Just a quick side note, if you are going to hunt with a pruning saw, the largest game you want to attempt is maybe a deer. I had a friend that tragically passed away from an elephant in a South African safari hunt with a pruning saw. As he found out you should use a two man crosscut saw instead as elephants have no branches, but instead a rather large trunk.
Congratulations! You've invented a tool that's 6x heavier, 3x as expensive and works less well than the simpler version,, as well as requiring charge time. This OId Tony, you're a genius! We'll put marketing on it today!
I've been a Carpenter and I've been a tree guy, if you want to get through thicker wood with a recipro saw there's a technique, you need to rock the saw up and down in line with the cut, it not only helps to clear the blade gullets but constantly changes and reduces the contact area the blade has with the wood, once you get the rhythm you usually fly though, however when pruning, some trees will still be too wet or gummy and will put up a fight
So to be honest - I had no idea what pruning meant. In german it came down to the same as circumcision. I wasnt quite sure what to expect with that saw blade in the thumbnail :D
I got a couple blades for the Sawzall years ago called "The Ugly". Giant teeth for clearing chips. They absolutely rip through branches. Maybe not the ideal tool for your high precision artisanal pruning aficionado, but ideal for the path of destruction I leave. *NOTE* - Less than ideal for hunting waterfowl.
I use "The Ugly" blade for pruning also. It works wonderfully. Its teeth look like pruning saw teeth should: long, spiky, and scary sharp. It's a lot more similar to the "Silky" blade than to that "Caliastro" abomination. Highly recommended!
i randomly got a pack of those blades in a tool box i bought in the 9" version and they do work quite well but my favorite and best performing in my experience is the the carbide toothed pruning blade by diablo. I would recommend you try it out at you're next opportunity , Now is a good time as well since with the holiday deals usually there is some bundle or pack with a whole slew of their blades in itfor cheap
I have a couple pruning blades from Diablo and they have probably saved me an entire days worth of digging out old dead shrubs and bushes. I could just jam it into the dirt and cut them off well below the soil. I would try one of those out. I would guess It would cut that branch in only a few seconds.
I bought a cheap HF sawzall just for this! Just have to make sure your ground is clear of power and water before cutting… it does not care when it hits PVC
Been lurking on this channel for the last 3 yrs, voyeuristic engineering is a thing.........right?! Keep up the original, informative and amusing content. Only channel I think I've watched nearly every upload 👌🏻
I've got one of those tiny electric chainsaws with the extendo-pole, and it's a godsend for clearing thin branches and dense brush along the property line. Not the cleanest, sure, but it's just so fast. Plus the extended reach really helps when you're chasing down a deer.
ah i see, because the chainsaw is so quiet that you could stealthily poke at the deer before triggering the saw to grind the deer to giblets right? i dont hunt, but that's how i imagine it in real life.
@@JOSEPH-vs2gc You might have to resort to such base methods if the weather is good. If it's raining on the other hand, simply give them a squirt with WD40 - You've see what this does to cold-rolled steel, so I'm sure you can imagine the rest.
From my experience, when cutting overhead, it's difficult to get enough saw tooth pressure into the cut. As you pull down on a curved blade, the orientation of the teeth come in on the top of the branch and cut deeper. A straight blade just moves out of the kerf full of chips and you have to push much harder into the cut.
Yep. Just cut down a 4" overhead branch at full extension. Took way too long but I could feel how the curve helped. You want a smaller contact area for an effective cut and the curved blade helps with that.
"This is some tough stuff!" Yep, I experienced the very same thing when I made a bread knife from a spare blade like that a few years back. I sure hope that bread knife was worth the two drill bits I destroyed drilling the hole.
Diablo/Freud makes a 12" and 9" carbide tipped pruning blade that I've found to work amazing. The carbide teeth have a significant set and each tooth has a large gullet which really helps make clearing chips easier. Also the carbide teeth are virtually indestructible I've used them to cut roots without removing the dirt around them still be able to cut branches only slightly slower. I'd really like to see Silky blade up against it.
Yes! I was hoping i would see someone else mention these they are they best pruning blades I've used and they do last forever as well! Actually you cant go wrong with any of their carbide toothed blades but the pruning blade is the best when it becomes tree herding season again
I carry a small folding/pruning saw when deer hunting. Guys cut shooting lanes from tree stands with them, but I also use it to saw through the pelvic bone so that the when gutting everything pulls out all the way to the tail. Super clean and also helps cooling.
This could have quickly escalated into a BOLTR video, but you kept on the high ground and didn't resort to French-Canadian tactics, which I can respect.
Although, they've both started down the dark path of running chainsaws inside their shop and sullying their inviolate vises with butchered tree carcasses. What is the world coming to???
That M12 hatchet Pruning saw actually uses the same 0.043-Gauge, 3/8 in. low profile, 6" saw chain that a lot of Pole saws and other battery powered chainsaws use. For a non-Milwaukee branded replacement you can get a Oregon R28 saw chain; which means you have a fair chance at finding one at your local "home improvement" big box store.
I already have a few M12 tools.. you may have unknowingly convinced me to pick up this "hatchet." Getting a replacement chain easy would be great. I know with the sub-compact M12 Fuel bandsaw, I have a hard time finding blades in stock at the local Big Orange store.
@@nelsonbrum8496 When you get the hatchet, buying a few extra chains will pay off big time, also have a lot of extra bar oil on hand, it seems to use it a lot more than my other saws.
@@MrAPCProductions That seems to be a common thing, using a lot of bar oil. My 20V Dewalt likes to drink up the oil also. I've got a few quarts of it for the Dewalt. I have to store my Dewalt with the fill plug down or all the bar oil will leak out. Anything similar with the Hatchet?
@@nelsonbrum8496 Of the limited number of electric chainsaw that I have used; they all universally dumped out the bar oil at a very high rate compared to any ICE chainsaw. On a hot day, after using an electric chainsaw for awhile, it's very common to see them dripping bar oil on the ground. Which is why I switched over to using a biodegradable oil and emptying out the oil reservoir when I am done using it.
Nice to see a fellow metal guy who also likes some tree stuff! I myself enjoy the bonsai world and have done some grafting but more air layering. Cool stuff Tony and again, nice to see you back!
As a retired arborist I saw that coming. When climbing and I knew there were no big cuts to make I'd just take a hand saw and forget the chainsaw. Over all it was quicker and less work. Oh and be dam careful with top handled saws, so many cuts to the left hand.
Great video. Loved the reveal for the battery powered chainsaw. I was intrigued, informed, and entertained. I may have cried at the end but I’ll never admit to it. TOT never ceases to deliver.
It's almost monday for me, but it's still Sunday, I totally agree, it's like you're having a conversation with a friend in his garage while having a coffee with him
Hey! I really appreciate this video on how to create your own drink coasters. I have been looking for the right tools and techniques and you really came through, as per usual! 5 Stars!
