I'll go back and read through it again, I couldn't remember for sure. I don't have a log splitter, but if I was dealing with the chit you deal with, I'd probably be buying one. Lol
Yeah, I have 2, 8 lb and 1, 6 lb. I used to split a lot of elm, but I try to stick to locust nowadays. I have about 2 cord of elm logs in my log storage to buck and split eventually.
I have two 8 lb council mauls also, I've kinda always had a itch to buy a council 6 lb maul, I just never did. I keep seeing these posts about the council 5 lb splitting axe, I might have to scratch the itch and piggie back a 6 lb maul & 5 lb splitting axe in the same order. Sheldon forestry has free shipping on orders over $99....just the 5 lb axe by itself, with shipping would be $83.11, 5 lb splitting axe and 6 lb maul together would get free shipping, the order would be $112 that makes more sense to me. Not sure why I keep resisting the urges. I've had both in my cart a few times at sheldon. Lol I also have a hydro splitter, but I still enjoy using a maul or axe to split. Elm is not bad to split in the dead of winter when it's frozen solid, it pops apart pretty easy, or if you cut and let it sit in the rounds for a few years, once the bark falls off, and it starts to turn gray, it splits OK. Or at least the elm around here. I've only found a few locust around here, elm is about 90% of the wood I burn.
Going that route would give ya a nice variety that covers everything good. For not even 30 bucks more to get an axe, due to free shipping, makes it a pretty good deal too. I like the 6 lb maul over the 8 lb most of the time. Once the rounds get big enough, 3 ft or so, I like a bigger maul. I only bought the axes, because it's what all the cool kids were doing, but I'm pretty happy with how the 5 lber and FE6 do. I do prefer the 6 lb maul to the FE6 though. I don't have quite the issues with elm that others on here and OPE have either. It's tougher to split for sure, but still doable by hand, since I don't have a hydraulic splitter. I do have to get out the sledge and wedges sometimes though, but it's free exercise. No gym membership needed. Lol
I prefer the lighter 6lb when I can and only 8 when I have to. Once the rounds are broken once or twice with the 8lb I can get the smaller pieces with the 6lb OX head or Maul. Sometimes the X27 or 5lb axe. I would skip the 5lb axe for tough splitting.
I really like the council 6lb fire axe. Not a lot of difference in stuckage between it and the falci 6lb maul. Both stuck in pic.
I used my CT Jersey and Boys Axes to help cut down this standing dead Ash. I used my Echo CS-501P for lower Face Cut and the back cut. The axes made the upper Face Cut/notch. Pics: The two heroes: I bought the Jersey axe from Bailey's Online, then found out that Wiseman Trading Co is both a CT dealer and local to me (sort of), so I bought the Boy's Axe from them. They'll get all my axe and axe accessories from now on. Thanks for looking!