Log splitting advice for the splitting enthusiast

Phatwood,
The 6 lb will do the trick just takes more wacks. "brute strength and awkwardness" usually does the trick. Glad to hear it is going well.
I split with the 10 lb. er and the wedges usually 3 times a week, great exercise usually can do a little over a face cord for that hour 3 times a week.
Keep going the piles will grow and you will be amazed by how much strength you will get.

Get yourself a good hydraulic splitter when your shoulders start giving out, then enjoy.

Hog,
I agree. but I just don't have the need any longer for the $1300 to $1500 investment in the splitter and since I no longer need to split 7 to 10 cords a year like I did when I had to heat the shop and the house in the country. I now live in town and only burn in the zero-clearance fireplace. Granted this year we are all going to be down in wood consumption. (Hell it 37 degree out 3 days before Christmas in Minnesota) So, my need is for only 2-3 for cords a year and when I get a big load like I did around Thanksgiving I just rented a splitter for a day for $70. It will take me 15 years to pay off the splitter at that rate. Plus, the cardiologist say splitting wood is great exercise for the 61 year old with a bad heart valve.
never smoked a day in my life... a beer or two a week... mostly clean living but the genes gave me a bad valve. So, heart or shoulder take your pick??? I usually try to eat the elephants one bite at a time. I don't try to swallow the damn thing whole.
I appreciate your concern.

i used to split all my wood with the fiskars - but i always ended up with a pile in the 'too hard to split' pile. In the end i was being selective with my scrounges. Then i bought a splitter i now split 1/2 and 1/2. The easier stuff i split with the fiskars and the hard gum wood i 'save' for the hydraulics. The best thing with the splitter is i am not limited by wood type in my scrounges - i can split anything...

I split most wood with a Fiskar's splitting axe. On other occasions, I use a maul and wedges. But, for more difficult task and speed, I also I have a 5 ton Harbor Freight electric splitter for more difficult wood. I recommend it highly.

Phat,
I have not used those pointed star shaped wedges so I am not sure what happened. You might want to go back to the traditional wedge and use a smaller maul. The other thing the star wedge might of been defective period.
In either case, "it is still a good workout isn't it."

I've heard that the point breaks a lot on those grenade type wedges. It's the weak point apparently. Did you try grinding it back down to a point?

I have one and it works very well.

I found an Estwing wedge at Home Depot a few years back, I think it's USA made and has these little "wings" on the sides that provide an extra push to the separated splits. So far it's been great.