Fiskars X27 What a Piece of Plastic

[svk]

When it comes down to it, Fiskars is a $56 tool that outperforms 99% of other splitting tools regardless of cost. If someone doesn't like it, S T F U and use something else.

 

[Ambull01]

This has probably been mentioned but X27 can do some bar saving/limbing duties if needed. Got my bar and chain pinched a few times today because I thought there was no need for wedges. I was wrong and the Fiskars saved my butt. Doing that with a maul would have sucked.

 

[mn woodcutter]

When it comes down to it, Fiskars is a $56 tool that outperforms 99% of other splitting tools regardless of cost. If someone doesn't like it, S T F U and use something else.

I'm not sure if you are directing your comment towards me but you made my previous point. It's a $56 tool and therefore not made of quality materials. It's mass produced with cheap metal and plastic! I never said I didn't like it. I own one and I use it probably more than most guys on here along with two other "cheap" mauls.
IMO the fiskars has a great design using cheap material so I can use and abuse it without much maintenance (other than sharpening). It's the best I've found for straight grained wood and splitting inside a tire because I don't have to worry about breaking it. Even if I did it's only a cheap $56 tool that spends it's life outside.

 

[svk]

It was not at all directed at you at all. It was just to the people who don't have one and/or haven't used one and talk continuous smack about it. It certainly has limitations and isn't a silver bullet. But it does work damn well in many situations.

 

[cus_deluxe]

and it certainly doesnt seem to be made of cheap materials. the head holds an edge well and they tolerate overstrikes better than anything close to the same price.

 

[mn woodcutter]

and it certainly doesnt seem to be made of cheap materials. the head holds an edge well and they tolerate overstrikes better than anything close to the same price.

It doesn't hold an edge at all! That's one of my biggest issues with it. I only use it while splitting on a block with a tire and the edge only connects with wood. I still get constant nicks and chips and a dull blade after a short time. However it does perform well overall especially considering the price. I still say the design is great but the materials are cheap.

 

[cus_deluxe]

maybe i just got a good one

 

[svk]

Perhaps metallurgy varies by lot. Mine has a few chips from the brittleness but holds an edge just fine until I swing it into the dirt.

 

[Ronaldo]

Mine appears to hold an edge very well and really, I am not too careful about how I split.
Was in my local Husqvarna dealer last week and he had a Husqvarna splitting axe and the splitting maul-----$89.00 for the axe and $99.00 for the maul. He said his rep wanted to have him get a couple out there and see what people thought of them. My dealer informed him it will be tough to sell them against hardware store mauls at $30 to $40.00.
My brother and I talked about getting one to share(cost and use), but we just cant see spending double the amount of a Fiskars and no warranty. As careful as I would try to be I just know a coupl over strikes or other hits to the shank of that hickory handle and it would be replacement time. I have used that Fiskars for years and had plenty of hits to the handle with no signs of damage. I would love to try out one of these wonder tools made by Wetterling( I think) and Husqvarna has them priced considerably less than a Wetterlings, but I just cant bring myself to plunk the $$$$down, when I have a tool already that works quite well.
We plan to just keep using our X25 and X27!

 

[cus_deluxe]

Im willing to bet that most of the people who have issues with them not holding an edge have already sharpened off the factory edge. once that happens im sure that it will not hold an edge as well. this is a case of less is more. if you put a grinding wheel to it you might as well throw it in the scrap pile. occasionally taking the burrs off with a file should be plenty. I dont split in a tire because theres a lot of metal hiding just below the surface of a tire and even if you dont see it, its likely to cause some damage.

 

[Ambull01]

Perhaps metallurgy varies by lot. Mine has a few chips from the brittleness but holds an edge just fine until I swing it into the dirt.

Since I tried to split some pine rounds on gravel the day after the Fiskars arrived I've tried to be cognizant as to what I could hit. Despite this I'm still seeing a few chips/burs here and there. I may have messed up the edge taking a flat file to it but it seems as good as new. I have no need to shave with it so don't really care how sharp it is as long as it keeps splitting rounds.

Mine appears to hold an edge very well and really, I am not too careful about how I split.
Was in my local Husqvarna dealer last week and he had a Husqvarna splitting axe and the splitting maul-----$89.00 for the axe and $99.00 for the maul. He said his rep wanted to have him get a couple out there and see what people thought of them. My dealer informed him it will be tough to sell them against hardware store mauls at $30 to $40.00.
My brother and I talked about getting one to share(cost and use), but we just cant see spending double the amount of a Fiskars and no warranty. As careful as I would try to be I just know a coupl over strikes or other hits to the shank of that hickory handle and it would be replacement time. I have used that Fiskars for years and had plenty of hits to the handle with no signs of damage. I would love to try out one of these wonder tools made by Wetterling( I think) and Husqvarna has them priced considerably less than a Wetterlings, but I just cant bring myself to plunk the $$$$down, when I have a tool already that works quite well.
We plan to just keep using our X25 and X27!

lol. I'm in the same predicament. Part of me wants to test other tools but the X27 is getting the job done so far. I noodle the real difficult pieces. I may never own another splitting tool again except perhaps a log splitter.

