– The Backcountry Ski Touring Blog
  • Avalanches
  • Gear Reviews
    • Ski Reviews
    • Boot Reviews
    • Binding Reviews
    • Snowboard Splitboard
    • Book Reviews
    • Avalanche Beacon Reviews
    • Airbag Backpacks
    • Backcountry Electronics
    • Misc Gear Reviews
  • Podcast
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Ski Touring Basics
    • Boot Fitting
    • Fitness & Health
    • Gear Mods
  • Trip Reports
    • Fourteeners
    • Huts – Cabins – Lodges
    • Denali McKinley
    • 8,000 Meter Skiing
  • Stories
    • History
    • Humor
    • Land Use Issues
    • Evergreen Ski Touring
    • Poetry
  • Resources
    • All Posts Listed
    • 100 Recent Comments
    • Backcountry Skiing & Ski Touring Webcams
    • Ski Weights Comparison
    • Archives of WildSnow.com
    • Authors Page
    • Ski Touring Bindings
      • Trab TR2 Index and FAQ
      • Salomon Guardian & Tracker
      • Naxo Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Silvretta Pure Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Marker F10-12 Duke Baron
      • G3 Onyx Ski Binding FAQ
      • G3 ION Ski Touring Binding
      • Fritschi Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Fritschi Diamir Frame Bindings Mount DIY
      • Fritschi Diamir Bindings FAQ
      • Fritschi Tecton FAQ
      • Atomic Salomon Backland MTN
      • Dynafit Tri-Step Binding 2001-2003
      • Naxo randonnee alpine touring AT ski binding FAQ
      • Dynafit Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Dynafit Binding Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Review 1
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Page Two
    • History
      • Ski Touring Binding Museum
      • Trooper Traverse Intro & Index
      • Randonnee Ski Touring “AT” ski gear — What is Hip?
      • Chronology
    • Backcountry Skiing Core Glossary
    • Gear Review Policy & Disclosures

– The Backcountry Ski Touring Blog

Banner
  • Avalanches
  • Gear Reviews
    • Ski Reviews
    • Boot Reviews
    • Binding Reviews
    • Snowboard Splitboard
    • Book Reviews
    • Avalanche Beacon Reviews
    • Airbag Backpacks
    • Backcountry Electronics
    • Misc Gear Reviews
  • Podcast
  • Tips & Tricks
    • Ski Touring Basics
    • Boot Fitting
    • Fitness & Health
    • Gear Mods
  • Trip Reports
    • Fourteeners
    • Huts – Cabins – Lodges
    • Denali McKinley
    • 8,000 Meter Skiing
  • Stories
    • History
    • Humor
    • Land Use Issues
    • Evergreen Ski Touring
    • Poetry
  • Resources
    • All Posts Listed
    • 100 Recent Comments
    • Backcountry Skiing & Ski Touring Webcams
    • Ski Weights Comparison
    • Archives of WildSnow.com
    • Authors Page
    • Ski Touring Bindings
      • Trab TR2 Index and FAQ
      • Salomon Guardian & Tracker
      • Naxo Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Silvretta Pure Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Marker F10-12 Duke Baron
      • G3 Onyx Ski Binding FAQ
      • G3 ION Ski Touring Binding
      • Fritschi Backcountry Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Fritschi Diamir Frame Bindings Mount DIY
      • Fritschi Diamir Bindings FAQ
      • Fritschi Tecton FAQ
      • Atomic Salomon Backland MTN
      • Dynafit Tri-Step Binding 2001-2003
      • Naxo randonnee alpine touring AT ski binding FAQ
      • Dynafit Skiing Bindings – Info Index
      • Dynafit Binding Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Review 1
      • Dynafit Beast 16 FAQ Page Two
    • History
      • Ski Touring Binding Museum
      • Trooper Traverse Intro & Index
      • Randonnee Ski Touring “AT” ski gear — What is Hip?
      • Chronology
    • Backcountry Skiing Core Glossary
    • Gear Review Policy & Disclosures
   

Tooltime At WildSnow Hq — Every Good Sawzall Has Its Day

by Lou Dawson June 30, 2009
written by Lou Dawson June 30, 2009

WildSnow runs a full workshop with enough tooling to remodel a house or rebuild a 4×4 from the frame up. What’s our one most important piece of equipment? Our workbench with a huge vise might be number one on the list, or perhaps the other bench with a ski vise? But a powerful and quick reciprocating saw comes soon after.

I’ve worn out four reciprocating “sawzall” type power saws over the years. They were pressed into duty from everything to cutting a moderately sized house in half for demolition, to tree removal, to quartering an elk, all the way to cutting the steering bell crank hanger off our 1947 Willys Jeep.

Tools for backcountry skiing.

Tigersaw above, new Bosch RS35 animal below.

First “saws-all” I owned was a Milwaukee Sawzall. Those wood eaters are still the original and a benchmark. But way back in my day a plumber turned me on to the Porter-Cable Tigersaw. The Tiger lived up to its name, gnawing through just about anything at speeds noticeably faster then the Milwaukee. Over years of remodel construction I abused my Tigersaws like you wouldn’t believe. They held up, but entropy strikes and all machines die. RIP Tigersaw. Enter the Bosch RS35. AT 15 amps with a stroke speed of 2,900/min, using this thing is like firing a 50 caliber machine gun. It made short work of the stump that ate my old Tigersaw, and got desert on a couple of other stumps that were dining on our lawn mower blades. I can’t wait to saw another house in half — or perhaps even quarter it!

Shop for various reciprocating sawzall saw version using the link below.

