# Mauls: Not so Bad After All



## Ozzie (Dec 26, 2008)

My FIL and I split 10 cords each year between us. We use his Huskee 17.5 ton from TSC bought many years ago. Seamed like whenever I had rounds to split, the splitter was at his house. I asked Santa to bring me a maul and I now have a Razorback fiberglass handled 6.5 # maul. At first I was just dinking around but the more I used it, it became obvious to me what many have said for years. The maul, in the right hands, is faster that a hydraulic splitter! I don't see me giving up the Huskee but I now look at mauls differently. I've missed the round a few times and got stung up the handle, but the fiberglass held in there. Biggest gripe I have is that the splits aren't as uniform as a hydraulic splitter. I could see this being a decent workout, which I will need after this holiday season.


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## KsWoodsMan (Dec 26, 2008)

Ozzie said:


> My FIL and I split 10 cords each year between us. We use his Huskee 17.5 ton from TSC bought many years ago. Seamed like whenever I had rounds to split, the splitter was at his house. I asked Santa to bring me a maul and I now have a Razorback fiberglass handled 6.5 # maul. At first I was just dinking around but the more I used it, it became obvious to me what many have said for years. The maul, in the right hands, is faster that a hydraulic splitter! I don't see me giving up the Huskee but I now look at mauls differently. I've missed the round a few times and got stung up the handle, but the fiberglass held in there. *Biggest gripe I have is that the splits aren't as uniform as a hydraulic splitter.* I could see this being a decent workout, which I will need after this holiday season.



The uniformity will get better over time. Your aim will improve and you'll 'read the wood' better with practice.

It's kind of satisfying to be able to hit the crack on the money and have it pop apart in perfect halves. When you miss , it ticks you off enough that you put a bit more effort into it and THEN it will crack open just how you like. Besides , the more times you miss the better you are getting, supposedly.


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## beerman6 (Dec 26, 2008)

Screw all that,gas is cheap.


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## Dalmatian90 (Dec 26, 2008)

What KS said.

I find when I haven't split recently (year or two) it takes about a 1/4 cord for me to get my groove back.

When I'm splitting regulary with one, I can do everything but the gnarliest stuff...and that's so relatively little it's not worth me to buy or borrow a splitter, just give 'em to some who has one to get ride of them.

Going back to colonial / 19th / early 20th century New England, it was common to rotate pastures and woodlots. A brushy pasture would be left to grow into a woodlot. When it got to be dominated by trees about 4" in diameter they'd clear the woodlot and let the cows back in as pasture, till it started to brush in again. 4" being a good size for one man to handle 8' lengths by himself and easy to saw, and no splitting needed -- just saw into shorter pieces after they were sledded out of the woods. They weren't dummies


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## stihl sawing (Dec 26, 2008)

Just don't miss and hit you foot. I can split more wood faster with my monster maul but dang i'm tired after a while of swinging that heavy thing. So the huskee gets used mostly. I did swing it for about an hour christmas morning though.


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## Joshlaugh (Dec 26, 2008)

I use my maul much more than my old splitter. I like the workout and I can split it faster without having to have a 2nd person with me. Sometimes with elm I will run down to my in-laws farm and pick up my splitter but that might be 1-2 cords of the 6-10 I do a year.


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## ericjeeper (Dec 26, 2008)

*I am to fat, to lazy to swing a maul*

Plus if I pick up a round and put it on the splitter. I have only had to bend over the one time.. Not several times to stand the round up.. hit it knock it over. Then stand it up again. Then pick up the splits..
I only want to pick up each round one time..


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## iowawoodcutter (Dec 26, 2008)

I split strictly by hand and I have four that I bring with me to split. Use the lightest one you think you can get away with and it will save a lot of energy for longer days and more productivity. Also an old tire screwed to a stump will save your back..


