Good starter gear for splitting?

[Flavo]

I'm new to this stuff. This is my 1st season burning. I heated solely w/ wood this year and plan to continue like that.
I'm so new to this in fact. The 1st 20 or so rounds I had to split myself I did w/ a chopping axe because I didn't know better. Man did that ever suck. Well I went out and bought a proper axe for the job and a wedge and my life got a whole lot easier.
Now just on the subject of splitting. Do I have what I should for starting out and being pretty broke for the next year while we play catch up from buying the new house?
I ask because I often hear folks talking about mauls and I don't really get what they are for. It seems like if the axe won't do the job I would need the wedge and sledge. Also, are all wedges created equally? I bought this one because it looked like it would do a better job then the normal ones. But I have already proven I don't really know what I am talking about.

Thanks, Mike.

 

[4 cords]

hey Mike welcome to the hearth , yes that will work, seems like you have some energy to burn .If you are heating only with wood you need 3 cord or more , thats alot of work. You may want to try to get all the wood out and rent a splitter for a day 65 bucks well worth it . They rent at sears or true value in your - our area . I live in Coventry .I looked at your blog and see you have alot of work to do so renting may give you more time for the other projects . Nice job so far .Talk to Dwight at true value he can get you going- stihl parts and service too. P.M. me if you need more info-steve

 

[Heem]

Mike R.?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Mike, I started splitting wood back in the 1940's. We never knew what a splitting axe was nor did we care. I split most of the wood using just a regular chopping axe and the tough stuff got the sledge and wedges. Not like the wedges you show though. Picture felling wedges and you'll understand. They come in different sizes and I usually worked with 2 or 3 wedges. Most times one would do the trick but then occasionally 2 would be needed. Then there are the really tough logs and sometimes you can get 2 hung up. What to do? Use the third one! btw, the wedge you bought is one of the specialty wedges; some like them and others curse them. Beware, there are many gadgets on the market and not all are good.

Naturally it depends upon what type of wood you are splitting. You no doubt have already noticed that all wood is not created equal when it comes to splitting. Split some red oak or white ash and then switch to elm and you'll wonder what in Sam Hill has happened! The oak and ash can be split with just a regular axe but the elm makes tough work using wedges.

Being new, you have a choice. You can continue to split by hand and for sure if you can use the exercise, this will be great for you. Better than joining a gym club. Better than calisthenics. If you don't have the time or energy to split by hand then the hydraulics is the way to go as you can split lots of wood in a little bit of time. Some on this forum say a Fiskar's axe is the only way to go. I have no inclination to even put one of those things in my hands, but some love them.

 

[quads]

I have used this 6 pound maul to split at least 5 full cord of red/black and white oak per year, for over 30 years now. This year was an exceptionally busy year though. So far this winter I have split more than 20 full cord with it!

I do own one splitting wedge that I use for a doorstop in my garage (the sticker is still on it from when I bought it). I have never noodled (first time I ever heard the word was on a PBS program about catching catfish with your bare hands). I have considered trying one of those little Fiskars, especially now that they have a full-size handle on them, but I haven't been able to justify spending the 40 bucks on one when my favorite old maul has been doing everything I want it to for so long.

 

[Kenster]

A maul has the weight of a sledge with the shape of a wedge, sort of. I am one of the guys who owns, uses, and loves a Fiskars Super Splitter. It does a fantastic job but, at least for me, it does not do as well in really heavy, dense, large rounds. My 10 pound maul does a better job at these. After using that ten pounder for a while, the Fiskars feels light as a fly swatter!

Sometimes neither of these is enough. That's when I pull the wedges out of the milk crate. I haven't found a round yet that would not yield to a couple of wedges and a ten pound sledge.

 

[Flavo]

Thanks for all the info guys. It is coming in very handy.

Steve, if you are referring to the true value in coventry. Unfortunately it is too far away fro me to make the journey unless it's real important. Like I rented a bobcat from that place.. Real nice folks indeed. I believe I will rent a splitter for a day and get as much of the wood split as I can. after that I will handle it by hand probably.

I'm a Mike L. not a Mike R.
But it amazes me at how many folks on here are from CT.

I suppose I will be looking to get a maul soon then.
I also need some felling wedges, chaps, hard hat and a few wedges for the large rounds I will end up with. At least I won't need to pay for heat next year.

