When it comes to folding saws sometimes bigger is not always better.
Before you buy a folding saw it is better if you know what you are going mostly use it for, are you wanting to keep it in your car for camp fires or clearing roads, do you want to use it for full time wood collection from tree lopping and large wood clearing or you might want to take it everywhere with you for use in camp fire wood collection clearing tracks and general use around the house?
For me i cannot go past the Silky Saw Gomboy it is my perfect all rounder although a lot of people might argue that the big boy is an even better all rounder and that would be right for some people but for me the Gomboy is my all round choice. I am one to always get sucked in to bigger, more aggressive and i did at first i have got a Katanaboy, Bigboy and a Gomboy why? because i love the way Silky have designed their folding saws but the ones i use most would be the Gomboy followed by the Katanaboy for bigger stuff that just stays in my car. I do always find myself grabbing the Gomboy first.
WHY?
It is easy to think that you need a big hand saw to keep up with a chainsaw but in my experience that has not been the case. the Gomboy specifically the Gomboy Black medium tooth comes in a couple different lengths i like to use the 240mm version because it is nice and compact to fit anywhere i like. Now that 240mm refers to the blade length and why i like this length is because most firewood i have collected for a quick stop or an extended stay has not been over a foot in diameter. usually 6-8 inches has been ideal. Which this Silky Saw has done with ease and usually i have been able to collect enough to start and keep a fire going before the big boys come out with their chain saws to disturb the atmosphere.
Although it might be tedious work to do all this by hand and even a larger folding saw or chainsaw would make lighter work of this I’m not disputing that at all that firewood collection would be the biggest i would go with the Silky Gomboy. It however is my most used Silky folding saw because it easily fits in any backpack and thats where i normally carry it. I have used it to clear tracks when i am on the trails on my mountain bike, walking or in the car pruning in the garden or cutting up wood for an outdoor fire.
The reason i like the smaller Gomboy over the Bigboy or Katanaboys are that i feel i have got more control over the saw blade when cutting those smaller branches with having a smaller blade there is less chance for it to buckle and bend. It doesn’t matter what i make this Silky Saw do it just mows through anything. Of corse if you are mostly cutting larger branches and trees than i would suggest a bigger Silky Saw but for me the Gomboy is ideal.
Its not that i am against using a chainsaw its just that i always forget to get it out or take it with me on trips. I find it a lot easier to keep a silky saw in my car or backpack because sometimes you just never know when you might need one. The convenience i think is unparalleled to anything else either in the folding saw or chainsaw market. I absolutely love that i can just pull it straight out and get to work no preparation needed.
