From yearly trips to the Christmas tree yard, to clearing shrubs on your property, to handling jobs on construction sites, bow saws make fast and easy work of tough projects. Designed to cut straight and fast when powered by a healthy dose of elbow grease, bow saws are a must-have item for any garden or tool shed.
While there are many expensive electric saws available that can quickly cut through wood and bushes, they often come with a big price tag, additional features you don’t need and require a close power source. We love keeping bow saws on hand at home, in the garden, at construction sites, and when exploring the great outdoors because of their portability and low energy requirements. You never have to worry about a bow saw running out of juice in the middle of a job.
Bow saws are a must have item when spending time outdoors, whether hiking, fishing, camping or hunting. They can help collect firewood, cut dead branches for shelter, or break down fallen trees that may be blocking your path.
An essential tool for around the house, bow saws can be a great help in the garden to remove dead plants, bushes and trees, while also helping to clear brush around your property. Many home improvement and construction projects also require bow saws, which can quickly cut wood and boards.
If you’re ready to upgrade your tool shed, these are three bow saws we recommend to help get the job done.
1. Bahco 10-24-23 Bow Saw
Tough enough for daily professional use, the Bahco Bow Saw is a 24-inch hand saw that features an ergonomic handle.
Pros: The Bahco is specially designed for harsh environments like construction sites and wood mills. The ergonomically designed plastic handle includes a knuckle guard to help keep users safe. Bahco uses an innovative tension mechanism that creates high blade tension that results in straight cuts every time.
Cons: The Bahco has medium length teeth, which makes it better suited for green wood and not ideal for dry wood, although Bahco does sell a bow saw designed specifically for dry wood.
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2. Agawa Canyon BOREAL21 Folding Bow Saw
Lightweight, compact, and perfect for off-trail camping and hiking, the Agawa Canyon BOREAL21 is a folding bow saw that opens in seconds.
Pros: Ideal for casual use and designed to be easily transported with camping, hiking, or fishing gear, the Agawa Canyon quickly unfolds and snaps into position, enabling users to start sawing in seconds. The saw features automatic blade tensioning, so users will never need to touch the blade, and cut lines will always be straight. The high clearance aluminum frame allows users to take on large pieces of wood, perfect for clearing paths when outdoors. Durable enough to last for years, the Agawa also has enough room to store an extra blade inside when not in use.
Cons: Unlike the Bahco, the Agawa does not have an ergonomic handle with a knuckle guard, making it difficult to cut quickly. At 21 inches, the Agawa has a shorter clearance than the Bahco.
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3. Truper Steel Handle Bow Saw
Using a Cam-lever tension to keep the blade tight at all times, the Truper Steel Handle Bow Saw can handle tough jobs.
Pros: The Truper is an ideal bow saw for garden and home use, with the Cam-lever ensuring the blade is always kept at high tension. We like that the Truper has a plastic handle with a knuckle guard, which makes it comfortable to use. Truper recommends cleaning the blade with oil after each year to maintain its sharpness.
Cons: Although the Truper has a similar handle style to the Bacho, which makes it better for large scale jobs, the 21-inch clearance means the Bacho can still handle more substantial cuts.
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