The Zen of wood splitting

[Ironworker]

Nothing better than waking up on a Sat. or Sun. morning and splitting for about an hour straight without taking a break.

 

[Impalervlad]

Nothing better than waking up on a Sat. or Sun. morning and splitting for about an hour straight without taking a break.

That's exactly what I love to do. Only thing now is it comes after I get back from surf fishing from 3 AM to 7 AM.

 

[NDtreehugger]

Nothing better then splitting wood with a mual I never did like the noise the power splitter makes.
Since im 2 years ahead Im able to split 3 to 6 cord a year, no real hurry.
Dont know what I would do if I couldnt split firewood

 

[CTYank]

I am sure those are very nice axes, never even seen one yet, but just for clarification, fiskars axes are not chinese made, they are made in finland, unless this has changed recently..

Their products are made all over the globe. And "made in ..." are regularly abused. Seen some interesting ways companies fudge that. Follow the money.

 

[CTYank]

I have the original supersplitter and the quality is fine. I have never tried an x27 yet.

Seems quite a few people here really like them, if they were that cheaply made, wouldn't be as many good testimonials. And the OP is *happy* with his, loves splitting with it, relieves stress for him and gets wood in the stack. Why do you guys want to rain on his parade?

I mean, whut the heck, for the price point, tons of us here like them.

My daily driver cost me 450 bucks. It's an 81. yep, much better rides out there..for a LOT more money. Looks like crap, cranks, runs, gets 40 MPG on the interstate if I ain't trying to leadfoot it.

go ahead, rank my truck, because it isn't a quad turbo dual diesel whatever....oh, it is asian made, must be junk automagically!

I cut around 3/4ths of my wood last year with two poulans, one cost ten bucks the other 40. OMG, poulan, junk, all junk, OMG, embarassing, what would the neighbors say!!!!

Still waiting for one of you high end euro axe guys to do the match trick...been waiting a long time....

Axe? Are you kidding, for splitting wood? Wanna see an example of a good maul? Go to your Stihl dealer and pick up the Ochsenkopf maul they have rebadged.

I've seen first-hand some seriously lousy metallurgy on Fiskars stuff, and don't drink Kool-Aid. Non-fanboy. Some of us prefer to put up the $ for quality tools that we use a lot. Sure pays off for me, so far.

You seem to think it's a snob-factor thing. Get real. Drop paranoia. It's bang/buck. That's why some go for Gransfors Bruks or Wetterlings or Ochsenkopf or Mueller. IMO mine saves me $$, at $155. It's that good.

 

[zogger]

Axe? Are you kidding, for splitting wood? Wanna see an example of a good maul? Go to your Stihl dealer and pick up the Ochsenkopf maul they have rebadged.

I've seen first-hand some seriously lousy metallurgy on Fiskars stuff, and don't drink Kool-Aid. Non-fanboy. Some of us prefer to put up the $ for quality tools that we use a lot. Sure pays off for me, so far.

You seem to think it's a snob-factor thing. Get real. Drop paranoia. It's bang/buck. That's why some go for Gransfors Bruks or Wetterlings or Ochsenkopf or Mueller. IMO mine saves me $$, at $155. It's that good.

not a snob factor, a cost/benefit price pioint deal. At 40 or 50 bucks, my fiskars, and I have read here quite a few other guys agreeing, is much bettert over what we were primarily using before.

and I am not seeing the bad metallurgy either, no chips or dents, etc. I have played with different edge angles, that's it.

Sure, I would try a higher cost higher end axe, never seen one, don't know anyone local who has one. If it was three times better/easier splitting over what I have now, sure a bargain. The fiskars was like 5 times (whatever, an amazing immediate difference) better for me at 50 bucks over the 25-30 dollar 8lb maul though. It was that dramatic to me really.

Price point. your 155 buck axe is slightly more than a week's pay for me (I am not joking either..)....so, think about it like that, without being nosy, think if you had to drop a full (gross) weeks pay for an axe. And would that be X times better, in real world use, over a 30 or 50 dollar one? Say you make 500, is it really ten times better? Say you make a grand a week, is it 20 times better?

I have to think like that when I buy stuff...

Price point, it hit the sweet spot for me. I don't care if it is old reforged beer cans hung on a swizzle stick, it works pretty well for me, and I can swing it a long time and not get tuckered out. Works. Busts wood pretty easy really, most of my rounds. Just like my 450 buck truck, price point, all my vehicles I get as junkers/rollers and have to do work to make them drivers. It is what I can afford.

