Best Splitting Axe - Opinions?

[Islander]

Fiskars 4# SS is my vote.

I call it a splitting instrument.

 

[Erick]

Well Eric, maybe you can`t teach old dogs new tricks. I most likely have different wood here to split, it splits easily with the tools I have or it gets noodled into submission. If all that fails we pull out the 40 ton V twin, I have yet to see something stop it. Frozen hardwood splits quite easily, usually only a bump or two will halve a 24" round, the rest splits off like kindling.
Pioneerguy600

Oh I agree.... the ole 8lb'er split everything I needed for many a year and never once complained about it. That’s why I understand exactly where your coming from ... it wasn't until I got the Fiskars cheap that I gave the thing an honest shake. I'm not getting any younger or better looking for that matter and the ole body is starting to suffer all the aches and pains of a misspent youth. If I can get the same amount of work done swinging 4.5lbs that I used to do with 8lbs I'm a pretty happy feller.

 

[StihlBoy440]

I probably hand split atleast 10 cord a year, all oak(red, white) or hickory and I laugh at people when they swing those big 6-8lb run of the mill mauls. I took the big leap to buy the Gransfors Maul and HAVE never regretted it, and everyone that has used mine loves it. It is well balanced and I can use it for hours on end. It is just a well made tool!

 

[teatersroad]

I probably hand split atleast 10 cord a year, all oak(red, white) or hickory and I laugh at people when they swing those big 6-8lb run of the mill mauls. I took the big leap to buy the Gransfors Maul and HAVE never regretted it, and everyone that has used mine loves it. It is well balanced and I can use it for hours on end. It is just a well made tool!

here's me, being laughed at.

 

[porsche965]

I'll run my Bailey's Monster Maul 15# against the field. Nothing comes close.

There was petrified White Oak that a Splitting Axe would bounce off of. The Baileys split the wood, sure numerous tries per section but it did. The wood was so hard my feet were coming off the ground and the corners of the Maul became rolled over after 30 minutes. I had to grind them back.

Hardest wood I've ever seen. My two firewood friends hauled the stuff home and couldn't do anything but saw it up. We don't use machine splitters.

I think I sold two more Monster Mauls for Baileys after that episode!

 

[bytehoven]

That is just a toy, in the context of splitting firewood........

:agree2:

I by no means meant to suggest otherwise. I simply posted some pics at Slamm's request.

 

[SWE#Kipp]

Which Fiskars axes did you use?

Used two of them a medium one and a larger one, the larger one was ok i think, don't remember the weight on them
they are good axes but i just don't think as nice to work with as the gränsfors and the steel in the fiskars seems to be more brittle !?
I was a bit disappointed by them, i now allot of people think they are top notch i might have bad pair ,,,,,

 

[gwiley]

I'll run my Bailey's Monster Maul 15# against the field. Nothing comes close.

I agree that the monster maul can do some impressive work, but I feel the damage to my shoulder and elbows after using it. I pull mine out on rare occasion, but more and more I reach for the splitting axe - it is amazing.

The way the monster maul transmits vibration back to the arms is bad news for long term joint health. Be careful about spinal compression as a result of using so much force and impact - I suspect that the lighter splitting axes are not as hard on the body.

 

[mkohler]

I have used the Fiskars "super splitter" for about 10 years, and is very happy with it!

+1

I have the 28" pro splitting axe. Was a little reluctant due to it's shorter length and lighter head compared to traditional mauls but I bought one anyway cause of the great reviews. Works great, doesn't get stuck in the wood, light and easy to swing (over the head, not around the shoulder).

Just have to make sure you set your logs up on a splitting block. You don't want to drive the head into the dirt, the super sharp blade is part of what makes it work so well.

 

[pioneerguy600]

Oh I agree.... the ole 8lb'er split everything I needed for many a year and never once complained about it. That’s why I understand exactly where your coming from ... it wasn't until I got the Fiskars cheap that I gave the thing an honest shake. I'm not getting any younger or better looking for that matter and the ole body is starting to suffer all the aches and pains of a misspent youth. If I can get the same amount of work done swinging 4.5lbs that I used to do with 8lbs I'm a pretty happy feller.

