Splitting/Chopping Tool Review Thread
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woodchuck357
Addicted to ArboristSite
http://www.mountainsports.com/msmain.asp?Option=Detail&Detail=149950&Product=Gransfors Bruks Splitting Maul
Highest price I could find was $202. OOPS, that place also wanted nearly $20 for shipping!
The $176 price was total including shipping.
woodchuck357
Addicted to ArboristSite
The haft is way to short, it is prone to sticking, and is a little light for me. It is one of tools I let the younger neighbor kids use. The other is the X27 I bought after all the hype about it being a wonder tool, that was a waste of $4o.
UnforsakenGhost
ArboristSite Operative
So for those of you that have the husqvarna splitting Axe (fiberglass handle) does come with a special sharpener like the x27 or are you using some other method to sharpen them
spike60
Addicted to ArboristSite
We all have two names here; our username and our real one. Most of us don't even know each other's real names to begin with, so mixing them in can cause a little confusion. Not everyone can make the connection that Spike= Bob, CTYank = John, etc. I've conversed here with guys like zogger for years and I have no idea what his real name is.
When I do know an actual name, I like to use it particularly when speaking/posting directly to that person, but otherwise ya gotta go with the username.I'm worse at GTGs, where I can't remember either name! I am a big fan of those "HELLO my name is . . . . . " stickers!
Philbert
Philbert
Plus if you are addressing Bob or John or Matt there are dozens of them on here.We all have two names here; our username and our real one. Most of us don't even know each other's real names to begin with, so mixing them in can cause a little confusion. Not everyone can make the connection that Spike= Bob, CTYank = John, etc. I've conversed here with guys like zogger for years and I have no idea what his real name is.
spike60
Addicted to ArboristSite
Guess we all have a limit, and that kind of exceeds mine. I think paying $70 for a quality tool is fine, but $200 or $400 is way beyond what I'd spend. I'd be afraid tio use it, but I've got some shelf queen "collector" saws, so it's no dumber to have a maul like that. Just hang it over the fireplace like an old musket.
Been real interesting to see some of the options you guys are using and what people like and dislike about them. As I suspected it's a real personal taste thing. Like John says, it makes real sense to swing these tools, (or at least be able to hold them in a store), before spending any money. Especially on the pricier items. Personally, I'm growing fonder of the 2 old axes in my pics. LOL I'm thinking whay the heck did I just ignor them all these years. They work pretty nice on the medium stuff.
Some reviews I'm getting from the stuff I'm selling: Sold a couple of the new S2800's. Guys that bought them are very happy, but most who pick them up feel that the handle is too short and put it back on the rack. I haven't even tried it myself yet, but want to give it a shot at some point. The Traditional Huskys sell much better and the large maul gets high marks from everyone I've talked to. That entire line actually moves better than I would have expected. I've yet to have to sell a handle to anyone. They even outsell those $30 Total mauls. Two guys were comparing them and one wanted to get the cheap one cause it was only $30, but the other guy said, "yeah, but this is bad a$$"
I like it. It split some twisted ash that the fiskars wouldn't work on. I would like to have the wooden handled husky splitting axe or maul in the 6 lb range to compare with it sometime.
woodchuck357
Addicted to ArboristSite
You should try a tire!
Matt, I know you're sharper than that. If you'll look at post #106, at the bottom, I thought I explained it to you. And would have saved you this fluff & stuff & dancing. If your msg is of no potential interest to the rest of the forum, take it offline with a PM. K.I.S.S applies.
If, in a post, you want to have a given user see it and/or respond as a result of getting an alert, address that user by username with an "@" prepended. That user will then get an alert indicating that he/she has been "tagged". So, when I'm specifically talking to you, I'd address my question, in the post, to @MechanicMatt. No guesswork, no bs, no wondering if it was received.
There. Now you and @svk have somethoing to "like" for real.
Rockjock
Addicted to ArboristSite
The local retailer that I got mine from has a lifetime warranty. bill is scanned and that is good enough for them.
http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/fiskars-36-in-splitting-axe-0575116p.html
Sounds like 'twitter' stuff. Never used twitter. I expect to be called by my screen name on this site.
