What seems to be the best maul/splitter

Do a search this topic has been beaten to death many times.
The long and short is whatever works best for you. Everyone has different technique and preference to tools.

I don't mind beating a dead horse - I have a 2.5 lb (I think) Fiskars and it is nice, but not enough oomph for some some logs. I also have an 8 lb maul - the normal solid-head style - and it is great for large wood but overkill for medium sized rounds. I mostly use the 8 lb maul. I need a 4.5 lb Fiskars.

I have a 2.5 lb Fiskars and the 4lb Fiskars. If I could do it over, I'd go with the 4lb Fiskars and a 8lb maul (I'd read good things about the Monster Maul). I love my Fiskars SS, but I'll probably still get the larger maul sometime in the future for the rare stuff that the SS as issues with.

I use an 8lb maul and if thats no good I use the sledg and wedge

I have the 16 lb monster maul and I love it, and I have loved it for over 20 years. Never gets stuck, metal handle(never breaks), is a great workout and splits just about anything but the crotch of a branch.

golfandwoodnut said:

I have the 16 lb monster maul and I love it, and I have loved it for over 20 years. Never gets stuck, metal handle(never breaks), is a great workout and splits just about anything but the crotch of a branch.

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I bet a #1 wood feels like a feather after swinging a maul like that!

I have a 6# maul that is 30 years old, the handle replaced once 25 years ago. I've never needed anything else and am still swinging it after hundreds of cords.

I am of theopinion there is no "one size fits all" for splitting. I have a 15lb Mega Mule Maul from Baileys, and nothing has stopped it. I usually bust the round in half with the Mega Mule, and then switch to the 4.5lb Fiskars for the rest of the way. The tire trick is simply fantastic. In addition to those two, I have a Fiskars chopping axe and and a hand axe for splitting kindling.

Hi -

I have the 'Moving Wing" type maul, a 4.5# Ames, a 6#, and assorted wedges driven by a 8# or 20# sledge. I use them all once in a while.

I also use the 27 ton splitter more often these days.

Modest trees, especially straight grained trees from the woods are often faster to split by hand. i am getting to like the hdrolic splitter pretty well though.

ATB,
Mike

I have two 6# splitting mauls. One I bought new 27 years ago...original handle. The second one was giving to me by my father-in-law in 1968 and it was real old then. Had to put a new handle on it a couple of years ago after a brother-in-law used it. I use a 8# sledgehammer and wedges when the going gets tough...don't like to use the splitting maul on the wedges if I can help it.
jackpine

hareball said:

golfandwoodnut said:

I have the 16 lb monster maul and I love it, and I have loved it for over 20 years. Never gets stuck, metal handle(never breaks), is a great workout and splits just about anything but the crotch of a branch.

Click to expand...

I bet a #1 wood feels like a feather after swinging a maul like that!

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I guess I would not know about a #1, but my 6 lb maul (that I rarely use) does feel really light. It works well but occassionally gets stuck or I ocassionally hit the wood handle (which I hate to chip, I have electrical tape on it from old wounds).

I meant #1 wood as in Golf Club.

hareball said:

I meant #1 wood as in Golf Club.

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Gotcha hareball! Swinging the MM did screw my golf game up for a little while, but actually came around later. I actually think it is a good workout for the golf swing. A swing is a swing just on a different plane. It sure didn't hurt my distance any. I might have to recommend it to the tour players! :coolgrin:

Thumper the mega-maul clone is too much for me to use more than very rarely, esp. on wood that just don't wanna cooperate, even with Thumper. I think Thumper may have contributed to me throwing my back out recently. Most of the time I stick with the True Temper super-splitter or the 3# ax for smaller / easier stuff. Alot depends on what kinda wood you have. When I have eukie or "gumball" wood, or certain stubborn pine, no maul will do it for me, or rather, I can't split said wood with any maul. Pounding Thumper as hard as I can on a eukie log and having the maul just bounce off is no fun (I rented a hydraulic and split it all, a little under 1/4 cord, in a couple of hours.

Depends on your wood supply.

Peace,
- Sequoia