The Traveling Leveraxe/Leveraxe 2 Thread

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The box of Leveraxes arrived at a very opportune time. The postman pulled into the driveway just as we were in the process of splitting a full cord of wood. There were three of us there that day to compare the two Leveraxes to the Fiskars X27. I have just started splitting this year and would by no means call myself good at it. My wife has only split wood as a kid for campfires using one of the big cheese-wedge mauls plus a very small amount of work with the X27. Our friend had never split anything before. So we went into it not having a lot of skill but standing around a lot of wood to practice on. Over the next 6 hours, we re-proved an important lesson: the kinematics of the user HAS to match the the way the tool needs to be used or it’ll end badly.

First up: me. I have a spinal injury that makes a lot of this stuff harder but I’ve found I can split with the X27 so long as I work slow and steady and don’t try to overdo or power through things. Trying the Gen1 Leveraxe, my first impression was how much harder I had to swing to get it to go into the wood rather than bouncing off while hardly leaving a crease in the round. I really had to swing with the intent to force it through the stroke rather than putting in a natural swing or else the Leveraxe just bounced. I had to move the strike closer to the edge of the rounds to slab off thin pieces of wood. When I made this adjustment, it was impressive how far the Leveraxe shot the slab. In fact, I’d actually say that was a bad thing as it meant that I had to chase splits a lot farther and I was a danger to other people working in the area. Interstingly, I never had a single strike that got stuck. If the Leveraxe didn’t bounce, it successfully completed the split, proving that the twisting action from the eccentric head really does work as advertised. On the plus side, the hook on the right side of the head was awesome at catching the axe and preventing it from blowing through the spit and ending up in the ground. Unfortunately, after just 2-3 rounds with the Leveraxe, I suddenly developed shooting nerve pain in my right side, which is a sign that my spinal injury is swelling from abuse. Out of curiosity, I switched to the X27 and was surprised to find I could swing it pain-free even after the aggrivation caused by the Leveraxe. Switching to the Gen2 Leveraxe was basically everything I had to say about the Gen1 only more emphatic. It bounced off more, hurt my back more, and really threw the splits on a successful strike. Finally, a week after splitting, I still have pretty severe tendonitis in the first joint where my thumb joins the heel of my hand from the vibration/recoil of the handle of the Leveraxe. I’ve never had that with a composite-handled axe. My suspicion is that the handle of the Leveraxe is very live and it’s snapping a lot of the impact into my left hand. So, for me, the Leveraxes are literally unusable.

My wife tried next and had similar, but not identical, results. First off, none of the axes hurt her to swing, so that’s clearly something to do with my back injury (though it is interesting that the Leveraxe bothers me but the X27 doesn’t). With the Leveraxe Gen1, she could split some, but had a GREAT deal of difficulty and had to strike very near the edge and just slab off very thin splits. She never successfully split a round anywhere in the middle half of the round. With the lighter Gen2, she never successfully split period. Switching to the X27, she was able, admittedly with difficulty, to split rounds she couldn’t even touch with the Leveraxes.

Our friend was basically an utter disaster and couldn’t split anything with anything and was so frightening to watch that we took the sharp objects away from her! She’s going to get one of the shorter Fiskars splitters and start practicing on smaller/shorter stuff.


So, my summary? For me, they’re a complete failure because of my back problems. There’s simply no way I could use either Leveraxe without causing serious health problems. For someone who is in good health, I would suggest trying the Leveraxes if you predominantly split shorter rounds of easier to split wood, as is very common for the smaller European stoves. Given that the relationship between a hand tool (especially and exotic one like this) and the body of the user is so critical, I feel that approaching these with a “try before you buy” attitude is mandatory.
 
Very nice write up. I probably will never see a leveraxe, let alone use one, but it gives a real world idea as how it would work in a real situation.
 
I had not previously read your instructions but had read many successful users' descriptions of how to use the axe. Reading your instructions now, I was using the axe as your instructions say and several of the things I did note about it (such as the forceful ejection of the split off piece of wood) are mentioned in your instructions.
 
Hello everybody.
Observe, this is not an advertisement.
I started to give information about my invention in these pages in April 2007. The reception was not very favourable, because all what I wrote was considered to be advertisement. That is pity, because my ideas did not proceed as expected. As an inventor I may think differently comparing to average people. More important than money to me is, that my invention will spread around the world and make peoples' life easier. Some of us are equipped with such an attitude, that nothing can be changed. Some things are been done the same way since the stone age, as splitting firewood. It does not mean that it could not be done an other way. It just haven't occurred to anybody's mind before.
So, everything is possible, especially if you believe in your ideas and do not give up.
I shipped 5 Leveraxes as pas around purposes to USA. Four of then have dis appeared??. One "Leveraxe 1" is somewhere making it's tour around USA. So, it has been on it's way around nine years. I would be pleased if it could be found and I could attach it to the future Leveraxe museum. We are making history in the life of axes. It is long time since the stone age, when the stone age man created the first axe to which still bases all the other axes expect the Leveraxe.
I have worked with this project nearly 20 years and I have spent a lot of money and time in purpose to ease other peoples every day life. I do not complain it because it has been my own choice. Sometimes I have wondered that this probably could have been easier if there had been more help and understanding around me, but as always, the inventors are considered as kind of freaks which do not belong to the normal community. It is good to remember that what ever we have, somebody have invented it.
I have succeeded to get some younger generation to my company to continue my work. "Leveraxe 2" will be mass produced in near future.
It will have composite handle. Based to the feed back from all around the world it is very convenient to use. I cannot tell exact schedule when it's available with the composite handle, but the day will come.
I and the Leveraxe have got a lot publicity during the existence of it. Especially now, when the model with composite handle is available, people are exited to it and they have started to make their own videos about their splitting. This far my videos have been watched about 20.000.000 times
I will attach some of them which I have found lately from the internet. I hope their experience help you to understand easier the use of the Leveraxe, especially because they speak better English than I do.
Mr. Wranglerstar also made his review, but as always among us, some people understand , some not. He's review caused anyway a lot writings for and against. I shipped him two "Leveraxe 1" and two "Leveraxe 2" axes free of charge. He's opinion was, that they were expensive?? He's sister wounded by Fiskars axe. Maybe that unfortunate accident, which could happen with any axe that bases to wedge, made him write as he did.
These videos can be found in Youtube.








