Best splitting axe?

[neiln]

Look up Steven Edholm aka Skillcult on YouTube, he's done a few lovely blogs on handle design/thinning for strength and comfort.  He also has some great blogs on making a raw hide overstrike protector.  I bit... No... Way beyond me!  Nice to watch though.

[Ratman]

Well i’m no pro, its all purely for myself what i do, not cos i’m selfish or owt. I’m a hgv mechanic through the day, house bashing and wood cutting on an evening and weekends.
Been using my chainsaws to deal with the bulk, a bomb for odd knotty bits with the help of a wedge (rough i know [emoji51]) and electric / hydraulic splitter for some, rest of it with an old rusty axe my dad gave me. Thats hard work tho cos it has a short handle like you say and rattles me a bit every now and then. Be happy spending £40 - £60 on something, possibly a tadge more if ya can recommend owt? I’m 5’10” 12.5 stone quite broad and can, to be honest in my own opinion, swing a sledge / mell fairly well, (was brought up on a farm and made to knock posts in from an early age whilst balancing off old milk crates [emoji15]?) any ideas would be great. Cheers

[Stere]

I like plastic/fibre glass handle less jolt than the  hickory.

 

Mines just a unbranded yellow fibre handle maul was about £15 new and has lasted yrs, I sharpen it ocassionally.

 

Loads on ebay around £20

 

Go for a  6lbs one with 36" handle

 

Something like this:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BULLDOG-Splitting-Axe-6Lb-Premier-Axe-for-Wood-Logs-and-Kindling-/321179684050

 

 

 

Alot of old axes are felling axes not right shape head for splitting & handles are to short.

 

Another thing, if the axe gets stuck in the  wood   you can turn the axe  round upside down and bang the back of the axe on the chopping block, it acts abit like like hitting  axe with a sledge hammer  and splits the wood stuck on the blade of the axe using the extra weight of the wood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rough Hewn]

A range of axes is important.
For easy clean sweet chestnut, ash, hornbeam a decent medium felling axe 1-2kg 36" ish handle is enough.
For straight oak I'll get out a stihl maul 3kg.
For knotty, forky awkward stuff I use the medium felling axe again with a large mallet( big log on a stick).
[emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]
Then you'll need at least several dozen different axes to shape and fashion the rest of the tree.
[emoji3]

[neiln]

https://www.westfalia.net/shops/gardening/garden_tools/wood_splitting/splitting_hammers/383265-big_ox_wood_splitting_hammer.htm?art_nr=659995&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5NnbBRDaARIsAJP-YR_2KJBfawjhNn_jRwkgqx7MLEw2q4YKsgMUku5o7YC-UXzBKNIDerAaAj-NEALw_wcB&utm_medium=1.+SEA&utm_source=Google Adwords+WWC Produktdaten+UK&utm_campaign=Google Adwords+WWC Produktdaten+UK

 

A few quid cheaper in yellow then red.

 

The husqvarna s2800 is well talked of

 

 

 

[neiln]

https://www.toolstoday.co.uk/husqvarna-splitting-axe-s2800-70cm?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5NnbBRDaARIsAJP-YR-0A-q8odYfUR-L9QdbnclAUxtS74_aR2vUO6wNl92lz6eqFpgyakcaAlDgEALw_wcB

 

Considerably more oomph than the x27 despite being shorter, it's a good tool

[Ratman]

Cheers guys, shall seek and find, taa very much [emoji106]

[lux]

The husky axe lives in my van all the time. Love it. Splits well and very well made. Perfect for on site.

[neiln]

https://www.sam-turner.co.uk/stihl-ax-30-c-cleaving-hammer-3000g.html?fo_c=603&fo_k=3376bc233f55afef1de8edb958071383&fo_s=gplauk&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5NnbBRDaARIsAJP-YR-PBTnNp8VO6td6fh4eBU2cy50erGawhxD_JaaCuHXeymQ2-z-EzVYaAicmEALw_wcB

 

Iirc that non pro version is a 6lb head and comes cheap with an ash shaft (that one) or ever so slightly more with a hickory shaft.   That would still be noticeably heftier than the x27.  My view.... The 8lb version isn't worth over twice the price.

[Vespasian]

car boot on sundays, pick up a few cheap axes to chop wood with..   I doubt one splitting axe is much better than any other..