Splitting axe or maul

[rsf]

Lots of good advice. I have a 3 tonne splitter but it rarely comes out of the barn. My wife gave me one of those basket things for Christmas I used it a few times, broke the cheap wooden handle, which to their credit they replaced, but after just a little use on lime, oak and beech the cheap chinese blade was bent and about useless. Maybe only for softwood? But who burns softwood for heat? I wouldn't waste money or time on one of those.

For exercise, and a good work and for the three plus cords of hardwood I split every year I use both a maul and a splitting axe, wedges and a ten pound sledge. With these you can basically burn your gym membership. A lot mention the Fiskars which is fine but if you want to step up to something worthwhile get a Gransfors Bruk maul. I personally think it splits big rounds (we have blowdowns here on the property of four ft wide beech) much better than the Fiskars due to it's better wedge shape and smaller blade length. Also get a few wedges at least two. Not the funny cone shaped ones they break, are too light and fly out, but something heavy. I have a few including a Granfors Bruk one that is great, although when in trouble I usually reach for an old pre war english made one. That thing is indestructible. As for the splitting axe I have an old Wetterlings that is great for splitting up smaller stuff and taking a break from the heavier maul. Only having Swedish axes I would like to try the Ochsenkopf sometime, but pretty happy with the Swedes so far. You can probably guess what colour my chainsaws are. There's no white on them.

everyman looks at his woodpile with a kind of affection - thoreau

 

[John Wild]

After some advice please as to peoples recommendations for a splitting axe or maul.
Advantages and disadvantages of both and recommended weights handle lengths etc.
Hope to be splitting a variety of woods. Oak, ash, chestnut etc but there will be some rubbishing stuff in there as well I’m sure.
Cheers Pete

Your way better with an axe, it’s the speed that does job and don’t waste to much time on the chestnut, it burns horribly

 

[User00035]

Your way better with an axe, it’s the speed that does job and don’t waste to much time on the chestnut, it burns horribly

Horse chestnut, definitely. Dries to balsa wood weight and burns cold and sluggish with a smell of cat p*ss. Sweet chestnut is a fine fuel.

 

[pj1]

Thank you for all the advice. Didn’t quite expect all these replies. Is it the inner hunter gatherer inside of us. Must find food and playing with fire. Keep it coming.
Has anyone a hultafors splitting axe

 

[nun_hunter]

Not axe related but if you spend more time picking up the split log after it crack sand flies off the chopping block then screw down an old car tyre (maybe a tractor tyre for those splitting 48" rounds!) pop the log inside and whack away and it won't fall off after every hit when it splits in half. This way I can split more wood in less time and on the occasions when the axe goes through too easily the tyre wall catches the handle and absorbs some of the force meaning less vibration through to your hands and less chance of the axe getting stuck in the chopping block.

 

[Rafter]

I use a maul, and split about 10m3 per year - this year was gum.
I'm sure a hydraulic log splitter would be a better tool, but this keeps me fit and I'll keep at it while I'm still enjoying the work. For scale, the pieces are 400mm long.

 

[John Wild]

Horse chestnut, definitely. Dries to balsa wood weight and burns cold and sluggish with a smell of cat p*ss. Sweet chestnut is a fine fuel.

Aye sweet chestnut is grand, that’s related to oak though really.

 

[rem284]

Aye sweet chestnut is grand, that’s related to oak though really.

Sweet chestnut dosnt suffer as much as oak in the way of shrinking/movement. Rare as hens teeth where I am

 

[Alantoo]

Except that the blade edge of an axe is generally wider (not sure if that's true for the Fiskars) than a maul. I find that helps on bigger logs. The axe may be lighter, but see above comment about presenting the log at the correct height so you don't waste energy. .

Yes, earlier you described optimum anvil height quite accurately!

The rule of thumb (or knuckle) from the blacksmiths' world is that you set your anvil height to just brush your knuckles. The workpiece/strike height is then always above that minimum.

Alan

 

[John Wild]

Sweet chestnut dosnt suffer as much as oak in the way of shrinking/movement. Rare as hens teeth where I am

Yeah it’s much more stable hey. Hardly any here either tbf. It’s a nice wood though.

 

[David T]

Tried various axes over the year and I would recommend buying an electric or petrol log splitter !

 

[ruger77]

Home made petrol axe

 

[pj1]

Think I will be sticking to the hard work version as opposed to an electric or petrol splitter. Lack of room to store it and I suspect I will split a lot of it in the wood before bringing it home.
Fiskars seems to get the vote from a lot of people. Picked up a 3kg sthil splitting axe in a mower shop yesterday. That thing was huge and felt very unwieldy. Would prefer a wooden handle I think.

 

[John Gryphon]

Those Fiskars are useless here on our hardwoods,if you can swing one properly you will get it stuck properly.

 

[Stalker62]

Is it the inner hunter gatherer inside of us? Must find food and playing with fire.

I am not proud of this - and I am at a loss to understand it.

I will give anything to my kids. The shirt off my back (it would be too big for them but you get this gist), the food off my table or I would even, (in extremis) give then my last one of these (youngsters ask your aged relatives).






However, there is something in my genes which makes me feel physically sick at the thought of giving them any of my wood.
The thought of doing so, turns me into a character from Lord of the Rings...



My daughter and her husband have recently installed a log-burner. I have stopped answering their calls, and will be blocking their number, if they persist in their attempts to contact me, as we head into another cold winter.




My name is S62 and I chop wood...

 

[rsf]

S62,

If you don't already have it, and by the way you talk about cord wood it sounds like you might have already read it , do yourself a favour and get :

Norwegian Wood: Chopping, Stacking, and Drying Wood the Scandinavian Way , by Lars Mytting.

A great read.

 

[John Wild]

S62,

If you don't already have it, and by the way you talk about cord wood it sounds like you might have already read it , do yourself a favour and get :

Norwegian Wood: Chopping, Stacking, and Drying Wood the Scandinavian Way , by Lars Mytting.

A great read.

Seconded

 

[merlin]

S62,

If you don't already have it, and by the way you talk about cord wood it sounds like you might have already read it , do yourself a favour and get :

Norwegian Wood: Chopping, Stacking, and Drying Wood the Scandinavian Way , by Lars Mytting.

A great read.

A friend lent me that to read. I like a nice neat woodpile (who doesn't?), but that took it to another level.
S62, beg/borrow/steal a copy. Ok, maybe not the last one. But drop a hint to Mrs. S62, Xmas is coming after all.....

 

[Stalker62]

S62,

If you don't already have it, get :
Norwegian Wood: Chopping, Stacking, and Drying Wood the Scandinavian Way , by Lars Mytting.

An excellent read - I stole bought a couple of copies a year or so ago.

I also gave a copy to a friend who has a similar "affliction' with all things wood...



Herewith is just an example of the 'next level' in wood stacking...




For those who own an axe, a thoroughly enjoyable read.

 

[Alantoo]

For those who own an axe, a thoroughly enjoyable read.

For those who own a chainsaw and a hydraulic splitter, enough leisure time to read it!