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PostPosted: October 23rd, 2018, 4:15 pm 
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Joined: March 26th, 2013, 9:27 pm
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Location: Winnipeg, MB
I love my Silky Gomboy 240. Yes it's expensive to replace blades but I doubt you'd be doing that often. The 240 is surprisingly compact; mine fits in the side pocket of my CCS barrel pack.

https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5054-564/Gomboy-240-Saw---Medium-Tooth


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PostPosted: October 23rd, 2018, 4:38 pm 
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Joined: March 30th, 2010, 4:10 pm
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Location: Ringwood, NJ
Neil, do you think Gomboy 240 is suitable for the purposes stated - occasional cutting logs north of 7-10"? I am considering Big Boy 2000 as alternative, it's 50% longer at 36cm.

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PostPosted: October 23rd, 2018, 6:34 pm 
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Location: Winnipeg, MB
That depends on how occasionally. Where I mostly trip, smaller diameter trees far outnumber larger ones so I might have a very different idea of use.

We used my Gomboy 240 to clear a rapid of a pair of roughly 10" logs with relative ease. The 15" Silky saw would've made much shorter work of it though. It's more work to have to make your way around but what I like about the Gomboy is how compact it is for a sturdy 10" blade. If you have a convenient place to store the larger Big Boy saw, then I wouldn't think the smaller Gomby is worth it.

The Silky blades are much sharper than any other saw I've owned which is probably why we had no trouble working our way through a large log. I used to use the 21" Sven saw and I would say the 10" Silky is more usable.

Also consider that if you can purchase it from somewhere with a good return policy - like we have with MEC - you can buy it and return it if you don't think it will suit your needs.


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PostPosted: October 23rd, 2018, 6:50 pm 
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Joined: October 31st, 2016, 9:32 pm
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Location: Missoula, Montana
Eddy Turn wrote:
Neil, do you think Gomboy 240 is suitable for the purposes stated - occasional cutting logs north of 7-10"? I am considering Big Boy 2000 as alternative, it's 50% longer at 36cm.

For cutting logs in the 10" range, I'd get a Big Boy or a Katana.


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PostPosted: October 23rd, 2018, 7:32 pm 
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Joined: April 16th, 2003, 1:50 pm
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Location: Toronto
Hmm, I wasn't familiar with the silky saw, but now understand that it's similar to my lee valley folding saw in that it cuts only on the pull stroke. Is this because the blade is free at one end, but unlike a regular workshop handsaw, the blade is also narrow from top to bottom so it just doesn't have enough rigidity to cut on the forward stroke? If so that sets up a 50% versus 100% duty cycle argument. I like the lee valley saw, but I only use it when I don't have the space to engage the bowsaw ( in other words I'm carrying two folding saws generally). Because, it's actually the forward stroke where you can get a little extra oomph on the pass of the blade. But above all that, I can't believe anyone is talking seriously about taking out a 10" deadfall with a small portable handsaw! that's a big piece of tree. Are we talking about using wedges here? If so, I'd have to grant that the silky style saw could practically be used with a wedge while my folding bowsaw could not.


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PostPosted: October 23rd, 2018, 7:53 pm 
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Location: Ringwood, NJ
Thanks everyone for advise, much appreciated. Cutting only on the pull stroke is japanese style AFAIK and Japanese saws are second to none. Cleaning bigger trees can be dangerous and requires planning, especially doing it solo, but in some cases it's possible, depending, of course, on how the tree has fallen.

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PostPosted: October 23rd, 2018, 8:45 pm 
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Joined: October 9th, 2009, 9:52 am
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Location: Toronto Beach(es)
Pruning saws, where you are usually cutting above your head, cut more efficiently on the pull stroke. I have this one ...
https://www.amazon.ca/Corona-RS-7160-21 ... B00221Q3GU

... and this one ...

https://www.amazon.com/Corona-RS-7500D- ... B00221Q3GA

Paid a lot less for both. Either fits nicely down the sides of my Ostrom packs under the compression straps. These things can cut wood!

Have to make your own scabbards though.


