What kind of saw for prepping wood?

[vtkess02]

So I've got a good bit of seasoned oak in splits, ready to feed my hungry KBQ. Only problem is, they need to be cut to the prescribed, approximately Red Bull can-length pieces. I've been using a reciprocating saw, but it's not the right tool for the job.

What kind of saw do folks use to cut their splits? Caveat is, I'm not "handy" and whatever saw I purchase, will be mostly just for this one task. So I'm hoping to keep the price as low as possible. Miter saw? Table saw?

[Dewesq55]

I would get a small {7¼") miter saw like this:
https://www.harborfreight.com/power-...saw-57174.html

Or this:

RYOBI 7-1/4 in. Compound Miter Saw

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-7-1-4-in-Compound-Miter-Saw-TS1144/306939256

SKU# 306939256

[ecowper]

I would never use a chopsaw (mitre saw) for cutting rough splits of wood. This is a really bad, really dangerous idea.

[PaynTrain]

I had a 10" Milwaukee bit and the blade split. Super scary! I am no longer in the miter saw camp, and have built a chainsaw chopper rig. Works well.

[Dewesq55]

Hey, I could be wrong. Just because it's what I would do, doesn't make it right, or safe.

[Dr. Pepper]

vtkess02 Black & Decker Alligator saws. When I purchased mine, they only offered corded. Now they have lithium battery powered as well. A piece of gun metal broke once, I was able to order the part, and be more careful about not jamming the blades into the concrete sidewalk. These are so much safer than trying to hold a small piece of wood while sawing. The jaws hold the wood.

https://www.blackanddecker.com/searc...lligator/-/-/-

You tube videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...gator+chainsaw

And, there's this one as well by Worx:
Another Youtube link so you can see what folks think, how it's used. I have both, since after buying the corded B&D I needed something I could use away from an outlet. At that time, B&D didn't offer a lithium solution. Now they do.

https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...gator+chainsaw

[klflowers]

See, there you guys go again. Now I want a KBQ just so I can get one of these things.

[vtkess02]

Do it. DOOO IT.

[Polarbear777]

For cutting to length (assuming you’ve split to under 4”) the works jawsaw is what I use. You can cut them right on the ground and not worry about grounding the blade.
I presume the alligator saw above would work as well.

of course it’s great for trimming branches etc also.

assuming you want portability, otherwise a small mitre saw would be fine.

[Dr. Pepper]

Agree that the Worx is nice in allowing you to simply push downward on the split or branch you are cutting, while it rests on the ground. With the B&D I prop the splits/branches against a concrete step.

[vtkess02]

Thanks all for the responses. It seems to me like a miter saw might work best as its stable and I don't have to worry about propping the split up on anything. But the thing about the alligator saw is that I could see myself using it for other things - fallen branches and whatnot. Plus it just looks like fun.

[Attjack]

Chopsaw

[kjbarth]

+1

[willxfmr]

I would not use a chop saw unless you are very confident in your skills. If it were me, I'd try a blade like this in the Sawzall and see if it doesn't work better for you. If that doesn't do it, then a small chain saw will be the right tool for the job.

[ecowper]

vtkess02 a wood blade for a sawzall makes all the difference. I use my Ryobi for pruning big limbs, no issue at alll with the right blade.

[willxfmr]

vtkess02 YES! The right blade for the job makes all the difference in the world. This blade will cut 3-4 times faster than a regular wood cutting blade. It would be lousy for anything but the roughest of cuts, but for your task, it's the right choice.

[vtkess02]

I've got a wood blade on my Milwaukee reciprocating saw. Works better than the regular blade, but still a lot of work especially cutting the rough splits

[Dr. Pepper]

Boy, I understand it is fun to work with a real man's tools, but the alligator type saws are so safe it's ridiculous. I can chop up my splits into the correct size quickly, and anywhere (garden, field, patio, sidewalk.)

