The main benefit of using a felling axe in OSRS is better Woodcutting XP when you pair it with Forester’s rations. It also has a chance to avoid consuming a log on each successful chop, which helps if you’re training Forestry or cutting for efficiency.

What it gives you

  • +10% Woodcutting XP while using Forester’s rations.
  • 20% chance not to consume a log on a successful chop.
  • Same chopping speed as the regular axe of the same tier, so the gain comes from the Forestry bonuses, not faster swings.

When it is worth it

  • It’s best when you want more XP per action and are okay spending rations.
  • It is especially useful for Forestry-style woodcutting and higher-level trees where XP efficiency matters.
  • If you are just chopping normally without rations, it behaves like a regular axe, so the benefit disappears.

Extra note

  • Felling axes can also be equipped as melee weapons, but that is not their main use.
  • The weapon stats are secondary; the real value is the Woodcutting bonus.

In short: use a felling axe if you want better XP and Forestry efficiency ; skip it if you only care about plain chopping with no ration setup.