I have not trully bought a get in it and drive away, no major work required, vehicle in like 20 years I think. Well, 23 years really thinking about it.

They got too expensive, so , cheaper, then make them work.

The fiskars though, brand new, worked exceptionally well for me. If I get a chance to score one of those higher end axes cheap used, yard sale or whatever, sure, I'll try one, but right now I will have to pass on a new high end axe.

I can't see me breaking that fiskars though, seems well built and strong. Not a metallurgist here, but you can sharpen it and it stays pretty sharp as long as you dont split down in the dirt or hit rocks, etc. It's good enough for me man, enjoy your other axe, I am sure it is pretty spiffy as well.

Really, I wasn't being a snob, just a razz on no one else doing the match trick yet..I'd just like to see it, I was dang happy when I did it, freaking happy dance DE LUXE. Bwa! The two halves are sitting in a little baggie right next to me right now. Trophy. I don't have any others. memories, but nothing tangible.

 

[stihl023/5]

not a snob factor, a cost/benefit price pioint deal. At 40 or 50 bucks, my fiskars, and I have read here quite a few other guys agreeing, is much bettert over what we were primarily using before.

and I am not seeing the bad metallurgy either, no chips or dents, etc. I have played with different edge angles, that's it.

Sure, I would try a higher cost higher end axe, never seen one, don't know anyone local who has one. If it was three times better/easier splitting over what I have now, sure a bargain. The fiskars was like 5 times (whatever, an amazing immediate difference) better for me at 50 bucks over the 25-30 dollar 8lb maul though. It was that dramatic to me really.

Price point. your 155 buck axe is slightly more than a week's pay for me (I am not joking either..)....so, think about it like that, without being nosy, think if you had to drop a full (gross) weeks pay for an axe. And would that be X times better, in real world use, over a 30 or 50 dollar one? Say you make 500, is it really ten times better? Say you make a grand a week, is it 20 times better?

I have to think like that when I buy stuff...

Price point, it hit the sweet spot for me. I don't care if it is old reforged beer cans hung on a swizzle stick, it works pretty well for me, and I can swing it a long time and not get tuckered out. Works. Busts wood pretty easy really, most of my rounds. Just like my 450 buck truck, price point, all my vehicles I get as junkers/rollers and have to do work to make them drivers. It is what I can afford.

I have not trully bought a get in it and drive away, no major work required, vehicle in like 20 years I think. Well, 23 years really thinking about it.

They got too expensive, so , cheaper, then make them work.

The fiskars though, brand new, worked exceptionally well for me. If I get a chance to score one of those higher end axes cheap used, yard sale or whatever, sure, I'll try one, but right now I will have to pass on a new high end axe.

I can't see me breaking that fiskars though, seems well built and strong. Not a metallurgist here, but you can sharpen it and it stays pretty sharp as long as you dont split down in the dirt or hit rocks, etc. It's good enough for me man, enjoy your other axe, I am sure it is pretty spiffy as well.

Really, I wasn't being a snob, just a razz on no one else doing the match trick yet..I'd just like to see it, I was dang happy when I did it, freaking happy dance DE LUXE. Bwa! The two halves are sitting in a little baggie right next to me right now. Trophy. I don't have any others. memories, but nothing tangible.

Well said!!!!!!

 

[Impalervlad]

