For kindling, most people use Kiln dried kindling wood as a fire starter. I grew up using a mixture of newspaper and old offcuts we had lying around that were small enough to fit in the burner. It was such a struggle as there was never really that much spare wood lying around, and we had to make do.
To buy pre-cut kindling wood in a suitable and consistent sizes can be an expensive task, so most people resort to cutting their own kindling from logs anyway. The Kindling Cracker XL gives you the power to do this with any log, no matter the size, and creates perfect kindling wood every time in a safe and easy manner.
Main Highlights
- Safe
- Easy to use
- Reliable and accurate
- Long-lasting
Design
Unlike an axe or saw that is often used by most people, the Kindling Cracker King XL does not use an open blade, instead, it uses a splitting wedge. If you have little ones running around then it is one less thing to worry about as this is one of the safest options for splitting wood.
Made in an Australian foundry with classic timeless cast iron design, it doesn’t look out of place around wood burners or a log pile in your living room, garden, or garage. This is the XL but it is still small enough to blend in with furniture or a log pile and fits in perfectly with its sleek black appearance and sweet, traditional design.
The H base with 10.5 inches of width helps it to stay stable, however, if you’re really getting into the big logs then it can wobble a little. The manufacturers have mentioned that it is possible to bolt it to a surface, so if you have a normal stump or bench where you like to chop wood then a few lag screws and some penny washers will do the trick and keep it rock solid.
That might be worth trying for anyone with large kindling needs, or who just likes to take their anger out on the logs. As long as you’re splitting regular logs the H-base is more than capable of providing the support you need, especially since it requires much less force than chopping kindling with a regular axe.
There is a smaller version, however, I would recommend buying this version from the off. While kindling is generally small, perhaps the logs that you split will not be, and with the smaller version, you limit the number of logs that can be made into kindling.
The XL opens up a whole new world of possibilities and ensures you’ll never be short of the stuff as you can chop logs up to 40% larger than the original. Personally, I think buying the small one is a gamble and it’s better to get the big one first and rest assured you’ll be able to fit any log in the 9 inches inside the gap. It’s also taller than the original, standing at 17 inches which means that it can support much longer logs too.
Using the Kindling Cracker XL Log Splitter
Let me tell you how it works because it is really easy. Dreamt up by a New Zealand school student who didn’t want to hurt his hands anymore while chopping wood, all you need to do is place the log through the opening in the centre of the Kindling Cracker King XL, against the bottom ridge and apply a blow with any blunt object.
This drives the log onto the splitting wedge and creates wonderful kindling wood at each attempt. It’s accurate and it does most of the work for you, all you have to do is administer a good whack, but remember you need much less force than you would with traditional log splitting methods.
It is much easier than an axe as there’s no overhead swinging two or three times required, just one whack and it splits your log perfectly.
Don’t get me wrong it’s still a workout after a while, especially if you’re using thick logs. You do need a mallet or another such blunt object to hit the firewood log into the Kindling Cracker to split it (which does not come with the product).
So it’s not a completely risk-free operation, and you may need someone with log cutting experience to operate it at first. However, the concept is so simple that there’s no harm in having a go, and just about anyone who needs kindling could make it work, regardless of physical strength.
There is a chance of splinters and of course, there are hammers or mallets involved, so it is still important to wear protective goggles and gloves. It is, however, a lot safer than splitting logs in a regular fashion, no more aching arms from the range of motion, and you don’t have to worry about blisters in your hands.
Works great if you plan on heating up a pizza oven or outdoor grill that requires a smaller size of kindling wood to heat things up.
Price of the Kindling Cracker XL
While the price may seem to be a tad expensive at first glance, you get A LOT of use out of it before it even begins to scratch, and there’s no risk of the cast iron bending or warping. If you take good care of it and regularly spray it with WD40 you can easily get decades out of the product.
The initial investment will carry you over for a long time, certainly enough to get your money back that you would have spent on pre-cut kindling, and much longer.
Pros
- Safe
- Easy to Use
- Reliable and accurate
- Long Lasting
Cons
- Can wobble if not placed on even ground
- At 10kg, it can be heavy to carry around your garden
Final Thoughts on the Kindling Cracker XL Log Splitter
As always we received the product with quick delivery and suitable packaging, and they also ship worldwide. The company specialises in this very product so if you have any questions they are quick and knowledgable with their response. We are certainly nice and cosy now we have enough kindling to keep us going.
If you need kindling and are sick of searching through your log pile to find the broken or misshapen pieces that are small enough to get your fire going, or your muscles are aching from long hours of wood chopping then the Kindling Cracker King XL will make your life much easier.
Simple, safe, stress-free and so much better than the alternatives of using a manual axe.
