Fiskars Axe is junk!!!!!

[SawTroll]

My fiskars x27 is my first choice when splitting my firewood. Obviously not always the first choice when dealing with hard knotty wood. If a 6-8lb maul would do the job better, use it instead. I think common sense plays a big part when selecting the proper tool for the job.

I split knotty wood with a chainsaw (noodling) - no point in banging away with an axe or maul, and at best making oddly shaped firewood......:msp_wink:

 

[zogger]

I split knotty wood with a chainsaw (noodling) - no point in banging away with an axe or maul, and at best making oddly shaped firewood......:msp_wink:

Hey mr. troll, what kind of wood do you really get over there? I read you said you get a lot of birch, but what do you get real big and knotty and gnarly?

Just wondering is all, and if you ever have any pics of where you are, like to see them!

 

[Whitespider]

...it's more effective to make the tool move at a higher velocity than it is to use a heavier tool...

I must be in an ornery mood because it seems I'm in disagreement with far more people the last few days. And I have to disagree with the above quote. To say generically that a lighter, faster tool is "more effective" than a heavier, slower tool is simple not true. For example, I could easily drive a 1-2 ounce wedge from a large bore gun at speeds approaching 100 times faster than any man can swing an ax or maul, carrying far more kinetic energy than any ax or maul... and I'm betting it would barely dent the wood, let alone split it. What is "more effective" is to use the proper balance of weight and speed for the job, or conditions at hand. That's why it isn't always necessary to swing the ax or maul just as hard as you possibly can, sometimes a half-power swing is all that is needed depending on the wood being split.

Sometimes the Fiskars will be the best tool for the job (and it's a fine, well made tool), at other times a lighter or heavier tool will be a better choice. The trick is to not get tunnel-vision and become single-dimensional in your thinking... The trick is to recognize (even when the FisKars can get the job done) when a different tool is the better choice. No way am I gonna' waste time and energy "slabbing" off the edges of a large round with the Fiskars when I can just grab the heavy hitter and bust it into four pieces with as many swings.

 

[PEKS]

I must be in an ornery mood because it seems I'm in disagreement with far more people the last few days. And I have to disagree with the above quote. To say generically that a lighter, faster tool is "more effective" than a heavier, slower tool is simple not true. For example, I could easily drive a 1-2 ounce wedge from a large bore gun at speeds approaching 100 times faster than any man can swing an ax or maul, carrying far more kinetic energy than any ax or maul... and I'm betting it would barely dent the wood, let alone split it. What is "more effective" is to use the proper balance of weight and speed for the job, or conditions at hand. That's why it isn't always necessary to swing the ax or maul just as hard as you possibly can, sometimes a half-power swing is all that is needed depending on the wood being split.

Sometimes the Fiskars will be the best tool for the job (and it's a fine, well made tool), at other times a lighter or heavier tool will be a better choice. The trick is to not get tunnel-vision and become single-dimensional in your thinking... The trick is to recognize (even when the FisKars can get the job done) when a different tool is the better choice. No way am I gonna' waste time and energy "slabbing" off the edges of a large round with the Fiskars when I can just grab the heavy hitter and bust it into four pieces with as many swings.

Well said..
Choose your most effective weapon for the task..

 

[howellhandmade]

Sometimes the Fiskars will be the best tool for the job (and it's a fine, well made tool), at other times a lighter or heavier tool will be a better choice. The trick is to not get tunnel-vision and become single-dimensional in your thinking... The trick is to recognize (even when the FisKars can get the job done) when a different tool is the better choice. No way am I gonna' waste time and energy "slabbing" off the edges of a large round with the Fiskars when I can just grab the heavy hitter and bust it into four pieces with as many swings.

I don't see how slabbing off the edges of a large round is a waste unless you wanted bigger pieces. For my insert, those pieces are just right, and it's less energy to split a round into 30 pieces with 29 swings than to go to a big maul for X of them. Although, it just occurred to me that I've had several 6# mauls (which oddly enough haven't all been the same size/weight) and a Monster Maul, but never an 8# maul. Out of fairness and curiosity I'm going to get one tomorrow. With the 6#, if I can break a round in half with it, I can do the same with the SS. If I can't halve it with the SS, the 6# won't do it either, time for the wedges or the saw. Maybe the 8# is the missing link.