I don't want to get in to a battle here and extolling the Fiskars wasn't the point of this thread. I enjoy splitting wood and it has kept my mind off deer hunting and surf fishing which suffered after Sandy. Splitting wood, for me, is as enjoyable as any outdoor activity and maybe more so because I can look forward to a warm home and a nice fire when the snowflakes fall and heat in the house after something like Sandy knocks out my power for 9 days.
I just came in after a beautiful Saturday morning which would normally have been spent down the beach fishing for striped bass. But, the beach is still messed up where I fish and it's pretty depressing to drive through a town that has half the homes boarded up and most of the stores and shops with going out of business signs. So, I was splitting up and stacking the second third of the load of oak my son got for me. Then I went on this site and read Zogger's exceptional comments and felt I had to say something.
For some thirty years I have used an eight pound maul, eight pound sledge and an assortment of wedges. I tried a monster maul and thought it was great at the time. I used a "wood grenade" for awhile and thought that was good. My axes are Norlunds and I have quite few from splitting to felling to canoeing sizes. I can afford a $150 dollar axe but I envy Zogger for doing what he is doing with what he has. I have an '85 Ford 150 for hauling wood, a '94 Suburban for fishing and a '93 Buick Regal for commuting. I've had some fancy cars in the past but would rather have what works than what shows off. My wife and daughter have new cars but that's what makes them happy.
So, when I finally located a Fiskars x27 in a Walmart near me I picked one up. I had tried Lowes and Home Depot and Tractor Supply but they didn't carry them. I used it to split some rounds I had and ended up buying an x25 and an x15 and an x7 for splitting smaller rounds, camping and splitting kindling. Then I got a second X25 and an x27 for the truck. Like I said, I can afford it, I'm obsessive compulsive and I know a good product when I see one.
I used to have a love hate relationship with splitting because I enjoyed splitting but the heavy mauls tired me out. I don't have that problem with the Fiskars. I feel like a young guy once again using the Fiskars because I can split for a couple of hours or three or four and still look forward to the next time.
I understand metallurgy. I collect and for a time built my own knives. I don't understand the comments about Fiskars and their metallurgy at all. I have been using the Fiskars for many months now and hit some hard knots, drove them into the ground a few times and have absolutely no issues with sharpness except for the cut in my glove from a little carelessness. I admit I took a steel to one of the x25's but it came with a small nick in the blade. It disappeared after a few passes with the steel and is fine now. None of the other Fiskars has needed even a touchup.
I have been able to split everything I tried with the Fiskars and everything I couldn't, I couldn't split with the maul either and ended up noodling.
Like I said, I enjoy splitting. Except, now I can do more and I look forward to it more.
So, enjoy your hand splitting with whatever floats your boat and if you have to have a power splitter, I hope you enjoy it too.
Zogger, you hang in there! People like you are a special breed and this country needs more of them.

 

[ZeroLife]

You can't start a thread here about splitting and not get into a Fiskars fist fight:msp_wink:
Was motivated to go out and stack a little oak after reading your post. My 5:00AM is equal to most of your 10:00PM!

 

[Impalervlad]

ZeroLife, by 10 PM I've already been sleeping for two hours. I get up at 4:30 AM so I can get ready and do the 32 mile drive to work. On weekends I go to bed a little earlier so I can get up at 2 AM and drive 34 miles to the beach to do some surf fishing.
If you're working nights, I can feel your pain. I had to do some inspection on milling and paving an interstate by me and my work day started at 7 PM and ended at 4 AM. This was in October so I felt like I never saw the sun.

 

[NDtreehugger]

I agree, until I find a friskers or what ever at a yard sale for 5 bucks, Ill stick with the old green 6 pounder or the even older 6 pounder all color gone.

What I have found, when I ground some slots in the maul head it splits better then before,
I think is has to do with sticking to the wood and the slots give the steel a gap and less contact less friction

 

[zogger]

I agree, until I find a friskers or what ever at a yard sale for 5 bucks, Ill stick with the old green 6 pounder or the even older 6 pounder all color gone.

What I have found, when I ground some slots in the maul head it splits better then before,
I think is has to do with sticking to the wood and the slots give the steel a gap and less contact less friction

Got pics?

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

I have a maul somewhere buried in the shed. It's a big man sized one, kind of homebuilt. I want to say 13-14lb and has a solid steel handle. Run that for 15 mins and every other "maul" will look like a kid's toy. :cool2:

 

[greendohn]

I don't swing mauls nor axes much at all for splitting. I cut alone some and occasionally need to split big rounds to get 'em loaded on the truck. The ol' hydraulic is usually with me.
I've always enjoyed splitting and stacking. To see the end result in the woodshed is very satisfying. (except hard maple,,that twisted, knotty &**^% wears me out LOL)
I easily lose track of time splitting and stacking and it seems all thought processes vanish. It is kind of Zen like.

 

[buggyspapa]

In the dark, or with your eyes closed...

Year after year, by headlamp in the dark in fall and early spring, or despite the sweat and bugs in August, I MUST get out and abuse some wood at least twice a week. I keep telling myself to get it done before the humidity and bugs arrive, but it'll never happen. Okay, with snow on the ground, dragging it in is more important, but in a mild winter I'll keep at the rounds.

