Dragsaw

**Oldneweng** · 7th August 2011, 01:36 PM

In years past I had heard many stories about widow maker saws and drag saws. My neighbour still uses a widow maker. I have been looking into drag saws and have not been able to find any reference on the forum and google only seems to show antique pictures. My problem may be just finding the right name. What I am talking about is basically a crosscut saw connected to a reciprocating mechanism. The blade is a bit thicker than a crosscut tho and I would braze HSS cutting tips on.

A friend told me about a widow maker he and some mates built with a 4ft blade powered by a holden six motor. Scary stuff. I am interested in looking at the feasibility of a drag saw. Just a thought at the moment. From the lack of info about them I would guess they are not much used and there would be reasons for that.

I would be interested to hear of any experiences with these.

Dean

**Aerenandmel** · 7th August 2011, 03:38 PM

Hargan saw, I near brought one but was told by a good freind that it will get me sooner or later and I chickened out

Attachment 178356

**eli szoko** · 7th August 2011, 04:57 PM

Have herd they are elegal to use and for a good reason.Me mate had one,home made,vdub moter and spindel swug seperately by hand and howl thing ran over log on the grownd.Not verey acurate and dangerous

.He called it a swing saw but I how what a real swing saw looks like.

**tlbsg** · 7th August 2011, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by eli szoko

Have herd they are elegal to use and for a good reason.Me mate had one,home made,vdub moter and spindel swug seperately by hand and howl thing ran over log on the grownd.Not verey acurate and dangerous

.He called it a swing saw but I how what a real swing saw looks like.

that is a picture of a swing saw the blade and head swing 90

**Aerenandmel** · 7th August 2011, 05:31 PM

My neibour tells me that a lot of years ago he seen one grab while cutting and it flipped upside down near getting the driver...

**eli szoko** · 7th August 2011, 05:52 PM

I see

,how long could it cut?

**Stopper** · 7th August 2011, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by tlbsg

that is a picture of a swing saw the blade and head swing 90

Eli is correct. The original swing saw has the vdub motor at the rear and the operater stands at the front and walks backwards as he raises the saw in and out of the log. It gets its name from this sawing action. The vdub motor is a perfect counterbalance to the saw and it swings up and down like a seesaw when cutting. They were and still are used to breakdown logs before putting them over a bench. The head is fixed and only cuts vertically.
The hargon saw pictured does have a head that swivels to 90degrees and is like the mobilco saw in that you walk behind it rather than stand in front of it. Some may have called it a swing saw but not in this neck of the woods. It's always been a hargon saw.

cheers
Steve

**Stopper** · 7th August 2011, 07:21 PM

Much of the dangerous reputation came from the swing saw pictured. This cut is almost finished and the operator is walking backwards with saw cutting toward him. The vdub motor is not visible at the rear.

Sorry for hijacking but at least you can rule this one out as not being a drag saw.

**Oldneweng** · 7th August 2011, 09:19 PM

7 replies. Great. Should be some good information. Sigh. Maybe next time.

A swing saw is what these are called here too. I couldn't remember the name. Widow maker is another name for obvious reasons. I should point out that I have no interest at all in swing saws. I am not that crazy.

Attachment 178442
This is an antique version.

So now we have got that sorted can anyone shed any light on drag saws?

Dean

**BobL** · 8th August 2011, 07:40 AM

My Dad used a drag saw and widow makers in the 1950s but when reliable chains saws became available they never bothered with either of those after then.

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