Just got my Fiskars X27

[fields_mj]

My fathers day gift finally arrived today from Baileys. I had put off buying a Fiskars for years now thinking that they couldn't possibly be THAT much better than the other axes/mauls that I had used (all of the hardware store variety). I was certainly incorrect. I figured they would do great on straight grain stuff, but struggle on full length firewood with some knots in it. Yeah, it struggled with it, but not NEARLY as much as I had expected.

I used to love an 8 lb maul, but after I got a few years under my belt (I'm 36 now), about 5 years ago I started favoring a 6 lb maul, and a standard 3.5 lb splitting axe. I broke down and bought a Fiskars knock off at Menards a couple years ago and found that it was a decent compromise between a 6 lb maul, and a 3.5 lb axe, but I really wasn't overly impressed with it so I opted against a Fiskars. Then they announced, and FINALLY released the X27, so I figured what the heck, it would make a good gift from the wife and kids. Boy did it ever. Very nice. I had some red oak out back waiting to be split and stacked. It was from a tree that was logged last winter, and I cut it into 24" firewood last week. I went out and set up 3 or 4 pieces that were 10"~18" across, most of them with at least one decent knot in it, and began to work on them. These were pieces that were big enough that I didn't want to try to split them by hand out in the woods (because I was already tired) but small enough that I could get them in the truck (barely) without having to noodle them with the saw. I was going to use the splitter on them, but this was a great opportunity to try out my new Fiskars! I noticed that what most said about the swing was true in that a straight swing was more effective. That as opposed to hitting the wood at an angle to keep the head from getting stuck. Like others said, most of the time it either split or bounced off, and rarely got stuck. When it did stick, it was pretty easy to rock out, where an axe or maul in that spot would have been a lot more difficult. The wood was hard enough that after 15 min, he head no longer has a razor sharp edge to it. You could no longer cut paper with my head, but it's still about as sharp as a dull pocket knife. All in all I was very happy with the X27. It split as well as a 6 lb maul (maybe a tad better), but didn't wear me out nearly as much. Next time I go cut, I'll take it out along side the knock off, 8 lb maul, and my 3.5 lb axe to get a better side by side comparison. Sorry no vids.

All in all, I'd say if you're like me and had never tried the Fiskars because it A) seemed too good to be true, and B) You've tried enough stuff in life and don't care to drop $50 on something that's only marginally better than you can get at the local store for $30, then let me say this. Give it a try, you'll be glad you did. It's worth the $50. To me, it's not worth $80 or $100 that I see some of those German tools go for, but it certainly is worth $30 more than anything else I could buy at the hardware store.

Looking back, I do NOT regret not buying one of the shorter axes sooner because I don't split much small stuff, and I think I would have had some real issues with the shorter handle, but I'm sure glad that I got the longer one. I have a funny feeling that the 6lb maul and 3.5 lb axe are going to rust away to nothing before I get a chance to use them again.

To all of those who posted all of the "I love my Fiskars" threads, thanks!

 

[StubornDutchman]

I'm glad you are having such good luck with it. I just purchased an X27 from Bailey's and have some difficulty getting the hang of it. I'm beginning to realize that it does much better for me if I use a less forcefull and more accurate swing versus my usual roundhouse maul swing. I guess I need to rewatch some more of those Youtube vids. So many of you here swear how great it is and I refuse to let it get the best of me. :msp_smile:

 

[fields_mj]

I've always found that accuracy is critical when using an axe, but I've never had much of a problem hitting my mark with a round house swing. Some days it does seem like I hit a consistent 2" one way or another, so I just adjust my aiming point. With a great big maul, you can miss and still split, but with any lighter weight tool, accuracy is key. Slow down, don't try to kill it, just hit your mark and let the axe do the work. That's the first thing I learned about splitting wood, and I learned it from a 70+ yo logger who could still work my young teen age rear end into the dirt because he worked more smart than hard. After that, he taught me what to look for when choosing where to hit. At that point I could finally start to keep up with him. He was a good friend of the family, and owned the property that Dad and I still hunt on today. We miss him, but think about him every time we fire up a saw, or put on a pot of beans (or take a snort of whisky to knock the chill off on a really cold day LOL).

