tax jam also.

 

[Dl5treez]

... I would like to see a spec. list on the cariage. Never heard of a carriage...

Your wish is my command... . here are the "big 3" in no particular order:

Eagle Carriage & Machine
Eagle Carriage logging Equipment Custom bumpers

ACME Manufacturing - ACME Sky Cars
ACME Manufacturing, Inc.

Boman Sky Cars
Motorized Carriages, Logging and Forestry Equipment from Boman Industries Oregon


Oh, and that "horn" you hear honking all the "beep beep beep" morse code-type stuff. That's the rigging slinger "talking" to the yarder engineer via a "Talkie Tooter"... .
Rothenbuhler Engineering - Welcome


Hope this helps,

Dan

 

[JCasper]

This show is filmed about 40-50 miles West of where I live.



My Uncle just told me this last weekend that 2 of the Gustafsons are our Cousins. Hell, you learn something new everyday.

 

[sdstriper]

It sure does show how much abuse the rigging takes, very surprising some of the things they do with their "ropes"... It's no wonder people lose their lives. Problem is, what is the alternative?