Soviet Chainsaws

[Tom Sawyer]

I read an old thread about Russian chainsaws and thought you might like to see some pics.  This is a guy that I hired here in Kyrgyzstan to cut up some firewood for me.  He really knew how to use his saw and I could tell he took good care of his equipment.

Tom

Let's see if this works!






The links are there, but is there a way to post the actual picture?

[Tom]

click on your picture and beneath it will be the address, already indside of tags.  Copy and paste that address into your post.   You can use the modify button on your post and put the pictures in the old post if you like.

[pigman]

Tom Sawyer,
The chainsaw has some weird looking handles. It would take me awhile to get used to that saw.
Bob

[chet]

Looks like a motorized kids tricycle converted to a chainsaw.    Jeff is gonna wine and cry 'till he gits one of dem.  ;D

[Tom Sawyer]

I can get one for him, but he has to figure out how to get it from here!  It wouldn't fit in a suitcase very well and I wouldn't want to be the one who has to explain to a customs agent why anyone would want to bring one of those back to North America :D :D :D

[redpowerd]

that sucker looks like a forearm builder, looks like he may have his thigh in that cut in the last pic.

im sure he just loves that chainsaw :D

WEIRD

[weimedog]

I have to wonder what the logic behind that setup is.....maybe easier on your back? Or maybe an evolution from the old two man saws....looks like one ..only smaller.

[Jeff]

I have begun my wine.  I want one! :D

[Barkman]

Wild looking tool!

It just struck me as I looked at the pictures, no chainbrake, no chaps, no helmet, no faceshield, no hearing protection.  Yep, all of the expected safegaurds of a Soviet design are present!  :D

[Mark M]

Actually that saw might not be all that unsafe. His hands are not in line with the blade and pretty far away. There is a mechanical advantage against kickback by having that handle bar post almost as long as the bar.

It still looks pretty awkward and I don't know how you would cut down trees.

[Furby]

Double Jeff's order! I think I'd like to play with one myself. ;)
Drain the gas and oil, break it down a bit, and send it, shouldn't be to big of a deal if ya let it air out after draining.

[Jeff]

Seems like they would be possible to ship some how. ;D

[Furby]

Probly just come down to $$$. ;)

[spacemule]

Check these out!

[Hoop]

Typical Russian junk.  Technology out of the 1930's.  Think you'd put out more wood in a day with a swede saw......and be far less frustrated.

I'd venture to say the chainsaws made by McCulloch back in the 60's are perhaps say, 100 times better than that russian debris.

It still amazes me that the Russians were able to build ANYTHING capable of space travel, so shoddy is their engineering.

I'm sure anyone using this sort of chainsaw for a day would come away with the following opinion: Bomb the factory that makes the chainsaw and beat the engineers that developed it within an inch of their lives.

[Tom Sawyer]

Hoop,  you are probably right about the quality of the saw, however, these guys have never used anything different and have no idea what they are missing (could this be like the people who don't buy an orange sawmill because they have never used one :D :D :D Whoops!  Wrong forum! ;D). 

Spacemule,  the Russian saws' bar pivots like the one you picture for horizontal cutting.  My guy actually swivelled his while the saw was running (the chain wasn't moving tooooo fast :)

To all you guys who really want one, the saw itself would probably run somewhere around $50-$75 depending on age and condition.  I could probably find new ones, but I can't say for sure.  Shipping is another story.  I can check around a bit if you are really serious.

Hey,  I just thought of a great new business idea:  Importing Russian chainsaws.  How much are you guys really willing to pay??? ;D ;D ;D

Tom

[devo]

There's probably a forum somewhere full of Russian's looking and at a picture of a Sthil or Husky, scratching thier heads wondering how we can use something so funny looking!

I'm with Jeff and Furby I think it would be cool to have one of those.

[Jeff]

I strongly hesitate about condemning another cultures ideas and ways. I would much rather learn to understand how and why such machines came to be. To me, having one of those saws to look at and work on would be quite a thought provoking experience. How and why did they arrive at the decision to do this in this way? I would imagine political science has as much to do with mechanical design there as does principals in engineering.

We have at least a couple members of the Forestry Forum that are Russian and they do their best, mostly on the drying board, to communicate and share information. I very much appreciate that.

