Prazi beam cutter? Circular saw chain bar attachment

[Yarome]

Does anyone own or tried one of these? Having an electric option for small jobs is rather intriguing.

12" Beam Cutter - Model PR-2700

Convert Your Circular Saw into a Versatile, Labor Saving, Beam Cutter.

www.praziusa.com

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[Nosferatu]

I have the Harbor Freight version on one of my DeWalts.

Works great for ripping pine logs after skinning a flat side with the Alaskan Sawmill.

 

[Yarome]

I have the Harbor Freight version on one of my DeWalts.

Works great for ripping pine logs after skinning a flat side with the Alaskan Sawmill.

Do you get enough power out of it to limit kickback? I guess I'm concerned about potential damage to my circular saw.. like a bent shaft or something... or the mounting bracket is substantial enough to prevent that?

You're using that Hercules one? 80 bones is pretty attractive too.
Replacement chains seem pretty reasonable, too.

 

[Benchrest]

Yeah, I wouldn't use a sidewinder, use a worm-drive.

Safer than a Bigfoot?

 

[Nosferatu]

Do you get enough power out of it to limit kickback? I guess I'm concerned about potential damage to my circular saw.. like a bent shaft or something... or the mounting bracket is substantial enough to prevent that?

You're using that Hercules one? 80 bones is pretty attractive too.
Replacement chains seem pretty reasonable, too.

I use it on one of my Dewalt 20v circular saws. It's no speed demon, which is actually a good thing. It forces you to be mindful of your cuts. I changed the chain with a skip-tooth for rip cutting, but also works find for cross cuts. Most my logs at that point are well under 12", so the nose comes nowhere near the cut. This feels a lot safer than using the Alaskan mill. simply because it's easy to keep the shoe against the log.

One of the reasons I wanted to try this was to reduce kickback. I do have plenty of experience running a chainsaw, but it still scares the sh!t out of me when ding rip cuts, even with the proper chains. This allows me to do one rip cut with the chainsaw, then finish the log with the DW/HF combo.

I've not cut a TON of stuff with this thing, maybe about a half-dozen 9' logs with it, but so far, I'm not dead. I just got it last summer.

 

[Yarome]

Yeah, I wouldn't use a sidewinder, use a worm-drive.

Safer than a Bigfoot?

Mine is a worm-drive, but the bigfoot adapter only gives you a 10-1/4" circular blade.

 

[Nosferatu]

If you want the real deal, get one of these: https://www.skil.com/wormdrive-carpenty-chainsaw-spt55-11/

 

[Benchrest]

Mine is a worm-drive, but the bigfoot adapter only gives you a 10-1/4" circular blade.

Got it, but I was talking about the Big Foot brand https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000224S...?aaxitk=5c01d04c1e9424430d4c49c64ddf99dd&th=1

 

[monkeybutler]

Do you get enough power out of it to limit kickback? I guess I'm concerned about potential damage to my circular saw.. like a bent shaft or something...

I as well try avoid a bent shaft.

 

[gmerkt]

Interesting stuff, home milling with a chain saw all new to me. I've used my chain saws for decades but only for on-property tree work. I've had a couple of close calls; you are wise to keep your fear of them. When stuff happens with a chain saw, it happens in a hurry.

 

[The Heretic]

Nope - I just use my chainsaw.

I don't mill cut and I don't rip cut anything (except the rare circumstance when I can't split a round because it is too hard/knotty - or I am cutting into a stump, which I would not use this for anyway). If I use the chainsaw to cut a post/beam, I am not doing a rip cut and generally do not care about a clean cut.

 

[dangerranger60]

If you want the real deal, get one of these: https://www.skil.com/wormdrive-carpenty-chainsaw-spt55-11/

I have the older version without any chain guards And used it a lot. I never thought to use it as a mill. it takes a lot of power to run it so I would think it would be a battery hog on a cordless tool. Mine has a 10 and 16" bar. I doubt a direct drive saw could run the larger bar for very long. but the worm drive has been up to it. I used it with a Honda 2500Watt generator that had trouble starting the saw but a 3000 watt would do OK. DR

 

[Nosferatu]

I have the older version without any chain guards And used it a lot. I never thought to use it as a mill. it takes a lot of power to run it so I would think it would be a battery hog on a cordless tool. Mine has a 10 and 16" bar. I doubt a direct drive saw could run the larger bar for very long. but the worm drive has been up to it. I used it with a Honda 2500Watt generator that had trouble starting the saw but a 3000 watt would do OK. DR

I can get through a 16" starting diameter by 9' long log on a single 5ah battery, depending on how many cuts.

I'm using it to break down to roughly ~1.25" thick boards that will then be run on the table saw to width and , planed to final thickness. Most of what I'm drying right now will become tongue-and-groove for the interior of the cabin I'm also building.

It's not ideal by any means and a production shop would laugh at me. But working by myself, on my very remote property without shore power or an expensive bandsaw mill, it works fine. I'm in no rush.

I also just like to try bubblegum just to see how it works. Some ideas work out, others don't.