The Traveling Leveraxe/Leveraxe 2 Thread

[Hedgerow]

Sorry about the flying debris there Thomas..

 

[iowa]

Matt is the only one who could get it to go in the Pecan. If you don't know Matt, think Paul Bunyan, Lawrence Taylor, or Mark McGuire. He swings so hard the wood doesn't have a choice. He could probably split wood with a butter knife, if you know what I mean. But, yes, he did get it (the pecan) to split or at least separate.

I don't even know why he even owns a splitter! Matt just looks at a round and it pops apart! Uncle!

 

[MechanicMatt]

Sounds like except for Paul Bunyun, you guys all had the same luck I had. My pal Ritchie ain't big at all, he just swung that thing like a animal, fast and furiously.

 

[zogger]

Sounds like except for Paul Bunyun, you guys all had the same luck I had. My pal Ritchie ain't big at all, he just swung that thing like a animal, fast and furiously.

That's it with light weight axes, to get them to split wood, lever action or not, sharp, fast and *on target* Aim is one of those three criteria. Fail it on any one of those three, you ain't splitting much.

Looking at the design, no way in heck is that thing designed to bust long and wide diameter rounds, it is a specialty tool. I wouldn't even try to do that. Ain't taking a .22 big game hunting in africa. Ain't taking a t-rex 9000 turbo magnum whatever squirrel hunting. Ain't using a ferrari to go scrounge wood, ain't driving a dump truck for a suit and tie and desk job downtown someplace.

Speaking of which, what is the status of the sharpness now after numerous guys have tried it? I ain't never ever buying "dull is good enough". It just ain't so. Sharper works better no matter what slicing and dicing tool you are using, scalpel to power splitter wedge.

 

[svk]

Haven't received confirmation from Hinerman yet but the LA should be heading your way shortly.

 

[MustangMike]

I'm sure it works great for some specific tasks, but for what I need to do, I'm sticking with my Fiskars, and when it is too much for that, I pull out the 16 lb sledge and some wedges, and if they have trouble, I Noodle!

Just split some wavy grained Silver Maple yesterday, man was that stuff a pain, but the 16 lb hammer did whatever the Fiskars didn't.

 

[ziggo_2]

im still waiting to try it but i assumed just by seeing it that it is more suited for splitting "cook stove" wood. Generally you have to split smaller (and want them smaller) for cooking. I could see this axe really shining for that...

i normally spit 24" length of wood, i sometimes have trouble splitting that with the fiskars...but i have 16" length wood stacked and ready to use for testing.

 

[svk]

@stihly dan...You are next in line after Zogger. But you mentioned in the first post you'd need some time to get wood ready. Would mid-November arrival at your place work or do you want to pass and we'll keep you on deck after the next person?

 

[svk]

@ziggo_2 you are next in line after Stihly Dan. If he passes Zogger will send it to you.

 

[svk]

Zogger, expect a visit from the mailman tomorrow.

 

[woodchuck357]

That's it with light weight axes, to get them to split wood, lever action or not, sharp, fast and *on target* Aim is one of those three criteria. Fail it on any one of those three, you ain't splitting much.

Looking at the design, no way in heck is that thing designed to bust long and wide diameter rounds, it is a specialty tool. I wouldn't even try to do that. Ain't taking a .22 big game hunting in africa. Ain't taking a t-rex 9000 turbo magnum whatever squirrel hunting. Ain't using a ferrari to go scrounge wood, ain't driving a dump truck for a suit and tie and desk job downtown someplace.

Speaking of which, what is the status of the sharpness now after numerous guys have tried it? I ain't never ever buying "dull is good enough". It just ain't so. Sharper works better no matter what slicing and dicing tool you are using, scalpel to power splitter wedge.

I agree sharper is better but splitting is not slicing and dicing. And nothing beats hitting the right spot.

 

[stihly dan]

@stihly dan...You are next in line after Zogger. But you mentioned in the first post you'd need some time to get wood ready. Would mid-November arrival at your place work or do you want to pass and we'll keep you on deck after the next person?

Forgot about this thread, after seeing the axe (which is not what I was thinking) and reading the reviews, I think I am all set. I like long larger wood. For some reason I was thinking a maul with those wedgy flippy things on the side.

 

[svk]

Sounds good.

@ziggo_2 please PM me with your name and mailing address. You are on deck.

 

[stihl sawing]

Well would anyone pony up the 200 plus bucks to buy one. It does look a lot cheaper than the older one.

 

[svk]

Well would anyone pony up the 200 plus bucks to buy one. It does look a lot cheaper than the older one.

For my current uses no. Back when I had my old house that had a small potbelly, newer Dovre, and wood cook stove that all took short splits I would strongly consider it.

 

[MechanicMatt]

Not at that price, fifty beans sure. But two hunrded plus, I'll skip

 

[Oliver1655]

I agree with Iowa's assessment.

Like Hinerman, there is not a market for 10-12" long wood in my area.

Swings easy, sharp blade enters wood but not enough weight.

Even at $50 I wouldn't get one.

 

[lknchoppers]

I seen some hydraulic Log Splitters for sale used for $450 to $600 around here. I would go that way if I already didn't have one. $350 for one of those "Ouch". So would anybody that tested it buy one?

 

[zogger]

OK, got it...going out to test it. First impression out of the box, nice light weight, looks to be weighted so it busts to the left? Have to move clockwise around the round..I'll find out. Edge has some burrs but will run it as-is for now.

It is quite interesting design, no other axe like it for sure.

Pics and more later.

 

[zogger]

Here we go first round. Pics should be in order of commentary, left right next row

Red oak on the ground. Didn't bother with any other tools, already know it busts easy. OK, I think the bent cutter part needs to be longer for longer rounds like is common in north america. It only penetrates so far, needs to be an inch or two longer, plus more beefy head weight. You can swing it fast, it is quite light, feels lighter in the hands over a fiskars, so a lb or so heavier dutier would be OK. No probs in the red oak. Note, it doesn't take much of a grip to screw ya up on the levering action. You *have* to let the thing pivot, float in your hands or if you are used to a flick, add that, with correct timing. If you hang on to it, nothing, won't split well. First three pics.

Next pic, some pine at 16", no probs, worked as well as fiskars or husky/wetterlings. A little knotty, knots stop it though as no follow through to bust them or cut strings, sill, busted it up. One year old standing dead.

Next two pics, green cut tulip poplar at 16", busted the best. Again though, would have done better and got better splits I think with a longer cutter to make the lever move farther, had to hand bust the round..it was split, just hanging on the bottom. Clean good wood.

Next some ash, but it had a knot. Not so great, and the fiskars would also only split so far. I'll give that one to the husky/wetterlings because of better follow through and weight.

And the winner so far today, 12" winged elm, it just sneered at everything including the big maul, everything bounced off..sorta like I expected. I usually let those things sit for a long time until well checked, then sometimes they can get axed, often though, cut a kerf in the top and sledge and wedge.

Last pics, the fleet and another with the red oak. Tomorrow I will try some more species. I did do one cherry and a couple dogwoods, they split easy, narrow diameter at 16 inch. Anything will split them.