[Buzz-sawyer]

I would LOVE to have on even if it was not a runner........just to study it.......
What is shipping and customs costs on JUNK? ;) :D

[Jeff]

I dont think anybody that calls them Junk should get one before me.  ;D

[rebocardo]

> How and why did they arrive at the decision to do this in this way?

3rd world engineering where they can not afford engineers, molds, drop forging, lathes, tooling, welders, and metals to produce a modern appliance. In a country full of motorcycles and bikes where many people can not afford cars, building a chain saw based on motorcycle and bike parts makes sense because you do not need an engineer or tooling to do it.

You just need access to motorcycle and bike parts including the spur gears to cobb something together. I bet the most expensive thing is the bar and that is probably imported. There is a VW bug somewhere missing its muffler ...

I bet it beats cutting the tree up by hand saw, plus, the guy made money for him (and probably his family) so its all good for him :-)

[redpowerd]

thats why i said i bet he loves that thing....i seen the duke boys cutting firewood with a buck saw on tv once.....dosent look fun. ;D

looks like you run that thing from the hip or thigh, and the more i look at it the more it looks like a backsaver.

do you think husky produced that saw to market to the folks that got accustomed to those bicycle saws?

[Buzz-sawyer]

Jeff B
Call it what ya like ...........its merely semantics..I have SEEN your yard ornaments 8)
( I got a new camera yesterday...so Ill show some more of my junk)

[sawguy21]

SpaceMule, is that a pic of a Russian market Husky or were you having fun with a photo shop? :D  I would have to try one verrry carefully. The possibility of kick back with that setup scares me.

[Jeff]

Jeff B
Call it what ya like ...........its merely semantics..I have SEEN your yard ornaments 8)
( I got a new camera yesterday...so Ill show some more of my junk)

I dont have a clue what you might be refering to here. If you are talking about the old engines that were here, or the drag saws,  they had a current value of more then the car you were driving and they are still gaining value every day.

They are only brought out to display.  The only yard ornamaments I have are trees and an American Flag.

[Buzz-sawyer]

Because I call all my treasures I find and collect Junk (weather a old saw or a vintage dozer ).....I am sure your colection is very valuable.
Sorry if I offended you

If I offended you it was not intended to run you down
or to degrade you
it was in a poor  attempt to reply to what I though was you joking with me.... so I tried to give you a tongue in check come back as I do with some others.... I will try to be more careful about this in the future some times I am learning , as I go , that what I intend to convey on the internet is some thing I should consider carefully

I appreciated you inviting me to your house, and being so kind while we were all there, .
Don

[Swede]

  Qwackkkk!!   I´m sitting less than 100 miles from the Husqvarna factory. After looking that chain saw I´ll look for another citizenship if no one have a very good explanation why they made one and how to use that tool.  :-[

Swede.

[sawinmontana]

I am working down in McMurdo Station, Antarctica right now and if it weren't for the Russians we may well have not gotten our supply ships here this year.  The U.S. Coast Guard had only one heavy ice breaker to send down here this year so the National Science Foundation in one of there few smart ideas hired the Russian icebreaker, The Krasin, to assist.  When the Coast Guard ice breaker, Polar Star, arrived here it developed a hydraulic leak on the prop. They were afraid to use it in case it broke badly.  So, the Russians did most, if not all, the icebreaking here.  We met some of them and even though we didn't speak Russian and they spoke little English we all had fun.  I too would hesitate to condem a different culture.  We were greatful for the Russians being here.  After all we were almost out of beer on station so we needed that supply ship!

[J_T]

Don't know but sometimes it is easer to have a disimaled unit shiped as parts than a compleat unit. Just a thought ??? ???

[Dean Hylton]

It should not be a problem with shipping. I have sent old saws to France, Germany, Sweeden, Australia..... all over and have not had a problem yet. Now I understand that I do not live in Russia or in the communist country of California but I got them out of the sattelite cummunist republic of Washington.

