Anyone familiar with the Chopper 1 axe?

[thombat4]

Been seeing an ad for one on CL for awhile now. Every now and then the price will come down by 5 bucks. The website lists it at about 70 bucks though. Any of you Ax men experienced with these things? If so any pros or cons? Experience is the best teacher so I'll value you opinions...seems to be an interesting concept nevertheless. But does it work? Thanks:greenchainsaw:

Bryan

http://cleveland.craigslist.org/tls/1066976946.html

 

[dbowling]

Chopper 1

I had one when they 1st came out in the late 70`s or early 80`s, split a ton of wood with mine, used to race a friend with his log splitter and smoked him as long as someone set up rounds for me... they work great just have to be careful as they will kick a split 6-7 ft away sometimes...never had any trouble with springs or anything breaking on mine I think I eventually broke the handle after 3-4 yrs of hard splitting and tossed it... if they are built the same as they used to be they should be pretty tough..lotta guys thought they were a gimmick but they work very well..jmho.

 

[thombat4]

Appreciate that...!

Thanks for the info...always on the lookout for useful tools that won't get left in a corner somewhere.

 

[magna19]

i have had one for over 15 yrs.its great on straight grain wood.splits great,doesnt get stuck in the log.

 

[thombat4]

Thank you sir...

i have had one for over 15 yrs.its great on straight grain wood.splits great,doesnt get stuck in the log.

Since switching over to maul splitting is so much fun I just might buy that thingopcorn:

 

[BriGuy89]

I've had one for almost 20 years now. Use it a lot when I want to do manual splitting and it still has the original handle!

It works best on straight-grained wood. (The more ornery stuff gets the wedge-and-sledge treatment.)

Leave plenty of space -- the splits can go flying 15 feet or more in some cases (as the dents in my metal shed can attest).

Kind of shocked at the CL asking price of $80 -- I paid $30 for mine almost 20 years ago.

 

[blis]

throw the chopper to junk yard and head to http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=81221 :greenchainsaw:

 

[woodfarmer]

used one for years, broke the spring, works good on smaller stuff, not as good as a maul on tuff splitting

 

[Brushwacker]

throw the chopper to junk yard and head to http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=81221 :greenchainsaw:

I agree 100%. Don't waste your money. They may split wood but IMO almost every other axe and splitting maul I used split better. I recall trying it in dry oak and I spent more time and effort fighting to get the axe unstuck then swinging. If it didn't make it to the levers it was a waste of time and energy. In easy splitting wood when it easily reached the levers it would kick the wood out so hard it was dangerous to any obstacle or person within many feet of the area. I bought & tested about every hand splitting device I set my eyes on in the 1980's and in the tougher wood, heaviar was always better. Mauls with narrow rears stuck easiar then the ones with steeper more wedged shape angles. In easy wood I would take an curve handled axe 100 to 1 over the chopper. If the wood stays standing after the first split ,so much the better I don't have to chase the wood down to split it again . Wood that splits on the tough side always split best with a 15 lb monster maul for me. At 1 time I had a 10lb maul with a wood handle which felt significantly better then 8lb.
I'll let you all know what I think of the Fiskers after I get some hours on it in differant kinds of wood. I finally got mine a few days ago and only used it about 20 minutes so far. Up to now I like the way it handles and it has felt less punishing on the joints and bones then the wood handled axe and cushioned monster maul handles I am used to . I'll know for sure more when I get more time on it and use it side by side with the others. I am amazed how sharp it is. 1 easy hit on a 1" apple limb sheared it off slick and clean.
I don't mean no offense to anyone who likes the chopper 1. Just think you may not have done a lot of splitting with better tools using the proper techneque or its possible you split woods that split differantly then they do in my area.

 

[Normsworld]

Bushwacker ,please don't forget to give us your review on the Fiskars . Got a few mauls and a monster maul too . Hate to spend the $ if it's just as good as what I already have . Do it on this thread if possible so I don't miss it . Thanks Bud !
Oh , watch your shins , heard the handle is a tad short !

 

[Brushwacker]

Bushwacker ,please don't forget to give us your review on the Fiskars . Got a few mauls and a monster maul too . Hate to spend the $ if it's just as good as what I already have . Do it on this thread if possible so I don't miss it . Thanks Bud !
Oh , watch your shins , heard the handle is a tad short !

I think its money well spent so far. I don't think it will force its way through the tougher logs as good as the monster maul but I haven't given it the test. If it splits most of the wood easy enough I think it will save a lot of wear and tear on the body. I think there is considerable less shock to the body from the handle and then lifting the 15lb maul for extended periods of time does get strenuous on my abused joints and tired muscles.
Sure is sweet handling, does take some speed to split the same. I feel safer with my feet farther apart (puts me lower to the ground and my feet farther from the impact area) and swinging the fiskars straight ahead. I think the handle is just a little shorter then the monster maul.

 

[indiansprings]

A neighbor gave my son one two weeks ago, it is good on straight grained red oak, but isn't worth a crap on the tough stuff, if you can't drive it in to the levers it is hard to get unstuck. Wood flies 7 or 8 feet when it does split, be careful of what's to the side, don't want to dent the truck.

 

[thombat4]

Think I'll just apply those funds towards something else more useful based on the responses to this thread. I've been using the Fiskars for a few months now and really like it. At five foot nine it feels just right to me. Even though I'm relatively new to hand splitting the Fiskars is my maul of choice.

 

[Brushwacker]

Bushwacker ,please don't forget to give us your review on the Fiskars . Got a few mauls and a monster maul too . Hate to spend the $ if it's just as good as what I already have . Do it on this thread if possible so I don't miss it . Thanks Bud !
Oh , watch your shins , heard the handle is a tad short !

I've split several hours with the Fiskars and it is so much more forgiving to the body I haven't had any desire to split with either the Monster Maul or Axe I've been using. Been splitting wood usually several days a week most of the winter and I can't rmember the last pain free night. I think I need a week or 2 to heal.
I noticed my body cringes just as the head of my splitting tool comes to contact the wood preparing for the shock to my joints. Kinda like when you hold a powerful gun wrong and it jolts your shoulder you devolop a flinch.
The fiskers is gentle on the joints, easy to swing,seldom sticks in green oak. It did stick some in some partially dry blocks, but it frees up very easy. Looks like the angle of the axe that the wood helps squeeze the head back out. It did bounce back out of some tough pieces on harder swings and come fairly close to my forehead.
It does works excellant overall and handles so sweet. I believe I could pound through tougher wood with the Monster maul but it demands way to much effort if your going to split much wood at a time. I think I will sell at least 1 of my monster mauls and watch for a good deal and get another Fiskers.
If there is any manual splitter that splits better then the fiskars I'd like to know.