If I didn't have an x27, I'd use a boy's axe. Doesn't matter. The sledge and wedges are always ready for the otherwise avoided triple crotch. A gym is pointless except for the sauna. Moving, splitting and stacking engages the mind. Splitting cancels out daily tension like nothing else. Take a sauna after, maybe a scotch, and get the lady in the mood, sleep like a baby! Oak is terrific, but I have two cord of ugly twisted boxelder rounds that, if nothing else to hand, I'll spend half an hour each getting to stove size just to do it. I hate that stuff, except for the relief! Hopefully it will rot away before I get to the last 3' sections.

If I had to feed more than one stove, maybe a splitter would be worth it. But I the noise and boring repetition isn't going to feel as good in the morning. I hope never to get that big.

"Never get too far from what will keep you alive when the sh** hits the fan."

 

[groundup]

Yes splitting is very relaxing. A beer in one hand and the splitter valve handle in the other.

Now THAT is soothing!!!!

I'll be honest I am not much on hand splitting

 

[zogger]

Year after year, by headlamp in the dark in fall and early spring, or despite the sweat and bugs in August, I MUST get out and abuse some wood at least twice a week. I keep telling myself to get it done before the humidity and bugs arrive, but it'll never happen. Okay, with snow on the ground, dragging it in is more important, but in a mild winter I'll keep at the rounds.

If I didn't have an x27, I'd use a boy's axe. Doesn't matter. The sledge and wedges are always ready for the otherwise avoided triple crotch. A gym is pointless except for the sauna. Moving, splitting and stacking engages the mind. Splitting cancels out daily tension like nothing else. Take a sauna after, maybe a scotch, and get the lady in the mood, sleep like a baby! Oak is terrific, but I have two cord of ugly twisted boxelder rounds that, if nothing else to hand, I'll spend half an hour each getting to stove size just to do it. I hate that stuff, except for the relief! Hopefully it will rot away before I get to the last 3' sections.

If I had to feed more than one stove, maybe a splitter would be worth it. But I the noise and boring repetition isn't going to feel as good in the morning. I hope never to get that big.

"Never get too far from what will keep you alive when the sh** hits the fan."

Vast majority of my work involves being around running loud engines. I look forward to getting something practical done, and doing it relatively quietly.

 

[griffonks]

These says I use an old hydraulic splitter that I inherited and rebuilt (with AS help, how I found this site) because I'm splitting Cottonwood and my right elbow is not right. Too much of swinging mauls, sledge hammers and pounding T-posts.

But, I always enjoyed bring able to smack an axe, maul or hammer down with pinpoint accuracy. I miss the chore.

10 years ago a young blonde hottie asked me for some pine I had laying around and when I dropped a half cord at her place she asked me to split a few old rounds she had laying around. She watched me split the rounds with her axe and she was impressed.

This led to some more Zen like activities that I have always enjoyed too. I don't believe using my hydraulic splitter would have had the same effect.....

 

[zogger]

These says I use an old hydraulic splitter that I inherited and rebuilt (with AS help, how I found this site) because I'm splitting Cottonwood and my right elbow is not right. Too much of swinging mauls, sledge hammers and pounding T-posts.

But, I always enjoyed bring able to smack an axe, maul or hammer down with pinpoint accuracy. I miss the chore.

10 years ago a young blonde hottie asked me for some pine I had laying around and when I dropped a half cord at her place she asked me to split a few old rounds she had laying around. She watched me split the rounds with her axe and she was impressed.

This led to some more Zen like activities that I have always enjoyed too. I don't believe using my hydraulic splitter would have had the same effect.....

..creatin' a little fire with the ole wood there......

 

[rmihalek]

These says I use an old hydraulic splitter that I inherited and rebuilt (with AS help, how I found this site) because I'm splitting Cottonwood and my right elbow is not right. Too much of swinging mauls, sledge hammers and pounding T-posts.

But, I always enjoyed bring able to smack an axe, maul or hammer down with pinpoint accuracy. I miss the chore.

10 years ago a young blonde hottie asked me for some pine I had laying around and when I dropped a half cord at her place she asked me to split a few old rounds she had laying around. She watched me split the rounds with her axe and she was impressed.

This led to some more Zen like activities that I have always enjoyed too. I don't believe using my hydraulic splitter would have had the same effect.....

Well, they say firewood warms you twice: once when you're splitting and once when you're burning. I dare say you've discovered a method for getting warmed up three times!