[redpowerd]

Don't know but sometimes it is easer to have a disimaled unit shiped as parts than a compleat unit. Just a thought   

then you could just 'guess' it back together :D

[Jeff]

Because I call all my treasures I find and collect Junk (weather a old saw or a vintage dozer ).....I am sure your colection is very valuable.
Sorry if I offended you

If I offended you it was not intended to run you down
or to degrade you
it was in a poor  attempt to reply to what I though was you joking with me.... so I tried to give you a tongue in check come back as I do with some others.... I will try to be more careful about this in the future some times I am learning , as I go , that what I intend to convey on the internet is some thing I should consider carefully

I appreciated you inviting me to your house, and being so kind while we were all there, .
Don

No offense taken buzz, I need to take a refresher course in smilies 101

[Jeff]

Human ingenuity, ya gotta love it. Making due with what one has and coming up with something that works is always worthwhile. Rube Goldberg was famous for it.

Anybody remember seeing this? Its a large flash file so may take time to load...
http://mail.silvertech.net/~epe/honda.html#hondaad

[Ironwood]

ANYONE CARE TO TRAVEL TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION, PORTIONS OF WHICH CAME FROM THE SAME FACTORY THAT PROBABLY BUILT THE SAW?

  JEFF, YEAH TRY NOT TO CONDENM, BUT WOULD YOU GO? REID

[Furby]

In a heart beat!!!

[Ianab]

And when you think about it the, lo-tech Russian rocket is the only way you can get there right now  :

I bet that old guys funny looking saw starts first time, and if it doesn't he can fix it with a screwdriver, a spanner and his pocket knife  :D

They probably look at our saws and say "gee that must hurt ya back ven ya hav ta bent down?"

[Tom Sawyer]

Some good thoughts on culture and understanding here! I never thought my pictures would cause such a strong reaction!  I have to say I am proud that my second ever post has become an official hot topic ;D ;D

After living here in Kyrgyzstan for almost 4 years now I have to say that I have come to highly respect the ingenuity of many of the people here.  Sure, the equipment may not be engineered to the same degree as we are used to, but it works.  I have never met people anywhere that can do so many different things with so little materials to work with.  Generally the Russian stuff is ugly, big, and heavier than it should be, but it does the job and is easy to fix.  I would trust the Russian space equipment.  They really did reward the best engineers well, and only their best were put on projects like the space station and military stuff.  There is a good reason why North America was afraid of the Russian military all through the Cold War.

About shipping saws,  Does anybody seriously want one??

Tom

[Buzz-sawyer]

I really do like older and simpler equipment...I have maybe 15 old american saws...I would love one...but seeing your are in former USSR? I wonder If I could afford shipping ???

[spacemule]

SpaceMule, is that a pic of a Russian market Husky or were you having fun with a photo shop? :D  I would have to try one verrry carefully. The possibility of kick back with that setup scares me.

I didn't make it up, but I wouldn't swear it's legitimate.  Here's where I got the information.  http://www.arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=19110

[Jeff]

I am seriously asking what it would take to get one.  :D  Since I'm just a mill rat like everybody else, serious money is spent on groceries and I have to use my "Mad money" on fun stuff. Yes, if affordable, I would really like to have one.

As for the space station, yea like Furby says. In A heart beat.

[MULE_MAN]

I like that different & unusual stuff I think it neat !!!  I wouldn't mine
having one those saw's   8) 8) 8)

[Furby]

I tend to be a bit bias on the Russian side of this topic as my three youngest sisters are from Russia.
I look at it this way, who's to say the standard type chainsaw design in the US, is so superior?
If it is, why do people still get "bit" by chainsaws every day?


I also don't think it's fair for you to use term "typical Russian junk".
Look at all the "junk" that is made in the far eastern countries for the US, that is designed by US engineers.


Tom Sawyer,
Like Jeff said it really comes down to $$$.
$50 US dollars don't sound to bad, but if it's gonna cost another $100 to ship......... :
If you can get an idea on shipping without too much trouble, that would help.

[spacemule]

I tend to be a bit bias on the Russian side of this topic as my three youngest sisters are from Russia.
I look at it this way, who's to say the standard type chainsaw design in the US, is so superior?
If it is, why do people still get "bit" by chainsaws every day?


I also don't think it's fair for you to use term "typical Russian junk".
Look at all the "junk" that is made in the far eastern countries for the US, that is designed by US engineers.


