Stihl is an award-winning brand with some of the best outdoor power equipment – especially when it comes to chainsaws.
Its product collection expands even further to gardening tools, concrete cutters, and axes, as we’re looking at here.
Stihl offers some decent axes that are durable and reliable, but I’ll let you know right up front, not everyone loves them. I’ll share both the good and the bad down below.
If you’re anything like me, you want an axe that gets the job done as quickly and easily as possible. Gathering firewood already takes long enough without using an ineffective or less effective axe.
Let’s find out if a Stihl axe or maul is right for you.
Best Stihl Axes
There are three top-of-the-line products Stihl offers its customers that are perfect for the fall and winter.
With different functions, these three products are some of the best Stihl axes on the market.
Whether you need an axe for tree felling or splitting firewood, here are some of the top Stihl axes to consider.
1. Best Heavy Duty Axe: Stihl Pro Splitting Maul
- Head weight: 6.6 lbs
- Length: 33.5 inches
- Material: hickory wood handle, C60 steel head
The STIHL Pro Splitting Maul has a long handle and blunt head designed to split wood open with force, as opposed to gradual repetition.
It’s shaped like a wedge to get into the wood and part it quicker than a splitting axe.
Stihl’s maul is made with hickory wood for the handle and a long steel sleeve just below the head, which is built with premium steel. These material choices are purposeful and designed to limit vibrations and strengthen the maul on impact.
Positive comments:
- I love mine and have no problem splitting hickory and oak and these things are razer sharp.
- The wooden handle is far superior to a fiberglass or composite handle maul like the Fiskars.
- Mine is great. No problems at all.
- Stihl’s offers a lifetime warranty on their mauls so well worth it in my opinion.
- I think it’s a great tool. If you miss the log and hit the handle enough, eventually anything will break. Swing better!
- Got mine without the steel and it does some serious work. I’ve split countless cords and haven’t had any problems.
- I’ve got the Pro splitting maul and axe and absolutely love them. Haven’t found a wood that they won’t split.
Less-positive comments:
- Mauls should weigh at least 8 pounds to be any good. The Stihl Maul is too light weight.
- Hydraulic wood splitter for me👍
- I got it and it broke within a year. There was no give within the metal collar – I got a new handle without the collar and it broke again. Went to Fiskars and won’t look back.
- I have tried many different brands of splitting axe and have found that nothing compares to the 8-pound Fiskars splitter I have now.
Check out these other recommended splitting mauls before making a final decision.
2. Best Multi-Purpose Axe: Stihl Pro Splitting Axe
- Head weight: 5.5 lbs
- Length: 31.5 inches
- Material: hickory wood handle, C60 steel head
Stihl’s Pro Splitting Axe has a similar appearance to its splitting maul, but the functions of these axes are different. You can go deep into the differences between axes and mauls here.
It’s much easier to find negative comments about this Stihl axe than it is to find positive ones (see below).
With a smaller handle and less weight, this axe has a wide range of purposes, including chopping, splitting, and shaping with how easy it is to swing.
It’s made with a hickory handle and drop-forged steel head for its versatility and has the same steel sleeve as the maul to limit vibrations. If you’re looking for an axe that is the jack of all trades, the Pro Splitting Axe is an ideal option.
Positive comments:
- I recently bought the Stihl axe. It’s a good axe with two faults. It comes dull and with a terrible sheath. Once I sharpened it sufficiently enough, the axe sliced right through the sheath. Is it worth it? Time with tell.
- A decent splitting axe – the metal collar makes it.
- If you can get it cheaper as part of a chainsaw deal as I did then it’s worth it. I paid about $40 rather than over $100.
- It’s all I use on clear-grain wood. I think you will like it.
Less-positive comments:
- For a pro-axe, they could have provided a leather sheath.
- For the price, I cannot justify these axes.
- No. Poor quality for the price.
- I just think they’re a bit overpriced.
- Junk wood and junk steel. But works for mild work.
- I think I’ll stick with Fiskers after all the handle issues I’ve heard about the Stihls.
- You may have the axe head for a while but you’ll be replacing the handle for sure.
- I prefer the Husqvarna axe over the Stihl or Fiskars. They are made in the Hults Bruk forge by the same craftsman that make the Hults Bruk axes. This forge is one of the oldest in Sweden and has been operating for around a century.
Check out these other recommended splitting axes before making a final decision.
3. Best Light Duty Axe: Woodcutter Forestry Axe
- Head weight: 2.2 lbs
- Length: 23.5″
- Material: ash handle, steel head
The Woodcutter Forestry Axe is a light-duty axe made with an ash wood handle and steelhead.
Ash wood is durable, but compared to hickory, it’s not nearly as strong.
With ash wood and no steel sleeve, it’s clear this axe is designed for a different sort of chopping, which is felling.
Instead of applying a direct, blunt force downward, this forestry axe is meant for horizontal swings to take down trees. It has a wide variety of purposes apart from felling, but it’s not as strong or designed for heavy-duty chops as the previously mentioned axes.