You're absolutely correct about the M12 Hatchet. Incredibly successful at separating a boy from his money, fun to use, and adequate at cutting small limbs. Tree limbs, of course.
Credit where credit is due, you got me Tony. I was 100% convinced that we would get a fart noise joke from your struggling with taking off the chuck. Absolutely love your vids TOT!
Bosch do a shockingly good reciprocating saw blade for green wood, the S1531L. I have tried many different options and it is the only one that works for me. For big stuff, the chainsaw will always win but it always feels so dangerous hanging off a tree, upside down, by one leg, while using a chainsaw.
Bosch has this tiny, gimmicky 12v chainsaw that they only sell in Europe, but it looks fantastic for small cuts like that. Despite all the drawbacks to it, if throw down money in a heartbeat if I had access to it
Having now watched all the way through, I'd like to add that there is a specific geometry of blades for cutting green wood (green wood is anything that is alive or has been recently). Thin blades with a wide set work, but not well. HIstorically that's all we had so it is what was used. The problem is that green wood tends to rapidly swell behind the cut, trapping the blade. Modern green wood blades are triangular, wider at the cutting edge with alternating, heavily ground triangular teeth that have no set at all, tapering back to very thin at the trailing edge of the blade. Most reciprocating saw blades are for dry wood, so a thin blade with set, and so are useless for pruning.
Yeah those Bosch blades are just the job, I use them for anything too big to fit in the loppers and too small to warrant tracking down whoever I last lent my chainsaw to
"You start out excited, then sooner or later, it turns in to hard work." Well said. Also thanks for uploading more regularly and congrats on the settlement.
In my experience, reciprosaws work best when you keep the saw body plate pressed against the material. Sawing with the body away from the material with only the blade in contact makes the high speed reciprocating action less efficient. Little invisible positional changes lose a portion of every stroke. So it makes sense pruning with a reciprosaw isn't the right tool. Great video as always.
I got one of the Lee Valley pruning blades. The blade angled down in my 18V Makita, so the whole thing bounced in the cut. Blade shank broke from metal fatigue in the first season, so I reground it about like you did, and it works well on 1"-4" cuts. Definitely faster with the saw shoe against the branch, and up-down movement to clear chips. It may not be faster than the hand saw, but I last a whole lot longer with the saw doing most of the work.
Today wasn't shaping up to be a day I would go to bed happy about. Found this gem at the end of it and I can go to bed happier knowing I learned a thing and laughed along the way. As always, thanks Tony, glad you're more active again.
I used a Silky when I was working with a tree surgeon. Sure we had chainsaws but honestly we feared those Silkys far more! They're really sharp and will easily slice the back of a hand if not careful. (I still can't work out the mechanics as to why that was always cut) Silkys are preferred when up a tree compared to others because in a few quick pulls you can be through a fair sized limb in no time. I'll go as far as saying that when doing lots of smaller limbs, a Silky was preferred to a mechanical saw. Lightweight and less straining. A Silky on a long pole and used from the ground is very productive - we used some to trim a whole avenue to trees so that branches were clear of traffic.
I got a couple silky's a few months ago and cut down a few small trees with them. I gently brushed the blade with my fingers, like cleaning the blade of a knife, and it dang near sliced me open. Blew my mind. I also was amazed at how easy it was to cut. I'm definitely a lifetime fan now
Yes! another This Old Tony flick! I love ya man, you really make the best videos on this platform. Please keep uploading, every video I see is the highlight of my week.
How I've missed these videos! It's like sitting down at a crackling fireplace for a cup of something, or a book. Just so soothing and relaxing. Thanks for being back!
When you adjusted the drill in the beginning, it reminded me of an old drill my Grandpa had years ago - the drill section popped off the motor and you could fit a jigsaw section it its place. Yours was more elegant...
Almost 38 years ago when we bought our house, I cut branches off the large oak tree in the backyard. The branches were over 12” thick. I used a Rockwell, recip saw. It was pretty powerful for the time, at 8 amps, with an 1.25” stroke. The blades were 12” long pruning blades with carbide teeth. They really cut!. I was even able to cut out the honey locust roots six inches underground with these blades, though the small stones and junk in the ground did dull them. The Sawsall was too wimpy with a 4 amp motor and a 0.75” stroke. Recently I bought the small 12” battery chain saw from DeWalt, like you, I’m tied into a battery system. This saw is great. Small as it is, it chews through 8” wood with ease, which is about the largest I do these days. With a 2 amp hour battery it lasts through 10 minutes of actual cutting, which is fine for regular pruning. With the 8 amp hour battery, I feel as though I can just keep cutting without thinking about getting another battery. Boy, these brushless motors are great! But I also find that it uses more oil than expected. It seems as though they over oil the chain, which is a standard size.
I hadn't gotten a notification for a ToT video in months, and I was sadly, under the impression he was gone! So glad to find regular uploads from the last few months. So many of us lemmings love your videos Tony, keep it up!
A new Video from Tony!!! I love your style of storytelling! It's fun and also drops knowledge and you aren't afraid to make mistakes and talk about them!
These Japanese saws are designed to cut primarily on the pull stroke. The powered saw is really only giving you the cut from a 20mm pull, and the 20mm push is just putting the chips back to where they were. These fleam, zero-set, teeth are very popular with Japanese saw-makers. Since there is no set, saw-dust can only be cleared by the teeth coming out of the work, so that the dust can fall down from between the teeth. If the cutting teeth don't clear the work (as with short reciprocation) then the process is bound to fail to some degree.
@@Devantejah No, but these fleam, zero-set, teeth are very popular with Japanese saw-makers. Since there is no set, saw-dust can only be cleared by the teeth coming out of the work, so that the dust can fall down from between the teeth. If the cutting teeth don't clear the work (as with short reciprocation, then the process is bound to fail to some degree.
I started up with an education as a engienere student. Messed up greatly. 35 years later this old (in my eyes young) Tony has made me buy a lathe, mill and a (small) fortune of other tools. It has realy enriched my life greatly! Pardon for bad swenglish. Love! Fredrik
I've been really happy with the Diablo 3TPI Demon pruning blade. Have cut some stuff that was arguably thicker than I should have. Great for big thick roots still buried where you don't want to toast your chain saw chain.
Battery powered chainsaw on a stick with 8 foot extending pole. Doesn't just get the tall stuff, also works great on the low stuff. Never crawl under the Rhododendrons to cut the blackberry vines again. Another great Tony show.
At about 11.00 min +/- 42s, I slowed it down to 1/1000 speed,...... and I calculated that your extra 'sawing motion' increased the cutting speed by 0.014 %! Great work! Love the video, as always!
I love my Fiskars brush saw; glad to see it showing it's worth! I typically wear "carpenter-style" jeans with pockets on the outer right thigh, & when I'm doing some roving property maintenance, that little gem is tucked into the long pocket, ready-to-go in nearly quick-draw fashion.
