Your favorite splitting axe/maul

[chopp056]

went with fiskars x27. I am very happy with it so far, splits great and seems more durable then it feels. I had a few shafts hits being longer then I am used to but seems strong. I would recommend it

 

[St. Coemgen]

If your wallet is a bit heavy this month and you want to lighten it, there is always the Leveraxe:


or Leveraxe 2:

 

[Dobish]

I ended up buying an x27 for myself for my birthday, and it is good. It seemed to bounce out of the rounds a lot, but now that the coating is wearing off a little bit, and I am getting a better feel for how it swings and splits, I am liking it more. I have a lot of pieces that are a pain to split, so I still have been smashing at them with the wedge and sledge....

 

[Hasufel]

I just ordered a Fiskars 8# splitting maul to keep my X27 and X15 company. I have some oak rounds that are approaching 2' in diameter and it usually takes a few hits with the X27 before I get the first split--after that it's easy peasy. I'm hoping the Fiskars maul will make a difference on that first split. I could probably manage with just the X27 but in part I'm planning ahead. I've got more big stuff in my future and want to make it as easy on me as possible!

 

[OhioBurner©]

I'm almost ashamed to admit I just bought a log splitter. I had a huge pile of unsplittable-by-hand pieces, plus about a cord of spruce yard trees full of knots and branches that I wasn't going to be worth the effort even trying to split by hand.

I'll still use the Fiskars when I need a good workout and have the extra time.

 

[FTG-05]

I'm almost ashamed to admit I just bought a log splitter. I had a huge pile of unsplittable-by-hand pieces, plus about a cord of spruce yard trees full of knots and branches that I wasn't going to be worth the effort even trying to split by hand.

I'll still use the Fiskars when I need a good workout and have the extra time.

Count me in the "have a log splitter" crowd! +60 years, my days of hand splitting wood, with anything, are over!

Yea, getting old isn't for wussies In hydraulics, we trust!

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

Count me in the "have a log splitter" crowd! +60 years, my days of hand splitting wood, with anything, are over!

Yea, getting old isn't for wussies In hydraulics, we trust!

Yup! Log splitters are like trucks. Folks claim they don't need them but will always be quick to call on someone who has one when they do need it.

I do almost all my splitting by hand but still employ a splitter every so often.

 

[Hasufel]

My Fiskars 8# maul arrived yesterday and I finally got a chance to try it out this afternoon on some 18"+ oak rounds. The sound it makes when hitting the round is very satisfying but it didn't seem to split much better than my X27--it took two or three hits to start a split and then one more to open it up. Then, for the sake of comparison, I tried the X27. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. It finally dawned on me that the rounds were frozen and were taking more force to split than I had been used to. So it wasn't really a fair test of the maul. Relative to the X27 it was actually doing a better job--I just need to wait for a thaw before doing a real test of its abilities. And of course the X27 feels super light after I've taken a few swings with the maul. The handle on the maul is a couple inches shorter than on the X27 so I had to remember to adjust my aim. It's also coated with a much "grippier" material, which means I might not even need gloves with it (once the weather warms up, that is).

But the best news is that my new Dolmar 7910 was waiting for me when I got home! I can hardly wait to try it out. Unfortunately the next few weekends are largely spoken for so I might not have a good opportunity until March. Bummer...

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

My Fiskars 8# maul arrived yesterday and I finally got a chance to try it out this afternoon on some 18"+ oak rounds. The sound it makes when hitting the round is very satisfying but it didn't seem to split much better than my X27--it took two or three hits to start a split and then one more to open it up. Then, for the sake of comparison, I tried the X27. Bounce. Bounce. Bounce. It finally dawned on me that the rounds were frozen and were taking more force to split than I had been used to. So it wasn't really a fair test of the maul. Relative to the X27 it was actually doing a better job--I just need to wait for a thaw before doing a real test of its abilities. And of course the X27 feels super light after I've taken a few swings with the maul. The handle on the maul is a couple inches shorter than on the X27 so I had to remember to adjust my aim. It's also coated with a much "grippier" material, which means I might not even need gloves with it (once the weather warms up, that is).

But the best news is that my new Dolmar 7910 was waiting for me when I got home! I can hardly wait to try it out. Unfortunately the next few weekends are largely spoken for so I might not have a good opportunity until March. Bummer...

Frozen oak will split much easier than non-frozen oak.

 

[Hasufel]

Frozen oak will split much easier than non-frozen oak.

That's what I thought but I'm not finding it to be the case, at least with the oak rounds I'm dealing with. Maybe it has to do with moisture content or some other factor? After last week's storm there's still a coating of ice on many of the rounds. I dunno, but the frozen ones are definitely giving me more trouble than I'm used to with the X27.

