When I was just entering college, my folks heated their house with firewood. My dad, had a part time mechanic shop, working on big trucks and log skidders etc. He mentioned to one of his logging customers that he had cut all the wood he cared to on his 40 acres, did he know of a place he could cut some wood? Bill said that he thought so and would get back to him.
About a week later, Dad hears an air horn in the drive, Bill is directing a semi with a load of logs where to stop, followed by a loader ( crane type deal with a claw, very effective ). Unloads that truck and five more. BIG PILE OF WOOD!
Got home from school Friday night, saw the pile of logs.
Came in the house, sitting on the bed, was a new Stihl, a new splitting maul, ax and wedges, no hydraulics here.
Spent every weekend for months, cutting up, splitting and stacking. My parents were grandparents before they needed wood again.
Hated gum - as was said above, axe or maul, bounces off, soggy wet wood, even after letting it sit to dry for months. Good dry oak, liked that, except for the odd piece of blackjack oak. If they made bats out of that, would never break one.
Love this clip of the ultimate firewood splitter though:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdXzaGFkWfU GOT to get one of those!