So, the difference in cut speed approaches zero as the initial stock diameter approaches zero. Do you think there is a crossover point on the graph? Some point where the modified blade out performs the hand powered one.
It's not simply the simple equation of "hand blade cuts faster than powered blade", it's also how much effort the operator has to exert. With the hand saw, the operator is exerting ALL the energy input necessary for cutting the wood. With the similar blade in a reciprocating saw, your back and forth motion is primarily to allow chips to clear from the tooth gullet, while the battery/socket provides most of the energy used to sever the wood fibers, creating those chips/sawdust.
If you made a wave form out of the stroke you'd see the manual as a single sine wave. The powered saw would be 2 waves. 1 wave from the manual stroke and one wave from the motors stroke. These 2 waves would be in the same phase multiple times per second. During this time no wood would be cut. If you could time the phases as a sine and an arcsine it would be super fast but you'd either need to slow down the saw or significant speed to your arm.
Love my trees and love my silky. Alwasy wondered about the 1handed sawzall with the gomboy blades... and now we know. Striking difference in speed! Good examples and explanation.
Instead of a chainsaw on the trail, I use these big demolition blades on my reciprocating saw. I use an 18v makita that came free with a tool set, and if it burns out (had it for like 10 years now) it's less than a hundred bucks to replace. Trailer has a double bank makita charger powered by solar/hybrid automatic generator, so I never tend to be short on battery power.
I have the small yellow model electric chainsaw, that matches my battery collection. It's surprisingly good at even smallish logs, but I use it for downsizing limbs for the brush pile. The battery feature is much better than constantly starting and stopping my gas saw while dragging branches into a pile.
This why I use a 12" pruning blade in my sawzall. Then you slowly saw back and forth with the saw running and this clears the chips. Thus the 12" blade is good up to about a 6" diameter branch. This is really useful when camping because most campsites (at least the ones that I go to) don't allow you to use a chainsaw but there are no restrictions on these (especially since these are relatively quiet).
I've used several pruning blades in my sawzall. They're great and very aggressive. 4 or 5tpi skill brand and I believe the first one was a Vermont/America brand
A very good example of “faster isn’t always better”. I have a large hand bow saw for cutting tree limbs. It’s better than a chain saw some times and always easier to climb with safely. Did a clean up at a Boy Scout Camp and they had a 4’ bow saw that I promptly relieved from a younger scout. I was cutting up red oak limbs 3”, 4”, 5”, & 6”. Definitely a good work out. I did find a few scouts with the rhythm to use it like a 2 man saw. That was fun.
OMG the fabled drill press makes an appearance! Any chance you could re-upload the build video of that for old times sakes? Also that chainsaw is cute as a button!
Pruning blades, which a lot of companies actually do make, can have a backwards rake, to keep the work piece seated firmly ~ish against the shoe. Hand blades cut equally in both directions, and can be harder to control, when used in power tools. My Diablo blades fan out in groups and cut just fine.
As someone who did some pruning lately (with a small makita chainsaw) I really did like it when my dad stepped in with his bosh telescopic chainsaw (even smaller than the makita!) that thing was amazing to use to cut down hard to reach 'deep into the bushes' kind of branches. full week worth of pruning and cleaning up was less of a chore than usual with that telescopic thingy, do check it out!
I have a 16" 2 stroke chain saw. Does a reasonable job and starts easy even after months. But eats chains!! Cutting down a large semi softwood tree [silky oak] my friends electric [corded] Makita the same size less rpm and a smooth action and the same brand of chain lasted far longer and cut through [with several cuts] the main trunk
8:10 I've got 2 words for you, Pole Saw. Sounds painfull but it'll keep your feet on the ground and aluminum ladder parts out of existing orifices or those same aluminum parts from creating new unscheduled openings. They gots tachments too! so clippy jobs can get done just like sawy jobs. Also replace light bulbs, push cord or wire into and out of hard to reach places, fend off bad dogs or collect bikinis from a safe but still not quite legal distance for most restraining orders...
I love the M12 Hatchet. The chain is called a "Full House" Chain meaning every link is a cutter. Although Tony is not in the US you can get the replacement chain for like $20 US at Home Depot. Just a few months ago (May) it was only $14 US. Inflation??? It is a bada$$ saw I was blown away by it's ability.
I made a set of live-edge coasters from an Aspen log cut out of my sister's back yard, cut a little pocket out in the middle of each with my crappy Chinesium CNC machine and put in suede inserts. Gave a set to her for Christmas last year and they went over well!
I would be curious how a super sawzall (orbital action and 1.25” stroke length) paired with a Diablo carbide pruning blade(extra large gullets) compares with the silky and m12 hatchet. I realize that it defeats the point of being one handed, but inquiring minds want to know.
You stole the words right off of my keyboard. Or if you wanna get technical, you stole the same combination of letters numbers and spaces that my mind was thinking of typing on the keyboard.
Just a thought, ive got several hundred dollars in silky, hand and pole saws. I dont think the teeth are meant for 1000 strokes 3/4 inch long versus 4-6 inch strokes
Makita BUC122 is awesome. Had mine for 10 years now, used most weekends on a few acres of woodland, never ever sharpened the chain in all that time and it still goes through 4" branches super quick. I stopped putting chain oil in it a few years back (I got lazy), it had no effect at all to performance and the bar is still great too. The best Makita tool I have ever owned period. This is before the brushless revolution too, literally hundreds of hours on it.
They're not the same blade shape (curved), but the tooth shape (triangle shape, sharpened front and rear) of a pruning saw blade is absolutely available in a reciprocating saw blade format, and they cut much better than "rough cutting wood blades" like those other you showed.
@@PoodlePuncher yea diablos carbide toothed pruning blade is the best blade I've used out of the wood/ pruning blades ive used and it lasts for a long time
Should've tried the original Milwaukee "Saws-all," set to "orbital" mode. It would've sliced through that tree limb faster than all the rest. Head to head with other reciprocating saws, the orbital Milwaukee Saws-All totally kicks ass.
Another advantage to the powered pruning saw (over its manual twin) is that you don't need to be manually sawing back and forth. Besides the "energy savings" (not to mention fatigue), there's stuff like _balance._ I remember a half-century ago, give or take, when I was working for a water-blasting company. I found myself near the top of a longish extension ladder, blasting the livin' snot out of a brick chimney. I was leaning into it, so as to be able to reach the areas that I couldn't reach if I _hadn't_ been leaning into it. Then, I released the trigger -- and nearly fell to my death! The "recoil" from umpteen kilopounds of water coming out a minuscule nozzle was literally supporting my weight as I leaned into it. I realize that a handsaw doesn't have any recoil. However, when you're "leaning into it" and straining your muscles to saw (with one hand) and hold onto the tree with the other, it's _got_ to take a toll on your ability to hang on without any slippage. N'est-ce pas?
