Pocket chain saws

U

umberto00

Joined
Jun 25, 2004
Messages
215
Anyone have any experience with pocket chain saws? Not those lame-ass braided wire "survival saws," but those big, beefy ones that look like actual chain-saw blades. I was thinking about adding one to my car kit. Pros, cons, or am I better off with just my folding saw and/or hatchet?
 
I have used my pocket chain now for 10 years and it works great. I have cut through 9" thick tree logs in no time.

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I absolutely hated mine. After a couple minutes of pulling the chain back and forth, my lower back started to kill me. These might work well if you have the log situated off the ground at a comfortable height, but bending over to use this saw is a very uncomfortable process. The tool was well built, but maybe my technique was off. For two people it may work great. Or if you used a stout branch to make a handle...

My ultimate solution was to go with a Silky PocketBoy. Super small folding saw that cuts very well. Good luck in your decision. :thumbup:
 
I have the same item as LotusBlade. Works great, but I make a bow attachment & hook the rings to it - that helps back stress issues. Add to a car kit - absolutely.
 
I have the pocket chain saw. It works great for getting into tight spots, like cutting Hercules Club out of a chainlink fence.
 
I have and use a pocket chainsaw like you're talking about. In my experience, it cuts really well on dry logs that are stiff enough to resist the pull of the chain, usually anything wrist sized or larger that is either close to a trunk, close to the ground, or right next to your foot. It can bind up pretty bad in green wood or if you get wonky in your cut. Also, it's tough to cut wrist sized stuff that is unsupported (eg dead fall) or anything smaller, b/c the wood just bounces with the pull and the saw doesn't really bite like you want it to. If you can hold the piece down by wedging it or stepping on it that helps. I've found that I can usually cut the same amount of wood just as easily with a folding saw at about the same weight, so for me it just depends on the day & conditions as to whether I take it or not.

A couple of things I really like about it are the ability to cut really large logs, and the ability to tie rope/cordage to the ends and cut at a distance with my body weight if I need to.

I wouldn't hesitate to put one in a car kit, as you could cut some really large logs (say downed trees across the road) if you had to.



BTW the wire saws can be very effective with the right technique. I personally thought they were a gimmick until I saw some vid's from folks on the WSS forum showing how to use them.
 
I have a Bahco, Sawvivor and a pocket chain saw. Every trip these days, I take the chain saw. It is faster, lighter and more comfortable than anything else I have. For those who have experienced breakage, my guess is you have a cheap one or just got a bad one. For the bent over issue, I attach some 550 cord and I can stand comfortably.
 
The wire "survival" saws all stink. I have two of these which I've used for years. I've cut dry logs over 12" diameter. It works very well with two people!

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I have the same one LotusBlade posted, and I like it a lot. Cuts fast, and you can go through some pretty large diameter stuff. I do carry my Bahco more often though, just because I don't need to cut through huge stuff when hiking, and it's faster to simply unfold it than to set up the pocket chainsaw.
 
I have a chain type pocket chainsaw ,I have kinda blunted mine on our hard desert woods . but I still carry and use it in preference to my folding saw , I think because it is just smaller , and easy to carry
 
Thanks for all the replies! I'm putting one in my amazon shopping cart. Decided to go with the 36" version. Not to big, not to small. From what I read online, some people thought that the 48" was too big for 1 person. Once I get it, I'll test it out on a tree that fell in my backyard and post a write-up.
 
I have the UST Sabrecut saw. For it's size ans weight it can't be beat for an emergency saw. It eats through wood but it's a LOT of work and it requires two hands. It also binds up quite easily so now I just take the Silky folding saw. I keep the Sabrecut in my emergency kit instead.
 
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