 

[turnkey4099]

Since I tried to split some pine rounds on gravel the day after the Fiskars arrived I've tried to be cognizant as to what I could hit. Despite this I'm still seeing a few chips/burs here and there. I may have messed up the edge taking a flat file to it but it seems as good as new. I have no need to shave with it so don't really care how sharp it is as long as it keeps splitting rounds.



lol. I'm in the same predicament. Part of me wants to test other tools but the X27 is getting the job done so far. I noodle the real difficult pieces. I may never own another splitting tool again except perhaps a log splitter.

Haven't touched the edge on mine yet and it has eaten many, many cords since new. Bought about a year after they first came out. Yep a few nicks but hasn't hurt the splitting any.

Harry K

 

[Marine5068]

My cousin has an X27 and I was pretty impressed considering it truly feels like a toy. What a destructive toy though. lol

I'm tuned in for a #8 Council maul but that Fiskars was smooth if you are a stove guy.

This poor kid in the video needs some advice. His homemade wedge is impressive though.

Advice,,,,ya....like wear a friggin pair of safety glasses when using striking tools.
If a shard of metal comes flying off of that wedge and into your eye, you'll be blinded.
Wood will hurt your eye balls too.

 

[Sawdust inspector]

Broke er in tonight. Forgot how good of a stress reliever splitting is. Ran er good n hard for 30 minutes in some nice ash. Good workout to. Ran out of blocks. Nice to split at night. Radio and cows in the background. Little bit of yard light mainly moon light. Very peaseful. Thanks everyone who made me aquire 1. I'm hooked.

 

[Mapcinq]

Almost splitting season again here... will be getting out my X27 for its third year, and my other Fiskar for its 5th or 6th season... I see nothing wrong the quality of a Fiskars.

 

[Section VIII]

I'm another happy X27 owner/user. I haven't had any problems with the sharpener either. Well....other than me breaking the small end off while being overzealous during sharpening. Nothing a little duct tape couldn't fix....

 

[tla100]

Well, the $28, 6 pound maul I bought a week or 2 ago with a Hickory handle is broke. Handle was getting loose, ended up in about 4 pieces. So, by the time I get a new handle, could have had a Fiskas for about same price, or well on my way. Minus the time I got grinding on the head. New to splitting by hand, but never had any overstrikes........

 

[woodchuck357]

Im willing to bet that most of the people who have issues with them not holding an edge have already sharpened off the factory edge. once that happens im sure that it will not hold an edge as well. this is a case of less is more. if you put a grinding wheel to it you might as well throw it in the scrap pile. occasionally taking the burrs off with a file should be plenty. I dont split in a tire because theres a lot of metal hiding just below the surface of a tire and even if you dont see it, its likely to cause some damage.

The fine wires that are used in some tires are under the tread and I don't think anyone has ever dulled an ax by hitting them!
I guess there may be some that don't cut the bead off and miss so bad that they hit the tire instead of the wood but they aren't likely to be doing much splitting anyway.

 

[svk]

The fine wires that are used in some tires are under the tread and I don't think anyone has ever dulled an ax by hitting them!
I guess there may be some that don't cut the bead off and miss so bad that they hit the tire instead of the wood but they aren't likely to be doing much splitting anyway.

Agree!

I'll have to post a picture of my Fiskars edge sometime. It's not even straight any more yet still splits wood like crazy.

 

[sledge&wedge]

It doesn't hold an edge at all! That's one of my biggest issues with it. I only use it while splitting on a block with a tire and the edge only connects with wood. I still get constant nicks and chips and a dull blade after a short time. However it does perform well overall especially considering the price. I still say the design is great but the materials are cheap.

I respectfully disagree with pretty much every statement I've seen you make about the Fiskars. I agree with it performing very well for the price, and that the design is great. Where you're losing me is the "materials are cheap" bit. I have put my Fiskars through somewhere between 8 and 10 cords of wood since last fall, some on a splitting block, and some on the ground. I have yet to have to touch it with a file, sharpener, etc. It has a wicked sharp edge still, and splits as well, if not better, today than it did the day I started swinging it. Sure, it's no secret that the head of an X27 is softer metal than some of your typical axe- or maul-head alloys, but the tool is not designed to split rocks and crack concrete. You seem to be aware of that as you mention it "only connects with wood," but that is what makes me doubt your credibility. There's no way you are chipping your blade-edge on wood, unless maybe you are trying to chop trees down. I'm sure smacking bark and limbing trunks will have a much more detrimental impact on edge longevity, but I don't use my Fiskars for those tasks so I wouldn't know. As I said, I have sent mine through 8-10 cords of wood, some of which was set on the good ol' ground, and I still have no nicks, chips, or dulling. The only way I'm seeing "cheap" as being an accurate descriptor is if we are talking overall cost vs. overall performance. If that's the case, then by all means, this thing is as cheap as Hamm's Beer and peanuts.

Anyway that's just my two cents, which I've been told may be suffering from inflation, depending on the topic at hand. By all means, buy what you like, swing what you want, and have fun. Good day to all and good luck drying out after all this freeze and thaw nonsense we're having here lately.