APB out for missing x27 fiskars...

[quads]

no Fiskars, and I will do taxes with a pencil until the day I die. HA!

Without the Fiskars, splitting wood will kill you a lot sooner. :lol:

HA! I bet I'm a lot older than you think I am. I've been splitting at least 5 full cord per year with my old 6# maul for decades. I sold way more wood this winter than I had ever intended to, so in the last few months alone I have split 20+ full cord with it. Not saying the Fiskars is a bad thing, just saying that I have never had any problems whatsoever splitting firewood with my maul like many people do. I have no need for a Fiskars. It doesn't seem like it would fit into my normal routine of splitting out in the woods on the ground anyway. 5 minutes of pounding it into the ground like I do everyday with my maul and it would ruin one of its claims to fame; the razor sharp edge.

One of the local phone companies got some big grant from the government and now they are supposedly running fiber optic cable down my road. I'll believe it when I see it though. There are only 3 houses on the mile of road that I live on and out of those I am the only one with an internet connection. On average out here there are only about 2 houses per mile, if that.

 

[smokinj]

no Fiskars, and I will do taxes with a pencil until the day I die. HA!

Without the Fiskars, splitting wood will kill you a lot sooner. :lol:

HA! I bet I'm a lot older than you think I am. I've been splitting at least 5 full cord per year with my old 6# maul for decades. I sold way more wood this winter than I had ever intended to, so in the last few months alone I have split 20+ full cord with it. Not saying the Fiskars is a bad thing, just saying that I have never had any problems whatsoever splitting firewood with my maul like many people do. I have no need for a Fiskars. It doesn't seem like it would fit into my normal routine of splitting out in the woods on the ground anyway. 5 minutes of pounding it into the ground like I do everyday with my maul and it would ruin one of its claims to fame; the razor sharp edge.

One of the local phone companies got some big grant from the government and now they are supposedly running fiber optic cable down my road. I'll believe it when I see it though. There are only 3 houses on the mile of road that I live on and out of those I am the only one with an internet connection. On average out here there are only about 2 houses per mile, if that.

20 cords by hand WOW!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Quads, you do great, no matter your age. Good luck on the DSL. We had to wait a long time here too but got it a bit before you. lol Our telephone, before they finally put in underground wires, was via an antenna that they put on top of a power pole. In fact, that is still there as they have no use for it but we do like the faster Internet speed. It comes at a price though.

On the splitting, as I've stated before, I split wood for many, many years with an axe before I even knew there was such a thing as a splitting maul. Then even after I saw the splitting mauls I refrained from buying one. But eventually someone bought one for me and I used it. It did keep me away from using the sledge and wedges a bit but still had to use them from time to time. Then after an accident caused me to have to stop splitting I got the hydraulics.....and I love it. Point is, each to their own. You do well with the splitting maul and part of that is because of the type of wood you split, but splitting 20 cord is good work, no matter the age. You do great and will for many, many more years. We'll leave the Fiskars to the other guys.

 

[KodiakII]

your X27 has made it's way across the boarder by now - i blame those damn Canadians!

That's right...I've got your X27 and I am not giving it back!! I got my maul from an American and my saw from a Swede. I would be willing to trade it for some of your cheap gas though...wait a minute it is probably Canadian anyway.?!

 

[quads]

20 cords by hand WOW!

Yup, since the first week of December, in knee-deep snow almost the whole time. Every piece of wood I split is by hand, with the old number 6.

 

[quads]

Quads, you do great, no matter your age. Good luck on the DSL. We had to wait a long time here too but got it a bit before you. lol Our telephone, before they finally put in underground wires, was via an antenna that they put on top of a power pole. In fact, that is still there as they have no use for it but we do like the faster Internet speed. It comes at a price though.

On the splitting, as I've stated before, I split wood for many, many years with an axe before I even knew there was such a thing as a splitting maul. Then even after I saw the splitting mauls I refrained from buying one. But eventually someone bought one for me and I used it. It did keep me away from using the sledge and wedges a bit but still had to use them from time to time. Then after an accident caused me to have to stop splitting I got the hydraulics.....and I love it. Point is, each to their own. You do well with the splitting maul and part of that is because of the type of wood you split, but splitting 20 cord is good work, no matter the age. You do great and will for many, many more years. We'll leave the Fiskars to the other guys.

My dad always used a double bit ax. He hated mauls, which is how I got started splitting with a maul. My old maul belonged to him once upon a time and since he hated it, I always ended up splitting with it while he used his ax. One day I broke the handle off the maul and he told me I had to buy a new handle for it myself....and the rest is history. The same maul I use to this day.

 

[RNLA]

Nice QUADS, I have the same maul, 3rd handle that I bought when I was 10-12 years old. I'm 41 now. I have swung the same 8# maul all my life and the new stuff is hard to get use to. ;-)

 

[Thistle]

Nice QUADS, I have the same maul, 3rd handle that I bought when I was 10-12 years old. I'm 41 now. I have swung the same 8# maul all my life and the new stuff is hard to get use to. ;-)

haha I guess I'm not the only one...

