Anyone use one and have some feedback to share? Not really for BWCA use, but for clearing downed trees on a local trail that’s been neglected badly. There are some pretty large trees crossing the path, maybe 12-15” in diameter. Today I took one out with a 15” Sven saw, a wedge, and a blacksmith hammer. It was quite a bit of work, probably almost an hour. Looking for an alternative method. Packing in my bow saw isn’t really a good option due to size.

To be clear, I’m talking about the manual chainsaw with large straps on either end.

Thanks!

There was a thread on one of these a few years ago on this. If I recall the feed back based on experience was they are a LOT of work. Do they only cut on one stroke or both?

I've used 2 in my life.....every time I used it I thought what the heck am I doing? If a bladed saw is available...it's better.

I assume this place frowns on using chainsaw? Electric chainsaw?

The one I’m looking it is 36 inches, cuts both ways, and has a full lifetime guarantee for about $20. And weighs about 5 ounces.


Cyclones— I think if we’re getting technical, the park owner would probably frown on me doing this, period. I have a gasser chainsaw but don’t want to call that kind of attention to myself. Don’t have the budget for a lithium ion chainsaw or sawz-all, but those would be ideal.

Silky BigBoy. Packs pretty small, and the extra weight you are carrying will be more than made up for by the cutting power vs a hand chain saw.

I had to look this up because I have not seen one of these before. I think this picture answers a lot of my questions.





How long would it take to cut a 7 inch Pine log with a handsaw? With this chainsaw it takes 10 minutes.


I believe that an electric chainsaw is still not legal in the boundary waters. I have owned a gas chainsaw for my entire life and have cut thousands and thousands of logs with my saw. I bought a Dewalt battery operated saw for small things around my yard and found that it is an amazing tool. I rarely if ever even start up the old gas guzzler anymore. My DeWalt saw does everything that the gas saw used to do.

If this was an emergency survival situation I would say maybe use these. But the effort it takes to cut a log might not be worth it in calories lost. Don’t waste your money.

I have one that I have used at home.

it works ok but I find that any bow saw works much better if I need to use a hand saw. The biggest problem that I find is that the wide cut is prone to getting the teeth stuck moving through the log. Could be just that my technique is not correct. Certainly wouldn't be the first time user error was the root cause.

I also agree that it felt like much more work than just a hand saw.

I will say it did shine when I had a limb on a large tree in our backyard maybe 30 ft up that needed to be cut down and I didn't have a ladder tall enough. tied ropes to each end of the hand loops, tossed it over the branch, and used it to cut down that branch probably 6 inches in diameter at the base. I still had problems with the blade getting stuck but worked through it and took down a branch that I would not have otherwise reached.

Really appreciate the feedback everyone. Seems like the consensus is that I should not expect this to make my life easier, so I'll probably just skip it.

Re: the Silky Big Boy. Woof, $80! -- is it that much better than similar hand-saws? I have two similar saws, but only with 12" blades. I found the 15" sven saw to be worlds better than either of the other two, but I'd consider investing in the Silky f it's that far superior.

Thanks again, everyone!

thegildedgopher: "Re: the Silky Big Boy. Woof, $80! -- is it that much better than similar hand-saws? I have two similar saws, but only with 12" blades. I found the 15" sven saw to be worlds better than either of the other two, but I'd consider investing in the Silky f it's that far superior."

Every time I move from one saw to another, I think that I have found the ultimate solution... until finding the next.
Hardware store rigid steel frame bow saw
Sven folding saw
Homemade collapsable bow saw
Bob Dustrude Quick Buck Saw
Irwin coarse blade hand saw w Ragged sheath
Agawa Boreal21 saw w all-purpose blade
Silky Big Boy 2000 w XL teeth
The Silky is so much better than any previously used, I feel that it will be a long, long time before that next one comes along to surpass it.
Just need to remind your trip mates: "It cuts on the PULL!" and, carry a spare blade anyway...

Jaywalker: "Silky BigBoy. Packs pretty small, and the extra weight you are carrying will be more than made up for by the cutting power vs a hand chain saw. "

Ditto Silky (with large tooth). I use Silky Gumboy 300mm, slightly smaller, lighter and cheaper than BigBoy. For 15" trees it would be too small.
Pocket chainsaw for clearing portages is one of those cases when saving weight beats the purpose of doing the job.

