Chopping off all of your frustration through the wood won’t be that much difficult if you own a splitting tool. But looking at the varieties, well they might give you a bad vibe. And seriously bouncing between an axe and a maul is something that you just want to avoid. But aren’t they similar?
This is what most of you consider them to be. However, the answer is nope. They aren’t. And why they are not similar, it will be cleared in this write up. Although they have got the similar purposes but as for the look and weight, they are pretty different.
So, if you are baffled about which one to buy, let’s know about their differences and clear the confusion at first.
It is basically a splitting tool that comes with a tapering head generally made up of metal. Such kind of tool commonly weighs around 3 to 6 pounds. It has been designed to cut through woods along the grain so it can chunk up the fibres.
It’s a little different to traditional ones as they are designed to split the woods across the grain. However, if you use a high-quality axe, the force generated via its head will cut through the log for you.
Splitting Maul:
A splitting maul usually possesses a metal head like an axe but it weighs more than 7 pounds. The head of the maul is wider than that of an axe and it comes in wedge shaped. For this, it makes a great pick for splitting wood.
It’s the shape of the head that makes sure the maul doesn’t get stuck inside the wood while cutting through it while preventing jamming. However, other than the weight and the head, both the axe and maul have similar features and people tend to think them the same.
The major differences between the two:
Weight:
The weight of both the tools makes the major difference. The axe comes in lighter in weight while the maul is way heftier. As it has already been stated that you can get an axe below 6 pounds and at the same time, you can get a maul above the range.
The weight-disparity makes a notable difference on the way you will be using the tool. While the heavier tool makes it more effective in chopping the wood with ease, the lighter tool lets you swing it for different purposes. The heaviness of the head determines the force generation to cut through hard-hitting woods. On the other hand, the lightness of it makes a great choice for splitting wood quickly.
Design:
The head design is probably another major difference between an axe and a maul. An axe possess a tapering head with a sharpened blade through which you can split as well as cut through logs. A maul comes with a blunt and fat head and it also features wider wedge that makes it tremendously efficient to cut though bigger logs.
Nonetheless, the blunter head signifies that you will need to put extra strength in to use the tool. However, if you master the correct technique, then it will be easy to do the job. Lesser swings with more outcomes has always been considered as a plus point. You will just need to ensure that you don’t get yourself a tool that will be too heavy for you to use.
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Handle:
To speak of another strong difference, it would definitely be the difference of the handle’s design and material between the tools. The axe possesses a shorter handle so that you can split and chop off woods but there will be a chance of putting you at risk as well. As for the maul, it is a little difference.
It commonly comes with longer handle and you can use it to guide it into the ground after chopping off the wood. So there will be not chance to get it back to your feet. So, using a maul has greater benefits when it comes to the safety and it also lowers the risk of injury.
As for the material, the axe usually will have wooded handle. Although, many of the companies have started using other materials. However, on the other hand, a maul comes with handle that is made up of hickory, plastic or fiberglass.
Check out: how to replace an axe handle
So who wins the battle?
If you ask what you should be buying between an axe or a maul, I would just say the choice is yours. However, looking at the differences of the tool in the write, it although seems that the axe has won as it has major benefits right from weighing light to using it for different purposes.
But that does not lower the ability of the maul. If you want to get the bigger workloads done, then you should definitely go for a maul. Because it will not only cut through the bigger woods with ease but also does the work with lower risk of injury. But ultimately, it all depends on your personal preference and your level of experience.