[Dr. Pepper]

Yep. I've got the Stihl battery extendable pole pruner, and it would be nice to have a short version. I agree the B&D is cheap, but it is also cheap to replace.

[Murdy]

I have a B & D polesaw. Wish I would have spent the extra $$ and got the Stihl gas one. Buy once, cry once. It feels like its falling apart and I'm sure I'll be replacing it someday (guess it's still functional for now, though).

[CaptainMike]

I really like that alligator saw. I have multiple chop saws, reciprocating saws, table saws, circular saws, and a large band saw, and none of them are super good at sawing splits, some are even quite dangerous, especially to those with limited experience. The best I have at it are a circ. saw and the band saw, but splits are hard on blades and will still pinch and kick back if not handled properly.

I think I'm going to get one of those gator saws, most likely the worx, and just dedicate it to splits.

[ecowper]

Totally agreed …. Typical construction stuff, like skilsaw, mitre, band saw, table saw, are all intended for already milled and uniform lumber. If you don’t know what you are doing, you are asking for trouble with rough hunks of wood.

[Steve B]

Spinaker

[Polarbear777]

The worx jaw saw can be put directly over the log/split and the nose of the mouth on the ground. When you run it, the saw pulls the split up into the jaws and cuts it cleanly. All the pressure you have to apply is leaning on the handle and pushing toward the ground. And the saw only runs inside the jaws and can’t reach the ground. Couldn’t be easier or safer especially for cleaning up a bunch of small branches.

yeah the build quality on these isn’t great but…a lot easier and smoother than a recip or chop saw. And battery powered so it can be taken to site.

[Dr. Pepper]

SÃ, ¡exactamente!
Das stimt!

[Ronaldf123]

I use my Dewalt miter saw and have only come close to losing a finger once. Go slow!

[Dr. Pepper]

As a (retired) surgeon, who has seen too many saw-induced finger separations from the rest of the human body, I say use an alligator-type saw. But, since I am retired, I won't have to come in on a 4th of July weekend to attempt to salvage someone's digit, so, go for it!

[Ahumadora]

Todays haul Macademia that had been felled for 18 months. Going to use an electric chainsaw for all this.

[IowaGirl]

For the situation that the OP is talking about -- short "Red Bull can" lengths of irregular wood -- I have to say I would not use a miter saw. Someone else mentioned a table saw, and I wouldn't use that either for the same reasons.

That said, I do use a chop/miter saw to cut small limbs into kindling, but with some caveats --

Cutting irregular wood like this is at a much higher risk for kick back, as others are pointing out. You absolutely do not want your hands to get anywhere near the blade. I stick to pieces no shorter than about 18 inches / 45 cm long.

Also, the wood must be tight against the fence at the point where the blade goes through the wood. If there's any gap between wood and fence at this point, it's very likely to pinch the blade and kick back. That's a no-go. Find another way to do the cut.

Another safety tip for a higher risk cut is to hold the blade down after the cut is complete, stop the saw, and wait for the blade to stop moving before raising the blade. In other words, don't raise the blade back through the cut while the blade is rotating.

[Bruceski44]

I vote a big thumbs down for chopsaw. Last time I used one the 3" round kicked back, pinched my finger between the wood and fence and completely broke the cast iron fence. It could have been much worse, but it rendered the saw worthless and hurt like hell.

I bought the battery powered B&D Alligator lopper and it's not really up to cutting the 5-6" diameter apple wood I have. The anti-kickback feature keeps stopping it and the battery doesn't last very long. I may get 10 cuts before it's back on the charger.

That Milwaukee Hackzall with a buck is likely what I'll try next.

[Dr. Pepper]

The corded B&D alligator manages 5-6" cuts well. And, my Worx battery alligator lopper lasts quite a while. I can manage a whole pile of cuts.

[Argoboy]

That is exactly what happened to me as well, chop saws are made for regular shaped lumber not wood splits.