Kindling Cracker Firewood Splitter - Should You Ax Your Axe?

[@kiwibrett]

The Iron used in this is very special. It took some brilliant metallurgists to develop it so it would not have any of the brittleness of standard cast iron. Then the founders in Australia use to build high end brake components for the car industry until GM and Ford closed the factories down. So the Kindling Cracker saved the jobs of many very highly skilled workers.

[@IndyFarmLife]

More cool info!

[@tempboy99]

I stumbled across this video in my feed and I actually have one. Love it. Works great.

[@IndyFarmLife]

Thanks for chiming in Tony! I agree. A simple yet very useful tool.

[@kiwibrett]

I met Alya the inventor when she was maybe 14 years old and demonstrating the first production Kindling Crackers at Fieldays in New Zealand. It's the biggest Agricultural and Pastural Show in Australasia and has an 'Inventions Pavilion'. She won the coveted Invention of the Year Category and understandably so. When you use it, you start to wonder how it hadn't been invented centuries before. It works so effectively and there is something in the release of kinetic energy as the log splits, that I liken to the thwack of a Cue ball on a Black 8 - it's pleasurable at some subconscious level. When Alya was 19, held world patents and was exporting to over 100 countries, she was back at Fieldays demonstrating by invitation. We watched a group of young siblings approach. The two older boys weren't interested in trying it, it looked like a chore. Their 8 year old sister decided she was up for it. Within a few splits, the brothers were pushing her aside saying, "It's my turn, it's my turn!". Any equipment so safe and satisfying that you can get your kids or grandkids to split a mass of kindling for you without whinging is a win!

[@IndyFarmLife]

That's an awesome back story. Thanks for sharing!

[@notmyname3883]

Do you get bored posting this same screed on every. SINGLE. Kindling. CRACKER video on youtube? I mean, it's almost as if you're a paid shill!!!!!!!!!

[@guidodelille2774]

Vorige maand heb ik er één gekocht !!! Fantastisch apparaat, ik heb hem wel gemonteerd op een stevige tafel en rondom een afscherming gemaakt zodat niet alles op de grond valt. Aan te raden. Zelf een "oudje" kan er mee werken. Maak mijn gekocht hout er kleiner mee, maak er aanmaakhout mee en "tussen hout" om de speksteenkachel op een deftige manier aan te maken.

[@shannonherb2048]

I'm definitely going to get one.

[@IndyFarmLife]

You will like it! It's a nice thing to always have around.

[@OldIronAcres]

I’ve been keeping my eye on one of those for a while!! Nice Video

[@IndyFarmLife]

Thanks! Yea, for no more complex than they are, they are pretty awesome. Hope you get yourself one soon and hope to see you around the channel!

[@chargermopar]

Cast iron would seem to brittle to make that out of. Firewood is something we never need here, except for BBQ, but I did have a truck I converted to run on wood. To split the wood I mounted a lever operated wood splitter. Cut logs into 12 inch long pieces and a 4 way splitter with a 6 foot handle attached worked wonders. Your method with the cracker is far less tiring than swinging an axe at a piece of wood that wants to fall over or be embedded in the dirt. Lazy me if I lived north where firewood was needed I would build a skid steer wood splitter.

[@IndyFarmLife]

A truck that runs on wood, that's awesome! You still have it? Would love to see a video of it. Yea, I'm sure a heavier duty material would be of benefit, but it doesn't take much force to split kindling. Firewood is a big time thing around here. Some people have outdoor boilers and heat their entire home with firewood. Burning from about Oct - March! If I burned that much I would surely buy a firewood processer. Those things are impressive. They make splittlers that would go on my tractor, but they just aren't as efficient as stand alone units.

[@chargermopar]

@@IndyFarmLife It was a 1969 Dodge truck I converted in 1993 and it ran till 2008 when it fell apart. Rust claimed it. Not sure if I still have videos but I have a bunch of VHS tapes and it takes a while to look through them. Since we never get a winter firewood here is only for cooking.

[@IndyFarmLife]

@@chargermopar That's sounds like a really cool build! Wish it was still around!

