One-Man Crosscut Saw

Tired of chainsaw noise? Need exercise? Want to try classic tools?Regardless of what your reason for buying a crosscut saw is, you'll love this one.The saw comes sharpened and is ready to use out of the wrapping. I've used it on 18 inch diameter trunks without any issues at all. Obviously the bigger the wood you're cutting is the longer it will take you.I've made over 40 cuts with the saw and it works beautifully. Remember to go nice and steady or you'll tire very quickly. You don't need to be a powerhouse to use this saw, and i would recommend it for most people. Be aware that the teeth are very large, so this saw won't work on very small branches - you're using the wrong tool in that case. It'll rip right through anything the size of your wrist or larger.Use some canola oil when the blade gets too hot. Switch sides if it starts to bind a little, as the teeth seem to open the kerf on the opposite side when you use this technique. I'm right handed, and I use my right hand in the handle, followed by my left thumb in the handle in front of the fingers of my right hand and then I wrap my left fingers on the top of the saw. This enables two hand push control and allows my left hand to put a little pressure downwards on the saw to help cut deeper grooves.Great price. Fantastic tool.I can't recommend this saw enough. 5 STARS!

Well made, but not a chain saw replacing miracle.Pros --Great teeth and construction.-Curve of blade more noticeable in person (see pictures)-Very solid.-Does its job well - any bow saw I have used couldn't touch the performance.Cons --Handle is too fat, doesn't feel right. (bad for long work sessions. Which is the m.o. here)(takes basic skills to shape it the way you want.)-A neat way to experience the world's elation at the creation of chainsaws. (not efficient. I think a lot of people get this because they hate the noise/smell of chainsaws - I did. This saw will teach you to love chainsaws.)-Blade corners are sharp (no biggee! My point is that it's not a Ferrari. More like a high-end Chevy.)I was noticeably excited when the saw arrived - the wait was over, and now it would just be me, the wood, the saw, the silence, and the work of my arms. I have a small need to process logs, I hate chainsaws, and I got a hundred bucks for my birthday. I got it in a long, very flat box - wrapped around an inner flat box. No frills, just saw (and a request to support the USO this Christmas). It came in 8 days. My first impression was that this was a very BIG hand saw. Then that the teeth were quite sharp, had a nicely adjusted kerf (see pictures), and were obviously individually sharpened from the shoulder to the fine point. (I don't see why sharpening this saw would be any harder than sharpening the carpentry cross-cuts of yesteryear. Haven't tried it though.) My next impression was that the saw it heavier than I thought - the package weighs very little in both hands, but in one hand there is definitely heft there. (Great for heavy packing, I'd say.) Next I noticed how fat the handle is (see pictures). Call me a stickler for ergonomics - but it is a HAND saw. The handle is too fat at the bottom and my pinky isn't able to help very much, and it's fat at the top too. I immediately took it out for a test run. Unknown wood, fairly soft, pretty dry, 12'' diameter. Definitely on the big side for this saw. Not because the saw isn't long enough - no problem. Not because the saw isn't sharp enough or designed poorly - it's sharp and does quick work. 12'' is big just because of how much time and effort it takes - I quickly realized I had committed the fallacy "I'm spending a lot of money, so this wood is just going to melt in front of me." I thought I'd bought a chainsaw-replacement miracle. No, I'd bought a ticket to relate with my ancestors - a first class ticket, though. After about 5-7 minutes and 275-375 strokes, I had made a very straight, very clean cut. The saw was like new, and I wasn't. I had to switch arms pretty often, and my hand hurt using the handle - I would spend most of my time with my hand over the rounded top. I had maybe 3 or 4 more cuts left in me. Guys - the people saying this takes a lot of work aren't wimps - I'm not a wimp, I've processed wood all my life, I have big hands, and that pile looked daunting after that cut. 6-8'' stuff would pose much less of a problem - and that's what this saw is really meant for. But that still won't make it a miracle chainsaw-replacement. Just know what you're getting into. I have a need for infrequent processing of 10-12'' logs, and I don't think the saw and I are a good fit. I figured out that you need to let the saw do the cutting and not press in much - it's worth the extra strokes to save the energy. If you don't have/don't like chainsaws, This saw is worth it if you have TIME and SMALL logs. It does not take immense strength, just endurance: you can take a break. The handle can be modified pretty easily: better too much material than too little for mod'ing. Saw tip wobbles pretty harshly as you draw back from a full extension - my bad technique? Without a small right/left tilt, the saw will bounce/vibrate on push and pull on the surface of the cut - my bad technique? I didn't use lubricant. (I felt no sticking, no jamming. Good kerf) Just for fun: I tried a rip cut on the end of the log. Not even funny (see picture).

Might be a great saw if it was sharpened from the factory. As I received it not so much. I have investigated how to sharpen these. Probably I can just get a file and do a yoemans job but a truly pro grade sharpening isn't that simple. So this thing just sets around worthless until I have much more free time than I do now.

This saw is put together pretty well for the price. I was not pleased with the performance as the saw does not cut well at all. Overall, good construction, delivered dull.

The saw cuts well. However, the metal is surprisingly soft - it takes a bend easily if you drop it, hang it without ensuring it hangs perfectly without resting against something, saw against too much resstance in a wet cut...under normal use, in other words. I have used antique tree saws that have performed far better and are much tougher than the putsch crosscut saw. Having sawn entire trees up with hand held crosscut saws, if you are looking to cut up large trees and refuse to use chainsaws (as I do), than I would not recommend this saw.If you only have a few troublesome limbs you need to cut up, or for occasional use where no other hand tool is large enough, than this saw will suit you just fine.

I have made a simple carrier to attach this to my backpack and have made a simple blade guard - both essential items for carrying any distance. They should offer a simple blade guard with the saw! It took me about an hour to devise one (could be simpler job).Now I can haul it way into the wilds and do trail work such as I never have been able to before. I have cut 2-ft thick logs with this thing and small branches as well. It makes so much outdoor work possible that was out of the question before, for little weight and bother. I feel so much more capable than I ever have in 27 years of trail work.The only better saw for big logs are 2-man cross-cuts, which are really hard to carry and, of course, need two people. This 32" saw won't tackle all the big stuff; but it does an awful lot that any smaller saw is incapable of.Just be careful. The USFS, I hear, prohibits use of 1-man cross-cut saws for solo work (my normal MO). So cutting difficult logs in potentially dangerous situations, which this saw is capable of doing, require the utmost care and awareness. Some logs just have to be left alone.The saw cuts true and is sharp. It is slightly blemished (a tiny bit of rust) and will eventually need sharpening. But I have cut dozens of logs, some quite large, and the saw seems to cut as well as when it was new.