Slade McCuiston
ArboristSite Member
Well, my first question would be what kind of oak??
If it's Red Oak, and the rounds don't go any larger than 20-inches I'd say a splitting ax (like the Fiskars, for one) would do the job for you. But if it's one of the White Oaks, especially Bur Oak, you'll want a maul to halve them before switching to the ax. Mauls can commonly be had from 4 to 12 pounds, with 6 or 8 being the best all-'round. If you haven't done any maul swinging go with the 6-pounder; the 8 will work you rather than you working the maul. My 8# maul is old, really old, and the lettering is long gone... I haven't used any of the "box-store" mauls marketed today so I can't help you with any choices. If you know good steel when you see it and feel it, hit some flea markets and pick-up an oldie-but-goodie... and put a new handle on it. Be aware, you'll need a bit of learning time to make either work correctly, and it takes a bit of a technique change going from a maul to an ax... you don't swing them quite the same
Exactly my experience on Red Oak. I dropped a large tree that I (shame on me) didn't measure... but it was over 30"... and the Fiskars just couldn't bust it. Now, I believe the Fiskars is a miracle tool... but that was definitely pushing it. So, I cleaved the rounds in half with a maul... then, the Fiskars shined for the rest of the splitting.