Pruning: silky saws

Discussion in 'Maples' started by emery, Nov 12, 2014.

  1. emery

    emery Renowned Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    A few folks here have touted the merits of the Japanese brand Silky pruning saws. As it happens, I have a huge amount of branch pruning coming up this fall/winter, and having done in my arm with my old rusty Stanley on an Oak and Horse Chestnut, I'm in the market for a new hand saw. (I really don't like the quality of cut from a chain saw, either innately or because of my lack of skill with it, and so have pretty much given up on it for branch pruning.)

    Any particular recs for Silky or other brands? What are you using?

    Thanks!

    -E
     
  2. opusoculi

    opusoculi Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Bonjour emery
    For 5 years using Silky on a Zübat 300 , clear , neat , no comparison !
    I fall in love with . (you must clean it with "anti-resine" spray, be kept in a dry room indeed)

    For hight trees i got also a Hayauchï (3-extension pole saw- 2,4m to 6,3m) whith a 39cm Silky blade . What a perfect invention for precise control, with extension pole oval shaped very confortable for my hands .
    I bought this treasure on www.triangle-outillage.fr

    Il faut juste apprendre à scier en tirant vers soi , les japonais font tout à l'envers !
     

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    Last edited: Nov 12, 2014
  3. maplesmagpie

    maplesmagpie Active Member

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    We bought a Silky this summer for cutting branches and wood while we're camping. It's ridiculous how it cuts through wood. Like butter.
     
  4. maf

    maf Generous Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    I have the Silky Bigboy which is probably larger than you are looking at (360mm folding) but even this size of saw gives an exceptionally smooth cut surface. Like mentioned above, it goes through wood like butter.

    I have the felco in a smaller size (150mm?) and the quality is not up to par with the Silky. It will be replaced with the latter brand when the time comes.
     
  5. emery

    emery Renowned Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    Actually Maf that's about the size I'm looking at, or even the zubat 390. I reckon there's a lot of 4-8" cuts as well as some smaller. But which size to get is of course one of the questions.

    @opusoculi, that's quite a tool! Still I will content myself with a ladder for now. Honestly I've never managed to get a precise cut with a saw on an extension, although that may be because I have a cheap one.

    I guess I do wonder about the differences between zubat, ibuki, sugoi. Not sure I want a folding saw, though.
     
  6. emery

    emery Renowned Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    Just to follow up, I ended getting a 30 cm Zübat. I spent all day Saturday, some on ladders (for an alignment of white poplars plus some oak, horsechestnut and ash) and did crown raising on Acer opalus, heldreichii spp trautvetteri, pictum, buergerianum, saccharinum, pseudosieboldianum, various macrantha... in other words a lot of maples of different hardness. Still at least another day like this to go, probably 2, which is a bit depressing!

    I found the saw very accurate and clean cutting, basically living up to the hype. I'd recommend it at the price even though basically 2X the cost of brands like Wolf etc. The proof of quality is that after this large amount of pruning I wasn't at all tired, which I certainly have been with my old saw.

    The only cut it had a little trouble with was a very knotty branch on a trident maple, where it was kind of "bouncing off" a bit. But it did make the cut and it was very clean.

    Thanks again for the advice here.

    -E
     
  7. JT1

    JT1 Contributor 10 Years

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    I meant to reply to this before I disappeared a year ago. To save your arm on the bigger limbs, use a reciprocating saw with a pruning blade for your first two cuts. Then use a nice silky saw for the third cut at the branch collar. The reciprocating saw saves your arm and will keep your expensive hand saw nice for the most important cuts at the collar.
     

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