Thinking of getting a cordless sawzall for logjams. Any thoughts on if this would be effective? The best types of sawzalls? How worried would I have to be about getting a sawzall wet? What type of duration would these things have? Are there ones that come with extra battery packs?
How about a bow saw?
– Last Updated: Jul-02-14 1:09 AM EST –
Advantages of a bow saw:
1. Lighter
2. Cheaper
3. Faster (in some types of wood anyway)
4. Runs all day long, if necessary
5. Undamaged by submersion
6. Able to cut through much larger pieces
7. Suitable for cutting "green" or wet wood (the "cleaner notches" on this type of blade prevent clogging of the teeth)
Yeah, I know, some people really get irritated when someone suggests an alternative instead of answering the question, but this is a case where the alternative just seems so much more logical (to me anyway).
Or how bout a corded sawzall with a
– Last Updated: Jul-02-14 5:53 AM EST –
really, really, really, really lllooonnnggg extension cord???
Okay, just foolin'--It could burn out the tool's motor too soon, anyway;-
I recommend something with Lithium batteries. Can't vouch for the thing under submersion, as I don't believe in taking work along with me(like power tools) when I go paddling...Thousands of paddle strokes in the water be enuff work fo' me!
But wait, I do take a bow saw while camping.
Hmmm--Gotta work on simplifying more than that.
GIT 'ER DONE! GIT 'ER DONE! GIT 'ER DONE!
(Sorry, in the good ol' days, we just up and climbed around any damn logs and kept goin'. Sheesh.)
I would
also go with a bow/camp saw.Water and power tools don’t go well together.
Silky Saw
Google Silky Saw. For anything 10 inches or less, it’s easier to use one of the bigger Silky Saws than it is to mess with a chainsaw.
even the best saw
Will run out pretty quickly going through branches.
What size logs ???
As one who does a lot of tree cutting, I would hate the thought of your new saw getting pinched in the log as you approached the end of the cut, unless you could get to the blade to take it out.
The sawzall would probably be great for small stuff. Less than 5 inches
Jack L
Logjams not trivial
A sawzall isn’t going to be enough for a logjam. Yes, you could cut away branches, but a real logjam is a challenge even with chainsaws and heavy tackle.
For such trimming as you’d be able to do with a sawzall, I agree with other posters that you’d be better off with some sort of handsaw. At some point, your sawzall becomes a troublesome liability that is heavy, has to be dry-packed, has to be recharged, and won’t give you much extra capability in return. A stout lopper (cut up to 2"+) and a hand saw–I like the Corsica Pruning saws–will better serve you.
~~Chip
Sven saw
I recommend the Sven Saw - I found one left in a campsite 20 years ago and it really works fast. REI has it, among others. I think a bow saw is much easier to use than a non-tensioned blade.
The blade stows in the handle, although you have to undo a wing nut to fold it. It’s really compact and as long as you’re wearing gloves it’s comfortable.
jams
a local stream is jam city. I have tried everything. A cordless saws all worked on small stuff, but as mentioned, won’t cut the big culprits. A local parks dept. that clears streams uses a special Stihl eco bar oil in their chainsaws. You still can’t cut much underwater.
Turtle
bucksaw works pretty well…
– Last Updated: Jul-05-14 11:16 AM EST –
It isn't that heavy....but if logs(of width seen in link images)...my chainsaw has often been the easiest & quickest job.
fwiw...
I’ve tried my 18v Dewalt…
sawzall on branches. It works OK, but not as well as a good bowsaw. Even with a new blade with large teeth the thing is just slow. The battery life will be determined by the amount of torque needed to get through what you’re cutting. Thickness of branch, and hardness of wood, you know.
A good pruning saw and loppers are my choice. I can’t cut the big stuff with it, so we navigate or haul over the trunks.
T
Not a direct answer
but a guy around here waits until winter & cuts low hanging trees, beaver dams, etc with his chainsaw, while wearing spiked shoes on the ice. This of course depends on where you are located.
FWIW, I’ve used a bow saw and my 18 volt Dewalt Sawzall on branches in my yard. I find the bow saw to be far easier, quicker and less expensive. If you’ve got a lot of logs, bring a friend and take turns. It’ll be a good story over dinner afterward.
You mean…
One of these…
http://rogardphoto.blogspot.com/2008/04/riverkeeper-roughnecks-work-little.html
Hard to keep them sharp if you use them in the water. Plus, river logs very easily bind saws. It is hard to predict the forces acting on the log: gravity, current & floatation almost always cause the logs to bind up the saws.
~~Chip
Thanks for the replies
I do have and do use a hand saw which I like. But it is tiring to use…
What I am after is the big boys. Chainsaws are noisy, dangerous, greasy and would be tough to fit in a small kayak. One jam I’m after would have to be cleared stealthy as there would be nosy neighbors who could be problematic.
Close to an ideal situation would be a high strength cable and come-along…but often it is tough to find that good winch point along that stream. Wish there was another clever way of clearing out logs… Maybe put termites on a log jam and come back a month later? There has to be some chainsaw-less trick for the big jams…
There is another trick for dealing with
logs – Paddle somewhere else!
I don’t get it…North America has more freshwater than any other continent in the world. And from what I’ve seen, the majority of rivers, lakes and streams, don’t have a log jam problem. But of course, I guess some just got that burning yen to eradicate that 20 foot patch of wood on their local that just pisses them the hell off…Why do all you guys want to work so hard? And on property that’s not even your own, where you could incur the wrath of neighbors or the law?
Well, any excuse to use power tools, I guess. BTW,
I still need to cut four more chords of wood for next winter. If you want to cut logs so badly, feel free to drop on by my place. I got three already downed hardwoods, and am running low on house slaves at the moment;-.
Something like this will serve
you better. I have cut my way up a lot of poles standing on hooks with one of these. Bows saws are ok when you are standing on the ground with the limb at exactly right angles, but you need room.
http://www.baileysonline.com/Arborist-Tree-Care/Hand-Saws/Curved-Hand-Saws/Fanno-17-430mm-Curved-Pruning-Saw.axd
Come south,
see the beauty of the swamps. You may then understand.
T
Saws
Ryobi and Makita make battery powered chainsaws that would work better than a sawzall. Stihl also makes some battery saws but given the price difference and the usage near water I’d go for the cheap models. They’re not going cut a 10" log but you could use them on the small stuff and break out the bow saw for the larger stuff.
Please look into some vegetable type oils to lubricate the bar since it will all get into the river.
might
want to check into any legal ramifications…sounds like your planning a logging operation on someone else s property just so you get to float.
If the noise you are going to cause will bother the neighbors…might want to locate some legal council. first
if this is a river or stream that is a known path for paddlers then the DNR or some other local entity probable has the power to OK a cut.
Chainsaws…power tools come along s??? sounds way more serious than just moving a few branches.
Best Wishes
Roy