Turned into a nice day and was able to go out and play
Kids were happy enough to tear up the backyard while my wife rested inside so... off into the woods behind the yard with the new splitting axe to revisit those pesky rounds that wouldn't split before...
Well - I got 4 of them split up and stacked. Doesn't sound like much but I'm quite happy as I really didn't have a lot of time.. and I took a detour in the plans when my girls pointed out a dead tree so I had to see how this thing worked as an axe
Yup - it isn't bad there either. It was a small dead standing oak - no more than 6" at the base so it was small work to take it down then section it to drag the pieces up to the yard to cut with the chainsaw (I either need to get a longer extension cord or a gas chainsaw eh?). So I split up the splittable pieces of that tree as well to put in the pile, cut the splits from the rounds down to stove length (they were all well over 20" in length, thus the problems splitting them with the maul I'm sure).
So my observations of this splitting axe - quite a nice tool. Was easy to swing and I honestly didn't mind the short handle after the first few blows (I'm 6'1 so I was afraid after all the reviews that I'd be "too tall" to like it). I do put smaller rounds up on a block to split though so that probably helps (always have done that, leftover habit from boy scout training?). The lighter weight and shorter handle made it easier to hit my intended mark each time - and I actually improved my aim as time went on (unlike the maul where fatigue probably set in making it harder to keep my aim). The large oak rounds I started with were about 25" or so long and at least 18" in diameter. A couple had knots in them and all have been down for a few years but 'stored' if you can call it that sitting vertical on the ground like someone wanted them to take root again. VERY wet inside - I don't think I'll be burning them this fall somehow. With my maul I spent 45 minutes on one round last winter getting almost nowhere - partially due to the punky ends of the round absorbing much of the impact force I think. Today I was able to split planks off the sides within a reasonable number of swings - far from the "one swing and it's off" utopia some folks would lead you to believe, but perhaps that's because I'm not the strongest guy (I'm tall but thin, more of the long distance runner build type). I was simply pleased to get these rounds split up so that I could move them and then get them cut to length.
Another point - the whole "non-stick coating" thing that I read about and observed on the blade... well, I suspect that may be a bit of a marketing gimmick. I say this because after just this one afternoon of a couple hours splitting, the coating appears to have pretty much worn off the working surfaces of the blade so I don't expect it to do much going forward. Mind you it seems like a great idea, but how anyone could expect it to stay on I don't know...
Overall I think I'm happy to add this tool to my collection. I will use it a while longer before I go actually recommending folks to rush out to buy it.. I'd also like to try other splitting axes, but it does seem well made and certainly does the trick nicely.
Most of all it sure was nice to get a chance to go play with the new toy... I need more new toys. Anyone want to recommend a good wheel barrow for use in the woods? or perhaps a cart or something like it? getting those splits out of there still was a chore and a half.. they sure are heavy!
