whats your favorite splitting axe?

[farmbif]

well friends its about time to get the woodshed filled for winter. do any of you have a favorite splitting axe design or does everyone just use a gas driven hydraulic splitter. ive got a real good pile of oak and hickory trees dried out and ready to be bucked and split. as the weather cools a bit its time to get to it.
several years ago I got this hybrid design splitting maul with about a 1/2" rib coming up through the sides that has worked pretty good.

[hawkenhunter50]

Best one I ever used was a friends. It was called a Chopper. Had built in wedges and man that thing could split some wood. Not sure if they're made anymore but worked pretty slick.

[Winger Ed.]

What little bit of that I've ever done, has been short logs about a foot thick.
I liked the one that has a ax on one side, and a sledge hammer on the other.

That round cast iron 'wood grenade' along with a regular sledge hammer did OK too.

[Markopolo]

I love the fiskars splitting axe. I split about 20 cords a season with one of those.. old growth stuff. It takes an edge very well, and the handle is purt near indestructible.

https://www.fiskars.com/en-us/garden...28-375591-1001

Hope this helps. Everybody’s needs are different.

[Outpost75]

I have kept a Snow & Kneeley kindling axe in my kit for 50 years. Still works.

[jakharath]

I second the Fiskars. Best money I've ever spent on an axe.

[BLAHUT]

Hand split a lot when i was younger, double bit ax, then a splitting mall, now a power splitter,
i am old with a bad back..

[Walks]

I've had 2 Sears axes. First a Hudsons Bay I bought in 1975 and a fiberglass handled maul I bought with first house in 1982.
Had a hatchet from My Step- Grandfather that I was given at 10yrs old. And another with a back hammer when My Grandma passed in 1979. Neither have Makers names on them. Split a whole lot of kindling with both.
All have seen hard use. Had to replace all 3 wood handles.

[Dave W.]

I favor an old Collins double bit. At the prices I see these antiques fetch, should probably sell it, but have had it for over 50 years.
Also have a Collins single bit that somebody tossed because one of the sides was broken. Took the head, welded the eye back together and put another handle in it. It is a good ax but the double bit fits my hands better.

[ruger1980]

The kind I like the best is the one someone else is using....LOL

[Minerat]

The kind I like the best is the one someone else is using....LOL

^^^+1^^^ I was going to say the one in my brothers hands.

[Gewehr-Guy]

Years ago we used a Monster Maul, it had a huge wedge shaped head, and a steel pipe for a handle. I think it was sold by the Sotz company, that made those barrel stove kits. Probably out of business by now. It was only used on the worst piece of elm or big cottonwood. Now I would like to try one of those screw style splitters.

[rancher1913]

i prefer one with a gas engine.

[Wag]

We always used a splittin' hammer. My granddaddy taught us how to use it and we never looked back.

Get the right one, though. It needs to have a very good wood handle with the axe-eye style insert into the hammer head. The head itself needs to be concave along the sides, not convex. About a six or eight pound hammer will do. I avoid fiberglass handles because they will vibrate the crap out of your hands. Painful.

Sometimes, you'll see them called splitting mauls but same rules apply. Don't get a convex hammer head.

This is close to what I'm trying to describe: https://hammersource.com/6-lb-axe-ey...ickory-handle/

Anything else is just gimmicky and a waste of time, money, effort and strength.

--Wag--

[45_Colt]

Years ago we used a Monster Maul, it had a huge wedge shaped head, and a steel pipe for a handle. I think it was sold by the Sotz company, that made those barrel stove kits.

^^this^^ One came with the house and have been using it for years. It splits wood about the best a manual device can.

45_Colt

[MrWolf]

You are gonna laugh but with my back, etc being a he man kinda stopped awhile back. I had heard about an electric splitter. Think mine is a Ryobi and is at least 15 years old. Stays on my front porch to make kindling or re-split larger logs. You would be surprised at what these can split. Mine is small enough to fit on a tailgate (truck or utv). Something to consider if it fits your situation. Good luck.
Ron

[schutzen-jager]

gave up on axes + only use a quality maul either wood or fiberglass handle -

[jonp]

Always used a 6 or 8lb maul but getting older has me looking at a splitting axe. Aside from the expensive ones like Hults the Fiskers gets very good reviews

[Tazman1602]

Best one I ever used (keep in mind this was 35 years ago….) was when I was younger and in terrific shape (nothing had broken…yet) was called a Monster Maul. I had tried all kinds of things, regular mauls which I hated would often stick in the wood and you’d have to beat it through with a sledge, as did the ones with “wings” for lack of a better word that were supposed to blow the wood apart. We were too young and broke to afford a hydraulic splitter and one day my neighbor lent me his….all 12lbs. Yes it was a monster to heft but when you’re 30, in great shape and HAD to use wood to heat it was a Godsend. Had almost 45° angle, never stuck, and wasn’t to bad once you got used to it.

Keep in mind most of our wood at the time came from woodlots and there was still a goodly amount of dead elm up here and that stuff was tough…

Art

PS —- can’t believe you can still get one:

https://www.amazon.com/Truper-32415-...1439124&sr=8-3

[Mal Paso]

It Depends on the Wood! What works great on one tree may be awful on another. I've split wood for 58 years and like gas powered 20 ton or better.

If the wood is stringy you'll need a couple wedges too. The second wedge is to get the first one out.