I really tried to hold out for new X27 but I needed a splitter and couldn't wait for the shipping time from CA at the time. I would imagine by this point some one on the east coast must be selling them.

 

[Danno77]

you could split cord after cord with your current setup, but my advice is to try something different when you have the money to do so. You'll hear people rave about fiskars, Quads and I both prefer mauls (I primarily use an 8lb, he's a 6lber), Backwoods would rather sit on a milk crate and split vertically with hydraulics.

I've used a fiskars, an axe, two mauls, a splitter much like the one you have pictured above, and have tried a buddy's maul and wedge like you have. I think they all have their place and the more I use them the more I can tell which one will work best for what I'm working with at the time. I always have my mauls handy, but sometimes I can tell having them all near will make the work go by easier and faster.

I split the first few cords with a splitter much like the one you have and thought that it must be freaking awesome in comparison to many other tools. When I started using the maul (that was in the shed the whole time) I realized that I had been working way harder than I needed to. I'd hate for you to find out another tool works better for you than what you have right now, so try to mix it up when you can. BTW, my 1st splitter with that flare was different enough from yours that I think yours would be much better. My flare was more pronounced and wasn't as broad as yours (if that makes sense). I spent more time wiggling that out of rounds than I did swinging it.

 

[dave11]

As mentioned above, what you use to split wood has a LOT to do with what type of wood you are splitting. I've split some locust and poplar that was so easy to split, you could almost bang it apart with just a sledge hammer alone. OTOH, I'm currently working through some huge rounds of pin oak that have waves and knots in them that are three fingers thick, and even the wood grenade wedge won't penetrate far enough in to split them, and axes/mauls are useless.

So the question really is, can you always control what type of wood you need to split. If you're a scrounger like me, and you live in area that doesn't have much free wood, then you take all comers. In that case, you'll need more than you already have.

I have the Ames splitter you showed in your pic, but I gave it up long ago in favor of the Fiskars SS.

Also, best advice I can really give you, is to get in the habit of wearing safety glasses while splitting, especially when using the wedge and sledge. And check the wedge frequently for mushrooming, and file off any that you find.

 

[Flavo]

Thanks to both of you for the info shared. I will have a X27 before too much longer. I will also start wearing glasses for splitting.

On a side note. I split some pine that I cut down in the beginning of winter. OMG. The freaking hardest to split wood I have come across yet. It was horrible. It was the 1st time my grenade got stuck and happened multiple times. Yuck is all I have to say.

 

[dave11]

Thanks to both of you for the info shared. I will have a X27 before too much longer. I will also start wearing glasses for splitting.

On a side note. I split some pine that I cut down in the beginning of winter. OMG. The freaking hardest to split wood I have come across yet. It was horrible. It was the 1st time my grenade got stuck and happened multiple times. Yuck is all I have to say.

I'm probably one of the few who use eye protection while splitting, but I've had several close calls, and I won't split without them any more.

Haven't tried the X27 yet, but I have the standard shorter version, which I like. You might want to also keep a heavier maul around to use though, for the really stubborn stuff. Fiskars are too light to power through the really tough stuff.

And if you haven't already figured it out, you'll need at least two wedges, and sometimes three, for "rescue" operations.

 

[liston]

I agree with others that having a selection of tools at hand makes the work easier. My monster maul, "Little Splitty" weighs 13 pounds. My husband uses the heavier mauls (his "Tin Man" is 20 pounds). I don't swing it hard, just lift it high, then bend my knees to get some momentum, and wham, it splits the round for me. I keep my shoulders relaxed to prevent injury to the joint. Once in quarters, I shift to the Fiskars maul or even an ax, which by now feels light as a feather. Never use a wedge -- if Bill can't split it with the maul, throw it to the side and wait for hydraulic day. Splitting by hand, especially with the two of us, is just faster. It also helps that he sings while we work. I wonder if normal people name their favorite splitting tools.

