Bucking spikes - necessity?

[joecool85]

I was wondering how you guys feel about bucking spikes or dogs, are they really that important? Just for big saws?

I really only have experience running little poulans (2375, 2250) and an electric saw, none of which had spikes. Nothing larger than an 18" bar, and no more than 42cc. I was fine without them, but I was wondering if they would make any difference.

 

[Cut4fun]

I believe as a homeowner sawer a SHARP chain is more important. I pull the dawgs off all my saws, even when running the big bars and big saws. I let the chains work.

 

[andrewspens]

Uh oh

Here we go, getting ready for another eastern US versus west coast fight. The saw manufacturers put the spikes on for a reason. Do you remove the front bumper from your car and let the brakes do their job?

Everybody get ready, this will turn into another long thread once again dominated by us guys from the PNW.

 

[heimannm]

They are also referred to as felling spikes, and they do come in handy when cutting the notch and back cut when felling. I can't imagine trying to muscle a 24" bar in the horizontal position when felling without the spikes.

I added the cheap stamped ones to my 2050 just to help protect the saw when banging into logs while cuting. I only cut firewood but sometimes at the end of the day I don't care to stop and change or sharpen a chain so the extra leverage does come in handy on the 621 or 036M. Not really necessary on the 2050 as it just does not have the omph to really make it go that hard.

 

[joecool85]

They are also referred to as felling spikes, and they do come in handy when cutting the notch and back cut when felling. I can't imagine trying to muscle a 24" bar in the horizontal position when felling without the spikes.

I added the cheap stamped ones to my 2050 just to help protect the saw when banging into logs while cuting. I only cut firewood but sometimes at the end of the day I don't care to stop and change or sharpen a chain so the extra leverage does come in handy on the 621 or 036M. Not really necessary on the 2050 as it just does not have the omph to really make it go that hard.

Yeah, those cheap poulan ones are $4 a piece, so I was thinking about adding them to the 2375 and craftsman project saw (2250).

 

[Griffbm3]

Uh-Oh is right...

Here we go, getting ready for another eastern US versus west coast fight. The saw manufacturers put the spikes on for a reason. Do you remove the front bumper from your car and let the brakes do their job?

Everybody get ready, this will turn into another long thread once again dominated by us guys from the PNW.

Yes. As a matter of fact, here on the East Coast we trust each other to stop so much that we don't wear our seatbelts and we disable our airbags. Must be an East Coast thing. As a side note, I never thought it would make a difference having double spikes, but it does. I agree though about the smaller saws, it actually encourages "overuse" on the clutch I think... But the bigger saws don't seem to have a problem.

Jason (on the East coast)

 

[OilHead]

If the chain grabs & slams the log into the front of the case & puts a hole in it then you might wish you had them on it. It also provides a certan amount of clearance for chip build up. Around here the 200T is the go to saw for a majority of the work performed they come with 1 small spike.

 

[wood4heat]

I believe as a homeowner sawer a SHARP chain is more important. I pull the dawgs off all my saws, even when running the big bars and big saws. I let the chains work.

What purpose does pulling them off serve?

 

[SawTroll]

I mostly remove them on my saws, to give the bar a little more effective cutting length.

 

[Pablo26]

What purpose does pulling them off serve?

I think in racing applications you may loose a split sec by having to re-position the dawg? (just a guess)

 

[Spotted Owl]

They are also referred to as felling spikes, and they do come in handy when cutting the notch and back cut when felling. I can't imagine trying to muscle a 24" bar in the horizontal position when felling without the spikes.

24" nothin try lettin a 50+ work all alone with no dogs/dawgs. Them teeth they put on the saws are there for a reason. Saftey is one that comes to mind. Can you imagine how whipped by the end of the day you would be with out them, if you even made it to the end of the day. How sloppy and poor would you habbits become if you were hammered after the first few trees of the day? Even bucking they save a tremendous amount of wear on your body. It may no seem like much but some leverage can do wonderous things. Also using them PROPERLY will save alot of wear on the saw aswell.

Ever heard this one, give me a lever and I can move the world. Well give me appropriate sized dogs for the work and saw, and I can cut all day and so can the saw.

If you need bar length get a longer bar or bigger saw :greenchainsaw: .



Owl

 

[joecool85]

So, owl, would you say it matters on a 40cc saw?

 

[GASoline71]

Don't even bother with them if you don't know how to use them... seriously.

They will only cause you to learn bad habits.

Gary

 

[Matildasmate]

Saw spike's

Yes Gentlemen I agree the saw spike's are there for a reason , mainly for felling , other than that , only other use is stop your saw bashing against the log and eventualy damaging the saw , on the small saw's that don't have them , they are not important , they are to guttless to do any real damage to the saw . Cheer's MM

 

[SawTroll]

Don't even bother with them if you don't know how to use them... seriously.

They will only cause you to learn bad habits.

Gary

Right, again - ultimately I guess we don't quite agree - but I agree with that take on it....

..don't use dawgs, unless you know exactly why you use them.....

 

[pgg]

The smaller saws, say 60cc or under, 18" bars or less, dogs aren't necessary at all. They come in handy on the bigger saws, the dogs support the extra weight and the bigger saws have the grunt for easy levering. The hassle with dogs they always eventually catch and rip your expensive chaps, specially your left thigh if right handed, and even worse on the right thigh if a lefty, they also tend to scratch, damage, puncture various pieces of equipment, containers, other chainsaws etc... on 70cc or under saws I always unbolt and ditch them

 

[Austin1]

I thought they were to make the saw look cool:greenchainsaw:
There is a reason why smaller Jreds Come with both a bumper and Bucking spikes . Different needs for different folks.

 

[Slamm]

I like the dogs, I never liked that my 361 just has the one on the left so I got that roller kit and now I have dogs on both sides. I use them when boring a tree, bucking one up and even when limbing larger limbs with 361, 660 and 084 sized saws.

I agree with the previous post, that if you need more bar length get a longer bar.

I know here in the midwest we don't need those really big dogs, but normal sized dogs are a real asset around here, in my opinion.

I guess, it is possible to cut wood without dogs on a saw and I'm sure it would work, to some degree, but then it is possible to cut wood without the automatic oiler and just drip oil from a can onto the chain, but why would you want to????

Dogs on a saw are an obvious asset, but if you are too dumb to know how to use them, when to use them or why to use them, you probably shouldn't be operating a chainsaw to begin with, LOL.

My opinion,

Sam

 

[Dadatwins]

I can't imagine using a larger saw without the bucking spikes on it. Think they save a ton of work making the saw easier to set, pivot, ect. On a small saw, not that critical but still useful, on a medium to large saw I always use them. As for getting more bar length, well never mind.

 

[Cedarkerf]

Pulling them off for more effective bar length trees must be even smaller than I thought. PNW long bars big dawgs thats how we cut. To bad its all so confusing to the rest of the world.