 

[CT2500]

i just got a fiskars x27 and really like it. i dont have much experience with heavier mauls but i am a heavy equipment mech and do a lot of undercarriage work. when banging out a master pin i use a 16lb sledge usualy good for about 10 good power hits. ive noticed with the fiskars it does not requier the power just speed. the only thing that i have spilt with it so far is green white oak and red oak. some pieces were over 28" around fiskars ate it all up.

 

[husky455rancher]

i just got an 8pounder. ive been eyeballing the x27 for some time now. i should just buy the damn thing already. im interested to see what all the hype is about.

 

[Chainsaw_Maniac]

To the OP:

Try and go for precision rather than brute force. Aim for existing cracks in the wood. Do not try and split parts of a block that are not straight grained (where there is a branch). Do the easy blocks first. If you are unable to split one of the harder pieces, put it aside as use another method on that piece later. For example, you could rip it with the chainsaw, or rent/borrow a splitter later when you have a stockpile of tough pieces. Using wedges and a sledge hammer will take down pieces larger than 20" better than any axe.

If you still hate the Friskars, take it back or sell it.

 

[zogger]

Well, what happened?

You have got a nice variety of replies, just wondering what your final determination is?

 

[1grnlwn]

14" straight grain easy to split wood, the Fiscars is fine. Anything else find a different tool. I was very disappointed when I got mine but we use it to cut strings when splitting with the Bobcat. We have much more fun seeing how far we can stand back and stick it in the end of a round. It is an axe not a maul. What the heck I have spent a heck of a lot more on other things that didn't work out. In every circle there are overly hyped products. Harley, Dixie Chopper, Dodge Trucks and Fiskars. IMO.

 

[Whitespider]

I don't see how slabbing off the edges of a large round is a waste unless you wanted bigger pieces.

It’s a matter of efficiency in my mind… maybe more opinion than actual physics. To me it’s just more efficient to halve, third or quarter a large round first, because then it takes less energy (i.e. you don’t have to swing as hard, no matter what tool you use) to finish the job. Start out with 3-5 really hard, powerful swings to quarter the round, and from there out your pretty much just letting the tool fall from its own weight… you’re just guiding it to the correct spot. If I’m “slabbing” from the edges, I’m swinging hard every time… or at least more times. Of course this assumes the wood is straight grained and splits readily, such as Red Oak, Ash, etc.

Really, if it isn’t relatively easy splitting wood I ain’t gonna’ swing anything; that’s what power log splitters are for. Sure, it may still be “faster” to split with a swinging tool… but for how long? The swinging tool might get more done the first hour or two, until the body starts to wear-down… but 2-3 hours later the power splitter has caught-up and surpassed the swinging tool by a good margin (or at least my fully auto-cycle splitter does). Even with moderately difficult-to-split wood the power splitter is the way to go in my mind. I see no reason to wear myself down in two hours, when I can work 4-6 hours and get 3-4 times as much work done. Now, if I have a small-to-middlin' pile of nice straight-grained, easy splitting wood I’ll grab the ax and maul ‘cause I can get it done quick, with relatively little energy expended. And for me, it’s more efficient to start the large rounds with a some good old fashion, momentum-driven power that only a heavy maul can provide

I don’t mind hard work… but I ain’t gonna’ work any harder than I have to… It’s my “Work Smarter, Not Harder" mentality…

 

[OH_Varmntr]

I'll start at the ousides of a big round because if I can manage to whack it into 4 pieces, they are way too big to throw into my furnace and will have to be further split anyways.

That's my situation.

If you have a big OWB that can handle bigger splits, there's no need to split it smaller and a big maul is great for whacking a round into 4 big pieces.

That just shows why there's such a variety of tools out there to get a job done.

