Top 23 Rating of the best cleavers for chopping wood. In this article we will tell you which cleaver is best to buy for preparing firewood. In the rating of the best cleavers for chopping wood, we selected the best cleavers based on user reviews and expert opinion.
Choosing a cleaver for chopping wood is a responsible matter. A correctly selected cleaver is the key to high labor productivity, healthy back and joints. A high-quality ax will serve you for many years and will delight you with its perfection.
To light a stove or fireplace in a house, you need a lot of wood to heat a bathhouse. In the process of evolution and development, people realized that an ordinary ax was not quite up to the task, and improved it, turning it into a powerful tool called a cleaver.
The ax for splitting firewood was equipped with a long, straight handle and a wedge-shaped, heavy, slightly sharpened head. When hitting a wooden piece with the required force, the cleaver quickly splits the logs.
What types of cleavers are there for preparing firewood and how to choose the right cleaver among the variety presented, we will look into the details further.
Types of cleavers
- Screw (cone-shaped). The most widespread. Among consumers, about 80% choose it. A steel ingot in the shape of a cone (which is where the name comes from) with durable threads. The tool has the ability to dive deep into the material, while using an electric motor. Field of application: chopping wood.
- Hydraulic;
- Electrical.
There are two types of cleaver blades:
- Sharpened for a wedge;
- Lop-eared. This is a new product on the market. Allowed to work only with dry materials.
Wooden parts have their disadvantages as well as their advantages. And one of the main ones is that they can unexpectedly split during operation. They can be replaced with instruments with fiberglass parts.
The material is more durable and lightweight, making it comfortable. Plus, it fits better in your hand and can absorb unnecessary vibration.
Safety precautions when chopping wood
When splitting firewood, it is necessary to take some precautions, regardless of how the work is done: using a manual splitter or using an electric wood splitter for these purposes.
You should always remember that during the chopping process, sharp and large chips can fly in different directions along an unpredictable trajectory. For this reason, you should choose the most suitable area where you will not disturb anyone - away from where children play or where pets are located.
Both a cleaver and an ax cannot be called safe tools, and even one awkward movement can lead to serious injury. The correctly selected tool and method of performing work have a significant impact on safety.
Safety precautions when chopping wood - use gloves and glasses
The closest attention should be paid to choosing a deck suitable for chopping. Its width should exceed the diameter of the widest chock, and its height should be slightly above the knee. If the deck is not installed correctly, it will be difficult to deliver a blow strong enough to split the log.
It is recommended to wear gloves and safety glasses before starting work.
. Gloves are needed to prevent the ax from slipping out of your hands, so that the cleaver does not fly far and hit your dear neighbor in the back. Glasses are necessary to protect your eyes from small chips getting into them. Of course, you don’t have to wear glasses if you plan to get into the role of a one-eyed pirate as naturally as possible.
The log should be placed on the side of the log farthest from you. This is necessary so that if you miss, the cleaver will stick into the block and not into your knee.
In order for the process of collecting firewood to be as successful as possible, it is necessary not only to purchase a good cleaver, but also to perform the work correctly and, most importantly, safely.
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Rating of modern models of cleavers
There is quite a large selection of tools and devices on the market, in which it is very easy to get confused without the proper knowledge.
Therefore, you should familiarize yourself with a small selection of cleaver models from manufacturers from Russia, Germany and the USA.
Matrix splitting ax
Tool weight – 3 kg. The material from which the cleaver is made is 66G steel.
- There is a small anvil on the back of the head, which ensures effective splitting of massive wooden objects.
- The handle is made of fiberglass, so it is not exposed to moisture and external factors, and also does not dry out over time.
Cleaver "Bars" from Nylon
Weight – 0.75 kg. It is easy to work with different types of trees. The cleaver is made of U14 steel. The strength of the manufacturing material is above average. Thanks to the thickenings on the sides, it is quite easy to split the wood.
Cleaver Inforce
Weighs 3.5 kg. Handle length – 910 mm. This allows you to split large ingots without much difficulty. It is also distinguished by its durability.
The Great Divider
Weight reaches as much as 4 kg. The handle of the device is formed from fiberglass material. The steel from which the ax is made is 65G. Thanks to high-quality materials, it is not susceptible to heavy loads and is not subject to unnecessary vibrations.
Taiga
And if you want practicality, then taiga, with a medium handle. It chops and chops, and it’s convenient to carry logs and hang them on branches. I myself prefer the last option, but I plan to make it myself.
Wood splitter with washing machine engine
I haven't used it, but it looks like a device of very questionable effectiveness. Each small block of wood, instead of being quickly baled with a cleaver and cleanly split, must be placed on this thing for a long and tedious time and split at both ends and several sides, and then still broken off by hand. And all this while bending over: your back will go on strike on the second day.
Scope of application of cleavers
The devices are used quite widely and are designed for chopping wood. Often they will be needed when fuel is being prepared for the cold season for a summer cottage or a small country house.
For larger quantities of fuel required and the following cases:
- Heating of houses throughout the whole season;
- Bath heating;
- Providing heat for kebab establishments;
You will need to choose a more productive tool.
Characteristics
Handle length. The larger the diameter of the log being split, the longer the handle for the cleaver should be. Small logs, 8-10 cm in diameter, are easier to chop with a short cleaver with a 40-60 cm handle. If the logs are powerful, then the handle should be more than 90 cm long.
The handle is usually made of birch, maple, ash, and elm. The wood of the above mentioned species is moderately soft and flexible, which is of no small importance for splitting.
You can find cleavers with an oak handle or made of acacia. However, hardwood absorbs vibration very poorly.
