Two very different power tools, but which would you choose for cutting up pallets?
For years I have borrowed off friends but am starting to feel guilty! I get free pallets from deliveries at work and I cut them up for kindling. The circular saw is a more useful tool, especially for rough hewn timber, but is considerably more expensive.
Screwfix have both Erbauer & Evolution circular saws around the £100 mark, Bosch & DeWalt being more expensive as one would imagine.
Thoughts and suggestions please.
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For cutting up pallets?
Chain saw. But a jig saw is certainly the wrong tool for that job,
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For cutting up pallets ? A cheap second hand chain saw..
And eye guards cos there are lots of nails in pallets...
You will eventually kill whichever saw you use by hitting nails..
(I break them up to make bee hives -- the wood is too valuable to me to burn!)
Last edited by: madf on Tue 8 Jan 13 at 17:10
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You can whack pallets apart with the back of a maul or axe.
It would be insane to use a jigsaw for something like that. They are for fine work, not rough big-bite stuff.
Sheesh as Humph would say...
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Circular saw is a very good tool if used intelligently. But a dangerous and powerful one that requires forethought, intelligence and discipline, no kidding. Thing like that can take fingers off or sever a main artery in the twinkling of an eye. But it can make a dead straight clean cut through anything if used properly.
Get a fairly big and powerful one able to cut through 2 inches or so. Don't remove the safety guards. Don't let children or idiots play with it.
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Take them round to the local karate club.
:-)
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Or kung fu. Along with any roof tiles you want nutted to smithereens with the Shanghai Kiss...
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old chain saw & goggles.
And shin guards!
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Why use a power saw?
A 24inch Sandvik bow saw will do the job. Cheaper, safer and it will keep you warm
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Jigsaw wrong tool. Chainsaw over the top and too much risk vs reward. Bowsaw a bit unbalanced & floppy for small bits of wood like pallets. Circular saw the best power tool if you seek noise and dust, best to get one with a nail cutting blade when operating with used wood.
But best of all is a sharp quality handsaw with a med/coarse blade. Something like this...
www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-fatmax-heavy-duty-saw-22/23343#
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what about a recipricating saw...takes the elbow grease out of the equation
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One of these?
tinyurl.com/abltlf8
Circular saw is almost as bad as a chain saw.
More control with reciprocating one.
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Thanks for all your replies.
I have a chain saw but it is OTT for the job.
As everyone agreed, a jigsaw is not the best of options!
I used to borrow a friends Bosch circular saw but it is heavy, although makes quick work of 6 pallets. I then use a chop saw to cut the disassembled pallet lengths into kindling, which I distribute amongst various needy parties.
At the moment I use my Bahco 244 handsaw, but might treat myself to a new Stanley heavy duty saw. Cheapest option and most practical I think.
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I tend to agree about the jig saw, but they are the water pump pliers of woodcutting and my £20 one is much abused. Obviously best for wavy cuts on sheet material, but used for nearly everything that needs cutting in the annual pantomime set building fest.
I do use different blades - you can get longer big toothed jobs and also metal cutting ones.
I have some pallets outside that I'll just knock to bits with whatever blunt instrument comes to hand, saw up the slats with a handsaw and split them with an axe for the kindling though. Mine come from a local firm that sells office equipment. The chain saw is OTT and I try to keep mine away from the ground when cutting logs and away from any metal. Either of those means a new £14 chain in short order.
They make good big compost bins as well (pallets, not jig saws or chain saws).
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Jig saw or circular saw? - Zero