 
Heiki,

I'm assuming you missed the post from about a year ago where we able to recover the original Leveraxe that had been missing for several years. Since then both leveraxes have traveled the country together.

I'd like to think that we've given them a thorough testing through dozens of arboristsite members over the years. I know I've split several cords with them myself.

I just received both leveraxes back from their last visit to Donnarshmr. If you'd like the original back you may certainly have it.

image.jpeg
 
I'm assuming you missed the post from about a year ago where we able to recover the original Leveraxe that had been missing for several years. Since then both leveraxes have traveled the country together.

Sounds like some TV/movie ideas:

CSI- Leveraxe?

Sisterhood of the traveling Leveraxes?

Philbert
 
My customers opinion.


"Just split almost six full cords of Douglas Fir today with my axe. I can't say that is it "easy" to do so but I can absolutely verify that it is much much easier than using my maul. I am impressed, and that isn't easy. The logs I split were about 12-18 inches long, ranging from 10 to 28 inches in diameter. They were sawed about a year ago and were fairly dry (not dry enough to burn this year). Even in the knottier logs, it took only a few quick and easy swings to split and quarter. This axe is light enough to use one-handed, but you do need to use both hands to swing it squarely and guide it as you loosen your grip on impact. There is a VERY definite feeling when you hit it right."

"After purchasing this product and literally tearing through nearly 2 cord of mixed wood (maple, birch, oak) over the weekend I am compelled to sing it's praises.This axe is the safest, most efficient, most effective splitting tool I've used in 35 years of processing wood. It took a bit to figure out the technique, but once I sorted that out the wood was just exploding on impact. Thankfully I also adopted the tire surround approach shown in the youtube videos so I didn't have to chase the pieces all over the place.While I've heard from others that they can achieve similar results with an axe, I am convinced that this tool is dramatically safer than either an axe or maul. The Leveraxe does not go through the material and is light enough that I was able to split for several hours at a time without significant exhaustion."


"I received a leverax for Fathers Day, and have been giving it a good test split. The ax is very well made and thought out. It splits USA Northeast hardwood as described in the advertisements. There is a little getting use to having the ax rotate in your hand, but that the "mechanical" advantage of it as it pops splits of wood off the bolts. It's light weight, which is an advantage to us "older, seasoned" splitters who started out with 8 pound mauls years ago, but performs even better than a maul in that not all the pieces have to be stood back up to split them again. The ax is also designed to stand on its own so you don't have to bend and pick it up constantly. It's a little pricey due to the import taxes, but a lot cheaper than a hydraulic splitter, and a whole lot better for you mentally and physically."
 
Happened across a video of this on Digg, google searched, and ended up back here. lol! A fun read. Also, the euro is down now, so, if anyone wants to buy such a gizmo, now is the time. Unless another 3-4 countries exit, then the euro is really toast. ;P
 
Happened across a video of this on Digg, google searched, and ended up back here. lol! A fun read. Also, the euro is down now, so, if anyone wants to buy such a gizmo, now is the time. Unless another 3-4 countries exit, then the euro is really toast. ;P
The leveraxes are in Iowa over at Hoskey's place if you want to give them a spin.
 
I suspect that it would kill my wrists. A few decades of reflexes in handling various edged implements would be fighting the motion of the tool. However, it does give me an idea on how to make something that converts downward momentum into pushing out sideways without risk to the wrists. I think there's probably 4-5 different ways to do it, while still staying fairly simple.

Although, a lever axe on a treadle wheel splitter arrangement, using something like the spring and weight arrangement on this thing.



Then have another cam to push the logs along on some sort of conveyor going left to right to stay out of the way... Or maybe a series of lever axe heads rotating 180 degrees offset to increase wear, and and add a little weight.. :D Call it a Birch Blaster/Breaker or something silly like that.

Yeah, the thing gives me all sorts of crazy ideas. lol!

Apply 3 rotating heads like that to a motorized kinetic splitter, and you'd really have something crazy. Blast kindling all over creation. Rig up some sort of feed ramp, and hello deforestation! :chainsaw:
 
I've used it more than anyone on this site besides Finland the designer.

It didn't give me any wrist problems because you release grip as the tool impacts.

It works great in straight grained stuff.
 
Yeah, still, it does seem like that axe head could be taken to the next level. 3 axe heads 120 degrees offset on a spindle, 3 spindles 120 degrees off, combined with a weighted downward force from something like the gadget in the video. You'd be ripping the wood three different ways at once. Totally impractical for any fully mechanized operation, but it might be something a bored rural hobby farmer would burn $1299-$2599 on. ;)

Just look at lawn tractors, silly little things for $4-15k when you could get a used diesel John Deere with some serious horsepower, modern PTO, hydraulics, etc, etc for only $4-$6k, and that'd last maybe another 10-20 years without too much grief and repairs. Still, people buy those Kubotas like they're going out or style.

And of course, gadget nuts. For them burning $2-3k for something that could make a logs explode in sequence. It'd be the next bug zapper. lol!
 
This is how it looks on high speed. As you can see, there is nearly no extra movements while splitting. No bending to ground. No picking up logs. Enomous time saving. Same can be done with Leveraxe 2 even faster.
 
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