Beginners should refrain from purchasing cleavers with a metal or plastic handle. It would be more correct to choose a firewood cleaver with a birch or ash handle for the cleaver. If such a handle breaks due to a strong but not well-aimed blow, replacing it will be easy and not particularly expensive.
The angle at which the blade is sharpened. Most often, cleavers are sharpened at 40-60 degrees. For damp and soft wood, it is recommended to use a larger sharpening angle, otherwise the blade will simply get stuck in the wood. If the wood is dry or frozen, then if the sharpening angle is too large, the cleaver may bounce off the block upon impact, possibly even injuring you.
Is it worth sharpening the cleaver at all? There is no consensus on this matter. Everyone, by trial and error, decides this for themselves. As for my opinion, I can say this. I have both a sharpened cleaver and an unsharpened one. I try to hit with one, if it doesn’t fit I take the other.
The shape of the blade can be rounded or straight. They write that a rounded blade has better cutting characteristics and is easier to chop damp or resinous logs. I haven't tested this myself in practice. I am quite happy with the Soviet “iron”, proven over the years.
How to choose the right cleaver
Selecting a suitable unit for yourself is a rather difficult task. There are several criteria by which it is better to choose an ax:
- Weight;
- Material of manufacture;
- Sharpening shape;
- Ax parameters.
If the size of the product is too light, they will find it difficult to split very large objects. Working with a heavy cleaver will require too much energy. However, in this case, splitting heavy objects will become easier.
For the ax material, it is better to choose durable wood species that have astringent properties. This will guarantee longevity, despite significant loads on the tool.
The length of the handle should not be too short - this will make it very difficult to work with.
Many knowledgeable people use the following types: classic and wedge-shaped instruments. The first option is better suited for freshly felled wood, which remains at a high level of moisture. The second one is more convenient for splitting dry logs.
Cone-shaped cleavers are effective and at the same time easy to use. This is especially noticeable when working with large objects.
Nuances and rules of use
Experienced wood splitters have formulated a number of recommendations to facilitate the use of splitting axes:
- it is necessary to prick on a flat, dry and non-slippery area;
- the largest log with even cuts should be used as a stand for logs;
- In summer and autumn, it is better to let freshly cut timber dry in logs;
- In winter it is better to let the logs freeze.
- It is better not to try to split very large logs in half, but to chop them from the edges;
- if there is a crack in the block, you need to hit it with a cleaver;
- a knotty log is tedious to split between the knots;
If the ax gets stuck in a block of wood, you need to swing it along with the block of wood, turn it over while moving so that the butt of the cleaver hits the stand.
Photos of the best models of cleavers
Important Tips
Keep your legs wide when chopping. Firstly, it will provide you with a stable position. Secondly, if you miss, the cleaver will not hit you on the knee.
Place the block closer to the far edge of the deck; in case of an inaccurate blow, the “head” will rest against it and will not cause you injury.
If there is a risk that the blade may fly off, for example, a cleaver with a wooden handle is old, then hold it in water before chopping.
Do not chop wood on the ground, it springs and absorbs the impact force. It would be better to use a hard surface, such as wood or concrete.
Often, and for beginners often, the upper part of the ax hits the edge of the log. If there is no appropriate protection, after a series of such blows the cleaver breaks very quickly. In high-quality, expensive models, the protection is made of sheet metal. In principle, protection can be made independently, for example, from rawhide.
It is important not only to be able to choose a cleaver for firewood, but also to know how to act correctly in some critical situations.
There are at least five ways to remove a cleaver stuck in a log:
- If the lump is large, and you are not distinguished by heroic strength, then hit the butt with a sledgehammer.
- If you are a strong person, the log weighs a little, turn the cleaver with it over and hit the block.
- I present the third method for informational purposes only; I do not recommend using it. Although you may have a different opinion. Just try to loosen a jammed cleaver. Please note that along with it, the handle itself, glue or welding may become loose. Sooner or later, the eye will burst from such loosening. If the “head” is completely stuck, this method will not help.
- If you don’t have enough strength and don’t want to hit the butt with a sledgehammer, then chop off everything that is possible from the block of wood with another cleaver, then proceed according to the first method.
- The most reliable way, in my opinion, to free a jammed blade is a pair of steel wedges and a sledgehammer.
What else can you use to chop wood?
Manual wood splitter KOLUNDROV “Standard”
The closed ring shape serves to hold the deck. How it works: insert the log into the ring on the piercing edge and hit it on top with a sledgehammer. This is a very safe device that will protect you from injury. It is also a plus that the split logs do not scatter to the sides.
Buy
Characteristics
| Construction type | manual |
| Location | vertical |
| Deck diameter | 18 cm |
| Top ring inner diameter | 20 cm |
| Weight | 6.6 kg |
| Add. information | 8 layers of anti-corrosion coating with patina; material: steel st-3; 4 mounting holes; internal diameter of the upper ring is 20 cm; protective cap for a sharp blade; 3 year warranty; packaged dimensions: 30 x 30 x 36 cm |
Which ax is better
The ideal ax for all occasions has not been invented, but the low price allows you to purchase a couple of models for different purposes. For those who do not often use the tool, we have developed universal modifications that will easily help solve the tasks. In order not to have to deal with regular repairs, sharpening, and straightening, we recommend taking the advice of our experts and choosing the best model in your category:
- Fiskars X17 is a cleaver that will help you quickly chop firewood for a solid fuel boiler or sauna;
- Husqvarna 5769264-01 – indispensable when performing carpentry work;
- Bison 20643-06 - an inexpensive universal model for owners of country houses;
- Kraftool 20645-06 is a faithful companion for a fan of outdoor activities;
- Tesla 3 in 1, 600716 is the best choice for a summer resident.
What should be the most versatile tool? Only axes made of high-quality steel and a reliable handle can receive the title of best in their class.
