X27 technique???

[ZeroLife]

Just got my first Fiskars in the mail. As the title states, in a X27. Is there a different technique to swinging the fiskars as compared to a regular old 8lb maul. Can't really tell the difference between the two at this point except in the smaller stuff. There are many videos of the Fiskars in action, but it's almost always a view of the round being split. Is there any video of the "wrist snap" technique I've read about???
Swing it til you get it right!

 

[D&B Mack]

Over your head instead of over the shoulder. Sorry, no video.

 

[audible fart]

Over your head instead of over the shoulder. Sorry, no video.

Bingo. I bought an X27 a few weeks ago after a lifetime of maul swinging. I 100% agree that the X27 needs to be swung overhead. :cat:

 

[Somesawguy]

I'll have to try the overhead thing. I think I usually swing from the shoulder. It seems to work fine that way though.

 

[zogger]

It works from speed and sharpness and the slick coating and reading the wood better and aim better. Aim small, hit small..

It's light so you can swing it faster, muscle memory must be achieved to get full effectiveness over an old heavy maul. Overhead, straight down. I drop my whole body just a scosh at the knees right before impact, for even more speed. Split on a low block inside of a tire. You could seriously hurt yourself with one with an overswing, the tire not only helps avoid that, but keeps the round stable so you can keep swinfing and not have to stoop to pick up chunks to resplit smaller. You use a block and keep the block clean with a broom, so as to not dull the edge. Touch up the edge as required.

If you get into a stretch with easy splitting, you can learn to pull up a fraction of a second after impact and be ready for the next swing reallllly fast. When the wood is "popping" easy, the impact doesn't have to go deep at all, making this possible. Some guys twist a little then, I don't, just depends. That's when you are gonna go wow! You can bust a round all the way into splits much faster than you could load a hydraulic and run the ram. I got 15 splits from an oak round in 40 seconds once, and because the round was larger than my tire at the time, that time included stopping to pick big chunks back up.. You'd have to have a big expensive splitter with a fast cycle time and a multi edge wedge to get the same results. You can't do that with every piece or load of wood, but some you can and it flies.

Every piece of wood is different, where to strike varies. Replace splitting block when the wood ends get too filled with dirt.

Some rounds will sneer at axe, maul or whatever, any brand. Don't waste time standing there with some tool in your hands then, toss it aside, grab another round, come back later for noodling or sledge and wedge or any combination that works.

When the teflon wears off, you can substitute your favorite spray slick in a can if you want.

 

[JTP]

I too have been a lifetime over the shoulder 6 lb or 8 lb maul swinger. I picked up a Fiskars X27 after reading good things about it. I've only had it about 2 months now and for some odd subconscious reason I've been occasionally swinging it straight over head with good results.

It's hard to tell which is more efficient, perhaps because over the shoulder has been all I've done. Thinking about it over the head certainly produces a faster maul head speed. I still feel like I deliver more power over the shoulder. Over the shoulder technique is easier to "wined up" a heavier head like a 10lb sledge but that could be why I think I can deliver more power. :lifter:

 

[Dalmatian90]

If you guys had the shorter SuperSplitter or X25 and were swinging over the shoulder, you'd be a few toes short by now.

Still got the boots with the gash in them from the last time I swung a ProSplitter over my shoulder That thing scared the !@#% out of me till I learned about the overhead swing, then upgraded to the SS.

 

[Marc]

Hit the wood on the end with the sharp side of the axe head.

 

[Streblerm]

Zogger pretty much summed up my experience.

I like to start with the Fiskars parallel to my body, not behind. I try to bring the axe throu about a 90 degree swing and snap the wrist while bending at the knees just before impact. Keep a loose-ish grip, like you would with a baseball bat or golf club.

The wrist snap and knee bend is more important than swinging really hard. The Fiskars works OK if you roundhouse/over shoulder swing, like with a maul. It is a whole different animal if you focus on technique.

I find that my default swing is the roundhouse. If that doesnt work I collect myself and focus on technique. If that doesnt work then I toss the round over to the side for noodling/hydraulic splitting.

 

[WidowMaker]

Over your head instead of over the shoulder. Sorry, no video.

====

Thats the normal way I swing a splitting maul...

 

[H 2 H]

The thing I have found with the X27 it's half the weight as a 8 lbs maul and splits easier than a maul and I can use the X27 alot longer (because of the weight)

And I had used a 8 lbs and a 10 lbs maul for years before I got the X27 this summer

 

[sleprac]

Is there a different technique to swinging the fiskars as compared to a regular old 8lb maul?

I put the plastic sheath thingy on my fiskars and hang it up when I'm done. 8lb go-devil just gets left in a log. :jester:

 

[ZeroLife]

Thanks boys. I'm pretty accurate with my swing already. Just have to keep bruising through rounds and get it right.