Calling me "_@Philbert_" sounds like 'Hey You!' to me.
Philbert
Well, anyway....
I finally got some time to split using both the X27 & the Council Tool 6# maul. First, the family portrait.
Fisher's X27, Council Tool 6#, and Council Tool Hookaroon (just because!)
The wood was red oak, bucked to 16" long, and 16" diameter.
I started with the Fiskar's and worked from the outside area inward. Being a real novice at hand splitting, I learned from watching MechaincMatt (aka Matt) and others at Spike60's (aka Bob's) GTG. The Fiskar's worked really well penetrating the wood, opening splits but not getting stuck. I was able to generate some nice head speed with minimum effort. I found the Fiskar's easy to control.
The Council Tool maul tended to bounce off the wood on occasion. When It did penetrate, it would stick and needed to be pried free. It required a bit more effort to open a crack, even working inward, but once the splits started, it was fairly easy to finish off the entire round.
I'm not planning to be a full time split by hand kinda guy - heck, I'm getting old - but I am enjoying splitting a couple or three rounds in the early morning as a kick-start to the day. It's a great workout and gets the cardio going. All in all, I favored the Fiskar's for what I do. But the Council Tool will probably come with me in the truck to split up (with a wedge) the bigger rounds we've been cutting lately. It's a well made tool, and I do like the feel of the hickory handle. The head seems to be harder then the Fiskar's, and would probably hold up better to heavy abuse.
I didn't mention my old RockForge Home Depot splitting axe. It gets used every day.... to hold the tarp in place over my uglies box!
I finally got some time to split using both the X27 & the Council Tool 6# maul. First, the family portrait.
Fisher's X27, Council Tool 6#, and Council Tool Hookaroon (just because!)
The wood was red oak, bucked to 16" long, and 16" diameter.
I started with the Fiskar's and worked from the outside area inward. Being a real novice at hand splitting, I learned from watching MechaincMatt (aka Matt) and others at Spike60's (aka Bob's) GTG. The Fiskar's worked really well penetrating the wood, opening splits but not getting stuck. I was able to generate some nice head speed with minimum effort. I found the Fiskar's easy to control.
The Council Tool maul tended to bounce off the wood on occasion. When It did penetrate, it would stick and needed to be pried free. It required a bit more effort to open a crack, even working inward, but once the splits started, it was fairly easy to finish off the entire round.
I'm not planning to be a full time split by hand kinda guy - heck, I'm getting old - but I am enjoying splitting a couple or three rounds in the early morning as a kick-start to the day. It's a great workout and gets the cardio going. All in all, I favored the Fiskar's for what I do. But the Council Tool will probably come with me in the truck to split up (with a wedge) the bigger rounds we've been cutting lately. It's a well made tool, and I do like the feel of the hickory handle. The head seems to be harder then the Fiskar's, and would probably hold up better to heavy abuse.
I didn't mention my old RockForge Home Depot splitting axe. It gets used every day.... to hold the tarp in place over my uglies box!
benp
Addicted to ArboristSite
My Fiskars did not come with a sharpener. I just use a raker file.
Nice review, thanks!!!!
Your family portrait looks like mine. My Council Tools should be here today so I am looking forward to wringing that out.
^^^^^ I'm interested in your perspective between the Fiskar's & the Council Tool.
ps. I bought the Fiskar's sharpener at TSC.
ps. I bought the Fiskar's sharpener at TSC.
Another possible point of interest: some folks say that the edge on a splitting tool is irrelevant- "butter-knife" edge is good as axe-sharp. For many years, I had no reference for that. I just pounded on the rounds with the tools I had, like a 5 lb Bradlees-special.
Then I got a 3 kg (6.6 lb) Mueller maul, that arrived with an edge almost sharp enough to shave with, 3 yrs ago. (Still sharp, without sharpening.) That tool just got it done, typically popping red oak splits apart with less than 1" penetration. Obviously, having a 7" disc-grinder, the next step was to reshape the Bradlees-special maul to mimic the shape of the Mueller, as possible. Works great.
