Best cheap fireside axe?

[Heathenpeddler]

What is the best budget (that is, a tight budget ) axe for splitting logs for the fire? This is not for heavy chopping as the bowsaw does most of that work, it's for splitting the pieces ready for burning. They are not good at axework so it needs to be fairly bombproof. The one they are using right now is horendous!

It's for my friends running the permaculture farm. They have a fire for cooking and kettle and also a woodburning tove but the axe is like nowt I've seen here - more like a flat plate with an eye for the handle! every time you try to split the wood the axe only goes as far as the eye and stops dead

 

[British Red]

Sounds like it might be a specialist axe although I'd need to see it.

The GRP handled axes in B&Q are tough and decent - £15 for the hand axe, £20 for the felling axe. I'm not ashamed to own one for rough work

Red

 

[Dougster]

I have one similar to the one Red mentions, a 4lb felling axe I bought from the Rolson tool guy on our local market. It cost me £10. The balance isn't quite right, nor does it hold a good edge - I've learnt from Red, but for what you've described I'd recommend it as ideal.

 

[Matt Weir]

From what you want HP - a turbo cheap splitter - I would say go to Focus. I bought one of ther own brand axes and it does indeed split logs down to kindling and is as required - a turbo cheap splitter.

 

[singteck]

like a flat plate with an eye for the handle! every time you try to split the wood the axe only goes as far as the eye and stops dead

Are they using a hoe/adze to split wood?

singteck

 

[Heathenpeddler]

Are they using a hoe/adze to split wood?

singteck

if you turned the blade 90deg then I'd say yes it's certainly not what I'd use

 

[Mike Ameling]

I've been heating with wood I cut and split for more than a score of years. The best wood splitting maul I have found and used is something called a Monster Maul. Basically, it is a 12 to 15 pound wedge welded to a heavy steel pipe handle - with a rubber grip slid on the end. Monster Maul is one of the brand names these have been sold under. They work great. They even give you a chance at splitting twisted red elm! And it's almost impossible to break. Altho, it does take some getting used to swinging that extra weight. The normal splitting maul runs around 6 to 8 pounds. The one company selling these also came out with a small 4 pound "kindling" splitter.

Over the years I've used most everything to split wood - hatchet, axe, classic splitting maul, but I always grab my "monster maul" nowdays for real log splitting work. For splitting kindling I use whatever hatchet I have at hand - even a hewing hatchet or corn knife (farmers version of a machete) on occasion.

Your friend's axe sounds a lot like an early Trade Axe - flat blade blending quickly into a round or teardrop shaped eye. They were common from the 1500/1600's on up through the 1800's. Versions were still being produced for trade in third world countries well into the late 1900's. Collins was a popular brand.

Those trade axes were the leading technology in their day, but better shapes were developed in the late 1700's and early 1800's. They work, but you have to spend a lot of time learning how to best use them. And they ain't worth squat for splitting firewood.

Just my humble thoughts to share. Take them as such.

Mike Ameling

 

[TheGreenMan]

Interesting post, Mike. Thanks.

Best regards,
Paul.

 

[FGYT]

for cheap it may be worth asking at the local tips might get a whole one or just a head for a couple of quid

ATB

Duncan

 

[Ogri the trog]

My cheapest reccommendation would be a Rolson as well.
I bought a wooden hafted small axe for £1-99 about two years ago, yup, you read it right, £1-99. I has an epoxied eye which I am still waiting for it to fail. When it does fail, I'll have a play at re-heat-treating and treat it to a new haft, but for now its still going strong.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[oetzi]

How cheap?
My recommendation for a cheap (0cheaper than a Wetterlings) would be a Fiskars.
I use and lend them regularly. They are decent choppers and very rugged and resistant to neglet.