 

[Chris-PA]

I got an 8lb maul for Christmas, and I was going to take it back because I usually prefer a 6lb, but it was nice and after this thread I decided to keep it. So I took it over to work over some big chunks of ash from the butt end of a large tree cut down lat year. These had given me trouble with the axe, but then I was tired when I tried it and left them sit. Anyway, I wanted to experiment with this stuff a bit. What I found was that once again, it's all about the speed of the swing. Unless I really sent it flying, that 8lb maul didn't do anything more than the 4-1/2 axe did. But when I really whipped it, it broke them consistently. So in this case the heavier tool was needed to split this stuff, but I still had to swing it fast, and it sure took a lot more energy out of me to do it.

 

[grandpatractor]

I have 2 shorter fiskars and one X27. And numerous other mauls. The only thing I use for splitting is the fiskars. Otherwise they get noodled or into the hydraulic splitter. They aren't magic. They are all about technique. Splitting is all about technique. Almost any piece of wood will split easier in one spot than another. You have to read it and figure out where it will split with the least amount of energy. I think the larger mauls are a little more forgiving on technique. Certain woods will split better after sitting and drying a bit. I have found that oak likes to be split wet. Even better if frozen.
I have watched some people swing 5 times in the same spot and nothing happen. I can tell almost everytime after the first swing if it will split there or not just by how the maul sounds and feels. It's all about the angles and cracks and knots. Practice make a guy better.
Most guys like the fiskars because they can swing them for a more extended period of time. Much longer than an 8 pounder.

 

[howellhandmade]

14" straight grain easy to split wood, the Fiscars is fine. Anything else find a different tool. I was very disappointed when I got mine but we use it to cut strings when splitting with the Bobcat. We have much more fun seeing how far we can stand back and stick it in the end of a round. It is an axe not a maul. What the heck I have spent a heck of a lot more on other things that didn't work out. In every circle there are overly hyped products. Harley, Dixie Chopper, Dodge Trucks and Fiskars. IMO.

You're right that the X27 is more of an axe. Compared to the Super Splitter, the X27 has an edge that is a half inch longer and a flare that is a quarter of an inch less wide. The SS is more like a maul than the X27, without actually being one either. I think it penetrates better than the X27 and has more splitting force, which stands to reason -- less edge driven by more weight and a wider flare pushing the splits apart.

 

[HEAVY FUEL]

You're right that the X27 is more of an axe. Compared to the Super Splitter, the X27 has an edge that is a half inch longer and a flare that is a quarter of an inch less wide. The SS is more like a maul than the X27, without actually being one either. I think it penetrates better than the X27 and has more splitting force, which stands to reason -- less edge driven by more weight and a wider flare pushing the splits apart.

Here you go.

 

[Philbert]

Here you go.

Goldilocks meets Heavy Fuel in the woods: this axe is TOOOO big! This axe is TOOOO small!. This Fiskars Super Splitter is just right!!!

 

[howellhandmade]

Goldilocks meets Heavy Fuel in the woods: this axe is TOOOO big! This axe is TOOOO small!. This Fiskars Super Splitter is just right!!!

The Super Splitter is on the right. The X27 is in the middle. If that's the X25 on the left I don't want one. What a shame if the SS is no longer made.

 

[HEAVY FUEL]

The Super Splitter is on the right. The X27 is in the middle. If that's the X25 on the left I don't want one. What a shame if the SS is no longer made.

The one the left is called the pro splitter, I THINK. Its only around 4 lbs. I thought the X25 & X27 share the same head just one has longer handle. :msp_confused:

 

[Brushwacker]

I recently got to use the new 36" version next to my older SS. So far I;m disappointed . I first noticed a lot of shock transfer through the handle to my body in comparison to the original SS which is the #1 reason I like the SS better then any other splitting tool I've owned of many. What little I used it, it didn;t seem to split as efficient either. I switched back to my SS to spare my tender parts and get the job done the way I've gotton used to getting it done. I believe if they would not have changed the shape and lightened the weight of the head I would of liked the long handle like I do on the monster mauls with longer handles. I swing for accuracy more then speed. Reading the wood and hitting it in the right spot is easier for me to achieve at a moderate speed swing. Trying to swing for speed I seem to loose some control and feel there is greater risk of accidents.