Fiskars Maul

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Jeep Commanche/ Chevy S-10/Ford Ranger, Elm, Natty Lite, Man up, see answer to truck, Yes (payload increase to 4-tons), Duct tape+ZipTies+Bailing wire+Bungees.
 
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Jeep Commanche/ Chevy S-10/Ford Ranger, Elm, Natty Lite, Man up, see answer to truck, Yes (payload increase to 4-tons), Duct tape+ZipTies+Bailing wire+Bungees.

You know . . . now that you mention it . . . it does look a lot like a Jeep Commanche! :)
 
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What stores carry the Fiskars? I live in Michigan. I am 36 years old and like splitting wood for the work out.

Maybe it's just because I live near Ann Arbor, but Walmart is the only place I have ever seen them, and only the X25.

I have one, and use it occasionally on easy stuff, for kicks. I keep it in the garage for the winter, in case I need some small splits to fill in a load. It is in the camper most of the time. Hydraulic splitter is too easy.
 
Thought about this Q today splitting with an 8lb. maul and the fiskarsx27. I noticed the 8 lb. could do more damage to some knotty red and white oak, but IMHO took "too much outta" my 41 year old butt to do that damage. I noticed this swinging the x27 - Because of the hollow handle and lighter head, it's effectiveness is all about head speed ,just like swinging a golf club. My wrists and forearms are able to get into the swing a lot more, saving wear and tear on my upper body and back.
Disclaimer - only been "in the leauge" for 8 months or so.

Danno - funny stuff, and Great tip! You are right - I was moving / standing up rounds too much.Today, took a lot less strokes and time. Split plenty of stuff down the sides easier than I imagined. I put short cookies next to blocks, kicked rounds onto them onto those to protect edge if they fell or I couldn't get ends to pop.

Subbed Yuengling for Natty Dread, though.
 
Maybe it's just me, being a newbie and all, but I have trouble with an 8# maul, a wedge and sledge and even the Fiskars.
I am so grateful I found me a Timber wolf TW-5:)

Everything I have gotten in the past year has been red oak(90%). A little locust, cherry and some maple.
I get log length from a big tree service company and they have some serious wood.

Most Everything has been close to 22-24" in diameter. Only a handful has been 14-16 diameter. BUT more importantly everything is bucked to 24-25 inches long.
I am a physical guy and in damn good shape (if I don't say so my self) but splitting something 24" long and 24" in diameter is ridiculous no matter what your swinging.

This just one example of what I've gotten ( this was maple)
photola.jpg
 
oh yeah. 24 x 24 is pretty burly to split by hand.

looks like ash
 
Id have to say thats Ash, the bark and heart wood screams of it. I need to find a tree service to get some BTU's from.
 
Yup. Some nice ash there on the end. I still agree with Mike. Hydraulics are hard to beat.
 
Id have to say thats Ash, the bark and heart wood screams of it. I need to find a tree service to get some BTU's from.


oh yeah your right that is ash. I forgot that I got a load of ash and maple
 
Yup. Some nice ash there on the end. I still agree with Mike. Hydraulics are hard to beat.

I agree with me also.;) Hydraulics rule.

I get enough exercise framing houses all day. I don't need to be swinging anything when I get home.
Besides, rolling those beasts around to the splitter and then stacking those splits is a lot of work in and of it self.

BUT I still got sucked into the hype and bought a Fiskars X27 from Baileys.o_O
 
My wife bought n X27 for me for my birthday last month. It's either been too hot out, or I've been busy on other stuff so I've only used for about 10 minutes. It is a formidable tool. The loger handle is nice, but I was always ok with the shorter handled super splitting axe.
 
I've split about 5.5cords of wood since late Jan. with my Fiskars X-25. The wood I've split, is mostly ash, box elder, maple and recently some cherry.

Only the rounds over about 15" were the ones I had to wedge in half and the really big rouns wedge to quarter................and then the Fiskars shined.

Gonna keep an eye out for an X-27 though!!
 
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Maybe it's just because I live near Ann Arbor, but Walmart is the only place I have ever seen them, and only the X25.

I lied. They just started carrying them at TSC. I just picked up an X7.
 
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They cut the price on this maul to $20. I bought one this afternoon...then found my Ludell which had fallen off the quad a couple of months ago. I may keep the one I bought instead of returning it.This type of maul is my go-to for easy-splitting stuff, and only half the price of the Fiskars...
http://www.tractorsupply.com/truper...-in-double-injected-fiberglass-handle-1016148
That looks like my old maul that stays in the woodshed. Mine's a little older with what used to be a red handle that now looks more "pink". It's been a pretty good tool. I can't complain about it.
 
I have found that I love my fiskars x27 however if it is over 18" forget it and use the maul. When it was new I could bast through anything and I mean anything however the coating on the head has worn off and it is not anywhere near as good now. the upside is it is still better than a normal axe because if it breaks ( which is ridiculously hard to do ) it is lifetime warranted no questions asked.

Pete
 
Pete, Buy the Fiskars sharpener or use what ever you have and you can probably make it as good as new again.
 
Pete, Buy the Fiskars sharpener or use what ever you have and you can probably make it as good as new again.

I have the Fiskars sharpener and it works well however the coating on the head is worn off and it gets stuck just as easy as a normal axe. I have teflon spray that I hit it with the other day and and it worked good when I did that but only for about 15 minutes. I was really blown away at first and I do love my x27 but over all it has not met my expectations for the long term. That said I would still buy another one the edge of the head is superior to anything else I have tried thus far.

Pete
 
Last year was my first year burning. Since becoming a wood burner, I've processed a little more than 6 cords by hand. This is nothing compared to many of you. I've used an 8 lb. maul, 6 lb. maul, Fiskars x27 and Home Depots Hybrid "Super Splitter". I've compiled opinions that I've posted on these pages about the x27 and I will say it again. "The x27 ISN'T a magical tool". Just today, I had to bump up to the 6 lb. maul as the x27 struggled on "medium" sized rounds.

I'm 6'2" and weight 250 lbs. Even the speed I generate with the x27, it still bounces off the big rounds. True story.
 
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I have the Fiskars sharpener and it works well however the coating on the head is worn off and it gets stuck just as easy as a normal axe. I have teflon spray that I hit it with the other day and and it worked good when I did that but only for about 15 minutes.

I don't own, and have never used, a Fiskars splitting axe. However, I do own and have used many other splitting mauls of various vintage. It seems to me, any design which relies on a sure-to-wear coating to prevent sticking in the round, rather than the shape of the head which will never wear, is a very poor design. Maybe it helps to sell more axes, as they've built in a guaranteed wear mechanism.

I have used splitting mauls which stick, and they all have one thing in common, which is concave cheeks. Mauls with convex cheeks never stick, and flat cheeks work pretty well, too. It seems this was common knowledge a generation ago, but forgotten today.
 
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Just started using the x27 and I love it. Makes splitting so much easier. Have the x7 also and it's great. I'm a bit scared of the x7 because it's a serious hatchet. I would recommend the x27 and maybe not the x7 but maybe the one above it
 
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