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## epicklein22 (Dec 27, 2008)

I love swinging the Maul around. Therapeutic in a sense. I can split faster than a splitter in most situations, but that depends on the wood. The splitter will cream me in Elm and other stringy wood. Nothing better than walking out of the woods with a chainsaw in one hand and a mall in the other, leaving behind a pile of fresh split hardwood. When I start splitting after a long off period, I usually have a weak grip the next day. Goes with the territory. I gained 20 pounds of muscle one summer, just cause I was swinging that maul making 12-15 cords.


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## tallfarmboy (Dec 27, 2008)

Ozzie said:


> I could see this being a decent workout, which I will need after this holiday season.



Swinging a maul on the weekends is an awesome workout. After we got our wood burning furnace, I managed to lose 15 pounds over a winter, my blood pressure went from 140/80 to 130/72, AND my cholesterol dropped from 199 to 179 in the first winter. I'm 6'7" tall and now weigh about 255. I religiously swing a 6 pound maul for splitting. My father built a hydraulic splitter that is VERY nice, but I only use it when we cut together. 
I split a lot of ash, hackberry, and oak.

But I will 2nd the motion that hand splitting "does a body good"

TFB


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## turnkey4099 (Dec 27, 2008)

I have my doubts about manual being faster. For one thing, the guy on the splitter will be still working while the manual guy is taking a breather. The splitter guy is also handling the wood significantly fewer times. I have split both ways (prefer manual) and know I couldn't keep up with my old, slow splitter splitting manually.

Harry K


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## Techstuf (Dec 27, 2008)

I use the Fiskars super splitting axe, with only a 4.5lb head. I've split all but the toughest elm with it. I can't figure out why they make the handle so short on the thing. 3 more inches and it would be just right. If I'm splitting by hand, I usually cut my hardwood rounds shorter, say 15" or so. I'm sold on lighter heads that are well designed. I've used a Sotz monster maul years back, and one, I forget who made it, that had two cantilevered inserts that caught the edges on the way through and popped out the sides, lever action, to increase wedge force, that crazy contraption actually worked well, but I never used it long enough to ascertain longevity. The fact that it never stayed on the market says alot.

Wish I could find another one:









TS


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## injun joe (Dec 27, 2008)

i love the mauls BUT i love my axe a little more just cause i can swing it faster although it is only a 2 1/2 pounder it makes me work that much harder to split a piece of wood. well i have a mini maul that is inly about 20'' that i use for hard woods the other day i was splitting a piece of mulberry and i swung the maul to hard and it split the mulberry effortlessly but continued going straight into my shin while some people were watching me split i felt a little embarrased but mainly pain.


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## pecor (Dec 27, 2008)

Techstuf You can still buy that Axe here  http://www.chopperaxe.com/whatis.htm


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## chainsawaddict (Dec 27, 2008)

I fell in love with my maul all over again the last couple of days.

Last summer I cut a bunch of elm and big pine(20"+) I had a hell of a time splitting that stuff with my maul, so i borrowed my grandpas splitter. I thought I needed a hydraulic splitter.

Well xmas eve, my brother, brother in law, and myself went out and cut a half cord of good ash. I got out the maul after the morning festivities were finished on xmas and went to work. My brother and I split that stuff in about an hour. With the right wood a maul is a lot of fun. Splitting a round on the first swing is like knocking one out of the park. It is a lot of fun. 

Oh yeah, we split wood while the BIL laid on the couch in front of the stove.


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## ngzcaz (Dec 27, 2008)

Well.................... you must be under 60 and have no rotator cuff problems..
I split w/ my home made 10 lb steel handled maul for 20 plus years, well into three digit cords of wood. This year I started falling apart, knee replacement in the near future and a couple of weeks ago I torn my rotator cuff..so the 27 ton Huskee log splitter my son bought me for Christmas was well received : - )


And yes, it is fresh air, good exercise and I enjoyed it for many years and if they can patch me up, I still take a couple of whacks at it........

