I’ve got a foldy bahco of some sort, a laplander maybe, which is good for portability but you wouldn’t want to cut anything big. And a cheap silverline fixed one, which still just about fits in my camelbak and is much better for decent sized branches/fallen trees (I got it because it was dirt cheap, but it’s been surprisingly good- not silky good, but still worthwhile and about 1/10th the price!)
Oh and a humungous bahco bow saw which isn’t at all bike portable but makes short work of bigger stuff.
Fiskars are reasonable, but expensive for what they are.
Ime, a cheap 9.99 saw will generally last a year of moderate use, and a fiskars will last for two if it doesn’t snap. I had a folding stihl too, which also snapped, but tbf I was asking it to cut stuff bigger than it was designed for.
I have designs on a silky Gomtaro, which is probably more in keeping with the work I do, but I’ve not got round to getting it yet.
Another vote for Bahco laplander. Have gone through some 12″ dia trunks with it although it is a bit of a struggle. 6″-8″ limbs are no bother at all to it.
I bought my boss one of these for Christmas and was very impressed with it. So much so I did a large pruning job with it instead of using my small Stihl chainsaw.
I have done over 20 trees in the last few weeks with a £2.99 florabest saw from Lidl. I really can’t fault it. Up to 12″ diameter, maybe more. I’d post pics but FB links don’t seem to work anymore.
I was looking at a Fiskars XA3 brush hook (as I mainly have to deal with nettles, brambles, small 2-3″ branches, only ever had 2 large trees in years), A knife means you get stung/barbed and a saw is useless for nettles/brambles – so ……
I’m going to need a scythe this year I reckon. Head high nettles that meet from either side of the trail are my usual nemesis in high summer on the trail straight out of the door and this year they seem to have a head start on previous years growth. Either that or strap one of those compressor weed killers to my back over the next week or two and leave a deadly mist behind me to inhibit growth.
Silky fox Gomtaro for the win, lives in my pack all year round & have cleared some silly big logs (2/3’s again the size of the blade), accept no substitutes. Used to have a fiska slide out saw, was pretty good but the blade tended to bend if forced, that said fiska’s warranty is brilliant. Contacted them about a spare blade, as I’d snapped mine (bending).. They just sent me a new unit
For undergrowth I like my brush hook- a fiskars one but it was really pretty crap at fibrous weeds so I put an edge on it you could shave with, now it’s pretty damn good. Can be used for light wood cutting too (though, I don’t generally, just because it blunts it) Still does thrash and move plants aroudn though so it’s pretty easy to get stung or jagged.
There’s always one. Seriously, Mr Right from Wrong, go be a pointless square somewhere else. Bikers do and will always clear stuff that gets in the way on trails, regardless of who owns the fallen trees.
I have a fiskars brash hook too. I thought it was pretty good until I bought a Gerber machete, which is way better for brash. It’s reverse edge has a saw that’s pretty rubbish for for wood, but pretty good for taking precise slices of earth when reprofiling the edge of trails for things like run off.
When I was at uni we used to have a girl come in on a practical day with her own bill hook strapped to her bag. On the bus from a rough ass bit of notts.
Have got a silky bigboy saw too.
God that looks wrong as a sentence.
Seriously though the saw is amazing. Have cut through some big fallen trees with it. Pull only as someone said but really good to use
As far as a recommendation goes I’d go with Silky, massive range of folding and fixed blade, not the cheapest but also not the most expensive and excellent. I got 3 different ones but this is on the basis that I have Camelback one and then two for (official) tail building. You can buy replacement blades readily (although complete saws aren’t significantly more than a plain blade)
For occasional use and keeping in a Camelback I’d say just go for a cheap folding one and see how you get on.
I use a felco 600, fits in my pocket. For bigger stuff I use a 7tpi normal saw, find them easier to use than a bow saw and straps to the outside of my pack more easily.
Got a Laplander as recommended on here.Finally found a tree I the way. Had to do two cuts to remove a central section of the obstacle and was mighty impressed.