# End of the Season Uglies (knots, ect) kills maul



## Biff_CT2 (Nov 30, 2010)

Couple of end of the season oak knots killed my Craftsman 6lb maul - never had a head split on me before.

Regardless, I can't seem to get more than 2-3 cords out of these things.  Fortunately, Sears still replaces mauls and wedges here free of charge.


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## cmonSTART (Nov 30, 2010)

Wow.  I've never seen that before.


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## bboulier (Dec 1, 2010)

Yikes!  That's scary.


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## Elim (Dec 1, 2010)

Wow! That is something else. Sears sells Fiskars Super Splitter Axes. Might grab one of them while your there.


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## wkpoor (Dec 1, 2010)

Elim said:
			
		

> Wow! That is something else. Sears sells Fiskars Super Splitter Axes. Might grab one of them while your there.


I secind the motion on the Fiskars..........or better yet attach a cylinder to that edge hehehehe.


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## yooperdave (Dec 1, 2010)

i've had and been using my husquvarna orange handled maul since 1984...it was free with my rancher 61 saw. quite a few seasons, eh?


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## mach1john (Dec 1, 2010)

I have one of those Husky mauls also. Its at least that old! Still works great!


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## Flatbedford (Dec 1, 2010)

Were you beating on it with a sledge, or did it just break while you were swinging it?


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## southbound (Dec 1, 2010)

Flatbedford said:
			
		

> Were you beating on it with a sledge, or did it just break while you were swinging it?



+1


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## Biff_CT2 (Dec 1, 2010)

Flatbedford said:
			
		

> Were you beating on it with a sledge, or did it just break while you were swinging it?



Nope, the SOB just let go on me while I was beating on a wedge.

You should see the mushroom head on the wedge (heh, heh, heh...)  That sucker sheds shrapnel routinely - which is why I keep the kids clear and wear safety glasses.

I gotta say though, it did much better than the 2 8lb mauls from Home Depot that I broke during the summer.  The Home Depot 8lb mauls with the black and yellow handles are pretty to look at, but completely useless as tools as far as I'm concerned.

Hadn't thought to check out the Husquevarma or Husky mauls.

I've got an old Stanley China-built 8lb head that needs a new handle that I can resurrect as well.


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## Danno77 (Dec 1, 2010)

never seen that happen before.


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## Soundslikejosh (Dec 1, 2010)

Personally I'd move on if you keep breaking Craftsman mauls.  This is a more serious issue than just "having to replace it".  One of these times you could be injured pretty bad.  Same goes for the mushroomed wedge you brag about.  It is good that you get your kids out of the way... but who buys the groceries when Dad is off work recovering...or worse?

I hope my first post doesn't come across as rude.  Just trying to look out for fellow man.


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## Danno77 (Dec 1, 2010)

Soundslikejosh said:
			
		

> Personally I'd move on if you keep breaking Craftsman mauls.  This is a more serious issue than just "having to replace it".  One of these times you could be injured pretty bad.  Same goes for the mushroomed wedge you brag about.  It is good that you get your kids out of the way... but who buys the groceries when Dad is off work recovering...or worse?
> 
> I hope my first post doesn't come across as rude.  Just trying to look out for fellow man.


I'm with you on the serious issue being how often he has to replace it. either they are crap mauls or you are doing it wrong. I broke a few handles when I was learning with my 6lber, but It and my 8 look like new after 6 cords+ on the handles (6lber head probably only has 12 cord on it). But I don't use mine to pound on anything except maybe felling wedges and rusted on brake rotors.


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## Dune (Dec 2, 2010)

Biff_CT2 said:
			
		

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Safety glasses are not going to save your life if shrapnel goes through your juglar or your throat. Grind the mushrooming off.


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## lobsta1 (Dec 4, 2010)

I just want to know how you get the picture that tiny?
Al


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## RustyShackleford (Dec 5, 2010)

I've had the same maul for decades; can't recall where I bought it.

I used to break the wooden handle every year or two, then fiberglass
handles came along and I just replaced my first one after 10+ years.
However, my hands have been bothering me (I also rock climb), so
I got another maul with a wooden handle.   I can't believe how much
less shock/vibration it transmits to the hands.   So my policy now is
to use the fiberglass-handled one when I'm beating a wedge (I think
that's when the wooden handles are most likely to get damaged,
when you mis-strike a wedge), and use the wooden-handled one
otherwise.  Fortunately my wood tends to be split-able enough, and
my technique good enough, then I rarely need the wedge, and then
only for the first split (of a round into two halves).