:greenchainsaw:


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## A. Stanton (Dec 27, 2008)

Put a boot on and it might help cushion the miss. I've had the same wooden handle for over 25 years!


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## petersenj20 (Dec 27, 2008)

My neighbor and I took our kids to deer camp a couple weeks ago and introduced them to the maul. It was fun watching the 10-11 year old boys and girls split big(12") wood for the first time. They made a game out of it and had a wonderful time. It was contagious. Before we knew it both us adults were taking turns and enjoyed it. My Dad would be proud. Taking turns like that allowing no work stops made light work of a tall pine.

Am I the only one that calls a maul a go-devil?


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## stihl sawing (Dec 27, 2008)

Here's two old mauls i use. A monster maul and the other one i made. The small one is for knocking small limbs of a round.






These two i use for kindlin, The big red one i got at wal mart years ago and it don't work to good. It's too wide for splitting small stuff. The other is ancient, My father had this hatchet long before i was born. It says plumb victory on the head. Figure it had something to do with ww2.. It's a good kindlin maker though.






When the mauls fail these go to work. As you can see since i bought the splitter these don't get used much.LOL


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## LTREES (Dec 27, 2008)

Hoping for a fiskars today when the inlaws come for dinner. My BIL laughed at me for wanting it. He's a computer geek. Need them too in this world I guess.

LT...


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## stihl sawing (Dec 27, 2008)

LTREES said:


> Hoping for a fiskars today when the inlaws come for dinner. My BIL laughed at me for wanting it. He's a computer geek. Need them too in this world I guess.
> 
> LT...


Yep, Somebodys gotta keep your puter going so you can stay on AS.lol


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## Techstuf (Dec 27, 2008)

Pecor, thanks for the tip! It's been a couple decades since I've seen one. Used a friend's for a season and it really knocked 'em apart!


TS


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## Techstuf (Dec 27, 2008)

I currently use the Fiskars Super Splitting Axe with the 4.5lb head. Got to say....I love it!

EXCEPT for the crazy short handle on the thing. Another 3 inches of handle and it would be hard to beat. I just got done splitting a rick of dead Elm, and she handled herself with aplomb. Just wish the handle was longer. As we all know, one's biomechanics respond with enthusiasm and endurance when wielding the perfect length of golf driver, baseball bat...etc.

The splitting axe is no different in this regard.


TS


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## ac900tc (Dec 27, 2008)

*Chopper1*

I have been using only my hydraulic splitter for years. After all the talk of axes and mauls on this site lately, I decided to dig out the old Chopper1 axe and get some exercise. I,ve used it for about a half hour a day for the last week or so. It seems to work better than I remember. (or maybe that's just cause I'm pushin forty and get a great feeling from seeing those rounds pop apart on one swing). It has its place for the right kind of wood.


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## Ozzie (Dec 27, 2008)

One thing I did notice when I started using the maul. It does not require brute strength, just a well placed blow. After creaming a few peices and having them land 15' apart, I began to ease up a little. Much less work that way. I will figure out a way to keep from bending over so much. I use a stump for placing the rounds so a tire is the next step. I've seen a couple of different ways to set up the tire to the stump. Have to cut the tire down in the garage as it's rainin cats and dogs this evening.


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## DocDryden (Dec 27, 2008)

*When using a maul with the bigger logs*

When using a maul with the bigger logs,
You might want to try to wrap a bungee cord and a ratchet tie down around the bigger logs, it holds the pieces together why you do your splitting…


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## swampdonkey (Dec 27, 2008)

Mauls are MUCH faster than a gas powered hydraulic splitter! i am not trying to brag but.. I have cut and split, and sold 20 cord since November, all split by hand. i do use a gas splitter for the real gnarly stuff, if i hit it three or four times with my 15# monster maul and it isnt even cracking it goes in the "splitter" pile!! 

The more splitting with a maul that you the more efficient you become.. you learn to read the wood... the grain..


