I bought him a Fiskars. He can use that now.
Splitting/Chopping Tool Review Thread
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zogger
Tree Freak
Whoop! As promised, first impressions Fiskars Isocore 8lb maul. Yep, finally came in.
Initial impression on heft, heavy, super light weight handle, emphasizes the head weight. fit and finish normal fiskars high quality. Edge, sharp enough for a heavy maul, but not wicked sharp (I will fix this later, this is a stock impression). Well, sorta stock, new blade, I sprayed it down with teflon.
On to the wood, picking pieces from oakzilla pile #1, in order a crotch with two sets of growth rings, I know this would have been a chore with anything I have, probably a sledge and wedge deal. A few whacks later, splits! Did some easy ones, it's like nothing, barely any HP to the sawing, piop, blasted apart. Picked a real gnarly one, tried it on the ground. This one was most definetly gonna be a noodle project. OK, got some off the outside, the inside, it just bounced. No sticking, it either splits or bounces. Right now I am not swinging hard yet, so these were all in the wuss class swings and it did pretty good. received no elbow shocks, did get two shocks on bounced on the ground at my hand, thumb/wrist area. Not terrible, but would have been better on a shorter splitting block.
The handle I will deduct one full point, too skinny, you can see it compared to the original fiskars, it is thinner, would greatly prefer a rounder thicker handle. So 9/10 as a rating.
All in all, glad I got it, worth the wait and apparently all out in the system now so find your local dealer and order away! 60 clams and tax. The few rounds I did were a good test on non easy twisted wood. One of them was already tried with my 8lb truper last week, nothing, with the new fiskars, it split after like three whacks. The behemoth gnarly one, meh, I don't expect any hand tool to split it anyway. Yard trees are hardly ever easy. Did manage to get some off the outside so that is good, I'll noodle what is left over.
I'll try to find that piece of elm that defied me, or one like it, and do an additional test with that and some other species later in the week.
Bonus pic..nothing says I lurve you like a heart shaped pizza on valentines day! heheheh
Initial impression on heft, heavy, super light weight handle, emphasizes the head weight. fit and finish normal fiskars high quality. Edge, sharp enough for a heavy maul, but not wicked sharp (I will fix this later, this is a stock impression). Well, sorta stock, new blade, I sprayed it down with teflon.
On to the wood, picking pieces from oakzilla pile #1, in order a crotch with two sets of growth rings, I know this would have been a chore with anything I have, probably a sledge and wedge deal. A few whacks later, splits! Did some easy ones, it's like nothing, barely any HP to the sawing, piop, blasted apart. Picked a real gnarly one, tried it on the ground. This one was most definetly gonna be a noodle project. OK, got some off the outside, the inside, it just bounced. No sticking, it either splits or bounces. Right now I am not swinging hard yet, so these were all in the wuss class swings and it did pretty good. received no elbow shocks, did get two shocks on bounced on the ground at my hand, thumb/wrist area. Not terrible, but would have been better on a shorter splitting block.
The handle I will deduct one full point, too skinny, you can see it compared to the original fiskars, it is thinner, would greatly prefer a rounder thicker handle. So 9/10 as a rating.
All in all, glad I got it, worth the wait and apparently all out in the system now so find your local dealer and order away! 60 clams and tax. The few rounds I did were a good test on non easy twisted wood. One of them was already tried with my 8lb truper last week, nothing, with the new fiskars, it split after like three whacks. The behemoth gnarly one, meh, I don't expect any hand tool to split it anyway. Yard trees are hardly ever easy. Did manage to get some off the outside so that is good, I'll noodle what is left over.
I'll try to find that piece of elm that defied me, or one like it, and do an additional test with that and some other species later in the week.
Bonus pic..nothing says I lurve you like a heart shaped pizza on valentines day! heheheh
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Nice review! Interesting that they actually made the handle smaller in diameter!
Thanks for the first impression Zog! I just got mine delivered tonight! I got home after dark so haven't got a chance to swing it yet but my first impression was similar: heavy and sorta on a lollipop stick! Just a note that I was under impressed with the shipping packaging. I ordered from the Amazon link provided in the thread. . Arrived like this on the porch:
No damage to anything though and the blade was protected with a cardboard sheath. Kinda chincy but at least it's not a wood handle. It is hard to package an 8 lb bowling ball on a stick I guess. I'll try to get into some of my uglies tomorrow because that's all I've got right now. I need to get to the woods!
I'll try to take pics of it in its natural habitat and not the kitchen table too.
And zogger, is that pizza smiling at me?
zogger
Tree Freak
Ya, don't know why the pic is sideways but yep, green pepper lips there.
Ya'all have fun with dem uglies, WHAMMO!
Well I gave it a little run today. The big uglies weren't much fun because they were so weak and girly I was done in 10 minutes! Actually it did alright and split some of those I gave up on quite well. This was probably the most impressive one:
I did whittle the others down except for one red oak crotch and it isn't budging for anything less than pneumatic power. I had a thirst for more and kids at grandmas so off to the woods I went!
