Broke the handle on my maul today, should my next one be wood or glass?

[HUSKYMAN]

What are the pros and cons of each? I have never used a fiberglass one

 

[sedanman]

Ive got a Fiskars splitting axe, supposed to be indestructable, give one a try.

 

[Newfie]

How about hydraulic?

 

[Wade Huggins]

I guess I have always been partial to wood. If your overswinging your maul and chipping out the handle against the head you could put a plastic sleeve over out of old gas line or wrap it in leather or wrap it in everybodys home remedy duct tape. I keep an extra maul for my friends to use so they dont break the handle out of mine..............Wade

 

[Menchhofer]

We have used the original monster maul...all made of steel...the same one for over 15 years. Do not know if they even make them anymore.

 

[johnb]

Maul

I bought a maul/axe from baily's a few months back. It's ok for the money but it needs more handle. Fortunatly it has a steel handle and I can weld on a extension. As far as wood verse fiberglass previous responses are right go hydraulic. The Hoosier

 

[eyolf]

I've put a couple of replacement 'glass hand handles in splitting mauls and sledges...they last a lot longer than wood, but really suck when it's time to replace them again. And they do <b>not</b> last forever if you're serious about firewood.

If you have one of those splitting mauls that takes a round handle like a drilling sledge, throw it away...they are the worst for breaking quickly.

 

[Wade Huggins]

I have a six pound maul my grandfather gave me when I was eight years old it is made out of the good stuff when you hit with a hammer it rings like a bell. It is a round head and as long as I am the only one splitting with it I will get a couple of years out of a handle before it needs replaced and that's usually do to dry rot. It dont matter what kind of handle you have if you cant hit your marks its going to break unless its steel. However, the older you get the more appealing the hydraulic wood splitter sounds.........Happy splitting Wade

 

[earache]

After using my dads wooden handle splitting mauls all my life and breaking them, when I grew up, I bought myself a fiberglass one. After cracking the handle on the first mis hit, I went back to the wooden handle, and have had no problems. The wood is much more resiliant to fracture, since it is softer, and is much more forgiving on the hands. Until they come out with a different material, I will stick with wood. The wooden handles are also much cheaper.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

After talking with the tire shop that I deal with, I was convinced to go glass. When they shifted, thye basically don't break the glass handles.

I've hung a couple of sledge hammers with glass handles and they are great. I found it easy to hang the glass handle.

If you break a wood handle you would probably have dinged the glass handle too. Consider welding a piece of pipe to the bottom of the sledge/splitting maul for protection. Cheap insurance.

My mattock has a glass handle too. Much nicer on my hands because the glass dampens the vibrations. Also, no worries about splinters.

Tom

 

[Gypo Logger]

The wooden handle has a better feel about it, but lasts for approx. 50 cords, because, as Wade says, the handle gets chewed just behind the head of the maul. Try to become a good aim. When I was in the firewood business, I could cut a mosquito in half. The bright yellow fibreglass handles are harder to loose in the woods.
John

 

[WOLF_RIVER_MIKE]

I have two fiberglass mauls, 6 & 8 lbs. that need the handles glued back in them. This works for awhile with epoxy. Not really breaking the handles but when you go to lift a stuck maul out of a block of firewood you put alot of tourqe on the handle. If I stop and tap the head with a split of wood or something its not a problem, but this puts a serious hiccup in your rythm.

 

[HUSKYMAN]

Thanks for the replys.

My aim gets better as the summer goes on, but this is my first cord to split for the year and I am a little rusty

I think I will buy a handle for the one I smoked and also buy a glass one. There seems to be no consensus so I will have to try for myself.

 

[turnkey4099]

Myh preference is wood. They just have (or did) a better feel to them with some "spring" that just isn't there with glass. Replace mine about every 5-6 years up to this year. Sit in shade with a batch of old broken window glass and enjoy shaving them down to fit. This spring I finally broke one again (actually just wore out) that I replaced last time in 1987 (wow!) 6-8 cord per year. Since the head was getting badly beat up with mushroom and cracks running back into the body I decided to buy a new one. BAD disappointment. Handle has absolutely no spring, feels like a club. I may re-handle the old 6lb antique again. I know it is as least 80 years old as it was my grandfathers, then dad's then mine (by default...okay, slight of hand). Swung it the first time back in mid 40s.

Harry K

 

[Gypo Logger]

After more than 189,552 cords under my belt, the axe is getting pretty old.
John

 

[tony marks]

well ive got the fiskar 28 inch splitting axe and a good wood handle 6 lb.
for bigger stuff its the 6 lb . if i want a lightning swing its the fiskar .

by the way, has anybody bought,, the fiskar [stihl] knife... man that thing got an edge to it... kinda makes me wonder if its not better than my predetor piece...
looks innocent as heck... but one half way missed lick at a predetor and hes carrying one arm, with the other hand. it really is that sharp.be kinda messy but i wouldnt have to be so careful, to put it up,, at the court house an such... and u talk about cutting anything in your work,, it will do it,,, if it can be cut... and holds its edge no matter. 9.99 at the saw shop. mines growin on me fast.i can recommend it if u like to keep a good sharp knife.

 

[pilemonkey]

if you have access to a welder and some pipe you might consider making a steel handle. i have a few mauls that i have done this to and i have had good results. i take a pipe that will fit inside the eye and run it up thru to the top and have it extend thru the bottom about 8" or 10". this gets welded to the top and bottom of the eye of the maul. then i take a 1-1/4" pipe and slide it over the extension and up to the bottom of the head and weld it. wrap some grip tape on the end 8" or so of the handle, and your set. a concern i had was getting stung when i missed. so far, it hasn't been an issue and i look at the chance of it happening as an incentive to be accurate. good luck

 

[max2cam]

I also recommend the all-steel "monster maul" unit. They are indestructable and do a great job. There are versions of it still out there for sale. I bought one on-line earlier this year (a second one for the woodpile when the original is out in the woods overnight).

Here's what they look like.

http://splitzall.com/

 

[wak110]

I use the Monster Maul for the bigger stuff, You don't really have to swing it, just raise it up and let it fall. I have a smallerwooden handledmaul for the smaller stuff, got one of those rubber handle protecters on it, really helps on the occasional miss.

 

[Gypo Logger]

When I was in Kentucky, and had the pleasure of meeting Che and her family, I was amazed at how well her 13 year old son handled the monster maul busting open that Osage Orange wood. I have never seen a more pleasant mannered big, tough kid handle the likes of that "friendly persuader", as well as he did.
John