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PostPosted: October 23rd, 2018, 11:03 pm 
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Joined: July 12th, 2010, 7:44 am
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Location: Barrie Ontario
As for the original question, I used a pocket chainsaw once about 8 years ago to clear some deadfall. If I recall the log was around 6" and was low enough to the ground that I had to pull up. It worked reasonably well right up until it binded (or got jammed in the tree from the downward weight pinching the saw). Great in theory but not so much in practicality. It may still be in a corner in the basement somewhere.
These days I carry a Bob Dustrude 24" and a boys axe. Between them I can go through pretty much anything I want to.

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PostPosted: October 24th, 2018, 9:12 am 
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jbishop2112 wrote:
... Is this because the blade is free at one end, but unlike a regular workshop handsaw, the blade is also narrow from top to bottom so it just doesn't have enough rigidity to cut on the forward stroke? If so that sets up a 50% versus 100% duty cycle argument. ...


Traditional 'western' handsaws only cut on the push stroke. The Japanese style that cuts on the pull stroke is technically a much better design as the tension on the pull keeps the blade from bending. There is no meaningful difference in the rigidity of the blades which are narrow in either case.

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PostPosted: October 24th, 2018, 1:39 pm 
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Joined: June 19th, 2010, 8:02 pm
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I carry a Silky Bigboy 2000 on canoe trips, and when grooming and clearing ski trails (as well as a chainsaw). I've cut my fair share of 10" plus logs with it, but it wouldn't be my first choice for that. After some big bend downs I've cut hundreds of 3-5" aspens with, and I'm convinced that it is more efficient than a chainsaw for that type of work.


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PostPosted: October 25th, 2018, 7:21 am 
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Location: Bancroft, Ontario Canada
Lee Valley is another place that has a no-questions-asked return policy...

Quote:
Returning an Item

Guarantee

If, for any reason, you are not completely satisfied, just return your purchase within 3 months* by ground mail. You can choose to either exchange the product or receive a complete refund (including our regular shipping charges); we will also refund your return parcel post costs at the ground mail rate. Returns can also be processed at any of our retail store locations
.

Silky saws:

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=69154

There are only three models available in the online catalog...

http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.a ... 2884,69154

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PostPosted: October 25th, 2018, 7:54 am 
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Location: Missoula, Montana
A one-person or two-person cross-cut saw is an option for removing large numbers of logs or large logs, particularly in wilderness areas where chain saws aren’t permitted. You could pack a cross-cut saw in a sheath on top of gear in a canoe, or along the side of a canoe. A cross-cut saw isn’t as fast as a chain saw, but a 66 inch two-person saw with handles only weighs about 10 pounds, and you don’t need to carry gas and oil. Much trail clearing work is done with smaller saws. See https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/htmlpubs ... #oneperson, and do an internet search for "cross-cut saws for sale." My sister, a scrawny late-50s surgeon, has gotten heavily involved in trail clearing and construction activity, and has organized a volunteer crew that clears trails for the Forest Service in Oregon, where the Forest Service offers multiple summer weekend classes on trail clearing and use of cross-cut saws. Here is a picture of her with a full-sized two-person cross-cut saw and a log she just cut.

Image

Here is a link to the definitive reference on cross-cut saws: https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/htmlpubs ... 22/toc.htm. The Pacific Crest Trail Association is a big player in training sawyers since so much of the PCT goes through wilderness areas.


Last edited by pmmpete on October 25th, 2018, 12:30 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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PostPosted: October 25th, 2018, 10:02 am 
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So I think the conclusion might be to bring a friend, let them choose the tool while you listen to the birds singing and make lunch for your personal work crew....cool :) Fun photo Pete.


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PostPosted: October 25th, 2018, 11:51 am 
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Location: Manitoba
At this point it maybe worthwhile to capture some of this portage trail maintenance—saw recommendations, in a new message with a title that better reflects the information within. That way future readers will have better searching success.

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PostPosted: October 25th, 2018, 12:34 pm 
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Location: Missoula, Montana
How about re-naming this thread "Saw options for portage trail maintenance?"


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