I did find that I needed to modify my swing a little. I would still call it a round house, but I bring the head up higher so that it comes down straight into the wood. With a regular axe, this will get you stuck every time. A maul is a little more forgiving depending on the geometry of the head. The Fiskars likes this kind of swing though, as does the knock off that I have. I do not use the overhead swing that I see a lot of guys use in the videos. IMHO, it's slow, takes more energy, and when you start getting into your work it's easier to snag an overhead limb and get hurt.

 

[Streblerm]

I have the old version of the X25 and the X27. Regardless of the size of wood I prefer the shorter handle. The Fiskars work better if you bring them straight down and focus on snapping your wrist right before you strike the wood. A roundhouse swing will work, but straight down with a flick of the wrist works better. You don't need to power through the swing either. I've had some pieces that wouldn't split no matter how hard the swing and by changing my swing style to straight down starting with the head of the axe about hat high and then snapping my wrist at the end of the swing, the piece just flew apart.

The X27 feels very natural with the roundhouse swing, but it is a little tougher to snap due to the extra length. That's why I like the shorter one. They are both excellent tools and I don't regret purchasing either one of them.

 

[mayhem100]

^^ I've been hearing this from alot of people and I ahve to admit I have zero clue what you mean about snapping your wrists. Can you post a video or something that shows what you're talking about? I'm thinking you mean like you snap your wrist when you throw a frisbee, but the motion is vertical, not horizontal...can't figure out how that would help though since there isn't all that much strength or leverage at that point in the grip/swing...but maybe I'm wrong. Willing to give anything a shot.

I got my x27 for an easter present from my wife, still trying to figure out the best way to use it. So many people have raved about these products that it has to be true...but I'm just not getting the results I was expecting. Spent some time chopping up about a truckload of wood the last couple weeks...on full rounds the performance is jsut awful. Its like I'm using a conventional axe, not a splitting axe...the edge goes into the wood and just stops and I have to spend my time getting it unstuck...seems to take typically 3-4 food, full force roundhouse swings to get a typical round to bust in half...rounds are red oak, beech, maple, yellow and white birch varying between 16-20" long and about 14" in diameter, mostly without alot of knots or branches. This is probably 80%+ of my typical wood supply. There is some ash mixed in there, but you can split that stuff with a good karate chop.

I keep my Fiskars razor sharp, but it dulls fairly quickly...I'm wondering if I've got a bum one because the steel seems pretty soft to me...I shouldn't have nicks in the edge, and if it were as hard as their literature implies it should be as quick to sharpen as it is...a half dozen swipes across the Fiskars sharpener and it goes from butterknife to something you could literally shave with.

Next time I go out I'll be taking my trusty old $25 8lb maul to do a more throught side by side comparison. I honestly think alot of my problem is my technique here so I'm going to keep after it.

 

[outdoorlivin247]

In regards to snapping your wrist...

The second the head of the AX hits the wood, you twist your wrist rocking the head of the ax sideways...

Not commonly practiced if you use a maul, but if you have ever split with just a plain old AX that is the key...

 

[howellhandmade]

I'm expecting my X27 on Monday, looking forward to seeing the difference. I went a couple of years before buying the shorter SS because I was worried about the shorter handle, but once I got it I came to the conclusion that it had been very intelligently engineered, that the shorter handle created the optimum accuracy and head speed.

I think that trying to split a big round down the center with the SS is not productive. But it doesn't work that well with a regular maul, either. I'm in the process of splitting some 36"-ish white oak rounds. This main trunk of a very old, very large tree is really dense and stringy, and if I go down the middle it takes a wedge and sledge. There's so much wood and elasticity that it will just absorb any single blow. But if I go around the outside and split off shakes the Fiskars still works better than my old 6# maul. The oak has been difficult enough to split that I've gone back to the conventional maul now and then thinking that maybe the Fiskars has met its match, but when I pick the Fiskars up again I think, yeah, it's still better.

