Nordic (hand) splitter...

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savageactor7

savageactor7

Minister of Fire
Jan 25, 2008
3,783
CNY
...all you hand splitters should check this out.

If a poster has one that reports back that it splits Elm, then I'm getting one for my winter dead tree removals. Looks to me like it's splitting birch trees in the vid...and they're an easy take. But I like the concept of this Nordic splitter...easier on the back that's for sure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_olacH1hlWg
 
It looks like a good tool to have if you have a copious amount of straight aspen pieces to split (like in the demo) but I have my doubts that it would be any more efficient with something moderately difficult.
 
There are like a hunnert different doohickeys like this. Ones with moving pieces that hinge out to split, twist in the split, etc. etc. The wood they all show them splitting doesn't require anything more than a maul.
LOL- thanks for making splitting easy wood... just as easy guys
 
Northerntool sells something akin to the initial post as well, I'd imagine harder wood and anything larger than a 10" round laughs at it.


Hansson said:
I have tried it.It`s sucks !

Ave anyone tried this one?
http://www.vipukirves.fi/etusivu.htm
Click to expand...

I have not tried the axe but have three thoughts on it:
1- At 190 euro or 280 US dollars, they're out of their mind!
2- Even knowing that the design is meant to induce a twisting force upon impact, that blade is Very narrow, which spells getting stuck if striking anywhere near the middle of a bigger round. I guess it's easily argued you never really need to strike near the middle, but popping a small to medium size round in half is plain fun and at a 10th of the cost, a plain 6 or 8lb maul does an amazing job.
3- What about stringy, tough wood? once you create a crack there is no way you're plowing that thing through to finish a tough split.

It's interesting, but even if it were reasonably priced I think it would end up being the gimmick that collected dust behind my all purpose, plain jane mauls.
 
So its another gimmick maul then? Well that's that.
 
That guy was on here about a year or so ago trying to sell those things.
I believe he sent one over, last I heard Corie was checking it out.
I think the verdict was ok for soft, straight wood, not so good for hard woods.
 
By the looks of the tool and from the comments on the Arboristsite it looks very well made...but I gotta wonder if over there (Finland or Sweden) all they have is straight grained soft wood???.
 
Adios Pantalones said:
There are like a hunnert different doohickeys like this. Ones with moving pieces that hinge out to split, twist in the split, etc. etc. The wood they all show them splitting doesn't require anything more than a maul.
LOL- thanks for making splitting easy wood... just as easy guys
Click to expand...
what do you use to split wood with? I would like to have one good hand splitter.
 
I have a hydraulic splitter now, but split almost half of my wood with an 8# maul and wedges. File sharpen the maul and wedges. Other folks here will tell you it doesn't matter- they are welcome to use dull tools- I see a major difference :)
 
Adios Pantalones said:
I have a hydraulic splitter now, but split almost half of my wood with an 8# maul and wedges. File sharpen the maul and wedges. Other folks here will tell you it doesn't matter- they are welcome to use dull tools- I see a major difference :)
Click to expand...
Thats what my dad keeps telling me too guess i was hoping an ax would work as good
 
I have a shaving-sharp axe that I can split straight red oak with for kindling, but for splitting full rounds etc- you really need a maul. The mass of the maul carries it through the piece, and the wedge shape pushes the wood apart in a way that a thin, light axe head won't.
 
Adios Pantalones said:
I have a shaving-sharp axe that I can split straight red oak with for kindling, but for splitting full rounds etc- you really need a maul. The mass of the maul carries it through the piece, and the wedge shape pushes the wood apart in a way that a thin, light axe head won't.
Click to expand...
Thats that what i will get next
 
This is the one that I like to use.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=147592-302-1190700&lpage=none

It works great on black locust and in their words it has the “Splitting force of a maul with the cutting blade of an axe”. At only 4 pounds you can swing it all day yet it is very effective even on hard wood. The speed that you can wield it seems to more than make up for the light weight. I have used heavy mauls. This one beats them hands down.

Ron
 
locust loco said:
This is the one that I like to use.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=147592-302-1190700&lpage=none

It works great on black locust and in their words it has the “Splitting force of a maul with the cutting blade of an axe”. At only 4 pounds you can swing it all day yet it is very effective even on hard wood. The speed that you can wield it seems to more than make up for the light weight. I have used heavy mauls. This one beats them hands down.

