As a country man that grew up in Appalachian mtns, I had never seen anyone use an axe to split wood unless it was a Hollywood movie or tv show. Everyone used mauls here. I always use a maul. Mine isn't as big as yours, but does just fine. I couldn't imagine trying an axe. Axes are for cutting wood horizontally. Mauls are for splitting wood vertically. Always has been.

@hainleysimpson1507

2 ай бұрын

I'm Jamaican. I've never heard of wood splitting maul. We use aces and machetes to chop wood.

@shawnsg

Ай бұрын

Why would you use a maul to split easy stuff.

@SeattlePioneer

Ай бұрын

Because it's a far more reliable way to split off wood, even for "easy" stuff. My axes mostly sit unused with my other tools for lack of work for them to do.

@SeattlePioneer

Ай бұрын

I'm supposing you meant an axe, not an ace. And how do you use a machete for splitting wood. I can see using a machete for splitting for light duty, but for heavy splitting as illustrated in the video, I'd use a splitting maul. As I imagine using a machete, I'd put it right in the wood where you want to split it, then move the wood and machete against something solid to drive the machete through the wood. That's what I often do with a splitting wedge when not much wood is involved. But I'm just guessing. What kind of wood do you commonly split?

@jeffschneider1372

Ай бұрын

Sorry i meant to say mall

I have a maul and an splitting axe. I use the maul to break down the big rounds and the axe for the final splitting. You get used to mauls pretty quick

After being totally humiliated by elm yesterday, I was looking into buying a maul. My Fiskars just bounced off the elm or got stuck. Tomorrow I'm buying a maul. Thanks for the vid. btw, please look after your back. 0:27

Splitting maul all day long. I have an 8lb fiskar maul... when you have cords of rounds to splitt the maul is fantastic. I got used to the weight quickly. I am going to buy a small splitting axe for kindling and small pieces

Very helpful, thank you

Great video man 👍🏻 convinced me to go get a splitting maul.

Good choice in shirt and straight forward video

You can talk all day long about you're 4 1/2 to 5 lb splitting ax. When your in "Big wood" you definitely want a splitting maul. The Splitting AX is meant for smaller straight grained wood. There is a tool for every job, big or small. Great demonstration video.

@waynejohnson9855

Ай бұрын

The x27 is all I use in any size wood. I’ve split hundreds of cords and if something worked better than that I would be using it. He has almost 3 minutes in a half I split whole chunks that size in under 2 minutes. Maybe it isn’t so much the tool as it is who’s using it.

Great video.. I use the maul to split large pieces then use the axe to split the smaller pieces

Looks quite heavy! The splitting axe!! I have both and find them useful!

@appalachianwoodhomestead

Жыл бұрын

I agree. The maul is heavy! The splitting axe is light and fun. This video helped me justify having both to my wife. 😜

I had a big white oak taken down in October. Got a good maul, and now have a massive pile of split firewood drying under my porch for next year. It's worth it. Even big sections, if you hit it consistently, it eventually splits. Good exercise, too

@appalachianwoodhomestead

5 ай бұрын

Nice. This stuff was red oak, but I have a lot of white now, too.

@Wizard-ys3vf

2 ай бұрын

What size do you recommend 6 or 8 pound mail ?

@carsonyoung9965

2 ай бұрын

I have an 8 lb. Also, i have a couple of old splitting wedges. Get a sledge hammer. Hit it well several times and even large sections split in half. Good exercise and cheaper than renting a splitter@@Wizard-ys3vf

@Wizard-ys3vf

2 ай бұрын

@@carsonyoung9965 thanks

Personally I use my splitting maul when splitting 2x4s and such for my wood stove. The key feature is that it SPLITS the whole stick easily, and with minimum of effort. I don't even keep an axe near my wood stove. I bought my wood stove in 1987, and it's been my primary source of heat ever since. Mostly I use scrap wood easily available from neighboring small industrial outfits, such as a nearby lumber yard. Another key--- I use a wheelbarrow for moving wood around, including up my front step and into the living room near the wood stove. I feed the wood sto ve directly from the wheelbarrow.

@appalachianwoodhomestead

Ай бұрын

Nice. Wood certainly does heat well. I built a fireplace heat exchanger for our home. It isn't as good as a wood stove, but it's a heck of a lot better than the fire place. It really heats the core of our home.

@SeattlePioneer

Ай бұрын

Actually, central heating systems provide FAR better heating for homes than the spot heating of a wood stove or fireplace insert. The primary advantage of my wood stove over my gas furnace is that I get the wood for nothing except the labor of collecting and processing it, and feeding the wood stove. That involves quite a bit of labor. However I'm a firebug and I enjoy tending a fire.

Mauls are much more satisfying. You feel like Thor swinging Mjolnir.

i split 14 cords a year for 37 years with a 6 lb maul then my brother in law gave me an ancient gas hydraulic splitter and life is good.

I also have a maul as well as a fiskars X27 splitting axe. I mostly split red oak as that's what most readily available where i live. I'm in upper 60's. My go to default is the splitting axe. I find i can swing it much longer before I'm worn out or need to take a break. The typical rounds I'm splitting are 14-18 inches I'd guess. However, if i get into a particularly knotty round, I'll jump to the maul to bust through the really tough knots. Just my two cents worth based on my many years of splitting.

@appalachianwoodhomestead

6 ай бұрын

I have a new splitting axe I really like for those smaller rounds. Still need the maul for the really big ones. I split a lot of red oak, too.

