Kindling cracker

[mikey]

Does anyone know why kindling cracker xl have one side of the ring higher than the other I have both and can’t figure it out.

 

[begreen]

Fixed. I have never heard of this product, but now that I see it, this seems better posted in the Wood Shed or Gear forum. Moved to the woodshed. If no response, try the Gear forum.

 

[SpaceBus]

It looks gimmicky to me. I use a hatchet to bust up straight knot free splits into pencil sized kindling.

 

[Prof]

Not sure about your question, but I do have the kindling cracker--kids bought it for me a couple years ago. I was skeptical, but it does a nice job turning a small, straight-grained split into kindling. I often put my 10 y.o. to work with it. I don't use a ton of kindling, so it is not like I am beating the heck out of the thing, but it is pretty reasonable for what it is. It works well for indoor use where you don't want wood flying about.

 

[fvhowler]

Got one for Christmas...have used a few times. It's okay but I wouldn't label it as a "must have" in your firewood aresnal.

 

[Jags]

That is an invention from a young girl (like 16 at the time), I believe that was from Australia. Her father posted about it here many moons ago. IIRC it was well liked by those that tried it.
It must be made well because the father posted a pic with his car being suspended by all 4 tires on top of one.

 

[FTG-05]

I made my own a couple years ago. Round steel were cut from an 8" high pressure cyclinder. The blade was made from a Toyota truck leaf spring; the wedge was a simple 2" angle iron.

Works quite well to convert Pine and Poplar into kindling; doesn't work so well on Oak and Hickory.

Pics:

This took maybe five minutes or so:

 

[peakbagger]

I used to use a hand ax to split kindling. One day I managed to clip the end of my finger holding the wood. I bought a kindling cracker after that. I guess I can still hit my finger with hammer but less damage than hitting it with an ax

 

[mar13]

Does anyone know why kindling cracker xl have one side of the ring higher than the other I have both and can’t figure it out.

I can see what you are talking about in their webpage. I couldn't find any explanation, but I'm guessing it's just to make it easier for you to fit in or remove larger pieces, which the XL is designed for.

I like my regular size cracker. For the bigger pieces, I'll just use a splitting axe.

 

[stoveliker]

I used to use a hand ax to split kindling. One day I managed to clip the end of my finger holding the wood. I bought a kindling cracker after that. I guess I can still hit my finger with hammer but less damage than hitting it with an ax

Actually, medically, hammer damage is often worse than axe damage. Shattering (bone and tissue) is worse than cutting.

 

[Prof]

Actually, medically, hammer damage is often worse than axe damage. Shattering (bone and tissue) is worse than cutting.

You would really have to try to hit your finger with this thing..... ;-)

 

[mikey]

Actually, medically, hammer damage is often worse than axe damage. Shattering (bone and tissue) is worse than cutting.

The thing is once you tap the split to start it your hand is not in the way of the hammer.

 

[JohnDolz]

Not sure about your question, but I do have the kindling cracker--kids bought it for me a couple years ago. I was skeptical, but it does a nice job turning a small, straight-grained split into kindling. I often put my 10 y.o. to work with it. I don't use a ton of kindling, so it is not like I am beating the heck out of the thing, but it is pretty reasonable for what it is. It works well for indoor use where you don't want wood flying about.

You hit the nail on the head. When my kids were younger I had them split using this. Now I have it by my boiler, whenever I need a couple of smaller pieces it is simply easier to split a couple right there vs. digging into the rack that also sits by the boiler - it is that easy.

 

[Donk4kyv]

I bought one a couple of months ago. Love it. My aim totally sucks with an axe, plus trying to balance a piece of wood upright long enough to strike it with an axe was always a problem. Before reading about these things, I had thought of making a simple fixture to hold the wood vertical to split it with a maul, but this is a better idea.

The girl who claims to have invented it was 13 y.o. when it started out as a science fair project at her school in New Zealand, but they are actually made in Australia.

