Who splits their wood with a Maul?

[MtnHermit]

I use 3-4 cords of wood each winter. For the last five years I've bought assorted blocks, mostly ponderosa, 15" long, 6 - 24" diameter. This year I bought a Husky 455 and I'm cutting my own blocks.

I now use a 6# splitting maul with a fiberglass handle, the old wood handled maul was too much work to keep tight so its retired. If the temperature is below 32F, the wood splits with one or two strikes, very satisfying.

Please share your maul technique.

 

[yo2001]

I use a #8 maul. No technique really but usually work my log like I'm cutting a pie. Anything bigger than 20" round, I'll 1/4 the log with the saw first then split with the maul.

 

[Dok]

Spread the wood out and wade in. Looks messy, but the wood on the ground holds up the wood to be split. I use the hook of the blade of the maul to move and prop the wood for splitting as much as possible. This "technique" eliminates the constant bending and associated sore back. I'm more productive with an 8#, but that is personal preference.
Dok

 

[banjobart]

I use a fiberglass handled 8 pound maul. I have split much wood, all of it more knarly than pine. Ash, elm, maple, walnut, locust and many others. I have found that crotches do not hand split so I saw those apart when bucking up the tree.

 

[Joshlaugh]

I use a maul for all my wood and I split around 5-6 cords a year. I think an 8lb maul. I start on the outside of the round, taking off pieces of the exterior and work my way into the heartwood. Works really well with elm.

 

[greengiant]

Get an old tire and set it on a big round. Then put in a round or rounds and swing away. You will save bending over many times. Also, if cutting your own rounds, you will gradually learn that cutting a knot/crotches in the right spot will make splitting by hand easier. Also, if the wood is tough to split by hand, cutting in shorter lengths like 12" proves to make life easier.

 

[KeyStep]

I would suggest you consider the Fiskars Super Splitting Axe, with a 28” handle. I have been splitting wood for 25 years and typically average over 20 cords of wood per year with only a 8lb or 12lb monster maul. However, after using this Axe this year I should nearly double my normal output. This design is a real breakthrough in my mind as it only weighs 4.5 lbs. As far as I am concerned it has made my 8lb mauls obsolete. On occassion I still need to use the monster maul but not that often. I only split hardwoods - namely Oak, Maple, Beech, and Hickory. I was so impressed after a month that I went back and bought a second one for my cottage. It allows you to split at angles that the maul could not and you can easily hook the splits to make them upright. I got the second one on sale for only $30 dollars. Only downside is that this Axe is sharp and its high speed (you can really swing this axe) allows for dangerous power, so make sure you have solid shoes with steel toes as the actual speed of the axe can get pretty scary.

 

[Brushwacker]

Most of my wood gets split near the spot it falls. After cutting it up I go through standing it up either in line or bunched up in a group to aid in keeping it standing up. If it splits easy enough ( frozen it often does ) I like a wood curve handled axe which is less likely to knock the wood completely over and I can get most of the log split without to much bending. I usually split stuff fairly small to medium due to firewood market demand here. Rather then fight with the axe I most often use a monster maul in average or sticky wood. It very, very rarely sticks and almost always takes less attempts to complete a split except in very easy stuff. I've experimented with standard mauls 6 to 10 pounds with differant designs and the fancy axes. They all stick more which I find makes the work harder getting it unstuck and waste a lot of time. Lighter mauls work good if the wood splitting isn't to difficult and I found the fatter angles are less prone to getting stuck in the wood. Wood handles seem to generate more shock to the wood then fiberglass. Haven't used the fiskers yet but I aim to get 1 and try it. What ever tool a person uses , swing it the way its meant to be. A monster maul usually doesn't need to be swung much faster then it takes for accuracy. Straight up and drop with it with enough of a swing to guide it and bend the knees for additional impact if you need it. Takes a little practice to get the feel and then it beats the pance off any of the other manual tools I've used in the hardwoods I usually split. Pine, fir and other wood in differant area's I believe split a little differant. When I was in notheastern WA I used the axe more. Really tough stuff gets ripped with the bigger chainsaws most the time unless there a bunch which then I occasionally haul it home unsplit, dump it and use the 26 ton Brave.