 

[Woody Stover]

HA! I bet I'm a lot older than you think I am. I've been splitting at least 5 full cord per year with my old 6# maul for decades. I sold way more wood this winter than I had ever intended to, so in the last few months alone I have split 20+ full cord with it----Fiskars. 5 minutes of pounding it into the ground like I do everyday with my maul and it would ruin one of its claims to fame; the razor sharp edge----On average out here there are only about 2 houses per mile, if that.

Hey, nobody could be older than me! :lol: At my advanced age, I'm all about minimizing stress on my body parts and trying to keep this thing working as long as possible. Wish I'd have thought of this approach as a young man; I would only have half as much stuff broken as I do now.
It helps to have sound splitting technique, which I learned from swinging a golf club, but lots of people probably never find out about. As I'm sure you know, in light of the amount of wood you split, it's most efficient to let angular momentum release your wrist angle, and with good timing the handle gets in line with your arms right before you reach the top of the round, and maximum speed is achieved. I also hold the handle as lightly as possible so that less shock is transmitted to my hands and wrists. I use good, grippy gloves to aid in this. The hollow composite handle seems to absorb shock, too.
Anyway, I went out to the shop and checked out my old mauls; They're both 8-pounders...a bit too heavy. I didn't even attempt to pick up the Monster Maul. :lol:
The first day I used the Fiskars, I messed up the razor edge. I didn't think there was any rocks where I was splitting...thought maybe I was hitting the wires in the tire bead. I sharpened the edge back up and moved the tire to a different spot yesterday, and the edge stayed good. I don't think the razor edge is all that crucial, but the light weight and the slick finish are.
20 cords?!! You're an animal!! :lol:

When I was living in WI, a buddy of mine moved to Oshkosh, up in your neck of the woods. I'd visit him and we'd go out to Berlin and swim in the quarries. Ahhh, those where the days. I love WI, it's a great state with a lot of variety. I gotta say though, when I moved here I thought I had moved to a south-seas island. It would be tough to go back to the cold, now that I've reached my golden years. :lol:

My dad always used a double bit ax. He hated mauls, which is how I got started splitting with a maul. My old maul belonged to him once upon a time and since he hated it, I always ended up splitting with it while he used his ax. One day I broke the handle off the maul and he told me I had to buy a new handle for it myself....and the rest is history. The same maul I use to this day.

Ahhh, so we finally get to the reason for your reluctance to embrace the Fiskars; You're splitting with a family heirloom! Fond memories of your youth come flooding back every time you pick it up. In that case, I say stick with it. Besides, if you keep splitting 20 cords every few months, you'll be wearing the head away so fast that it'll be as light as a Fiskars in no time. :lol:

 

[quads]

Ahhh, so we finally get to the reason for your reluctance to embrace the Fiskars; You're splitting with a family heirloom! Fond memories of your youth come flooding back every time you pick it up. In that case, I say stick with it. Besides, if you keep splitting 20 cords every few months, you'll be wearing the head away so fast that it'll be as light as a Fiskars in no time. :lol:

Not really the reason for me, it could still be a family heirloom hanging on the wall in the garage too, the fond memories come back just being out in the woods and making firewood. It works great for me, so I have no reason to change to something different. The only thing that will make me change is that the wooden handle I purchased this winter won't stay as tight as I want it to and a new fiberglass handle is as much as a whole new 6 pound maul. So, if I can find the right shape 6 pound maul (I have a new one already that I bought several years ago and haven't taken one swing with it because I don't like the way it's shaped), I will be hanging the old maul up on the wall after all these years. TSC has a nice looking 6 pounder that is shaped almost exactly like my antique, and for only $20......you could be seeing a yellow handle in my future pictures.

 

[quads]

At my advanced age, I'm all about minimizing stress on my body parts and trying to keep this thing working as long as possible. A lot has to do with splitting technique, which I learned from swinging a golf club, but lots of people probably never find out about. As I'm sure you know, in light of the amount of wood you split, it's most efficient to let angular momentum release your wrist angle, and with good timing the handle gets in line with your arms right before you reach the top of the round, and maximum speed is achieved. I also hold the handle as lightly as possible so that less shock is transmitted to my hands and wrists. I use good, grippy gloves to aid in this. The composite handle seems to absorb shock, too.
Anyway, I went out to the shop and checked out my old mauls; They're both 8-pounders...a bit too heavy. I didn't even attempt to pick up the Monster Maul.