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## clearance (Dec 27, 2008)

If you have a big saw and no splitter you can rip up ugly pieces, I usually leave them in the bush. I have a couple of mauls, often I use my 41/2 lb. axe.


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## spike60 (Dec 27, 2008)

Dalmatian90 said:


> Going back to colonial / 19th / early 20th century New England, it was common to rotate pastures and woodlots. A brushy pasture would be left to grow into a woodlot. When it got to be dominated by trees about 4" in diameter they'd clear the woodlot and let the cows back in as pasture, till it started to brush in again. 4" being a good size for one man to handle 8' lengths by himself and easy to saw, and no splitting needed -- just saw into shorter pieces after they were sledded out of the woods. They weren't dummies



Great post! This logic actually held beyond World War II. Besides not having to split 4" to 6" logs, the effort required to cut them with a hand saw was a realistic amount of work. Cutting 12"+ logs for firewood with hand saws was more work than splitting them with "wedge and sledge". Considering all of the "this saw vs. that saw" stuff that we talk about, it's pretty sobering to think about a time when there were no chain saws, and wood was the only option for heating as well as cooking. 

I've moved back to using the maul for a lot of my wood, especially the straight grained stuff that pops pretty easy. I like, and need, the workout, and in addition to all of the related benefits mentioned, if you play hockey, it makes a noticeable difference in your shot.


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## LTREES (Dec 28, 2008)

*Christmas gift*

Well, I got the Fiskar, But I mentioned the 4# axe and got the smaller one.
Oh well, I'll keep it. I'd hate to toke it back or tell him it's not the one I wanted. I split some kindling today and that thing is sharp!!!! I got a fiskar axe sharpener too. It is supposed to work great on an edge. I see that mechanical maul is 2 miles from my work, I'll go see if I can swing one of them and see how they work. You guys think $70.00 is too much for a maul?

LT...


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## strongback (Dec 29, 2008)

> You guys think $70.00 is too much for a maul?



I'd say spend the money on the fiskars splitting axe. 

Those mechanicals mauls work okay but the whole moving parts on a tool meant to be swung, repeatedly and at high velocity, at other things, is just not a good idea. I don't know about the specific brand but my dad bought a "mechanical maul" when I was a kid and it didn't hold up for a month before the levers stopped functioning properly and to make matters worse it wasn't even as good as our hardware store maul without them.

Most of my wood this year was red oak so a splitter didn't stand a chance. If I ran into a crotch or something knarly I just toss it to the side and keep on truckin'. John Henry I ain't (though he is my hero) but in my situation a splitter doesn't stand a chance.


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## brian660 (Dec 30, 2008)

my girlfriends got the richest 12yo in southern montana... because he gets 10$ an hour throwing blocks on the stump for me to split with the maul, only downside is he`s gettin strong as heck and will likely be able to whoop my ass in a few short years.


never much cared for the splitter, always seemed like more work to me.


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## LTREES (Jan 6, 2009)

Just got my Fiskar Super splitter. Huuuweee, that's nice. Just split a gnarly piece of oak in 5 swings. I do wish it had a nicer handle. oh well. 

LT...


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## Brushwacker (Jan 7, 2009)

strongback said:


> I'd say spend the money on the fiskars splitting axe.
> 
> Those mechanicals mauls work okay but the whole moving parts on a tool meant to be swung, repeatedly and at high velocity, at other things, is just not a good idea. I don't know about the specific brand but my dad bought a "mechanical maul" when I was a kid and it didn't hold up for a month before the levers stopped functioning properly and to make matters worse it wasn't even as good as our hardware store maul without them.
> 
> Most of my wood this year was red oak so a splitter didn't stand a chance. If I ran into a crotch or something knarly I just toss it to the side and keep on truckin'. John Henry I ain't (though he is my hero) but in my situation a splitter doesn't stand a chance.