Tom Sawyer,
Like Jeff said it really comes down to $$$.
$50 US dollars don't sound to bad, but if it's gonna cost another $100 to ship......... :
If you can get an idea on shipping without too much trouble, that would help.

Heck, man.  $150 would be cheap for such an interesting conversation piece though, wouldn't it?   ;D  I agree on the condescending attitude towards Russians.  If their stuff was such junk, why was the US so worried about them 20 years ago.  Most people condemn things of which they have little to no knowledge of--kind of sad really.  If everyone concentrated on successes instead of failures and only took pride in what they can sensibly take pride in, we would be evolving much more quickly.   :-\

[Jason_WI]

I have watched too much of the history channel lately. The first russian jets kicked our butts. Launched the first satellite. Their early sub designs after WWII were superior to ours. Their Soyez rocket is still supplying the ISS while our shuttle fleet is grounded due to foam insulation falling off and cracking tiles.

Jason

[Bernhard]

this saw is a russian "Drushba", the same one I own, mine has no bar and no chain. I bought it for around 15 $ in Poland. For felling trees the bar has to be turned for 90°. It has been built until 1990....maybe longer.
The (reversible) Starter will only be attached to the engine for starting it, if the machine runs it will be removed. The reason, why they are building this kinds of saws (which are a bit similar to the Stihl BLK, I own one of them also) that they only have float carbs....not membran ones like the modern saws have...infact also Stihl uses Walbro carbs.
Sorry gentlemen...but You can´t compare rockets or Tanks with the normal stuff people in former russia have to use. The communist government sucked up the people and the states around, likeGDR or Poland, to get food for the USSR people. This saw is only for give the people a tool...nobody ever cares about,if it is safe.....it has to work...and if You don´t have the money to buy a Husky or a stihl.....what would You do????

[rebocardo]

> You don´t have the money to buy a usky or a stihl.....what would You do?

Buy or build whatever tool it took to fed the family and myself 

Sort of like computers. Most people on welfare (public assistance) in the US can take home $600-800 a month AFTER the section 8 (free) housing. So, paying Microsoft $100 for the latest operating system or XBOT upgrade is not as painful as someone in another country who only earns $100 total in two months doing it at a job 12 hours a day six to seven days a week.

I always laugh at the software industry figures on piracy losses attributed to lost sales in other countries. Like 1/2 the population in China using a pirated copy of Windows or Adobe PageMaker could actually save $200-$400 for that one piece of software when that is their whole life's savings, if that, when their disposable income is $5-$10 a month, if that.

imo, The best thing to happen to the Russian people was the internet and Japanese fax machines under $50.00.  ;)

I think some of the scariest machines built where the early American cars with leather bands for brakes and manual engine cranks. I always found the one with an anchor to toss out amusing  :D

[Swede]

I think some of the scariest machines built where the early American........................

:

I think some of the scariest machines built where the early American manual saw mills as Amerika-Sågen and similar! :D :D :D ;) Just two levels, for feeding and for up/down of the saw. Remember when a poor Swede ( no NOK.209 000 for a TK 1600 and another SEK.200 000 for a 4-WD Jeep) had to walk along the 19' frame all day and the customer had to load logs with his tractor and the heavy logs had to be turned and clamped by hand. My arms were long these evenings and body was hurting.

Hope I can start "her" up today and all the new electric stuff works. Just need to find out how to make a more exact circuit breaker for the settings.
That´s the reason I´m not here much now.

But I know Russian people are very good in handicrafts! The Russian National Team in small racingcars (called go-cart here) was driving in the neighborhood. The generator for their old bus (very much leaning to the right)  : didn´t work so they needed to be in my work shop for some hours. One man was working, one was telling how to do. A man, I guess 85 Y.O. was rolling cigarettes all the time for him self and the other two men. (Also one for me,  don´t ask what was in it.)
After one hour the whole floor 50x28' was full of thin copper wire. At that moment I thuoght they had to stay here for ever.
After 4 hours the generator was put together again and working! All done with just simple tools.

Swede.

