These types of tools have started to become very popular in the fire service. I have been able to use all three of these that come to mind right away. 1. Fire Maul 2. Badaxx 3. The Pig All of them have the reasons that make them great. Fire Maul is local to me, and the creator/owner is an awesome guy. The small things that went into making this tool go way beyond just smashing and demolishing with it. They designed this thing to not allow so many firemen to get it stuck in the roof and if it does, a quick and easy maneuver can be done to remove it. The original tool is a 10#, but I am very excited that they are releasing an 8#. I was able to check out the 8# tool at FDIC and I am very excited to own one. Other great things about this company is that they specialize in grip tape. My Dad's firehouse just decked out all of their tools in this tape. Me personally, I think the best tool for the tape is the NY Roof Hook. The tape is great for anything, but it really excels in the hook. You can also check out the custom wood handles they make. Overall, these guys are awesome and make great products. Currently I own my own personal Badaxx and have had the handle chip and they replaced it no questions asked, so customer service for that is top notch. While it's only a 6# tool, I would not let that fool you at all. The way that the handle is designed is the best feature of this tool. It allows the user to get a giant hard focused swing into the roof, door jamb, you name it. I am not a man of gimmicks, so I could care less about the hydrant wrenches, but the bail out system is a good addition to this tool as well. They designed the head of this tool as well so that it wouldn't get stuck in any roof. Having been able to chop a good selection of roofs with this tool I think it performs for what it was meant to do and excels. With the bailout section of the tool on the head I think if you bury the head and pull it out you end up making an even bigger hole, so it's not a minus in my book. Probably my favorite part of the tool however is the pick. This part of the tool is the whole reason why doing a baseball bat swing is so easy with this and forces doors with somewhat ease. The pick splits the jamb easily and then a little technique just to pop the rest of the door. The Pig is the tool that I have worked with the least unfortunately. I still think that this is a great and reliable tool. It has good weight to it, and when it comes to ventilation it does what it was meant for.... Smashing! I also like the pick of this tool much like I had mentioned with the Badaxx. I however think the angle of the head the Badaxx provides is just a bit better for forcing some doors. Marrying the haligan is a possibility for all of these tools as well. The Fire Maul and Fire Pig are better at marrying because they use the forks which tend to be more universal in size. The Badaxx uses the adz of a haligan which usually will only work with a Pro Bar. (I know.... Pro Bar is top notch. But some like Leatherhead Bars too.) Rating the tools, I would follow the same 1-2-3 as above. They all can smash a roof no matter the weight or tool mechanics. They all can force doors too. But, I think it's the design features of angles, weights, and marrying options that decide the winner.