A silky saw is very handy when dressing out a moose or a deer. Cuts through the pelvic bone and sternum super slick. A great thing to carry in your pack while hunting if you know what to do with it.
We use a dewalt sawzall to quarter whitetail where I live, works fantastic. Pelvic bone, spine and feet, but usually we have it up on a gambrel so it gets stuff out of the way.
This is very interesting. I bought a Diablo brand pruning saw blade for my reciprocal saw from Home Depot and was surprised how slowly it cuts - I just assumed the bushes I was taking out were particularly tough wood (and they are tough, even to loppers) - but I hadn't considered it was lack of chip clearing.
its best to set it against the blade guard whenever possible depednfing on what size it is but I would try the carbide toothed pruning blade from diablo, totally different beast than their regular pruning blades and is by far my favorite blade when its becomes tree herding season again.
I've got a Silky Gomboy and it's hard to beat for most small pruning jobs. I also have a Stihl battery chainsaw with a 12 inch bar. It is awesome, light weight, and works well on anything up to 8-10 inches in diameter. It will cut larger stuff but it slows down significantly. The combination of those two and a pair of loppers is all I need for clearing brush, pruning and most firewood cutting.
Thank gosh you're back. PS - I've noticed your audio levels are too high somewhere. They're getting blown out a bit to distortion the last couple vids. I'm probably the only one that can tell, I have pro speakers. :) Pull it back 15-20%.
It works best when the saw is hard pressed against the object. Moving it back and forth means you lose cutting power before the tool will absorb the movement.
That "thanks for watchin" tagline at the end of your video seems to have been used on dozens (maybe hundreds) of your videos. But I see no wear on it at all. No fraying a the edges of the letters, no fading of the color, nothin. How do you do it? Is it a carbide font, or case hardened, or what?
I have had my Gomboy for about 15 years and have made a belt clip system for it. I can carry the handle and up to six blades in a small package. Even fits in the back pocket. There are now a really useful selection of blade types that are also made by third parties so you can get new blades quite cheap (in Japan). You can even get hacksaw style blades for metal cutting.
Pretty much my own journey. However, I never attached a pruning saw blade to my hack saw. I went down the 40V electrical powered chain saw route. 12 inch blade for any substantial branches, 5 inch blade for the pruning saw. Our pruning saw is attached to a pole though, which can extend up to 12 feet. I covered all those numbers in my head and hope they are close (30cm, 10cm and 4m). Having handled my fair share of "real" chain saws in my life, I'm not looking back. They are loud, dangerous to handle when climbing trees, difficult to maintain when used seldomly ... unless you need to operate them 10h a day with a 30 inch blade, I wouldn't consider one with a carburator anymore ... For smaller branches my wife uses a telescopic cutter. Again, it extends up to 4m (12-13 feet) and makes a very fast and clean cut on everything up to three thumbs thick ...
Just a quick side note, if you are going to hunt with a pruning saw, the largest game you want to attempt is maybe a deer. I had a friend that tragically passed away from an elephant in a South African safari hunt with a pruning saw. As he found out you should use a two man crosscut saw instead as elephants have no branches, but instead a rather large trunk.
I feel this replay is totally underrated
@@donhappel9566 Seconded!!!!!
Lmfao. Best comment ever
Slow clap for dad jokes. Most impressive, Sir.
WOW
I tell ya, This new Tony guy is just as good as the old one.
😂
So you're saying this old new Tony is as good as This Old Tony... oh, I'm a little confused. :P
It's the new old Tony, I like him, a LOT ❤️
@@TechyBen nah, This New Old Tony is as good as the Old Old Tony
Coasters for your patron gifts. BOOM..thankyou
I don’t think you know how much it means to some of us to have you back… makes the world more like it used to be right now
The world seems a bit more... balanced. I completely agree.
@@BeenThrDunThat ....Yes....reciprocating does that.....and.....much more ....
Congratulations! You've invented a tool that's 6x heavier, 3x as expensive and works less well than the simpler version,, as well as requiring charge time. This OId Tony, you're a genius! We'll put marketing on it today!
. are you silky
It is a hybrid
I've been a Carpenter and I've been a tree guy, if you want to get through thicker wood with a recipro saw there's a technique, you need to rock the saw up and down in line with the cut, it not only helps to clear the blade gullets but constantly changes and reduces the contact area the blade has with the wood, once you get the rhythm you usually fly though, however when pruning, some trees will still be too wet or gummy and will put up a fight
Yes, alternating the angle is key!
Yep, some woods don't like being cut... they are to sapy.
@@aezram Just like with a chainsaw.
What happens when you rock the saw up and down out of line with the cut?
Typically, that happens just prior to snapping the blade in half
So to be honest - I had no idea what pruning meant. In german it came down to the same as circumcision. I wasnt quite sure what to expect with that saw blade in the thumbnail :D
its ok.. it isnt the size of the circumcision blade that counts
Wow. Feels painful just thinking about how that would go.
Ouch! Ouch, ouch, ouch!
Roetz I recommend the silkey saw for circumcisions. Less kerf. 🤣
I got a couple blades for the Sawzall years ago called "The Ugly". Giant teeth for clearing chips. They absolutely rip through branches. Maybe not the ideal tool for your high precision artisanal pruning aficionado, but ideal for the path of destruction I leave.
*NOTE* - Less than ideal for hunting waterfowl.
"artisanal pruning aficianado" OMG
@@andyp3383 Lol... At least Google tried on the translation...
Yeah, lower TPI is ideal for aggressive cutting.
I use "The Ugly" blade for pruning also. It works wonderfully. Its teeth look like pruning saw teeth should: long, spiky, and scary sharp. It's a lot more similar to the "Silky" blade than to that "Caliastro" abomination. Highly recommended!
i randomly got a pack of those blades in a tool box i bought in the 9" version and they do work quite well but my favorite and best performing in my experience is the the carbide toothed pruning blade by diablo. I would recommend you try it out at you're next opportunity , Now is a good time as well since with the holiday deals usually there is some bundle or pack with a whole slew of their blades in itfor cheap
I can't help but think that one of Tony's relatives is going to be getting a set of wooden drink coasters with CNC Christmas patterns cut in them! 🤣
Just one??
@@chesterwsmith good point!!
I have a couple pruning blades from Diablo and they have probably saved me an entire days worth of digging out old dead shrubs and bushes. I could just jam it into the dirt and cut them off well below the soil. I would try one of those out. I would guess It would cut that branch in only a few seconds.
I bought a cheap HF sawzall just for this! Just have to make sure your ground is clear of power and water before cutting… it does not care when it hits PVC
@@adamdowney Neither does Sean it seems.
Do you mean the carbide tipped blades?
Diablo carbide pruning saw blades, cranked my chainsaw up once since I got them. Anything under 8 inches in diameter they are easier.
Those Diablo pruning blades rock
The editing and its interaction with the script is near perfection as always.
Enter the 115cc 1960s Wright reciprocating power blade saw. Still slower than a hand saw....