[@HTPJohn]

Hey Adam. I've looked at these for a couple of years but haven't bought one yet. The ones I've looked at aren't cheap! But they are cool and work well. We've been collecting scraps from our log splitter and using that for kindling. Cheers! John.

[@IndyFarmLife]

Hey John, were you looking a different brand, or these specifically? Yea, if you split your own wood, then chances are you have a enough small stuff laying around. I would guess that the majority of these are sold to folks who buy firewood and don't split it on there own.

[@HTPJohn]

@@IndyFarmLife I never thought of that, I bet you are right about it being real useful for people who buy their firewood.

[@IndyFarmLife]

@@HTPJohn Just a theory I had, but it makes logical sense to me :)

[@ziolan8970]

@@IndyFarmLife you hit the nail on the head. I just got a pizza oven and buy my fire pit firewood from a great local lumber yard with great prices (they even have separate wood piles for different kinds of wood). I don’t even have a hatchet, I just throw the logs in my fire pit, but now I have an ooni with a small fill door I need consistent access to a lot of kindling to keep the flames rolling, and precut pizza oven wood is incredibly expensive. So instead of buying a box of “special” pre cut wood for 40+ dollars a cubic foot, I’ll split my aged firewood down and use that while my other wood is drying. In a years time I’ll save myself a good buck and I can chill by the fire pit with something to do.

[@pyroman6000]

I use a heavy bladed sheath knife and another chunk of wood. I can knock out a bunch of kindling in a hurry, and when I'm done, the knife goes back in the sheath. Done! Best part: 1 hand on the knife, the other on the baton. No part of my body anywhere near the sharp edge. I can also use a shingle froe to reduce big chunks into smaller ones to baton, if I like. An old lawnmower blade will substitute perfectly for the froe. Same basic method, just a bigger, heavier blade for larger pieces. For the baton, I use a stick of honey locust limb 1.5" diameter, with a knot at one end. Hard as rock, and heavy. It's stood up to quite a bit of abuse! I keep a stash of pine, spruce, or poplar on hand to make the kindling out of. Plus, I throw all my splitting "trash" in a bucket to use as well. (if you cut or buy cherry wood, save those bark slabs, too- they burn like hell!)

[@robertsmoker6655]

if you had the option would you have just bought the king size ?

[@IndyFarmLife]

Hmmm I honestly think, no. I use mine for kindling only. This one works just fine for that. To me, the bigger one would probably make pieces larger than what I need for kindling. I don't run every piece of wood I burn through this, just those first few to get it going.

[@robertsmoker6655]

@@IndyFarmLife would you suggest just buying this for kindling and using a axe to split the bigger wood down/ med/ small logs ? i'm about to move overseas in asia from aus and i cant buy this anywhere there so im just going through a somewhat check list so see what would be best! thank you for the quick reply and i love watching your videos btw !

[@IndyFarmLife]

@@robertsmoker6655 Ahh gotcha. Around here we use a log splitter for the bigger stuff. I would say if you want to be able to split bigger logs with this, then you would want the larger one. Obviously an axe/maul will get it done, but the larger one could be dual purpose, both large logs and kindling. I'm glad you enjoy the videos! Share the page far and wide and I'll keep them coming ha. Best of luck with the move! That sounds like quite the trip!

[@alantaylor3329]

Great job Adam. Just got one, they eliminated the drill holes for mounting and instead put little indentations for them around the center base, just got mine yesterday and it works like a charm.

[@IndyFarmLife]

Thanks Alan! Interesting, so you now have to drill them out if you want to mount it? Seems they may have found a way to save some time/money in the mfg process.

[@alantaylor3329]

@@IndyFarmLife I have the XL I don't know if that's the difference but you could drill it out but on the other hand there are little grooves where you simply drill in with a large washer two on each side So they're really not full holes they're half holes if I can express it in a dumb way lol. Great product though.

[@outdoorswithlarryrobin]

Hello Just subscribed, cool splitter, good review👍🏼🚜🪵🇺🇸

[@IndyFarmLife]

Thanks! Glad to have you along for the ride. Your emojis are spot on! 😎

[@mattlindsayb9856]

cheers

[@IndyFarmLife]

Beers!