Love my new Fiskars X27

[mass_burner]

yeah, i was very happy with it until I got some ornery spruce and hard maple rounds. it didn't even make a dent in the maple, in the spruce it kept getting stuck and took way too many swings. I'm still happy, but let's just say, the honeymoon's over.

 

[Prof]

I don't know what you're cutting, but if I don't get a split right away, my x27 is going to be stuck in the wood, sometimes bad enough I have to lay the log over, stand on it, and lever the axe back out. Whatever "non stick coating" was on the head vanished after an hour working up shagbark hickory.

I split a variety of hardwoods, from hickory to birch. Yeah the x27 gets stuck, just not as bad as other axes I've used (i.e. I can pull it out instead of beating on it with a sledge). Relative to my 8lb maul, which never gets stuck, the fiskars sticks a lot, but doesn't wear me out nearly as much. I've probably split somewhere around 30 cords with it and would buy another without hesitation--though there is little sign that the x27 is anywhere near the end of its usefulness.

 

[craigbaill]

I know this is a kinda old thread...That being said, I just bought one. My first log laughed at it. I thought, " well this thing is going back." Three swings and nothing. I picked up another log and it went right through. Seven logs later, now in the rain, I stopped. This am I split for about 40 mins and only had one other round it wouldn't split. I'm happy with this axe. It works as advertised. New BK Princess parlor to be installed tomorrow. Today is going to be a looooong work day.

 

[bassJAM]

I know this is a kinda old thread...That being said, I just bought one. My first log laughed at it. I thought, " well this thing is going back." Three swings and nothing. I picked up another log and it went right through. Seven logs later, now in the rain, I stopped. This am I split for about 40 mins and only had one other round it wouldn't split. I'm happy with this axe. It works as advertised. New BK Princess parlor to be installed tomorrow. Today is going to be a looooong work day.

Just a tip (although you may have already tried this): For those logs that the Fiskars won't touch, try going at them about 3-4" from the edge instead of through the middle. A lot of times you have to whittle logs down with the Fiskars, vs busting right through the middle like you would with a maul.

 

[CTYank]

IME when people talk "maul" they're referring to a crude cheap overweight instrument of torture. That included me for some years. Then I discovered a 3 kg Mueller maul ~3 years back. Tested it side by side with fellow's fiskars. Had to stop him nibbling on the periphery of some oak with the Mueller; worked fine when he made first split down the middle. When I tried fiskars, it mainly resulted in arm-waving, relative to the Mueller. Not into whittling splits or alibis.

Since that, I got a 2.5 kg Wetterlings maul, about a year back. One's heavy artillery and the other's mobile artillery. Neither the Wetterlings nor the Mueller have had any failure of the steel on the edge. None. Guess there's something to be said for quality steel, proper forging and heat-treatment. Both handles are still like new, partly because the head shapes keep edges of splits away from the handle. A couple of box-store mauls modified to be similar to Mueller, work much better.

When you can get a 2.5 kg Hultafors (Husqvarna) maul for $60 or a 6 lb Council Tools (USA) maul for $20-something, fiskars is not on my radar. I've got a real 3.5 lb Jersey-pattern axe, from Council (~$23) for limbing and driving wedges. Great axe.

 

[smokedragon]

Tested it side by side with fellow's fiskars. Had to stop him nibbling on the periphery of some oak with the Mueller;

I split a lot of stuff with my fiskars and I don't nibble the edges. I agree that there are probably nicer tools out there, but I do think it is better than any box store splitting axe you can buy. My main love of the fiskars with two young sons is the nearly indestructible handle. If I could get some of the nicer splitting tools you describe with a similar handle, I would drop the money on them. I just cannot justify that kind of money for anything with a wood handle. Too many times I have had something split funny and the handle take the brunt of it (not an overswing).

 

[Hermio]

I like my X27 so far. But my original Sotz Monster maul can handle stuff it won't. And I am sure it would put the Gransfors-Brux (spelling?), the Wettering or any other maul in the 6-8 lb class. to shame. Mass matters! But if you like 8 pounders, try the Fiskars Iso-core. It is almost as good as the Monster Maul!