For small to medium sawing tasks, the bow saw is often preferred over the chainsaw as it is more comfortable to use, efficient, and faster than setting up a chainsaw. For anyone who enjoys keeping their shrubs and trees maintained while growing will love the bow saw, and it also serves as a great log saw when needed.
Source: sharpen-up.com
With a bow saw, you can easily down smaller trees in minutes accurately and precisely. With good technique and an adequate blade, you can accomplish any task. Here is a short list of what we find to be the best bow saws on the market.
Top 5 Best Bow Saw – Comparison Table:
| Image | Description | Blade | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Bahco 10-30-51 30-Inch Ergo Bow Saw ** Editor's Choice - Best Bow Saw ** | 30 inch | 1.94 lbs | |
 | Truper 30255 Steel Handle Bow Saw ** Best Value Bow Saw ** | 21 inch | 1.33 lbs | |
 | Gerber Freescape Camp Saw | 12 inch | 1.1 lbs | |
 | Fiskars 7029 Bow Saw | 21 inch | 1.0 lbs | |
 | Outdoor Edge PS-100 Cutlery Corp Saw | 12 inch | 0.9 lbs |
Top 5 Best Bow Saw – Reviews:
#1 – Bahco 30-Inch Ergo Bow Saw for Green Wood
** Editor’s Choice – Best Bow Saw **
Bahco is a reputable bow saw a brand name that has been in the business for a long time offering the best bow saw. Although this saw is labeled for green wood use, it is capable of finishing many tasks, and a dry wood variation is available.
Features
- Designed for use with green wood or dry wood (multiple variations offered)
- 30-inch blade
- Built to last through harsh and demanding work environments
- Unique tension system for a consistent, tight tension and straight cuts
- Constructed from light, yet durable steel
Review
This bow saw from Bahco exceeds the performance of cheap bow saws commonly found in barns and garages worldwide. These cheaper bow saws never cut correctly no matter how you draw it, offer poor tensioning systems, and have wonky blades that never cooperate.
This bow saw from Bahco does the exact opposite. With this bow saw you can easily take on daunting tasks and finish them quicker than expected. Chainsaws are not the only option anymore! There are 2 blade variations for this saw, one for green wood and one for dry wood.
We recommend getting both and using them interchangeably to fit any given task the best. Both blades are easy to switch out, and the included tensioning mechanism is easy to use, never clogs, and is easily adjustable by hand. Both of these blades are amazing at cutting, and the dry blade can even replace your hand saw for smaller construction projects.
This bow saw is well worth the money and maybe the best bow saw on the market within its price range. We love the large 30-inch blades on these bow saws because they offer more versatility and ease of use when cutting down even the thickest of woods.
Summary
The 30-inch bow saw from Bahco is the best bow saw when it comes down to high-quality bow saws at a low price point. All of the Bahco saws are of superb quality, including their folding bow saws, but this 30-inch bow saw is where they really show off their years of experience making bow saws of the greatest quality.
#2 -Truper 21-Inch Steel Handle Bow Saw
** Best Budget Bow Saw **
The Truper 21-inch Steel Handle Bow Saw makes an amazing, long-lasting budget bow saw.
Features
- 21-inch long blade for larger woods
- Efficient cam-lever tension mechanism
- Protective handle
Review
The Truper 21-Inch Steel Handle Bow Saw easily saws through any trees and offers a durable and rigid construction. Even after years of use, this bow saw is one of the greatest performing bow saws on the market. The bright color of the saw proves itself very handy by making it easy to find in a woodlot when you have set it down somewhere.
The handle included on this bow saw doesn’t seem like much at first glance, but after extended usage, you realize that it makes a great, comfortable handle that is far superior compared to other bow saw handles and it offers finger protection that other saws do not.
For the price, we were not expecting this bow saw to be able to handle the tasks we threw at it. Despite our first impressions, this bow saw is a dream to work with. The saw is easy to assemble and take apart in a matter of seconds and doesn’t take up much space. For such a cheap blade, we were amazed at its ability to cut through any wood like a warm knife through butter.
Due to its low price point, this Truper bow saw is the best bow saw on a budget as it offers a solid, consistent performance with the user’s convenience and safety in mind.
The blades are super sharp with a flawless tension system that keeps them tight and cutting straight for a long time. A simple cleaning and oiling after every use will keep this bow saw performing at its best for a lifetime, but for a long-lasting bow saw with minimum maintenance, you may want to spend a little more.
Summary
As you can see, the Truper 21-inch is a great performing bow saw at a low price point and with a great amount of durability and performance considering its price. If you are looking to get a larger blade, like a 30-inch rather than a 21-inch, or an even greater performance, you can always spend a few extra bucks and purchase a more expensive bow saw like the Bahco 30-inch.
#3 – Gerber Freescape Camp Saw
The Gerber Freescape Camp Saw is an extremely portable, versatile camping tool that easily folds up to take up a minimal amount of space making it great for transporting.
