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5 Best Felling Axes – Detailed Reviews!

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The axe is one of the most important tools not to be missed in any toolbox. It is a reliable, portable, and versatile tool that can help you with sawing wood, chopping logs, and other tough jobs. 

If you are in the market looking for the best felling axes, visiting the endless number of platforms is a daunting task to find the best one. 

This makes the process of choosing among these options quite difficult. Typically, these axes offer you superior splitting and chopping performance. Also, they are a great companion for felling small trees. 

They come with a compact design, which can help to ensure efficient cutting. The Hatched is made of high-quality material, and the handle is firmly seated inside the blade for long-lasting performance. 

These felling axes have the head securely attached to the hickory rod and never wobbles during use. The lightweight design makes it easy to pack your camping gear.

They come with a well-designed collar guard to help protect the handle from knocks. The head steel has undergone special heat treatment and tempering to improve its strength and hardness.

Besides, they come with a shock-absorbing durable handle to help reduce shock and maintain a secure grip when you use it.

INTERTOOL Shock Absorbing 35 inch Steel Felling Axe Best Felling Axes 2
INTERTOOL Shock Absorbing 35 inch Steel Felling Axe via Amazon

Factors To Consider When Buying The Best Felling Axes

  • Head thickness

The ax head’s shape helps determine if it is suitable for splitting, carving, or felling trees. An axe with a wider head will allow you to chop or cut pieces of wood faster.  The sharp-headed model is very handy for cutting wood. This is useful when removing layers of trees for hilling logs.

  • Head weight

The weight of your head will always determine how fast you can cut. The heavier the axe head, the higher the significant swing momentum and cutting blow. 

When cutting thinner wood or smaller wood, you need a head that is not too heavy. Heavy-headed axes are usually more powerful, although accurate cutting is difficult.

  • Handle length

The handle plays a very important role when cutting wood. Felling axes with wooden handles can be replaced after a while. You should make sure that the length of the handle you buy is appropriate for the type of shavings you will be using the ax for. 

The handle acts as a lever during cutting. This means that the length of the handle will determine the strength and control the ax can provide. However, no one is interested in a handle that is too long or too short. Most axes have a handle length of 24 to 36 inches.

  • Handle shape

The shape of the handle is a very important factor to consider when choosing the felling ax. For example, when purchasing an ax with a single-edged blade, a curved handle will be more suitable as it provides a more natural and comfortable grip. 

When purchasing a reversible head, you will have to opt for a straight handle as it allows you to fly in both directions easily without changing the head’s orientation.

  • Ax weight

This is an important parameter that affects the success of the work. A tool weighing 2 kg is completely unsuitable for fine processing a wooden blank, but a half-kilogram one is unlikely to cope even with a small tree. 

For most household tasks, a weight of 1-1.2 kg is sufficient. The ax should not be heavy for you, and this can be determined by holding it in your hands. Also, please pay attention to the center of gravity because it should be biased towards the blade.

  • Handle material

When buying the best felling axe, you need to consider the handle material. Metal is strong but prone to corrosion, weighs a lot, and resonates strongly with shocks.

Wood is a good shock absorber and much lighter than metal, although it is inferior in strength. It swells with moisture, over time, requires such tricks as driving in wedges and constant adjustments to the fit so that the butt does not fly off during operation.

Fiberglass is durable and non-corrosive because it absorbs vibration well and does not deform under strong impacts. Likewise, plastic is lightweight, effectively absorbing shocks, but not as reliable as fiberglass.

  • Blade quality

The quality of the ax blade is important, as bad steel will quickly cram and dull. Checking the material is very simple because you can click your finger or a hard object on the blade. 

A dull, quickly fading ringing is a clear sign of a poor-quality instrument. A sonorous, resonant sound will speak of good carbon steel. 

The blade is double hardened, forged, and ground to improve performance. The cutting edge of advanced axes has a special coating, which allows you to work longer with the tool without sharpening. A good ax is easily removed from the log when splitting, and it is easy to sharpen.

  • Blade size

There are axes on the market with wide, medium, or narrow blades. Wide (two or three palms wide) are necessary for cutting a surface with a large area. 

The wide blade perfectly distributes the force over a large area, imparted to the ax by a person’s muscular strength. But such an ax, in addition to a wide blade, must have a long ax and be heavy. Then they can excellently chop large logs, fell strong thick trees, and chop meat.

An ax with a middle blade usually weighs less because muscle force is distributed over a smaller surface area, which increases the force of impact. 