There's a lot to technique and choosing your spot. This is a tree that a tree service was taking down near my house, and I picked up a lot of the wood with my pickup while they were taking it down. There were rounds that were too big for me to move, so I used the Fiskars to split some of it before loading. One of the big, burly tree service guys wanted to try it. He picked it up, took about six massive hacks at the middle of a round, where it just bounced off. He looked kind of disgusted and handed it back, and I kept whittling away. He had to be stronger than me, I just knew what the tool would do and what it wouldn't, and knew how to get the head speed that made it work.

The best part was that the crew appreciated my busting my rear keeping the site clean and dropped off the main trunk in 30"-long sections with their truck. I'm guessing it'll be 3-4 cords when split and stacked, and gives me a chance to run my 660.

 

[Streblerm]

Here is a video made by a member here. He can probably be credited with introducing the Fiskars to people here. If you notice he doesn't bring the fiskars down with great speed. He bends slightly at the middle ad gives his wrists a downward "flick" just as the head is about to contact the wood. this significantly increases the speed of the head, more so than you can do with brute force of swing. This is the same technique used to "ring the bell" at the carnival with a sledge hammer.

It isn't really obvious when you see it in the video but it is there. I still swing with a roundhouse style most of the time, but the straight down technique works best on tougher to split pieces.

[video=youtube;MVSwICvpIVE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVSwICvpIVE[/video]

 

[mayhem100]

In regards to snapping your wrist...

The second the head of the AX hits the wood, you twist your wrist rocking the head of the ax sideways...

Not commonly practiced if you use a maul, but if you have ever split with just a plain old AX that is the key...

Definitely have never ever done this before. Never even considered it...next time I'm out at the woodpile I'll give it a shot.

Thanks.

 

[TJ-Bill]

I got my dad one for fathers day.. He was out of town so I went over to see my mom and drop it off.. He had borrowed my splitter the week before to split his wood, I looked out and saw he had a small pile left. So I figured I'd go try the axe out. It worked so well I split the rest of his wood by hand even thought I was about 10' from my splitter!

 

[MacLaren]

I have both the "old" models and love them. Very handy and sharp. Excellent product for what they are. Glad you like it.

 

[zogger]

split from the outside in, not the inside out

^^ I've been hearing this from alot of people and I ahve to admit I have zero clue what you mean about snapping your wrists. Can you post a video or something that shows what you're talking about? I'm thinking you mean like you snap your wrist when you throw a frisbee, but the motion is vertical, not horizontal...can't figure out how that would help though since there isn't all that much strength or leverage at that point in the grip/swing...but maybe I'm wrong. Willing to give anything a shot.

I got my x27 for an easter present from my wife, still trying to figure out the best way to use it. So many people have raved about these products that it has to be true...but I'm just not getting the results I was expecting. Spent some time chopping up about a truckload of wood the last couple weeks...on full rounds the performance is jsut awful. Its like I'm using a conventional axe, not a splitting axe...the edge goes into the wood and just stops and I have to spend my time getting it unstuck...seems to take typically 3-4 food, full force roundhouse swings to get a typical round to bust in half...rounds are red oak, beech, maple, yellow and white birch varying between 16-20" long and about 14" in diameter, mostly without alot of knots or branches. This is probably 80%+ of my typical wood supply. There is some ash mixed in there, but you can split that stuff with a good karate chop.

I keep my Fiskars razor sharp, but it dulls fairly quickly...I'm wondering if I've got a bum one because the steel seems pretty soft to me...I shouldn't have nicks in the edge, and if it were as hard as their literature implies it should be as quick to sharpen as it is...a half dozen swipes across the Fiskars sharpener and it goes from butterknife to something you could literally shave with.

Next time I go out I'll be taking my trusty old $25 8lb maul to do a more throught side by side comparison. I honestly think alot of my problem is my technique here so I'm going to keep after it.