That video was something else 🤣
I hope he's seen that video, that thing is an afront against god.
My money is on the antique drag saw, that thing haunts my dreams.
Clearly it’s a job for the sally saw. Think of the extra reach off the last step on a ladder
Been lurking on this channel for the last 3 yrs, voyeuristic engineering is a thing.........right?! Keep up the original, informative and amusing content. Only channel I think I've watched nearly every upload 👌🏻
I've got one of those tiny electric chainsaws with the extendo-pole, and it's a godsend for clearing thin branches and dense brush along the property line.
Not the cleanest, sure, but it's just so fast.
Plus the extended reach really helps when you're chasing down a deer.
What the f
ah i see, because the chainsaw is so quiet that you could stealthily poke at the deer before triggering the saw to grind the deer to giblets right? i dont hunt, but that's how i imagine it in real life.
@@JOSEPH-vs2gc You might have to resort to such base methods if the weather is good.
If it's raining on the other hand, simply give them a squirt with WD40 - You've see what this does to cold-rolled steel, so I'm sure you can imagine the rest.
I'd worry about my chainspear breaking when I throw it at a deer
@@sj1122334455 I laughed way too hard at this mental image.
From my experience, when cutting overhead, it's difficult to get enough saw tooth pressure into the cut. As you pull down on a curved blade, the orientation of the teeth come in on the top of the branch and cut deeper. A straight blade just moves out of the kerf full of chips and you have to push much harder into the cut.
I think you nailed it! Except, not with a hammer, but with a curved saw
Yep. Just cut down a 4" overhead branch at full extension. Took way too long but I could feel how the curve helped. You want a smaller contact area for an effective cut and the curved blade helps with that.
"When I thought to myself, Hey I could be wasting other people time too." 1:30 🤣 Thanks for thinking of us Tony!
I don't know why "I don't usually do my pruning indoors at the vise" made me laugh. Tony, you have the knack 😂 Keep it up!
I also bring the vise to the tree - that is much easier..
'TOT' has "the knack" , eh ? Guess he'll be seeing his doc for antibiotics tomorrow then .
I tried once, but the 8 foot root ball didn’t make it through the door.
Because it's objectively funny! I was dying! Thank you Tony
"This is some tough stuff!"
Yep, I experienced the very same thing when I made a bread knife from a spare blade like that a few years back. I sure hope that bread knife was worth the two drill bits I destroyed drilling the hole.
Bakers watch this channel too hun cool that
This vid from Stefan might be of help in the future. th-cam.com/video/dPlsEMY_HZ8/w-d-xo.html
Forget the drill bits, I'm more worried about your teeth. Might I suggest buying fresher bread?
@@LonersGuide maybe consider adding yeast to your bread when you make it, might help
I used a die grinder with the angry diamond end. That went right through it...after an hour
I just watched my favorite youtube machinist talk about pruning for 20 minutes and I don't regret a second of it.
Diablo/Freud makes a 12" and 9" carbide tipped pruning blade that I've found to work amazing. The carbide teeth have a significant set and each tooth has a large gullet which really helps make clearing chips easier. Also the carbide teeth are virtually indestructible I've used them to cut roots without removing the dirt around them still be able to cut branches only slightly slower. I'd really like to see Silky blade up against it.
Yes! I was hoping i would see someone else mention these they are they best pruning blades I've used and they do last forever as well! Actually you cant go wrong with any of their carbide toothed blades but the pruning blade is the best when it becomes tree herding season again
I carry a small folding/pruning saw when deer hunting. Guys cut shooting lanes from tree stands with them, but I also use it to saw through the pelvic bone so that the when gutting everything pulls out all the way to the tail. Super clean and also helps cooling.
when you wake up one day and there is a deer doing that to you, you'll know why
This could have quickly escalated into a BOLTR video, but you kept on the high ground and didn't resort to French-Canadian tactics, which I can respect.
I believe he's done a "NUTR" video. There may have been some discussions between Tony and the "blue-haired Canadian", as he is referred to.
You can respect the French-Canadian tactics? Or you can respect his restraint in avoiding them?
Although, they've both started down the dark path of running chainsaws inside their shop and sullying their inviolate vises with butchered tree carcasses. What is the world coming to???
@@greggdebeck9145 we live in dark times my random youtube stranger friend
That M12 hatchet Pruning saw actually uses the same 0.043-Gauge, 3/8 in. low profile, 6" saw chain that a lot of Pole saws and other battery powered chainsaws use. For a non-Milwaukee branded replacement you can get a Oregon R28 saw chain; which means you have a fair chance at finding one at your local "home improvement" big box store.
I already have a few M12 tools.. you may have unknowingly convinced me to pick up this "hatchet." Getting a replacement chain easy would be great. I know with the sub-compact M12 Fuel bandsaw, I have a hard time finding blades in stock at the local Big Orange store.
@@nelsonbrum8496 When you get the hatchet, buying a few extra chains will pay off big time, also have a lot of extra bar oil on hand, it seems to use it a lot more than my other saws.
@@MrAPCProductions That seems to be a common thing, using a lot of bar oil. My 20V Dewalt likes to drink up the oil also. I've got a few quarts of it for the Dewalt. I have to store my Dewalt with the fill plug down or all the bar oil will leak out. Anything similar with the Hatchet?
@@nelsonbrum8496 Of the limited number of electric chainsaw that I have used; they all universally dumped out the bar oil at a very high rate compared to any ICE chainsaw. On a hot day, after using an electric chainsaw for awhile, it's very common to see them dripping bar oil on the ground. Which is why I switched over to using a biodegradable oil and emptying out the oil reservoir when I am done using it.
TOT with Milwaukee on the thumbnail… everything one needs on a Sunday 🤩
Nice to see a fellow metal guy who also likes some tree stuff! I myself enjoy the bonsai world and have done some grafting but more air layering. Cool stuff Tony and again, nice to see you back!
As a retired arborist I saw that coming. When climbing and I knew there were no big cuts to make I'd just take a hand saw and forget the chainsaw. Over all it was quicker and less work. Oh and be dam careful with top handled saws, so many cuts to the left hand.
Great video. Loved the reveal for the battery powered chainsaw. I was intrigued, informed, and entertained.
I may have cried at the end but I’ll never admit to it. TOT never ceases to deliver.
Logging on to TH-cam and seeing a new TOT video has been posted is one of the finest pleasures life has to offer
Tony's videos are always so comfy. Im happy to see this uploaded on a Sunday evening (eu)
It's almost monday for me, but it's still Sunday, I totally agree, it's like you're having a conversation with a friend in his garage while having a coffee with him
Monday morning here in New Zealand, but appreciated all the same :)
This past Spring/Summer I've been using an 8" Battery Powered Electric Chain saw for pruning up to 4" diameter branches. Works great.
Hey! I really appreciate this video on how to create your own drink coasters. I have been looking for the right tools and techniques and you really came through, as per usual! 5 Stars!