These axes are needed for chopping wood, splitting logs, sharpening stakes, etc. The ax, which has a small blade, is not intended for a serious blow but more jewelry work.

This includes chopping off small knots, splitting wood chips, and sharpening thin pegs. Such axes can completely replace a hammer.

  • Blade shape

There are axes with rounded and straight blades. The one with a straight blade is better at splitting an object. An axe with a rounded blade usually differs in greater length. In this case, in addition to a chopping blow, there is also a cutting component of the blade.

  • Sharpening the blade

The sharper the ax blade is, the deeper the axe penetrates when it hits the object. However, a sharp blade is less durable and dulls faster. 

For chopping logs or cutting small trees, the angle of sharpening of a heavy ax is 35 to 40°, and for felling logs and large trees, 25 to 30°. 

The first case is also called blunt sharpening (the angle at which the blade is sharpened is large), the second – sharp sharpening. It is unnecessary to sharpen the cleaver because it is not a wedge for cutting but splitting logs.

Experts advise using a floating sharpening edge. This tip applies to axes with sharp blades to be sharpened at a sharper angle in the edge center. 

This sharpening gives the tool excellent chopping qualities but excludes the brittleness of the blade if the blade’s edge carries out the blow, so if the sharpening angle is larger, more blunt sharpening.


5 Best Felling Axes

1. INTERTOOL Shock-Absorbing 35-inch Steel Felling Axe

INTERTOOL Shock Absorbing 35 inch Steel Felling Axe Best Felling Axes

The INTERTOOL felling ax is the essential tool that can be used to tackle any task, which is aligned with firewood, camping, landscaping, wood preparation, hunting, hiking, and other forest activities.

It is supplied with a very strong and durable steel blade that can chop wood, felling trees, and pruning branches.

Features a fiberglass handle that is durable and lightweight, making it suitable for medium to heavy cutting tasks. It is very comfortable to hold and will never slip out of your hand. 

Its non-slip design reduces the chance of blistering your hands. The hatches are quite small in size and compact, which means you can use them for camping and hiking.

The blade is well optimized, provides excellent penetration, and splits logs like oil. The maximum efficiency of the ax, together with its ergonomic handle, ensures that you strike in one blow.

Likewise, it features an anti-corrosive coating located on the head, which can keep the device safe from wear and rust. Also, it has a natural and ergonomic grip that absorbs every impact and uniformly distributes vibration to reduce shock.

Pros
  • Anti-corrosive coating
  • It is versatile
  • Safe from wear and rust
  • The blade is heavy duty and sharp
  • It reduces shock
  • The handle absorbs impact shock
  • It has grip-textured rubber that ensures non-slip performance
  • The ergonomic grip absorb every impact
  • Easy to use
Cons
  • It is not very sharp

2. Husqvarna 26-Inch Felling Multi-Purpose Axe

Husqvarna 26 Inch Felling Multi Purpose Axe Best Felling Axes

If you are looking for an easy-to-use and quality tool that can be used for felling trees, the Husqvarna model is the right feeling axe.

It is a multi-purpose tool perfect for tree felling, branch trimming, clearing bushes, and log limbing. For one thing, the wedge is made of high-quality carbon steel, making it very strong and durable.  

The model weighs 3 lb, cutting deep to deliver a powerful blow with every swing. You can chop branches, firewood, and logs very quickly with it.

It is 26 inches long and is compact enough to handle any outdoor task. The handle is made of wood and has a curved ergonomic design that strikes the perfect balance between functionality and comfort.

Likewise, it is very sharp and strong, making it tear-resistant to handle any difficult cutting task. The head is held to a hickory shaft using a steel and wooden wedge to ensure fastening.

With the best maintenance, this ax can last for a long. Essentially, do not store in very warm conditions because the handle can shrink.

Pros
  • It is versatile
  • The handle is long enough to give additional power
  • It is multi-functional
  • It is inexpensive
  • Safe to use
  • It is lightweight
  • With proper maintenance, it can live for long
  • Strong hickory shaft
Cons
  • The sharp edge can be dinged if you hit the knot accidentally

3. Estwing Sportsman E24A 14-Inch Felling Axe

Estwing Sportsman E24A 14 Inch Felling Axe Best Felling Axes

The Estwing model is outstanding because it is the most durable and longest-lasting tree felling tool. It is perfect for outdoor activities like chopping logs, branches or splitting, kindling, and firewood.

Also, it can be used to cut logs, shrubs, and small trees. The hardened steel blade has high strength and long service life. Anti-friction coating prevents corrosion. 