I was telling @spike60 about that, and how some of the splits from the original-shape 5-pounder showed some serious blunt trauma at the entry point. That would indicate that I was wasting energy doing work that was useless. Bob was curious as to the facts. I found some splits in a roofed enclosure from 4+ yrs ago that showed that traumatic fiber-crushing, and here are some pix:
No wonder it works so much better now. HTH. (Yeah, that vintage sugar maple is OUTSTANDING!)
Questions for @mikey517 :
1. Have you done anything yet with the raised ridge about 1/8" behind the edge?
2. Do you always "daisy" rounds with a mid-size splitting tool?
I ask the second because I find it easier to split 'em right down the middle in halves, then quarters etc. As necessary, a hit on the far side, then the near side, then the middle. For one thing, this helps protect the handle from overstrikes in such a daisied bundle. It may well work for you to bust the rounds in halves or quarters with the 6-pounder, then slice & dice with the lighter axe.
With large rounds, with hidden knots, often I'll use the 3 kg beast for the first few splits, then finish it off with 6 lb, 5.5 lb or 5 lb. Saves energy, and keeps 'em all exercised.
I'm hoping that Jimmy (member @JRepairsK70e) hosts a GTG this Jan. in Kingston, so we can share some hands-on, and even do some useful work for Jimmy.
Then I got a 3 kg (6.6 lb) Mueller maul, that arrived with an edge almost sharp enough to shave with, 3 yrs ago. (Still sharp, without sharpening.) That tool just got it done, typically popping red oak splits apart with less than 1" penetration. Obviously, having a 7" disc-grinder, the next step was to reshape the Bradlees-special maul to mimic the shape of the Mueller, as possible. Works great.
I was telling @spike60 about that, and how some of the splits from the original-shape 5-pounder showed some serious blunt trauma at the entry point. That would indicate that I was wasting energy doing work that was useless. Bob was curious as to the facts. I found some splits in a roofed enclosure from 4+ yrs ago that showed that traumatic fiber-crushing, and here are some pix:
No wonder it works so much better now. HTH. (Yeah, that vintage sugar maple is OUTSTANDING!)
Questions for @mikey517 :
1. Have you done anything yet with the raised ridge about 1/8" behind the edge?
2. Do you always "daisy" rounds with a mid-size splitting tool?
I ask the second because I find it easier to split 'em right down the middle in halves, then quarters etc. As necessary, a hit on the far side, then the near side, then the middle. For one thing, this helps protect the handle from overstrikes in such a daisied bundle. It may well work for you to bust the rounds in halves or quarters with the 6-pounder, then slice & dice with the lighter axe.
With large rounds, with hidden knots, often I'll use the 3 kg beast for the first few splits, then finish it off with 6 lb, 5.5 lb or 5 lb. Saves energy, and keeps 'em all exercised.
I'm hoping that Jimmy (member @JRepairsK70e) hosts a GTG this Jan. in Kingston, so we can share some hands-on, and even do some useful work for Jimmy.
John, I have not done any reshaping of the head; I'm not skilled enough at this point to be doing anything more than sharpening. As to always "daisy-ing" the rounds, I used to thrash away at the middle of the rounds with no great success. This was years ago in my old house where I was only getting firewood for a fireplace. I had no technique, and therefore hated all the effort for so little gain.
Then, all this firewood stuff happened, I turned 60, bought the first chainsaw...and all this other stuff happened!! Then, I watched MechanicMatt (aka Matt), and listened to you and others talk about splitting, and found I had more success (and fun) splitting from the outside in.
Keep me in the loop, please, about a GTG in Kingston. I just hope it isn't the weekend of January 24th as I'm scheduled to be in Pennsylvania that weekend.
Mike
Then, all this firewood stuff happened, I turned 60, bought the first chainsaw...and all this other stuff happened!! Then, I watched MechanicMatt (aka Matt), and listened to you and others talk about splitting, and found I had more success (and fun) splitting from the outside in.
Keep me in the loop, please, about a GTG in Kingston. I just hope it isn't the weekend of January 24th as I'm scheduled to be in Pennsylvania that weekend.
Mike
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