 

[Xtrl9]

That's what I thought but I'm not finding it to be the case, at least with the oak rounds I'm dealing with. Maybe it has to do with moisture content or some other factor? After last week's storm there's still a coating of ice on many of the rounds. I dunno, but the frozen ones are definitely giving me more trouble than I'm used to with the X27.

I use an x27 for most of my splitting, which is mostly oak and black locust. sometimes on the big stuff I have rounds that are also pretty close to 2', wedge and sledge to get them in half; helps the x27 carve stack able pieces. I said most, sometimes you get some nasty twisted knotty grain that you don't want to touch with hand tools if you can; I've spent over an hour splitting one round that size and it was TOUGH. Might seem silly but see if the grain looks the same top and bottom, if it doesn't you may have some hidden knots. Like another poster said "you can't beat hydraulics", they are 10 times stronger than you and I don't feel bad about borrowing one and taking a whole pile of rounds down in a weekend.

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

That's what I thought but I'm not finding it to be the case, at least with the oak rounds I'm dealing with. Maybe it has to do with moisture content or some other factor? After last week's storm there's still a coating of ice on many of the rounds. I dunno, but the frozen ones are definitely giving me more trouble than I'm used to with the X27.

The higher the moisture, the better when frozen. The round turns into a big piece of ice. When you strike it, it snaps right open along the grain. Except for a few species, green wood is always easier to split, especially when frozen. You may just have some really knotty pieces.

 

[Hasufel]

The higher the moisture, the better when frozen. The round turns into a big piece of ice. When you strike it, it snaps right open along the grain. Except for a few species, green wood is always easier to split, especially when frozen. You may just have some really knotty pieces.

Nope, definitely not knotty--these are rounds from a long, straight stretch of trunk. And I did get some split, it just took a few hits with the maul to get them started. The wood technically isn't "green" because it's been on the ground long enough to start getting punky around the edges. But the heartwood is still super wet, at least 50% MC (my MM doesn't go any higher). I'm thinking they might just be too wet, and that the internal moisture plus the ice/snow we got helped form an extra hard ice cap. They should be thawed out by now so I'll give it another shot next time I have some spare daylight...

 

[AmbDrvr253]

I like my fiskars X27

 

[CentralVAWoodHeat]

Nope, definitely not knotty--these are rounds from a long, straight stretch of trunk. And I did get some split, it just took a few hits with the maul to get them started. The wood technically isn't "green" because it's been on the ground long enough to start getting punky around the edges. But the heartwood is still super wet, at least 50% MC (my MM doesn't go any higher). I'm thinking they might just be too wet, and that the internal moisture plus the ice/snow we got helped form an extra hard ice cap. They should be thawed out by now so I'll give it another shot next time I have some spare daylight...

Not to split hairs but that wood is green. Anything that high in moisture at the center is still above the fiber saturation point. That is typically the accepted definition of green wood. It can be fully punked on the outside and cut for years but still be green in the heart wood if not cut, split, and stacked properly.

 

[Hasufel]

Not to split hairs but that wood is green. Anything that high in moisture at the center is still above the fiber saturation point. That is typically the accepted definition of green wood. It can be fully punked on the outside and cut for years but still be green in the heart wood if not cut, split, and stacked properly.

Fair enough! Then the oak in question is most definitely green. It's had a chance to thaw so I did some more splitting this afternoon. This time my new system worked great--one or two hits with the Fiskars maul popped the round in half, a couple more hits quartered it, and then I switched to the X27 to finish it off. This is wonderful oak, almost entirely free of knots. The only problem is that the rounds are large enough that they're hard to split initially...but now the maul takes care of that. I'll have to try it out on some hickory next.

 

[jetsam]

+1 for the Fiskars X27.

It's at least as effective as my good old 8lb maul, and lighter.

I had a gnarly piece of oak that the Fiskars just kept bouncing off of today. Went to get the maul, same problem. Went to get the wedges after that!

 

[bboulier]

I have a couple of mauls and wedges, but almost never use them anymore. They have been replaced with a Fiskars X27.

 

[KD0AXS]

Hopefully the X27 works as great as everyone says it does. I just picked one up off eBay for $32.

 

[Xtrl9]

Just remember that it won't split anything and everything, but I've never used a more efficient hand splitter.

