The best splitting ax/maul is easy to find. Go to your local hardware store and it will be on the shelf right next to the best motor oil, which is right next to the best caliber amunition.
You using felling or splitting wedges? And plastic or other? I googled 3.5 lb short handle sledge. Then recall I have an Estwing Fireside Friend sledge/axe. Looked it up, it's 4 lbs weight. I've hardly ever done sledge n wedge. I don't even think I own a splitting wedge, only felling wedges.
I use regular splitting wedges. I use the same hammer as the guy pounding the lettuce in Midwinter 's post above.
It's either a wedge a pole hammer splitter or if u have alot a nice manual splitter to make life easier..
I bought a Fiskars Isocore 8 lb maul yesterday at the only Walmart I could find that had them, and they had, like, 30 of them! They will never sell them in the location where I found them, as bad a spot as one could place something to sell. Hardly anyone will see them. It was $30, yep! That's a steal, hope I like it for busting big rounds.
There’s only one way to fly. j-Vintage HUTCHINSON Black Powder Splitting WEDGE Tool-Log,Blasting-No Reserve! | #342231345
Might be practical for some sizes but those rounds that are so large that you can barely turn them up would be a problem. Maybe a splitter that used a porta-power pump and ram would work. You could slip it over the round in just about any position!
WOW! $30 bucks is a steal. Great find. I got mine at Tractor Supply in October as a mislabeled/misplaced one. Usual sale price is around $50. You wont like it...you'll love it. Wish id got one sooner!
I think the regular price is $60 or more. Closeout price, I guess. I saw online somewhere a guy said he bought one for $5. Dang!
Ok, Brad, finally got an answer... YES. Wow, this Isocore maul is awesome. I go from not being able to split those 30 inch oak rounds whacking them many times with Fiskar x27... to success! The Isocore flat delivered, I am fired up. I tried to see a small split/crack in the middle of the round and aimed for that. As few as four whacks and done. Then, to half those halves, I often could split them in one whack! This is awesome, I may buy another at this $30 closeout price, lol. Two men could do some splitting! Of course, I poop out faster than you young bucks but I did get it done and didn't have to noodle. Finished that 30" DBH tree with five big rounds today, that's all of it. The 8 lb weight might be what makes the difference but it also might be that it's a thicker wedge shape. Whatever, it works!