Any one use one? The type that has two arms that you pull/push. Even the cheaper ones have a much bigger cutting power than low to medium priced electric powered ones. This type appeals as it can be used anywhere and won’t be bothered by rain. Speed? Electric ones are so damned slowed that using one has to a last resort although the wife could get involved then. It’s her idea!

I’ve never seen one, but before I built my hydraulic splitter I split everything with an Oregon splitting maul. It depends a lot on what type of wood you intend to split. I struggle to see how something that is manually operated can be as efficient as something hydraulic for wood with knots etc. If you have straight grained wood try something like a Fiskars X25 splitting axe.

http://eng-uk.fiskars.com/Products/Wood-Preparation/Axes/122480-Splitting-Axe-X25

“Before I built my hydraulic splitter..”
Why am I not surprised?

second a good maul over a splitter.

I use a basic roughneck (from Screwfix) for all my splitting and it’s pretty effortless. The value of splitters is working height and to be able to keep your log on the working deck throughout the splitting – it can be a bit annoying having to keep stooping to retrieve your split logs to return to your block for another cleave.

as above, decent splitting axe and a few wedges and big hammer. most wood splits effortlessly when green, i just cut the bad bits (big nots etc) into smaller bits with the chain saw

I usually buy my wood split but have just had 3 monster trees dropped. They’ve been cut into lengths but not split.

Now, I may be a complete jessie but my Screwfix maul just bounces off. Is it RTFM/user error/technique or do I need to put an edge on the maul (it was blunt from new)? If it is me, what is the STW ‘I’ve got wood’ prescribed technique please?

I put an edge on my maul from new, but only with a grinder. It doesnt need honing.

There’s also a technique. Some logs need you to open them with an oblique slice off the side to let the tension out of it before you can split it progressively rather than trying to cleave it in half with one blow, some just dont.

Good maul technique will come with practice. Its better you learn for yourself the most efficient and effective way of wielding it.

Grenade/maul and a decent splitting axe seems to be quicker & easier, unless you have proper powered splitter.

I bought a grenade after struggling with the maul. So sledge, maul with an edge and the grenade…. There must be 3 tonnes of wood there to get through God help my IT manager/Audi driving/coffee slurping/Rolex fondling hands 🙂

Feel embarrassed asking. Never in 40 years of wood splitting have I used anything but an axe/maul. Wedges are ok but its one more tool and thus slower. The wife reckons she could use a splitter. Why? Dunno but she is not using my saw , its too damned heavy.

Althepal, it started off as a scrapheap challenge of sorts and I was even surprised it worked.

I had to make one mod after the the main vertical post / guide bent under load. A section of H beam sorted that out. 😀

https://picasaweb.google.com/113038090087066024057/20110226LogSplitter?noredirect=1

It takes a lot of the strength/physicality out of it- ideal for people who struggle with a maul. But so damn slow.

They’re fun to use for a little while though, I did some gigantic chunks that I’d not have fancied my odds at with a maul, and I’ve seen some tangled knotted pine more or less explode and fire all over a garden 🙂

Use the screwfix splitting maul too and for trickier bits log grenades and a 15lb maul. I’m a skinny lad but could split a reasonable sized tree in a day back when we got logs for free. My Grandad an old farm boy put it down to technique and me being over 6 feet tall ‘it fals grreet Lang way, grraand for splitting’