I hope the head of my new wooden-handled one is up to snuff, but
since theoretically I won't be striking a wedge with it, it should
hopefully be ok.

My wedge is pretty mushroomed though - guess I should get a new one.


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## Biff_CT2 (Dec 5, 2010)

RustyShackleford said:
			
		

> I've had the same maul for decades; can't recall where I bought it.
> 
> I used to break the wooden handle every year or two, then fiberglass
> handles came along and I just replaced my first one after 10+ years.
> ...




I've just finished spliiting for the season.  Great day for it - it's been around freezing and sunny here, so it's warm while working in direct sunlight.  My new (replacement) 6lb Carftsman maul got me through about a half face-cord of knots and trash leftovers.  I've got two mushroom'd out wedges that I'll be taking back to Sears when I've got some time.

I do agree with the comments on here about taking wedges too far between grindings, they make sense.

I'm interested in your thoughts on returning to wood handles on my sledge and maul.  My hands always throb after a few hours of beating on wedges, though I hadn't until reading your post associated it with the fiberglass handle on my Craftsman maul.

My last wooden handle replacement failed - the head started rocking after about a half a cord, and I ended up breaking the necked portion as I hadn't seated the handle far enough into the head.  Do you file the neck of the handle to get it all the way down into the maul head?  Would like to see a picture of a replacement handle prior to cutting it down and seating the keepers in the head.

I've got a sledge and a maul handle replacement to do during the off-season, and I wanted to use take them both as an opportunity to show my boys how to do a  handle replacement job properly.  It's also a good lesson for them in being thrifty.


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## Danno77 (Dec 6, 2010)

RustyShackleford said:
			
		

> ...I can't believe how much
> less shock/vibration it transmits to the hands...


I'm glad to finally read that someone else thinks that. I know I've posted it before, but I read so many posts about fg handles being "easier on the joints" that I just figured maybe I was crazy.


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## midwestcoast (Dec 6, 2010)

I haven't used fiberglass handled mauls, so no idea if there's a difference. I wonder if a few layers of rubber tape would help the vibes?


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## bboulier (Dec 6, 2010)

I got a Fiskar's super splitter this year in order to split a large maple felled in our yard.  It has been a terrific tool.  Have been gradually turning the tree into firewood every weekend.  Today was the first time that I had to go back to a maul with wooden handles and two wedges.  These were two branches that were pretty twisty..  The Fiskar's just bounced off.  The maul worked well  - enjoyed the cracking sound of the wood.  Once the branch was split in half, the Fiskars's worked pretty well in further subdivisions.


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## RustyShackleford (Dec 6, 2010)

Biff_CT2 said:
			
		

> I do agree with the comments on here about taking wedges too far between grindings, they make sense.


I'm glad for the heads-up here about the dangers, although I always wear eye-pro when hitting steel against steel.


> I'm interested in your thoughts on returning to wood handles on my sledge and maul.  My hands always throb after a few hours of beating on wedges, though I hadn't until reading your post associated it with the fiberglass handle on my Craftsman maul.


Like I said, I rarely use wedges, and I'm sure that's harder on your hands (than hitting wood with the splitting side) regardless of the handle type.


> My last wooden handle replacement failed - the head started rocking after about a half a cord, and I ended up breaking the necked portion as I hadn't seated the handle far enough into the head.  Do you file the neck of the handle to get it all the way down into the maul head?  Would like to see a picture of a replacement handle prior to cutting it down and seating the keepers in the head.


I haven't replaced a wooden handle since the Reagan administration.  But for sure you want the end of the handle to come flush with the far side of the hole in the maul head, whatever it takes to make that happen.  The fiberglass one that I replaced recently included some special kind of "striking tool" epoxy, and it seems to have worked pretty well thus far.  Might be worth trying to find some for doing your wooden one.


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## savageactor7 (Dec 6, 2010)

Holy Cow. 

Still using an old 'true temper' 6 lb maul we got in the 70's, splitting elm we banged on it thousand of times with the sledge to with no mushrooming. Check out estate sales for older tools that were properly heat treated. I'm so rough on handles I buy 'em 2 at a time.


