When do you really need a Chainsaw?

[Bru9]

I'm not asking about firewood gathering for making a fire but for situations when roads are blocked with fallen trees & logs etc.


Do you carry a Chainsaw for such situations?
What size chainsaw is recommended?
What about hand bow saws?

I just can't see justifying spending the money on a chainsaw & trying to find a place to store it in a completely cramped wagon & spending the time maintaining the thing.

[Ian Sharpe]

yeah I carry a bowsaw. Chainsaw takes up too much space as you say , smells & leaks fluids etc. Would probably be ok if you had an off road trailer though.

[Amok]

If you spend a lot of time in national forests you may come across a fallen tree blocking your path, usually the main paths are clear so unless you like exploring side tracks you'll probably be ok.

Also battery chainsaws are pretty good now but expensive. Saves space without the need for petrol.

Go the bowsaw

[Just Cruzin]

Go to the high country first weekend after opening and you'll see why you need one, at least one per group.

[Merts]

Depends on where you do your off-roading, and whether you are in a group with someone who does have a saw. If you spend a bit of time in forests like the vhc, it's only a matter of time before you strike a blocked track. I reckon the first time you have to clear a 2 foot tree with a bow saw you will wish you had a chainsaw.

[Pajaru]

We carry an axe and a small saw for track clearing most of the time, the exception to this is when we head along the Old Hyden-Norseman which we also carry a Ozito chainsaw as we will clear as many trees that block the track as we can. This is a bit of a write up on our web site which may be of interest. Ozito Cordless Chainsaw for clearing trees.

The axe can do any size tree, but the bigger the tree the harder the amount of work required. The ozito chainsaw can do trees of a reasonable size with ease but being cordeless only lasts an hour or so on each charge.

[KiwiNTPajero]

its amazing what a good bow saw can do .You can be a good way through the tree before the chain saw is even started

[twisted32]

I went through this thought process about 12 months ago, my solution is a Silky Big Boy.

[Pwoffey]

+1 for the Silky Big Boy

[TC.Barky]

We used to routinely carry one, now we just winch trees out of the way or find another route in the very rare occasion we come across one blocking our way. Much less effort

But yes as above, avoid high country for the first few weeks (even some of the major tracks will often be blocked) or after a big storm.

[nj swb]

its amazing what a good bow saw can do .You can be a good way through the tree before the chain saw is even started

This.

I recall travelling in a reasonable size convoy somewhere when everything came to a stop - nothing on the radio, just stopped.

After a few minutes I stuck my head out the window, and could see people standing on the side of the track, and evidence of a fallen tree. So I grabbed my hand saw (not even as flash as a Silky) and walked up to help.

It was more of a fallen branch than a fallen tree, and the people standing on the side of the track were discussing where to attach the drag chains, and which way to pull it. A few cuts with the saw and the track was clear, without using a single chain.

Sometimes, "the easy way out" is harder.

[Just Cruzin]

Now all the scenarios have been covered, who takes a chainsaw and just uses it for track clearing and not cutting fire wood. First job into camp is to cut enough wood for the entire stay, which could be anything from a night to a week. That's a lot of wood to cut with a bow saw especially when the depth of cut of the saw is not as big as the tree. If the tree is accros the track, then you have to cut both ends to get the car through.
Very rarely is the chainsaw not fueled, oiled and ready to go at the drop of a hat, or tree.

[Dicko1]

Now all the scenarios have been covered, who takes a chainsaw and just uses it for track clearing and not cutting fire wood. First job into camp is to cut enough wood for the entire stay, which could be anything from a night to a week. That's a lot of wood to cut with a bow saw especially when the depth of cut of the saw is not as big as the tree. If the tree is accros the track, then you have to cut both ends to get the car through.
Very rarely is the chainsaw not fueled, oiled and ready to go at the drop of a hat, or tree.

Yep mines for firewood. never leave home without it in the trailer.

[wasarangie]

Used to carry a petrol saw and last year moved over to a Battery powered unit. The Ego 56v unit. Only need to check oil and away you go. Batteries charge from the 240v outlet in the vehicle. And hardly any noise.

[insect_eater]

I've been carrying a bow saw and a mid-weight scandinavian hand-forged felling axe. I mainly use these for firewood, but are good to clean up a trunk before winching off. For me, a big tree across the road would mean a detour, but I rarely travel to areas where this might be a problem that I can't plan for.

People smirk when I get out the axe, but not after I've cut what was needed for the night before they've unpacked their chainsaw. Even if it took longer, I'd rather the satisfaction of skillfully wielding a fine tool than watch a machine do something effortlessly.

From a practical perspective, I suspect an axe is a lot easier to maintain than a chainsaw when cutting mulga and other dense/sandy arid zone wood. So you've got to consider the time and satisfaction level associated with maintenance. It's also good for cutting vegies and meat, and just fondling in front of the fire.......OK, I'll see if I can find my medication now......

I'll probably move to a Silky/axe combination. If I had to choose one, I'd take the axe for reliability - and it also has a few other uses.