I would recommend purchasing the real deal. There are several cheaper imitations on Amazon.com, but reading the reviews, I see a lot of complaints about the imitation ones breaking after one or two uses. No guarantee that mine is any better, but so far this season it has held up well, and I didn't see any complaints in the reviews about it breaking. I would recommend applying a light coat of oil (used motor oil would be fine) on the blade after use, especially if any of the wood was wet, to prevent the sharp edge from rusting.

It works especially well for splitting straight pieces of seasoned sassafras, which I find makes near perfect kindling. It also works with oak, but that requires more aggressive pounding with the hammer, and sometimes when a piece doesn't split all the way to the end, it gets stuck on the blade, but never had one I couldn't easily wiggle loose.

I don't think a second piece of would would work very well in place of a hammer, like they claim in the ads and instructions. With harder wood like oak, I sometimes have to tap it into place with the hammer enough to make it stand upright, then pound it with both hands on the hammer to complete the split. This is where the imitation ones (probably made in China) would most likely break.

 

[xman23]

Over the years, I've had more or less use for kindling. Now I use a few sticks to go across the top of splits, then another split. This crates that needed gap between splits during the cold startup.

I have a lot of 2 X10 and 12, framing scraps. I would use a hatchet split. This year I had a stack of larger pieces. I used the splitter. What a difference. I could snap off 1/2 slivers. Most snap off be just touching the wedge into the wood.

 

[Jags]

Not gonna lie.....I dont use kindling anymore.

 

[mikey]

Thanks all but could you look at the two kindling crackers side by side and try to figure out the odd shaped ring on the XL

 

[DonTee]

I think you’re talking about why the one side on the top ring is lower then the other on the XL.
Maybe contact the manufacturer and ask them? Or maybe it’s obvious to someone on here.

My uncle has a regular kindling cracker and really likes it. He’s a casual wood burner and does quite a few cold starts.

 

[Ashful]

Not gonna lie.....I dont use kindling anymore.

Same here. Just received another box of 100 SuperCedars last Friday. Between two stoves, charcoal grill chimney, and back yard firepit, I'm set for another year or three. One-quarter of one of these cedar and paraffin pucks replaces several pieces of kindling, making them well-worth the price, to me.

 

[fvhowler]

I get plenty if kindling/wood fragments from splitting firewood. It's not extra work but a by-product of something I'm already doing.

 

[Isaac Carlson]

it's a nice idea for those who need it. We don't really use too much kindling anymore. There are usually enough pieces of junk mail, pieces hanging off the splits, and odd pieces that we can start a fire. I split up about a cord of cedar kindling from some stumps last year and I haven't even used any. I grab loose birch bark when I see it and have a few boxes of it, but hardly ever use that either.

If I need to split ip a handful of kindling, I set the hatchet on the wood and then tap the whole thing on something hard. No damage to fingers and it splits right where I want it.

 

[kappclark]

I think we are going to get one ... watched several videos and it fits the bill for making this chore so much easier.... have lots of dry maple -- splits OK with axe, but this thing looks like a big time saver....

 

[Simonkenton]

I never heard of the Kindling Cracker, although I have been called a Georgia Cracker, but that is a different matter.

Here is a 3 minute video on the Kindling Cracker.

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I am impressed, great little tool.
Last year I did buy a 7 ton Boss electric splitter from Home Depot for $635. This is a great splitter and particularly good for kindling.
You can easily split kindling as small as you want with the Boss.

 

[Simonkenton]

Kindling Cracker is 89 bucks on Amazon. The damn thing has 7,002 reviews and averages 5 gold stars. Never seen any product with such high reviews.
I use the cedar/paraffin discs, I use 1/4 disc per fire, but I still use a lot of kindling.
This week is locust kindling week. It works but pine works better.

 

[Jigrod]

I thought it was a bit of a gimmick before I received one as a gift. It makes fast work for making kindling. Also use it next to my maple syrup evaporator to take splits down to maybe wrist size pieces. The nice thing about it is pretty much anyone can use it.