[SwampDonkey]

  8) 8) 8) 8)

[OneWithWood]

Never underestimate the viability of a 'make-do' culture.  As for American equipment, it would seem the chainsaws everyone recognizes as the top of the line are made in Germany and Sweden :

[redpowerd]

yep, and as the crow flies, how far away are them countries from russia?

[Lobo]

I'm not to sure we should laugh as they may have something there.

The only difference between them and us is that we could drum money by various ways to pursue our ideas and inventions for many many years they could not however those times are changing for them now. smiley_curtain_peek smiley_curtain_peek

[Swede]

http://www.pilorama.spb.ru/eng/opisanie.html#

http://www.pilorama.spb.ru/eng/firma.html

"Squaring sawmill "Izbushka" (Log cabin) is a mobile sawmill for length cutting and milling of square-sawn (profiled) timber." 
I´m not shure but think this is Made in Sweden. Trade name here is "Bamsesågen" and works like a Logosol but is of much higher quality. The saw is riding on a square pipe of stainless steel. No #^'/{>:[  aluminium!

http://www.pilorama.spb.ru/eng/izbushka.html

Swede.

[Tom Sawyer]

Jeff,  I will try to check into shipping for you, but it will take a while.  If you don't hear from me about it in a month or 2 IM me to remind me.

[Jeff]

will do.

[Ironwood]

Well ,I guess I came acrossed a little strong. I am all for make do, and have enjoyed travelling and seeing third world, and other cultures. I just think the safety issue would makeme think twice about the function of the saw. The ergonomics of the thing is just funky, I build design/ fabricate all the time and my back hurts just seeing the thing, cool yes, unique,yes. It just looks scary to me. Sorryif I offended.

REID

[Tom Sawyer]

Okay guys, here's the deal.  I am having trouble finding a shipping company that will ship a chainsaw for me.  They all say that because of the gas engine it is considered dangerous goods.  I haven't tried Fed Ex yet, but I am going to try to do that.  The problem is that Kyrgyzstan is in the middle of a revolution that overthrew the government yesterday.  I am not sure when I can get to the capital city again, and there are no shipping companies in the city where I live.  I will keep trying and let you know.

[Lobo]

Typical Russian junk.  Technology out of the 1930's.  Think you'd put out more wood in a day with a swede saw......and be far less frustrated.



It still amazes me that the Russians were able to build ANYTHING capable of space travel, so shoddy is their engineering.

Yep ! I guess the Russians and their engineering were responsible for the Edsel, Vega, Corvair, Pinto, etc.,  U.S space crafts blowing up twice (God rest their souls) the big 3 loosing 52% of their car manufacturing and sales to overseas companies who are renowned for better quality cars with no shoddy engineering and parts in them. These are just a few examples, it could go on and on and on.

HUM ! I guess your right Hoop !

[Swede]

Yep ! I guess the Russians and their engineering were responsible for the Edsel, Vega, Corvair, Pinto, etc.,

: Wasn´t Corvair the car that looked like a full grown Carmann Ghia? ???  If that´s right, don´t blame the Russians!  Carmann Ghia was a Volkswagen.

Swede.

[Lobo]

Hi Swede

The chevy Corvair was manufactured in the 60's, it look like a cross between the Fiat, Renault Gordini and Lada of the time.

It was Chevrolet's attempt to have a fun sporty inexpensive car with rear engine and luggage trunk in front, (needless to say they failed on all counts). Something like mixing the VW bug and a Porsche Roadster,  but bigger, boxier and lower to seat 4 people comfortably and the dog in the middle.

However they did not sell 22 million cars like the old bug did.
Quality and safety wise it was rated below the Yugo.
It ended being very dangerous in some conditions and killed many people.

[jjmk98k]

But the 'vair is one nice looking car all around, especially the later year models....

[asy]

Gotta love that Russian ingenuity!

I recall getting onto a (VERY SCARY) Aeroflot plane back in '87...

The "parcel shelves" were just that...  WOODEN shelves rivetted to the side of the plane. I kid you not.

There was a lady some seats ahead of me with a small child, and he had a truck with him, so she put the truck on the shelf. Of course, at take-off, the truck rolled along the shelf, and became airborne and flew through the plane, very narrowly missing my shoulder (and head!). The Hostess just picked it up and put it back on the shelf, wheel side up!!!  :

That Chain saw reminded me of that flight...  Looks like it was put together in someone's back shed.