Nope. A good example of fluff that fuels the US economy but not-so-practical in camp. The saved space you will realize will not do anything to buffer the regret. BTW, I can apply that to 'stuff' I've bought through the years. ;)

schweady: "Every time I move from one saw to another, I think that I have found the ultimate solution... until finding the next…"

Is this problem you have limited to saws? If so, how lucky. For me it extends to tarps, tents, paddles, coffee pots, sporks, and so on.

I agree that my Silky does cut THAT much better than any of the other 4-5 saws I have tried. As I mentioned in another thread about Silky’s, , I do have some issues with hand fatigue due to the angle the saw is held, but I seem to be the only one. But the only saw I have that cuts better is my Husqvarna. For bang for the buck, and Irin is also a good option.

Jaywalker: "

schweady: "Every time I move from one saw to another, I think that I have found the ultimate solution... until finding the next…"

Is this problem you have limited to saws? If so, how lucky. For me it extends to tarps, tents, paddles, coffee pots, sporks, and so on."

:-) I wish...

You might search these pages and find me singing the praises of the Sawyer gravity filter. I now swear by the Platypus... Years were spent with various Coleman white gas stoves. Now, I have landed solidly in the MSR Windburner camp... Tripped from the 70s to the 00s with my tried-and-true Therm-a-Rest pad. Now, I'm sold on the Klymit Insulated Static V... Alumacraft --> Grumman --> Souris River --> Northstar... The list is long.

Maybe deserves its own thread...

I bought a hatchet today. (because of course). Not for use in the wilderness, only locally where I'm 10-15 minutes from an ER. I'm finding my sven saw and other hand saws actually cut quite well -- the biggest challenge is taking a notch out of the bottom side of large trees that have fallen across the trail. Leverage is minimal and fatigue is a problem. The hatchet should (in theory) make the notch a lot easier to take out, and then my current saws work fine cutting from the top with leverage.

I own one of these saws, and am not impressed. It works but the effort expended is way higher than just cutting with a hand saw. The only use I could see would be on a tree that is to large to cut with a hand saw.

BearBurrito: "I own one of these saws, and am not impressed. It works but the effort expended is way higher than just cutting with a hand saw. The only use I could see would be on a tree that is to large to cut with a hand saw. "

same here - and you end up killing muscles you weren't even expecting to use :) it's clunky and not easy to use and then suddenly you're halfway through and exhausted

afromaniac: "same here - and you end up killing muscles you weren't even expecting to use :) it's clunky and not easy to use and then suddenly you're halfway through and exhausted"

I would argue that this should read "...sometime later you're halfway through and exhausted." The pocket chainsaw is one of many things that should be assigned a POS number by the vendor.

TZ

I’d just be afraid the saw would fire up in my pocket and make a mess of things.

nctry: "I’d just be afraid the saw would fire up in my pocket and make a mess of things."

Thanks for the laugh :)

I’m glad I asked the question here and avoided wasting my money. I have found over the last week of clearing some good size downed trees, there isn’t much that can’t be done with a hatchet, a sven saw, and some patience and fortitude. It’s not fast work, by any means. Going up to the 20” Sven would make a difference certainly, but I’m making due with the 15 for now.

I have basically no experience with this, so I’m sure my technique still sucks and I am wasting a lot of energy, but I’m learning as I go and getting stuff done.

Again, this is not in the BWCA, just helping to clear a local trail.

You might be able to get permission to maintain existing trails. Then it's chainsaw time. You can clear 10x more trail in an afternoon with a gasser than by hand.

schweady: "

thegildedgopher: "Re: the Silky Big Boy. Woof, $80! -- is it that much better than similar hand-saws? I have two similar saws, but only with 12" blades. I found the 15" sven saw to be worlds better than either of the other two, but I'd consider investing in the Silky f it's that far superior."

Every time I move from one saw to another, I think that I have found the ultimate solution... until finding the next.
Hardware store rigid steel frame bow saw
Sven folding saw
Homemade collapsable bow saw
Bob Dustrude Quick Buck Saw
Irwin coarse blade hand saw w Ragged sheath
Agawa Boreal21 saw w all-purpose blade
Silky Big Boy 2000 w XL teeth
The Silky is so much better than any previously used, I feel that it will be a long, long time before that next one comes along to surpass it.
Just need to remind your trip mates: "It cuts on the PULL!" and, carry a spare blade anyway...
"

Silky rocks, a good sharp silky is almost like using a chainsaw.

Having cut many many cords of fired wood over 60 years of burning.

Those so called pocket chain saws are a joke don't waste your time or money.