Fiskars

[tld400]

I got it for one handed work and camping. I don't understand the pricing either. It seems like the X27 is the cheapest one. The X11 is the smallest one that has flared cheeks and is small enough for one hand but big enough for 2. There is the possibility that I just had to have it cause I didn't have it.

Haveing to many tools is never a bad thing. I just didnt get why they charge that much for it. Does it have the same size head on it with a short handle.

 

[mizzou]

I got it for one handed work and camping. I don't understand the pricing either. It seems like the X27 is the cheapest one. The X11 is the smallest one that has flared cheeks and is small enough for one hand but big enough for 2. There is the possibility that I just had to have it cause I didn't have it.

Probably an instance of "economy of scale".

 

[Foxfire]

Yup, on the face of it the math doesn't add up. If the x11 is half as usefull as the x27 is then it just means we under paid for the x27.

 

[FLHX Storm]

Did you order it from amazon. That was the cheapest place to find the x27 plus no tax and free shipping:msp_smile:

It appears Amazon came back to their senses. It's now $39.97 - Free Super Saver Shipping and no sales tax as far as I know.

Amazon.com: Fiskars 7884 X27 36-Inch Super Splitting Axe: Patio, Lawn & Garden

 

[FLHX Storm]

Any comments on the sharpener?

The sharpener is a bit flimsy but does work well. It'll put that razors edge back on any of the Fiskars Axes providing it hasn't hit the dirt n rocks too many times. Then you'll need to refresh the edge with a flat file but be sure to keep the proper angle. Then finish the edge with the fiskars sharpener and you'll be good to go.

 

[Foxfire]

How about this, lets just do a Sticky that simply states that "Yes most if not all Fiskars splitting axes are the best tool for most if not all jobs." Simple and to the point. That way us believers can click on it to be assured that we are better smarter people and non believers won't have to read thread after thread about how wonderful they are.

 

[SpiralAcacia]

How about this, lets just do a Sticky that simply states that "Yes most if not all Fiskars splitting axes are the best tool for most if not all jobs." Simple and to the point. That way us believers can click on it to be assured that we are better smarter people and non believers won't have to read thread after thread about how wonderful they are.

But how then could be non-believers made to convert to the Fiskult??
(The way I see it, there should be some mumbling in Swedish during First Splitting With A Fiskars ritual, answered by a congressional "Wow!"
Just saying.

SA

 

[Foxfire]

Some sort of "Fiskars around the world" thing. So the End of the Mayan Calendar was really to signify the end of all non Fiskars splitting axes. Learn something new everyday.

 

[sweetjetskier]

I have split easily 10 cords with my x-27 over a year and a half.

The coating does wear off some but seems to have slowed recently in that regard.

Still the best $50 I have spent in a long time

 

[CTYank]

You won't want to hear this then, you Fiskars fanboys, so move along to the next. :cool2:

Disclaimer: I have no financial involvement with any tool-maker, whatsoever.

This weekend I happened to compare, side-by-side, Fiskars X27, Mueller 3kg maul, and cheapie 5 & 8 lb mauls that I had modified w/disk grinder to emulate Mueller's head shape (flat face with minimal convexity.)

Conclusion: in the northern red oak and norway maple rounds, there was little performance difference, except that the Mueller and the 5 lb were more probable to get it done in one swing. Mind you we're not talking about big-box blunt metal objects, but wood-splitting tools. The Mueller had not been sharpened since new a year back, nor had the cheapies, which were modified at that time.

Other than the Fiskars, the edges were essentially as last done (from foundry or disk grinder.) No visible damage or deformation.

The edge on the Fiskars, after a few days splitting, was a mess- both brittle and plastic deformation. Unbelievable. Any knowledgeable person would have to conclude that their metallurgy was unsat. Junk, IMHO.

The Fiskars fanboy thing, I simply cannot fathom. There's no justification. Relatively speaking the $155 I spent for the Mueller is a big-time bargain. As things go, it'll probably be an heirloom. I'm dead serious here. Their metallurgy is far and away superior to Fiskars, as is that of the cheapie big-box mauls tested here. Surprised me there.

