hallo everyone, I am new here and looking for informations about Bowbars

[woodstihl]

hallo, hopefully my english is sufficent - I am new here in this arborist forum.
I am from germany (from the center -between Kassel an Göttingen)
I am Pruning trees und cutting trees mostly by treeclimbing
my best instrument therefor (at the moment) is a stihl 200 t
I am a member of a german motorsawforum aswell.
every now and then is coming up a question about bowbars.
in germany those are normaly kompletly unknown.
I just tried some hours to get some informations - but I was not really sucessful.
so: in the meantime I found one Company ??? Davenport in Oregon and send them a mail (still unanswered)
I wonder if this is the only one in the US ore Canada ?
are they not commen at yours in forest work ( not any more alloud ???)
the normal bar is much mor better ?
who is still using bowbars at normal work?
what a lot of Questions and no structur - hhhhm - sorry

i forgot - most of my saws are stihls from 200 t, 025, 029,032,440 and since some weeks an old 42special husqvarna and a new 353
so long for the moment - greetings from the other site of the ocean
Johannes ( for english speeking people) you may call me John

 

[stihl sawing]

You need to look up the member Mr Bow Saw. He can help you with anything.

 

[carym2a]

I know years ago the cutting crews in these parts (north west oregon)tried to use them as brushing saws but junked all of them because of injuries and deaths , brush gets inside the bowbar and the OP can get in to trouble.

Welcome to the site

 

[Mr. Bow Saw]

You need to look up the member Mr Bow Saw. He can help you with anything.

I sent him a PM.

 

[stihl sawing]

I sent him a PM.

:msp_thumbsup:

 

[Tzed250]

Start here:

History of the Bow Chain Saw, the Pulpwood Saw.
by Tom Hawkins & Sons

The begining's of the modern day bow type chain saw can be directly traced back to the the orginal intended use of such a saw, back when it was first invented. The first bow shaped chain saw, appears to be the 1916 Swedish made Sector. But it and several other bow shaped saws that followed, were just that, bow shaped, but not a bow saw.
The bow saw as we refer to it here, was intended mainly for the purpose of a repetitive bucking situation. The term "bucking" is the process of cutting a log into sections, short or long pieces. Bow saws were designed mostly for the harvesting of pulpwood, used for the making of paper, usually cut into 4ft. lengths. The paper industry was huge and required large amounts of wood to make paper pulp. Paper mills provided many a woodsman the opportunity to earn a living by cutting pulpwood. The bow type chain saws have a bar that will not bind or pinch in the cut (kerf), it's a saw that was purposely designed to be pinchless. Those early bow "shaped" chain saws such as the Sector were never designed or intended for this purpose, and therefore are not true bow saws, in our opinion.

Poulan's creation of the bow bar during WWII is considered the start of the modern day bow type chain saw. The company's history tells a colorful story about how Poulan formed his first working bow bar attachment from an old discarded truck fender. Poulan purposely designed this attachments cutter bar with a downward bow so that it would protrude all the way to the bottom of the log during a cut. He also made the bar thin and narrow to prevent pinching and binding. Poulan began selling his bow saw attachments, which he called "Speed Saw" attachments, in 1946. Poulan also began working on a prototype for a complete chain saw of his own, and by mid 1948 the Poulan model 2400 was being offered throughout the south.

The first Poulan chain saws, seem to have had a very low total production, we find several factors that could explain why.
1: Poulan's capital was limited and it slowed the start-up of a full and complete production line, before 1950
2: The model:2400 saw itself was not at all the best, it was big and bulky, making it hard to use and move though the woods.
3: Southern loggers of the time seem to have prefered the larger push type circular saws mounted on wheels, that is until the one man type bow saw models came along.

The first bow type chain saw to have a major impact on the saw market was made in the target rich environment of Quebec, Canada, a large pulpwood producing area. From there it expanded sales by moving down through the pulpwood areas of New England, and beyond. The 1946 Precision saw, was the first one-man gasoline bow saw in the world. It was a 3.5 hp machine that offered three different bow lengths, it was quickly dubbed "The King of the Woods", because it was fairly light and easy to use.

The Precision chain saw was sold by the thousands, and this caught the attention of other manufacturers.


Mall took the next step in the evolution of the bow saw in 1947, when they produced the first one piece (full loop) bow saw. However the importance of this design would not became apparent until years later.

Disston entered the bow saw market in 1948 with the introduction of it's one-man modelO-100 chain saw, which offered an optional 14" (staddle chain) bow bar. This is believe to be the only staddle type bow ever marketed by any manufacturer. It cut a much wider kerf and therefore was soon abandoned in favor of a standard style chain.

 

[woodstihl]

thanks at all

hallo - at the moment I still struggeling with the forum magnaning ( :help: to find your awnsers)
I am sure - I will get it ( some how - some time)
Thanks for Mr. bowsaw - just this titel of the development of the bowsaw - I found in the net and therefore I found this forum.
Thanks anyway - including the ebay - announcement (right ?) but I am actuly looking for people, craftsmen, small companies which are still producing these bowbars ????????
the most used motorsaws here are stihl, husqvarna, dollmar, solo and a lot of cheaper labels
not each bar fits and ist changeable (ok ok ) but how would it be possible to find bowbars which fits to this or that typ (or label) of saw.
(sorry my schooltime english is quite a time ago - so please wrong writen words - please keep them - dont send them back :msp_rolleyes
and when some body here got at least a fitting bow bar for his saw
what is about the chain ? normal 325` / or 3/8 / or 404` ??????
those chains at the pictures looking quite a little higher ( might be wrong)
greetings from wet and raining germany

 

[woodstihl]

so - nobody knows ?????? help please

so - know now
1.those bars were still produced
2.those bars fitting even at nearly every wellknown saw
3.there are different typs of bow bars for different purpose

but Who IS PRODUCING them ??????
where can I order those bars ???
greetings from germany John

 

[fearofpavement]

Bow bars, with rare exceptions, are no longer being produced. Lots of used ones around. The pulpwood industry generally uses mechanical harvesters now so bow bars don't have the market they used to. In general, they are not all that good for firewood use since they have limitations for limbing.

If for some reason you are looking for a bow bar for a particular saw, post in the swap thread or on the classified section and probably someone will have what you need.

I get one through once in a while but never keep them as I just don't see an application for my purposes. I actually have one in the shop now but not even sure what it fits (yet).

 

[heimannm]

Have a look at [email protected], I found that by searching "chainsaw bow bar".

Mark

 

[woodstihl]

thanks a lot for this explanation

Bow bars, with rare exceptions, are no longer being produced. Lots of used ones around. The pulpwood industry generally uses mechanical harvesters now so bow bars don't have the market they used to.

In general, they are not all that good for firewood use since they have limitations for limbing.
specialy this i dont understand because do not know the limitation you have got

If for some reason you are looking for a bow bar for a particular saw, post in the swap thread or on the classified section and probably someone will have what you need.

I get one through once in a while but never keep them as I just don't see an application for my purposes. I actually have one in the shop now but not even sure what it fits (yet).

I will try - as far as possible - the bow bars "situation" and tell it to the folk`s at the forum here.
I suppose some of them still would like to beautify a saw by fitting a bow bar. so we will see
thank you anyhow - because now it is an other situation like I thaught
greetings from germany John

 

[woodstihl]

thanks for this adress

Have a look at [email protected], I found that by searching "chainsaw bow bar".

Mark

even I found this adress - but dont know whether this company is still existing. I found the other day some e b ay sellings from last summer and there the seller told, by it soon - those are the last ones
until to day they did not answer my mail -
greetings from germany John