Finally found a fiskars isocore at my local Lowe's! For *drum roll* $74! Bit of a steeper price than it was a few weeks ago but maybe I'll get one anyway, all the prices I've seen online weren't any better.
I seen one at Menards a couple weeks back...seems to me it was $59? Edit, $59, $53.39 after 11% rebate...3 in stock locally. https://www.menards.com/main/tools/...35-c-9121.htm?tid=-8117943449677106335&ipos=2 Edit the edit...you said Isocore, not X27!
I want an isocore, I've been quartering 24" to 26" oak rounds and it can take 10 strikes or more with the x27. At that point I start noodling. An isocore would probably just plow through large rounds no problem.
I'm hoping it would only take a couple hits with these big rounds I've got, maybe I'll keep my receipt if it fails
I have both, and I like them, each excels at its intended purpose...but I find good technique makes a bigger difference than just plain brute force from the Isocore. There really is something to the whole lighter/faster thing with the X25/27. The last Oak I worked on I wanted to half and sometimes quarter the rounds to get them home, when that didn't work I'd cut a kerf with the saw and then drop one of the Fiskars in the kerf...it'd usually pop...the ones that didn't, got the wedge treatment...Isocore works good for that too...kinda why I bought it, I needed a new sledge too. I don't think I had to noodle any of those rounds then...
At this rate, you've got the tool in hand. Good find. We've run ours through 20 cord this year. Big, small, hickory, oak, red maple, spruce, and a s. ton of ash. So far, best practise for big rounds (29" here) was shelling off slabs all the way around, rather than splitting directly in half. Just clock around the round knocking off slabs. We knocked the surface rust off our isocores today, maybe a quarter cord.
I've been using my X27 most recently for quartering big rounds. It can sometimes take a few strikes to get the initial halving done, but I figure that many strikes with an X27 uses lest of my energy than using my maul (or the sledge / wedges).
Isocore worth it. Mine mainly used for section big rounds for ease of handling/loading etc. If broken they replace with new after a simple warranty claim online. No receipt required. Havent priced one recently but hasnt everything else gone up in price?
Anyone in the range of an Ocean State Job Lot they have a ship to store I took advantage of- $49 for an X25 with $30 crazy deal gift card. Let’s me reinvest in some tarps and bungee cords as needed. Hope the picture came through below. Here’s the link. Happy to add another X25 as I now use that almost exclusively for the non splitter splitting. https://www.oceanstatejoblot.com/fiskars-x25-28-splitting-axe/product/279830
Great deal. I hated my X25 at first but once i got used to the shorter length i loved it. With hydro i dont use it a whole lot anymore.
I hear you on the shorter handle but I grew up swinging a woodsman’s axe to limb trees so it was a natural for me from the initial swing. I can’t get used to the longer handled mauls and I have a few hanging around.
My first X25 was lost roadside at a scrounge. I had a new X27 hanging around (gift) which took me a long time to get used to. Got the Isocore and they were a decent tandem. Found myself choking up on the X27. The cheapskate in me finally broke down and got another X25 a year ago.
https://www.oceanstatejoblot.com/searchresults?Ntt=Fiskars&Rdm=801&searchType=simple&type=search Got a Job Lot email - must have been from my purchase last time. They have a whole bunch of fiskars deals with money back on gift cards. Isocore maul is $60 with a $50 crazy deal card back. Thought I would pass it along. Still have x25 deal I referenced earlier. Also a bolt cutter which caught my eye for $130 with $100 back on deal card. Need to check out the reviews on that before I bite the bullet.
Thanks for the heads up. Few of those in our area. Cant say a bad thing about Fiskars. Ive broken three of their splitting tools and all replaced without issue.