axes are too dangerous because they are sharp,,hatchets are too dangerous because they have a short handle and are too close to a soft part of your body, i use a long handled splitting maul,,its dull even new, and has a sledge hammer on one end,,length and distance are good,, the farther away the better..i can usually get 2 crow bars in the side of a dryer and then pop the side off,,or u can go online and see how these thing are supposed to be taken apart by the repair man, its really easy some of them..