cancel
Showing results forย 
Search instead forย 
Did you mean:ย 

Hand-powered chainsaw -- for emergency use

profdant139
Explorer II
Explorer II
When we boondock, we sometimes come upon fallen logs blocking the forest roads (especially in the wake of the bark beetle epidemic), and I usually use a bow saw to cut them (if we can't just move them out of the way by hand). This only comes up once a year or so -- if it were every time, I would bring a chainsaw!

But a chainsaw is bulky and messy -- I do not have unlimited room in the cargo bed of my truck.

So I am going to give this project a try -- I have several old saw chains sitting around, ones that do not fit my current chainsaw. This video shows how to attach handles to a chain and then use it manually to cut wood.

Not sure it is much better than a bow saw, but it is certainly easier to store and carry! Plus it gives me something to do while I am busy practicing my "anti-social distancing." ๐Ÿ˜‰

Video
2012 Fun Finder X-139 "Boondock Style" (axle-flipped and extra insulation)
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
Our trips -- pix and text
About our trailer
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single list."
56 REPLIES 56

crosscheck
Explorer
Explorer
BarneyS wrote:
I have been using one of these folding saws for years and still have it in my toolbox. Cuts easily and stores in very little space without worrying about puncturing your skin while looking around. ๐Ÿ™‚
Barney

Folding saw



I have one of these saws and they are quite sharp. Good for branches/ pruning. I bought it originally for back packing because it is so light and folds up nicely. It will cut through 6" wood if you have all day. If you want to butcher a steer, a very sharp 4"paring knife will work but a 14" sharp butcher knife will get the job done much quicker.Also, all of the regular wood saws all have handles where you have your fingers at right angle to your bade and thumb grasping the handle giving you lots of power on the cut. The opinel,s handle is more or less in line with the blade giving you less power on the cut. Just my personal experience.

Dave
2016 F350 Diesel 4X4 CC SRW SB,
2016 Creekside 23RKS, 490W solar, 2000W Xantrex Freedom 2012 inverter, 4 6V GC-2 (450AH)
2006 F350 CC 4X4 sold
2011 Outfitter 9.5' sold
Some Of Our Fun:http://daveincoldstream.blogspot.ca/

BarneyS
Explorer III
Explorer III
I have been using one of these folding saws for years and still have it in my toolbox. Cuts easily and stores in very little space without worrying about puncturing your skin while looking around. ๐Ÿ™‚
Barney

Folding saw

2004 Sunnybrook Titan 30FKS TT
Hensley "Arrow" 1400# hitch (Sold)
Not towing now.
Former tow vehicles were 2016 Ram 2500 CTD, 2002 Ford F250, 7.3 PSD, 1997 Ram 2500 5.9 gas engine

crosscheck
Explorer
Explorer
Here is this handy little folding saw cutting up fire wood on a back packing through hike a few years back in the Canadian Rockies. Cuts through this dry snag in around 30 seconds if the blade is sharp. Takes up almost no room and is light. I still use this saw for firewood even if truck camping.

Dave

2016 F350 Diesel 4X4 CC SRW SB,
2016 Creekside 23RKS, 490W solar, 2000W Xantrex Freedom 2012 inverter, 4 6V GC-2 (450AH)
2006 F350 CC 4X4 sold
2011 Outfitter 9.5' sold
Some Of Our Fun:http://daveincoldstream.blogspot.ca/

mountainkowboy
Explorer
Explorer
That has been around for decades in one form or another, but I'll keep my folding saw for emergencies and my battery saws all for the rest.
Chuck & Ruth with 4-legged Molly
2007 Tiffin Allegro 30DA
2011 Ford Ranger
1987 HD FLHTP

PA12DRVR
Explorer
Explorer
I carry everything from a Sven Saw and DB Axe to electric saws to small Poulans to Big A** professional Stihls.

For the PA-12, it's usually just the Sven Saw (trying to stay light).

For the Jeep Wrangler on the existing trail to the cabin, it's usually the electric saw, sometimes if I'm feeling energetic when loading, the small gas Poulan.

For the established trail to the cabin or for the (relatively few) backcountry dirt roads in AK, I've never needed more than the electric saw or small Poulan to deal with deadfall or blowdowns..but part of that is that I rarely have to make more than one cut and I'm able to winch the tree out of the way.

I carried one of the wire saws on the snow-go for a couple of winters: never "had" to use it, but when I used it to see how it worked, I had a real struggle keeping it oriented right to cut efficiently and eventually gave up on the concept. Sven Saw or a campers axe was a better choice for me.
CRL
My RV is a 1946 PA-12
Back in the GWN

solman
Explorer
Explorer
"Sven saw" works well, very light and portable.
Solman
2011 F-250 6.2L 4x4 3.73 8'bed
2020 Keystone Cougar 5er 315RLS
pullrite 16k hitch

Bumpyroad
Explorer
Explorer
out of curiosity, I noted at HD? IIRC three different battery powered mowers. up to 40 volt AIR. seems that they would be great for a small yard.
bumpy

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
Well, plug-in models may be "old tech" ... but lithium batteries heat up, run down, and they lose capacity with age ... so they must be periodically $$$$ replaced (if you can afford them at the time or find the right size/type available easily when you want to replace them).

