Fiskars Splitting Axe

[brianbeech]

I've got a Jotul 118 and was looking for a new axe to split wood with. Considering the size of my stove, would a 2 1/4# splitting axe be a good size for me? I see they have a 4 1/4# axe, but I've already got a 6# splitting axe and a wedge to knock through the thick stuff. I just don't want to buy a $40 axe if it will not serve me as well as another $40 axe.

 

[Kenster]

You don't want an axe to split wood. You need either a 8 lb maul or a Fiskars Super Splitter. Many of us have both. Each tool has its place. But I personally would not use an axe to split.

 

[bboulier]

You probably need a 6 lb. maul and 2 wedges plus the Fiskar's super splitter. I have had very little use for an axe in many years. You should also get a good hatchet for splitting kindling.

 

[Spikem]

Just wait a few weeks - the new Fiskars Super Splitter with a 36" handle is JUST about to come out.

 

[Stump_Branch]

slipt wood with an axe for a LONG time. recently purchased a splitting maul. dont know why i didnt do it forever and a day ago. you can get it done with an axe but why break you back? you have to swing harder, more often and it takes forever. I was close to a friskars. ended up with a slightly cheaper knock off. it does well, better than the axe anyhow.

 

[LLigetfa]

Nothing wrong with using an axe. I split wood with an axe all my life. Just recently did I go hydraulic. Tried a maul once and figured it was the work of the Devil.

 

[midwestcoast]

I have a buddy who has that little stove plus a larger one and he still did all his splitting with a 6# maul as far as I know. That was until he tried my 4 1/2# Super Splitter and was litterally giggling as he blew through the fresh cut oak we were working-up. He bought one shortly after. I'd be surprised if you found the 4 1/2# too big even for those smaller splits. If it were me I might also have a regular chopping axe around instead of a hatchet for doing kindling and maybe the odd small split.

 

[Dune]

Don't bother with the 2 1/2#. I bought one, it does work on easy stuff but as soon as I got the 4 1/2# I haven't touched the small one. I have a feeling as soon as I get the new 36", I won't bother with the 28" 4 1/2# either, so like said above, wait a couple/few weeks and get the state of the art.

 

[Freeheat]

Just wait a few weeks - the new Fiskars Super Splitter with a 36" handle is JUST about to come out.

Just emailed Fiskers and they said mid January. Can't wait

 

[Intheswamp]

brianbeech, I'm a relatively newbie at all things firewood and woodstoves but I just was introduced last Saturday with my 28" Super Splitter. I was splitting smaller rounds of both dry and green water oak along with re-splitting/reducing some larger splits of the water oak. I'm no youngun, I'm about 6' tall, around 175 pounds, basically worked a desk job for the last 10-12 years, not a muscled up guy, got some back problems, blah, blah, blah,....the Fiskars SS really impressed me.

I will be burning in a Jotul F3CB so some of the splits that were delivered to me needed re-splitting along with many of the rounds. Now, like I implied above, I'm no professional weight-lifter so I couldn't believe how well the SS split the dry and green oak. I had read of the issue of the short handle on the 28" model and was a little concerned about that, also about the sharpness of the edge (it's VERY sharp and would cut you easily if you ran the edge across your skin with very much pressure). So, when I began my little splitting job I started with the idea of safety foremost in my mind. Basically my safety method was to keep my feet spread wide and bend my back as the axe came down.

By bending my back I was able to keep the handle fairly square with the ground and thus mostly square with the top of the log/split. Thus, when the edge of the blade hit the wood my hands were basically level with the top of the wood...and this kept the axe head from swinging back towards me if I missed my target (which I did to begin with but caught on surprisingly quick to a better aim). There were a few pieces that the SS bounced off of but I simply repositioned the round or split and proceeded to bust it up. As has been stated elsewhere, at times it seemed I was swinging the SS too hard...I had to back off a few times. The hardest and most time consuming part, it seemed, was picking up the wood pieces and getting them standing up on my makeshift, ground-level chopping block.

Depending on your height, the 28" SS might be about right for you. Personally, at ~6 feet tall, I'm very interested in the 36" X27 model and will be buying one when it comes available. Overall, I'm very satisfied with the 28" SS but depending on your height you may want to wait for the 36".

I've got a 1.5 cords of more water oak to go over with the SS today and get stacked but I've snagged a chopping block and a tire to help out the process...we'll see how raising the splits and rounds up off the ground goes and also how the tire works in holding them upright....I really think the tire will really shine when splitting larger rounds but it should still help a lot in allowing me to pack several splits/rounds inside it so I don't have to bend over so many times. We'll see...

One user here on the forum said that he pre-ordered one at his local Ace Hardware store and that he was told the axe would be available on the 17th. I emailed Ace's customer service and was told that they didn't handle that axe...but, I think it was a CS rep from either India or Pakistan that couldn't find it on the Ace website so they figured they don't carry it.

Best wishes,
Ed

 

[wood-fan-atic]

Both the Fiskars Axe and the Super Splitter cost about $40, so I would NOT waste time with the axe -- get the SS. I have one for the pretty rounds - when I want some exercize, and dont feel like breakin' out the 22ton, and i LOVE it!! And, yes, wait a week and order a new 36" handle SS from Amazon when they come out. My 28" handle SS kicks arse, I could only imagine what that added torque will do. SWEET

 

[Kenster]

Swamp, I think an old tire for splitting is a great tool. I pack in as many rounds or large splits as possible (not too tight, though - you have to give them a little room to expand as they split.) Sure saves a lot time and bending over and resetting. Even if it is one big, fat round you can split the whole thing without constantly stopping, picking up and resetting the wood.

