Whats the best hand spliting maul?

[turnkey4099]

If a piece IS split-able, the Fiskars will do it easier, to me, than conventional 6 or 8 lb. It has never bounced out. So yes, it is that good, to me.

Come on over and I'll give you a shot at my stock of B. Locust round. It _will_ bounce out often. However, it starts a crack at the same time so if you hit the same spot again it will split after 1 or 2 more strikes. Just came in from using one. Most strikes I used was 4, 1 original and 3 followup, first 3 all bounced out but each expanded the crack a bit. 4 strikes with Fiskars takes about the same effort as one with wedge/sledge or 2 with a maul.

I am still amazed at that thing. Rounds that I used to 'halve' with wedge/sledge now done with just the Fiskars.

Harry K

 

[Captain Crunch]

Come on over and I'll give you a shot at my stock of B. Locust round. It _will_ bounce out often. However, it starts a crack at the same time so

Harry K

No black locust in my wood pile, I guess I could have qualified my statement with what I mostly split. Silver maple, box elder, mulberry, a little red pine, sugar maple. So nothing really bad. So perfect for hand splitting and thus fastest w Fiskars.

 

[Johndirt82]

Id have to say I like the Stihl PA80 6.6 lbs 33" handle. Makes good for driving wedges and splitting big oak rounds while out getting firewood.

 

[JimmyT]

Id have to say I like the Stihl PA80 6.6 lbs 33" handle. Makes good for driving wedges and splitting big oak rounds while out getting firewood.

The Stihl PA80 is made by Ox-Head in Germany and is a very fine splitting maul. I love the hooked bill for rolling logs.

 

[Johndirt82]

Ox head axes are sure nice, and pricey. I love it. Fiskars are for those who don't know better , sorry but its the truth. They work ok for knot free straight grained wood but thats about it.

 

[turnkey4099]

Ox head axes are sure nice, and pricey. I love it. Fiskars are for those who don't know better , sorry but its the truth. They work ok for knot free straight grained wood but thats about it.

The not only work "ok" for knot free etc. they are the best thing going for it. As for knots, etc: There is no one tool that does everything. Anyone approaching a stack of rounds to split needs to be equipped with 2 wedges, 1 10 lb sledge, and a 6lb maul (or Fiskars splitting ax). I will take both of the latter and used each an every one of those tools in my 1 hour PT session this morning.

My tool equipment now includes the Fiskars x27 and a Log Rite Pickeroon. I would have a hard time deciding which of the two I would give up if I had t part with one of 'em.

Now let's argue over chev vs ford.

Harry K

 

[turnkey4099]

No black locust in my wood pile, I guess I could have qualified my statement with what I mostly split. Silver maple, box elder, mulberry, a little red pine, sugar maple. So nothing really bad. So perfect for hand splitting and thus fastest w Fiskars.

I came across a couple 12" rounds of Black Walnut yesterday. Fiskars would just stick, work loose, stricke, stick again, repeat 4 times and finally resorted to wedge/sledge. It was knot free. All I got with the Fiskars was a bare start of a split.

Up until i got mine last week my method was: halve a round with wedge/sledge, hit halves with maul and if no split, hammer on maul with wedge. I now prefer to have the Fiskars bounce out as it avoids haveing to work it out before striking again 3 or 4 hits with the Fiskars is way less effort than wedge sledge or even 2 with a maul.

The B. Locust is the ony species I can recall over 30 years that will 'reject' a wedge. some of the green rounds has to have a saw kerf cut just deep enough to seat the wedge before the wedge will stay in when hit.

Harry K

 

[Johndirt82]

I only use a maul or wedge n sledge to get big rounds in qtrs . I finally built a 22hp splitter and it don't care what goes through that. It has split everything I have put through it so far in about 100 cords worth. To each their own though. Before I built the splitter I used an 8lb sledge with the handle cut in half and an 8lb maul. If the maul got stuck it hold the maul handle with one hand and drive it through with the short sledge. Try one handing a long sledge end of the handle hit me in the wang one day and I cut it in half immediately. Worked great. Until I started tearing tendons in my wrist from the impact of swinging the sledge. Oh well. life goes on thats when I built a splitter.
And you are right there is never one tool for a job like firewooding always good to have a variety of tools at your disposal. besides tools are fun to play with.