 

[grandpatractor]

I'm with Keystep here! I use the Fiskars. I split around 20 full cord a year right in front of the wood boiler. +1 on the foot wear tho. I had a neighbor did some major damage to his foot -splitting with tennis shoes.:jawdrop:

 

[angelo c]

Get an old tire and set it on a big round. Then put in a round or rounds and swing away. You will save bending over many times. Also, if cutting your own rounds, you will gradually learn that cutting a knot/crotches in the right spot will make splitting by hand easier. Also, if the wood is tough to split by hand, cutting in shorter lengths like 12" proves to make life easier.

+1 on the Tire around the round. A bungie works too.Keeps the stack standing and you bent over LESS. Think sore back.
I hand split about 3 cords a year mostly for exercise(and entertainment- my fireplace don't heat jack). My back feels sooo much better after a few hours at the chopping block, seriously( I drive a desk all week long ). After a while you get real good at placement of the hits. My weapon of choice is a #8 lb ol' school maul. I have a wiskers fancy thingee and will only use it to RE-split. I find it gets stuck in the wood too often for me. I like the maul and think of "peeling the onion" from the outside in towards the heartwood. I have the most success mauling with the grain. Someone mentioned having it "right side UP" can someone elaborate on that?
Did I mention I really enjoy a day splitting wood. Therapeutic is the work that comes to mind.

 

[bore_pig]

Used an 8lb fiberglass handled maul till I bought the Fiskars. Set the rounds to be split on another round. Helps make everything split better.

 

[oharatree]

Today i should hit cord #42 with my maul. But, i'm only 25 so it doesnt bother me. I will buy a log splitter this spring though.

 

[savageactor7]

I'll only hand split dead wood in the winter and compared to most folks here it's a minimum effort. A FEL bucket a day weather permitting....cause I'm approaching the cusp of geezerhood this is mostly a physical winter activity only...as opposed to a sincere effort for making production.

This time of year I'm usually cutting small elms 6-8" that sometimes require an assist bashing from a sledge once I get a good bite. So I'll use my old reliable 6 lb wooden handled maul.

Maples/ash will get the 8lb maul...cause those are easy takes imo.

I have a real nice 8 lb fiberglass handle maul from TSC thats splits great BUT...

...after hearing many reports of shrapnel-like flying metal shards coming from Chinese steel mauls I stick to something I've been beating on since the '70's. Just say'en I've replaced that handle so many times...that I buy handles 2 at a time.

I think the cold weather is good for splitting...also I'll take a flat file to the maul remove any burrs. Not really what I would call an edge compared to knives or axes but yeah you would notice it compared to a lot of mauls...it's probably more of a mental thing like in golf. But by doing it I feel advantaged.

 

[Qsky]

Been splitting wood with the 6 lb wood handled maul. Bought a 4 lb. Fiskars last week and can hardly wait to try it out

 

[hutch3912]

30 cord last summer. 8lb maul and find a big round that wouldn't split easy to put the other rounds on. Just try to split the bottom one, not the top one. Its sort of a mind over matter thing, instead of just hitting the top of the round try and hit all the way through to the bottom.

 

[MtnHermit]

Been splitting wood with the 6 lb wood handled maul. Bought a 4 lb. Fiskars last week and can hardly wait to try it out

I'd be curious as to how they compare? I'm not inclined to spend another $45+ on a Fiskar, but still would like to know. Maybe when I wear out my current 6# maul.

Both validate the lighter/faster approach vs. those heavy slow beasts. I have an 8# wood handle and a 12#? brute with a steel handle, can barely swing it.

 

[Techstuf]

I own two of the super splitting axes by Fiskars. They did the math....an axe head weighing half as much, yet travelling at 3-5 times the speed at impact.

When the wood's below freezing, the splits fly apart with enough force to drive wedges into other rounds, which is why I always set up two splitting wedges in front of horizontally laid rounds on either side of the piece I'm working on. (lol)

TS