Best splitting axe

If you're hunting for a splitting axe or camping hatchet, we swung 12 of the best to help you find the perfect fit. After researching over 40 compelling options, we bought the top contenders to test blade-to-blade, best splitting axe.

Looking for a splitting axe? But not sure which one to choose? In this list we will highlight our top 10 splitting axes, based on our own experiences and knowledge. Read about the pros and cons of each axe! The Hultafors KLY

Best splitting axe

Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members! Of course, a good axe also makes a big difference. To find out which is the best axe for splitting wood, we called in five of the most popular models and put them to the test. I cut wood with each axe for a week, but I also used them side by side, taking into consideration chopping power, swing weight, ease of use, and how they worked with small and large pieces of wood. This sideways motion creates leverage that helps ply the wood apart. A weight at the base of the head also helps it drop with extra force. Both features make the ax ultra-efficient and effective, so much so that I could split wood without raising the axe over my head. My only complaint: at The Stihl Pro was the most precise axe on this list, thanks to the curved hickory handle that helped me guide the head wherever I wanted. It also has the longest blade, so it was easy to connect with the wood.

You want them to quickly slide the wood apart once the edge digs into the material. Before getting to work, we thoroughly examined each axe to get a sense of its craftsmanship and the quality of its materials. For heavier-duty best splitting axe needs, Fiskars also makes an 8-pound Splitting Maul.

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. It can be a time for reflection and even meditation. That said, your enjoyment of the chore will be dramatically affected by the tools you choose. But the right axe for splitting wood can prevent all of that. One with a comfortable and ergonomic handle, heavy head, and sharp blade will make the job much more efficient and enjoyable. But how do you know what axes are suited for splitting wood?

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more. Enjoying the warmth of a wood-burning fireplace is priceless to many, but buying firewood can be expensive. Axes can be, and most often are, job specific. Some of the best axes are specialized for certain types of splitting or felling, while a few offer multiple uses. To help narrow the field to the best axes for specific tasks, we considered 20 axes, tested 13, and whittled those down to the top picks for our list. In our tests, we used each axe to split rounds of cedar and cottonwood trees. And since many axes function as multipurpose tools, we also tried them out splitting logs, making kindling, pruning, and doing general clearing.

Best splitting axe

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. It can be a time for reflection and even meditation. That said, your enjoyment of the chore will be dramatically affected by the tools you choose. But the right axe for splitting wood can prevent all of that. One with a comfortable and ergonomic handle, heavy head, and sharp blade will make the job much more efficient and enjoyable. But how do you know what axes are suited for splitting wood? We rounded up the best of the best so you can find the right axe for splitting wood and other tasks you may encounter. Growing up in Wisconsin, the cold winters test your resiliency. And when the mercury plummets below zero, keeping your home warm can be challenging. So, when I bought a house nearly 30 years ago, a wood burning stove was a must.

Beefcake thomas

Bigger and stronger individuals with larger hands will feel more in control of a heavier axe, while smaller individuals may have an easier time swinging a lighter axe. Trying to split wood across the grain is a losing proposition. Sometimes referred to as a forester axe or a woodworker axe, these tools will often look similar to a hatchet, just bigger. The heavier the axe-head, the more power it can generate when swung in an arc and brought down onto the log. If you need a tool to fell a few trees, we'd steer you to the Fiskars Chopping Axe. The true saving grace is the flared knob at the end, making it relatively easy to hold on to. Standout features include the comfortable and lightweight inch composite handle and a unique head shape that is very efficient for splitting. Performance 9. It's one of the best we tested when it comes to slicing up kindling, clearing saplings, or limbing a downed tree. An axe of the proper length will have the handle just reach your armpit.

After foolishly agreeing to have nearly two cords of large pine rounds dumped on our driveway last spring, we spent the summer hauling, drying, splitting, and stacking wood with each of these axes in order to find the best and bring you our recommendations. This particular load of wood put our lineup of splitting axes and our axe-wielding testers through the wringer.

Subscribe Now Get adventure news and gear reviews in your inbox! Switching back and forth between the blades and comparing notes made it clear which are well-balanced, which are built to split, which are sharp, and which are tiring. The sharpness and easy swing of the MTech are promising, but we tire faster when using it since it's so lightweight. The overstrike guard protects the steel in case you miss. It wasn't large enough to impact the hatchet's performance, but it is a good reminder that thin, sharp blades require care to maintain. You have an outdated webbrowser. A lighter axe will be easier to swing and will likely cause less fatigue over repeated swinging, but will generally provide less splitting force than a heavier axe assuming the same swing speed. Some sort of carbon steel is common, as you can sharpen it easily in the field, and it will keep that edge for a while. The Gransfors Bruks Small Forest is hand-forged from recycled steel with a hickory handle. It features a solid hickory handle that comfortably fits the average hand. American Hickory Wood is the traditional axe handle material because it is a heavy and dense wood and has a straight grain pattern. We go hunting for tasks to tackle with this tool because it's so great to use. Both a 5-footinch and a 5-footinch tester took swings with these axes, noting blade sharpness, head weight, overall balance, and material quality. Fiskars X27 Super Splitting Axe.