I got my old axe head back, sharpened up and with the broken bolt taken out. I also picked up some better bolts, "unbreakable", made in Ireland. Why not. I'll have my husband put everything together, he likes to do that sort of thing. Funny knicknak at the bolt store: A firewood operation in a lot across the street:
Get a good 8 lb balanced wider headed maul with a fiberglass handle. If your a less strong person get a 6lb version. Splitting axes dont do very well w hardwoods. I like fiskars but I have a 8lb my brother borrows I just put a new handle on matter of fact Faster you can swing the more energy you put into the split.
I found one on Craigslist for $30, I'm hoping it's an original monster maul. Picking it up later this week.
It took a lot of whacks to split this mulberry round. At 15 pounds, it's a little more than I want to be swinging on a regular basis. It will be the weapon of last resort I think.
Broke another bolt! On birch, go figure, it must have been ready to snap. I have a spare axe, bought it last time this happened.
Did you have Wheaties this morning? Sorry to see that they keep breaking on you. Do you check to see if the head becomes loose over time, before the bolts break off? IF they are loosening up, I can see where they will break eventually.
Ah, there is irony in the iron here, boys! Behold! One has lasted the test of time through obvious brutal use and gruesome neglect while the newest, latest high maintenance sweet-thing keeps a breaking. Please don't tell my wife that I recognize this as a frequent truth, and please don't ask me to choose which one I would take home for a test tryout either!
I tried to use a monster maul, really! I bought that one off Craigslist, haven't used it since. It just about killed my back. The Helko I can swing for hours. Armbru84 are you still liking yours?
I really like it...it’s got great splitting action, doesn’t get stuck on me, and has a good weight to drive through the log.
Broken bolt is out, next day service at a local machine shop, for no money. Dropped it off at the sharpening place, done the next day for $7. It's really sharp, my husband got little papercut type cuts while bolting the handle back on. Husband will give the machine shop some business, if he can, from his workplace.
Fiskars splitting axe. Anything that takes more that three wacks gets put in the pile for the log splitter.
Ma'am those axes cost too much money to be failing like that.It upsets me that they are giving you so much trouble for what you paid for.I'd expect an axe like that to last years before any failures.I notice Stihl has a splitting axe for $109.00.Heavy and powerful looking.After reading your account with an expensive axe I won't even consider the Stihl axe until I hear some mighty good reviews about it.
I have a bunch of garage sale tools and also the fiskars x27 and x25. I generally will break up a round with a 8# maul or a wedge and then I will grab a single bit or the x27. I think the fiskars are a little bouncy for my taste but they are very good. A sharp bit on a cheap axe still does the job good enough for me.
I like to have options. But so far I have not bought some of the newer styles of splitters, but I might in the future. I prefer to split with the lightest tool that works for the wood in question. I have a big 4 lb Plum double bit ax that I prefer most of the time, because I am more accurate with it, and pretty good at the flick maneuver. But I also have a couple of vintage single bit axes that I use some. And when the the going get harder I move up to a traditional 6 lb maul. And if that is not working I move up to an 8 lb maul. But I will use the ax as much as possible because it is lighter to swing, and I don't get winded nearly as fast. The 8 pounder takes it out of me fasts.
I ended up buying the stihl pro splitting mail which is rebranded Ochsenkopf. Really nice quality, no loosening of the hardware, nice metal guard near the head which has been nice for the occasional miss. I don’t like pounding wedges with it because it vibrates more than a sledgehammer. Works great and it has seen a lot of heavy pounding with a load of elm I hand split.
