Appalled At My Maul - Stihl PA 80

[turbocruiser]

Sorry guys but this seems like serious overthinking to me..

Had a 6lb wooden handle for about 10yrs and put up with broken and replacement handles.

Don't remember what year but I finally spent about $30 for an 8lb generic maul with a fiberglass handle.

At least 50 cords later it's working fine.

Learn a swing, that's more important.

I wouldn't say that swinging any axe with a wobbling loose head is "overthinking" anything; that fits the definition for under-thinking in my dictionary.

 

[neumsky]

Yeah...& I learned how to swing in the Marine Corps 35 years ago haha. The wooden handles on most of those other brands were probably CA handles. I have'nt heard of anyone breaking the Stihl hickory handle yet. Anyone?

 

[gerry100]

of course,I agree Turbo Cruiser about the wobbly head thing.

My issue is with $100 mauls etc.

It's like me investing in the latest golf clubs. I''d still suck becuase I don't have a swing and the ball wouldn't know.

As they say in golf "you can't buy a swing"

 

[neumsky]

I don't know why everyone is saying 100 dollar mauls! I can get one for 75 dollars. that's only 17 dollars more than the X27!

 

[eyefish2]

Sorry guys but this seems like serious overthinking to me..

Had a 6lb wooden handle for about 10yrs and put up with broken and replacement handles.

Don't remember what year but I finally spent about $30 for an 8lb generic maul with a fiberglass handle.

At least 50 cords later it's working fine.

Learn a swing, that's more important.

I agree with the fiber glass handle comment. I have two 6 lb mauls, both with replacement fiberglass/synthetic type handles (originally wood). I forget how many years I got with the wood handles, but I believe it was 2-4 yrs. I have not changed out a handle in the last 12 years. I split 4 full cord (red oak) a year between these mauls. One handle is in need of replacement. It will be another Fleet Farm or Home Depot synthetic replacement handle.

 

[Biff_CT2]

I've destroyed several mauls in last four years.

With the Lowes/Home Depot 8lb mauls I found the connection between the fiberglass handle and the head to be the weak point. I broke three where head simply became too loose on the shaft to use any longer. Each store took them back, no questions asked.

I've since moved on to a Craftsman 6lb maul with a fiberglass handles as my primary splitting tool.

I'm currently on number four. The weak point of Craftsman mauls is the head. I've found that, after heavy use, the steel head simply splits in half. It's a sudden fracture sort of failure - and a bit unsettling the first time. Sears takes them back each time, no questions asked - so I keep using the things.

I'm also waiting on a Council Tool 8lb with a fiberglass handle. I'm extremely curious to see how their products hold up to heavy use. I expect that Council's will be more difficult to destroy, but that once I've wrecked it I will not be able to get it replaced free of charge.

My spouse would never sign up to a $100 Stihl maul, she'd use it on my skull if she found out I'd bought one.

 

[Jags]

My spouse would never sign up to a $100 Stihl maul, she'd use it on my skull if she found out I'd bought one.

But 7 mauls at $25 is okay?? :lol:

(I do realize that you were getting them replaced, just had to poke fun).

 

[Biff_CT2]

My spouse would never sign up to a $100 Stihl maul, she'd use it on my skull if she found out I'd bought one.

But 7 mauls at $25 is okay?? :lol:

(I do realize that you were getting them replaced, just had to poke fun).

You've got a point, particularly when you consider the cost (and time) to go to the store, expalin the problem and get a replacement. At a point it gets silly.

And the things never seem to break at a convienent time. As I recollect, the last Craftsman head split on me on Thanksgiving morning - so I lost half a day of splitting because the store was closed. Part of the attraction of having a Council Tool 8lb maul around is to have a backup maul available for when the 6lb breaks. I've got an old 8lb Chinese-made Stanley on hand as well, but I don't like the vibration the wood handle transmits back to my hands when I use it with wedges.

I consider mauls to be a consumable. Replacing mauls and maul handles is just a cost of heating with wood - like the cost of getting chains sharpended, gas mix, and bar oil.

 

[Thistle]

I consider mauls to be a consumable. Replacing mauls and maul handles is just a cost of heating with wood - like the cost of getting chains sharpended, gas mix, and bar oil.

This isnt a 'consumable'. :coolgrin: Granted its not very easy to swing (more like drop it straight down instead lol) compared to when I was 30 or even 35 & it dont get used much now since I bought the X25 last May.But its 20lbs of total meanness that has NEVER gotten stuck in 31 years now.If it dont split on the first strike (which is rare) it bounces off.