Last year I bought a $$$ state-of-the-art lithium powered Makita weed trimmer. The batteries (it takes 2 batteries) would last about an hour of hard tall-grass use (not too bad, I thought).

HOWEVER ... the trimmer would only run about one-half hour before protection circuitry stopped it ... for me to then wait for the batteries themselves (not the trimmer motor) to COOL DOWN. After 15-20 minutes of battery cool down, I could then proceed to trim for the last one-half hour of battery energy.

IMHO, lithium powered tools are not quite ready for serious usage on acerage. Gas powered (or electric plug-in with a generator) tools are still the name of the game for doing hard work for hours.
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

drsteve
Explorer
Explorer
pnichols wrote:
drsteve wrote:
pnichols wrote:
I once tried an electric chain saw but found it to be useless because of it's lack of power as compared to gas chain saws.



How long ago was that? I have an electric pruning saw on a pole with an 8 inch bar, the thing cuts fast and effortlessly.


I suspect that an electric pruning saw purpose-buillt to deal mostly with only 2-4 inch limbs takes considerably less torque than what I use my 16 inch gas chain saw for - tree limbs and tree trunks up to around 14 inches in diameter (... or larger if I circle around the trunk with the saw).

The electric chain saw that I gave up on was 120V AC powered via an extension cord ... probably way more capable, torque-wise, than any lithium battery powered chain saw. The electric chain saw I tried could in no way deal with tree limbs and tree trunks up to 14 inches in diameter.


Actually it deals with limbs up to nearly the bar length very well. Those plug-in models are old tech.
My next saw is going to be electric with a 14 or 16 inch bar.
2006 Silverado 1500HD Crew Cab 2WD 6.0L 3.73 8600 GVWR
2018 Coachmen Catalina Legacy Edition 223RBS
1991 Palomino Filly PUP

Grit_dog
Nomad III
Nomad III
^Ya, cutting with a dull or messed up chain is like tryin to eat steak with yer dentures out!

Equally as important is keeping the rakers filed down so the teeth have some bite and most important is throwing the pos safety chain a lot of saws come with in the garbage. Or at least grinding em down so they don't turn the chain into a sawdust factory.

Better yet, skip tooth chains, while they wear quicker than a full comp chain, are easier for the saw to pull and IMO can cut just as fast under most normal situations. Bonus is they're so easy to sharpen with only half as many teeth.

Anyone who owns a saw owes it to themselves to learn how to use a file. Something as simple as keeping a chain tuned up makes cutting so much easier when your chain is always sharp.
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5โ€ turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

time2roll
Explorer II
Explorer II
How well the chain is resharpened can make any saw a dud or a hero.
They all work wonders when new.

wnjj
Explorer II
Explorer II
pnichols wrote:
drsteve wrote:
pnichols wrote:
I once tried an electric chain saw but found it to be useless because of it's lack of power as compared to gas chain saws.



How long ago was that? I have an electric pruning saw on a pole with an 8 inch bar, the thing cuts fast and effortlessly.


I suspect that an electric pruning saw purpose-buillt to deal mostly with only 2-4 inch limbs takes considerably less torque than what I use my 16 inch gas chain saw for - tree limbs and tree trunks up to around 14 inches in diameter (... or larger if I circle around the trunk with the saw).

The electric chain saw that I gave up on was 120V AC powered via an extension cord ... probably way more capable, torque-wise, than any lithium battery powered chain saw. The electric chain saw I tried could in no way deal with tree limbs and tree trunks up to 14 inches in diameter.

You must have had a turd of an electric saw. I have a 16โ€ Stihl and 16โ€ electric. Last year for the first time I used the electric to buck up a bunch of fir firewood logs well over 12โ€ in diameter. The electric was darn close to the Stihl and much easier (lighter) to handle.

pnichols
Explorer II
Explorer II
drsteve wrote:
pnichols wrote:
I once tried an electric chain saw but found it to be useless because of it's lack of power as compared to gas chain saws.



How long ago was that? I have an electric pruning saw on a pole with an 8 inch bar, the thing cuts fast and effortlessly.


I suspect that an electric pruning saw purpose-buillt to deal mostly with only 2-4 inch limbs takes considerably less torque than what I use my 16 inch gas chain saw for - tree limbs and tree trunks up to around 14 inches in diameter (... or larger if I circle around the trunk with the saw).

The electric chain saw that I gave up on was 120V AC powered via an extension cord ... probably way more capable, torque-wise, than any lithium battery powered chain saw. The electric chain saw I tried could in no way deal with tree limbs and tree trunks up to 14 inches in diameter.
2005 E450 Itasca 24V Class C

profdant139
Explorer II
Explorer II
Jay D, as the OP I am more likely to have the hatchet bounce off and hit me in some tender place --at least with the manual chainsaw, my biggest potential injury is nicks and abrasions.

Of course, if I end up with (heaven forbid) a heart attack from over-exertion, that ain't good. ๐Ÿ˜‰

Thank goodness, I am in pretty good aerobic condition this week -- all this "self-isolation" means I have a lot of time to exercise and to lift weights in my garage.

But we're all just having fun here, waiting to go camping again.
2012 Fun Finder X-139 "Boondock Style" (axle-flipped and extra insulation)
2013 Toyota Tacoma Off-Road (semi-beefy tires and components)
Our trips -- pix and text
About our trailer
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single list."