You are trying to bust a full round in half. Maybe how to run a hydraulic unit, but not a light weight splitting axe. Not gonna work well on medium to larger rounds doing it that way (ya, I tried, even though I knew it proly wasn't going to work when I first got mine..had to try at least).

Here's how I do it, other's mileage may vary. Start from the outside and work around the round until it gets small enough that you can smack it in the center. I bust up 30 inch plus rounds of hickory this way. If I hit it in the center, nope, nothing, ain't gonna split, waste of time. Just come in from the edge, and work around and around until the round is small enough to *cleave it in twain*, or at the point you will be making three more strikes, one for the final in half, then two more to get your final last heart wood splits.. for your typical size, try only a third of the way in, one side or the other for the first hit, try to cut a section off the round before quartering it up. bust that bark, that's the band holds that chunk together. Once the bark is broke off in at least one place, it works loads better..does for me anyway. I'm a small guy so I have to always figure out how to do stuff so that brute force isn't an absolute necessity. Just a mindset there, helps me out a lot.

Sometimes on really nasty rounds I will shave the bark off, only come in an inch. Then go for regular sized splits once all the bark wood is off. Just depends on the wood.. And I admit some chunks just don't work. I throw them on the bummer pile and try them again in two months. If still no easy split then, I care not, noodlicious time!

I can do well over 90% of all my various east coast wood this way, every species I have tried so far, every size I have to cut, excepting sweet gum, which is..an abomination for splitting. Reminds of all the "free" firewood I got back in the dead and dying dutch elm days.

Man, I don't even like doing sweetgum on the hydraulic...I do burn a lot though, tons of saplings that don't require splitting. this is acceptable. I think of sweet gum as like weed trees. they cut easy and dry fast and burn OK..I just don't like splitting them.

I have no idea how good of lumber it might make, I wish it did work as lumber, just so you could get rid of the whoppers to some giant saw mill and be done with them. There's thousands of them things here....weeds..plus they throw ball bearings all over the ground for you to trip on...

 

[fields_mj]

Honestly, videos like the one above are what made me leery of a Fiskars. No insult intended to who ever made the video. For me the problem is that every video or description that I have read in the past, folks are splitting short rounds, and to me they are making kindling. I cut everything to 22"~24" long, and if it will fit in the 10"x10" door, I don't split it. I want big wood in there that will put off a lot of heat for a long time. What all the videos show is some guy using a fiskars to do what I've always been able to do with any old 3.5lb splitting axe that I could get at any local hardware store for far less than a Fiskars. If its a knarly piece, I don't dare cut it short. I leave it long and noodle it down to about 8" chunks. Sure, I'll take rounds that are just a little too big for the stove and knock a piece of kindling or two off the outside edge to get it down to size (I actually try to get 8" pieces if I have to split it), and I've always been able to do that pretty easy. I wanted something that could have a full length (23") piece of Oak that was 20" or more across, and do it with just 4 or 5 well placed hits as I walked the crack from one end to the other. I'm basically wanting to spit the stuff that's too big to lift down into burnable size firewood before I load it in the truck. I'm okay with noodling big stuff, but I'd rather split it with an axe because it's a heck of a lot faster and if I know I can split it with a swing or two, I'm less prone to try and lift it which wears me out faster, and makes me a prime candidate for a back injury.

I haven't had the chance to try the X27 on stuff like this yet, but what I'm seen it do in the back yard makes me think that it will fit the bill very nicely. If a couple of swings from the Fiskars doesn't do the trick, then noodling should be fine. I'll probably still take an 8lb maul with me for those occations where I just need to hit it once with something heavy, but hopefully it won't get used much.