 I had and used a chopper 1. Way to much work prying it out of what it wouldn't split and the wood would fly dangerously apart if the levers did reach it. Better collectors piece or scrap in my opinion.
Monster maul does the majority of my splitting and when its mostly easy I use an curved handle axe or occasionally a smaller maul. The very tough stuff gets the chainsaw or splitter depending where its at and how much to do. I aim to try the heaviar Fiskers some day.


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## Techstuf (Jan 7, 2009)

I've got a 4.5lb Fiskars and they fill the bill. I've used a Chopper 1 and in the final analysis, the leverage obtained over the arc of travel for the side cams is no better than a similarly shaped maul head. What I mean to say is that if one traces the "splitting path" over the complete range of motion of the side levers, it affords no better force translation than the Fiskars.

I emailed the company about better/longer handles and got the reply that they get that all the time and "might" look into it.


TS


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## LTREES (Jan 7, 2009)

I dropped 2 oaks in my neighbors yard last Friday, walked over today with the fiskar and almost split them both in 1/2 hour. That was quite an experience.


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## outdoorlivin247 (Jan 7, 2009)

Between my dad and I we cut and split about 18 to 20 cords a year...I split I would guess 80% w/ the maul b/c if I don't, old Ray Ray will be lifting it on to the splitter...He gets the nasty stuff and I leave several halves for him to make his nice neat flats for tying the ends...I would not trade that guy for the world...He does almosts all the stacking and hauls it to my house, 11 miles from where we stack it, thru out the winter months...


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## chainsawaddict (Jan 7, 2009)

I cant talk myself into the fiskars splitting axe. There is just something about a maul that is hard to beat.


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## Laird (Jan 8, 2009)

*Every evening*

I pull logs out of the woods and buck them most weekends. Then most weekdays I spend 1-2 hours every every evening with the monster maul and stacking. When I get older I will most likely get a hydraulic splitter, but I suspect that my time with the maul helps keep me young.


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## Denis Gionet (Apr 22, 2012)

Techstuf said:


> I use the Fiskars super splitting axe, with only a 4.5lb head. I've split all but the toughest elm with it. I can't figure out why they make the handle so short on the thing. 3 more inches and it would be just right. If I'm splitting by hand, I usually cut my hardwood rounds shorter, say 15" or so. I'm sold on lighter heads that are well designed. I've used a Sotz monster maul years back, and one, I forget who made it, that had two cantilevered inserts that caught the edges on the way through and popped out the sides, lever action, to increase wedge force, that crazy contraption actually worked well, but I never used it long enough to ascertain longevity. The fact that it never stayed on the market says alot.
> 
> Wish I could find another one:
> 
> ...



Yeah, they work well don't they ! A friend had one and I found it worked awesome ! I'll be looking for a maul very soon, I'll likely get a standard maul first and then shop for one of these.


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## Oldtimer (Apr 22, 2012)

ericjeeper said:


> Plus if I pick up a round and put it on the splitter. I have only had to bend over the one time.. Not several times to stand the round up.. hit it knock it over. Then stand it up again. Then pick up the splits..
> I only want to pick up each round one time..



I have been using my new Collins 8lb maul a lot lately, I find it's actually a stress reliever. Quiet, no smell of exhaust...and with a little practice you learn how to tip the halves up at a 45* angle with your boot and whack it..works great as long as you have your aim right. And steel toes help.
I use the maul as a crude "pick" to help tip the wood up..
I split maybe 1/2 a cord today in fact. I split till I get a bit winded, tossing the split wood into my 2 wheeled wheelbarrow till it's full....then go stack it, go get the rest, and stack that. Then I'm ready to split again.
Any rounds that don't pop with 2-3 strikes get tossed in a pile for the splitter. Usually less than 1/4 per cord of rounds.


