Monster Maul vs. standard maul

Well, I know some folks poo-poo the monster maul type of splitters, but I got one a few weeks ago and I love it! It speaks with authority! I can split much faster with that than with my standard 8 pound maul, and split things that my standard maul won't touch.

Took some time today to set a large oak round (30") in a pile of road gravel I have. Leveled out a nice area to stand, and got the top of the round at just the right level for me. This is a NICE splitting setup! I had the chunks flying today.

A nice side benefit is that the standard maul now feels very light! :biggrinbounce2:

Back when I was splitting by hand my theory was that one swing was the easiest way to split but swinging more than needed didn't make much sense either so I always took a single bit ax, a light maul and a heavy maul. Once in a while when working in Walnut tops I would split with my old True Temper double bit limbing ax and never stand the chunks up, just swing like golf club LOL. Limbing with an ax is kinda lost now but when the "light" saw was a David Bradley 3-4 swings with a sharp ax was the easier way.

Hands down the best maul I've ever used splitting 4 ft lengths.

I don't know why I cut firewood this way... I suppose it's because that's the
way I was taught. My dad and I would do 30 - 40 cord a year cut and split to four foot lengths. I do about 8 cord a year now by myself, still cut and split the same way It's a good workout in the winter and easy bucking with a tractor and buck saw in the fall. Clear oak and ash just peels apart with the monster maul...especially if it's frozen.

I must say, however, that I think I'm going to switch to an 8 lb maul and bucking with the chainsaw this year. The old man is fresh off the second of two shoulder replacements and neither one looked like much fun. If I can find a monster maul that's light enough I'll try it out for sure.

I had a 6 pound maul, which I forgot the name, But the maul was sharpened to a mirror finish. Very thin then tapered close to the end. It had a fiberglass handle, split very good. I would set up alot of 20" diameter walnut pieces, about 20 to 22" long and walk around them 1 whack and they split. Unfortunately I ruined it trying to use it as a wedge for some knotty pieces, Ill have to get a new one, learned my lesson there. Anyhow compared to the old splitting mauls, 8 pounds+ it exceeded all of them. One trick I seen somewhere was before the maul hits the wood, snap your wrists and it gives it more momentum.

By "monster maul" I'm thinkin' you mean about a 12-pounder? With a 12 lbs. and a 8 lbs. maul, one seems to work better on some rounds and the other better on other rounds. Can accelerate the 8- pounder better into the wood, but some chunks need the mass of the heavy one to split. Tightening up the abdominals for the entire swing provides oomph.

Gark said:

By "monster maul" I'm thinkin' you mean about a 12-pounder?

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15, actually. 30" handle. I think I would prefer a longer handle, like 36", but that might be too much...

Here's what the website says:

15 lb. overall weight, 10 lb. head, 30” overall length, steel handle, cushion grip

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The hardwoods here in IN the 15lb. monster maul is by far the best hand splitting tool I ever found. I tried several designs and weights of other mauls and axes which many were a waste of my money.
Anyone using it needs to know and use the correct way to swing it which consist of lifting it a little above head level straight in front of you , dropping it ,swinging just hard enough to control accuracy , and at the bottom of your swing bend your knees for a boost of speed and power when needed. The weight will do the work you just need to control it. With some practice you will get the above procedure in syncronized timing before you notice how much better it is then lighter tools,usually. Many folks get a monster maul and try splitting with it swinging it in the same manner of an axe or lighter maul which rely on speed and a full swing which is more then most human bodies can endure with 15lbs..Some times in frozen wood I'll use an axe intermitently on straight grained easy splitting pieces. Also when I was out west it seemed in some of the pines there wasn't an advantage over an axe.
I always make sure I have a decent cushioned grip so the metal handle doesnt transfer all its shock to my joints.Thats a biggy if you split very much as it could cause you problems. I wrap my main maul's handle with carpet padding and tape.

Anyone know where a Monster Maul can be purchased now?

Thanks

There are several sources. I think Bailey's might carry one. I got mine from Iron & Oak. Since they carry a product that competes with an Arboristesite sponsor, I probably shouldn't post a link.

Did some more with it today. Every time I use it I like it better. The small hammer I got with it (from the same folks) isn't anything to brag about. Too soft. It's already mushrooming quite a bit. Handy size for setting wedges, but it's not going to last long at this rate. But the maul is primo and the wedges are very nice.

I also got their mini maul which is a scaled down version of the big one. Handy for kindling, and my boys are getting a workout with it and learning to swing a maul.

Monster maul-

So a monster is about 15 pounds. No, probably that would tip me over when I bring it up for a swing. My 12- pounder is a round steel pipe handle welded to the wedge head. Got that because even the fiberglass handle on the 8- pound maul eventually gets cracked and busted. (Not that I miss the round, but sometimes the split crevass is zig-zagged.) Started out with wooden-handle mauls and those broke so often that the wife said "why don't you just buy a truckload of hickory handles and burn those in the woodstove?". Heheh, very funny...

I have both and I use the standard 8 pounder 95% of the time. If the round is too large I shell pieces off the side instead of trying to split it down the middle. I can swing the 8er a lot longer than the monster. It just wears me out in no time at all.

Ian

Until this year I split all wood with a 6lb maul. More than 6lbs and your wasting ALOT of energy just moving the maul around. Its all in the technique I have a neighbor who thought the heavier the maul the faster and easier the wood splits.
Its just not required for most wood splitting.

About the most worthless thing you can take into the woods are those splitting thingys with the 2 little arms that are sposta pop the wood apart., scrap iron is up right now!

The Monsters are very effective, my day job is fairly strenuous, but I can't swing the Monster as long as an 8# , so I don't use them any more, and can get a lot more done with a 3# double bit, and 2 , 8# splitting malls, one ground almost to the shape of a very well worn axe, and one ground with an increasing bevel . Both have fiber glass handles, as they tame a lot of shock.

Using those, a couple wedges and a chainsaw to cut into the block a little from the side, over the tuffer looking spots, it would be a good race against most any single wedge hydraulic splitter.

Anyone ever use one of those 4lb splitters that look like regular axes but have the two wings molded in rather than the junk mechanical ones that ShoerFast was talking about? BTW, that price is about double what it costs here locally. ihttp://www.amazon.com/Ames-True-Tem...ref=sr_1_274/104-6868458-2244731?ie=UTF8&s=hi
Ian

Yes Haywire, those are dandy. I've had one for two years now and havent touched my 6 or 8 lb. mauls. For me it splits better, is less tiring, and if it sticks it is easier to get out. It has the width but not the friction of regular mauls. I believe I paid 30 bucks for it.

Thanks, I think I'll take my 4" grinder to my 8lber and slim it down a tad.

Ian

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