Splitting/Chopping Tool Review Thread

[svk]

Making black cherry chips for my neighbor's smoker this morning with this little guy.

Splitting dry black cherry isn't so easy until you get it quartered lol.

 

[LondonNeil]

talking of rehanging reminds me I didn't review my bison pickaroon (post #1188 has a iink). Well the head is good and it picks up rounds well but I've found it isn't so good for picking up splits and I stick to the mortar pick for that. That handle was awful though, cheap softwood judging by the grain spacing, thick and heavy and grain perfectly out of alignment. On the plus side, it broke quickly, so this week I rehung it on a hickory handle. a cheap ebay buy, grain couldn't be any further wrongly aligned, but it tight, its slender, it feels so much better and I seemed to get the head hung super tight (beginners luck). I have however done the typical pickaroon thing and drilled through and added a screw. Today it got 2 coats of BLO....I'm quite proud if my first ever rehandling.

 

[svk]

Cool. We love progress pics if you have any.

 

[LondonNeil]

I'll get some finished photos. Handle has had about 8 coats of BLO, been soaking it up!

I'll have something new to review soon as I just ordered one of these
http://www.gardena.com/int/products/tree-shrub-care/axes/1400a/967330401/

You may think it looks familiar.... You've got the big brother haven't you Steve? Picture it with an orange handle. Gardena is part of husqvarna and it appears to me they've just changed the colour and swapped the 'a' or 's' designation to after the gram weight number. Even the descriptions are identical to the husky ones. I ordered the gardena as I found it for a bargain price of £30. Mine should be turquoise and black, I suspect the grey and black is a recent colour change and mine is old stock being dumped, but just guessing. I want something short and light for easy splitting stuff, hope this will do.

So the stable has a stihl 8lb pro maul, fiskars x27 splitting axe and soon a husky/gardena universal axe. Maybe I need a wettlings, Hultafors or GB kindling hatchet

 

[svk]

Yes I have the larger 2800. Love it!

If that works as well or better than the similar Fiskars chopping tools then you are in for a treat.

 

[LondonNeil]

grrrr, had my order cancelled and refunded, I guess they had no stock.

After a lengthy search I ended up ordering a fiskars x17 as the cheapest tool I know I'll love. £35, at the same price I found a hultafors trekking axe, tbh that was appealing, it looks like sex on a [hickory] stick, but its not really the splitting tool that I'm after and also as much as there's nothing like a good piece of hickory, rubbed with BLO, I also appreciate a strong and well damped Polyamide handle, particularly with a lifetime warranty.

 

[svk]

Just so you know the X17 is the splitting axe and the X15 is the chopping style. Assuming you wanted a light splitter.

 

[LondonNeil]

yes, a light splitter is what i want. tbh my cancelled order for the universal a1400 may have been good and my extended search was both about price and 'the right tool' again. It had me looking at the a1400 and the slightly heavier splitting s1600 but couldn't find either for less than £40, the s1600 a few pounds moe. The splitter is what i want though, and am sure the x17 will be every bit as good as the x27 (minus some big oomph of course)

 

[svk]

yes, a light splitter is what i want. tbh my cancelled order for the universal a1400 may have been good and my extended search was both about price and 'the right tool' again. It had me looking at the a1400 and the slightly heavier splitting s1600 but couldn't find either for less than £40, the s1600 a few pounds moe. The splitter is what i want though, and am sure the x17 will be every bit as good as the x27 (minus some big oomph of course)

I'm curious to try the 17 and 25

 

[LondonNeil]

There's an x21 now too, to fill the gap. Recognizing that no one can have the complete stable and swap to the perfect tool for each round, I wanted a good spacing, something light to really rattle through the few times I actually get easy splitting stuff.

 

[svk]

Cool, didn't even notice that. I will say the X15 is no slouch for splitting straight grained stuff either.

 

[stihlaficionado]

Any tips on what to use to touch up a few spots on my X27?

Fine to medium honing stone?

 

[svk]

Stone is best. Cavemen like me use a bench grinder.

 

[LondonNeil]

I just use a file, it's fairly soft metal on mine at least and a file sharpens it in no time

 

[Philbert]

Any tips on what to use to touch up a few spots on my X27?

I had a couple of small dings in mine (neighbor hit the dirt - felt really bad about it). Polished them right off, and renewed the edge, with these:

http://www.arboristsite.com/communi...nding-and-drive-link-deburring-wheels.284866/

Philbert

 

[dancan]

An ad popped up , 10$ , I got on the phone asap and struck a deal
Should have it sometime tomorrow .

 

[Ronaldo]

View attachment 594125

An ad popped up , 10$ , I got on the phone asap and struck a deal
Should have it sometime tomorrow .

What brand, do you know?

Sent from my SM-S320VL using Tapatalk

 

[dancan]

Don't know what brand till I get it , it was a British fella , he brought it with him 20 years ago when he moved to Canada .
He wanted to see it go to someone that would use it .

 

[Marshy]

View attachment 594125

An ad popped up , 10$ , I got on the phone asap and struck a deal
Should have it sometime tomorrow .

I like the hook, good for rolling over standing rounds. I think you stole it.

 

[Marshy]

Any tips on what to use to touch up a few spots on my X27?

Fine to medium honing stone?

Flat file removes material well in them.