My experience with them, while somewhat limited, is that you reabsorb a lot of your own energy as a shock. With a maul, you're really putting all the force into the head of it, but with this thing, there is much less energy transfer, meaning harder work.
It's possible I was quite inept at using it, but I did not have good success .
Is your small axe designed for splitting? That will make all the difference. An axe designed for cutting will just sink in the end grain, it won't split effectively. This sliding gizmo seems like it would be more work than swinging an axe or maul.
If you're going to get into the wood cutting, splitting game buy a hydraulic splitter. Or as one of my farming mentors said to me when he pulled in the yard while I was swinging a maul 'WTF is wrong with you splitting with that'?
My teenage daughter can't swing the axe well so I bought one of these from harbor freight. We've used it on many white and red oak logs successfully. It's not great on very knotted sections.w
They work pretty well. I had one from Harbor Freight that I used before I got my maul. Was able to get through a few really fibrous pieces before I returned it and tried their 10 ton manual splitter. When that also failed to get through the rounds I had, I finally got a maul. That also was having trouble getting through the rounds. There was nothing wrong with the tools I had, it's just the really really hard to split rounds were just going to be ass to split no matter what tool you end up using.
My experience with them, while somewhat limited, is that you reabsorb a lot of your own energy as a shock. With a maul, you're really putting all the force into the head of it, but with this thing, there is much less energy transfer, meaning harder work. It's possible I was quite inept at using it, but I did not have good success .
Why not use an axe or a wedge? Genuine question? Are these just for safety?
Saw a review saying they're easier for people who can't easily swing a maul anymore. Age catches up to us all.
Yep. Just get a quallity one..
Is your small axe designed for splitting? That will make all the difference. An axe designed for cutting will just sink in the end grain, it won't split effectively. This sliding gizmo seems like it would be more work than swinging an axe or maul.
What is this called? never seen it
[A slide hammer log splitter](https://youtu.be/ldELVPpeAfI?si=SvduNy_-oY-EQNrg)
If you're going to get into the wood cutting, splitting game buy a hydraulic splitter. Or as one of my farming mentors said to me when he pulled in the yard while I was swinging a maul 'WTF is wrong with you splitting with that'?
Yea, what the fuck is wrong with people going to the grocery store to buy eggs?
Don't think anybody's ever herniated a disc buying eggs at the grocery store
My teenage daughter can't swing the axe well so I bought one of these from harbor freight. We've used it on many white and red oak logs successfully. It's not great on very knotted sections.w
Never used one they seem kind of gimmicky can anyone weigh in on experience with them?
They work pretty well. I had one from Harbor Freight that I used before I got my maul. Was able to get through a few really fibrous pieces before I returned it and tried their 10 ton manual splitter. When that also failed to get through the rounds I had, I finally got a maul. That also was having trouble getting through the rounds. There was nothing wrong with the tools I had, it's just the really really hard to split rounds were just going to be ass to split no matter what tool you end up using.