Still feel the need to say welcome back and I’m glad you’re here.
You're absolutely correct about the M12 Hatchet. Incredibly successful at separating a boy from his money, fun to use, and adequate at cutting small limbs. Tree limbs, of course.
Credit where credit is due, you got me Tony. I was 100% convinced that we would get a fart noise joke from your struggling with taking off the chuck.
Absolutely love your vids TOT!
And wasting not only his time but ours as well I bursted out laughing
Glad to see you back. Looking forward to the next installment.
This Old Tony videos are the only ones I hit 'Like' before I watch the actual video. I have never had to regret it! Thanks TOT.
Bosch do a shockingly good reciprocating saw blade for green wood, the S1531L. I have tried many different options and it is the only one that works for me. For big stuff, the chainsaw will always win but it always feels so dangerous hanging off a tree, upside down, by one leg, while using a chainsaw.
Bosch has this tiny, gimmicky 12v chainsaw that they only sell in Europe, but it looks fantastic for small cuts like that. Despite all the drawbacks to it, if throw down money in a heartbeat if I had access to it
Agree! Came here to say this. I love these blades.
Having now watched all the way through, I'd like to add that there is a specific geometry of blades for cutting green wood (green wood is anything that is alive or has been recently). Thin blades with a wide set work, but not well. HIstorically that's all we had so it is what was used. The problem is that green wood tends to rapidly swell behind the cut, trapping the blade. Modern green wood blades are triangular, wider at the cutting edge with alternating, heavily ground triangular teeth that have no set at all, tapering back to very thin at the trailing edge of the blade. Most reciprocating saw blades are for dry wood, so a thin blade with set, and so are useless for pruning.
Yeah those Bosch blades are just the job, I use them for anything too big to fit in the loppers and too small to warrant tracking down whoever I last lent my chainsaw to
I have never used a chainsaw. Is there a law that forbids you to use both your legs when hanging down as I still have both?
"You start out excited, then sooner or later, it turns in to hard work."
Well said. Also thanks for uploading more regularly and congrats on the settlement.
I hate that feeling. It usually happens to me when pressure washing.
Yes, the Tree is always much larger when it's laying on the ground.
what settlement?
What settlement?
what settlement?
In my experience, reciprosaws work best when you keep the saw body plate pressed against the material. Sawing with the body away from the material with only the blade in contact makes the high speed reciprocating action less efficient. Little invisible positional changes lose a portion of every stroke.
So it makes sense pruning with a reciprosaw isn't the right tool. Great video as always.
I got one of the Lee Valley pruning blades. The blade angled down in my 18V Makita, so the whole thing bounced in the cut. Blade shank broke from metal fatigue in the first season, so I reground it about like you did, and it works well on 1"-4" cuts. Definitely faster with the saw shoe against the branch, and up-down movement to clear chips. It may not be faster than the hand saw, but I last a whole lot longer with the saw doing most of the work.
i think they work alot better on the dried woof aswell as the sawdust can escape easier
Today wasn't shaping up to be a day I would go to bed happy about. Found this gem at the end of it and I can go to bed happier knowing I learned a thing and laughed along the way. As always, thanks Tony, glad you're more active again.
I used a Silky when I was working with a tree surgeon. Sure we had chainsaws but honestly we feared those Silkys far more! They're really sharp and will easily slice the back of a hand if not careful. (I still can't work out the mechanics as to why that was always cut)
Silkys are preferred when up a tree compared to others because in a few quick pulls you can be through a fair sized limb in no time. I'll go as far as saying that when doing lots of smaller limbs, a Silky was preferred to a mechanical saw. Lightweight and less straining. A Silky on a long pole and used from the ground is very productive - we used some to trim a whole avenue to trees so that branches were clear of traffic.
I got a couple silky's a few months ago and cut down a few small trees with them. I gently brushed the blade with my fingers, like cleaning the blade of a knife, and it dang near sliced me open. Blew my mind. I also was amazed at how easy it was to cut. I'm definitely a lifetime fan now
Highly informative. One question, though, what the hell is a silky?
@@MrJdsenior silky is the brand name of these handsaws
Yes! another This Old Tony flick! I love ya man, you really make the best videos on this platform. Please keep uploading, every video I see is the highlight of my week.
I second that !
How I've missed these videos! It's like sitting down at a crackling fireplace for a cup of something, or a book. Just so soothing and relaxing. Thanks for being back!
The missus:
"why are you watching that guy again?"
"He teaches how to do Tig..... Hang on, pruning?"
"Ooh, send me a link"
Subscriber +1
When you adjusted the drill in the beginning, it reminded me of an old drill my Grandpa had years ago - the drill section popped off the motor and you could fit a jigsaw section it its place. Yours was more elegant...
We all missed you and thank you to you and especially your family..for putting up with us. From the bottom of our hearts, we all thank you! CHEERS!!!
“Liked” before he even opened the vise!
Damn, another one in less than half a year. This is good.
Almost 38 years ago when we bought our house, I cut branches off the large oak tree in the backyard. The branches were over 12” thick. I used a Rockwell, recip saw. It was pretty powerful for the time, at 8 amps, with an 1.25” stroke. The blades were 12” long pruning blades with carbide teeth. They really cut!. I was even able to cut out the honey locust roots six inches underground with these blades, though the small stones and junk in the ground did dull them. The Sawsall was too wimpy with a 4 amp motor and a 0.75” stroke.
Recently I bought the small 12” battery chain saw from DeWalt, like you, I’m tied into a battery system. This saw is great. Small as it is, it chews through 8” wood with ease, which is about the largest I do these days. With a 2 amp hour battery it lasts through 10 minutes of actual cutting, which is fine for regular pruning. With the 8 amp hour battery, I feel as though I can just keep cutting without thinking about getting another battery. Boy, these brushless motors are great! But I also find that it uses more oil than expected. It seems as though they over oil the chain, which is a standard size.
“You can use a dull drill bit!” Ironically after trying to drill the blade before using carbide lmaoo 😂 perfect
I hadn't gotten a notification for a ToT video in months, and I was sadly, under the impression he was gone! So glad to find regular uploads from the last few months. So many of us lemmings love your videos Tony, keep it up!
Congratulations Mr. Tony, you made me Google polyorchidism. That joke went more than 2 layers deep, at least 3 for sure.
That's nuts.
A new Video from Tony!!!
I love your style of storytelling! It's fun and also drops knowledge and you aren't afraid to make mistakes and talk about them!
These Japanese saws are designed to cut primarily on the pull stroke. The powered saw is really only giving you the cut from a 20mm pull, and the 20mm push is just putting the chips back to where they were. These fleam, zero-set, teeth are very popular with Japanese saw-makers. Since there is no set, saw-dust can only be cleared by the teeth coming out of the work, so that the dust can fall down from between the teeth. If the cutting teeth don't clear the work (as with short reciprocation) then the process is bound to fail to some degree.