 

[Hasufel]

Just spent a few hours working through my oak backlog and perfecting my technique. As I mentioned above, I recently picked up a Fiskars 8# maul to supplement my X27 and X15. I have an old no-name 8# maul as well, but there's no comparison. The X27 is great but I have some rounds that it was having trouble getting started. The process I settled on is to wrap the round with a bungee cord, split it into eights with the maul, then switch to the X27 for additional radial and circumferential splits as necessary. Then I remove the bungee, use the X27 to resplit any pieces still stuck together, and use the X15 to shave off any loose bark or punk. Voila! Ready to stack. The Fiskars maul might take two or three hits to create the first split but it eventually smashes through most stuff with a very satisfying sound, and after the first couple of splits I dial back my swing and pretty much just let gravity do the work. One thing to be careful of is that, after hefting the maul, the X27 feels like lightweight children's toy--so you have to be careful to keep it under control and not go wild with it. All in all a great combination. I haven't used wedges lately (haven't needed to with my current tool selection) but the hammer side of the Fiskars maul is quite large and looks like it would drive wedges quite well, even if your aim isn't perfect...

 

[MaulMan]

My favorite maul is an old 8 lb craftsman that I bought at a garage sale about 15 years ago. I have no idea how old it really is, but I like to imagine that it's really really old. To my kids that would be 40 (I'm 45). I profiled the tip, polished the sides so they're darn slick, hung it on a nice $12 fawns foot axe handle, and sharpened the crap out of it.
I realize that isn't helpful to anyone else who's considering a new maul so I did a lot of comparisons while splitting and analyzed what I like and dislike about all my splitters. In addition to the craftsmanI've got a fiskars x27, two fiberglass handled big box pieces of garbage, a Chopper1, and a 6lb oldie from a flea market that I refurbished. I've fondled a Stihl pro maul enough that the guys who work at the store asked me if I wanted to buy it a drink. But I didn't take her home...
It's pretty interesting that my old Craftsman and the fiskars have a very similar profile (and so do the Stihl mauls- thats why I didn't buy one). I think the lack of a bevel at the tip and smooth sides make all the difference. I do NOT like the really defined 'cheeks' on the fiskars. In stringy or knotty rounds that don't bust open the cheeks get stuck in the wood. This happens enough for me that it's a problem.



My craptastic fiberglass cheapos both have a major bevel at the tip, which I think is only not terrible on certain types of relatively dry softwood. Those things don't penatrate hard wood worth a darn. I won't spend anymore time on those because, well, they suck.
I find the steel on the fiskars to be...ungood. when I get into knotty stuff the edge rolls and/or knicks easily. It happens on every one my mauls except the old Craftsman. I think the steel in that old thing is way better than anything else I've got so it holds an edge way longer and under much more abuse. The fiskars appears to be the softest steel of all my splitters
The handle is also a big deal to me. I sanded and rubbed on the hickory handle I hung in the old craftsman enough that my girlfriend got a little suspicious, and maybe I rub boiled linseed oil on it more than is really needed. But that handle feels freakin' fantastic now! I usually don't wear gloves when I'm swinging it cause I don't want anything between me and the hickory.
I really don't like the handle on the fiskars. It feels cheap and rough. I don't get enough shock or vibration through the plastic to be a problem, but it's more than the hickory handle.
When I'm splitting a lot I'll use an assortment of tools, but mostly the 8lb craftsman and the fiskars. The lighter weight of the fiskars is a nice break from the 8 pounder, but it won't bust open the big / difficult rounds as well. And every time I put down the fiskars and pick up the old craftsman it makes me appreciate that hickory handle even more.

 

[woodhog73]

Does anyone have an input on a Gransfors Brux large splitting axe ? Or their splitting maul ? I was thinking about the 5lb large splitting axe but it's expensive at $175 bucks. Any input on it ? I watched a youtube video a guy did on one and it looks life a lifetime tool. I personally just use the cheap box store stuff when it comes to mauls and axes. Wondering what advantages this type of hand made axe would have ?

 

[jetsam]

If your wallet is a bit heavy this month and you want to lighten it, there is always the Leveraxe:

View attachment 174460
or Leveraxe 2:

View attachment 174461

I have seen some genuinely funny videos of people attempting to use those products to split wood.

The one I linked shows a guy taking half an hour and a hundred swings (*blonk blonk blonk*) to do five minutes of splitting. Afterwards he confides to the camera that he has serious reservations about the way the handle is painted.

 

[jetsam]

Does anyone have an input on a Gransfors Brux large splitting axe ? Or their splitting maul ? I was thinking about the 5lb large splitting axe but it's expensive at $175 bucks. Any input on it ? I watched a youtube video a guy did on one and it looks life a lifetime tool. I personally just use the cheap box store stuff when it comes to mauls and axes. Wondering what advantages this type of hand made axe would have ?

A $5 garage sale maul is also a lifetime tool unless you grind a new edge on it every day.

On the other hand, you don't want to be seen in your artisinal brand name lumberjack outfit and a cheap unfashionable maul!