I sometimes get free firewood from craigslist or just driving past and seeing some curbside. It's mostly oak so far. I have a few sledgehammers, axes, wedges that were axes until the handles broke, and one standard splitting wedge. If I get more tools, they will be from a thrift store or used tool store, to be close to my wood budget. So what should I look for?
Manual tools only
- Thread starter Xylem
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The Fiskars X27 splitting axe gets generally good reviews in these forums.
Wisco Shepherd
Minister of Fire
Look for any old 8lb splitting maul with a wood handle in good condition. It doesn't have to be fancy.
Wisco Shepherd
Minister of Fire
Always enjoy wood handles, a little sand paper (not too fine) and linseed oil and most are good to go.
ctreitzell
Minister of Fire
ooh, I don't know about that!
I have a €7 basic, poorly balanced maul and it was driving me crazy...I just couldn't hit anything where I wanted
then I got €50 Stihl maul and thats all I use nowadays before needing wedges and a sledge
![[Hearth.com] Manual tools only](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/322/322029-dc43049bf02363eaf3d0dae6b272b0f3.jpg?hash=RYkIW9u9Xt "[Hearth.com] Manual tools only")
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ctreitzell
Minister of Fire
Replacement handles if the steel you have is nice enough. Wonky steel=wonky landings
for replacement handles, you want very straight grain ash; grain running parallel with the length of the handle. No knots, no diversions of grain; just as straight as you can find. Beech and other species are a tool user's enemy when it comes to swingin a metal head.
yeah, if you struggle breaking handles, then maybe plastic is a better choice
I hand split for years with a regular maul, I got the Fiskars and it was night and day.
Safety glasses! Be careful hitting old axe heads and wedges with a hammer.
ctreitzell
Minister of Fire
I wear a stihl hard hat with face screen typically
I'm a carpenter! I wear safety glasses over my glasses...but not when I wear the hard hat with face screen
I have a new wedge and sledge...but I do use some old wedges that should be retired
There is an "antique barn" near me that mostly is stocked by cleanouts of old houses being sold. Its an old area with a lot of third generation homes that are now being sold to new owners. They have every old tool one could imagine and in many cases he has piles of duplicates but he prices everything against new prices. Most of it he hauls off for free or buys by the truck load from local estate sales. I figure someday he will decide to sell out and there will be a heck of a sale but until then it pretty rare I will buy anything from him.
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Yard sales are where it's at, no one wants manual labor hand tools so they are cheap. Most don't know what half of what they are selling actually are when Gramps is gone no one wants them.
I'd say the op is looking for an inexpensive option.
My 34 year old wooden-handled maul seems to work pretty good. For me anyway.
My 34 year old wooden-handled maul seems to work pretty good. For me anyway.
you probably won’t find one used but the x27 is a whole different animal. Prior to it I had an 8# maul and wedges. Wedges haven’t been off the shelf since I got the x27 and the maul only gets used for hammer duty. I don’t know how other splitting axes fair but at the end of the day…physics. F=ma. You’re better off with a tool half the weight that you swing twice as fast. That assumes you use it enough to hit where you are aiming too.
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I was about to go on my X27 rant--may have to buy new--I can't imagine anyone selling one--maybe an estate sale--not mine though, my kid loves the X27!
The X27 seems to be on sale on Amazon (23% off) to make the price around $70. I seem to recall paying around that price when I bought mine and it wasn't on sale
Picked up a few loads of oak that the someone had down in their front yard using my all steel monster maul. I like that thing when the 6# or 8# Council won’t get it.
Splitting Oak
Splitting Oak
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ctreitzell
Minister of Fire
wow, reading up on reviews of this maul at StihlUSA site and, man! is it getting a lot of terrible reviews...I've used it a fair bit and no probs beyond my missing
that said, I do know how to choose a handle. This handle in the picture I would not buy; that grain is nowhere near straight enough
Also, I think users overwork mauls...take it easy, let the tool do the work!
I have the Stihl Pro Splitting Maul and I like it. Only difference is it has a metal collar to protect the handle under the head. It's definitely a good quality tool, at least in my opinion. It does wear me out though, my wrists and elbows get pretty achy these days if I split any significant amount by hand.
ctreitzell
Minister of Fire
I have stopped swinging it like I’m 25…if the splitting gets tough; it’s sledge and wedges…And if too many knots, I rip with a hand saw
At 25 you were probably still attacking the center of a log first.
Chipping the edges off makes a huge difference.
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