If you say so! I just go out in the woods, swing the maul, and the wood splits. I don't think about it much more than that. I have posted a whole bunch of short videos I have taken of myself splitting firewood. Here is one in a thread from a couple years ago: https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/40845/

The following picture is of approximately two weeks worth of cutting, splitting with the old maul, hauling, and stacking. All in between taking care of customers, milking the cows, and everything else. Business has finally slowed down a little (I only sold three loads last week) so I am able to start getting caught back up for next winter's sales. There is about 4 full cord here:

 

[Woody Stover]

the wooden handle I purchased this winter won't stay as tight as I want it to and a new fiberglass handle is as much as a whole new 6 pound maul. So, if I can find the right shape 6 pound maul (I have a new one already that I bought several years ago and haven't taken one swing with it because I don't like the way it's shaped), I will be hanging the old maul up on the wall after all these years. TSC has a nice looking 6 pounder that is shaped almost exactly like my antique, and for only $20......you could be seeing a yellow handle in my future pictures.

I'm pretty sure that's the reason I have two 8-pounders; One is a wooden handle and the other is fiberglass. I think I got sick of trying to keep the head tight on the wooden one. It's probably an art getting the handle to fit into the head just right, so it holds.
We've got a TSC here, too. I'll have to drop in there and check out their mauls to see what this shape is that you're talking about. The fiberglass handle may absorb more shock also.

I just go out in the woods, swing the maul, and the wood splits. I don't think about it much more than that.

I tend to over-analyzing things sometimes... :lol:

Nice stack of wood! What species are in there?

 

[jimosufan]

just ordered a Fiskars x27 at Amazon. Paid 49.37 with free shipping.... Good deal with free shipping

 

[quads]

I'm pretty sure that's the reason I have two 8-pounders; One is a wooden handle and the other is fiberglass. I think I got sick of trying to keep the head tight on the wooden one. It's probably an art getting the handle to fit into the head just right, so it holds.
We've got a TSC here, too. I'll have to drop in there and check out their mauls to see what this shape is that you're talking about. The fiberglass handle may absorb more shock also.

8 pound is too heavy for me. I've tried friends' 8 pounders before and I can't swing them how I'd like too. I had a fiberglass handle on mine for 25+ years (the handle was 'new' technology when I bought it, or so the label said) and now I have the wooden handle on it, as shown in this picture. As you can see it has a larger flared shape to the 'cutting' edge and is more slender than the typical blunt-looking mauls found at walmart etc/like the new one I have hanging in the garage never been used. I decided I am buying a TSC maul and give it try. Today is the day, with the wet heavy snow falling here it's a good day to go shopping:

I tend to over-analyzing things sometimes... :lol:

Nice stack of wood! What species are in there?

All oak. Mostly black, some white.

 

[RNLA]

My 8# maul is sharpened now like an axe. The reason is I hit it once a year to dress it up before I start getting serious about wood. I'm not sure how much weight I may have removed by sharpening it but it cuts so nice now. I really want to be open to new technology but it is hard to give up what works so well!

 

[varna]

just ordered a Fiskars x27 at Amazon. Paid 49.37 with free shipping.... Good deal with free shipping

I did the same deal on Thursday last week. It's due here tomorrow.

 

[KodiakII]

Just picked one up at our local Canadian Tire aka "Cambodian Tire" and the ever popular "Crappy Tire". I redeemed my coupons and ended up paying about $28 Canadian, or around $30 USD.

 

[Mushroom Man]

Question for Kodiac II:
Are you sure that the Fiskars that you just got at Canadian Tire is the X27. Last year when I was looking for the Fiskars Super Splitting Axe (25" handle), it was not sold in Canada even though other models like the Fiskars Pro and the Chopping axe were sold here. I ended up buying it in New York.
I'd like to add the X27 to the collection as I am impressed with the Super Splitter. It isn't perfect but on some types of wood, its great.

 

[KodiakII]

Question for Kodiac II:
Are you sure that the Fiskars that you just got at Canadian Tire is the X27. Last year when I was looking for the Fiskars Super Splitting Axe (25" handle), it was not sold in Canada even though other models like the Fiskars Pro and the Chopping axe were sold here. I ended up buying it in New York.
I'd like to add the X27 to the collection as I am impressed with the Super Splitter. It isn't perfect but on some types of wood, its great.

Made me go look to be 100 percent, but yes it is the X27.

 

[Mushroom Man]

Thanks to Kodiak II. Sorry you had to go look to be sure. That is good news that we can buy it here in Ontario.

I'll try to get one. If it is any better than the Fiskar's Super Splitting Axe due to its longer handle, I'll be delighted. If the same, it is still a bargain at $28.00. The Fiskar's Super Splitting Axe that I bought last year was $39.95 + shipping + customs brokerage.

I've used a sledge and wedge, a maul, a fabulous hydraulic splitter with hydraulic lifter and several splitting axes. Nothing that I have tried comes close to being as efficient as the Fiskar's when used with a rubber tire holding the rounds atop the splitting block. I've had some close calls with the axe glancing off lately though.

A good hydraulic splitter sure comes in handy when you are tired, in a hurry or the rounds are gnarly and stringy. With elm I only use hydraulic.

Oak, hard and soft maple, basswood, poplar, beech, ash, cherry, red and white cedar all split very nicely with the Super Splitter.