Anyone wanting to save a few bucks might well consider mauls from Wetterlings or Husqvarna from Baileys. Stihl apparently now sells Ochsenkopf- good bargain too. They are literally orders of magnitude better tools than Fiskars. Gransfors at ~$180 would be a much better value, for someone who's going to be splitting wood for some years.

Rant/flame as you wish, but when the Emperor has no clothes, he's NEKKID. :msp_ohmy:

 

[blacklocst]

I have the Fiskars pre x25 post all black handle I guess the SS model about 3 or 4 years old the coating on it long gone, chips and dull edge to boot. Bought the sharpener about a year ago still sitting on the shop wall, still in its original packaging. Long story short its still amazes me how well it splits, if anything I under swing so I don't go through the wood and into the ground. Pound for pound dollar for dollar it's the best splitting device bar none. Drank the Kool Aid and it tastes like champagne.

 

[FLHX Storm]

Well, CTYank, everyone makes their own choices regardless of what they might be. Some of us would rather drive a 50 year old pickup truck than sport a new Jag. To just plop down 150 to $200 for an axe? Not going to happen at least with me. I want something mid range that does work. I want speed and accuracy. I want something lightweight rather than an anvil on a stick. I want something that when I swing it, it will cut through wood. And if I have the desire I could also fell a tree with it just as readily as someone with a double bit felling axe.

Personally I'm not ever going to swing an 8 or 15# splitting maul unless I am suicidal or something. The Fiskars may or may not be the best out there, but to me it is the best because I use it and I will continue using it.

But now if you want to purchase every member here on the forum a Mueller or Gransfors I'm sure they would be very appreciative and whatever brand would become their new favorite splitting implement (MAYBE):hmm3grin2orange:.

Oh, and you need to show us closeup pictures of the damage to the Fiskars or it didn't happen.

.

 

[Foxfire]

You won't want to hear this then, you Fiskars fanboys, so move along to the next. :cool2:

Disclaimer: I have no financial involvement with any tool-maker, whatsoever.

This weekend I happened to compare, side-by-side, Fiskars X27, Mueller 3kg maul, and cheapie 5 & 8 lb mauls that I had modified w/disk grinder to emulate Mueller's head shape (flat face with minimal convexity.)

Conclusion: in the northern red oak and norway maple rounds, there was little performance difference, except that the Mueller and the 5 lb were more probable to get it done in one swing. Mind you we're not talking about big-box blunt metal objects, but wood-splitting tools. The Mueller had not been sharpened since new a year back, nor had the cheapies, which were modified at that time.

Other than the Fiskars, the edges were essentially as last done (from foundry or disk grinder.) No visible damage or deformation.

The edge on the Fiskars, after a few days splitting, was a mess- both brittle and plastic deformation. Unbelievable. Any knowledgeable person would have to conclude that their metallurgy was unsat. Junk, IMHO.

The Fiskars fanboy thing, I simply cannot fathom. There's no justification. Relatively speaking the $155 I spent for the Mueller is a big-time bargain. As things go, it'll probably be an heirloom. I'm dead serious here. Their metallurgy is far and away superior to Fiskars, as is that of the cheapie big-box mauls tested here. Surprised me there.

Anyone wanting to save a few bucks might well consider mauls from Wetterlings or Husqvarna from Baileys. Stihl apparently now sells Ochsenkopf- good bargain too. They are literally orders of magnitude better tools than Fiskars. Gransfors at ~$180 would be a much better value, for someone who's going to be splitting wood for some years.

Rant/flame as you wish, but when the Emperor has no clothes, he's NEKKID. :msp_ohmy:

2 quick questions,
Were you splitting on a stump or the ground?
And how long have you been using the Fiskars?

I'll agree that they nick easily but they also file/sharpen easily. I can't say if it's a matter of metallurgy or geometry. I've got a True Temper 8lbs maul that I actually like. Pound for pound swing for swing I get more done quicker with less fatigue with the Fiskars. Not to mention their nearly "unbreakable" handles. Never swung a Mueller and I'm sure it's good tool, but for more than 3 times the price of a Fiskars I probably won't ever. For all I know 3 Fiskars will outlast 1 Mueller, I'll get back to you the day my 3rd Fiskars dies...

The world would be very different if we all used the same tools.

