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General Forestry => Firewood and Wood Heating => Topic started by: Wood Shed on February 11, 2018, 08:49:48 PM

Title: Buzz saw
Post by: Wood Shed on February 11, 2018, 08:49:48 PM
Anyone still using one of these saws to cut cordwood.  My family has owned this one for many years.  Never had any problems, still has original drive belts and blade.  Headed for the local consignment auction now.


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/43757/y3QSFJEwQ8ybj2B6mzzD9AQ.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1518399621)



(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/43757/Df1T2BgJKRw2B725hvPRQK2B6w.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1518399386)

Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: Kwill on February 11, 2018, 08:55:49 PM
Had the chance to buy a few of them at auctions. never ran one though.
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: thecfarm on February 11, 2018, 08:56:55 PM
Ours was belted,minus the gaurds. No one run it,but my Father. I can still see him sharpen that saw. We only used it for limb wood or small wood. My Grandmother had an old cook stove for heat and cooking.
Than someone wanted it more than we did.  ::)  My Father always kept the oil-grease to the bearings. He said,it won't last long. They won't put the oil and grease to it.
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: Wood Shed on February 11, 2018, 09:11:02 PM
Witnessed first hand the damage one of these unguarded front mounted saws can do,  never turned my back on this one after that.  Kinda glad to see it go since I have been storing it for about 14 years now.
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: ButchC on February 12, 2018, 08:17:12 AM
They generally bring around $100 at auction.  I have one I use to cut up the sawmill slab, you certainly need to keep your wits about you when using one.
Which auction are you taking it to? There is one every week around here for the next month. I might run it up a bit.
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: 47sawdust on February 12, 2018, 09:09:31 AM
I own that saw.They currently sell for $1750.00.In the New England states they sell used for $750 and down,depending on condition.They work very well but require vigilance and common sense,best to not have anyone nearby when operating as it can launch small pieces with deadly force.
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: GAB on February 12, 2018, 10:33:27 AM
Quote from: Wood Shed on February 11, 2018, 08:49:48 PM
Anyone still using one of these saws to cut cordwood.  My family has owned this one for many years.  Never had any problems, still has original drive belts and blade.  Headed for the local consignment auction now.


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/43757/y3QSFJEwQ8ybj2B6mzzD9AQ.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1518399621)



(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/43757/Df1T2BgJKRw2B725hvPRQK2B6w.jpg?easyrotate_cache=1518399386)


I own one of those saws and I haven't used it yet.  I sure hope it does not require that much horsepower to run it as I plan to run it with either a JD 420 or JD 950.
Gerald
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: 47sawdust on February 12, 2018, 11:36:21 AM
GAB,
It will work fine on a low HP tractor.If you have a tractor w/more than one pto speed,select the higher pto speed to run your tractor at lower engine speed.I had an old Kubota with 540&1000 pto,at the 1000rpm setting the tractor ran at high idle.
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: jmur1 on February 12, 2018, 12:42:59 PM
They are a good machine for their time - definitely need to have a steady hand when holding the wood on the table!  Very similar unit to mine that inspired my hands free wood processor.

Wood Processor on the Slide in Firewood and Wood Heating (http://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,97365.0.html)

reply #7

Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: hedgerow on February 13, 2018, 12:02:41 PM
I have run cordwood or what we call buzz saws to cut up smaller wood for well over 30 years. The first one was stationary and ran with a old B JD flat belt next was the mounted on the G JD front flat belt then we had several three point ones from homemade to factory. Current one I use I made and it is on one of my log splitters and has a 13 Hp Honda engine running it. I use my a lot when we are cutting hedge. You do need to be careful but no more than with a chain saw. The one you are sell should sell good as you can run it on most tractors.
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: moodnacreek on February 13, 2018, 06:14:27 PM
The 70 must not have enough power for it !
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: Wood Shed on February 14, 2018, 12:48:32 PM
That 70 gas tractor does not even know it's back there (wish I had something to make it snort).  The 420 or 950 would have plenty of power.  Very usable for wood that poses problems for chain saws like slab wood or limb wood cut in short pieces.  Dad said they were used to cut pieces for the wood cook stoves.  Will be at the consignment sale in Bucyrus Ohio this Sat. Feb. 17th.
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: TKehl on February 14, 2018, 02:56:20 PM
Wish you were closer.  See a lot of the belted ones, but the 3 point ones with standard PTO setup like that sell fast.
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: Chop Shop on February 15, 2018, 02:09:08 AM
Great for cleaning up fir limbs after the wind.

They will chuck a piece of firewood about 50 feet if the cut pile gets to big and one rolls back into the blade!  Mine has a 32" blade.
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: Randy88 on February 15, 2018, 09:16:26 PM
Ran and fed one as a kid for years, not something to run when day dreaming, about the most dangerous machine I've ever been around to this day.      Back then my grandpa ran it the most my dad ran it some, my job was to hold the log or stick on the far end and shove it into the saw as someone else ran the lever to do the cutting.     

They were fast and did a good job for smaller stuff, but a couple guys running two chainsaws were about as fast and much safer, ours was on the front of a tractor, belt run.     

I was upset when dad sold it, but he told me one day I'd understand why he sold it, when I had kids of my own, looking back, he was right, I don't miss it at all.   

