My thoughts on saws for bushcraft

[ateallthepies]

What's the smallest petrol chainsaw available? I think a 5" blade and 1 foot overall length would be a good seller?

 

[Hammock Hamster]

For outdoors I use a laplander or a bow saw.

The laplander is utterly reliable, takes dog's abuse and still cuts whatever I need.
I took down a 20' apple tree with one

I know the silky gets all the acclaim of being quicker, etc., but at the price and the known break-ability of them, I'm happy with the laplander…..and you can get them in orange if preferred.

cheers,
Toddy

Hi toddy, totally agree with the reliability of the Laplander and there is a significant cost difference.
Not sure if I have just been lucky with the silky's but have been using for over a year and never any problems, I like the extra length they give me as it makes it easier to cut bigger rounds for carving and projects.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[decorum]

Silky by choice but I also have a laplander (found it ), a cheap folder, and a rather aged, smaller of the two, opinel saw.


I might get hunted down and pyred for this but ... removal of soil and detritus covered roots during ditch work. Sometimes a folder just won't cut it .




If you break a silky you've used it incorrectly (poor technique or confluence of bad luck). I've had the above Silky since the mid to tail end of 2008 and despite (perhaps in spite?) of all I've thrown at it (or it at?) it's still going strong .

 

[bambodoggy]

What's the smallest petrol chainsaw available? I think a 5" blade and 1 foot overall length would be a good seller?

Stihl do a top handle MS150 that is very small but it's a climbing saw and not supposed to be used on the ground. It's fantastically light and very easy to use....makes light work of re-pollards on street trees. You may also find that nobody will sell you one without a climbers ticket.
Nothing as small as you are suggesting as far as I know.....but wait a while and maybe somebody else on here will know of a tiny chainsaw lol

You'd also have to bear in mind how much cutting a chainsaw can do (deforesting an area quite quickly) and that ppe gear (helmets, saw pants etc) and fuel and chain oil and tools would also need to be carried so more of a base camp type use would be more appropriate.....which begs the question "why so small if you aren't carrying it"?

Cheers

 

[British Red]

That's not so bad You should see my root chopping axe

 

[bambodoggy]

Oh....I've never snapped a silky either and I've used them at work for years.....struggling to recal any other surgeon I know that has either....or that admits to it lol

 

[Toddy]

Three people I know, and know are generally sound with tools, etc., have broken silky saws, and none of them have a good word to say for them.
I won't say that about them, just that the laplander just keeps going and it don't cost near as much to replace it either

M

 

[Dave]

Bahco Laplander and a Bob Dustrude Bucksaw with Bahco peg tooth and raker tooth blades in a brown four dog cordura case, with an aluminium fire blow tube.

 

[Teepee]

I do like the Silky's, very quick cutting saws.

I rate the Wolf Garten folding saws. They cut almost as quickly as the Silkys out of the box, quicker than a laplander and a bit more compact. Nice and visible too with a large handle and don't snap in extreme cold.
Lightweight trips mean I take a lighter MYOG saw that uses a 6" bosch reciprocator blade and carbon fibre handle.
Sometimes take my MYOG aluminium bucksaw if going overseas.
UK woods use, an old favourite Sandvik frame bowsaw.

 

[rik_uk3]

Laplander and a £5 bow saw from Wilkinson's does for me.

 

[bambodoggy]

Three people I know, and know are generally sound with tools, etc., have broken silky saws, and none of them have a good word to say for them.

Lol.....the irony here is that most of the guys I know using them are near Neanderthals and aren't having too many problems. I'm talking in proper use here, I do know of a couple that have gone through chippers (expensive mistake) and several that have been driven over....but none snapped in normal use. I've bent mine right over when I've been rushing and pushed when I should only be pulling but no snapping........yet

 

[Toddy]

I've done that with the laplander …..that's why I can say that it's pretty bombproof

The folks who snapped the silky saws are really not cackhanded, so no idea why they've had such issues. I know it put me right off them though, when for what I need, the laplander's absolutely fine.

The silky comes in assorted sizes though. (I always feel a bit odd using that word, because silkies are actually ladies stockings )

I have Japanese saws with removable/changeable blades that are very good though. The blade doesn't fold into the handle though, which is a bit of a pain in a pack.

cheers,
M

 

[mountainm]

I have a laplander and a gerber gator takedown buck saw

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00H3ZUM3A/ref=mp_s_a_1_13?qid=1422343973&sr=8-13&pi=AC_SX110_SY165

The gator is heavier but much faster.

 

[mountainm]

This looks a bargain

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00DPWQL1C/ref=pd_aw_sbs_sg_2?refRID=0S6P58T7WS9W28NQX8M4

 

[Retired Member southey]

Pack size, toughness, smallish, light. replacement blade which takes no space up in the bottom of my rucksack, Efficient enough. Cheap in price. Good grippy handle. Blade that can bend even when very cold and be bent back and be easy to replace. The blade must be protected when not in use. Minimal chance of it biting me in use whether tired or not.

These are the things i want in a saw. I dont care about this brand or that. They just have to full fill that list as best as possible.

 

[Goatboy]

Must say that I like my Opinel folding saw, I know they're not everyones cup of char but very comfortable to use, just have to be careful not to kink the blade. But if you've a fair bit to process a good bucksaw would be the way to go. (Unless I want to lug a chainsaw and fuel into camp.)

 

[sunndog]

Pack size, toughness, smallish, light. replacement blade which takes no space up in the bottom of my rucksack, Efficient enough. Cheap in price. Good grippy handle. Blade that can bend even when very cold and be bent back and be easy to replace. The blade must be protected when not in use. Minimal chance of it biting me in use whether tired or not.

These are the things i want in a saw. I dont care about this brand or that. They just have to full fill that list as best as possible.

you've got a laplander then? Lol

 

[Retired Member southey]

you've got a laplander then? Lol

Hahaha! Yup. I had a Wilkinson sword retractable saw for a while both the large and small. That was good but tye blade was fragile. And the knob on the side caught on a tiny side branch pulling the saw out of my hand. saw this uappen too with a bacho, it had a lanyard on and as the guy pulled, the lanyard (not arround wrist) caught on something so that when he pushed the saw stayed still and his hand slid down the blade. Saws can be very dangerous giving a laceration rather than incision, much harder to close. I don't use silkys just bexause of cost though the 180 gets close, i do like the blade locking open AND closed on the bacho. buck saws are great, of course you don't even have to carry a framw for the blade, just bend a stick.

 

[British Red]

Laplander for playing in the woods (also like my little gerber folding saw too).
Homemade buck saw for extended trips.
Silky Gomtaro for handsaw work at work.
Stihl MS261 for fire wood processing.

Cheers,

Bam.

Just bought a Gomtaro 270 as my old pruning saw was toast and my pocket boy not long enough for the task in hand. Very, very impressed. Damned good sheath with it too.

 

[DurhamBushcrafter]

At less than £14...these are the NUTS! Awesome Buck Saw, packs into a tube, German made...... FREE DELIVERY......i just ordered two. one for a mate and one for yours truly!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MFH-Foldabl...d=1426812261&sr=8-1&keywords=folding+buck+saw