Oh, and, I have enough Russian blood, and relatives, to afford to make these comments.. hehehe

Also, I think you guys may possibly underestimate the Russian Sense of humour. It's generally fantastic!

asy :D

[Lobo]

But the 'vair is one nice looking car all around, especially the later year models....

That is also very true.

[Swede]

Lobo; In the -60 we didnt know about Lada in Sweden but Moscowich.

Think I like Karmann Ghia Mod. 34. more than Mod. 14.
http://www.karmannghiaclub.nl/

I learned today there also was Corvair Vans and Trucks. Don´t know if they where sold with that name in US.
http://hem.passagen.se/corvair/
Corvair 1961/62 FC info

More links:
http://www.prinz4.de/
http://www.wankel-spider.de/
http://www.monito.com/wankel/nsu.html
http://www.monito.com/wankel/chainsaw.html

Swede.

[Phil_Oz]

I know this is an old thread, but I just posted a thread of a video of a (I think Russian - but could be Ukrainian or similar area for all I know) Russian Gent doing a resto on one of these saws.

I too, am hesitant to simply bag the technology, at least until I know more about it.

There is a story, perhaps apocryphal, of the development of the 'space pen' - the engineering that went into getting ink to flow in a pen used in 0Gs - for the Apollo program. The pens became quite the status symbol, and were ex.spen.sive.

Faced with the same challenge, the Soviets issued their cosmonauts with a pencil....

There are many ways to skin a cat, and we can learn from the way others approach, and fix, a problem.

[Greyman]

I'm an aerospace engineer (shuttle, space station, etc.) and I worked a lot with Russians.  I went to their factory in Moscow about 15-20 times - even talked to an old guy who was on the Sputnik design team!  They are not fancy, and have very little budget, but they work with what they have and they get it done.  They have very good engineers - I was embarrassed more than once when I mistook their different ways of doing things for incompetence.  So yeah - when I see something different like this saw I've learned to say "hmm, I wonder why they did it that way".  I think ergonomics might be a huge factor.  Think about how you see people lifting logs up to saw firewood - it makes a lot more sense to lower the saw than to lift the wood...

[Greyman]

Oh, that was an old thread....   :D

[Phil_Oz]

I'm an aerospace engineer (shuttle, space station, etc.) and I worked a lot with Russians.  I went to their factory in Moscow about 15-20 times - even talked to an old guy who was on the Sputnik design team!  They are not fancy, and have very little budget, but they work with what they have and they get it done.  They have very good engineers - I was embarrassed more than once when I mistook their different ways of doing things for incompetence.  So yeah - when I see something different like this saw I've learned to say "hmm, I wonder why they did it that way". ...

Greyman, I'm an Aussie, but I have worked with US space and aerospace engineers. remember the old Hughes Aircraft? (El Segundo CA) - did a bit with the 2nd Aussat series and some bits for Intelsat - and later on some more vanilla fixed wing stuff.
I have to say, the High-bays and Buildup bays are some of the more impressive places I've had anything to do with in my working life.

[Ianab]

Oh, that was an old thread....   :D

Not old if you have something relevant to add to it. And it's about old stuff anyway 

[Phil_Oz]

Oh, that was an old thread....   :D

Not old if you have something relevant to add to it. And it's about old stuff anyway  

At my age (61) I can't afford NOT to like old stuff - I sincerely hope my family likes old stuff - ie 'old farts' too.

[Greyman]

I started out with McDonnell Douglas in Huntington Beach CA - all sorts of neat stuff from the Shuttle SRB's to missiles, rockets, and classified projects.  I did tour the Boeing Everett WA plant once though - at the time the largest building.  Four parallel lines where subassemblies go in one end and complete airplanes roll out the other.  
Speaking of missiles and Russian expertise - Putin has a new toy with that Avanguard hypersonic missile.  No one else has anything close to that performance, let alone something to stop it.  I'm sure we'll catch up in a few years though, and we have them beat on other technologies.

[SwampDonkey]

The Russians have done well with a lesser economic engine to feed it.