I have tried splitting on a big stump but decided it wasn't worth the extra lifting all the time. Plus, splitting on the ground allows the SS to gain more momentum in the swing.

 

[LLigetfa]

Swamp, I think an old tire for splitting is a great tool.
...
I have tried splitting on a big stump but decided it wasn't worth the extra lifting all the time. Plus, splitting on the ground allows the SS to gain more momentum in the swing.

You contradict yourself. Not worth the effort to lift up onto the stump but lifting it up even higher to put it inside a tire is OK? Would you put the tire directly on the ground or on top of a splitting block?

Back when I hand split, I did most of it in Winter so my splitting block would get lower as the snow and and splitting trash built up around it. I would roll the rounds up onto the block with very little actual lifting. Once the snow built up around it to a certain point, I'd split more where they lay rather than put them up on the block.

Now if I had a Friskers SS axe with short handle, I probably would lift more of them up onto a tall splitting block, but with the long handle, probably fewer.

 

[Kenster]

Swamp, I think an old tire for splitting is a great tool.
...
I have tried splitting on a big stump but decided it wasn't worth the extra lifting all the time. Plus, splitting on the ground allows the SS to gain more momentum in the swing.

You contradict yourself. Not worth the effort to lift up onto the stump but lifting it up even higher to put it inside a tire is OK? Would you put the tire directly on the ground or on top of a splitting block?

What contradiction? Lifting a round up onto knee high stump or splitting on the ground? The ground is much lower (ya think?)
I keep the tire on the ground. If I have a big round I just tip it up on its end and place the tire around it, rather than lifting the round and placing it into the tire.

We all have to do what works best for us.

 

[Thistle]

Swamp, I think an old tire for splitting is a great tool.
...
I have tried splitting on a big stump but decided it wasn't worth the extra lifting all the time. Plus, splitting on the ground allows the SS to gain more momentum in the swing.

You contradict yourself. Not worth the effort to lift up onto the stump but lifting it up even higher to put it inside a tire is OK? Would you put the tire directly on the ground or on top of a splitting block?

What contradiction? Lifting a round up onto knee high stump or splitting on the ground? The ground is much lower (ya think?)
I keep the tire on the ground. If I have a big round I just tip it up on its end and place the tire around it, rather than lifting the round and placing it into the tire.

We all have to do what works best for us.

+100 :coolsmile: Precisely. We all learn little tricks & shortcuts over the years (not with safety however) that makes our work easier,more productive & even enjoyable.Some times I use my old 5 lb single or double bit Plumb axes to split,sometimes its the big sledge & wedges,next log might be food for the Monster Maul.Just depends on what is most suitable for each log.

And I like the tire idea,been doing it for years.Sure beats chasing all the pieces down when the easy ones fly 10 ft off to the side. ;-)

 

[Intheswamp]

Well, I stacked 1/2 cord this afternoon. Included in the festivities was a high-performance 245/50R16 Goodyear Eagle. I got to admit, the tire helps *very* much and it performed very well! For the splits that were too big, too twisted, or whatever and for several rounds that I decided to split the tire worked great Last weekend I was constantly setting a split or round up on it's end to hit again with the SS...splitting a round in 2-4 pieces would require 2-4 times bending over...and then chasing down the splits. With the tire I would fill it up with splits and rounds and go to splitting...WONDERFUL! Every now and then I might have to straighten a piece up but most of the time it was just walking around the tire and swinging and splitting. The times that I hit a knarly crotch or knot I didn't have to stand the piece of wood back up...just hit it again!

I did not put the tire on a chopping block...my block isn't but about 17-18 inches wide and the tire wouldn't stay on it well if I had tried. What I did was lay some splits of wood under the tire to give me a more solid surface that the ground. Worked out pretty good.

If you haven't tried a used tire with your manual splitting you should definitely try it...you'll like it!

Ed

 

[Intheswamp]

Swamp, I think an old tire for splitting is a great tool. I pack in as many rounds or large splits as possible (not too tight, though - you have to give them a little room to expand as they split.) Sure saves a lot time and bending over and resetting. Even if it is one big, fat round you can split the whole thing without constantly stopping, picking up and resetting the wood.

I have tried splitting on a big stump but decided it wasn't worth the extra lifting all the time. Plus, splitting on the ground allows the SS to gain more momentum in the swing.

Kenster, yelp, splitting inside a tire great. I look forward to getting some larger rounds to try in it. I might just have to get my wood guy to bring me a load of unsplit rounds...hmm, I wonder if he'll give me a discount? ;-)

I did run into one problem, though. With the splits/rounds that I had and the size of the tire there are splits/rounds in the middle that are surrounded by the outer splits/rounds. I managed to split them, too, but in the process I would hit the handle of the SS on the wood around the outside. I'm thinking I just need to use the inner pieces for "place holders" and wait till those pieces get moved to the outside. Does that make sense?

Anyhow, from here on out a tire will definitely be part of my splitting equipment!

Ed

 

[LLigetfa]

Maybe you need a smaller tire.

 

[Intheswamp]

Maybe you need a smaller tire.

That would work, something like a 23x1050-12 would narrow the inside diameter down but yet retain the height (tread width)...I'll have to look around the shop and see if something is stuck back there like that. I kinda think just using the center pieces for space fillers would be better being as you can get several more rounds in the larger tire even considering that you're losing 2-3 pieces to the center.

Thanks for the idea, LLigetfa, I definitely need all the help that I can get!
Ed

 

[LLigetfa]

If you want more height with a small tire, you can cut off the beads and some of the sidewalls and turn the tire inside out.