Does anyone still split old school? Maul and Wedge style?

My splitter has a hydraulic log lift but if the rounds are still too big I go old school. My weapon of choice is the moster maul and a few wedges.
What does everyone else use?

 

Chainsaw, big saws noodle fast. Cut 3/4 of the way through and hit with X-27.

 

I did for years 12 lb sledge and wedges on old knotty sugar maple. Then I came here and guys started talking about noodling. Much easier..

Noodling is when you take that round in your pic and run a chain saw vertically to half or quarter it into chunks.. Called noodling because the chips from chain are longer like noodles.

 

My firewood mentor, Mr. Floyd Lee, never used a splitter his entire life. He lived to 80 and and was busting wood up until the last couple years of his life. I have a splitter but, on very large rounds, use a busting maul.

 

Throw the noodles in feed sacks. Make excellent fire starters. Even when tightly packed in a sack, 2 days in the sun during the Summer and they are scary dry.

 

If it's real bad I will do that, but I'd rather swing a maul than sharpen chains

 

I do not own a mechanical splitter. The Fiskars X27 does 90% of my splitting including some 18” red oak rounds this past weekend. I will use sledge and wedge, also noodle.


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Welcome to the club, SelectiveHarvest !

I think your gonna like it here!


I'm too old for the sledges and wedges. ... all hydraulic now, but we did a lot of that years ago

 

Most of the time I'll plunge cut a few inches to start the wedge then it's brute force and swearing. I caught my finger between the maul handle and a log yesterday.

 

Eric VW, I got a old big hollowed stump, the tractor put them in, that holds them secure, so I don't have to use my knees but can do same thing as you do from standing still position. Also if I go to far I'm in stump not dirt.. Trying to learn from others cause I'm a little stubborn, logger showed me.

On some huge logs I've done like you.

 

Yikes!!
I'v been known to beat myself up while c/s/s also

 

C/S/S is our abbreviation for cutting splitting and stacking

 

still use a maul at 60

 

Absolutely, though I'm not a glutton for punishment so avoid the monster maul. 8lb sledge, wedge, normal maul, and the x27 does about half my supply annually (maybe 3 cords.) The nasties get hydraulics and when I run out of time.

 

Lefties I’m a little older than you and per my post above have never used a splitter. I’m also a lefty. Let’s keep splitting!


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Looks like the first engorged tick of the year!

 

I split by hand, don't own a splitter. I used wedges and sledge only for a long time,
but for Christmas bocefus78 gave me a Fiskars X25, and I'm a convert! I recently bought a Helko maul, and I'm liking that a lot too.

 

I guess I'm of the school of thought that I use a maul on the rounds I can handle, bring out the wedge on ones I can't crack with the maul, but the ones that neither get through (crotches, lots of knots, etc) I rent a splitter and don't have to worry about maintenance on ANOTHER piece of equipment! Only had to rent one twice in 4 years. Beats throwing down $1000 on my own and I get exercise to boot!