Cant say that about the X25 or my other axes & wedges. Luckily that big beast is only needed occasionally every few months now,the X25 handles 90%+ of what I split anymore.

 

[Biff_CT2]

I consider mauls to be a consumable. Replacing mauls and maul handles is just a cost of heating with wood - like the cost of getting chains sharpended, gas mix, and bar oil.

This isnt a 'consumable'. :coolgrin: Granted its not very easy to swing (more like drop it straight down instead lol) compared to when I was 30 or even 35 & it dont get used much now since I bought the X25 last May.But its 20lbs of total meanness that has NEVER gotten stuck in 31 years now.If it dont split on the first strike (which is rare) it bounces off.

Cant say that about the X25 or my other axes & wedges. Luckily that big beast is only needed occasionally every few months now,the X25 handles 90%+ of what I split anymore.

I must admit, that thing is awesome.

 

[David V]

I consider mauls to be a consumable. Replacing mauls and maul handles is just a cost of heating with wood - like the cost of getting chains sharpended, gas mix, and bar oil.

This isnt a 'consumable'. :coolgrin: Granted its not very easy to swing (more like drop it straight down instead lol) compared to when I was 30 or even 35 & it dont get used much now since I bought the X25 last May.But its 20lbs of total meanness that has NEVER gotten stuck in 31 years now.If it dont split on the first strike (which is rare) it bounces off.

Cant say that about the X25 or my other axes & wedges. Luckily that big beast is only needed occasionally every few months now,the X25 handles 90%+ of what I split anymore.

Sweet, a Monster Maul! I've always wanted to get one of those.

I just recently coughed up the dough for a PA-80. At the store I was in, the choices were the Stihl maul and one from Collins Axe for about $30. Looking at the head of the Collins maul, I was rather unimpressed with the cast head which looks more like pot-metal than anything durable. I liked the workmanship that is evident in the Stihl maul. I also weighed in that it costs a little less than half of what my MS-170 did, which seemed about right to me. A maul isn't a complex machine like a chainsaw, but there is a precise art to making them the right way nevertheless, and the more craftsmanship, the more it will cost. I'm not a fan of paying less for disposable tools that need to be replaced all the time. I also liked that the Stihl has not only a lifetime warranty, but at least at this store, a 100% satisfaction guarantee. They do stand behind their products... As for performance, I don't have a lot of experience to draw from, having only bought it last weekend, but it makes very short work of the dry madrone I've been chopping lately. Previously I had been using my old LL Bean 3lb axe, which does a fair job when you draw from high over your head and lay into the wood like a caveman. I like that the maul typically only needs a little muscle added to the gravity drop from about eye level. I do find that not-quite-dry pine is a bit more obstinate, but I expected that.

Oh, and I guess I should add, first post, new to the forum, yada yada yada. Hi everybody!

 

[Stax]

Just started a post about this just a little ago. Didn't know this post existed. Here's the item in question.

 

[neumsky]

David...welcome to the group. This is a very informative site! Just bought mine a coupla days ago and I'm impressed. Got mine for 75 dollars! Am talking about this on another post also. Thanx for the info... and Stax...thanx for the photo's...looks like mine! haha Jeff

 

[David V]

Thanks for the welcome, Neumsky. Yeah that picture would be what mine looks like too. I paid $84.99. A lot of money, but I don't aim to be buying a new maul every year, nor do I split enough to warrant a hydraulic. I'm just a woodburning homeowner...

 

[neumsky]

Yeah David...you gotta great stove also! You like quality, I can see that! BTW...that's what mine was selling for and just asked them if they'd take 10 off and they obliged!

 

[David V]

Thanks! I've been happy with it. My brother was working at the shop we bought it from, so we got a fantastic deal. I also use one of those magnetic thermometers like you mention in your sig. They say to put it on the chimney pipe, but I can't ever get it to read much of anything there. My brother actually recommended just putting it on the top of the stove. I find the Lopi heats the house nicely when I maintain a fire that reads about 600-700 degrees. I was a little alarmed the first few times it got that hot, but the manufacturer says that the sides of the stove glow if you're overfiring, and they never have even when it's reached near 800 (which is too hot anyway). Anything 400 and lower just doesn't transmit much heat I find. Anyway, sorry everybody for the off topic rambling. I just chopped some more madrone last night, and didn't even reach for my axe, just went straight to the maul. Work went quickly...