The design of this ax is quite innovative, offering three times deeper chopping and cleavage than other cheap axes. Its portable and compact design makes it suitable for clearing trails and chopping wood. 

It’s also well balanced, ensuring that it holds the edge very well. It is then hand-lacquered and sanded for a durable and comfortable finish.

Similarly, it has a ballistic nylon sheath to protect the hand-sharpened cutting edge. Both the handle and head of the ax are hand and 1-piece polished to the beautiful finish.

In like manner, this ax offers unsurpassed temper and balance. Also, it has a genuine leather handle to ensure a comfortable feel.

Pros
  • It is versatile
  • It has a heavy-duty sheath
  • The handle has genuine leather
  • It comes with a comfortable finish
  • Durable and corrosion-resistant
  • Sharp and lightweight
  • Easier to sharpen the edge
  • The handle is nearly unbreakable
Cons
  • It begins to rust very fast

4. Fiskars IsoCore Maul Felling 36-Inch Axe

Fiskars IsoCore Maul Felling 36 Inch Axe Best Felling Axes

Are you looking for the felling ax model ideal for driving wedges or splitting wood and driving face? Go for this product from Fiskars because it has the optimized blade geometry, which provides more power, intensity, and penetration, than the typical ax.

The riveted head can stop it from slipping down even when you swing it with the maximum force.

The metal part is equipped with an anti-friction coating, so it glides well between the wood and can be easily removed back. The handle has a soft grip, which increases the reliability of the grip both with gloves and with bare hands.

The sharp edge allows you to chop wood in winter in very cold regions safely and avoid loosening the ax, as is the case with other models; it has wooden handles.

Its funny shape is a lever that helps to increase the force when the cleaver strikes the log. With its help, you can cut such a stump with one blow, which you will have to hit several times with other axes.

Its blade, together with the spine, weighs 8 lb. It is made of stainless steel, which is virtually corrosion resistant. In general, this tool will prove to be indispensable helpers for young, elderly, and strong people.

Pros
  • It has low vibration
  • It offers better penetration
  • Slip-reducing flare
  • It absorbs strike shock
  • Durable and long-lasting
  • Secure when holding
  • It has a warranty
  • Less body stress
  • Offers extra comfort
  • It is dual-purpose
  • It has the premium steel
Cons
  • It’s not aesthetically pleasing

5. LEXIVON V36s 36-Inch Ergonomic Felling Axe

LEXIVON V36s 36 Inch Ergonomic Felling Axe Best Felling Axes

Do you need a perfect felling ax that can maximize your performance? The LEXIVON product is the right model because it has aggressive and optimized blade angles designed for maximum efficiency.

This makes it ideal for hikers, campers, outdoor activities, garden work, and preparing wood for the bonfires.

The cutting part of the ax is made of grade-a carbon, which is optimal for entering the wood. The sharp corner allows the use of a log splitter.

The weight of 7.8 pounds makes the model lightweight and allows you to take it to the forest to slice and fall trees. The length is considerable, which makes it easy to transport, and also convenient to carry it in a space that is limited in height.

The ax handle comes with a reinforced back spine that can help to withstand extreme impact.

Equally important, the fiberglass base itself withstands accidental blows to wood with dignity. This makes it convenient to work with one or two hands.

Above all, this tool has the protective carrying sheath and blade edge guard, which keeps the hatchet safe, conveniently storable, and protected.

Pros
  • The handle is virtually indestructible
  • Durable and versatile
  • Shock absorbing and anti-slip grip
  • It is weather-resistant
  • Long-lasting performance
  • It is lightweight
  • Highly reflective finish
  • It’s sharp enough
  • It has superior quality
  • The handle provides higher sustainability
Cons
  • It has poor quality control

Conclusion

The felling axes are important tools that are required by every household. Go for the above products because their handle is lightweight and durable, and the head is molded with an insert to ensure it never comes off when used in tough jobs.

The design of the ax is quite innovative, offering deeper chopping and cleavage than other cheap axes. Likewise, the portable and compact design makes it suitable for clearing trails and chopping wood. Also, they are well balanced, which ensures that they hold the edge very well.

The Best Felling Axes is Estwing Sportsman E24A 14-Inch Felling Axe because it has a hardened steel blade that is durable and long-lasting.

Besides, it comes with a compact design, making it suitable for clearing trails and chopping wood. This product has attained the above factors because it comes with a hardened steel blade, making it durable and compact, suitable for different activities.