Well I agree on the better tool making the job easier on my aging body. My dad split wood with his double bitter, it was actually a double bitted felling axe, he used an axe all his life and developed a special method of how to split with one. We could not get him to switch over to any other splitting tool. He split 20 cords of wood a year well up into his 80`s with his double bitter. I also learned how to do it from watching and working with him but I prefered the weight of the splitting wedges.
Pioneerguy600

 

[SteveH]

I have one of the cheapie splitting mauls with fiberglass handle. I say cheap as it was around $20 a couple yr. ago. I figured it would fill in where the axe didn't go. I bought it to replace a wood handled maul that I couldn't keep in a handle, the shock kept eventually cracking the wood. After two years, the fiberglass handle is loose.

I didn't want to spend the money on a Fiskars or whatever, plus I figured the heavier maul would be better. Then I got the Fiskars from the Bailey's sale and when I got it, it felt odd with the shorter handle. After a few minutes of using it, however, I realized you don't swing the thing over your shoulder for a power smash. You don't swing it over head nor do you need to. With much less power, the Fiskars does more than the maul ever did even if I swung the maul with everything my body could come up with. You use more of a chop than a swing.

So, after doing more work, more efficiently, with the Fiskars, my shoulder and elbow and arms are not burning or sore as they could sometimes be with the maul.

I guess one could say the Fiskars works smarter. It weighs much less than a maul, takes less human energy to use, works better at splitting. I doubt I'll ever use that maul again, probably give it away if I find someone who wants it.

All the tools work, axes, mauls, splitters, wedges plus sledges, and so on. Some of them just do an easier job.

 

[howellhandmade]

With a 6-8 lb. maul with a 32-in. handle, you swing the head around in a long arc. You can build up a little extra speed by letting your wrists cock and finishing with a snap, but you can't do this too much because the weight of the head and the length of the arc keep a fairly straight line between your elbows and the maul head.

With the Fiskars, the light weight and short length encourage holding a much more pronounced lag in your wrists, leading to a greater flail action as you release the lag at the end of the swing and the head snaps around. It's like a golf swing -- the greater the lag and the longer you hold it, the greater the speed of the club/maul head. That's the key, I think, letting the head lag behind the hands and finishing with a snap. It's safer, too, with the Fiskars to hold the lag and release the swing with your hands low. That way if the round flies apart the head drives down into the splitting block instead of continuing in an arc toward your feet.

I spent a couple hours splitting this morning, and had all my mauls out with this thread in mind. There are rounds that need the weight of the 6-lb. maul, but for everything else I prefer the Fiskars. Different strokes, etc. If anybody has a Fiskars and doesn't like it and wants to try the Helko Tomahawk I'll trade straight across.

Jack

 

[BrentS]

Wow, look what I started.......great info, a lot of different opinions. It'll make my decision easier, or at least more educated.......

Thanks Guys

 

[Slamm]

I don't split wood by hand, but it looks like its fiskars all the way.

Sam

 

[Ironbark]

Gransfors vs Fiskars.

Stihl vs Husky is soooo last year :hmm3grin2orange:

 

[teatersroad]

anyone here ever woods port a splitting maul?

 

[rxe]

anyone here ever woods port a splitting maul?

Er, yes. One of these would probably count:

http://www.vipukirves.fi/

If you want to make stove sized (house stove, not owb) logs with reasonably straight grained wood, there is nothing to beat it. It really does work like the video says.

It is useless at busting big rounds in half - I use a gransfors maul for that, but for turning a big round into small bits, it is the daddy.

 

[BIGBORE577]

Er, yes. One of these would probably count:

http://www.vipukirves.fi/

QUOTE]

That's cool.

 

[lmalterna]

Well, that was neat!

I love my Wetterlings...
http://www.wisementrading.com/woodworking/gransfors_axe.htm

2Door

 

[SawTroll]

Er, yes. One of these would probably count:

http://www.vipukirves.fi/

If you want to make stove sized (house stove, not owb) logs with reasonably straight grained wood, there is nothing to beat it. It really does work like the video says.

It is useless at busting big rounds in half - I use a gransfors maul for that, but for turning a big round into small bits, it is the daddy.

It is not "ported" though, but stock factory issue......