 

[zogger]

might be too long

Honestly, videos like the one above are what made me leery of a Fiskars. No insult intended to who ever made the video. For me the problem is that every video or description that I have read in the past, folks are splitting short rounds, and to me they are making kindling. I cut everything to 22"~24" long, and if it will fit in the 10"x10" door, I don't split it. I want big wood in there that will put off a lot of heat for a long time. What all the videos show is some guy using a fiskars to do what I've always been able to do with any old 3.5lb splitting axe that I could get at any local hardware store for far less than a Fiskars. If its a knarly piece, I don't dare cut it short. I leave it long and noodle it down to about 8" chunks. Sure, I'll take rounds that are just a little too big for the stove and knock a piece of kindling or two off the outside edge to get it down to size (I actually try to get 8" pieces if I have to split it), and I've always been able to do that pretty easy. I wanted something that could have a full length (23") piece of Oak that was 20" or more across, and do it with just 4 or 5 well placed hits as I walked the crack from one end to the other. I'm basically wanting to spit the stuff that's too big to lift down into burnable size firewood before I load it in the truck. I'm okay with noodling big stuff, but I'd rather split it with an axe because it's a heck of a lot faster and if I know I can split it with a swing or two, I'm less prone to try and lift it which wears me out faster, and makes me a prime candidate for a back injury.

I haven't had the chance to try the X27 on stuff like this yet, but what I'm seen it do in the back yard makes me think that it will fit the bill very nicely. If a couple of swings from the Fiskars doesn't do the trick, then noodling should be fine. I'll probably still take an 8lb maul with me for those occations where I just need to hit it once with something heavy, but hopefully it won't get used much.

I've never tried to split anything that long. I just have a heater, not a furnace or boiler or fireplace. The longest I cut is maybe 18 inches, usually 16 or a little shorter, especially on the really large rounds, just to handle them easier. I don't have to noodle much in the field because I use a cargo box on the tractor with a removable tailgate section, so I just roll the big ones in, as it sits directly on the ground when loading. At home to split I roll them up a plank to the splitting block if they are too big to pick up. 30 inch + hickories or oaks weigh going on three hundred lbs in that size, 16 inch, green wood, so I roll them.

So I have no idea if the fiskars would work for you on those size rounds @2 feet long, I am guessing, not really, unless it is really easy splitting wood and you are splitting on a very short block or directly on like frozen ground or something. I don't split on the ground myself, don't want to dull the axe, but some guys do..I have noticed the straighter and flatter the edge goes in the better. When it hits the surface if it hits at an angle it is not nearly as good. That's why you have to adjust block size to fit your particular height and where the head winds up with your swing.

 

[Dannyeo]

Thanks for the advice

Hi all,

My first post here, but just wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts n the Fiskars X27. After spening a few hours trawling the net and reading reviews I went ahead and purchased one. I'm based in the UK and they were retailing at about £95 on Amazon.co.uk which is about $140US. I don't know why it was so expensive in the UK. Anyway, I've put together a small website with videos about the X27 should anyone be reseaching this axe.

It be be found here: Fiskars X27 | Fiskars X27 Splitting Axe. Information and video reviews about this awesome splitting axe.

 

[deepsouth]

Hi all,

My first post here, but just wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts n the Fiskars X27. After spening a few hours trawling the net and reading reviews I went ahead and purchased one. I'm based in the UK and they were retailing at about £95 on Amazon.co.uk which is about $140US. I don't know why it was so expensive in the UK. Anyway, I've put together a small website with videos about the X27 should anyone be reseaching this axe.

It be be found here: Fiskars X27 | Fiskars X27 Splitting Axe. Information and video reviews about this awesome splitting axe.

If you hadn't bought, I'd suggest pricing them from the US. Prices are similar in Australia - retail is $139 for the X27. I got 4 landed from Baileys (a site sponsor) for about $au85 each on an estimated breakup of freight costs.

 

[Whitespider]

Here is a video made by a member here. He can probably be credited with introducing the Fiskars to people here.