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## stihl sawing (Apr 22, 2012)

I busted a few rounds of oak with the ole monster maul today, Probably be sore tommorrow.:hmm3grin2orange:


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## ShaneLogs (Apr 22, 2012)

Oldtimer said:


> I have been using my new Collins 8lb maul a lot lately, I find it's actually a stress reliever. Quiet, no smell of exhaust...and with a little practice you learn how to tip the halves up at a 45* angle with your boot and whack it..works great as long as you have your aim right. And steel toes help.
> I use the maul as a crude "pick" to help tip the wood up..
> I split maybe 1/2 a cord today in fact. I split till I get a bit winded, tossing the split wood into my 2 wheeled wheelbarrow till it's full....then go stack it, go get the rest, and stack that. Then I'm ready to split again.
> Any rounds that don't pop with 2-3 strikes get tossed in a pile for the splitter. Usually less than 1/4 per cord of rounds.




I am interested in this Collins maul, Any pics of it Oldtimer ? I also use a maul but I decided to man-up and got a 10 pound maul. It keeps you in shape that is for sure!


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## CTYank (Apr 22, 2012)

Got a lesson a month+ back, when hand-forged 6.6 lb Austrian maul arrived.

Way more capable than the 5 & 8 lb mauls I've used for years. Excellent metallurgy, meaning base alloy, hardening & tempering, much better than cheapies. Biggest factor: head shape. Except for small convex area near the edge, the faces are essentially flat back to the middle of the eye- no bumps, lumps or protrusions. (I ground the older mauls to mimic its head-shape, and they are now much more efficient.)

Meanwhile, I've busted up way more than I'd hoped to have by now, at home & in the bush, splitting it all down to relatively small sticks for my little stove. The Muller maul looks like it'll be an heirloom- almost no evidence of the extended usage. Sole US reseller: TraditionalWoodWorker.com.

Apparently Gransfors Bruks & Iltis Oxhead have similar mauls in their product line.

IMHO, most of the mauls available in the US are of mild (soft) steel, forged to mediocre shape. They're cheap, and it shows. (Collins is no longer in CT, rather in Mexico. FWIW)


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## Oldtimer (Apr 22, 2012)

ShaneLogs said:


> I am interested in this Collins maul, Any pics of it Oldtimer ? I also use a maul but I decided to man-up and got a 10 pound maul. It keeps you in shape that is for sure!


This is it. After about a half cord, it became a natural extension of my arms. 

View attachment 235201


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## trailmaker (Apr 23, 2012)

ericjeeper said:


> Plus if I pick up a round and put it on the splitter. I have only had to bend over the one time.. Not several times to stand the round up.. hit it knock it over. Then stand it up again. Then pick up the splits..
> I only want to pick up each round one time..



I like to carry a tire (a very light one off of a sports car) too the round. I just tip the round on end and split it in the tire so all the splits stay right there. I get tired out trying to muscle whole rounds into position for the hydraulic splitter, plus my back doesn't hold up well doing that kind of motion. With my "tire to the round" method I never have to lift or move anything heavier than a split. I'm not saying my method is better, it's just the one that works for me.


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## ShaneLogs (Apr 23, 2012)

Oldtimer said:


> This is it. After about a half cord, it became a natural extension of my arms.
> 
> View attachment 235201



I have a composite handle on mine though. I saw a nice one down at ACE Hardware that I think I might get. It is a 6 pound Collin maul. I love the light mauls and I'm not sure why I got stuck with this big heavy one, LOL.


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## Iron Head (Apr 24, 2012)

Denis Gionet said:


> Yeah, they work well don't they ! A friend had one and I found it worked awesome ! I'll be looking for a maul very soon, I'll likely get a standard maul first and then shop for one of these.



I have one of these and hate it.
For dry splittable wood, it will splits and spits the two pieces too far away. 
This maul is useless in green wood.
It is a cripple on unevenly cut rounds.
And you can't pound a sledge on it.
Ever wonder why they don't make them anymore?


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