10 comments
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
previous post
Louie’s New Zealand Getready
next post
My Sweet Pack of Doom!

10 comments

Mark Donohoe June 30, 2009 - 11:04 am

Lou,
so you have taken out stumps with these? Hmmm, it would save me $$ on chain saw blades. Did you also hit the roots with it? I have 3 stumps that are waiting for your answer. 🙂

Lou June 30, 2009 - 11:22 am

He he, yeah, I just snap in a course bi-metal blade and start carving away at it. Dirt still dulls it, but at least you’re not lunching a chainsaw blade and spending all day re-sharpening the thing. I do clean away the dirt as best as possible, so the blades will last longer. Also helps to use an axe to knock off chunks as you cut away with the sawzall. BTW, I’m not talking about huge stumps… just medium to small.

Dan Powers June 30, 2009 - 5:08 pm

I’ve got a Tiger Saw of similar looking vintage, still going strong after 10? years of professional use.

Arthur von Boennighausen June 30, 2009 - 6:46 pm

Friend Louis Dawson:

I was disappointed that you have stooped sooo low as to bring up the subject of using a Sawzall in your Wildsnow blog… What could you be thinking?

I spent over 30 years using you as a role model as a ski mountaineer and alpinist and now have to walk with two canes and an artificial hip trying to do things like snow ski all the Colorado 14ers like Louis Dawson.

I have paid the price that gives me the ticket to be critical…

Thinking allowed…

Arthur von Boennighausen @ The Sierra Mojada Ranch

andyw July 1, 2009 - 3:41 am

hehe, i wasn`t quite sure about the above comment but clicking on the link finds he`s for real, well what`d you know.

Lou July 1, 2009 - 8:36 am

The problem was I couldn’t get the stumps out with my snow saw…

Bill July 2, 2009 - 9:51 am

Last time I checked there isn’t much snow on the hill around here. The man gots come up with stuff to keep us entertained. Keep posting and I’ll keep reading!

Anthony September 7, 2010 - 8:57 am

I have been using sawzals for about 20 years and I found the longest lasting saw, fastest, and less back breaking cut came from the older Porter Cable Tiger saw 9.6 amp. without the quick change fixture. Now that I have used up all of the saws of that model, I now get one day of use before saw is needing repair. Seems all saws have quick change and not one has been able to hold the blade longer than one day for what I do… I remove Oil tanks. Leakingtanks.com you can see the work we do at that site. If anyone knows of a machine shop willing to add an allen bolt blade fixture to any sawzal for me please email me any info,

Thanks so much Anthony, 516-579-9246

P.T. Wood November 1, 2016 - 5:20 pm

Ever used a 12 demo blade for a snow saw? Small light weight fits in my shovel handle, but I am looking for mods that would make it easy to attach to my adjustable BD ski pole. Any thoughts?

Lou Dawson 2 November 1, 2016 - 5:45 pm

Anthony, yeah, that Tiger Saw was the best. The enormous Bosch is ok as covered above.

Comments are closed.

Recent Comments

  • Mike Bromberg on The No-Beacon Day — Using Terrain to Minimize Avalanche Exposure
  • phillip gallagher on The No-Beacon Day — Using Terrain to Minimize Avalanche Exposure
  • Jim Pace on Simple and Dependable — Black Diamond Helio 145 Binding Review
  • DavidB on The No-Beacon Day — Using Terrain to Minimize Avalanche Exposure
  • Manasseh on Simple and Dependable — Black Diamond Helio 145 Binding Review

Gear Reviews

  • Versatile and Sustainable — WNDR Vital 100 Ski Review

    January 14, 2021
  • Meidjo 3.0 Binding Review – Backcountry Telemark Evolves

    January 12, 2021
  • Tele Tech First Look — Voile Ultra Vector BC, 22 Designs Lynx, Scarpa TX Pro

    January 5, 2021

Trip Reports

  • Finding Early Turns on Rainier’s Muir Snowfield

    November 14, 2020
  • Treading Lightly Through Close-to-Home Mountains

    October 6, 2020
  • Snoqualmie Classic — Chair Peak Circumnavigation

    May 26, 2020

Totally Deep Podcast

  • Risky Business — Zahan Billimoria on Solving for Z

    December 14, 2020
  • Totally Deep Podcast 81 — CAIC Director Ethan Greene

    December 9, 2020
  • Unraveling the Mysteries of Avalanche Education — Totally Deep Podcast 80

    November 16, 2020

Tips & Tricks

  • 10 Essential Mistakes for the Backcountry Ski Touring Beginner

    December 2, 2020
  • Buying Used Gear Guide Part II — Poles, Avy Gear, Packs

    November 25, 2020
  • Save Your Ski Day — Emergency Car Kit Essentials

    November 24, 2020

Ski Touring Stories

  • Giving Myself the Gift of Backcountry

    January 15, 2021
  • Six Who Dared — Elk Mountains Traverse & Richard Compton Tribute

    January 7, 2021
  • Risky Business — Zahan Billimoria on Solving for Z

    December 14, 2020

Newsletter Sign-Up

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • About Lou Dawson
  • Authors Page
  • About
  • Contact
  • Copyright & Legal
  • Website Security

@2020 - All Rights Reserved. Designed and Developed by WildSnow


Back To Top

Read alsox

Envisioning a Friendly, Busier Backcountry —...

January 18, 2021

Euro Puro Amoro — La Sportiva...

January 13, 2021

Griffin Post Stays Home — Totally...

January 10, 2021