[joe_indi]

I wouldn't just look down on Russian  technology. A bit crude looking to western eyes, but definitely over engineered to take a lot of punishment. Long ago a Soviet technical explained the reason as because the user would have to travel long distances for service, so designs were maintained for DIY repairs, crude, unrefined maybe but possible to be functional again with minimum technology.

Here is an interesting video of similar saw as the one in the picture
<html>https://youtu.be/vwLZUeaIR38</html>

[petefrom bearswamp]

Watched the whole thing, sure beats the Rose parade.
That guy knows his onions er chainsaws of soviet vintage.
I would have had the dreaded parts left over syndrome big time.

[RaulP]

My grandfather had that saw a long time ago when I was a little boy.  The main problem with this saw was that it started good when cold but once warmed up it was very hard to start. Our saw had the ignition coil from some car installed but it did not helped very much. I was too young back then and therefore I did not have a chance to saw with it but buy the look how much trouble my uncle had with it to only get it started it seemed very bad saw to me. 

[HolmenTree]

Good video Joe, thanks for posting. 
On the subject of Soviet/Russian technology,  I'm only concerned about their capability of manipulating the internet and artificial intelligence ....that they are not crude at.

[moodnacreek]

I know a farmer/sawmiller that likes his Russian tractor a lot.

[thedoublejranch]

They have come a long way or stolen and reverse engineered western saw designs. ;D

They have a 52cc saw on ebay. Spendy shipping. :D
NEW TAIGA BP-3850 RUSSIAN CHAINSAW, 52CC | eBay

[RaulP]

One of the inventors of this saw was a writer and translater Boris Kabur from Estonia.
I translated the article with google translate:

Boris Kabur began to think of a chainsaw while in a prison camp in 1947.

The assembly of a working saw took place at the Special Design Office of the Ministry of Forestry of the Union - so called the camp, where scientists who got into disrepute were directed - for years. When the saw finally managed to go, Kabur called his handwork Taiga. However, the machine went under the name of Druzhba. "They were prisoners and a lot of them there," a man near Kabur sighs.

The chainsaw, which has made it much easier to cut trees, probably saved the lives of hundreds of men looking for forest work. "In later years, Kabur received many letters of thanks from the survivors."

As a rational person and a good headcaster, Kabur in the prison camp also looked at whether it was more useful to fill the entire day's work and get a full lot of bread or a half-hour of work and a half-bread. It turned out that less work and less bread provide a better chance of getting away from death.


The former prisoner used aliases

In 1954, Kabur returned to Estonia. It is not known whether and how much money he had received for the invention of the saw, but "he still had a small money copy as he said. But he sent it home, to a woman and to a son."

Like many men returning from prison, Kabur could no longer live with his family.

Thanks to the past, the job was not easy to find. As Kabur knew well the languages - including the Latin language he had acquired at the age of 15 when he worked at the histology laboratory and the autopsy protocols - he earned money as a translator, hiding behind his familiar names. "With the man in the camp, the publishers did not dare to sign contracts."

Over the years, Kabur also translated into Estonian the Armenian and Sumerian epics.

In the early 60s, the political climate was softening. Kabur published the book "ROPS", on the basis of which he directed a superb play. "Actually, it wasn't a children's performance; it was an anti-Soviet performance that told us that a person is not programmable. Alaska said to him, but I don't know if others understood it."

A few years later, Borka (as his friends Boris Kaburi called) wrote a science fiction "Water in the Beaches of Space". In 1973, he won the Grand Prize at a meeting of science fiction writers in socialist countries. "It was a good tone that Russians had to win in such places, but the Poles were embarrassed. Kabur was quite frightened and spent his prize money on getting out."
The Druzhba harvest was used further. "When we went to the market sometimes, the villagers stopped us and told us that there was a good saw. He was, of course, happy about it, but he was also surprised that he had stayed at that saw for so long.

Kabur had no inherited catches. Not needed. He liked to break the trees with an ax through the life of a man who had done his physical work.


Kabur's ancestor was a shaman

Boris Kabur was a versatile person. Depending on everything from the man himself, the field of work that had come to his literature on design and dietology would have been even wider. Namely, Kabur, as a young man, planned to acquire three higher education at the University of Tartu - the first in the Faculty of Mathematics, the Faculty of Medicine, and the third in the Faculty of Philosophy. Unfortunately, due to the World War, the studies were broken by half.

