Look for a nice splitting Maul

[Gooserider]

A delay would be perfectly understandable. Kevlar safety thongs are all custom made. Rick

My GF asks how you would know? Do you have one yourself? Can she see a picture of you in it?

Gooserider

HA! I just found this...missed it when you posted it. Believe me, neither you nor she would want to see me in such a thing...can you say SUMO? %-P Rick

Her response - "AAAWWWW....." (She has strange tastes - maybe that's why she picked me... :lol: )

Gooserider

 

[Gooserider]

I think the GF just found Fossil's big SECRET...

His hidden theme song...


:lol: ;-P :lol: ;-P :lol: ;-P :lol: ;-P :lol: ;-P :lol: ;-P :lol: ;-P :lol: ;-P :lol: ;-P

Gooserider

 

[fossil]

OK, you outed me, Goose. Truth be told, I can only wear my pirate uniform and sing those proper pirate songs when my wife's out of town. :zip: Rick

 

[Gooserider]

That's OK, can't be any worse than when all the AS type guys get together to do certain Monty Python routines.... %-P

Gooserider

 

[Spikem]

That's OK, can't be any worse than when all the AS type guys get together to do certain Monty Python routines.... %-P

Gooserider

The Lumberjack Song, anyone?

:cheese:

 

[Spikem]

In regard to the Fiskars Super Splitter, I see lots of negative comments in regard to the shortness of the handle - 28".

For those of you who have it, and use it as a maul, what are your thoughts on this?

 

[fossil]

In regard to the Fiskars Super Splitter, I see lots of negative comments in regard to the shortness of the handle - 28".

For those of you who have it, and use it as a maul, what are your thoughts on this?

Took me about, oh...hmm...maybe 12 swings to get used to it. I stand ~2" closer to the chopping block than I'd become accustomed to with my older longer tools. Now they feel pretty weird to me, and the Fiskars feels just right. It'd be tough to be switching back & forth, I imagine. The Fiskars are so sharp and so well balanced, they don't need longer handles. My splitting's more accurate and easier. My $.02 Rick

 

[Spikem]

In regard to the Fiskars Super Splitter, I see lots of negative comments in regard to the shortness of the handle - 28".

For those of you who have it, and use it as a maul, what are your thoughts on this?

Took me about, oh...hmm...maybe 12 swings to get used to it. I stand ~2" closer to the chopping block than I'd become accustomed to with my older longer tools. Now they feel pretty weird to me, and the Fiskars feels just right. It'd be tough to be switching back & forth, I imagine. The Fiskars are so sharp and so well balanced, they don't need longer handles. My splitting's more accurate and easier. My $.02 Rick

Interesting. One other question, does it really function as a maul as opposed to an ax?

 

[fossil]

...Interesting. One other question, does it really function as a maul as opposed to an ax?

Not exactly sure how to answer that. Mauls are for splitting wood, Fiskars splitting axes are for splitting wood. What the appropriate tool is depends on the wood you're splitting. If you get a kick out of swinging an 8+ pound hunk of steel on the end of a stick all day, then you might say the Fiskars tools are for wusses...but not to my face if I've got a Fiskars in my hands. :coolsmirk: I think of the typical maul as the brute force solution to the problem, while the Fiskars is a bit more elegant. The way these things are designed makes for a shorter, sharper, more precisely shaped, faster to swing, less tiring tool. Pictured are the heavier (~4+ lb) splitting axe on the left and the lighter (~2.5 lb) splitting axe on the right. I'm a softwood burner, so the light one's my workhorse, but I've used the heavier one to good effect on many occasions. Rick

 

[Spikem]

I'm not being a wise guy, but hatchets are also for splitting wood.

The problem I have is the ax I have just cannot get through the rounds I have. I'm not a circus strongman, but I'm not a weakling.

At 6'1", 215, I can get the work done - typically.

But with the ax I have, I just cannot.

I want to know if I should get the stereotypical 8lb maul or will this Fiskars Super Splitter get through these rounds?

(The rounds are anywhere from 18" in diameter to 26" in diameter and they are red oak and some nasty maple.)

 

[fossil]

I'm not being a wise guy either. It's impossible for me to say whether or not the Fiskars'll get the job done for you, or if you should go with a big heavy maul. Maybe wedges & sledges? Maybe hydraulics? Too many variables. I do think you're wise to seek others' experiences prior to deciding, that's a lot of what these forums are all about. All I can do is tell you what I know about my experience in my circumstances with my tools and my wood. If you're splitting with a conventional old multi-purpose axe, then almost anything made specifically for splitting is gonna be an improvement. I'd say the Fiskars splitting axe is as effective as a conventional maul of greater weight. Any way you could borrow one or the other or both from someone before you decide? Dunno where you are, but you'd surely be welcome to try out both my Fiskars and my conventional 8# maul to see which works best for you. Rick

 

[Gooserider]

Wrong coast Fossil - Spikem's a couple hours away from me, essentially the other side of Bahstin, not far from Cape Crud... :lol:

That said, while I don't know how the Fiskars would compare to a standard maul for splitting power, (I think neither would do as well as my "hydraulic maul") there is one aspect that a standard maul would probably win at... You can drive a wedge with a standard maul, the back side is designed for doing so... However I don't think the Fiskars is designed for that use, and I suspect it would not stand up to it.

