The best F2P trees for woodcutting are:
Willow trees (best experience per hour) Yew trees (best money per hour)
While members have a few more options, being able to choose between these:
Redwood trees (most AFK experience per hour) Magic trees (most hourly profit) Mahogany trees (a mix of experience and money, slightly less afk)
Of course, members can always use any F2P spot too. Note: the prices of logs tend to fluctuate now and then (curse those bots!), so I advise you to do a small five minute research before getting to the choppin’.
Best F2P Woodcutting Spots
Willow Trees
Unfortunately, free to play doesn’t have access to a lot of trees that favor “the way of the afk”, so we’ll have to do with what we have. With that said, Willow trees are a pretty decent source of experience if that’s what you’re looking for. Being a very low level tree (30 Woodcutting) means your inventory is going to be filled with logs quite quickly, so you should either chop them near a bank, or drop them for maximum experience gains. Maple Trees at the Corsair Resource Area are a good alternative if you want something similar, or just a change of scenery. The suggested Willow tree locations are:
Draynor Bank (F2P) Woodcutting Guild (P2P)
Yew Trees
Yew trees are the high-end of F2P trees, and something every young player dreamed of cutting back in 2007. Even though they’re a bit slower to get, their logs are worth much more than any other non-member logs, making them very appealing in the long run. It’s not recommended to cut Yew trees until you’re at least level 70 in Woodcutting, otherwise they’ll be painfully slow. The best spots for Yews in F2P would be the area behind the Edgeville bank, while for members it’s the Woodcutting Guild again.
Best P2P Woodcutting Spots
Redwood Trees
The first members-only tree on our list is the gigantic Redwood. These enormous trees combine the best of two worlds, good exp rates and great afk-ability! Their logs are usually worth around 300 coins, so it’s up to you whether to store or drop them. One slight problem is their relatively tall requirement of 90 Woodcutting, so they’re something to look for near the end of your chopping journey. Though Redwoods can be found in two places (Woodcutting Guild and Farming Guild), it’s highly recommended to choose the Woodcutting Guild for the invisible +7 bonus you get while within its boundaries.
Magic Trees
On the other end of extremes, Magics are here once again to claim their spot as RuneScape’s most valuable tree. Magic logs have always been the most expensive ones throughout the history of OSRS (currently hovering around 1K), and that’s probably not going to change for a long time (unless Jagex decides to release Ancient-Magic trees or something). The experience you get isn’t the greatest. But it’s not too shabby either. Once again, the Woodcutting Guild is the proposed best location to cut them, due to the invisible boost and their proximity to a nearby bank chest.
Mahogany Trees
In my opinion, Mahogany Trees are the most under the radar and underutilized Woodcutting training method in OSRS. Their experience sits right between Redwoods and Yews, while their hourly profit can be as good as even that of the Magic trees! The only “bad” thing about them is that they’re generally found in hard to reach locations, and require some extra effort to make them worthwhile. If you’ve got 55 farming (and to a lesser extent 70 Agility), the best location for Mahoganies is your own hard-wood tree patch on Fossil Island. Players that aren’t fond of doing quests can go and chop the Mahogany trees behind the Farming Guild instead. Teak trees can also serve as a substitute with similar gold and experience per hour rates.
Bonus Cutting-Edge Tips
Do you want to cut-ahead of the competition? Here’s a few things to know about that will definitely aid you in your journey to become the world’s greatest lumberjack:
Always use the best axe available to your skill-level that you can afford. The Infernal Axe is a sidegrade to the Dragon Axe that instantly burns a third of the logs you chop, in exchange for some Firemaking experience (about half their regular exp). It can store up to 5.000 charges, and can be recharged upon depletion. The Crystal Axe is currently the best axe in the game (as of this writing). Due to its pricey upkeep cost of Crystal Shards, it should only be used on high-level trees like Magics. While equipped, an Elven Signet provides a 10% to not use a crystal tool charge, including the axe. On a similar note, woodcutting trees inside Prifddinas have a chance of giving the player a Crystal Shard, which is something to think about if you don’t mind losing the +7 bonus of the Guild. Lastly, the Lumberjack Outfit from Temple Trekking will boost all your woodcutting experience earned by 2.5%. Neat!