• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

DIY Tool Expert

DIY Tools Reviewed

  • Woodworking Tools
  • Hand Tools
  • Electrical
  • Blog
  • Contact

Charles James / Last Updated on September 11, 2020

Felling Axe vs Chopping Axe | Which one and Why?

Felling axe vs chopping axe can be a tricky duel while deciding which one to use for a particular job and which one will be more efficient. Despite having some similar external structure, a felling axe and a chopping axe have their own set of specialties which makes them ideal for certain kinds of woodwork.

Felling Axe vs Chopping Axe

Felling Axe

Felling axe, as the name suggests, specializes in cutting down trees. The mechanism of felling trees with this axe involves the blade of the head making deep cuts into the tree and most importantly across the wood grain. Its head has a blade that is sharp enough to sink deep inside the trunk with every stroke.

You may also like to read – best felling axe.

Felling Axe

Chopping Axe

A chopping axe, on the other hand, is used to chop or split woods. Chopping or splitting wood basically means splitting it along with the wood grain. That’s why the chopping axe does not make deep cuts into the grain instead, it tries to split the grain and ultimately split the wood into two smaller pieces.

Chopping Axe

The Differences

Differentiating between a felling axe and a chopping axe is done based on some criteria. These criteria include everything from build design to the mechanism of the axes while felling trees or chopping wood.

Weight

The overall weight of a felling axe is around the 4.5 lbs to 6.5 lbs range. But a chopping axe weighs in from around 5 lbs to as high as 7lbs in some axes overall.

When it comes to weight distribution, the head of a felling axe normally takes in 3 lbs to 4.5 pounds of the total weight. In the case of chopping axes, the head weighs in around 3.5 lbs to 4.5 lbs.

Advantages Due to Variation in Weight

The felling axe benefits greatly from the comparatively lower weight than that of the chopping axe for cutting trees. Because cutting trees require somewhat horizontal strokes. Having a heavy axe makes the job difficult for the user.

However, the chopping axe’s weight allows the axe to push and split the wood grains apart. That’s why it needs more force and the extra weight gives the axe that advantage.

Length

Felling axes generally come with a handle that could fit anywhere within the range of 28 inches to 36 inches when it comes to their length. Most chopping axes’ handle are 30inches to 36 inches long.

The Handle

The handle of a chopping axe is straight in most cases because most of the working is done using the kinetic energy by lifting the axe up. But there is a bit of curve to the handle of a felling axe for better grip while stroking a tree.

Heads of The Axes

The Head of a felling axe has a sharper blade than that of a chopping axe. The chopping axes’ blade is a bit blunt compared to the former axe.

The cheeks of the chopping axe are wide. But the felling axe has got thin cheeks. The butt of the chopping axe is broad and as a result, they have a wedge-shaped head. However, felling axes don’t have a broad butt and their head are not wedge-shaped.

The Benefit of Different Type of Head

The head of a felling axe is made for penetrating the trunk across the wood grain. Hence, the sharper blade. But a chopping axe’s head is used to split into pieces that do not require much penetration. The wedge shape helps to push the grains apart and split in the middle.

Final Verdict

While picking a perfect axe for felling trees or chopping woods, both types of axes are winners in this felling axe vs chopping axe duel. Their weight, length, and all other attributes are designed for different tasks.

Felling trees and chopping woods with axe have two different mechanisms behind them. The felling axe is perfect for cutting down trees while the chopping axe excels at chopping woods.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest

Related

Filed Under: Firewood Tools Tagged With: axe, Chopping wood, Felling axe

Charles James

Hi, I am Charles James, The man behind DiyToolExpert. I worked as a Freelance handyman for 15 years, Now I am here sharing my best, for the best. I believe it helps and I love helping people.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • How to Solder Aluminum with Soldering Iron?
  • 7 Best 23 Gauge Pin Nailer | Reviews & Top Picks Of 2020
  • Best Soil Moisture Meter | Your Watering Sensor
  • Best Wet Dry Vac Under $100 | Quality Products Within Your Budget
  • How to Connect Copper Pipe Without Soldering?
  • Leave No Mark Behind | Best Rawhide Hammer
  • Best Chip Carving Knife | Woodworking Essential

Footer

Contact Us

Please ping us through our contact page, we will get back in short.

Contact Us

Affiliate Discloser

DiyToolExpert.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.

Learn More

Follow Us

© 2021 · DIY Tool Expert | All Rights Reserved

  • Home
  • Affiliate Discloser
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • About