As far as manual tree felling and splitting, I'm partial to the Fiskars chopping axe (X15) and the Fiskars X25 Splitting Axe.

Fiskars has various models to choose from depending on the length that is the best size for you. Generally speaking, the correct size is determined by grabbing the axe handle immediately below the head, hold it vertically with an outstretched arm (sideways to your body), then rotate the handle so that it's held along your arm. The bottom of the axe handle should extend to the top of your shoulder (not past). The weight of the head shouldn't be heavier than you can lift it to a vertical position with one hand. To check this, hold your arm down next to your body grabbing the axe handle. Keeping your elbow next to your body, raise your forearm and axe outward to the vertical position.

For trees under a foot in diameter I often have used a Fiskars 30 inch bow saw. They don't jam in wet wood, are inexpensive and work quickly. They are also ideal to remove large branches when it's not ideal to use a pruning saw.

Fiskars axes come with a lifetime warranty. There's not much of a chance that you'll ever have to replace it, as they're pretty much indestructible.

As far as stoves are concerned, there are several threads on various types and their uses on this site. Many of us have several different stoves (wood, propane, alcohol, multi-fuel, etc.) so if you're only choosing one and have a supply of wood, that would be my choice. I'll be interested to see the comments of others...

Generally speaking, the correct size is determined by grabbing the axe handle immediately below the head, hold it vertically with an outstretched arm (sideways to your body), then rotate the handle so that it's held along your arm. The bottom of the axe handle should extend to the top of your shoulder (not past). The weight of the head shouldn't be heavier than you can lift it to a vertical position with one hand. To check this, hold your arm down next to your body grabbing the axe handle. Keeping your elbow next to your body, raise your forearm and axe outward to the vertical position.

Thanks - that is really useful to know.

When I got the Axe, I hadn't checked this at all.

Will pay more attention for the next purchase.

For wood handled axes, check out the grain of the wood. Look at the end of the handle. It may be hard if they have a lot of paint on it but, the grain should be in line with the blade/ straight. The more the lines/ grain are angled/ 20,30,45 degrees, the more likelyhood of it eventually breaking.

If by outdoor stove you mean outdoor furnace, I recommend you look at central boiler. Mine was able to accept 4 foot logs with ease. I could load it up in dead of winter Friday night and come home Sunday at five PM and have plenty of hot coals for reload. Water temp in boiler was 180 and it may have dropped tp 140-160. Great unit. Needs electricity to run water from it to the inside of your home heating distribution system but it has a ton of benefits like no premium for insurance, less splitting and cutting / throw whole
Logs in, four footers, branches... house is radiant hot water, but they work for forced air as well

If you are near a Husqvarna dealer stop in. Some of them carry the Husqvarna axe line. Wood or composite handles. Usually made under contract by decent Swedish makers. At the very least you can handle some good axes and see what feels right.

Here is a link to a manual to keep your choppers working..

http://www.bchmt.org/documents/education/AnAxetoGrind.pdf

Thank you for your advice I'm thinking of cutting my backyard, but it's so big. To be planted to other.

The only time I use an axe or hatchet is to split. My bow saw is always my first cutting tool. I've only ever purchased cheapo Cantire bows, they seem to work. That ripping blade makes short work of all but the thickest pieces of wood. When I do swing an axe, it's an Estwing 26", but then, I have no really large pieces of trunk to split. I've been eyeballing "Wilton" axes, lately, though. They advertise as having unbreakable handles, I'll likely go that way if I decide I need a maul.
http://www.wiltontools.com/us/en/view-series/b-a-s-h-splitting-mauls/SpltMaul

Also considered a hydraulic splitter, using hand-powered rams. Not convinced it is superior to a wedge or maul, though.

I've also got a Kindling Cracker, which hasn't migrated to camp yet. Seems like a good idea, takes the sharp edge out of the motion. I've given it as a gift, and the old folks like it better than swinging the axe.
https://www.kindlingcracker.com/

Virtually all my splitting is done with an Estwing Fireside Friend, though. My local supply of wood is just not worthy of a big axe.

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Bought a Silky Bigboy 2000 with XL teeth, recently. Wow, what a saw. I'm mostly cutting 13cm and under, Box Elder & Poplar. Nothing to it.
http://www.silkysaws.com/Silky_Saws/Folding-Curved_2/Bigboy-2000-XL-Teeth#sthash.YqBBaZsw.dpbs

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1 - 6 foot me-to-you saw.
2 - 18 inch Silky saw
3 - Double bit axe
4 - 24 inch Estwing camp axe
5 - Splitting maul
6 - Hatchet
7 - Splitting wedge and hammer

Of course, right now I'm not using the me-to-you saw because there's only me. For now, I drop trees with my Stihl chainsaw.

Forgot to mention, I acquired a DeWalt 60V chainsaw https://www.dewalt.ca/en-ca/products/power-tools/outdoor-power-equipment/flexvolt-60v-max-brushless-chainsaw/dccs670x1 last Spring, have used it a few times. I'll qualify my thoughts by saying I've never used a gas-powered one.

I like it, but it is not the kind of tool you take for a full day's work. It sucks a 60V battery (expensive) down pretty quickly. IIRC, I limbed & cut three 40' Poplars (felled by beavers, maybe 30cm diameter) on one 9.0Ah battery. I use a light chain oil, and it seems to me I'm adding chain oil quite often, at least twice per battery. It's quiet during use, silent when you set it down to stack your new rounds. Plus, I can "refuel" it off my solar-charged remote battery pack & inverter. It is a fairly light weight piece of kit, but not something I would carry in a mobile circumstance; it stays at base camp and is carried out for specific jobs.

As a tool for occasional use, making short work of large(ish) cuts, it's pretty nice. I've read that people are using vegetable oil for their chain lube, as well, which to me suggests it makes a pretty decent prepper tool - so long as the (LiIon) battery holds up, I can use it long after the gasoline & mineral oil have stopped being meted out. If you have a larger job, say, clearing a plot of jackpine or something, you'd have to choose your cuts efficiently, or stockpile a bunch of pricey batteries.

As for outdoor wood stoves, you really can't beat a Kelly Kettle for boiling water. It's a time-proven design. For a burner, I have a couple of those small collapsible "gasifying" stoves. I originally encountered them as Wild Woodstove's "Wild Woodgas Stove", but there are billion knockoffs on eBay.ca. Silverfire makes a bunch of good products for wood cooking, as well, check their website out. I prefer to steam my food, as I have little trust in natural unfiltered water, so a pot with a steam basket or two, is important to me.

Edit: Forgot to mention, I acquired a Wilton 8lb splitting maul, recently, with an "unbreakable" 36" handle. I am a rotten aim, hit the handle a *lot*, especially as I get tired, and their handles seem to be able to take my abuse.

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It looks like I will be the odd man out, not likely the first time.

Yes I have all the stuff others listed, axes, wedges, hand saws, hydraulic log splitter, Nothing wrong with that stuff at all but for me the best thing ever is my electric chain saws (plural) and corded. I dont like to work harder than necessary, good on you guys that do though.

I have not swung a axe since my thirties. Not since I learned the most important lessons about heating with wood are have a stove big enough that you dont have to split logs in the first place, and make sure you let your logs fully dry out and that means letting it sit covered for at least a year but two or more is better.
Only logs split are if the log is over 11 inches in dia. and cant get through the stove door opening. Electric chan saws get a big thumbs up from me

We have a Electric Chain Saw as well as a gas, I do like my Electric.. its a good chain saw..

This is how much jackpine I was able to cut, with a battery-powered 60V DeWalt chainsaw, and four 9.0Ah batteries.

Filled the chain lube reservoir maybe ten times with heavy oil, for this effort, took perhaps two hours at an easy pace. I consider battery powered chainsaws occasional-use machines, yet, the batteries just can't supply enough juice to make them all-day machines. But really, this is a fair amount of wood cut; if you had the time and ability to recharge the batteries, over the course of a couple weeks, two hours per day, you could cut up a winter's worth of heating fuel.

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