Nonmember's Runescape Help: Woodcutting Guide

Woodcutting is a slower skill to train, but it can be fairly profitable for nonmembers. If you want to just train Woodcutting, drop the logs that you cut and continue to cut down more trees. If you want to make money, bank the logs that you cut, please note that this usually takes longer to do, resulting in less xp. Additionally, most logs sell for a very little amount of money, given the exception of yew logs, which sell for over 450gp each! Finally, if you want to train Woodcutting and Firemaking, just burn the logs you cut. Included in this guide are images and important information to help you either make loads of cash, or to get your Woodcutting Level up.

Woodcutting Levels 1-15:
If you kept your starter hatchet, which was a bronze one, you will be all set to go, but if you want to train Firemaking simultaneously, you will need to bring a tinderbox. A tinderbox is easily obtained at any General Store for less then 5gp, while a bronze hatchet is given for free when you talk to the Woodcutting Tutor if you lost your old hatchet. Since the iron hatchet requires only a Woodcutting Level of 1, this may be used instead of a bronze hatchet, although this isn't necessary because you gain levels quickly at lower levels. When you achieve Woodcutting Level 6, upgrade to the steel hatchet, or, if you have enough money switch to the black hatchet. For these first few levels, regular trees should be cut. They are common, and these trees are almost every where in RuneScape. Making money by selling these logs isn't recommended, for they sell for around 30gp per log, although there is a good spot to cut them just south of the G.E. (Grand Exchange) and to sell them at the G.E.

Here is one of the many good places to find regular trees:

Woodcutting Levels 15-31:
During this stage in your training, oak trees are the best to chop down. These trees are less common then the normal trees, but they are still fairly abundant compared to other, rarer trees. As you gain Woodcutting Levels, make sure to buy the best hatchet you can use. You should upgrade to the mithril hatchet when you reach level 21, and when you reach level 31, you should obtain an adamant hatchet. Oak trees are common around Draynor Village, as shown on the map below. Additionally, if you are trying to make money, you can quickly bank your cut logs at the Draynor Village Bank. Although this area seems perfect, it isn't. Aggressive Jail Guards (combat level 26) roam this area, and they are dangerous to players under the combat level of 53! If you have a lower combat level then 53, I wouldn't recommend to attempt this method. While the Jail Guards are lower level, they could become annoying, and possibly kill you. As a tip, if you do this method, and your combat level is lower then 53, either bring some good armour as protection, and/or run behind the fences surrounding the jail if you are attacked. This method is mostly for players who are going to try bank their logs quickly, and I will list a safer version: Another area that has a fair amount of oak trees is west of the West Varrock Bank. This is safer then the Draynor Village method, but it is not as efficient. Also, the bank is farther away. Still, this method is highly recommended for lower leveled players to prevent the risk of dying.

The Draynor Village method is more dangerous, but it cuts down on some of the time needed to travel to the bank:

The Varrock method is less dangerous, but the oak trees are farther away from the bank, resulting in less xp because of the longer distance required to travel to the bank and back:

Woodcutting Levels 31-99:

At Woodcutting Level 31, you should be able to use an adamant hatchet. Make sure to buy one, for chopping down willow trees is not recommended if you don't have the adamant hatchet. If you are short on cash, just chop down oak trees for money until you have around 700gp so that you can buy an adamant hatchet at the G.E. As you reach Woodcutting Level 41, buy the best hatchet for nonmembers: the rune hatchet. If you don't have enough money to buy the rune hatchet, chop down oak logs until you have around 7k. Even better, run through the Stronghold of Player Safety to get the 10k as a reward at the end of the maze. Chopping down willow trees is the fastest way to reach Woodcutting Level 99. North of the Crafting Guild, there are 8 willow trees. If you are going to train Firemaking as well as Woodcutting here, there is a straight line clear of obstructions so that you can light all your fires in a row. This area is not crowded at all, unlike the 5 willow trees right by Draynor Bank. If you train Woodcutting by Draynor Bank, it is likely that you will not receive any logs at all, for higher level woodcutters are chopping down the trees and because of there high Woodcutting Level, they will get all the logs. Besides, willow trees are only good for xp, since the they sell for around 20gp each. If you just want to train Woodcutting, drop the logs that you get from the willow trees above the Crafting Guild.

Above the Crafting Guild, there are 8 willow trees that are good for xp:

Woodcutting Levels 80-99:
Because willow trees give faster xp, this method is simply for cash. Yew logs can sell for over 450 gp per log! Usually, yew trees are surrounded with players chopping them down. Overall, the best place to cut down yew trees in south of Falador. The Falador Bank is relatively close by, and there are 3 yew trees to chop down. Additionally, there aren't too many players here. When you get a higher Woodcutting Level, you can go to more crowded places to chop down yew trees. Again, a high Woodcutting Level helps you chop down the yew trees faster, and if your Woodcutting Level is higher then the other people chopping down the yew trees, you will most likely get most of the yew logs. Time also makes a difference when chopping down these rare trees. If you play early in the morning, many other players will be sleeping, and not playing RuneScape. Being on a PvP world helps too, but there is a huge risk associated to it, for you might die and lose your hatchet and/or any other things you are carrying. If you do this, I suggest that you just have your rune hatchet equipped, so if someone else attacks you, you could put on your protect item prayer, which saves your most valuable item if you are skulled. Being skulled means that you will lose every item you have if you die, with the exception of your rune hatchet because you had your protect item prayer on. The protection prayer isn't needed if you aren't skulled, for you will keep your 3 best items if you die.

Overall, just south of Falador is the best place to chop down yew trees due to the 3 yew trees and the relatively close proximity to the Falador Bank: