I am on the other side of the fence. Beating wood with a maul for hours upon hours just to save two gallons of gas is goofy.
The last maul...
- Thread starter gerry100
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil. -
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
- Status
I am on the other side of the fence. Beating wood with a maul for hours upon hours just to save two gallons of gas is goofy.
I am on the other side of the fence. Beating wood with a maul for hours upon hours just to save two gallons of gas is goofy.
You can buy a lot of heat for the cost of a splitter. Anyway, I'd rather be swinging a maul if I'm going to be outside anyway
If beating on wood is your call, then by all means do it. I did it for years. Splitters are an investment with excellent resale and for 10 bucks in gas can make a bunch of firewood.
I apologize for the derail of your thread and I will digress. Good luck in your search for a maul.
I agree! I am sure I can resell my splitter for what i paid (picked it up used) You can run it all day long on a tank of gas and feel fine the next day.
To revisit my previous statement: the key with the fiskars is it must be SHARP, razor sharp. I have used axes, mauls (monster maul, fiber glass craftsmans ect ect). The fiskars just seems to plain work and doesn't wear you out like some of the other choices.
Not to completely derail the OP, but the best thing I ever did with regards to hand splitting is to get an old car tire to hold the rounds as I split them. You can load up the inside of the tire, split everything and never have to reposition the logs, pick them up ect. Best part: there are lots of old free tires around. Try it and you will never go back.
Don't worry. I bought the $20 8lber at Tractor Supply.
IMHO, the Fiskars substitutes sharpness and accuracy for old fashioned MV(squared) firepower.
By design, mauls are not as sharp but if used accurately they offer more.
IMHO, the Fiskars substitutes sharpness and accuracy for old fashioned MV(squared) firepower.
By design, mauls are not as sharp but if used accurately they offer more.
Gerry - I do agree with you and others that hand splitting has a time and place. I just don't have enough of the first one these days - thus my previous comment. Glad you found some thing that works for you. Now lets see a couple of action shots and some of the bounty.
I have a Fiskers and a 16# Monster Maul. Both work as good as the person holding the handle. There are some rounds that the Fiskers works better and some that the 16#er will just fly thru. Knowing how to "read the wood" helps. As for hydraulic vs manual, I have both. Use hydraulic on stuff that laughs at the ones with handles. My dad used to say that firewood needed to heat you more than once.
Last edited:
Coal Reaper
Minister of Fire
I have a brave logsplitter. For every 4-5 cords i split with the x27 i will have not even a half cord of rounds that make it worth it to drag out and gas up the splitter. Fiskars and a tire is just faster for me and not any harder on my body. I stack after i split a tires worth so it breaks it up and end result is faster than splitting to a pile and then stacking. The rounds shown here took me an hour and ten minutes to split AND stack. What would time be with hydraulics? One man operation mind you. To each his own...
Attachments
![[Hearth.com] The last maul...](/talk/data/attachments/117/117801-e20565edacfa0fa29253b8b70592a870.jpg?hash=K3p2iMxbk4)
Coal Reaper
Minister of Fire
Boom Stick
Feeling the Heat
If the maul that broke worked well for you buy another of the same type.......or try a fiskars as I have and I love it. I havent even used the x27 I just use a x25 and have split several cords with it. I love it. OR get a gransfors bruks maul and let us know how it works....they are pretty
I am in a similar situation. I have not been able to convince myself that I would save time or labor with a hydraulic splitter. So much of what I cut is too far into the woods, or on too uneven ground to bring a splitter to it. So I would have to somehow transport larger logs than I can lift to the splitter, then unload them and split, then carry them to a woodpile. With my maul I can tackle anything on the property, and usually stack them pretty close by. As long as I can reach it with my lawn tractor and cart I can stack wood almost anywhere.
On the other hand, if my brother-in-law is over here with his three-point splitter, winch, and 150 ft. cable that is altogether different. But that is definitely a two man operation.
I'm with jotul8e2. I generally drop,buck,split and stack in the my woods. bring it in w my tractor after 6 months
Difficult to do while dragging a piece of equipment around.
Difficult to do while dragging a piece of equipment around.
Guess I'll throw my 2 cents in. I enjoy splitting wood with a maul. Regardless of the head IMO you can't beat a good hickory handle. Unless your willing to pay a premium for a maul I have never found one that came with a good handle. I cut that fiberglass/plastic junk wood flexing peice of junk off and just replace with a good wood handle. The price will sting a bit as the cost of the handle will seem to be = with the cost of the entire unit but the performance is entirely different.Search the entire rack of handles and examine grain, knots etc. I have had the same maul head for years and have only replaced 2 handles (one because I left it in the woods all winter and couldn't get back to find it until the next year). Keep them out of the sun and elements and it will be the last one you buy.
- Status