Its origin is also varied. Biographies still use the cliché "born in the working family" for Kabur, in fact his roots went to Mordovia, where his grandfather was famous for the shaman. However, Kabur's father, named after Baigunov, was a submarine who came to Estonia after the shipwreck during the First World War. Here he showed courage in the days of the War of Independence and finally received the Order of the Cross of Liberty from Johan Pitka. The name Kabur took Baigunov from his wife for the names of the times.

In the mid-1990s, Astrid Reinla, the wife of Kaburi, died, and after a while Borkat was struck by a stroke. Although at first the doctors of the Old City did not give hope, he recovered from the disease to a great extent. "He was very good. How many times did he start, he still came back," recalls the close one.

With no literary creation or translation, Kabur was no longer engaged. But he loved to watch and record TV programs on war history.

"We visited a lot of people in the village and when we promised health, we went to lectures and theater, but because of the strong imbalances we went to the wheelchair."

Life in recent years deteriorated health even more. The Cultural Endowment allocated 15,000 kroons to Kabur for medical treatment, but on January 28th Kabur left the weather.

Friend Ain Kaalep says that Boriss Kabur "was an optimistic person, very optimistic right now. There is no doubt he had a lot of plans for the future. He was a man who always had plans."

[HolmenTree]

Wonderful story RaulP,  thanks for posting and welcome to our forum!

[SwampDonkey]

My grandfather had that saw a long time ago when I was a little boy.  The main problem with this saw was that it started good when cold but once warmed up it was very hard to start. Our saw had the ignition coil from some car installed but it did not helped very much. I was too young back then and therefore I did not have a chance to saw with it but buy the look how much trouble my uncle had with it to only get it started it seemed very bad saw to me.

Well I think it can be taken with a grain of salt or anecdotal. I've seen non mechanical relatives have trouble with Partner and Sac Delmor to. ;D :D

[SwampDonkey]

I know a farmer/sawmiller that likes his Russian tractor a lot.

There is an old hermit on youtube with saws, axes and a Belarus tractor and now an older model Champion grader (Made in Canada) and wouldn't have any other tractor. Likes the grader to. Can fix the tractor yourself inexpensively from local parts store or from Wisconsin from a huge Belarus parts store. Born and raised in North Dakota. ;D

Would I buy another Belarus tractor? - YouTube

[petefrom bearswamp]

Nice read raul, I like the sometimes awkward translations but you can get the main theme of the story regardless

[joe_indi]

.......their capability of manipulating the internet and artificial intelligence ....that they are not crude at.

Quite true. They even have a site that has most of the music from around the world, in any language, from any country. Even music of the 40s onwards.

They have come a long way or stolen and reverse engineered western saw designs. ;D

They have a 52cc saw on ebay. Spendy shipping. :D
NEW TAIGA BP-3850 RUSSIAN CHAINSAW, 52CC | eBay

That is no Russian saw. It is the same Komatsu Zenoah clone that is available anywhere on the globe. If there was an entry for most manufactured saw, clone included, this saw would be in the Guinness Book of Records.
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[Greyman]

Yes, Russians are masters at copying things - why go to all the trouble of reinventing the wheel?  :D  I worked with Russian engineers who said they learned English by reading NASA documents when they were developing the Buran (space shuttle clone, with a few interesting changes).  They've cracked down a little on pirated music and software but you used to be able to buy anything (Office, CAD programs, Photoshop, etc.) for $1 per CD.  The Chinese are making them look like slackers these days though.  A lot of small western businesses get destroyed because Chinese clones take over their entire market, in many cases before the inventor even gets started because they watch the patent sites for new ideas.

[Allar]

That's a družba. Every single old tool in my country was russian made. Usually russian made tools are heavy duty and build to last.
We still own russian tractors, they are really cheap to repair and parts are still available.

My uncle used that saw, still have some parts laying around. I guess back in the day it was the only available chainsaw around Eastern-Europe.

You really had to be a 'man' to use that chainsaw.

[Air Lad]

Wondering if this machine doesn't convert to post hole auger at some point?