Fiskars Super splitting axe review

[andygo]

so how much would you pay for one??

Interesting thread this - especially following the comments from the navanman who lives just across the water from me....

After my woodpile broke a cheap electric splitter in just 3 hours last December .....I did a bit more research into the best way to split logs...and eventually stumbled across this thread (and a few others) which all recommended the Fiskars SSA.
Great, I thought, I'll rush out and buy one....only to find they don't sell them in the UK. The only place I could get one was from a mail order company which imported it from Germany.....the cost (including delivery).....67 pounds...which is roughly $107. :jawdrop:

I didn't think US stores would ship to the UK.

Don't get me wrong I like the axe and it splits as well as everyone says....but I'd be interested to see how much people would pay for one.....

Andy

By the way AKKAMAAN you may want to seriously have a look at selling them over here.
Before I bought the German one I emailed Fiskars in Finland to ask where I could buy one in the UK.
They passed me on to FISKARS UK - which ironically is just 20 miles down the road from me....they sell virtually every other piece of Fiskars kit over here....except the axes....when I asked why, they said there was no demand.....maybe your youtube stats could prove otherwise....

 

[AKKAMAAN]

Interesting thread this - especially following the comments from the navanman who lives just across the water from me....

After my woodpile broke a cheap electric splitter in just 3 hours last December .....I did a bit more research into the best way to split logs...and eventually stumbled across this thread (and a few others) which all recommended the Fiskars SSA.
Great, I thought, I'll rush out and buy one....only to find they don't sell them in the UK. The only place I could get one was from a mail order company which imported it from Germany.....the cost (including delivery).....67 pounds...which is roughly $107. :jawdrop:

I didn't think US stores would ship to the UK.

Don't get me wrong I like the axe and it splits as well as everyone says....but I'd be interested to see how much people would pay for one.....

Andy

By the way AKKAMAAN you may want to seriously have a look at selling them over here.
Before I bought the German one I emailed Fiskars in Finland to ask where I could buy one in the UK.
They passed me on to FISKARS UK - which ironically is just 20 miles down the road from me....they sell virtually every other piece of Fiskars kit over here....except the axes....when I asked why, they said there was no demand.....maybe your youtube stats could prove otherwise....

I would be happy to send you 10 pieces of FFS, and you can sell them...just to test the market....My Ace HW store here in port Angeles WA, always have 2-6 FSS's in stock....shot me a PM if you want to set it up....I ship autoparts, shoes, etc, from here every month, to friends back in sweden....
:agree2:

 

[Philbert]

Well, it's not perfect. This week I had some fairly fresh ash sections that I was splitting up, including some crotch sections. Some pieces split easily, some took a few whacks, and a few actually bounced right off, Surprised me that it did not bite in just a little.

Philbert

 

[Rudedog]

I got mine today UPS from Sears. I went to the Caps game so I couldn't try it out. Gonna try it on some red oak tomorrow.

 

[keith811]

splitting axes are great. mine is called the chopper. as for the people having probs with hitting themselves with them you may have to adjust your style to account for the shorter handle. or from the sounds of some of the post just learn how to split would in the first place.

 

[bsearcey]

The FSSA rocks! I've been using it to split mainly red oak (which is pretty easy to split anyway), but man going through the rounds is almost effortless. Alot of the larger rounds I was able to pie up with the whole round standing up like in AKKAMAANs youtube video, but without the bungee. That was awesome. It even makes splitting crotch pieces easier. Besides the fact that it is a badass splitting axe I love the fact that you get virtually no shock up the handle.

 

[Rudedog]

The FSSA rocks! I've been using it to split mainly red oak (which is pretty easy to split anyway), but man going through the rounds is almost effortless. Alot of the larger rounds I was able to pie up with the whole round standing up like in AKKAMAANs youtube video, but without the bungee. That was awesome. It even makes splitting crotch pieces easier. Besides the fact that it is a badass splitting axe I love the fact that you get virtually no shock up the handle.

EVERYthing he said. Best $40 bucks plus shipping I have EVER spent. I actually like the handle on it. Improves accuracy. You don't need a long handle because the shorter overhead stroke is so effective.

 

[navanman]

Interesting thread this - especially following the comments from the navanman who lives just across the water from me....

After my woodpile broke a cheap electric splitter in just 3 hours last December .....I did a bit more research into the best way to split logs...and eventually stumbled across this thread (and a few others) which all recommended the Fiskars SSA.
Great, I thought, I'll rush out and buy one....only to find they don't sell them in the UK. The only place I could get one was from a mail order company which imported it from Germany.....the cost (including delivery).....67 pounds...which is roughly $107. :jawdrop:

I didn't think US stores would ship to the UK.

Don't get me wrong I like the axe and it splits as well as everyone says....but I'd be interested to see how much people would pay for one.....

Andy

By the way AKKAMAAN you may want to seriously have a look at selling them over here.
Before I bought the German one I emailed Fiskars in Finland to ask where I could buy one in the UK.
They passed me on to FISKARS UK - which ironically is just 20 miles down the road from me....they sell virtually every other piece of Fiskars kit over here....except the axes....when I asked why, they said there was no demand.....maybe your youtube stats could prove otherwise....

