Following a recent [thread=126218]thread[/thread] about small lightweight pocket saws, the Darlac DP818 folding pocket saw came out at the top of options to investigate. I bought myself one off of Ebay, but it's also available from the likes of Amazon. At a fraction over 8 quid including delivery, it seemed worth a punt to see if it's any good.
A few days after ordering, the saw arrived in the post. As it arrived, it's in a presentation retail package, the back of which has a small amount of info about the design of the teeth. Nothing fancy. The front of the package clearly declares that the saw is for upto 50mm wood.
The back also gives details about the guarantee and how to maintain the saw.
My first reaction to taking the saw out the package is that it's light. 38.2g according to my scales. The second reaction is that it's a bit plasticy. Aside from blade I can't find any other metal components.
The saw locks in the unfolded position, but not in the folded position. Unfolded you get a handle of 5", total blade length of a fraction under 3¾", of which 88mm is toothed.
The saw sits quite nicely in the hand, as well as in the pocket, the lack of weight is rather nice.
Of course this isn't a tool you buy just to keep in your pocket, it's an tool to use. So I took the saw out onto a local cycle path to tidy up some of the recent storm damage.
First up, a bit of dried wood that needed trimming back, it's about 2.5" across, so over the 50mm that the packaging suggests is max size for this saw. The saw went through it with relative ease, popping out a couple of times when I drew the saw back too far. It's a pull saw, so only cuts on the pull stroke, but it cut through the 2.5" within a couple of minutes without much effort. The handle is ok, not the best on the planet, but not the worst.
I didn't really buy the saw for cutting such large pieces, I got it mostly for cutting things in the region of a thumb or slightly bigger. On these sizes, the saw goes through with ease, I used it to tidy up a few broken branches along the cycle path. No problems.
But, the area this saw excels is green wood. On approximately thumb size green wood, this saw goes through with very little resistance, working very well.
In all the cuts, it left a nice clean face behind. Nothing jagged on the dead wood, and very little on the green wood.
The saw is no Laplander or Silky. But for 8 quid and 38g, as a saw you can leave in your handbag for occasional use, it's ideal, and certainly easier to use than the smaller saw on my leatherman. Time will tell how durable it turns out to be, but right now, I don't think I've wasted my money.
Julia
A few days after ordering, the saw arrived in the post. As it arrived, it's in a presentation retail package, the back of which has a small amount of info about the design of the teeth. Nothing fancy. The front of the package clearly declares that the saw is for upto 50mm wood.
The back also gives details about the guarantee and how to maintain the saw.
My first reaction to taking the saw out the package is that it's light. 38.2g according to my scales. The second reaction is that it's a bit plasticy. Aside from blade I can't find any other metal components.
The saw locks in the unfolded position, but not in the folded position. Unfolded you get a handle of 5", total blade length of a fraction under 3¾", of which 88mm is toothed.
The saw sits quite nicely in the hand, as well as in the pocket, the lack of weight is rather nice.
Of course this isn't a tool you buy just to keep in your pocket, it's an tool to use. So I took the saw out onto a local cycle path to tidy up some of the recent storm damage.
First up, a bit of dried wood that needed trimming back, it's about 2.5" across, so over the 50mm that the packaging suggests is max size for this saw. The saw went through it with relative ease, popping out a couple of times when I drew the saw back too far. It's a pull saw, so only cuts on the pull stroke, but it cut through the 2.5" within a couple of minutes without much effort. The handle is ok, not the best on the planet, but not the worst.
I didn't really buy the saw for cutting such large pieces, I got it mostly for cutting things in the region of a thumb or slightly bigger. On these sizes, the saw goes through with ease, I used it to tidy up a few broken branches along the cycle path. No problems.
But, the area this saw excels is green wood. On approximately thumb size green wood, this saw goes through with very little resistance, working very well.
In all the cuts, it left a nice clean face behind. Nothing jagged on the dead wood, and very little on the green wood.
The saw is no Laplander or Silky. But for 8 quid and 38g, as a saw you can leave in your handbag for occasional use, it's ideal, and certainly easier to use than the smaller saw on my leatherman. Time will tell how durable it turns out to be, but right now, I don't think I've wasted my money.
Julia
