gransfors bruks maul failure

B

bearhunter

Joined
Sep 12, 2009
Messages
1,946
:grumpy:
i recieved a GB splitting maul in sept. for my B' day from my lovely wife.
we are off grid in the mountains of MT and heat with wood (no power within 15 mi. which is good:)).
we burn and cook with around 7 cords a year. i grew up with wood stoves and we have been here for 7 years.
i had been using a sledge/wedge and double bit axe that my father-in-law gave me that was his fathers from the 40's until sept..
the GB split like hell...fantastic i would say. then i had to use the wedge:eek:
the poll rolled and was a beat up mess after a couple of logs.(the sledge i had been using dosen't show a scratch after 6 years and dozens of cords split by me. god only knows how many cords were split with it before by grandpa?) so i quite using it with the wedge and was going to return it in the summer. but continued to split wood with it all winter.
well!!! the head has been a little lose lately. no big deal, i'm sending it back, right!
tonight the damn handle broke off INSIDE the head and flew into the snow...
WTF!!! while i was simple splitting wood.BS...needless to say, i'm a little upset to say the least:jerkit::mad:
i will not be paying for anything in replacement, no shipping-nothing BS... you spend that much $ on a splitting maul and the thing dosen't even last through the winter.
rant over:grumpy:
 
i should also add that it has been kept indoors and treated like a baby. linseed oiled regularly and simply 'petted'. the damn thing has never even been wet...except for snow, which i wipe off before putting "her" away...
 
Interesting story for sure. I'll be watching to see how it turns out. I assume you have their phone number. I would really like to see a photo of the girl that bought it for you. that might help us understand the whole thing better.
 
cckw said:
Interesting story for sure. I'll be watching to see how it turns out. I assume you have their phone number. I would really like to see a photo of the girl that bought it for you. that might help us understand the whole thing better.
Click to expand...

nice try;) no pics of the wife.
if i have time tomarrow i'll post pics of the POS maul.
and yes i do have their contact info and will be doing so tomarrow.
i'll keep you guess posted:rolleyes:
 
Wow that's unfortunate. Do GB mauls have have axe eyes or sledge eyes? Either way, I don't think a handle should ever break off inside of the head.
 
Every piece of wood can have flaws that you won't see from the outside.

Unless their CS has changed, they'll make it right for you.
 
BRab said:
Wow that's unfortunate. Do GB mauls have have axe eyes or sledge eyes? Either way, I don't think a handle should ever break off inside of the head.
Click to expand...

they have maul eyes. and a metal sleeve below the maul to protect the wood.
as i said; i wasn't even using a wedge i was just splitting wood.
i'm sure they'll make it right.
sometimes things just go wrong with wood. but i've never heard of a handle breaking off IN the head either. strange...
 
I've managed to FUBAR some fiberglass handled mauls before. $40, last 7 or so years, then get another.

I like GB style, but mauls should take a beating so I tend to stay away from wood handles.
 
M67 said:
I've managed to FUBAR some fiberglass handled mauls before. $40, last 7 or so years, then get another.

I like GB style, but mauls should take a beating so I tend to stay away from wood handles.
Click to expand...

it wasn't an issue with handle damage. i only used the poll with a wedge on a couple logs (the poll was soft and became damaged-beat up).
i was just splitting wood like i do everyday using the bit.
the 8# sledge i had been using for 6 years has a wood handle and works just fine. never a problem unless i screwed up and hit the handle against the wedge. thats nothing a little duct tape couldn't fix:p the double bit axe splits just fine with a wood handle. no problem there. this damn GB head just flew off.
i wanted to stop using sledge/wedge and axe and consolidate into one tool. thinking i was geeting "the best". i don't know, i'm sure it's just a fluke. well see, i emailed them today.
 
Last edited:
Definitely defective in both the handle and HT - the handle for obvious reasons and the HT because that poll sounds way too soft.

I'm sure GB will take care of it no problem though. On the bright side, with the maul breaking off inside the eye, you'll probably only have to ship back the head for a replacement maul. If you have to pay shipping to them, that'll be pretty cheap. If they want the handle for inspection as well though, have them pay return shipping :jerkit:

While I love my GBs, I'm somewhat with M67 on this one... dishing out a $100-120 for a nice bushcraft/camping axe is perfectly acceptable in my book. Easy to use it wisely and have the thing last indefinitely. But a splitting maul? By its very nature, it demands heavy usage verging on abuse and is more likely to eventually fail. I'd be hard pressed tossing down $175 for one with that in mind. But I guess there is the 20 year warranty, so if your claim goes well, I'd be less hesitant. Definitely keep us updated!

A couple questions out of curiosity:
1) What's the maker's mark on your maul?
2) Are their mauls secured by one metal wedge or two?

**EDIT - thought popped to mind** How hardened would you say the wedge you use is? When you're striking two metal surfaces together, you obviously want the more dispensable one to be the thing that takes all the impact and does all the mushrooming. Preferably, with splitting wedges, you want one that's decently hard at the bit but still relatively soft at the back. That way, the wedge is the one that mushrooms with use instead of the maul. If the wedge is pretty hard at the back, then obviously that's going to mean that the maul is the one taking the beating, which isn't exactly preferable with a $175 maul. If both the maul AND wedge are hardened though, that means all the force is going straight to the handle and is going to cause that to break... IMO, from the sounds of it, you might have a relatively hard wedge which would be great for cheaper, softer mauls but not so much for a GB. As silly as it sounds, perhaps set it aside in favor of cheaper, softer wedges?
 
