OSRS Woodcutting: Redwoods vs Tick Teaks to 99

Game screenshots and facts are cited from the Old School RuneScape Wiki (strategy, equipment, drops, and related pages). Writing is original editorial, not a copy of the wiki article.

At level 90 Woodcutting, you unlock access to the massive redwood trees inside the Woodcutting Guild. From that moment until 99, two very different training philosophies dominate: park yourself at a redwood section and let the long depletion timer do the work, or lock into high-intensity tick manipulation at teak trees to squeeze out the fastest experience possible. Each path has its own requirements, attention demands, clue scroll quirks, and gold implications.

The choice is not obvious. Redwoods reward low-attention play with logs, clue nests, and a famously forgiving cut rate, while teak tick manipulation can more than double your hourly experience if you maintain a precise cycle. This guide compares both methods so you can pick the one that fits your playstyle, account build, and real-life schedule.

Who This Is For and Requirements

Both methods target players with 90 Woodcutting who want 99, but they cater to different temperaments. If you can only glance at the screen every few minutes, redwoods are the clear winner. If you can dedicate full attention and want to minimize total hours, tick manipulation teaks are the path.

Before committing, check your account progress:

Ironmen can follow the same methods, but should note that redwood logs have limited use on an ironman outside of Bird houses and some construction; selling them on the Grand Exchange is not an option. Mains can convert redwood logs into passive gold while training.

How Redwood Trees Work (Mechanics)

Redwoods are unique among OSRS trees. Each of the two scaffolded redwood trees in the Woodcutting Guild has 12 choppable sections across two floors, giving 24 total spots. A section depletes after 440 ticks (4 minutes and 24 seconds) of continuous chopping, and the timer resets if you stop before it falls. Once depleted, it respawns after 199 ticks (119.4 seconds). That long depletion window is what makes redwoods so AFK: you can click once and then look away for several minutes.

Inside the guild you receive an invisible +7 Woodcutting level boost, but you do not get the usual group chopping bonus. The game rolls for a log every 4 ticks, and success is based on your Woodcutting level and axe. At level 90 with a dragon axe, you will still fail frequently; at higher levels and with a crystal axe, the cut chance improves significantly.

Unlike most trees, redwoods only ever produce clue nests—never seed, ring, or egg nests. This means that the strung rabbit foot and Woodcutting cape perk have no effect on redwood clue nests. If you want elite/master clue scrolls while AFK, redwoods are one of the best sources because every nest you see is a clue nest. The beaver pet is also on the table at roughly 1/70,000 per successful cut, scaling slightly with level.

In terms of profit, redwood logs are worth cutting and banking. The wiki's money making guide lists cutting redwood logs at roughly 144,857 coins per hour at the time of writing, but log prices fluctuate constantly—always check the current Grand Exchange price before assuming that rate.

Tick Manipulation Teaks: The Efficient Path

Teak trees require only level 35 Woodcutting and grant 85 experience per set of logs. Their low requirement hides their true potential: teak trees are among the highest Woodcutting experience per hour in the game when combined with tick manipulation. Instead of waiting for the regular 4-tick chopping cycle, a skilled player can force a log roll every 1.5 or 2 ticks by interrupting the animation with movement or an item use. The result is a massive increase in logs cut per hour—and experience.

There are two mainstream tick manipulation methods at teaks:

Standard teak chopping without tick manipulation is not competitive at level 90+ if you want fast XP, but it remains a decent low-attention alternative for players who haven't unlocked redwoods yet or want to train below 90. For the 90-99 stretch, however, tick teaks are the efficient choice.

Attention, Clue Scrolls, and XP Tradeoffs

Here is a side-by-side look at the main methods, their attention demands, and what you can expect from each. Exact experience per hour varies by axe, level, and whether you are using felling axes with rations, so use the table as a relative guide and verify current rates on the wiki before locking in a plan.

If you are hunting clue scrolls, redwoods have a subtle advantage: because every bird nest from a redwood is a clue nest, you will never waste time on seed or ring nests. At teaks, clue nests are rarer relative to other drops, and at Prifddinas you may also get crystal shards. But the AFK nature of redwoods means you can chop for hours while working, making them a very consistent clue source over a long session.