Features
- Folding bow saw without part removal
- Uses 12-inch standard blades
- Comfortable rubber grip
- Four pivot points to maximize the usable cutting area
Review
After using various hatchets, survival saws, and silky saws on plenty of camping and hiking journeys, this folding bow saw is by far the best tool to use. Even after years of harsh usage, this saw never fails to impress. Everyone on your camping or hiking trip will be amazed at your ability to chew through wood with your portable folding bow saw.
The great bite on this saw makes it easy to finish tasks such as cutting down a wild Christmas tree in a mere matter of minutes.
This bow saw uses standard 12-inch saw blades, and we recommend changing the included blade for a higher quality one. To get the best performance with this tool, you should do the majority of your cutting with the belly of the blade to avoid getting the blade stuck.
If we had to find one downside to this folding bow saw it would have to be the folding design that creates more points where failure can happen. This, however, is a risk you have to take if you want to reap the benefits of great portability.
With the holiday season quickly approaching, this is a great stocking gift for anyone, and we are sure that it will be their favorite gift this holiday season. They can even use it for chopping down the firewood needed for the holidays.
Summary
The Gerber Freescape Camp Saw is the best bow saw for all of your camping and hiking needs in a small, versatile package. You really get what you pay for with this saw.
Features like a durable folding design, standard blade compatibility, and a comfortable rubber grip make this folding bow saw a joy to carry around and use. Everyone who uses this bow saw falls in love with it. If you don’t believe us, you can take a look for yourself and see what others are saying about it.
#4 – Fiskars Bow Saw, 21-Inch
This Fiskars Bow Saw is the cheapest option available. It gets the job it is intended for done well but fails to offer additional bells and whistles that pricier bow saws can.
Features
- Long blade for cutting thicker wood
- Hardened steel blade remains sharp and powerful even after heavy use
- Rust resistant coating for durability
- Tension lever for safety and control
- The steel frame is lightweight and easy to hold
Review
This bow saw, at first, seems to have a flimsy design and construction. This should be expected when spending such little money and getting a lightweight designed bow saw. Despite these first impressions, this is a bow saw that has lasted many years of rough use on camping and hiking trips. Some users have suspected the tension rivet handle to give out, but after plenty of usage cutting down the equivalent of multiple cords of wood, there seems to be no sign of wear.
This bow saw is made in China, and the only failures we have experienced with it is when our cheap 21-inch bow saw blades have broken. These blades were made in America, and the cheap China-made bow saw seems to outlast any cheap America-made bow saw blades.
In all honesty, this durable bow saw is well worth the price. If you are someone who is worried about the quality and durability of this saw, you can spend the extra money for a nicer one. Despite its flaws, this is the best bow saw on a tight budget. You really can’t make any complaints about what this bow saw has to offer.
Summary
This Fiskars Bow Saw offers some great durability and cutting power for its low price point, but it fails to offer some features that make bow saws a joy to use. For example, a more comfortable handle and a more versatile tension system would be nice.
We do enjoy the larger blade length of 21-inches that makes this saw more usable for a large variety of uses. Overall, this is a great budget bow saw.
#5 – Outdoor Edge PS-100 Pak-Saw
The Outdoor Edge PS-100 Pak-Saw is a versatile 3-blade tool for any and all take-down or wood cutting needs.
Features
- Compact and lightweight and sturdy construction
- Three interchangeable blades, one each for wood, metal, and bone
- Length 12.0 inches / 30.5 centimeters
- Handle Nylon glass polymer and steel tubing
- Weight 14.0 ounces / 400 grams
Review
This compact bow saw is easy to assemble and store when needed making it a perfect carry along for emergency situations that may arise. It is also a great tool for use on any odd jobs that you may need it for when camping, hunting, or hiking.
Everyone who sees these awesome versatile 3-blade tools instantly wants one of their own. For a compact, durable, and versatile tool that is easy to store when traveling, this tool is nearly impossible to beat, but if you want a tool that is going to be primarily used in one place, there are other great options available.
This 3-blade bow saw is flawlessly designed. It is lightweight enough to carry on backpacking and hiking trips, weighing in at around 14 ounces. It is also rigid to handle harsh use. Once the tool is inside its compact carrying case, it takes up a minimal amount of space, even with the two extra blades.
The tool itself is comfortable to hold compared to traditional knife handles and is much more effective as well. The 12-inch blade requires short strokes on larger logs, so it might take awhile to chop these, but the tool is best used for smaller tasks such as getting smaller pieces of firewood cut to size.
Summary
This bow saw is priced at a low price and offers the greatest portability and versatility out of all the bow saws we have reviewed thus far. This 3-blade tool is the perfect piece of equipment to bring on any outdoor trip for use on an infinite number of tasks.
It is perfect for survival situations and odd tasks around the campsite, but where this saw truly shines is in its great portability making it easy to store virtually anywhere for later use when needed. Overall, this is one of the best bow saws on the market right now.