Last edited:
bearhunter said:
it wasn't an issue with handle damage. i only used the poll with a wedge on a couple logs (the poll was soft and became damaged-beat up).
i was just splitting wood like i do everyday using the bit.
the 8# sledge i had been using for 6 years has a wood handle and works just fine. never a problem unless i screwed up and hit the handle against the wedge. thats nothing a little duct tape couldn't fix:p the double bit axe splits just fine with a wood handle. no problem there. this damn GB head just flew off.
i wanted to stop using sledge/wedge and axe and consolidate into one tool. thinking i was geeting "the best". i don't know, i'm sure it's just a fluke. well see, i emailed them today.
Click to expand...

Gotcha :thumbup:

With the mauls/wedges I use, one of them takes the beating.

I've had wedges that are so damn hard they gouge the maul up pretty good. I've had wedges that I take huge chunks out of (did that a couple weekends ago actually) or little pieces break off and act like shrapnel (had a piece come back and hit me in the chest, actually stuck in the skin).

When you get that much steel moving with that much energy, and it hits another large piece of steel, something is bound to break over time, and in this case, the time wasn't very long.


I've noticed that the GB splitting maul poll IS designed for pounding while the large splitting axe is NOT. Just an odd observation, I don't know if it's important though.
 
killa_concept said:
Definitely defective in both the handle and HT - the handle for obvious reasons and the HT because that poll sounds way too soft.

I'm sure GB will take care of it no problem though. On the bright side, with the maul breaking off inside the eye, you'll probably only have to ship back the head for a replacement maul. If you have to pay shipping to them, that'll be pretty cheap. If they want the handle for inspection as well though, have them pay return shipping :jerkit:

While I love my GBs, I'm somewhat with M67 on this one... dishing out a $100-120 for a nice bushcraft/camping axe is perfectly acceptable in my book. Easy to use it wisely and have the thing last indefinitely. But a splitting maul? By its very nature, it demands heavy usage verging on abuse and is more likely to eventually fail. I'd be hard pressed tossing down $175 for one with that in mind. But I guess there is the 20 year warranty, so if your claim goes well, I guess I'd be less hesitant. Definitely keep us updated!

Oh, and a few questions for you:
1) How hardened would you say the wedge you use is? When you're striking two metal surfaces together, you obviously want the more dispensable one to be the thing that takes all the impact and does all the mushrooming. Preferably, with splitting wedges, you want one that's decently hard at the bit but still relatively soft at the back. That way, the wedge is the one that mushrooms with use instead of the maul. If the wedge is pretty hard at the back, then obviously that's going to mean that the maul is the one taking the beating, which isn't exactly preferable with a $175 maul.
1) What's the maker's mark on your maul?
2) Are their mauls secured by one metal wedge or two?
Click to expand...
1: i can't say for sure as to the rockwell of the wedge. it was given to me by my father-in-law which was his fathers. he thinks that they (sledge,wedge,axe) are from the forties and all are suppose to be sears & roebuck (i can read S&R on the axe and can make out 'made in USA' on the sledge and wedge. the wedge top has "mushroomed" over time and does seem very tough. i know that i've sure beat the hell out of it...:D
2: the smith stamp on the maul is RA.
3: there is only 1 metal wedge
 
M67 said:
Gotcha :thumbup:

With the mauls/wedges I use, one of them takes the beating.

I've had wedges that are so damn hard they gouge the maul up pretty good. I've had wedges that I take huge chunks out of (did that a couple weekends ago actually) or little pieces break off and act like shrapnel (had a piece come back and hit me in the chest, actually stuck in the skin).

When you get that much steel moving with that much energy, and it hits another large piece of steel, something is bound to break over time, and in this case, the time wasn't very long.


I've noticed that the GB splitting maul poll IS designed for pounding while the large splitting axe is NOT. Just an odd observation, I don't know if it's important though.
Click to expand...
that's funny... i've had "shrapnel" fly from the wedge many times when pounding on it with the sledge.
oh yeah. the GB (poll) maul is meant to pound on a wedge. that's the whole thing though, i wasn't even using a wedge, just splitting with the bit.
 
I personally agree with the guys who say buy a cheap maul but a cool axe. But this is coming fro ma guy who has never used a maul to split wood. But if you like splitting wood and aren't a hiker/camper etc, then I certainly can see the coolness of a GB maul.

Do you guys grind your wedges to clear the mushroom stuff? We always did that with chisels to avoid the danger.
 
naw...i don't really see a need in it(talking about grinding the wedge).
i got a response back today from GS. they are going to take care of everything including return shipping(as well they should). it's late...tomarrow i'll post their kind response.
 
bearhunter said:
naw...i don't really see a need in it(talking about grinding the wedge).
i got a response back today from GS. they are going to take care of everything including return shipping(as well they should). it's late...tomarrow i'll post their kind response.
Click to expand...

good to hear
 
I always grind the mushrooming off of my wedges. In addition to being a safety issue it also lengthens the life of the wedge by preventing tear-out.
 
well i got my return label in the mail last week from GB. we will be going into town tomarrow, so i'll be sending the ol' girl back.
i have grown attached to her, but you can't use a broken maul...!
i have to say that the whole experience with their CS has been nothing but outstanding up to this point. i'm sure i will have a new maul in the mail within a week/week and a half or so.
they have been very kind and helpful.
will keep you guys updated...
thanks
p.s.; i even got a nice HAND written letter with the return label. i thought that was nice...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top