Gear, Supplies, and Inventory

Your axe is the single most important piece of equipment for both methods. Felling axes grant 10% more Woodcutting experience when used with Forester's rations, but they are not always necessary for AFK redwoods because the extra XP is nice but the AFK time is unchanged. For tick teaks, the faster cycle already provides massive XP, so felling axes can push it further if you can maintain a supply of rations.

For AFK redwoods, your inventory should be simple: your best axe, a stack of Forester's rations if using a felling axe, and plenty of free space for redwood logs and clue nests. You can bank logs by running to the bank chest in the Woodcutting Guild, or simply drop them if you don't care about profit. For tick teaks, you will often drop the logs to maintain the cycle, so inventory space matters less, but you will need the item(s) used to set the tick stall—commonly a knife and a stack of swamp tar or similar. The exact setup varies by method, so confirm the current meta on the wiki before starting.

Common Mistakes in the 90-99 Stretch

Even experienced players sabotage their own training. Watch for these errors with each method.

• Using a low-tier axe at redwoods. At level 90 with a bronze through rune axe, your cut chance is poor. At minimum, use a dragon axe; ideally crystal or crystal felling axe.
• Forgetting Forester's rations with a felling axe. You lose the 10% XP bonus and the felling axe becomes only a cosmetic variant.
• Leaving a redwood section before it depletes. The depletion timer resets if you stop cutting, so if you need to bank, do it after the section falls.
• Not bringing a knife or stall item to tick teaks. Without the proper item, you cannot perform the manipulation and will fall back to normal 4-tick chopping.
• Banking teak logs during tick manipulation. Unless you are at Tai Bwo Wannai with the parcel service, dropping logs is almost always better for maintaining the cycle. Banking will dramatically reduce XP/hr.
• Expecting clue nests from redwoods to contain seeds. Redwood nests are exclusively clue nests, so don't wait for a magic seed—it will never come.

Time, Gold, and the Honest Shortcut

From 90 to 99 Woodcutting, you need a large chunk of the 13,034,431 total experience. Redwoods offer a relaxed but slower rate; tick teaks can be more than twice as fast but demand intense focus. The right choice depends on how you value your time outside the game.

If you choose redwoods, you will accumulate thousands of redwood logs. Selling them on the Grand Exchange provides a steady trickle of gold, effectively making your training profitable. If you choose tick teaks, you will likely drop every log, sacrificing all profit for speed. That opportunity cost is real: a main account training via teaks may earn zero coins while a redwood chopper earns millions.

This is where the "honest shortcut" comes in. Buying OSRS gold from a third-party marketplace can fund the best axe, rations, and even a service to complete the grind for you. It is against Jagex's rules, so you accept the risk, but for many players with limited playtime, the trade-off is worth it. If you are going to spend real money anyway, make sure you understand what you are getting and use a reputable seller. Then, whether you choose AFK redwoods or tick teaks, you won't be held back by a bronze axe.

If you want to skip the hours of afking and jump straight to 99, consider a professional leveling service. But if you'd rather gather your own supplies, you can still buy gold to gear up instantly. View live gold rates to see what your budget can unlock.

Practical Next Steps

Your decision tree is simple:

1. If you want maximum AFK: Get 90 Woodcutting, complete Hosidius favour, buy a dragon axe or better, and teleport to the Woodcutting Guild. Climb to the top floor, find an empty redwood section, and start chopping. Bring Forester's rations if using a felling axe. Check back every few minutes.
2. If you want maximum XP and can focus: Choose either Fossil Island 1.5t or Prifddinas/Ape Atoll 2t. Gather the required items, plant teaks (if needed), and practice the tick manipulation cycle until it becomes muscle memory. Then commit to a session length you can sustain without mistakes.
3. If you want a balance: Use redwoods when you are working or watching shows, and switch to tick teaks when you have dedicated gaming time. This hybrid approach keeps the skill moving without burning out.

Finally, remember that your Woodcutting cape will not boost your clue nest rate at redwoods, and the strung rabbit foot is worthless there. Use that knowledge to plan your inventory and expectations.

Sources

Facts in this guide are sourced from the following Old School RuneScape Wiki pages. Always verify current rates and prices before committing to a method:

• Pay-to-play Woodcutting training
• Redwood tree
• Teak tree