 

[doeber21]

Hard to teach an old dog new tricks!!

I've been splitting with an X27 for a couple months now with no problems but getting done to quickly. Well to all you old maul swingers, watch your ankles. Was helping cut and split with my dad the other weekend for my laid up uncle and I got tired of the slow hydraulic splitter, so I pulled out the X27. I was going through the pretty dry oak rounds quickly when my dad thought he should try. Now don't think he is a beginner. He's burned wood my whole life and never owned a power splitter. He swung it once like a 10 lb. maul and his eyes got real big when it just popped that round and sent the splits flying. I explained to him he didn't need to try and kill it like with his old dull maul. Well he just couldn't figure it out. Stopped him twice to tell him to settle down. 8 stitches later I think he got it, poor guy. It went through the round, through the splitting round, through his jeans, leather boot tongue, sock, cut his ankle clean and just nicked a tendon. YIKES! He was very impressed. Still thinking I'll get him one for Christmas. So watch yourselves if you've been splitting the same way for the last 30 years.

 

[mountainmandan]

When I first got mine, I was not impressed, but it will grow on you. I touch my butt on the backswing, wait just a second, to aim, and bring it down violently. I think about hitting a home run or a long drive. If that doesn't work throw it in the noodle pile. So I am swinging it in close to a full circle. This is when I am standing up, most of my splitting is on my knees with the x25.

Dan

 

[zogger]

I've been splitting with an X27 for a couple months now with no problems but getting done to quickly. Well to all you old maul swingers, watch your ankles. Was helping cut and split with my dad the other weekend for my laid up uncle and I got tired of the slow hydraulic splitter, so I pulled out the X27. I was going through the pretty dry oak rounds quickly when my dad thought he should try. Now don't think he is a beginner. He's burned wood my whole life and never owned a power splitter. He swung it once like a 10 lb. maul and his eyes got real big when it just popped that round and sent the splits flying. I explained to him he didn't need to try and kill it like with his old dull maul. Well he just couldn't figure it out. Stopped him twice to tell him to settle down. 8 stitches later I think he got it, poor guy. It went through the round, through the splitting round, through his jeans, leather boot tongue, sock, cut his ankle clean and just nicked a tendon. YIKES! He was very impressed. Still thinking I'll get him one for Christmas. So watch yourselves if you've been splitting the same way for the last 30 years.

Well, sucks he got hurt! I know I have stated over and over to watch it and split inside an old tire, and change stance from maul style to fiskars axe style. Legs apart evenly, straight over your head, straight down. Legs are out of the way then if you get a violent overswing. If you have a low splitting block, at worse it will stick in that block..or even split the block! but the tire stops all that noise, plus holds the round or big chunk in place or follow up swings. If you are maul style swinging off to the side, chances are you have one foot ahead of the other and the axe head is inline with a foot/leg, and stuff like that cut foot can happen. I saw that within a few swings when I got my supersplitter. I was like "yikes"!! Had to readjust reality fast. You get that first blow through the wood, that should be enough to see it ain't a maul.

It just really doesn't come across in the videos how much less effort is involved. You can see it in the video time frame scale, but you aren't feeling it, just isn't the same. Best anyone can do on the net is give strong safety and technique advice.

In real good wood, don't even need a full swing, can half swing and just pop them. It's like being able to use a little kindling hatchet swing, just two handed, but be busting up real firewood splits. poppoppop. I just lean over and more or less just tap the round.

I'm a neogeezer now and absolutely want to learn new and better techniques, in anything I do, such as I have learned here with proper felling. Doesn't hurt my ego at all to learn I have been doing something wrong for years, I'd rather a slightly hurt ego than a slightly or worse hurt body! And I don't care if it would be someone ten years old teaching me something either. If someone is good, doesn't matter the age, just pay attention.

 

[H 2 H]

Oh yeah that's a great point

You don't have to swing harder with the X 27; I couldn't tell ya how many times I put the X 27 in the ground the first few times I used it

 

[sachsmo]

It's all about head speed and accuracy which are much easier with a lighter head.

 

[c5rulz]

I find on large pieces, the Fiskars works much better to slab off the sides and square up the round, rather than trying to split through the middle like sections of a pie.:msp_smile:

 

[zogger]

I find on large pieces, the Fiskars works much better to slab off the sides and square up the round, rather than trying to split through the middle like sections of a pie.:msp_smile:

Yep! That's the ticket with medium on up rounds! I'm going to be trying something new here soon, with a pure oak pile of splits. Going to save out the thin outside slabs with the bark, put them to the side. Build the stack, then shingle the top with the slabs, bark side up, to serve as the rain cover.