Gooserider

 

[fossil]

Ah, he added his location. Yes, too far, fer sure. The Fiskars head does protrude out the back, but I wouldn't ever use it for driving a wedge. It's not a brute force striking tool. If I thought I needed to use wedges along with the splitting axe, I'd take along a sledge to do the driving of the wedges. I know there are some folks who have experience with the Fiskars on hardwood rounds, perhaps one of them will chime in here with their experience. I, too, rely on my "hydraulic maul" to go after anything I don't want to tackle by hand. Rick

 

[Jeff S]

I own both the 2+lb and 4+lb Fiskars that Fossil shows in post #34,I use the 2+lb for lighter woods such as Aspen and smaller hardwood rounds.I use the 4+lb for the tougher and larger hardwoods such as Elm.I don't own a hydraulic splitter and have split 50+ face cord of wood since I bought this pair of Fiskars in September with the majority of this wood being Elm,Maple,Ash,Oak and Locust,my 8 lb maul has become nothing more than a glorified sledge hammer usually sitting in the corner of my shed.Thats not to say the Fiskars will go through anything,if a round is too gnarly I'm not ashamed to say that I will buck it in half with the chain saw,I have not found a 10" long round yet that wouldn't split.

 

[btj1031]

Damn, just read this whole thread, a few days after I purchased an 8# maul. Maybe I should have doubled up and bought one of these fancy Fiskars. I split nothing but difficult hardwood. I also use an old Chopper1 axe that was left behind on my property by the previous owner and I inherited it. Nice little chopping axe. http://www.chopperaxe.com/

 

[myzamboni]

In regard to the Fiskars Super Splitter, I see lots of negative comments in regard to the shortness of the handle - 28".

For those of you who have it, and use it as a maul, what are your thoughts on this?

Took me about, oh...hmm...maybe 12 swings to get used to it. I stand ~2" closer to the chopping block than I'd become accustomed to with my older longer tools. Now they feel pretty weird to me, and the Fiskars feels just right. It'd be tough to be switching back & forth, I imagine. The Fiskars are so sharp and so well balanced, they don't need longer handles. My splitting's more accurate and easier. My $.02 Rick

Interesting. One other question, does it really function as a maul as opposed to an ax?

Spikem, my maul is now going to stay in my shed. If the Fiskars won't go through it it gets the wedge and sledge treatment.

Rick is right, you get used to it very fast. If you split on the ground and not on a chopping block, it might feel a little awkward the first couple swings.

 

[Hurricane]

I started with a 8lb maul and have been using it for 10+ years. The fiberglass handle came off this year and tried a few different glues that did not work. So after reading here I bought the Fiskars 4+ lb splitting axe. It works well on anything 12 in and smaller and also have split larger wood with it. Since I have used jb-weld on the old maul and it is back in service. I have had both in service for about a month now and like both. I do split on the ground with a bungie cord around the log to hold it like the tire trick. The shorter handle of the Fiskar is hard to get used to and it keeps cutting my bungies because it is so sharp. The Fiskar tends to stick in deep if the log does not split and my maul tends to come out easier ( the difference in sharpness). I think I could be as good with either, and am lots faster than a gas powered splitter. If you plan on splitting all day I say get the Fiskars and some wedges. I usually split for about an hour then put it down. I am splitting 2-3 cords a year, this year I am trying to get a year ahead and am doing 6-7 cords.

 

[Dottie]

Could someone explain the different between the Fiskars 7854 and the 7859? I'm a 64 year old, 5'4" woman who wants to be able to split already split pieces of wood into smaller pieces and maybe split some smaller rounds.

Or would you all suggest something else entirely.

Thank you.

 

[fossil]

Could someone explain the different between the Fiskars 7854 and the 7859? I'm a 64 year old, 5'4" woman who wants to be able to split already split pieces of wood into smaller pieces and maybe split some smaller rounds.

Or would you all suggest something else entirely.

Thank you.

7854 has a 4# head. 7859 has a 2 1/4# head. In the photo I posted above, the 7854 is on the left, the 7859 on the right. Rick

 

[Dottie]

So, I would probably be better off with the lighter one that I could swing faster?

Thanks

 

[fossil]

Depends on what you're splitting. If the lighter axe does the job, then why swing the heavier one? It just tires you more quickly. If it's tough wood to split, though, then it may call for the heavier axe. I'd think that if most of what you're doing is resplitting, or splitting smaller rounds, the lighter of the two would probably get it done for you. But then, I don't know where you live in VA or what type of wood you're dealing with. Rick

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

I have both the Fiskars super splitting maul and a True Tember 8 lb. traditional maul with a wooden handle protected by some red plastic that surrounds it under the head. I use both on a regular basis because sometimes I run into things the Fiskars just won't split. Not often, but it's nice to have the maul in my arsenal.