Looking for a new splitting maul

[Al_Smith]

Rock smock,what's the difference between the two?

[SwampDonkey]

Heat :D

BTW, you do know there is another native hard maple don't you? It grows in your state. It's called black maple, leaf is a little different. It's probably not easy to distinguish.

[SwampDonkey]

Just heard this morning that the sap is flowing. I knew it had to be. When you get -4C nights and +4C days your in business. ;)

[thecfarm]

Rock smock.  :D  Have him spilt the rock than the sugar.He'll know the difference than. ;D
While growing up we split just about all our wood with iron wedges and a sledge hammer.I had no idea what a splitting maul was. The sledge did have a point on it,so we could split the wood when we got it down to a smaller size. Seem like my Father would find the biggest wood he could on The Farm to cut down. I went and helped my brother split some wood once. His land is pretty flat so he would cut it down and we would split it right there and throw it in an old pick up truck. Was a bunch of us,one of his friends too that was kinda of a know it all,good size guy too. I was all of about 14,maybe 100 pounds.There was a good size beech,beech does not split good with just a maul. This guy and I was together and we walked up to it and he kinda started first just about saying,I'll handle this one,you won't be able too. He start to go at it,while I have a couple iron wedges in my hands.I just stand there watching him go at it. I forgot how long but finally he stops,without splitting it and says,man that splits hard. I hand him a wedge and said, try this. He looks at it real odd and says what is that?,like I don't know nothing,I step up to it and place the wedge and tap it in and start to hit the wedge and it opens up. Boy did he looked shocked. He grabbed the other one and away we went just a splitting. Little did I know my brother was watching all this go on. He later told me that I had to show a city boy how to split wood.

[Tom L]

Been using various splitting tools for 35+ years, always looking for better way.

Major variables in mauls:
Head weight: IMHO 5-6 lb is optimum for delivering energy
Handle material: quality hickory best for comfort, productivity
Head shape: relatively flat faces most productive, chubby cheeks way less
Head material: quality alloy, properly heat-treated way better than cheapies, fiskars

Seems stihl sells Ochsenkopf- good stuff. Also well worth considering are Wetterlings, Ochsenkopf, Gransfors, Mueller, in no special order. Way different from hardware store cheapies, possible heirlooms.

When I got a Mueller, I modified shape of some chubby-cheeked cheapies to mimic it. Much better performance- so they get used often for splits after the first split of a round.

cty, good post, I bought a granfors splitting maul 10 yrs ago and there is a big difference in the way it cuts
head design is important. as well as a quality handle. they shape the head so the top centerline of the cutting side is centered on the rear side of the head. lets all the weight of the head hit first on a point and then cuts thru. makes a tough job a little easier

[SLawyer Dave]

I have been using monster mauls for more than 30 yrs.  Can't see me ever using much else.  Only problems I have ever had with them is breaking off the heads from the steel handles, (metal fatigue from using both splitter and maul sides).  So I keep two of them that have been rewelded and reinforced.  A little extra weight never hurt.   ;)

[yellowrosefarm]

I used a monster maul exclusively from when I was 16 until I was almost 40 then bought a tow behind log splitter. I still used the MM for all the easy to split stuff as it was so much faster. With red oak I could do a roundhouse swing with one hand. That was a long long time ago now, though :D Once past 50 I was using it less and less as it was causing me to hurt more and more. This past fall I actually pulled my hamstring splitting pine with it for the OWB. That's when I bought the 3 point splitter. I'm not parting with the MM though, it makes a great doorstop. Someone can buy it at my auction.

[Lookin4lunkers]

I have the Stihl PA80 as well and am very happy with it.  Didn't even give it a thought when I was buying it but the little hook on the bottom of the bit is the handiest thing. 

[Vance in AK]

I have used the Fiskars x-25 splitting axe for the last 2 yrs & really like it.  Ijust picked up the x-27 & I'm guessing I will like it all the more.  i'm only 5'6 so the x25 is OK for me, but I think the extra 8" of handle on the x27 will make a great thing even better, even for a short guy like me.  If I can't split it with that it will get a wedge.