Maul or Splitting axe?

[Riptide]

After years of bringing axes, hatchets, and wedges to split firewood, this is what resides in my camper now:

Products | Logmatic USA

I have the 250 at my cabin, and the 150 in the camper. It is so much safer than an axe, hatchet, or maul. Instead of taking aim on a spot, and swinging the point to the mark, and hoping you hit, you place the wedge exactly where you want to split, give the drive rod a whack or two, and boom, the wood splits. You can exploit cracks already in the wood, or shape the splits however you like. You can do it with kids right next to you; no flying sharp edge. It's surgical splitting, I'm telling you.

To make it even quicker, I bring a length of dog chain about 3'. One end has a very short bungee hook on it. I lay the chain out, lay the wood in a pile on the chain, and then gather up and hook the chain around it as tight as I can, then stand the bundle upright. I then proceed to split away. The chain prevents the splits from flying, and the bungee allows for a little give for the wedge. In 5 minutes, it's all kindling, as big or as small as you want. And it's all right in front of you. No need to chase pieces of firewood.

I know some joker is going to brag about how good they are with an ax. But I can run rings around that joker with this gadget every day of the week.

 

[1000arms]

After years of bringing axes, hatchets, and wedges to split firewood, this is what resides in my camper now:

Products | Logmatic USA

I have the 250 at my cabin, and the 150 in the camper. It is so much safer than an axe, hatchet, or maul. Instead of taking aim on a spot, and swinging the point to the mark, and hoping you hit, you place the wedge exactly where you want to split, give the drive rod a whack or two, and boom, the wood splits. You can exploit cracks already in the wood, or shape the splits however you like. You can do it with kids right next to you; no flying sharp edge. It's surgical splitting, I'm telling you.

To make it even quicker, I bring a length of dog chain about 3'. One end has a very short bungee hook on it. I lay the chain out, lay the wood in a pile on the chain, and then gather up and hook the chain around it as tight as I can, then stand the bundle upright. I then proceed to split away. The chain prevents the splits from flying, and the bungee allows for a little give for the wedge. In 5 minutes, it's all kindling, as big or as small as you want. And it's all right in front of you. No need to chase pieces of firewood.

I know some joker is going to brag about how good they are with an ax. But I can run rings around that joker with this gadget every day of the week.

... Do you have a smaller version of that for driving nails, or do you know how to use a hammer? ...

I'm glad you have a tool that you are comfortable splitting wood with. Stay safe!

 

[Alloy]

After years of bringing axes, hatchets, and wedges to split firewood, this is what resides in my camper now:

Products | Logmatic USA

I have the 250 at my cabin, and the 150 in the camper. It is so much safer than an axe, hatchet, or maul. Instead of taking aim on a spot, and swinging the point to the mark, and hoping you hit, you place the wedge exactly where you want to split, give the drive rod a whack or two, and boom, the wood splits. You can exploit cracks already in the wood, or shape the splits however you like. You can do it with kids right next to you; no flying sharp edge. It's surgical splitting, I'm telling you.

To make it even quicker, I bring a length of dog chain about 3'. One end has a very short bungee hook on it. I lay the chain out, lay the wood in a pile on the chain, and then gather up and hook the chain around it as tight as I can, then stand the bundle upright. I then proceed to split away. The chain prevents the splits from flying, and the bungee allows for a little give for the wedge. In 5 minutes, it's all kindling, as big or as small as you want. And it's all right in front of you. No need to chase pieces of firewood.

I know some joker is going to brag about how good they are with an ax. But I can run rings around that joker with this gadget every day of the week.

 

[86scotty]

I split about 3 cords a year for heating my 2500 sqf home. Obviously we don't heat solely with wood but with a very big and efficient Lopi stove I pretty much always have a fire going throughout winter weekends. I've had many offers of free or cheap wood splitters but have never been interested. I enjoy the exercise of splitting wood. I need it. Honestly I don't get enough of it since it's just about 3 or so days of splitting to split the 3 cords I need. As I've gotten older the cutting, loading and hauling is a lot more work than splitting but I enjoy the exercise of that as well.

I've never been interested in shortcutting it any more than using my three favorite tools for the task, a maul, a sledge and an old tire to hold hold wood as I split it. It works fantastically and is about as efficient as i see it getting.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

I split about 3 cords a year for heating my 2500 sqf home. Obviously we don't heat solely with wood but with a very big and efficient Lopi stove I pretty much always have a fire going throughout winter weekends. I've had many offers of free or cheap wood splitters but have never been interested. I enjoy the exercise of splitting wood. I need it. Honestly I don't get enough of it since it's just about 3 or so days of splitting to split the 3 cords I need. As I've gotten older the cutting, loading and hauling is a lot more work than splitting but I enjoy the exercise of that as well.

I've never been interested in shortcutting it any more than using my three favorite tools for the task, a maul, a sledge and an old tire to hold hold wood as I split it. It works fantastically and is about as efficient as i see it getting.

Oh my God. 3 cord a year would have been like vacation. Unfortunately my father had been shot up a little in Nam and wanted the house warm. 24 cord per year. Way overboard, I know. Thank god we only did that for 7 years. Meanwhile the neighbor, - an old logger - was like you. 3 or 4 per year...I wanted him to adopt me, ha ha

 

[Todd n Natalie]

After years of bringing axes, hatchets, and wedges to split firewood, this is what resides in my camper now:

Products | Logmatic USA

I have the 250 at my cabin, and the 150 in the camper. It is so much safer than an axe, hatchet, or maul. Instead of taking aim on a spot, and swinging the point to the mark, and hoping you hit, you place the wedge exactly where you want to split, give the drive rod a whack or two, and boom, the wood splits. You can exploit cracks already in the wood, or shape the splits however you like. You can do it with kids right next to you; no flying sharp edge. It's surgical splitting, I'm telling you.

To make it even quicker, I bring a length of dog chain about 3'. One end has a very short bungee hook on it. I lay the chain out, lay the wood in a pile on the chain, and then gather up and hook the chain around it as tight as I can, then stand the bundle upright. I then proceed to split away. The chain prevents the splits from flying, and the bungee allows for a little give for the wedge. In 5 minutes, it's all kindling, as big or as small as you want. And it's all right in front of you. No need to chase pieces of firewood.

I know some joker is going to brag about how good they are with an ax. But I can run rings around that joker with this gadget every day of the week.

I never knew that was a thing, that is brilliant!!

 

[Riptide]

I've seen that video. Haven't used the HF model, but I totally love my Logmatic, and suspect its Finnish manufacture is far superior than the HF chinese build.. Keep in mind I'm not splitting large rounds. I'm splitting either campwood (which I think is what the OP asked about), or smaller rounds. The video is correct about attacking rounds from the edge, and is what the Logmatic page recommends.

For home, I use a SuperSplitter flywheel splitter that is the absolute bomb, and will split as fast as you can load wood onto the table. I replaced the gas motor with an electric motor, and I can split on Sunday mornings in almost total silence.

 

[Todd n Natalie]

I'm splitting either campwood (which I think is what the OP asked about), or smaller rounds.

Correct. I bought a load of split wood. But some of the pieces are still quite large.