Ron
Click to expand...
i have seen that one and it would kill two birds for me. frist doing elm with the splitter i need an ax 2nd i have about a cord of soft maple thats on top of a step hill and cant get the splitter up there rolling them is no help.I just about bought that on tuesday,but wasnt sure if it would work.
 
smokinj said:
locust loco said:
This is the one that I like to use.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=147592-302-1190700&lpage=none

It works great on black locust and in their words it has the “Splitting force of a maul with the cutting blade of an axe”. At only 4 pounds you can swing it all day yet it is very effective even on hard wood. The speed that you can wield it seems to more than make up for the light weight. I have used heavy mauls. This one beats them hands down.

Ron
Click to expand...
i have seen that one and it would kill two birds for me. frist doing elm with the splitter i need an ax 2nd i have about a cord of soft maple thats on top of a step hill and cant get the splitter up there rolling them is no help.I just about bought that on tuesday,but wasnt sure if it would work.
Click to expand...

After seeing a lot of hype for the fiskars axes and these new single flared section type mauls I went and got the one pictured. They look cooler than a regular maul but do not work any better, if anything a bit worse. 4lbs is pretty light, if it came in 6 or 8 lbs I'd probably be loving it, but I can already tell it's going to be niche splitter for me, doing small things that it's nice to have something very light and sharper around. If you want one all purpose splitter then I think a regular 6/8lb maul is by far your best choice. As for the fiskars axe, the largest one I saw at sears couldnt have been wider than inch, that settled that quickly, it was more an all purpose, nice to have camping axe, not a true splitting tool.
 
WHAT ALOT OF PEOPLE DONT THINK ABOUT IS AFTER USING THE NORDIC HAND SPLITTER, YOUR KNUCKLES AND WRISTS WILL BE QUITE SORE AND YOU WONT WANT TO PICK THAT THING UP FOR A WEEK.
 
wildbillx8 said:
WHAT ALOT OF PEOPLE DONT THINK ABOUT IS AFTER USING THE NORDIC HAND SPLITTER, YOUR KNUCKLES AND WRISTS WILL BE QUITE SORE AND YOU WONT WANT TO PICK THAT THING UP FOR A WEEK.
Click to expand...

Hey- just like an 8# maul- LOL
 
Adios Pantalones said:
wildbillx8 said:
WHAT ALOT OF PEOPLE DONT THINK ABOUT IS AFTER USING THE NORDIC HAND SPLITTER, YOUR KNUCKLES AND WRISTS WILL BE QUITE SORE AND YOU WONT WANT TO PICK THAT THING UP FOR A WEEK.
Click to expand...

Hey- just like an 8# maul- LOL
Click to expand...
lol think there all work
 
Sledge⋀ said:
Northerntool sells something akin to the initial post as well, I'd imagine harder wood and anything larger than a 10" round laughs at it.


Hansson said:
I have tried it.It`s sucks !

Ave anyone tried this one?
http://www.vipukirves.fi/etusivu.htm
Click to expand...

I have not tried the axe but have three thoughts on it:
1- At 190 euro or 280 US dollars, they're out of their mind!
2- Even knowing that the design is meant to induce a twisting force upon impact, that blade is Very narrow, which spells getting stuck if striking anywhere near the middle of a bigger round. I guess it's easily argued you never really need to strike near the middle, but popping a small to medium size round in half is plain fun and at a 10th of the cost, a plain 6 or 8lb maul does an amazing job.
3- What about stringy, tough wood? once you create a crack there is no way you're plowing that thing through to finish a tough split.

It's interesting, but even if it were reasonably priced I think it would end up being the gimmick that collected dust behind my all purpose, plain jane mauls.
Click to expand...
It is regrettable that there are such people who have strong opinnions about things of which they do not understand anything.
The person above writes as he would be professional though he has NOT used the LEVERAXE.
Here are my answers to those arguments.
1-Does it make the tool bad if it is expensive? For instance,do you consider ferrari as bad car?
2-The LEVERAXE NEVER sticks into the wood. It penetrates to the wood only 5 millimeters on an optimum strike. It spreads the wood up to 8 centimetres. The friction is almost nonexistent. The axeblade remains ON the block. It does NOT go throw the block. It will NOT hurt yourself.
The harder the wood is the better the leverage funktions. During this nearly 3 years marketing there has NOT happened any accidents, not a single one.
3-We have some stringly, tough wood here in Finland,too. I do NOT see any problems in splittign them. I have used all kind of conventional axes during my 60 years career among the firewood and I must say that the LEVERAXE is definitely the best axe what I have ever had.
I will strongly ask you to visit my websites and study this new tool. This is the very fist axe that funktions with leverage. It has built in safety features in purpose that one cannot hurt him(her)self during the splitting. If you do not understand how this axe operates then please, do NOT speculate.
All the best from Finland.
Regards the inventor.
www.vipukirves.fi and www.vipukirves.net
 
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