Splitting/Chopping Tool Review Thread

[Philbert]

Here's the next one:



Built in saw - cut and split!

('4-In-1' = hatchet, saw, tent stake driver, tent stake puller)

Philbert

 

[1 stihl nut]

I just bought a 4.5 lb splitting axe and tried it out today. I was pretty happy with how it worked.

I haven't hand split in quite some time, however I must admit I swing an axe like lightning. It never strikes twice in the same place.

Also picked up a 6 lb maul from Northern Tool. Anxious to giv'er some swings.

 

[spike60]

Exactly!! I am a firm believer in that head design.

Spike is the handle hollow on the 2800 like the fiskars?

Yeah it is. Very similar.

 

[benp]

Yeah it is. Very similar.

Excellent!!!!

Thanks Spike!

 

[woodchuck357]

I had a chance to use one (s2800) yesterday on several different woods, I couldn't see it worked any better or worse than the x27. Any of my mauls will split knoty rounds much better than either.

 

[UnforsakenGhost]

I had a chance to use one (s2800) yesterday on several different woods, I couldn't see it worked any better or worse than the x27. Any of my mauls will split knoty rounds much better than either.

Agree yet disagree, my x27 flies through the dry, easy split stuff, it sticks or gives a good crack in the knotty\ wet stuff, and once it gets the crack, I send in the true temper if its a hard splitting piece, these splitting axes have their place, it does everything my double bit Kelley does without the worry of the handle breaking

 

[woodchuck357]

Well, to be accurate, we were using an x25. The gentleman who owns them is vertically challenged and the shorter handles fit him better than they do me.
His pride of ownership leads him to prefer the s2800, but I couldn't see that it did any better for him and it for sure didn't work any better for me.

 

[svk]

@Philbert this is the little guy I referenced earlier in this thread. Appears to be homemade.

 

[dancan]

Anybody run one of these ?

It's for sale in a local ad , only 10$ , half tempted to buy it just so I can scare the daughter's boyfriend with it LOL

 

[Philbert]

Had it. Got rid of it as soon as I got my second Fiskars.
Heavy and sturdy, but crude and inarticulate.

http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/fiskars-28-and-36-side-by-side-comaprison.170817/ Post#2.

Philbert

 

[dancan]

Thanks Philbert .
I'll leave it be .

 

[UnforsakenGhost]

My dad had one, it was pretty much a great decoration after the first time we used it, we had more luck with a $10 yard sale maul than the triangle on a stick, sturdy handle tho

 

[1 stihl nut]

Had it. Got rid of it as soon as I got my second Fiskars.
Heavy and sturdy, but crude and inarticulate.

http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/fiskars-28-and-36-side-by-side-comaprison.170817/ Post#2.

Philbert

Yeah. As a rule of thumb, I prefer my splitting tools to be well spoken. Although I'm not fond of it when they laugh at me.

 

[Philbert]

Yeah. As a rule of thumb, I prefer my splitting tools to be well spoken. Although I'm not fond of it when they laugh at me.

I like a saw that sings, and an axe that rings clear.

Philbert

 

[1 stihl nut]

Talking about the price of these mauls and axes got me thinking about a Lincoln biography I read awhile back. They explained in the book about how important it was to have a good quality ax head on the frontier because so much depended on it. When they bought an ax back then it was like investing in a pro saw today. So I guess if you are planning to need to survive in a post apocalyptic wasteland you could justify one of those 400 dollar hand made jobs someone posted a link to earlier in this thread. If not almost all of us need nothing more than the $25 truper.

I just turned on the tube to find "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter" on.

Turns out he used a double bit axe to slay vampires. I saw him take down a 12" diameter tree in one swing with one. Now I'm just watching to see if I can see what brand it is. I'd like to get me one of them.

 

[1 stihl nut]

I like a saw that sings, and an axe that rings clear.

Philbert

That's what they call heavy metal.

 

[zogger]

My dad had one, it was pretty much a great decoration after the first time we used it, we had more luck with a $10 yard sale maul than the triangle on a stick, sturdy handle tho

They work, they just have to be sharpened like a real axe. I used one before when they first came out, I didn't like it because it was too heavy, but they split wood well if you can get the horsepower behind them and address the edge.

Family up the street I supply wood to, around Christmas I took a truck bed row of premium hickory heartwood. Their teenage boy was showing me his monster maul, said it sucked, wouldn't split wood..it was as flat as a hammer! I mean about 1/2 inch flat edge. I said, "duh, just saw you playing with your new knife, notice it is sharp? All cutting tools need to be sharp. Take this thing to your grinder.."

With that said, for cheap bucks, the best deal out there I agree with a TSC Truper like I have, full rubber handle protector goes right though the head of the axe and extends well below the head. I have seriously abused that poor thing, still works fine. Again though, needs better than the factory edge. Cheap, works, for the purists it's a wooden handle, but the rubber guard protector is real effective how they designed it, you don't have to replace the handle all the time.

I just prefer the fiskars when I can switch to it in straightish wood. I'm built more for RPMs over torque HAHAHAHAHA

 

[hamish]

After our noon closing ....

Have to admit, the new tech S2800 was significantly better in that big stuff. We were both a wee bit shocked at how well it worked. "Wow, this thing's unreal!" I had to complain that the S2800 was better than all of my other tools and now I've got to have one for myself. Not perfect, as nothing is. If it gets stuck, it gets REAL stuck. But it was busting up wood that the 8lb Council and the 6lb Total maul just bounced off of. It really wasn't close.

Whats this about a noon closing on Saturdays?

Are you a believer now in the Fiskars and the S series line up? You know one for the house a few at the shop, one in the truck, one on the tractor...........

 

[El Quachito]

The "mega mauls" work, mine sends the pieces flying. But I did not pay for mine. I would advise against the purchase of one, although for $10 you could atleast see for yourself.

 

[MechanicMatt]

Grew up swinging monster mauls, still own one, but it only gets used when one of the nephews is over and won't give me back my fiskars.