OK, I watched that video and I just don't get it... he took 5 swings to halve that larger round (and it appears to only be around 12-inches long)...
How is that better, faster or more efficient than a single swing with a good 8# maul? Seriously, if I whacked that round with my maul, just one single swing would've halved it... if it was placed on a splitting stump, and I held nothing back, those two pieces would be laying 6-feet apart.
I seriously do not understand how swinging more times can possibly be considered better, faster or more efficient... it just looked to me like he was using the wrong tool for the job. I would've quartered that round with 3 swings of my maul (instead of 5 just to halve) and then switched to the Fiskars... swung fewer times and been done faster. And likely none of the splits would require pulling apart with the hands.

 

[zogger]

OK, I watched that video and I just don't get it... he took 5 swings to halve that larger round (and it appears to only be around 12-inches long)...
How is that better, faster or more efficient than a single swing with a good 8# maul? Seriously, if I whacked that round with my maul, just one single swing would've halved it... if it was placed on a splitting stump, and I held nothing back, those two pieces would be laying 6-feet apart.
I seriously do not understand how swinging more times can possibly be considered better, faster or more efficient... it just looked to me like he was using the wrong tool for the job. I would've quartered that round with 3 swings of my maul (instead of 5 just to halve) and then switched to the Fiskars... swung fewer times and been done faster. And likely none of the splits would require pulling apart with the hands.

Well. just in general terms, forget that vid, youve read what a lot of us have said about them. A whole heaping buncha us here have used a six or eight lb maul for years, and yep, they can and do split wood fine, and once we got a fiskars, them old cannons rarely get pulled out. Why? We can make the fiskars work quite well. How? Tried to explain before, speed and accuracy and reading the wood. And thats about it. Not everyone can be profficient in everything, just how it goes. Its a different swing and technique over a maul. Swing it like a maul, it dont work as good. Swing it like a high speed splitting axe, and learn to aim and get some focus in there, it works much better.

Brand X target rifle, set up in bench rest, factory results. Hand the same rifle to ten dudes, all of them self proclaimed at least decent shots, experienced, etc.,have them shoot off hand at the same target. Youll get from close to the bench results, all the way to not even on the paper and some guys mumbling, why this rifle is a piece of crap, why, my old bessie can shoot better and....

..same deal here, I reckon.....

Just have to accept it that for you, it aint the right tool, (you mostly use that swiveling adjustable power splitter, dont you?) for a lot of us, we can make it work as well as a big maul most of the time, in a lot of the wood we get, with 1/4 or less the effort, at a much greater productivity rate, ie, speed.. Just is, we aint lying to ya or anything.

No one is wrong here, just different experiences. I know me personally, at like much under your body size and strength, I can and have and continue to be able to out split in good oak what I could running a hydraulic splitter here, at least in some reasonable not killing myself time frame. Plus, it is quiet, peaceful, fun. .

My 8 lb maul, used to be for me, @ 15 minutes into splitting and I would be at the No Mas! stage..fiskars, it doesnt matter, all afternoon if I feel like it. THAT is a primary selling feature for me, I get the vast bulk of my wood split, without ME getting beat up whipped in the process, plus the stacks keep growing. I cannot load the hydraulic splitter here and cycle it faster or easier than I can bust up big rounds with the fiskars (good wood), working around the outside toward the center. I mean no way. Much faster by hand most of the time, which is still to this day amazing to me, because I CANNOT do that with my 8lb maul.. Big gnarly twisty stuff, well, even the maul and wedge and sledge sucks there, like full size big mature sweetgums, trying to bust them things up. Just sucks, even with a power splitter.

Different wood, different tools, different times, different dudes, all adds up to different results. It just works for a lot of us, and read the reviews on amazon or wherever, youll see the same or similar, 90% or so of folks who tried one really like it over their old maul or whatever they were using. fiskars digs on that 90% (or so), they hit it there, nice price point, decent performance=happy customers, the other 10%(or so), oh well, cant please everyone. We have choices, you can enjoy your 8 lb, other guys can have even more fun with their 17 lb whatever monster mauls..me, Ill stick for the most part with the light weight splitting axe, just works better for me most of the time.

 

[Whitespider]

(you mostly use that swiveling adjustable power splitter, dont you?)

Yeah zogger, I do.