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## RustyShackleford (Dec 6, 2010)

savageactor7 said:
			
		

> Holy Cow.
> 
> Still using an old 'true temper' 6 lb maul we got in the 70's, splitting elm we banged on it thousand of times with the sledge to with no mushrooming. Check out estate sales for older tools that were properly heat treated. I'm so rough on handles I buy 'em 2 at a time.


You bang on the maul with the sledge ?


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## ISeeDeadBTUs (Dec 6, 2010)

Using a 6# maul to drive a wedge?!? Now that's just . . . :shut: 

A splitting maul should be used for splitting, not driving wedges. And how do you expect to actually drive a wedge with only 6#?

For driving a wedge, a 16# is perfect. Keep a 12# around for use as the day progresses. A 6# splitter is useless.


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## billb3 (Dec 6, 2010)

rolled over edges on wedges.
Really ?

I have some really old ones and they don't have a hint of mushrooming at all.

An axe or two that shouldnever have been used to whack one I have some mushrooming on but not wedges.


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## RustyShackleford (Dec 6, 2010)

ISeeDeadBTUs said:
			
		

> Using a 6# maul to drive a wedge?!? Now that's just . . . :shut:


I use an 8# maul, but it works just fine for driving wedges.



> A splitting maul should be used for splitting, not driving wedges.


Uh, why do you think the other side of the head is flat like a sledge hammer head ?


> And how do you expect to actually drive a wedge with only 6#?


Well, with my 8# one, I just hit it hard.


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## ISeeDeadBTUs (Dec 6, 2010)

RustyShackleford said:
			
		

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Yeah, no disrespect meant, but yer breakin handles. If you're missing, that's why the handles are breaking. But if yer not missing (I'm sure yer not) then, as someone somewhat famous said . . .

When what you are doing isn't working, you need to stop doing what you're doing.
 Get a 16# Sledge for the wedge (glass or Hickory, NOT Ash, handle)

I have yet to replace a handle or head since starting burning again in '06.

EDIT: Sheit, sorry Rust! Bill is the one breakin handles apparently :red:  *HE* needs to stop doin what he's doin'


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## Biff_CT2 (Aug 31, 2011)

Crap.

Did it again.

I split the head on my friggin' 6lb Craftsman maul.  Right down the side of the sucker.

While it slowed me down for the day, Sears took it and a pair of mushroomed out splitting wedges - no questions asked.  No concerns about the missing shrapnel off the wedge heads.

I've gotten about 5 cords out of each my last two Craftsman mauls.


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## CTYank (Aug 31, 2011)

Looks like the head was brittle, not the normal variety of mild steel.
Never had anything like that happen with the 6 lb mauls I've used for many years. After many years of experimentation, the 6 lb maul is about the optimum weight, for me, for transferring energy to the lumber. With my 8 lb maul, it's pretty easy to overstress ligaments of elbow- the "Tommy John" bits. Not good.
Do you wear flak jacket for protection from shrapnel?


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## Biff_CT2 (Aug 31, 2011)

I deal with the shrapnel by wearing safety glasses and keeping the kids and animals out of the area.  I've found that splitting elm is a shrapnel profilactive.  Since I typically wind up with the wedge completely below the top of an elm round before there is any sign of cracking at the bottom of the round, the mushroomed edges of the wedge tend to peal off as I beat the wedge into the wood.  So if you rotate the wedge 90 degrees between rounds the mushroomed edges tend to peel off.  

I'm a bit worried about my latest replacement Craftsman maul.  The last two I've fractured the head on have had the yellow fiberglass handles.  The current replacement has a snazzy looking red and black handle.  Since my experience with Craftsman tools is that the prettier the tool, the less durable the tool, I doubt it will last very long.  We'll see.

I like the 6lb maul - even for driving wedges in elm.  I can swing the thing all day.  My 8lb China-built Stanley maul makes my back hurt, as does my 12lb sledge.

But for the cost advantage of the Craftsman crap being returnable once I destroy it , I'd be using the North Carolina redneck-built mauls and sledges exclusively.


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## Bigg_Redd (Aug 31, 2011)

cmonSTART said:
			
		

> Wow.  I've never seen that before.



x2

He musta been taking some janky swings


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## lukem (Aug 31, 2011)

I don't care what you are doing, a maul head should not break like that.  Ever.


