You can do a search and get a ton of results. It's not the greatest tool ever invented, but I do find that it is very useful in my lineup of splitting tools. Some people seem to think it is darn near magical, not me.
Axe mavens--do you try to "deadeye" your whacks in the cracks, if you need them?
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Its great for what it does but wont split everything you might see.And I've owned or used virtually every manual splitting device you can think of over the past 30+ years.But it is a good addition to the kit.
Redlegs
Feeling the Heat
I am 6'3'' tall and getting larger all the time :>(
I have a 20 year old who throughout his life has viewed new tools a personal challenge to test his ability to destroy anything. He has even gurred-up the top of a fiberglass handle of a maul from Lowes. I resorted to a farm store "heavy duty" maul where the upper portion of the fiberglass handle is coated in some real heavy rubber material to help his misses. The handle on the Fiskers looks strong enough...how does the head connection hold up?
I have a 20 year old who throughout his life has viewed new tools a personal challenge to test his ability to destroy anything. He has even gurred-up the top of a fiberglass handle of a maul from Lowes. I resorted to a farm store "heavy duty" maul where the upper portion of the fiberglass handle is coated in some real heavy rubber material to help his misses. The handle on the Fiskers looks strong enough...how does the head connection hold up?
probably the most durable handle of all my tools. There is one post around here recently where the handle broke, but that is a fluke that I've never seen before. I don't remember any incidences of the head coming loose, though.
The way the head is attached to the handle is the Fiskar's most positive feature, plus the lifetime warranty which I personally haven't had the opportunity to test out. You might want to follow this thread to see if the company really stands behind their warranty.
The biggest con I could say about them is they still don't make a heavy enough head (for me anyway) for splitting.
Every other maul I've ever owned the head quickly gets loose (within a year), then it's just a mater of time until it either comes off, or the breaks at the neck. I have had one of my Fiskars for 3 years now, and have had no sign of either one of those things happening to it yet.
The biggest con I could say about them is they still don't make a heavy enough head (for me anyway) for splitting.
Every other maul I've ever owned the head quickly gets loose (within a year), then it's just a mater of time until it either comes off, or the breaks at the neck. I have had one of my Fiskars for 3 years now, and have had no sign of either one of those things happening to it yet.
When you get a bigger block do yourself a favor and screw an old tire to the top of it. It will contain you splits and save you the trouble of having to pick them up. And you can fill it with several small splits at a time which really speeds things up. Its actually faster than hydraulics until you get tired.Thanks for all the great replies. You folks are a great group.
I'm def in the search for a wider chopping block. There have been a few times I've gotten lazy and let the round creep toward the front, leaving no protection from an understrike. I discovered the hard way on day 1 that an understrike is going to hit the ground about a foot in front of me with the X27 and the legs spread well wide.
I'll give mother earth a try when I'm a bit more comfortable with it. It should be frozen hard enough not to have too much sponginess.
For fun, here's a pic of a completely different round that had a beyotch of a knot. this one pt up a real fight.
Apols in advance if you saw it in another thread.
I am going to work on Schlot's technique. I've heard of folk starting down a log and it splitting, but walking into a room and it splitting...now that's proBut first I'm gonna practice staring down the dog, and see if he takes me for a walk.
(broken image removed)
I would have split this round at about 45 degrees to the right, that is, I would have split it right through the middle of the lower face and through the middle of the other branch. I try to split these double rounds through the middle of both branches. If there is a knot I do like danno suggested and split right through the middle of the knot.
I appreciate that, thanks. And having seen some slow hydraulics I think you may be onto something.
In the meantime I'm enjoying the workout, I can sure use it.
jdp1152
Minister of Fire
Thanks for all the great replies. You folks are a great group.
I'm def in the search for a wider chopping block. There have been a few times I've gotten lazy and let the round creep toward the front, leaving no protection from an understrike. I discovered the hard way on day 1 that an understrike is going to hit the ground about a foot in front of me with the X27 and the legs spread well wide.
I'll give mother earth a try when I'm a bit more comfortable with it. It should be frozen hard enough not to have too much sponginess.
For fun, here's a pic of a completely different round that had a beyotch of a knot. this one pt up a real fight.
Apols in advance if you saw it in another thread.
I am going to work on Schlot's technique. I've heard of folk starting down a log and it splitting, but walking into a room and it splitting...now that's pro
(broken image removed)
Goodness that's a familiar, yet haunting sight for a hand splitter. When cutting a down tree, I find these spots and measure my cuts away from them as though they're the ends. Probably the one good splitting technique my old man taught me as a kid. Leave the legs longer and flat at the top and you'll get some decent splits from it. The crotch will still remain, but it will be whittled down enough that it'll fit in the firebox and burn. Not bad to throw some kindling/firestarters in the crotch to get a fire going. Your mileage may vary. Bigger crotches or knotty rounds get laid to the side for when I need to rent a splitter. I don't stack em...as I like things somewhat good looking. Well, I dont care, but the wife does so I oblige.
jdp1152
Minister of Fire
maul or sledge and wedge, I'd agree. Only takes a few heavy dings in the fiskars to realize the soil her in MA is just to full of rocks to swing a sharp blade without damaging it.
jdp1152
Minister of Fire
Light, sharp, fewer bounce backs, never had it stick. It's no miracle by any means. For lack of better terminology, Cost Effective makes the most sense to me. Time and effort being the cost. Slightly higher maintenance for the tool than a maul or wedges. Used mauls only as a kid. Mauls, wedges/sledges, and two different splitting axes as an adult. The fiskars was by far the most productive of them. Well, the hydraulics I split with for a few cords was the easiest, but I'm not inclined to spend that kind of money right now and I can split by hand a lot faster.
Nah, I was referring more to just letting it lie on the ground, not stand it up and split on the ground. I agree that the fiskars will dull quickly like that.
red oak
Minister of Fire
Yes - I agree. With pieces like this, I would try to split the sides away and leave that big knot in the middle. If it'll fit in the stove then that's where it goes. If not, it's either off to the campfire pile, or set aside for the chainsaw.
I aim for the cracks- don't have to hit them exactly to continue them, but I usually hit them dead on within a whack or 3. I use a standard 8# maul- fairly well sharpened (I am very firmly in the "sharpen the damn maul" crowd)
I aim for the cracks,dont always hit them perfectly on the first swing,but close is usually good enough.Direction of grain,any knots,temps below freezing,force of my swing all are a factor in the end result.
jdp1152
Minister of Fire
Tad confused on this one myself. Sounds like leaving it lying bark down and split horizontally with a splitting axe? Seems like there would be too much give in the wood and end up just pushing it. Not sure though since I've never actually tried it. I might just be totally confused and not understanding the concept though.
jdp1152
Minister of Fire
and I see I crack, I certain aim for it. Hitting it is a completely different matter. Early in the day, probably within a quarter of an inch. Late in the day....ha ha.
That's what I first visualized, but not only would that be tough to do, it would be dangerous as all get up.
My son likes to split kindling out of splits by laying them down horizontally on the chopping block and chopping them, that way he doesn't have told onto the splits vertically. I think that must be how Danno is doing it, but I could be confused as well.
Since we do most of our splitting over an asphalt driveway surface, a chopping block is a must. Even then, we still have a few nicks out of the Fiskar heads.
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