Wire saws

W

will62

Joined
Oct 18, 2002
Messages
372
Is there such a thing as good wire saw? Most of the ones I have tried over the years were not worth the money I paid for them. They either broke or became dull very fast. I never used one for cutting anything more than 2 inches in diameter.

A few years ago I saw one that looked like part of a chainsaw blade at a gun show. Has anyone ever used one of these and are they worth the money?

In my pack I keep a small folding pruning saw but was looking for something to fit in my mini kit.
 
I too have gone down the folding saw route, but I do own several wire ones which are kept for emergency use. I also have a pocket chainsaw which rolls into a tin about 10cm dia by about 3cm deep. It has two hooks for handles, to which Para cord and toggles can be added for comfort. It works OK but I would stick to the folder....unless you want to cut something high up then using more cord you can just throw it over the branch an go for it.....for about twenty minutes....:(
 
I have one (actually 2) of the pocket chainsaws - they work great - can cut through a 4" log in about a minute or so. They are a little heavy, but work nice w/ a good hatchet & shovel as tools for the auto.

Sam
 
I've had a pocket chainsaw for a couple years and it works very well. It is a little heavy but I carry it in my day pack. I cut some 3" to 5" limbs without any problem. IMHO it takes much less effort to use than the wire saws that I have tried. You do need to clean it and keep it oiled between uses.


Dean
 
I have also had good luck with the pocket chainsaw. Although I usually employ it on wood of moderate size, I once used it on about a 10" diameter log. One of my canoeing buddies grabbed one end and I grabbed the other. It worked surprisingly quickly with two guys operating it. My only criticism (other than the weight---for backpackers) is that it develops rust spots if not properly maintained. If I keep it dry and put a little Break Free on it, there's no problem.
 
Hello all,
I'm glad this was brought up. Everytime I see this thing my hand automatically reaches for my wallet :D I guess I will have to give in to the 'Dark Side' and get one.

Temper
 
Haven't tried most wire saws since I was in the boy scouts, but what I've found works are the Gigli bone saws. Those'll go through quite a bit.

I haven't tried the pocket chainsaw sold in the tin, but I have a high limb saw that's basically a bidirectional version with really long ropes tied to either end of the four foot chainsaw blade. Seems similar, but I think the pocket chainsaws are single sided blades, rather than 2 sided, not really a big difference when you can adjust them right in front of you, rather than 80ft up a tree.


TC
 
A review of wire saws and manual chainsaws here:
http://www.equipped.org/devices24.htm

I got a cheap wire saw a while back (Coughlan's brand maybe?) that is of the "little wires wrapped around bigger wires to make the teeth" multi-strand construction. It will cut greenish wood sort of okay using paracord loops as handles. I say "sort of okay" in that it will cut, but did bind quite a lot in the wood I was working on - a downed alder tree about 3"+ in diameter. Binding may have been less of an issue if I had used a flexible branch to make a bow saw out of the wire saw.
 
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