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## Biff_CT2 (Aug 31, 2011)

Bigg_Redd said:
			
		

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... or you're swinging yours like a girl.


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## jeff_t (Sep 1, 2011)

Biff_CT2 said:
			
		

> I deal with the shrapnel by wearing safety glasses and keeping the kids and animals out of the area.  I've found that splitting elm is a shrapnel profilactive.  Since I typically wind up with the wedge completely below the top of an elm round before there is any sign of cracking at the bottom of the round, the mushroomed edges of the wedge tend to peal off as I beat the wedge into the wood.  So if you rotate the wedge 90 degrees between rounds the mushroomed edges tend to peel off.



Safety glasses don't do any good when that piece of shrapnel imbeds itself in bone in your lower leg, as happened to a friend.


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## Biff_CT2 (Sep 1, 2011)

jeff_t said:
			
		

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That makes going through an airport metal detector tough.

I wear jeans when I split, which seems a reasonable level of protection in my view.  The shrapnel I've had come off my wedges generally goes in the direction the maul was traveling when it hit the wedge, so you can reduce the risk further by setting up your shots right.

You can't rubber pad every sharp edge on the planet, and I've seen people take much worse risk by using half-ass/badly maintained hydraulic splitters.  I knew a guy in southern Indiana who insisted in using his home-made hydraulic splitter, built with parts he'd stolen from the factory where he worked as a maintenacne technicianin, to split green oak.  I'm quite certain has been killed/badly injured by that thing by now...


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## Biff_CT2 (Dec 6, 2011)

Seems the Craftsman 6lb mauls with the snazzy red and black handles suck just like the ones with the yellow handles.

I am currently using replacement number 4.

Notwithstanding the tendency of the head to split if you use it with any intensity, I do appreciate Sears continuing to honor their lifetime warranty. And it appears that I am keeping a group of individuals in Mexico gainfully employed.


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## Kenster (Dec 6, 2011)

It's nice of Sears to honor their warranties- no questions asked- even when the tool is being used improperly.   To my thinking, a six pound maul is barely adequate to split wood and is definitely the wrong tool to use as a sledge hammer.  I've found a ten pound maul to meet most of my needs: splitting or sledge & wedge,  without the aerobic workout that a 16 pounder would bring.   I don't have much desire to be swinging a bowling ball on a stick.


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## ISeeDeadBTUs (Dec 6, 2011)

Mauls are for splitting wood with the edge.

For hitting steel, use a sledge hammer.


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## pen (Dec 6, 2011)

a fiskars wouldn't do that  ;-P 

pen


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## JBinKC (Dec 6, 2011)

No big deal my maul fractured in the exact same spot about a month ago after splitting some dried  8-10" hickory rounds that I picked up in a recent scrounge. It had the same yellow handle and it was purchased at Walmart about 5 years ago and likely Chinese made.  The durability of Chinese made steel is suspect as I also had 2 Chinese wood grenades fracture after processing a cord of wood each. I learned my lesson and now use Estwing wedges and a Fiskars axe.


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## Thistle (Dec 7, 2011)

I guarantee you wont break THIS -

31 yrs old,still going strong.Havent used it in about 3 months now,the X25 handles about 90% of everything I split.The real tough ones I save for the 20lb Monster Maul or sledge/wedges.


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## MrWhoopee (Dec 7, 2011)

As a machinist trained in the old school, I can assure you that the mushrooming of the tool you are striking is normal. It has to be made from a softer grade of steel than the striking tool, otherwise your hammer will chip, sending shards flying to cut your jugular vein or imbed themselves in an inconvenient part of the body. Proper care requires grinding the mushrooming back to an actual chamfer (taper) on the head. It is possible to make wedges, chisels, etc. that will have less tendency to mushroom, but it's a delicate balancing act because the harder it is, the more likely to damage the hammer. Hammer heads are made from harder and tougher material and should not mushroom. If the material is too hard (brittle), it will fatigue over time and fracture like the OP's. I've had this happen with a couple of wood grenades, one made in China, one in Vietnam. I suspect the steel is a straight carbon steel with no alloys (chromium, molybdenum, vanadium). This results in a hardenable steel that lacks toughness and will fracture easily. The Craftsman mauls are probably being made in China or India from medium carbon cast steel. It's more profitable to replace the ones that fail than make a better product.


