Amazing What Was Sold 50 Years Ago

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

I picked up a package of Simplicity Walk Behind equipment. Included were a nicely restored cultivator, a Brinly plow, and what I believe to be a Sears or Bolens snowthrower for a ride-on tractor. What I mainly was after, besides the tractor that has a reverse gear, was the 20" Brush and Log Saw. The tractor is a 1962 Model W which was the last in the line of models. It is equipped with a Briggs Model 19 7 1/4 hp engine. At the end in 1968 for walk behinds, the horsepower was bumped to 8 hp.

 

The saw is what intrigued me. I will never use it as it is extremely dangerous. The user was to stand directly in front and feed logs into it with the cradle. I have checked the teeth for cracks and have not found any - but there are stories of them flying off like a bullet! It certainly is a conversation piece. It was also intended to be used horizontally to cut through "weed trees" close to the ground.

 

[AMC RULES 37,127]

​   Looks to be one serious weed wacker you got there John.   

[Geno 1,929]

I like that saw!  That is a man Saw!  I want it!  

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

Check the catalog page out. What is in that pipe???

 

 

Edited October 26, 2014 by shallowwatersailor

[AMC RULES 37,127]

They were probably clear cutting the high country...

that pipe has gotta be full of weed.    

Edited October 26, 2014 by AMC RULES

[smoreau 658]

So that's why i see so many old timers missing a digit .wacky tabacky

Edited October 27, 2014 by smoreau

[Ed Kennell 38,015]

Nice haul John, but please.  ..don't ever try to use it.   I can only imagine the possible results of trying to cut down a standing tree.

Where would OSHA begin to write the safety procedure..  ..Install  four kill switches maybe ..one attached to  every limb.

[CasualObserver 3,408]

That's a great find, and getting the firewood cutting  tilt frame is a real bonus. You just don't see that very often.  It's quite amazing what modern technology has taken us too. Maybe if we had a little less safety regs, the younger generation would have a greater respect for their tools!

 

That old saw definitely wouldn't do this!

[wh500special 2,160]

Whoa, Jason! You're liable to stir a hornet's nest with that Saw Stop video...

I've never seen another product with such a love/hate response.

[Don1977 604]

Those teeth are not the ones that are noted for flying off. They are the carbide insert teeth on newer saw mills. I was measuring up a saw mill in South Carolina that was computer controlled. It had conveyors running ever where and saws running with out an operator in site. I had this know-it-all guy with me. He had climbed up on the fence next to a saw, leaned out over the saw watching it run. He look up at the tin roof over the saw and asked the 3/4" x 1 1/4" holes in the roof and asked what made those holes. You should have seen him come off that fence when I told him the teeth coming off that saw.

What I see dangerous about that set up is most cut off saws have a wood bottom and back that you can slide the wood over with out having to pick it up. That set up is too narrow for good support on the wood being sawn.

Teeth can come off any saw with nails and other objects in trees.

[shallowwatersailor 3,213]

Thanks for the vote of confidence regarding the teeth. Once attached to the tractor it is quite stable. I have seen a video of two people standing to either side and feeding the limb in. It actually refers to cordwood in the literature implying smaller diameter pieces. I would just as soon use a chainsaw and a log jack. I had one from TSC, and last year bought one from Wood Chuck Tools. I am very impressed with their "Timber Jack" and recommend it over others.

 

I also misidentified the tractor. I thought it was a Simplicity W until I cleaned the dirt and grease off of it. It is actually a Montgomery Ward Power Trac - by Simplicity.

 

[Ken B 3,164]

That's a great find, and getting the firewood cutting  tilt frame is a real bonus. You just don't see that very often.  It's quite amazing what modern technology has taken us too. Maybe if we had a little less safety regs, the younger generation would have a greater respect for their tools!

 

That old saw definitely wouldn't do this!

I have a Saw Stop in my shop. A few yrs. ago one of the guys I worked with nearly lost four of his fingers.. I told him twice that he was running the wood thru way too fast and that he was getting WAY too close to the blade with his hand and fingers. What happened next was the probably the worst thing I've had to witness thus far in all of my 46 yrs. Four fingers all cut more than half way off. John had many yrs. of experience but he was having a bad day and it just got MUCH worse. He was out of work for 8 months and to this day he can barely move his fingers. His hand is always cold and he can barely hold onto things. he has since retired and he is only 57 yrs. old. A few weeks after his accident we bought the Saw Stop. If my memory is correct I believe it cost 6 grand. (Personally, I miss the old Delta) Anyone that intentionally puts their fingers into a Saw Stop is a MORON. I use the table saw on a daily basis,, I treat it like a regular saw, I don't rush anything when I'm using it no matter how much work they feel like dumping on me. There were three guys in my shop, now it's just me. Last week while I was in the middle of cutting a full sheet of plywood someone came up behind me and tapped me pretty hard on my shoulder to get my attention.. When I didn't stop what I was doing he did it again. REALLY? When I was finished I shut the saw off, turned around and before he said a word I calmly told him to get the hell out of my shop and that he is lucky I don't knock him out. I could care a less if he is a manager or not, ain't my boss... The big emergency? He needed an extension cord.

[Navig8r 132]

I have a Saw Stop in my shop. A few yrs. ago one of the guys I worked with nearly lost four of his fingers.. I told him twice that he was running the wood thru way too fast and that he was getting WAY too close to the blade with his hand and fingers. What happened next was the probably the worst thing I've had to witness thus far in all of my 46 yrs. Four fingers all cut more than half way off. John had many yrs. of experience but he was having a bad day and it just got MUCH worse. He was out of work for 8 months and to this day he can barely move his fingers. His hand is always cold and he can barely hold onto things. he has since retired and he is only 57 yrs. old. A few weeks after his accident we bought the Saw Stop. If my memory is correct I believe it cost 6 grand. (Personally, I miss the old Delta) Anyone that intentionally puts their fingers into a Saw Stop is a MORON. I use the table saw on a daily basis,, I treat it like a regular saw, I don't rush anything when I'm using it no matter how much work they feel like dumping on me. There were three guys in my shop, now it's just me. Last week while I was in the middle of cutting a full sheet of plywood someone came up behind me and tapped me pretty hard on my shoulder to get my attention.. When I didn't stop what I was doing he did it again. REALLY? When I was finished I shut the saw off, turned around and before he said a word I calmly told him to get the hell out of my shop and that he is lucky I don't knock him out. I could care a less if he is a manager or not, ain't my boss... The big emergency? He needed an extension cord.

Shoulda grabbed his hand, and tested the SawStop!

[RMCIII 838]

Personally, I think they are a great device. Not that anyone should rely on them as a fail safe method to not lose a finger. But I think they should expand that to band saws, routers, miters, ect. The slow motion video of how the stop actually works is amazing...

 

Rob

[Ken B 3,164]

When the Saw Stop was first purchased we did test it... The owner of my company had me order a few extra brake cartridge's when ordering the new saw. It does ruin the blade as well but a small price too pay I suppose... He wanted to see it work. So off I went to purchase hot dog's. It did work as advertised... Our building was surprise safety inspected the other day by the safety advisor's of our parent company Knoll Furniture. I have a few VERY minor things to take care of thruout the building but my shop passed with flying color's. These guys are aware of what I do and they couldn't believe it is just me... My shop can get a little cluttered but every Monday morning the first thing I do is CLEAN THE SHOP!