I got my Fiskars S.S Axe along with the sport axe and the sharpener for $73 and paid $56 shipping, the post office did not charge duty as they had no idea what to charge! So all in all it worked out quite well. I must say the little sport axe makes short work of the limbing of 1" branches from cut wood. It is very sharp.
So give the mail order a go and make sure you get the bits and bobs that make the shipping cost worth it. :greenchainsaw:

 

[stu3k]

I got mines for Baileys in the USA , damn post office(parcelforce) charged me vat of £11.20 and hit me with a fee for collecting that of £8, i refused to pay that (as was my right) fee.
So the refused to give me my parcel even when i had paid the VAT the cannot withold a parcel for their Admin Fee
Well long and short of it i got £50 compensation from MD's office of parcelforce,
So my 7854 cost me £11.20 all the way from Good Old USA
Best Axe EVER

 

[bsearcey]

EVERYthing he said. Best $40 bucks plus shipping I have EVER spent. I actually like the handle on it. Improves accuracy. You don't need a long handle because the shorter overhead stroke is so effective.

It's definitely all about the technique. You reminded me of when I was researching about the SSA I watched some vids on YouTube (AKKAMAN's sold me on it, great videos!) there was another one with a lady I think somewhere up in Canada using a super chopper. I'm not sure what she was splitting, but it seemed pretty straight grained, but frozen solid from the screeching. What was so funny to me was she would wind up like to hit a baseball, but never brought the axe from behind her back over her head. She would not be able to split the round on the first hit sometimes, and would break out a small sledge to get it through. I kept thinking if she would swing properly she would get better power. Anyway she looked like she was enjoying herself so I didn't bother commenting. Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qgb13E3b5Iw

 

[Dakotas Dad]

It's definitely all about the technique. You reminded me of when I was researching about the SSA I watched some vids on YouTube (AKKAMAN's sold me on it, great videos!) there was another one with a lady I think somewhere up in Canada using a super chopper. I'm not sure what she was splitting, but it seemed pretty straight grained, but frozen solid from the screeching. What was so funny to me was she would wind up like to hit a baseball, but never brought the axe from behind her back over her head. She would not be able to split the round on the first hit sometimes, and would break out a small sledge to get it through. I kept thinking if she would swing properly she would get better power. Anyway she looked like she was enjoying herself so I didn't bother commenting. Here's the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qgb13E3b5Iw

She's some kind of hippy/zen mastereress or something, read the full description of the video.. "the sound of one axe splitting.." lol.

She's probably got a gov't grant too...

http://www.storyshards.info/blog/?page_id=4

But, while I don't like her technique.. she does use a fiskars splitting axe.. so she's alright by me.

 

[huskystihl]

splitting axes are great. mine is called the chopper. as for the people having probs with hitting themselves with them you may have to adjust your style to account for the shorter handle. or from the sounds of some of the post just learn how to split would in the first place.

I have to agree with you there. I dont think this thing is any more dangerous that any ax out there. From the sounds of it this thing should come with a release.

 

[bsearcey]

She's some kind of hippy/zen mastereress or something, read the full description of the video.. "the sound of one axe splitting.." lol.

She's probably got a gov't grant too...

http://www.storyshards.info/blog/?page_id=4

But, while I don't like her technique.. she does use a fiskars splitting axe.. so she's alright by me.

Yeah....I didn't want to get into the whole buddhist (or whatever) nature of the video. I call it getting into the zone. But that doesn't sound as enlightened I guess.

 

[banshee67]

just got mine in the mail from ace hardware in brooklyn, although i only live about 50 miles from there, that was still some fast (and free) shipping!
shes sittin in my garage right now, all shiny, with her holster on.. gona give her a workout tomorrow!

 

[stihlcountry]

I have a 14in. Fiskars Hachet that I take with me on wood cutting days and it,s come in handy a million times. It,s truely a tough little axe. Their products are super high quality. :greenchainsaw:

 

[Rudedog]

just got mine in the mail from ace hardware in brooklyn, although i only live about 50 miles from there, that was still some fast (and free) shipping!
shes sittin in my garage right now, all shiny, with her holster on.. gona give her a workout tomorrow!

I do like the hard plastic holder that comes with the splitter. Simple, cheap but keeps the edge from getting bashed up in the truck.

 

[electric saws]

thanks

I wish I had done it here....I have probobly "sold" hundreds just here at this forum....hahahaha....
GO FOR IT!!
We will all help you out with promotions and "ads"......hahahaha

Happy St.Patricks day to you, little late but maybe you celebrate all week long....LOL....

this really beats the 'split inside a car tire' technique & the speed of the FSS is making me rethink a 21ton splitter rental. The 4.25lb head might be a nice alternative to the 8lb maul.
Regarding the bungee - how much wear over how long a period? Do I need something (like old garden hose) around the stretchy band to protect it?

 

[Dakotas Dad]

I have been unable to master the bungee cord technique. As in, I ran out of bungee cords before I got good enough to not slice them with regularity.

But.. I think if using the bungee cords for several rounds in a row, my splitting speed would increase to the point that I might have a heart attack just trying to keep up with the SS..

and, well, that just wouldn't do.

 

[AKKAMAAN]

this really beats the 'split inside a car tire' technique & the speed of the FSS is making me rethink a 21ton splitter rental. The 4.25lb head might be a nice alternative to the 8lb maul.
Regarding the bungee - how much wear over how long a period? Do I need something (like old garden hose) around the stretchy band to protect it?

I use what ever I have available....I could rip and wrap an old t-shirt around a bundle of logs, or some old dirty ropes or even a chain with short bungee at the ends...I haven't "invented" anything, just initialized an idea, that hopefully is subject for improvement....
If you don't feel comfortable tearing up a lot of bungees, use something "useless".....Why not stretch wrap.....after splitting they are ready to being carried to the pile, and later on, into your house.......

 

[electric saws]

can it handle a Y

I'm impressed with your video splitting straight grained rounds with the FSA. Can it handle a Y shaped piece? With my 8lb maul & wedge it usually takes several attempts to get started, then it succumbs, as in the attached pic.