 

[blacklocst]

Yeah we'd all look the same.:jester:

 

[tld400]

Ctyank I can understand if you want to use other splitting mauls and tools other than the fiskars,but I just dont believe you could think a fiskars is not a quality good splitting tool. Your maul might be great but I dont hear alot about it. Everyone that buys a fiskars has gave it a great review, they gave the axe the credit it deserves. How can you go wrong with buying a 40 fiskars with a lifetime warr. that will split dam near everything you put in its path.

 

[taskswap]

The edge on the Fiskars, after a few days splitting, was a mess- both brittle and plastic deformation. Unbelievable. Any knowledgeable person would have to conclude that their metallurgy was unsat. Junk, IMHO.

I don't understand. Can you post some photos of your axes and what you were splitting (because you didn't post any close-ups before). I'd be particularly interested in a close-up of the Fiskars and whatever damage was caused to it. (You know they have a lifetime warranty, right?)

I'm finding it a little hard to believe. I've only had mine since this past summer, and I've split probably 6-7 cords with it, mostly oak, elm, maple, and cherry, plus a little ash. And I live less than 50 miles from you, so I don't figure it's the type of wood. I notched mine a little when I hit some gravel I should have cleaned off, but plastic deformation? Did you put it under a grinder and anneal it or something? Because other than that little nick mine looks nearly new, and it's hard to imagine how that would change with a different kind of wood.

The point of the Fiskars was never actually that it was EASIER to split than with other tools, although I do believe it is, personally. The real point is that it gets the job done with a quarter of the weight, so you don't feel like an old man after every cord.

Please provide pics and more data. I don't disbelieve you... but I would be very interested in knowing the exact conditions you're under here. I certainly can't replicate it, and without data it's just an anecdote.

 

[Stihl310]

I'd be interested in seeing pictures as well. I've split upwards of 15 cords w my x25 and other than a few dings from burying it in the dirt, the edge is still in very good condition. I've also pounded steel wedges w it more than once, which I know is a no no... No deformation of the edge.

I'm sure if you're swinging it in the dirt it would tear the edge up quick, but you don't run a chainsaw into the ground now do we.

 

[bentring]

I wouldn't be too surprised to find that a $150 splitting axe has some better features than a $45 splitting axe, even if it has a lesser warranty.

I also wouldn't be surprised that a $600 Stihl/Husky/Mac has some better features than my $200 Efco, even if they have a lesser warranty.

But the knowledge of either of those doesn't mean it's justified in my eyes to spend the extra cash since the cheaper alternative suits my purposes just fine.

If your purposes are better suited for the more expensive to buy and to replace items, then by all means enjoy them.

 

[tld400]

I wouldn't be too surprised to find that a $150 splitting axe has some better features than a $45 splitting axe, even if it has a lesser warranty.

I also wouldn't be surprised that a $600 Stihl/Husky/Mac has some better features than my $200 Efco, even if they have a lesser warranty.

But the knowledge of either of those doesn't mean it's justified in my eyes to spend the extra cash since the cheaper alternative suits my purposes just fine.

If your purposes are better suited for the more expensive to buy and to replace items, then by all means enjoy them.

Just because something is exspensive doesnt mean its good or the best.

 

[Typhke]

I ordered mine today. Cheapest what I could find was €79, the x27 and the sharpener together. Have to pay for delivery also (bought in Germany) but it's still cheaper than when I buy it here in Belgium. I'll see how it does, sadly I don't have the price advantage compared to you guys. I can buy a Stihl axe for €80 and pick it up at the shop. But I like the the low weight that the Fiskars have.

Anybody got a Fiskars x37 or x46? The fact that they offer those is a sort of prove that they don't want to suggest the x25 or x27 is the complete tool imo. Comparing axes is probably the same as comparing bars, we all have our preferences

PS: Just saw the end of 'How do they do it' on Discovery Channel Flanders about Fiskars scissors. Comparison between the old days and the machines now. Most of the workers are replaced by machines. But they ended with the testing fase: every scissor is tested by a person who listens to the noise when a scissor cuts. He/she adjusts the screw (that holds the blades together) if necessary to reach the optimum balance between tightness and cutting performance. Shows that they pay much attention to detail. Ofc it's a show but still, it looked nice !