Which saw?

[daveb]

Originally Posted by BroncoHauler

On a marginally related topic, does anyone have experience with generic replacement batteries? I have a pair of DeWalt 18V batteries that seem took have suddenly lost their uuuumph. A brand new pair of DeWalt batteries off Amazon are $90, while the generics are less than half the price.


Herb

Seems it would be a huge advantage if they made an adapter of some sort so you could use different makes. I understand that the voltage would have to be the same. I hate being tied to one manufacture.

[BroncoHauler]

Dave, they're actually generics that are made to be physically compatible with most DeWalts. The Amazon reviews are pretty good.


Herb

[daveb]

I have DeWalt Makita, and Milwaukee power tools. All I want is adapters that fits all of them using one brand of battery most likely the DeWalt cause I have more of that brand tools and batteries. I don't need a full sized chainsaw and DeWalt doesn't make a chainsaw like some of the others do. I'm not hauling more than one charger and two-three batteries.

[Otto]

First post! Love the forum!

I just had to speak up. All of these suggestions are standards when it comes to tree cutting methodology, but none of them stack up to the one saw not mentioned.

The Silky Katanaboy.

http://www.amazon.com/Silky-Saws-Katana ... B002GKB5PQ

This hand saw cuts better, and is more handy, than anything mentioned here. It is also unbelievably fast. Faster by a long shot than the little chain saws. It will also cut giant... and I mean giant trees out of the way. You would need a super, long-bar chain saw to match what this saw can cut. (just don't get it pinched!). It cuts limbs in a few strokes. It just melts into the wood.

I clear trails all the time. We just don't mess with anything else. No reason to.

It is also an absolute joy to use. Just don't touch the skin with the Japanese steel teeth. It will filet flesh. I don't gush about gear often, but I can't stop gushing about the Katanaboy. It is that good.

Happy cutting!

[boywonder]

Thanks Otto! I'm planning on ordering the "big boy" tomorrow.

Excellent!

[boywonder]

....just bought this puppy......


http://www.amazon.com/Silky-Folding-Lan ... ky+big+boy

It ships from Japan so it's a few weeks out.....

[daveb]

I think both types of hand saws have their pros and cons. I use saws like the Silky at work for limbing but much more prefer a blade like the Sven Saw has for cutting branches over 3" in diameter. A longer blade also makes cutting larger wood easier IMO. But those type of blades makes cutting smaller limbs a PITA and a fine toothed blade like the Corona or Silky is great for one hand cutting especially those little limbs too big to break. I have a Hastings hand saw with a universal attachment that I can put on an extending stick that will collapse down to 3 feet.



Serves a few purposes... is easy to haul and can be used as a hand saw or extension saw. All I need is to be able to cut a limb above the height of my van if needed. Silky makes an extendo-saw but it's long and difficult to carry (plus almost 300 bucks). As nice as those saws are, I'll always pick a saw with a blade like the Sven Saw for cutting firewood. But I know for a fact that a real chain saw (even the electrics) are faster and easier to use. At work I just use the smaller saws more often cause it's more trouble to drop down and get out the chain saw, fill the necessary fluids, start the damn thing and go back up to cut a 3" limb compared to applying a little sweat and muscle for a one cut job. Call me lazy but clearing big wood or cutting firewood is so much better with a chain saw. The down side is I feel they're just cumbersome to store and messy. At least with an electric saw the fuel and hassle of starting it is out of the loop.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by daveb

I think both types of hand saws have their pros and cons. I use saws like the Silky at work for limbing but much more prefer a blade like the Sven Saw has for cutting branches over 3" in diameter. A longer blade also makes cutting larger wood easier IMO. But those type of blades makes cutting smaller limbs a PITA and a fine toothed blade like the Corona or Silky is great for one hand cutting especially those little limbs too big to break. I have a Hastings hand saw with a universal attachment that I can put on an extending stick that will collapse down to 3 feet.

We use the KatanaBoy for cutting trees that have limbs that are 10" around. It certainly isn't a one-handed saw at 45" long. The cutting teeth are 1/2 long. You don't want it coming out of the groove. The trees we cut you can't put your arms around. The mules have been riding around them for decades. We climb inside the tree, cut all the limbs except those that stabilize the thousands of pounds of weight that a pine tree of that size is. We pick away with the saw from both sides and the bottom. It makes for quick work and often times we can roll crap out of the way. For the real big pines, we have to make two cuts, and leverage the "chunk" out of the way with other logs, and the large side branches. It isn't the safest of operations. I have to admit that with a slight laugh, but we learn from our mistakes. We make trailside benches out of the center pieces. We are also many miles in the woods, on bikes, at 12,000', on steroids, gin, and eating angel food cake in lycra. etc.

Originally Posted by daveb

Serves a few purposes... is easy to haul and can be used as a hand saw or extension saw. All I need is to be able to cut a limb above the height of my van if needed. Silky makes an extendo-saw but it's long and difficult to carry (plus almost 300 bucks). As nice as those saws are, I'll always pick a saw with a blade like the Sven Saw for cutting firewood. But I know for a fact that a real chain saw (even the electrics) are faster and easier to use. At work I just use the smaller saws more often cause it's more trouble to drop down and get out the chain saw, fill the necessary fluids, start the damn thing and go back up to cut a 3" limb compared to applying a little sweat and muscle for a one cut job. Call me lazy but clearing big wood or cutting firewood is so much better with a chain saw. The down side is I feel they're just cumbersome to store and messy. At least with an electric saw the fuel and hassle of starting it is out of the loop.

You got it down. Right tool for the job! Gotta do what's right. Dynamics are a wonderful thing. When it comes to clearing trees for me, nothing beats a nice running, sharp-bladed gas-powered saw. But my Stihl would be worthless on the trail against those big pines. I like the description they give about the KatanaBoy on Amazon. 10" tree max? Whaaaaa? That is an insane understatement.

Now that I think about it, I'm gonna buy a new blade this year. I'm also gonna check out the sven. I've never even used one. I've seen them forever, but never got my hands on one. And cutting limbs high up in the trees above the van? Stand on roof rack? Flame thrower?

I think I have a good "giant tree" cut picture somewhere... Gotta put a charge to an old device.

[Viva]

DaveB: I'm so glad you posted. I had ordered a "good old" Sven Saw a few weeks ago from Amazon (and still juuuuust within the return time frame), but then got distracted by the Silkys in this thread and was thinking of sending the Sven back. Now I feel better about keeping it

('course there is always the idea of a Pocket Boy to compliment it...)

[geoffff]

I carried an electric chainsaw in the van for a while -- like the one oldbonesclimber shows -- but I didn't like how messy the thing was, leaking oil all over the place.

-- Geoff