This weekend, I decided the take a couple of diseased dogwood trees down. There were six trees lining the curb in fron of our house, which is undergoing re-construction/remodeling. I decided to try and compare two of the tools in my BOB and see what kind of a job they each did.

The trees were not large. The highest branches were about twenty feet off the ground, the thickest trunks were about 6 inches around. Many of the branches and some of the trunks were dead. Each tree had multiple trunks. I decided to cut down a few trunks with different implements, to see how each performed.

The first was a cheap box hatchet, purchased in a pack of three, for about $20, so each one cost about $6-7. See: http://www.garrettwade.com/shopping/prod...roductID=111019

The second tool was a Coldsteel kukri, also a cheap tool purchased for about $12-14 from botach. See: http://www.coldsteel.com/97kms.html and http://www.botachtactical.com/costkuma.html

There were two other tools used to cut down some fo the trunks. One a pruning saw: http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1278989
and also, the one that did most of the work, http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/Heavy-Duty-11-AMP-Reciprocating-Saw/EN/index.htm

None of these tools was ideal for the job, but the last one was good enough. Anything larger and I would have been looking to rent or borrow a chainsaw. Since the house is gutted, buying one is not a good option, since I have no where to keep it.

How did they each do? Well, the good news is that each one fo the can and will cut down a small tree. If I had any of them and wanted to get through a trunk or branch 6 inches in diameter, I am pretty sure I could do it and do it within 5-10 minutes.

Between the kukri and the box hatchet, the hatchet won hands down. Both had been recently sharpened, but the hatchet has more weight at the head, that is spread out over the kukri. That really seemed to make all the difference.

The pruning saw was not recently sharpened. Indeed, it has been sitting under a tarp in the back yard and was a little rusty (as I said, I have no place to keep things right now). But if you had your choice between a pruning saw and either of the other hand tools for cutting through a branch or tree trunk, take the saw. It made short work of almost anything I tried to cut with it.

The reciprocating saw was simply not the right tool for the job, but the power it had made the job easier. I've got at least one more of these trees to take down. I may try something else out on it.

One thing none of these tools did very well, split the wood. The profile is all wrong on each of them. I got some of it split hammering the kukri, box hatchet and a kabar, but it was a real struggle. I only tried splitting it to see how it went. Each was really too thin to do a decent job.

I have some pictures, if I can figure out how to move them from email to this thread.

No surprises there, at least for me. In almost any wood cutting job, a decent saw is easier than a chopping tool. That is not to say that one can't make the chips fly with a good axe, but sawing seems to take less effort. A "real" kukri, with some weight to the blade, would have probably outcut your box hatchet. I have one of those, really sharp, but for some reason I have never been able to hit where I aim with a kukri. The Cold Steel is just a machete (thin metal) shaped like a kukri. A pocket chain saw (http://www.pocketchainsaw.com/) might make the job easier. Chris has reported good luck with his...

I've intended to get one of the pocket chain saws for a while. Need to get off my butt and do it.

I was happy that each tool did a fair job of cutting through a decent sized tree trunk. I was also happy that these tools I bought for a few bucks could deal with chopping down a tree and be none the worse for wear. I don't see buying expensive BOB tools, but I do want ones that will do a job and last for a while.

Splitting wood is simply something I am going to avoid with those tools again. Trying to think of something that will be relatively light weight and be able to handle that job.

My experience with a pocket chain saw is that you'd better have good cardio to do any serious sawing with it.

The last time I used one was with a friend and he had just bought it. We 2-manned a fallen 10" tree to get some splittable/burnable lengths and half way into the first cut we were more tired than in the 8+ hours of hiking we'd done to get there. I swore I'd never own one and I think he went out and bought a buck saw after that.

I like the pruning style saws. I've used the Gerber Gator EAB saw with good success but recently switched to the Bahco Laplander because it's easier for me to find replacement blades. It's a way lighter, way more efficient, and the blades last way longer (I hear) but they cost 3 times what the Gerber blades do...I guess that makes sense.

One thing that sometimes concerns me is that this style of saw can't be field sharpened while a buck saw style blade can be (if you know how). Realistically neither should go dull for a long time and spares are easy to carry.

Ten inches of tree is more than I want to take on using manual labor. I think it would make me sweat and have my heart racing using any implement of manual destruction. And it I am going to attack it without power assistance, I want a decent axe or two. Perhaps one will be like the ones you bought earlier this year.

My Pocket Chainsaw does a fantastic job of cutting - literally like a chainsaw. Amazing! I have the one with the orange plastic handles, so they feel very good on the hand.

My only beef is that you have to be VERY careful about the branch getting stuck in the kerf as the cut progresses. The first time I used it was on a fairly large horizontal branch that was on a downed tree. I was sawing from the side, and as the remaining wood broke and the branch dropped down, it pinched the bottom part of the pocket chainsaw and got it so stuck that I thought I'd have to try to cut it out with some other saw. Instead I managed to break the branch by hand.

My hint there is to either prop the branch up first, or somehow make sure that the saw doesn't get pinched.

Right now, my favorite "folding" saw is my Trailblazer Buck Saw. It worked VERY well and packs well, though not pocketable at all. I leave the axe work for trimming small branches and splitting wood - and even then I now use a maul for splitting.

When packing small/light I carry a folding Silky Saw.

I have never used a pocket chainsaw, but I have always assumed (there is that word again) that they would work better on green wood than dry. Which isn't much help if you are wanting to build a fire...