3Pt pto Buzz saw

Hello guys anyone have a saw like this and how do you like working with it?

 

We had one years ago and it was alright. It seemed far easier on the back surprisingly enough, to use a chainsaw on the wood pile rather then bring the wood to the Buzz Saw, but everyone's mileage will vary. They still make them for a reason, and with several people working, they can be really fast at bucking up wood.

Ours has somehow disappeared, but I would love to have another. With my log loader now, I would have a really nice slasher to speed things up and reduce my chainsaw use.

 

Yes I am wanting to use it for bundles of slab wood and from what I hear it supposed to be quicker

 

When we had an outdoor boiler and cut a lot of slabs off the mill, we made a 16 foot sawbuck that worked well, but a buzz saw will work well for slabs because you are not lifting a big log.

 

Yes I buy bundles which are close to a Bush cord of ether Ash or Maple for $40.00 so even if I burn 30% more wood it is cheap heating and no need to mess around in the bush

 

I had one that mounted on the front of our Allis WC that fliped up for transport and used a flat belt. With my dad running the table and my brother and I lifting the log up on the table and then me going to the cut off end and pitching The cut into the wagon it worked great.
Then we got rid of that old WC replaced it with a Ford 2000 3 cylinder. it had a big front loader on it so the buzz rig wouldn't work.

We went to cutting our fire wood with the chain saws and quickly found it a pain in the back. I ran across a right angle belt pully for the Ford N series tractors welded up a bracket and mounted it to the old buzz rig ran a flat belt pully on to the buzz shaft and used a couple hood springs to tention the belt. Made a shaft from the right angle belt pully to the PTO on the 2000 ford and we were back in bussness and happy. With either set up it was easy to move from wood stacked in a buzz pile to another buzz pile, where ever we could fit a wagon or trailer to haul the cuts away.

I sold the set up a year ago. since dad has passed and brother and I now live 3 hours apart so we would have to have a way to travel and take the tractor and saw with us. Brother doesn't heat with wood how ever.

I picked up a front mount buzz rig I mount on the Front of one of my Masseys every so often. Go to a stack of piled up stuff set the rig down on its legs add the belt and start cutting I let it just fall on the ground and when the pile gets so big I back the tractor up with the buzz rig and go back to work.

Mine has legs on the saw.



Latter I return with the wagon and throw the wood in there. About the biggest is 6" in dia.

Ya the buzz rigs are worth it.

Al

 

I might point out that there has been a many forest of fire wood cut in the USA and Canada not to mention in Eroupe with a buzz rig ran off a steam engine stanary engine, farm tractor and the old hit and miss engines.
In the early 50's when chains saws weighted 50 pounds for a small one was lots better to use a buzz saw.

Al

 

I use mine with out a helper. You can't take that 20 foot stick and cut it at once but if you cut it to 5 or 6 foot it is easy to lay on the table and handle. Like I said buzz and let the cuts fall, once the pile gets big back the tractor up a bit.

Al

 

I set mine up for one person use also. Just added onto the bed so the cuts wouldn’t fall off. Back the saw into a pile of long stuff at about 45 degree angle. Back dump truck into saw also at a 45 degree angle. Different than how we used to set it up with helpers but almost just as fast as having four people. I can fill the mason dump without moving the saw or walking more than a few steps to grab the wood. I was surprised how easy it was once I changed the setup a little.

There’s probably a little added danger because your now reaching to both sides of the blade. Not while cutting of course.
That danger may be mitigated by not having to work with a partner on that operation. Sometimes the person grabbing the cutoffs wants to zig while you want to zag

For dimensional slab wood I’m not sure it would be worth buying one. Super easy to stack and cut with a chainsaw. If you have help that can bring you three of four pieces all nicely stacked to cut at once it may be good. Cutting one person I’m not so sure it would be faster.

 

I have thought if I were to go to a auction sale and buy a little portable ear corn elavator mount a small gas engine on I could cut alone with out moving the rig. Cut piece fall into the elavator and go into a wagon or trailer.

Al

 

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I have used our hay elevator for that purpose and was able to work alone also.I am going to try the same when I cut with the Buzz saw .I am thinking of lifting the base of it higher so once cut the pieces do not have to fall so far will be quieter I think and easier to fix a piece if it gets cross ways.

 

I got a compromise! In the interest of nostalgia, an old farm implement of yesteryear, and safety, just get an old Ottawa PTO Drag Saw! (I am teasing of course, but does add a touch more history to the discussion).

 

I like the picture of the old drag saw, I love old farm equipment, I have seen one of those old drag saws powered from a horse walking on a belt. We have it easy now.

 

See those old drag saws at old tractor and staionary engine shows all the time.

ton of them run with 2 and 3 HP stationary engines.

Lot safewr than a buzz saw of course but takes a lot longer to cut.


Al

 

BUT it beats a misery whip...also known as a cross cut saw! (I was not being mouthy, that was what they were notoriously known as)

 

That’s a beaut.

 

I have to admit that I am surprised we never had one (or at least that I know of). I do not say that because we were all that and a bag of prezels as a family, but because we tended to buy modern equipment. And we cut a lot of wood. not firewood per se, but pulpwood.

Scot Linkletter would laugh at that as his family moves a lot of wood, probably more in one day then we move in a year, but we cut a lot of four foot spruce and fir back in the day.

I started out doing just that, using a chainsaw granted, but still felling by hand, limbing, then bucking into 4 feet lengths fir and spruce and loading it BY HAND onto a woods trailer. It does not sound like work until you think about how long a tree is, how much brush there is to trip over, and how much snow Maine gets onto that !@#$%^& trailer...all while holding a 4 foot stick of wood!

What amazes me today about my little log trailer is how such a tiny thing can do so much work. My Grandfather worked his entire life moving wood the hard way: but he would be amazed a lawnmower engine now does the same thing mechanically (6 hp engine)

I never forgot where I started in the woods.

 

I have one of those with a hit and miss on it.