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## fire_man (Dec 8, 2011)

Dune said:
			
		

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Good advice here. I learned this stuff the hard way. I was pounding on a mushroomed wedge with a sledgehammer and a piece of shrapnel hit my leg. The blood SPURTED out like crazy, really cut deep. I managed to stop the bleeding myself - my wife found me laying on the ground with blood everywhere, but I was ok. I bought a hydraulic splitter and never looked back.


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## Kenster (Dec 8, 2011)

The grenade I used to use with my ten pound sledge/maul was starting to mushroom pretty badly.  If I didn't whack it just right it would fly off in any direction.  One day I whacked that grenade and it flew directly at me and made dead on contact with my shinbone.  I dropped like a rock and just knew that my leg was broken.  After the initial shock wore off I sat up and checked myself out.  No blood or broken skin.  I had a big ol' knot on my shin that was really sore for a couple of weeks.  I guess it could have chipped the bone a bit.

That was the last time I ever used that grenade.   I  bought some really good wedges, painted them bright yellow so I could see them better on the ground.  

Of course, now I've got this big ol' Huskee splitter...


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## oldspark (Dec 8, 2011)

MrWhoopee said:
			
		

> As a machinist trained in the old school, I can assure you that the mushrooming of the tool you are striking is normal. It has to be made from a softer grade of steel than the striking tool, otherwise your hammer will chip, sending shards flying to cut your jugular vein or imbed themselves in an inconvenient part of the body. Proper care requires grinding the mushrooming back to an actual chamfer (taper) on the head. It is possible to make wedges, chisels, etc. that will have less tendency to mushroom, but it's a delicate balancing act because the harder it is, the more likely to damage the hammer. Hammer heads are made from harder and tougher material and should not mushroom. If the material is too hard (brittle), it will fatigue over time and fracture like the OP's. I've had this happen with a couple of wood grenades, one made in China, one in Vietnam. I suspect the steel is a straight carbon steel with no alloys (chromium, molybdenum, vanadium). This results in a hardenable steel that lacks toughness and will fracture easily. The Craftsman mauls are probably being made in China or India from medium carbon cast steel. It's more profitable to replace the ones that fail than make a better product.


 Yep +1 one of the saftey lessons I learned some 30 years ago was to keep the tool ground off, mushroomed tools are not to be used.


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## timusp40 (Dec 10, 2011)

Mr Whoopee & Old Spark,
Old school guy here too. If a wedge starts to mushroom, grind it. Why take the chance of sending metal shards flying in the first place? When I start splitting, I take the maul, couple of wedges and a sledge. Never use the maul to drive wedges, never seen a maul broken like that either. I learned a long time ago that if you wwant things to last, you use them properly and take care of them. Just my way of doing things.


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## bogydave (Dec 10, 2011)

High quality Chinese steel. :-S
Find an old one at a garage sale, when steel was made to last, not to make a quick buck. 
 I have 2 mauls, (1 USA, 1 China) one has had 2 new handles, but the heads are still good.
Maybe use a sledge & safety glasses if you have to hit your wedges that hard. Grind em before they send shards of metal flying.
Your gas money to & from the store  to get it replaced is costly.
Be safe, no kids around.
Good luck


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## Thistle (Dec 11, 2011)

bogydave said:
			
		

> High quality Chinese steel. :-S
> Find an old one at a garage sale, when steel was made to last, not to make a quick buck.
> I have 2 mauls, (1 USA, 1 China) one has had 2 new handles, but the heads are still good.
> Maybe use a sledge & safety glasses if you have to hit your wedges that hard. Grind em before they send shards of metal flying.
> ...



Yup. Check out local garage or estate sales,flea markets,farm & household/antique auctions,Ebay/Craigslist for great quality older USA made hand tools.Often found at a fraction of the cost  of newer inferior made Chinese crap.


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## timusp40 (Dec 11, 2011)

Could not agree more. My oldest tools are my best and are worth their weight. Who knows what type of recycled crap is in that imported stuff. I'm referring to the Chinese-Asian imports not the fine things that European Companys produce. But if you give me a option, I will buy American made first.


