Truncator chainsaw logging bench (as seen on Dragon's Den)

A couple of weeks ago at the Weald Wood Fair I saw a logging system being demonstrated, and pretty quickly realised I had to have one! It's the 'Truncator', which has apparently been on the BBC programme Dragon's Den.

I've made a video review which you can watch here, followed by some still images below.

I've got the Pro version with five 'cups', as shown below. I chose to mount the cups on a separate piece of wood, which in this photo is sat on top of the trestle that comes as part of the kit:

The piece of wood with the cups on it is held down using a couple of ratchet straps:

Once you've loaded logs into the Truncator, you use the bungee cord attached to one of the cups to hold the logs in place:

It's locked in using this beautifully simple little clip - the grooves in it not only grip the bungee cord but also use its tension to force the cord into the clip:

I spaced the cups to cut a 2 meter log into six pieces, with the final piece dropping off into a wheelbarrow:

The other five logs stay sat in the cups after using the chainsaw to cut them:

Then you push the wheelbarrow along and tip the cups so the logs fall into it:

Conveniently, one load of logs nicely fills a large wheelbarrow:

The other option is to use the ratchet straps to hold the Truncator on the side of the trailer:

I've attached some small blocks of wood on the underside of the Truncator to locate it accurately on the trailer:

I still use the ratchet straps to secure it though:

As on the trestle, you load it up with long logs - and you can see here why I chose to have five cups rather than six - the sixth would miss the trailer anyway, so may as well be absent, allowing the logs fall into a wheelbarrow:

The logs in the cups can be rapidly tipped straight into the trailer:

Overall it's an excellent invention, and I'm looking forward to using it more in the spring to prepare logs for the following winter. In my view, the key advantages of the Truncator are:

• No metal parts, so if you hit one of the cups with the chainsaw the chain will be undamaged.
• Cups mounted on an easily available wooden beam, so if it gets worn down over time by occasional touches from the chainsaw it can be replaced easily and cheaply.
• Cups can be separated by any distance, so you can produce logs at a length ideal for your woodburner or stove.
• Integrated bungee cord to hold the logs in place, which can be secured in seconds.
• Very fast to use.
• Avoids the need to pick up logs from the ground, saving strain on your back.

If you want one, you can buy them from truncator.co.uk.

Mike