Took me 3 years to finally try a silky saw and I was being stubborn

Honestly I thought those fancy Japanese pull saws were just hype for guys with too much money. I've been running a Stihl top handle for years and figured that was all I needed for pruning work. Then last month I was on a job in Portland doing a big oak cleanup and my buddy let me borrow his Silky Zubat. First cut through a 6 inch limb felt like butter compared to fighting with my chainsaw in tight spots. The kerf was so clean and I didn't have to worry about kickback or tearing the bark. Now I grab it for any branch under 8 inches and save the saw for the big stuff. Has anyone else switched over from just using power saws for everything?

3 comments

3 Comments

diana_king2mo ago

Stihl top handles have their place but they're not really meant for pruning work, they're more for climbing and removal. A Silky Zubat in green wood will give you a smoother cut than any chainsaw because the teeth are designed to pull the blade through instead of pushing. You're right that it saves time on branches under 8 inches, just watch out for that folding blade if you're not careful with the latch.

phoenixa642mo ago

Dead on @diana_king, that Zubat makes quick work of green limbs and I love how clean the cut is too.

coleman.seth1mo ago

The first time I used a Silky Zubat on a 4 inch oak branch, I was honestly skeptical because I grew up thinking chainsaws were always faster. But that pull cut on a green limb is something else - it slices through like butter and leaves almost no tear out. I actually used to avoid hand saws for anything over 2 inches because I figured they would bind up. Watching how the teeth are angled to grab instead of push made me realize I had it backwards. Now I grab the Zubat for anything under 6 inches and only fire up the saw for bigger stuff. Have you had any trouble with the blade catching on smaller branchy material?