Ash is really no match for this thing to judge it. I did like how it takes less swing than x27 to pop it. And I did notice in the uglies that if it doesn't split, it will bounce off and not get stuck too like the x27. All fun but need some more "seat time" and side by side to see which I like better!
I did whittle the others down except for one red oak crotch and it isn't budging for anything less than pneumatic power. I had a thirst for more and kids at grandmas so off to the woods I went!
Ash is really no match for this thing to judge it. I did like how it takes less swing than x27 to pop it. And I did notice in the uglies that if it doesn't split, it will bounce off and not get stuck too like the x27. All fun but need some more "seat time" and side by side to see which I like better!
benp
Addicted to ArboristSite
Great reviews guys!!!!
Looking forward to more seat time reports.
Looking forward to more seat time reports.
FWIW all of the reviews on Fiskars site and Amazon are 5 star. One of the users also commented that the metallurgy is better than the x27.
Stopped by my cousins on the way home last night for the "Big wheel challenge" too!:
The result:
More firewood!
My cousin is a gas splitter guy but was impressed with what he could do with it too. He did mention that he liked how it didn't get stuck in the wood if it didn't split.
The result:
More firewood!
My cousin is a gas splitter guy but was impressed with what he could do with it too. He did mention that he liked how it didn't get stuck in the wood if it didn't split.
Well, most guys on this site have more than one chainsaw too . . .
Philbert
Philbert
zogger
Tree Freak
Found the exact same elm round that defied everything I had, including the leveraxe during my review week.
Results with the new fiskars 8lb isocore, after ten whacks!
#$$^%%$%$#^*(())_&^&$@#@#$
The winner and still champeen, the dinky winged elm round!
Bonus pic is one of the locals, err.uhh..wood hauler pickup! 31 ferd.. He is limited to two splits at a time though, but the round trips go fast....
Results with the new fiskars 8lb isocore, after ten whacks!
#$$^%%$%$#^*(())_&^&$@#@#$
The winner and still champeen, the dinky winged elm round!
Bonus pic is one of the locals, err.uhh..wood hauler pickup! 31 ferd.. He is limited to two splits at a time though, but the round trips go fast....
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That's funny. Talk about one tough cookie!
benp
Addicted to ArboristSite
Cut a cookie off of the end and se if that helps hitting on a fresh cut. Seasoned ends are no bueno for me.
Interesting info benp. I may have to try that sometime. Gives me an excuse to fire up a saw too! Zogger, my red oak nub still stands defiantly too.
It actually hit 70(!) degrees here in Ohio yesterday(I'd guess the normal high being around 30) so after the middle son's basketball game it was a lock for some woods time. Didn't hit the firewood too hard but made a fiskars believer out of a few more gas splitter guys. I couldn't get them to stop splitting MY wood so I'd have some fun leftover for myself! My BIL couldn't believe how easy it was compared to his maul. But his is some horribly China made thing that makes a triangle on a stick look good to be honest. We had some fun and relearned that no matter what you're using, freshly cut rounds do not split as well. Even Ash. But it was fun so we split em anyhow. Few pics of a good spring day in February!:
The rounds. And some of the helpers:
And finally the last of rounds with my biggest splitting fan in the background playing with his dinosaurs. He loves to root me on from a safe distance and always yells wham! when they crack!
zogger
Tree Freak
I might just to try that but I've done a lot of this winged elm since I have been here. Have even tried cutting a kerf with the saw deep enough for wedges, line them up right next to each other, wail away, get a buncha wedges stuck..makes sweetgum look easy. I cut short and noodle them for the most part.
It's really really good firewood and last a long time with the bark off, luckily they don't get big here, that's about as big as they get in the pic. I have no idea how they measure strength in wood, but I bet lumber made from it would be tops.
It's like..if you hired gorilla glue company to design wood....
zogger
Tree Freak
Tom Sawyer and the picket fence gambit, love it! HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Idea.. County fair, a selection of mauls, splitting blocks with tires, some cheapazsz trinket prizes..charge guys to split your wood! Variation on the ring the bell game with a big sledge.
Oldman47
ArboristSite Guru
I am splitting some 4 year old ash that I had to cut in half and find that if I hit the fresh cut end with my X27, it splits great but the old exposed end is a real PITA to split. For me, splitting from the fresh cut end works far better.
German Made Helko Top-Line Maul Review
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/german-made-helko-top-line-maul-review.293929/
Philbert
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/german-made-helko-top-line-maul-review.293929/
Philbert
Alex
ArboristSite Lurker
Got my Fiskars maul via FedEx yesterday. Looked at the handle and it had some chunks out of it so I refused delivery, Gonna have to wait a little while longer I guess
zogger
Tree Freak
Well, shoot..wonder where the fiskars factory refurb store is...
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