Thinking back now, about the time dad sold it, there was a rash of accidents in the area with those units, people getting hurt when things went wrong but can't recall the details now, that was over 30 years ago now, might be closer to 40 years ago.   
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: r.man on February 15, 2018, 09:58:54 PM
That looks like a good saw to adapt. Without a lot of welding it could be much safer.
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: Ed on February 15, 2018, 11:59:13 PM
Yup, have a Dearborn that we still use on our 9n.

Guess I was about 12 when I started to help grandpa buzz wood. He cut, I grabbed the pieces, loaded the trailer.


(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11524/520/cordwood2.JPG?easyrotate_cache=1254923250)
 
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: 47sawdust on February 16, 2018, 07:08:37 AM
My wife use to help.I'd cut she wood pick up the pieces and stack.It was too nerve wracking to have her that close.I prefer to cut by myself.Great tool but deserves the utmost respect.Be very careful,bad stuff happens quick.
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: Randy88 on February 17, 2018, 09:20:53 AM
We always had a wagon or pickup next to the saw on the right side, so the person doing the cutting, would toss the blocks over his shoulder and up into the wagon.   He also had his hand on the block at all times after it was fed into the saw and across the running blade, the operator never put his hand in front of the blade ever, he'd either lift the log with his left and and helped feed the log into the cradle or the person shoving the log would do that and the operators left hand was on the lever as he did it.    Otherwise the operator would change hands on the lever so he always had one hand on it at all times, to avoid an accidental tipping the lever ahead and the log into the saw.     

My grandpa loved to run that thing, he had bad knee's and couldn't walk very good, so he'd stand there running the lever and tossing blocks over his shoulder all day long, but he absolutely had to have someone feeding the logs into it for him.

To this day I can't figure out how anyone could do that for hours on end and not move a single step, with bad knee's to boot.   

As a kid, we'd get yelled at if one block was allowed to hit the ground, if a block fell out of the operators hand, my job was to set the log down, run around to the tractor, shut the belt off and after the blade stopped, run around and pick up the block and toss it into the wagon, go back start the saw back up and run around and pick up the log again.   I figured this was because grandpa's knees were so bad, he'd stumble on a block if he'd move and might get injured on the blade, but was never told this per say, we just did as grandpa said and that was it.   

You also got good at moving the log to the same motion as the cradle so the log fed into the saw straight.
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: Gearbox on February 17, 2018, 09:55:17 AM
Started out with a buzz saw on a F 12 when I was 8 or 10 . Started the tractor with the belt and 2 guys . Later years one on a B JD now on a SC Case . I lost my brother last spring . He was the last person that could get the swing timed so he had hold on the cut off before it was cut . Not many can or will get near the saw any more . A good crew can saw a lot of wood in a day . With the F 12 we  would saw as big as 3 -4 -5 men could lift . Birch tree length and all the neighbors . Saw one place and move to another . No one used dry wood just open the draft very little insulation in the walls . Chimney fire happened every morning crack the door on the barrel stove till it turned Red .
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: hedgerow on February 19, 2018, 02:47:49 PM
Quote from: Wood Shed on February 14, 2018, 12:48:32 PM
That 70 gas tractor does not even know it's back there (wish I had something to make it snort).  The 420 or 950 would have plenty of power.  Very usable for wood that poses problems for chain saws like slab wood or limb wood cut in short pieces.  Dad said they were used to cut pieces for the wood cook stoves.  Will be at the consignment sale in Bucyrus Ohio this Sat. Feb. 17th.
So how did the saw sell on the sale?
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: WV Sawmiller on February 19, 2018, 03:22:41 PM
   I saw what looks like yours or very similar to it widely used in southern Norway when I was working there 2007-2008. I gather they just ran off the PTO of their tractors. They cut a lot of small, mostly birch, firewood with them. They'd bring the long wood to a landing, had rollers set up and cut, palletized, bagged  the firewood with a net. Mostly about 1 cubic meter on a pallet. Most of the wood was about 3-4 inches in diameter and they cut it about 1' long. They used a lot of small pot bellied stoves over there sort of like individual room heaters.

   I never actually got to watch one in action but they always looked very dangerous to me.
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: Wood Shed on March 07, 2018, 08:19:51 PM
The buzz saw brought $500 , I am satisfied with that.  Actually glad its gone.
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: 47sawdust on March 08, 2018, 08:17:06 AM
Good for you!
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: rimonc007 on March 08, 2018, 10:44:58 AM
My father owns this saw ;D.Sometimes I use.It works like fire to cut cordwood
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: hedgerow on March 09, 2018, 11:57:41 AM
Quote from: Wood Shed on March 07, 2018, 08:19:51 PM
The buzz saw brought $500 , I am satisfied with that.  Actually glad its gone.
I would think that was a fair price for you and the buyer. Weather is finally starting to get nice around this area may have to get mine out next week and saw some hedge up. 
Title: Re: Buzz saw
Post by: TKehl on March 09, 2018, 12:21:44 PM
That's pretty much what I was thinking too.  

Saw one local listed for $450 and it sold in hours.

Debating to wait for another one, modify an old belt driven one (they are much cheaper), or if I really need one...  lol