 

[trailmaker]

Flavo that's a beautiful place you've got. I have the older version of that Ames/True Temper splitter. The old version came dull and entirely covered in black paint but once I sharpened it and removed the paint from the wedge portion it worked very well. Looks like they got smart and stopped covering it in friction inducing paint. When you get your x27 (which will arrive sharp) compare your True Temper against it and try to get it to a similar sharpness. I bought some diamond stones for my chisels but they work very well on my splitters. I also have the Fiskars sharpener which is fast and works very well. It's good to have an assortment of splitting axes/mauls because you want to use the lightest device that will get the job done. If you've got a bunch of short, straight grained rounds to split there's no sense in muscling around an eight pound maul. I like to set my rounds on a splitting stump, inside of a car tire.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=10VJFM82V2F38JZG92K3

If you decide to continue splitting by hand you may want to consider loading your Jotul front to back instead of side to side. Hand splitting a 20 or 22 inch seems almost exponentially more difficult than a 14 or 15in round. I guess it depends on your species of wood but I've found that I can maul split 95% of my 14 inch rounds but with 20 or 22 inch rounds I have to go to the wedges about 40% of the time. I like those "wood grenades" for really twisty knotty rounds. If you want to try out more traditional wedges get the Estwing version because they are sold sharp unlike most brands.

 

[mecreature]

I have an 8lb maul and 2 basic wedges. I also try to wear eye protection.

I have recently started setting aside the big rounds and tough ones and rent a splitter for a day.

Last time I rented a splitter I split the cost with a buddy and we both used it. Kind of helps keep you going with someone feeding you rounds to split.

You could get by just fine with what you have mixed with a little guts.

 

[CTYank]

My tool of choice is either of two 6 lb mauls- cheapies of traditional pattern, with very shiny "cheeks." And an 8 lb that was an experiment way back when- useful as a sledge anyway. (I can get much higher velocity on the 6 lb.)

If a 6 lb won't get it done, but has started a crack with hits along the diameter, then an 8" wedge should do it, maybe with help from 6 lb maul on opposite side.

If maul or wedge just can't get started, chainsawing a starter groove a few inches deep almost certainly will, either across the cut face, or along the bark (noodling.)

Really bad cases of forks & knots just don't stand up to the smallest chainsaw. All the chips are used as mulch anyway.

 

[Flavo]

My father in law lent me a true temper total control maul last night. I guess I never really understood how the mauls were used. I thought it was used like an axe. The way he showed me though was to start the the split like an axe. I.E. set it in the split that hit the head w/ a sledge like you would do w/ a wedge.
So how to folks normally use a maul?
Also should be as sharp as an axe? I tried to split a piece of maple this morning w/ crazy waves in it and it just laughed at me as the maul bounced off the top off of it.

 

[quads]

My father in law lent me a true temper total control maul last night. I guess I never really understood how the mauls were used. I thought it was used like an axe. The way he showed me though was to start the the split like an axe. I.E. set it in the split that hit the head w/ a sledge like you would do w/ a wedge.
So how to folks normally use a maul?
Also should be as sharp as an axe? I tried to split a piece of maple this morning w/ crazy waves in it and it just laughed at me as the maul bounced off the top off of it.

I never sharpen my maul. It wore into it's own best shape after awhile. I sharpened it once 25 years ago and then it wanted to stick in the round all the time, much like a sharpened wedge does. Haven't sharpened it since. Never hit the head of your maul and never use it to hit anything. That could eventually misshape the hole that the handle goes through and ruin it. Here is a sample of how I use my maul:

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[Backwoods Savage]

quads is right. You really should not hit that maul to drive it in. I recall getting my backside kicked when I was very young after doing that. Same goes for a single bit axe. It is an axe so don't hit it.

 

[trailmaker]

My father in law lent me a true temper total control maul last night. I guess I never really understood how the mauls were used. I thought it was used like an axe. The way he showed me though was to start the the split like an axe. I.E. set it in the split that hit the head w/ a sledge like you would do w/ a wedge.
So how to folks normally use a maul?
Also should be as sharp as an axe? I tried to split a piece of maple this morning w/ crazy waves in it and it just laughed at me as the maul bounced off the top off of it.

Mauls are not meant to be pounded on like a wedge. It can be done but I think there's a higher risk of "shrapnel" compared to pounding wedges.

I think some mauls/splitting axes need to be sharp. My Fiskars splitting axes arrived sharp and every time I re-sharpen them they split better. The performance of my True-Temper maul increased dramatically once I sharpened it. My Gransfors heavy splitting maul arrived so sharp you could shave with it!