So are generally all japanese saws made that way? I know of the big.. rectangular ones but they are the only ones I've encountered.
@@Devantejah No, but these fleam, zero-set, teeth are very popular with Japanese saw-makers. Since there is no set, saw-dust can only be cleared by the teeth coming out of the work, so that the dust can fall down from between the teeth. If the cutting teeth don't clear the work (as with short reciprocation, then the process is bound to fail to some degree.
I started up with an education as a engienere student. Messed up greatly. 35 years later this old (in my eyes young) Tony has made me buy a lathe, mill and a (small)
fortune of other tools. It has realy enriched my life greatly! Pardon for bad swenglish. Love! Fredrik
I've been using a Silky Gomboy since my brother brought one back from Japan. For the sawzall I use the Lee Valley. Fantastic blade.
I've been really happy with the Diablo 3TPI Demon pruning blade. Have cut some stuff that was arguably thicker than I should have. Great for big thick roots still buried where you don't want to toast your chain saw chain.
Tony, your knowledge not only comes out when you’re explaining concepts and tools, but also in your humor. The subtle stuff kills me everytime lol
"you might think, Tony are you on crack?" 😂
@@maxsinventions8913 that nearly killed me.
Battery powered chainsaw on a stick with 8 foot extending pole. Doesn't just get the tall stuff, also works great on the low stuff. Never crawl under the Rhododendrons to cut the blackberry vines again. Another great Tony show.
At about 11.00 min +/- 42s, I slowed it down to 1/1000 speed,...... and I calculated that your extra 'sawing motion' increased the cutting speed by 0.014 %! Great work!
Love the video, as always!
I love my Fiskars brush saw; glad to see it showing it's worth! I typically wear "carpenter-style" jeans with pockets on the outer right thigh, & when I'm doing some roving property maintenance, that little gem is tucked into the long pocket, ready-to-go in nearly quick-draw fashion.
I'm not sure you've thought that all the way through. Just sayin'.
5:10 "a little short, but should do." Story of my life, man! 😲😂
So, the difference in cut speed approaches zero as the initial stock diameter approaches zero. Do you think there is a crossover point on the graph? Some point where the modified blade out performs the hand powered one.
Yes...when material width is the same as or smaller than the power saw's stroke length.
@@SomeGuy-vo7we Amen
It's not simply the simple equation of "hand blade cuts faster than powered blade", it's also how much effort the operator has to exert. With the hand saw, the operator is exerting ALL the energy input necessary for cutting the wood. With the similar blade in a reciprocating saw, your back and forth motion is primarily to allow chips to clear from the tooth gullet, while the battery/socket provides most of the energy used to sever the wood fibers, creating those chips/sawdust.
@@SomeGuy-vo7we Maybe. Sometimes a slower stoke allows for better (wood chip) release...
@@mlindholm Regardless of effort, if you only graph rate of cut, then it is as simple as which cuts faster.
If you made a wave form out of the stroke you'd see the manual as a single sine wave. The powered saw would be 2 waves. 1 wave from the manual stroke and one wave from the motors stroke. These 2 waves would be in the same phase multiple times per second. During this time no wood would be cut. If you could time the phases as a sine and an arcsine it would be super fast but you'd either need to slow down the saw or significant speed to your arm.
You BETTER be making a CHRISTMAS video for us TOT 😂🎄❤️
Love my trees and love my silky. Alwasy wondered about the 1handed sawzall with the gomboy blades... and now we know. Striking difference in speed! Good examples and explanation.
Instead of a chainsaw on the trail, I use these big demolition blades on my reciprocating saw. I use an 18v makita that came free with a tool set, and if it burns out (had it for like 10 years now) it's less than a hundred bucks to replace. Trailer has a double bank makita charger powered by solar/hybrid automatic generator, so I never tend to be short on battery power.
I have the small yellow model electric chainsaw, that matches my battery collection. It's surprisingly good at even smallish logs, but I use it for downsizing limbs for the brush pile. The battery feature is much better than constantly starting and stopping my gas saw while dragging branches into a pile.
This why I use a 12" pruning blade in my sawzall. Then you slowly saw back and forth with the saw running and this clears the chips. Thus the 12" blade is good up to about a 6" diameter branch. This is really useful when camping because most campsites (at least the ones that I go to) don't allow you to use a chainsaw but there are no restrictions on these (especially since these are relatively quiet).
I've used several pruning blades in my sawzall. They're great and very aggressive. 4 or 5tpi skill brand and I believe the first one was a Vermont/America brand
A very good example of “faster isn’t always better”.
I have a large hand bow saw for cutting tree limbs. It’s better than a chain saw some times and always easier to climb with safely.
Did a clean up at a Boy Scout Camp and they had a 4’ bow saw that I promptly relieved from a younger scout. I was cutting up red oak limbs 3”, 4”, 5”, & 6”. Definitely a good work out. I did find a few scouts with the rhythm to use it like a 2 man saw. That was fun.
Can't wait for the poly-orchidism follow up, will you be using a sawsall to deal with it tho?😱
Aren't most fellas poly-orchious? Or does "poly" imply more than 2?
Oh dear God no
OMG the fabled drill press makes an appearance! Any chance you could re-upload the build video of that for old times sakes?
Also that chainsaw is cute as a button!
My heart skips with joy when there's a new ToT video.
For a video you didn't think was going anywhere this was excellent.
Pruning blades, which a lot of companies actually do make, can have a backwards rake, to keep the work piece seated firmly ~ish against the shoe. Hand blades cut equally in both directions, and can be harder to control, when used in power tools. My Diablo blades fan out in groups and cut just fine.
As someone who did some pruning lately (with a small makita chainsaw) I really did like it when my dad stepped in with his bosh telescopic chainsaw (even smaller than the makita!) that thing was amazing to use to cut down hard to reach 'deep into the bushes' kind of branches.
full week worth of pruning and cleaning up was less of a chore than usual with that telescopic thingy, do check it out!
I have a 16" 2 stroke chain saw. Does a reasonable job and starts easy even after months. But eats chains!!
Cutting down a large semi softwood tree [silky oak] my friends electric [corded] Makita the same size less rpm and a smooth action and the same brand of chain lasted far longer and cut through [with several cuts] the main trunk
I was having a rough day until tony showed up to grace us
8:10 I've got 2 words for you, Pole Saw. Sounds painfull but it'll keep your feet on the ground and aluminum ladder parts out of existing orifices or those same aluminum parts from creating new unscheduled openings. They gots tachments too! so clippy jobs can get done just like sawy jobs. Also replace light bulbs, push cord or wire into and out of hard to reach places, fend off bad dogs or collect bikinis from a safe but still not quite legal distance for most restraining orders...
Tonyesque quality of reply. Nicely done !
Thanks spell check for ruining my post
@@bobturnbull18 But I really liked the roofing contractor reference.
