[chrismahon]

I've got a Roughneck splitting maul, Sally. But sometimes it isn't enough. My axe is only 4 lbs, the maul is 6 lbs, the grenade plus sledge 10 lbs. Like the idea of the tyres Deepinthewoods, but I can see me hitting the tyre and the maul bouncing back at me.

[deepinthewoods]

occasionally it does hit the tyre, but it doesnt make any difference, and at least it doesnt damage the handle. it does make light work of the job.definitely worth a try. ust make sure the logs are tightly packed in the tyre, and work your way round.

[robert waddell]

what i did was have a very large piece of elm trunk place the logs on top then just work your way round and round the log  some you could split in the position but oak you had to go round and round

[Small Farmer]

The grenades work and are easier than wedges on logs up to a foot but 1 they can get buried in a big piece and 2 productivity suffers from having to pick the thing up.


Packing a tyre and using a splitting axe is plain fast and fun.

[Simon O]

Fiskars splitting axe v good - keep it sharp, I have found it just as effective (or more) as a much heavier splitting maul, so can conserve energy and keep chopping longer. I have tried the tire and the bungee cord method to keep the split bits together as you chop however I find it takes longer to get the logs organised into these before chopping and out of them after chopping than just picking up each time. Having a big solid piece of wood to rest on rather than the ground helps transmit the force to the round you are working on so reduces effort/number of strikes. 12" rounds seem to be optimum for me - longer means less sawing but the splitting gets harder and 2 12 inchers side by side can go in the woodburning stove and 1 fits the cooker. I really enjoy splitting and would be upset if I had to start using a machine

[FiB]

The grenades work and are easier than wedges on logs up to a foot but 1 they can get buried in a big piece and 2 productivity suffers from having to pick the thing up.


Packing a tyre and using a splitting axe is plain fast and fun.

For 6-8 tonnes/year  ?    I'm still following this thread hoping someone has used a manal hydraulic    - my joints are failing fast!  Done a winter and just kept pace with the addition of a couple of boughtt trailer loads - but need to get cracking on next winters (all seasoned) and the winter afters (still standing!).  Thats at least 12 tonnes over the summer! I know the manual hydraulics will still be hard work, but more even and kinder on your body I hope. 

[deepinthewoods]

i need 7 m3 for nest winter, ive cut and split 1 and a half so far. keeps me fit!!

[chrismahon]

6 -8 tons a year FiB and 7 cubic metres Deep. This is a lot of timber. Why do you need so much?
 
If we have a windfall I'll buy a manual hydraulic one as I'm wondering now will I be able to keep pace for that long. At least my wife can use the hydraulic on some and I'll split the rest manually.

[FiB]

6 -8 tons a year FiB and 7 cubic metres Deep. This is a lot of timber. Why do you need so much?
 

I just recon thats what we've got through.. its everything (2 woodburners, one with top boiler) cooking, central heating, hot water.  Deep in the woods - I probably need to hone my technique with our big splitting maul - any tips? Ive done a lot of the splitting with a froe (dont shout, I know its a greenwood tool - but I find it easy for spliting ) and splitting wedges and I think its the constant hammering that has really caused right elbow, shoulder and hip grief.  OH uses long maul when he's here at weekends but at over 6 foot he has more room to swing! At 5'3" I wonder if I have the leverage for easy 'mauling'.  I'm happy with axes and mauls as I use them in my job - its just the quantity and repetition that has set me thinking about a more ergonomic system

[Moleskins]

 
That's the embarrassed smiley because,
I didn't try too much with the splitting axe before I got a log splitter for the tractor. It was worth every penny to me, some slices of trunk had been hanging around on the field for ages. I'd tried to split them with the axe but it just bounced off. Quite literally !!
The hydraulic splitter on the tractor got most of them and the fields a lot tidier for it.

[SallyintNorth]

One thing that will help in the aching joints department is to get a splitting axe that has a fibreglass handle.  The better type has very good damping capabilities, I don't know about the cheaper sort.  It's the Nupla handle (marketed throuhg Jafco in the UK) that I know about, and that really makes a difference.  I must declare an interest, though - my father and sister run Jafco!

[deepinthewoods]

my only method of heating this old (1750) house is with fire! i run 2 wood burners,the main burner didnt go out for 3 months, because its g2 listed i cant install double glazing or fit more insulation, the roof is fully insulated however, that was the first thing i did.
as far as tips go i think its just practice, try to use the least effort possible, let the axe do the work, the beauty of the tyre trick is you can maintain a rythym so your not hefting the axe ready to strike, its down then straight back up, try to hold the axe lightly and let your hands slide so all the energy is in the head.

[chrismahon]

I went and bought my first pair of reading glasses from Asda today -2 pairs for £2. One pair is broken so to save paying 50p parking I will call into Machine Mart next door and have a look at their hand hydraulic, then report back. Danger is I have money in my bank account -well money of the Bank's to spend anyway!

[Small Farmer]

Get 8 pairs and leave them around the house, in the car, everywhere.  They hide, and then cluster together in groups


6-8 tonnes per year equals machinery or a supremely co-operative teenager. 

[deepinthewoods]

or a lean mean 40yr old.