[Closed] Log splitters.

I've an electro-hydraulic splitter; it is faster and neater than any of my collection of axes and mauls. If you're seriously heating a house by wood an axe and maul is just a way of keeping fit in my view.

i just bought a 4 tonne one from machine mart around £200

day off in the week to test it out

Just moved into a house with a wood burner, so all this manly talk of wood splitting is great. But... what’s the difference between a maul and an axe for splitting logs?

Rickos - Member

Just moved into a house with a wood burner, so all this manly talk of wood splitting is great. But... what’s the difference between a maul and an axe for splitting logs?

Size, weight and blade profile. Most people confuse the terms. A splitting axe is what you want for splitting logs and the work of a maul is better done with wedges and a sledge hammer.

spitting axe* [ thinish sharpish lightish] for nice thin[ish] pine/soft wood that will split very easily/first hit

Maul* [ wide ish heavish ish not as sharp] for when it wont actually spit first time you hit it but I also a agree a wedge or grenade and sledgey is better for that

* you could chop a tree down with a splitting axe you could not with a maul -

Junkyard - lazarus

spitting axe* [ thinish sharpish lightish] for nice thin[ish] pine/soft wood that will split very easily/first hit

Not even. I've used the splitting axe for logs 18-20 inches in diameter, all varieties.

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The log the splitting axe is in started off bigger than the splitting stump it's resting on - it was longer than the saw bar which is 18" give or take.

what he has not said is that is 45 minutes into his efforts with that one log 😉

Its all relative but you will find wood that only a log splitter will do and almost no one professional, who only sells wood, uses just an axe *

I know some tree surgeons who will chop wood on a day off to make money but no one who does only that for a living is splitting it by hand

Honestly, carrying a baby while wielding heavy axes/mauls with force sounds like a completely idiotic thing to do. But having no children, am quite prepared to be told I'm wrong.

Junkyard - lazarus
what he has not said is that is 45 minutes into his efforts with that one log

It took me however long it takes me to swing the axe 10 or 15 times. No idea how long that is but it would have taken me longer and cost more effort and caused more pain with a maul.

As per my earlier post I turned 9 60ft cypress into firewood in less than two days.

Ambrose, you could always hire the splitter from Knight and Brenchly in Goresinon.

I hire it for one weekend a year usually and it's brilliant. Does my winter's wood.

01792 891410

chopping axes tend to be thinner profile to cut across strands, splitting axes a little thicker/wedged to split fibres apart. Lots of sizes of handle length and head weight upto about 4 0r 5lbs typically. the big ones on long handles such as the fiskars x27 (36" handle and about 4.something lbs head) will split most hand splittable stuff and is light enough to swing for extended periods by most guys.
A maul is like a cross between a sledge hammer and an axe, its heavier and a bit wider (although not much, the wedge angle on my stihl pro 8lb maul is virtually identical to that on my x27, but the extra weight in the head makes it look far larger). Nasty wood to split that just won't pop with an axe can go with a maul. round size has a little but only a little to do with difficulty. If the grain is straight a 3, or 4, or 6' round will go if you strike it accurately or whittle off the outside like jimjam above. if the round has wavey grain or knots its harder. Sometimes a maul, which has more oomph, can be better, however unless you are Paul Bunyon, or very fit, you'll find it hard to swing a heavy maul for long.

wedges and a sledge can work better on some stuff, but not everything. Personally I hate resorting to wedges with a passion, but am forced to sometimes.