I love the M12 Hatchet. The chain is called a "Full House" Chain meaning every link is a cutter. Although Tony is not in the US you can get the replacement chain for like $20 US at Home Depot. Just a few months ago (May) it was only $14 US. Inflation??? It is a bada$$ saw I was blown away by it's ability.
Tony? Not in the US??
I made a set of live-edge coasters from an Aspen log cut out of my sister's back yard, cut a little pocket out in the middle of each with my crappy Chinesium CNC machine and put in suede inserts. Gave a set to her for Christmas last year and they went over well!
I would be curious how a super sawzall (orbital action and 1.25” stroke length) paired with a Diablo carbide pruning blade(extra large gullets) compares with the silky and m12 hatchet.
I realize that it defeats the point of being one handed, but inquiring minds want to know.
You stole the words right off of my keyboard. Or if you wanna get technical, you stole the same combination of letters numbers and spaces that my mind was thinking of typing on the keyboard.
Just got my Totshirt in the mail. Caught myself building sarcastic puns in my workshop this afternoon !
Hopefully you can avoid all Pun-itive Damages!!!😳🤭😆🤣😂
Just a thought, ive got several hundred dollars in silky, hand and pole saws. I dont think the teeth are meant for 1000 strokes 3/4 inch long versus 4-6 inch strokes
Like I’ve always preached: a 4-6inch stroke is not only adequate, it’s optimal!
_I’m not compensating, you’re compensating_
Makita BUC122 is awesome. Had mine for 10 years now, used most weekends on a few acres of woodland, never ever sharpened the chain in all that time and it still goes through 4" branches super quick. I stopped putting chain oil in it a few years back (I got lazy), it had no effect at all to performance and the bar is still great too. The best Makita tool I have ever owned period. This is before the brushless revolution too, literally hundreds of hours on it.
i have to say i missed your channel but never realised how much, this videos are so relaxing for me i dont know why
0:37 I've been watching the X files marathon today and I see you also genuinely captured the moment. NanoOo NanoOo Shazbot!
He cracked that saw like Toomes?
@@phitsf5475 The truth is out there!
They're not the same blade shape (curved), but the tooth shape (triangle shape, sharpened front and rear) of a pruning saw blade is absolutely available in a reciprocating saw blade format, and they cut much better than "rough cutting wood blades" like those other you showed.
Your (as best I understand it) location may certainly be leading to the lack of availability of pruning Sawzall blades, compared to the US market.
i've been using the diablo pruning blades in my sawz-most for years. never going back to manual labor.
@@PoodlePuncher yea diablos carbide toothed pruning blade is the best blade I've used out of the wood/ pruning blades ive used and it lasts for a long time
Should've tried the original Milwaukee "Saws-all," set to "orbital" mode. It would've sliced through that tree limb faster than all the rest. Head to head with other reciprocating saws, the orbital Milwaukee Saws-All totally kicks ass.
Another advantage to the powered pruning saw (over its manual twin) is that you don't need to be manually sawing back and forth. Besides the "energy savings" (not to mention fatigue), there's stuff like _balance._
I remember a half-century ago, give or take, when I was working for a water-blasting company. I found myself near the top of a longish extension ladder, blasting the livin' snot out of a brick chimney.
I was leaning into it, so as to be able to reach the areas that I couldn't reach if I _hadn't_ been leaning into it.
Then, I released the trigger -- and nearly fell to my death!
The "recoil" from umpteen kilopounds of water coming out a minuscule nozzle was literally supporting my weight as I leaned into it.
I realize that a handsaw doesn't have any recoil. However, when you're "leaning into it" and straining your muscles to saw (with one hand) and hold onto the tree with the other, it's _got_ to take a toll on your ability to hang on without any slippage. N'est-ce pas?
A silky saw is very handy when dressing out a moose or a deer. Cuts through the pelvic bone and sternum super slick. A great thing to carry in your pack while hunting if you know what to do with it.
We use a dewalt sawzall to quarter whitetail where I live, works fantastic. Pelvic bone, spine and feet, but usually we have it up on a gambrel so it gets stuff out of the way.
The resulting gap cause by the set teeth is called the kerf and it's essential to blade longevity and cutting straightness.
exactly what i needed today. hope you and your family have a great holiday season, Tony! thank you for the hours of entertainment you provide
This is very interesting. I bought a Diablo brand pruning saw blade for my reciprocal saw from Home Depot and was surprised how slowly it cuts - I just assumed the bushes I was taking out were particularly tough wood (and they are tough, even to loppers) - but I hadn't considered it was lack of chip clearing.
I've been using those for a few years. They work great for me, but keep in mind that I use mainly hand tools for everything else.
its best to set it against the blade guard whenever possible depednfing on what size it is but I would try the carbide toothed pruning blade from diablo, totally different beast than their regular pruning blades and is by far my favorite blade when its becomes tree herding season again.
I've got a Silky Gomboy and it's hard to beat for most small pruning jobs. I also have a Stihl battery chainsaw with a 12 inch bar. It is awesome, light weight, and works well on anything up to 8-10 inches in diameter. It will cut larger stuff but it slows down significantly. The combination of those two and a pair of loppers is all I need for clearing brush, pruning and most firewood cutting.
Thank gosh you're back. PS - I've noticed your audio levels are too high somewhere. They're getting blown out a bit to distortion the last couple vids. I'm probably the only one that can tell, I have pro speakers. :) Pull it back 15-20%.
It works best when the saw is hard pressed against the object. Moving it back and forth means you lose cutting power before the tool will absorb the movement.
That "thanks for watchin" tagline at the end of your video seems to have been used on dozens (maybe hundreds) of your videos. But I see no wear on it at all. No fraying a the edges of the letters, no fading of the color, nothin. How do you do it? Is it a carbide font, or case hardened, or what?
I have had my Gomboy for about 15 years and have made a belt clip system for it. I can carry the handle and up to six blades in a small package. Even fits in the back pocket.
There are now a really useful selection of blade types that are also made by third parties so you can get new blades quite cheap (in Japan). You can even get hacksaw style blades for metal cutting.
I enjoy the comedy and the suspense knowing that something is up. Great stuff!!
Pretty much my own journey. However, I never attached a pruning saw blade to my hack saw.
I went down the 40V electrical powered chain saw route. 12 inch blade for any substantial branches, 5 inch blade for the pruning saw. Our pruning saw is attached to a pole though, which can extend up to 12 feet. I covered all those numbers in my head and hope they are close (30cm, 10cm and 4m).
Having handled my fair share of "real" chain saws in my life, I'm not looking back. They are loud, dangerous to handle when climbing trees, difficult to maintain when used seldomly ... unless you need to operate them 10h a day with a 30 inch blade, I wouldn't consider one with a carburator anymore ...
For smaller branches my wife uses a telescopic cutter. Again, it extends up to 4m (12-13 feet) and makes a very fast and clean cut on everything up to three thumbs thick ...