Tell me about Axes....
- Thread starter PLMCRZY
- Start date
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troylee
ArboristSite Guru
I know it is practice makes perfect, but I can't drive a nail with a hammer, no way can I chance the damage to life and limb with an axe.
aarolar
ArboristSite Operative
Expect to break handles and miss your spot for some time. You will get there it just takes time and practice.
Ambull01
Addicted to ArboristSite
Good luck. I never had much luck splitting with a single bit axe. Just kept sticking in the round. I always had to go back to my grandfathers maul. I loved that thing. I should find out the brand. He lives in NC so perhaps it's a Council Tool maul.
Oh, try not to over swing, or what ever it's called. I had a real issue with that. Broke a few handles. Then I grew wise and bought a massive grotesque maul that was fire engine read. Heavy too. Couldn't split a log to save my life with that thing.
aarolar
ArboristSite Operative
Yep a true single bit never worked for me either it's gotta have wings to be effective.
L-O-L
Or you could get an ax, a maul, and a couple splittin' wedges... and keep it ALL‼
*
Maybe you go with the Fiskars, get what you can, see what is left, and come back another time with other tools for the other stuff. No matter what you have, some stuff is going to be too big for most scroungers.
Philbert
Ambull01
Addicted to ArboristSite
Hey now, that doesn't sound too bad. I already have some wedges that's buried in a stump near my house. Guess the previous tenants tried to split this thing. No idea what the hell they were thinking driving wedges into a stump. I'm going to chisel them out and use those bad boys. Yep, I can be pretty cheap lol.
Yeah, what the hell. I'll get the Fiskars X27, Council Tool 6 pound maul, chisel out the wedges from the stump, buy some bucking wedges, buy some felling wedges, get one of those cool freaking Husqvarna lever felling thingies, buy a Husqvarna forest helmet system, rubber chainsaw resistant boots, fancy chainsaw resistant gloves, eye pro sunglasses, HD Makita 6421, a limbing saw, a hatchet to lop branches, a lopper to lop off smaller branches, a firewood truck, convert a boat trailer to a firewood hauler, bar mounted chain filer. Lets see, what else. I'll do all this and decide wood burning is not for me. I see a possible divorce in my future.
benp
Addicted to ArboristSite
At this juncture I would say yes. That is why I want to get one of the Council Tools mauls that CT Yank got to see if there is a difference.
I am not going after little stuff either with the Fiskars.
The main differences between the two, imo, will be durability and how much it beats me up.
If it can hold up to the utter abuse I put the Fiskars through, my aim isn't swift with frequent overstrikes and having the handle bent over 5 inches when prying a piece apart, then I will be impressed.
I feel I will have it broke before the boiler shuts off for the year.
Ambull01
Addicted to ArboristSite
This Philbert guy has a good, logical head on his shoulders. This should probably go in the scrounging thread but I've been telling everyone I meet I burn wood. Always looking for more. Well now I know someone that burns wood as well and he has a splitter. If I run into something massive, I'll call this dude and use his splitter. I wonder if he has a maul I can use too?
aarolar
ArboristSite Operative
If your aim ain't no better than that it won't last a day.
Ambull01
Addicted to ArboristSite
At this juncture I would say yes. That is why I want to get one of the Council Tools mauls that CT Yank got to see if there is a difference.
I am not going after little stuff either with the Fiskars.
The main differences between the two, imo, will be durability and how much it beats me up.
If it can hold up to the utter abuse I put the Fiskars through, my aim isn't swift with frequent overstrikes and having the handle bent over 5 inches when prying a piece apart, then I will be impressed.
I feel I will have it broke before the boiler shuts off for the year.
Damn those things are long. I'm assuming the Fiskars is 36". Those long things can fit into your boiler?
benp
Addicted to ArboristSite
You forgot safety chaps in your Santa list......
Not trying to make a pun, but sometimes it is better to scrounge with a friend. Safer, makes things easier, and . . . . (wait for it . . . ) . . . you can split the wood!
Philbert
Ambull01
Addicted to ArboristSite
Oh yes, safety chaps! Maybe some bright clothing like the Husqvarna chainsaw video guys too. Don't want to be shot by hunters while I'm scrounging. Forgot one more thing, some shin guards. A massive round fell back onto my left shin. Almost cried yesterday in the woods. Wife was nearby so I had to man up and just complained about it for the rest of the day.
benp
Addicted to ArboristSite
Then the Fiskars is better to me.
Like I said.....I consider it the Honey Badger of tools.
"It just don't give a sh!t."
Ambull01
Addicted to ArboristSite
lmao. Yes, win win! Good ole buddy system.
benp
Addicted to ArboristSite
Getting beat up is part of the deal. It happens.
And Philbert is 100% on working with a buddy.
You can get A LOT done with one cutting and another splitting and getting stuff out of the cutters way. Much much more efficient.
513yj
ArboristSite Operative
I used to leave a lot of that stuff there before I gots me a hydraulic splitter. Last year I mostly used the splitting axe since I could split my wood with a lighter tool in as many or less blows. My maul is an old who knows the brand but it says Made in USA on it that had to be wire wheeled to get the rust off so that might have something to do with it. I sharpened it with a medium grit stone on a bench grinder so that might be part of the problem too. I do know that I'm no longer leaving the big stuff nobody wants to deal with since I can process it easily now.