Hell yeah that maul did the job that 👍👍

I’m a fan of mauls, never used a splitting axe. But you swing like a nance. Especially with that little axe.

If you swing the x27 the same speed as the maul of course it won’t split as well, it looks like you’re swinging the x27 slower. I went away from a maul to a x27 and it does just as well.

@pickleman40

Ай бұрын

the maul's weight basically swings itself

@waynejohnson9855

Ай бұрын

@@pickleman40 with that thinking you should use a 20 pound maul.

@pickleman40

Ай бұрын

​@@waynejohnson9855 Not saying it's easier, just that it will inherently accelerate more due to having a higher density, resulting in a higher natural terminal velocity. Heavier the tool, the less energy you need to impart into it on the swing as it will generate more momentum naturally as well. Momentum = Mass*Velocity.

@waynejohnson9855

Ай бұрын

@@pickleman40 that is true and swinging at the same speed the heavier definitely will be better. If I could swing the 8 pound as fast as the 4.5 it would do far more. Almost double the weight will wear on you more also. The way he using it the 8 pounds works better for him.

Where the heck is the haul video?!!?! 😂

Try a Fiskars x27 splitting axe,its 6.3lbs and you can generate some speed with it. I do about 3 cords a year. Splitting Elm ,Oak, and Pecan with it. These are 18"- 26" dia rounds. I have to say the way your were swinging the last axe was fairly unimpressive. It really skewed the comparison. Also choose your points of impact better. Popping that knot will only work you to death. They say wood warms you twice. Once when your proceesing it and the other time when your burning it.

@appalachianwoodhomestead

6 ай бұрын

I've chopped a lot of wood since I made this video and learned a lot in the process. I have an Adler Super Splitter now and it's great. I've found I prefer a wood handle. It's 6.2 lb. I agree it's much more manageable.

@swingbelly

3 ай бұрын

Yup, cut then burn. Former gives you "healthy" excercise; the later to sit back and enjoy some cold ones! Canada 🍁🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻🍻

@calvinrondeau8505

Ай бұрын

The axe he's using is the fiskars super splitter 36 inch I think. Same thing as the x27 just plain handle without the orange rubber of x27

Braun doesnt matter that much. Plus you use more energy. Power swinging. Id liketo know if this helps anyone.

@waynejohnson9855

5 ай бұрын

So if I swing faster and cut out a bunch of swings that’s saving energy braun when splitting wood works great. I got a video where I split rounds that size with a x27 in one minute.

When you were using the axe, you were hitting right on top of a knot. That knot changed everything. If you had flipped it, or started from the other side, it would have been different. IMO, they both have their places. Maul is heavier, so it takes more effort to use it, but on the other hand, it takes shorter time to split. Splitting axe is thinner, so user can use it all day, without getting too tired, but it will take more whacks to get the same job done.

@appalachianwoodhomestead

7 ай бұрын

Good observations.

You need to learn how to swi ng that axe. What you do is just set your axe (mall)on round.. i f your right handed just let the mall head fall to the right.. let it fall and make a big round swing kkinda behind you .. like around the world yo yo.as it comes around.use that gravity and you braun as its coming down you might be surprised. Kep that mall sharp.. also as it coming around i must move my hip to the left. . Learned rom railroad pounding spikes.

@SeattlePioneer

Ай бұрын

> That SOUNDS like you would lack control. It's rare that I would use that kind of swing. Mostly I need to apply far less force, and a less dramatic swing takes less effort with more control.

@jeffschneider1372

Ай бұрын

My uncles taught me to use the weight of the hammer head . To drive a nail not my arm strength. Hold the hammer loosely . Its in the wrist action . Throw the head weight down. Gravity and throwing the head weight combined does the trick. I have watched many "experienced" carpenters use their armstrength. People dont know there is a correct way to use a hammer. Youll get more out of a hammer this wau Just a bit of extra info that might help.. i can stack small rounds as high as i can . Split top then next and next .all the way down. Same i would set 12 rounds like a clock . Then go from one to the other like clockwork. Without a pause.. its just fun.

Not to criticize but if you swing straight down your aim is typically improved.

Fiskars X27 all day...

Yea, I mean I use an 8 lb maul and it literally just bounces off the seasoned oak I split. I have that Fiskars splitting axe too but wouldn't even bother trying to use that on larger pieces. That wood is so tuff that it even rejects wedges. Though I don't have an extra heavy sledge like you, which is probably key.

@GODWITHUS0712

2 ай бұрын

Not even with the sledgehammer is not going to work need something heavier than that

@GODWITHUS0712

2 ай бұрын

That would is so tough that splitting wedge that you're referring to that you think that's going to split the wood is not even going to do a dent You need something bigger than that

Yes

You're working too hard. Your swing is shortened when you put rounds up off the ground. You also have to bring all of your wood to the platform. I chop the wood where it lies. A little setting up is often necessary but setting large rounds on top of a stump is hard work. I like a 6 pound splitting maul. It's a little easier on you than an eight . It's sort of like an axe with a bit more power. i'll admit, sometimes an eight is called for but a six pounder is less tiring.

@appalachianwoodhomestead

4 ай бұрын

It's funny. In videos where I split on the ground, people complain and tell me I need to put it up on a block. I have a 6 pound splitting axe now and love it.

@Wizard-ys3vf

2 ай бұрын

@@appalachianwoodhomesteadis it the Fiskars ?