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## Biff_CT2 (Dec 11, 2011)

Thistle said:
			
		

> I guarantee you wont break THIS -
> 
> 31 yrs old,still going strong.Havent used it in about 3 months now,the X25 handles about 90% of everything I split.The real tough ones I save for the 20lb Monster Maul or sledge/wedges.




These things are cool. I recently passed on one at a garage sale.

I was turned off the caution on the backside of head that said something like "do not strike with a metal object" - which means it lacks the flexibility I have with a maul. I also like the using a 6lb maul because I can swing the thing all day (which I do on occasion).

Notwithstanding, I'm confident I could break it if I put my mind to it.


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## Biff_CT2 (Dec 11, 2011)

Thistle said:
			
		

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I'm happy with my Chinese 8lb maul - it's much better quality than the crap that Craftsman sells.  It just doesn't have the Craftsman warranty.

At some point I'm going to get to buying one of Council Tool's mauls - perferably a 6lb and an 8lb, each with fiberglass handles.

These are a good old redneck-made North Carolina product, but they're fairly expensive.  Having broken a bunch of the Craftsman 6lb mauls and characterized their crap as prone to breaking a certain way, it'd be interesting to torture test a Council 6lb maul and see what happens.

Of interest on Council Tool's website are on the product description are:
(1) description of the material properties of the head (heat treated to produce a fine grain structure on the bit end);
(2) Rockwell Hardness of 45-50; and 
(3) forged head.
The forged head is an interesting feature.  Forging aligns and stretches the steel grain; cast steel grains are less organized.  You can see where the steel flash was cut off the side of the maul head when it came out of the mold, so the Craftsman stuff appears to be cast steel.

They also encourage you to use their wedges with their mauls as they've designed in an appropriate hardness difference between each.  While I use Craftsman wedges with my Craftsman maul, I've found no like guidence from Sears.  

It does make sense that mixing and matching wedge suppliers and sledge/maul suppliers is a bad practice.  This would explain some of the bad experiences related here regarding wood grenades.  

I have not been able to locate comparable hardness information of the Craftsman maul head as yet, but it would be interesting to have for comparison purposes.

http://www.counciltool.com/DisplayCategories.asp?pg=displaycategories&category=73


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## MrWhoopee (Dec 11, 2011)

Biff_CT2 said:
			
		

> Of interest on Council Tool's website are on the product description are:
> (1) description of the material properties of the head (heat treated to produce a fine grain structure on the bit end);
> (2) Rockwell Hardness of 45-50; and
> (3) forged head.
> ...



Forging is definitely the way to go when strength is critical. It gives a highly refined grain structure which follows the shape of the product. Forged crankshafts are far superior to cast ones. You will, however. see similar parting line flash on forged and cast products because the forging die is composed of a top and bottom half, which are driven together by a high-speed press with the helpless piece of red-hot steel between. The flash may actually be  bigger on a forged part because metal is actually squeezed out, while on a cast part it is merely leakage through the parting line between the two mold halves. In either case, the flash is trimmed with a trim die or ground off, leaving a visible line.

I had never considered hardness matched tools, usually the manufacturers just stick to set a set hardness range (eg.Rc 45-50) for striking tools and a lower range, perhaps Rc 35-40,  for the tool being struck (stricken,  stroked?). I suspect that most wedges are not hardened at all, making them no threat to your maul/sledge, but also making them very prone to mushrooming.

Why not hit a wedge with a maul? What else is that flat face for?


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## LLigetfa (Dec 11, 2011)

MrWhoopee said:
			
		

> Why not hit a wedge with a maul? What else is that flat face for?


Good question and a way to turn the blame back on the manufacturer.  A standard axe also has a flat side called the poll but it was never meant to be used as a sledge.

I think prisons should have a special section for people that abuse their tools.


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## MrWhoopee (Dec 11, 2011)

LLigetfa said:
			
		

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It was intended to be a serious question. Is the hammer-like face of a maul not intended to be used as a sledge? Is a maul of different metallurgy or hardness than a sledge? I wouldn't use the back face of an axe for a sledge, it bears no resemblence to one. I'm not trying to be a smart-ass, I just want to know.

From the Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splitting_maul

"The hammer side of the maul is often used in wood splitting when combined with a splitting wedge, driving the wedge into the wood in the same fashion as the maul itself. This is generally used when attempting to split logs with a large diameter. Modern mauls are made of a strong enough steel to withstand the metal-to-metal contact without chipping. However, it is still common for the wedge itself to chip off."