The biggest problem with this axe is that it doesn’t have a protective collar like the splitting axe above.
Positive comments:
- It’s no worse than a standard one you can find at a hardware store and certainly better than those fiberglass ones that dry out and split within a few years.
- Great axe and all Stihl hand tools come with an original owner lifetime warranty too.
- For kindling get the timber axe and it’s worth it.
- I have one. Light and easy to carry.
- Great for pounding wedges. That’s all I use mine for.
- Good axe for the buck. I’ve used one for about three years for limboing, driving wedges, and light splitting. I sanded some of the varnish off of the handle for a better grip. One-third the price of Granfors Bruk.
- I use that exact one for driving felling wedges and it has been perfect.
- I have an axe similar to that but mine has the metal collar below the head to protect the handle. I use it all the time for banging wedges and wrapping the throw line around the handle when I need extra pull.
Less-positive comments:
- If you are buying an axe to split wood buy a Fiskars
- Get the collared version. Thank me later.
- I broke the handle pounding wedges. Disappointing.
- Not a good axe to chop with.
- I have a pair of hatchets from Stihl. I do like them but have not been impressed with how the handles are hung or the grain patterns in the handles. I’d recommend buying the Husqvarna instead.
Check out these other types of axes before making a final decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
See the difference between the Stihl Pro Splitting Axe and the Woodcutter Splitter Maul in this comparison video.
Stihl isn’t a brand known for its axes, so many customers have questions we all want to be answered.
Here are some of the most frequently asked ones and the best answers we can formulate to them.
Are Stihl axes worth it?
When you purchase an axe, you want it to last – especially if it’s not a cheap one.
Stihl axes are worth the price, in my opinion. Two out of the three on our list are comparatively cheap as well. Stihl axes are durable and reliable wood spitters from a brand that focuses on quality.
However, there is no denying that other brands on the market have a better reputation with their axes. This is simply because these companies have been making axes for much longer than Stihl and focus solely on promoting the best axe.
Gransfors Bruks and/or Helko Werk are two examples of other quality axe makers.
Where is the Stihl axe made?
Stihl is a massive, well-known company with stores in over a hundred countries.
Their axes are potentially made all around the world, but it’s believed the axe heads (at least) are drop forged in Germany. Stihl, the company, was founded in 1926 in Waiblingen, Germany, where its main headquarters resides now.
Many of the products that are sold in the USA are also made, assembled, or finished in the USA.
What is the Stihl Forestry Axe used for?
The Stihl Forestry Axe is a lighter-duty axe and compared to its counterparts.
It’s meant for felling or other tree cutting that doesn’t require blunt force. Forestry axes are supposed to cut across the grain of the wood, so limbing is another function of the forestry axe.
Their mauls and professional axes are designed to go along the grain of the wood for more intense versions of cutting wood. With its strong hickory wood handle and steel sleeves, their forestry axe is lighter in weight and made with ash wood and no sleeve.
So, the Forestry Axe is made for light cutting that doesn’t require a lot of force. It could also be used for bushwhacking or hobby work.
Are Stihl axes and mauls reliable?
Stihl is a brand notable for its chainsaws that they have been making since the 1920s (see their first chainsaw here).
While their axes are reliable, there are other companies whose sole focus is creating strong, durable, and reliable axes.
Their Splitting Pro Axe has great customer reviews, but experiences with the maul are silent. It’s ultimately up to you which axe and brand suit your needs best, but Stihl makes impressive axes and mauls despite their focus on power tools.
Are Husqvarna Axes Better than Stihl?
This question is subjective to the user.
Husqvarna is similar to Stihl. They make outdoor forest and garden equipment as well. However, many people regard Husqvarna’s axes as better made and more well-rounded. Stihl receives compliments on their axes but not as many compared to Husqvarna.
In one comment, Haiden said:
Husqvarna heads are hand forged. Better quality of metal. I have the Stihl set and they are great. But when they brake I’ll be going with something else. Anyone who says fiberglass over wood is silly.
The real secret is that fiberglass breaks as easy or easier than wood when you wack the handle. Anyone who says they’ve never broken an axe or maul and uses them daily is full of it. The difference is one is repairable one is not.
The determination on which is better is entirely up to the user, the frequency of axe use, budget, and what it is being used for.
Do Stihl make throwing axes?
As far as I am aware, Stihl does not yet make throwing axes – though it would be cool if they did!
Axe throwing clubs and competitions are starting up all over the place, so it’s a market they should start catering for.
Stihl Axes
Stihl axes overall have a controversial review because Stihl is a company known for its chainsaws and power tools. While their axes get the job done, many companies focus solely on bringing the best axe to market.
Stihl has three top-of-the-line axes for their brand, the Splitting Pro Axe, the Splitting Pro Maul, and their Woodcutter Forestry Axe are multi-purpose and durable, but it’s up to you whether or not they are what you’re looking for.
If you want to take things to the next level, consider getting a small firewood/log splitter – there are many good gas and electric models (though gas is best, in my opinion)!
