If you’re not a fan of power tools, there’s only one way to prune a tree safely and comfortably; bow saws. Whatever design you feel most comfortable with, and whatever blade length you can support, there is a bow saw out there for you, and with proper use, it can be a much neater, cleaner way to prune large trees without having to worry about all of the expense and safety considerations that come with chainsaws.
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Top Pick
Best Bow Saws for 2024
Product | Our Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Fiskars SW 31 Bow Saw |  | | |
2. Spear & Jackson Predator Bow Saw |  | ||
3. Truper 30255 Steel Handle Bow Saw |  |
Bow Saws Australian Buyers' Guide
What is a Bow Saw?
Bow saws are deeply toothed blades, designed as hand saws for cutting trees. They provide flexibility and spring to reduce snagged teeth and caught blades, and have simple handles that generally double up as a comfortable way to hold the saw, and a convenient way to change the blade.
While bow saws are often capable of felling semimature trees, it's worth keeping in mind that they are not good under pressure, and I mean that quite literally. When the weight of a tree or branch is placed on them, they will struggle to continue a cut, and the blade can often become trapped, so do make sure you are using them for vertical, rather than horizontal cuts.
What to Look for When Buying a Bow Saw
Bow saws share a set of universal designs that are rarely deviated from; hollow tubular bow, steel saw blade, and a plastic clip-off handle for changing the blade. When you assume those as standard, it’s worth looking for a few important details that do help to separate the best new bow saws from more generic or budget brands.
Blade changing and locking methods
Most bow saws come with plastic or rubberised handles that provide good grip and a steady place to hold your tool while it's in use. Better brands or those that are trying to build ease of maintenance into their tools will also use this handle to double up as a hinged latch that releases the blade, and adds pressure to new blades when they are added.
Blade length
Blades come in all sorts of lengths on bow saws, but generally, you’ll want a saw with a standard blade of around 50 cm for larger jobs, but smaller blades at around 30cm can work very well for lighter pruning.
Cut depth
Cut depth is defined by the distance from the blade to the bow itself. Arched bow saws provide a greater cutting depth in most cases, while pointed bow saws (with asymmetrical bows) are better for smaller branches.
While it might seem obvious to go for an arched bow saw, it's worth noting that pointed bow saws help to put forward pressure on the blade, making it much easier to cut through green wood.
Comfort
Defining comfort in bow saws isn’t an easy task, but for me, it's mostly about their weight. Aluminium bow saws are light, easy to use, and fairly weather resistant too, but stainless steel, or powder-coated steel bows are often the most durable.
All bow saws will have their weight listed with their specs, so understand the sort of weight you’re used to carrying and try to stick to that if possible. Heavy tools make life harder than it needs to be.
How to Use a Bow Saw
Bow saws should be used just like any other hand saws for cutting trees; cut up from the bottom to about 1/3, and then cut from the top to the bottom so your cuts meet in the middle. This creates neater cuts, reduces snapping, and massively reduces the risk of infection at the cut point regardless of the type of tree or shrub you are cutting.
If you are cutting up in the canopy, you should always make sure that you are stable, either on ladders, or harnessed to a point other than the branch you are cutting.
Bow Saw Reviews
1. Fiskars SW 31 Bow Saw
Fiskars 1000615
Fiskars traditional bow saw, with some of that classic Fiskars magic, is one of the best on the market. Its widely spaced teeth slice through green wood like butter, and its comfortable rubberised handle helps to make gripping easier at the same time as integrating a flicking clasp to remove and change the blade.
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Pros
Cons
2. Spear & Jackson Predator Bow Saw
Spear & Jackson B9824BOWSAW
Spear and Jackson make garden tools in all shapes and sizes, but this bow saw is one of their more experimental ranges. The teeth are unconventionally pointed which makes for beautifully easy cuts on slightly older, drier timber, but it does tend to clog on very fresh greenwood.
For that reason, I’d suggest this saw for spring gardening, but perhaps not for autumn pruning.
Pros
Cons
3. Truper 30255 Steel Handle Bow Saw
Truper 30255
Truper’s bow saw is great for contractors and seasoned arboriculturalists, but is perhaps a little bit too much for DIYers, with its chunky pointed frame, and weighty steel tube.
Having said that, there are a few bow saws with more efficient blades that come as standard, and their comfortable handles are durable as well as functional.
Pros
Cons
Our Bow Saw Top Pick for 2024
Our Top Pick Bow Saw
Fiskars 1000615
Fiskars are a brand that always fills me with confidence. Not because there’s anything magical about their products, but because I’ve never, ever been disappointed with any of their garden tools.
From spades to saws, they know what they’re doing, and seem to factor in user experience at every level of their design. The 21” Fiskars Bow Saw is a perfect example of this attention to detail, proving that pruning doesn’t have to be a chore.
Bow Saw Frequently Asked Questions
What is a bow saw good for?
Bow saws are hand tools, traditionally used to prune medium-sized branches. Larger bow saws are useful for larger branches even on mature trees but do need to be used with care.
Which is better, a bow saw or a hand saw?
If you can avoid it, never use a standard hand saw for pruning. Handsaws have far too much flex in them, so bow saws are better for pruning any type of living timber, and are really the only type of hand saws that should be used for cutting trees.
What is the difference between a bow saw and a buck saw?
Buck saws are traditional arboricultural tools, used for the same purpose as bow saws, but with H-shaped handles. Bow saws are generally considered easier to use, and more efficient.
What can you cut with a bow saw?
The deep-toothed design of most bow saw blades makes them ideal for cutting through any dry or wet timber, so they are perfect for cutting living wood from trees or large shrubs, or even sawing down lengths of dried timber for firewood.
What is the difference between a green and dry bow saw?
Bow saws for dry wood have shorter teeth as they are less likely to clog with sap or wet materials and the shorter, denser teeth make faster cuts with less wastage. Bow saws for green wood have deep, well-spaced teeth, which tear through wet or green timber.
Why does my bow saw not cut straight?
If your bow saw is loose or twisted, this will usually lead to wobbly cuts that are anything but straight. Tightening your blade can be a quick fix, but older blades and blades that have worn down may need replacing to regain rigidity.
How do you sharpen a bow saw?
You can sharpen a bow saw blade, but it’s usually easier to replace them. If you’re in a bind and can’t get to the store for a replacement blade though, use a narrow round file between each tooth, and at the tip, in a single direction to sharpen your bow saw blade.
For other types of saws you might be searching for, check out our buying guides below:
Choose the Best Bow Saw for Your Needs
I treat so many of my tools seasonally, and a bow saw is an ideal example. For ten months of the year it sits in a dry, dark corner of the shed, waiting to be needed, but come one month in late autumn, and a few weeks in early spring, it's my most used garden tool.
Larger trees, particularly confiders, need individual care, and can’t simply be whizzed over by a hedge trimmer. Larger branches need to be removed selectively and carefully to retain their overall shape.
Finding the best bow saw you can afford will go a long way to transforming your garden from a one-dimensional row of hedges, to a carefully considered sea of cloud pruning, and naturally considered trees, each with its own character.
Published on March 11, 2023 by Gary Clarke
Last Updated on September 27, 2024