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## LLigetfa (Dec 11, 2011)

Sorry, it sounded like a defense plea.  If you compare how much metal there is around the eye of a maul to that of a sledge, you can see they are not created equal.


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## MrWhoopee (Dec 11, 2011)

LLigetfa said:
			
		

> Sorry, it sounded like a defense plea.  If you compare how much metal there is around the eye of a maul to that of a sledge, you can see they are not created equal.



Thank you, a logical and reasonable explanation. I would like to compare a similarly weighted maul and sledge.


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## Biff_CT2 (Dec 12, 2011)

LLigetfa said:
			
		

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I disagree.

Tools are made to be used, not sit and look pretty on a rack.  One man's abuse and another man's routine use.

I think it's clear that the flat head of a maul is intended for hammering wedges.

I think it's also clear from the images I've posted of my three previous Craftsman mauls that the Craftsman tool is inferior.

If that warrants spending time in a special section of prison, so be it.  Hard use doesn't excuse the manufacturer from producing garbage.


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## Biff_CT2 (Apr 13, 2012)

Well, I broke my fourth Craftsman maul last weekend.

This time the failure occurred at the joint between the handle and the head - not a head fracture like on the last three.

It also seems that Sears has altered the shape of their 6lb maul - the thickness of the head on either side of the opening that receives the handle looks thicker in this latest (free) replacement.  If so, I'm encouraged.

I'm using this fifth maul on some relatively green red oak, white oak, and maple that Connecticut Light and Power made available this past winter, so we'll see how the thing performs.  This work requires a good mix of beating on wedges and blade work, so I'll know shortly if there are any serious, infant mortality-type issues with thing shortly.  If not, I'll be back at removing pine stumps this summer.  If it survives that, I'll have some comfort in saying they've improved the thing.


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## Flatbedford (Apr 14, 2012)

Maybe you should use a sledge to beat on the wedges.


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## LLigetfa (Apr 14, 2012)

The phrase "Dead to rights" comes to mind.  Pig-headed to keep doing it his way despite evidence to the contrary.  "I think it's clear that the flat head of a maul is intended for hammering wedges" is his clear affirmation.  A customer with that attitude I would simply give a full refund and be glad to rid myself of.


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## CTYank (Apr 15, 2012)

ISeeDeadBTUs said:


> Using a 6# maul to drive a wedge?!? Now that's just . . . :shut:
> 
> A splitting maul should be used for splitting, not driving wedges. And how do you expect to actually drive a wedge with only 6#?
> 
> For driving a wedge, a 16# is perfect. Keep a 12# around for use as the day progresses. A 6# splitter is useless.


 
Nonsense. Some mfgs (e.g. Muller) make it clear that their "splitting axes" should not be used to pound wedges, but that their splitting maul is fine with that. That's a 3 kg (6.6 lb) maul. I'd drive a wedge with it, should it become necessary, by swinging it as aggressively as needed- I'm used to physical work.
It's a beast at splitting, and once I duplicated its head shape, as possible, on some older 5 lb mauls, they too function nicely as splitters. Much improved. (Muller's maul has much better metallurgy- hardness, toughness, etc., which I could not duplicate.)
Minimize erroneous generalizations, especially the unfounded.
There are really good mauls available, from forges like Muller, Gransfors, Iltis. They cost money, but it seems my Muller will be an heirloom, not something tossed into some new concrete steps. Mexican Collins and such are something for folks to cuss at.


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## MasterMech (Apr 15, 2012)

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." - Benjamin Franklin


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## Biff_CT2 (Apr 15, 2012)

LLigetfa said:


> The phrase "Dead to rights" comes to mind. Pig-headed to keep doing it his way despite evidence to the contrary. "I think it's clear that the flat head of a maul is intended for hammering wedges" is his clear affirmation. A customer with that attitude I would simply give a full refund and be glad to rid myself of.


 
This is an interesting approach to operating a business.

If I understand you correctly, you're comfortable (a) providing a warranty that exceeds the product's quality warranty, because you (b) blame the customer when the customer demonstrates (a).  In some quarters they call that fraud - though Canada may be different.

Normal (and successful) businesses aren't so cavalier about product quality.


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