Hand Saw vs Skill Saw - Speed Race 

stacking wood with a pickeroon vs. drinking lemonade while watching Jack stack wood.

my grand father went to japan in the 70's and bought upward of ten of these saws from an old craftsman on a street corner. best saws ive ever used.

I laughed so hard when he had to finish the skill saw cut with the saw he is trying to compare it to!

Weed-eater vs. Scythe

you know, i have to hand it to this guy, he managed to take literally the most boring shit in the universe; cutting wood with a saw, and make it even slightly interesting. good on you.

Hi Cody, could you do an update on your neighbors aquaponic build? I'd love to see the build and thought process as to why he chose to do some things a certain way. God bless

Skill vs Japane. Not sure where Japane is, but I'm not sure if it matters.

nail gun vs hammer. What do you think?

I would like to see an electric drill versus a hand drill. I think it would be very close in the times.

+Wranglerstar You rhetorically asked, "What did we learn here? Well, nothing." I beg to differ sir, Even when it's a large, daunting task, you can still do just as good if not better of a job with one good hand tool, rather than two modern one tools and still have to use the hand saw to finish the job!. So learn something, me, not really, I love my hand tools more than most of my power tools. However, you did prove that they are both comparable for doing the job right the first time. I applaud the awakening of our society to going back to our roots, and teaching a ton of good ol' homesteading. Thank you for all of the hard work that you do, and for sharing your time and experiences with us.

The was a stupid start. The race is how long they take to cut the wood, not you putting on gear and plugging stuff in

Did anyone see how he spelled Japan "japane" lol

my choice of "old v new" would be for wood splitting. Axe, vs Log Splitter.

With practice, you will be twice as fast at that with the japanese saw. It's almost excruciating to see you pushing with that saw. There should be no effort at all on the push stroke and you should really give it hell on each pull stroke. That way, it's faster and much, much less effort, as you're only applying energy for half the time.

I'm always so excited to see your videos. I set up a bunch of videos to play automatically on my TV and then I fell asleep after maybe the second video. Some time later I immediately woke up and felt excited. I had just been woken up by my favorite intro tune! WRANGLERSTAR! I'm so glad that I didn't miss it! haha

Thanks again for all the great videos. you have me with alot of projects and staying positive and on course with things in life.

You could tell he was hoggin that Japanese saw like a Western saw lol

Might I suggest a hand fretsaw vs electric jigsaw (I know you get electric frestaws too, but most home workshops have a frestaw and jigsaw). I would suggest that for accuracy, the fretsaw wins, for speed, the jigsaw wins, so your comparison would have to take both in to account. Perhaps creating profiles for skirting or complex joints would be reasonable scenario. There are some occasions where a hand finish is superior to a machine finish. French polishing for example. I also think I could outpace your skillsaw with a bowsaw, especially if the work piece was a few feet further away than your longest extension cord can reach.

The entertainment value of watching Cody get stressed/rushed doing something is just up the charts. Only because after watching a good number of videos I know he takes time to think things over, measures three times, dons a ton of safety gear then does what he is supposed to. Definitely a change in pace. I love that he featured that Japanese hand saw as I was curious about it from one of the other videos and look forward to more versus videos. I also like the point that he is driving at with using the old and new.

Happy Father's Day wranglerstar!!!!!

woodmizer vs. Alaskan chainsaw mill

"I got my tactical clogs on!"

When using hand saw, you should also apply some grease on the blade, else it will be difficult to move the same after some time. Also due to heat, the blade swells a bit and this will also make it difficult to move the same.

Mr Wranglerstar, I admire your channel, your encouragement, your wisdom and the general clean and respectful views. As to the saw, I have used the Japanese styled saws exclusively for years whenever I work with wood, and while I am no master, they are such a pleasure to use. I also take my time and don't make it a competition, knowing that slow and steady wins the race. Personally it makes me very happy to use those tools over the powered versions. Also, I find that when it is my muscle driving the cut, I measure much more carefully than if I was power sawing. That said, if I was to frame a house again, I'd use power all day long, as I just do not have the resilience my youthful self once possessed.

A grass whip vs a weed hacker would be interesting. Mrs. W might enjoy it :)

Another nice video I can share with my grandkids. You sure are a class act. Thanks for your videos........ GBYAY

I spent three years on Okinawa in the middle seventies, lived on the local economy for the first year...got a chance to watch a building go up. Bamboo scaffolding and all, they were quite impressive, especially liked to watch them use their pull-cut saws. Keep up the good works.

I haven't read all the comments (there are so many) so someone may have already brought this up but some of the difficulty you might be having is that you are using a Japanese saw with western saw technique. When using a western saw it helps if you position your body above the piece being cut because you are pushing which is easier to do in a downward motion. When using a Japanese saw it helps if you drop the handle so you are basically pulling down. This will help with the binding you experienced. Askwoodman has a couple of great videos on Japanese saws and goes a little more into technique than the Samurai Carpenter does. I subscribe to all three channels BTW and love what you are doing here on your channel. Keep up the good work, it's much appreciated.

This was a 'be as inefficent as possible with a power saw so that you can try and make old tools seem not as useless as they actually are'

I think you were trying to make the hand saw win by going a little slower with the skill lol

I'm curious to know what Mrs. W did before they decided to run a homestead - Cody made it sound pretty important

why after you drew the 4th line did you flip the board back to original side up? I have the model 77 & it's bigger brother which may have cut the board in 2 cuts but 4 cuts would cut it w/o getting the draw saw

Nice Princess Leia Cosplay at the end, Cody.

they work best together :)

Dude. You made my night with this video. Hoorah, Thank you.

I've slowly been reading your book since i got it for Christmas last year, really is very enjoyable to read and there's so many pictures! It's great! Wish i can get it signed though, maybe one day if i can ever go to the America from England and be there on the of chance you guys are hosting an event lol. Please keep doing what you're doing.

Sometimes Hand tools are faster and easier than power tools, WHY? well when you stopped you weren't done, to finish you need to put the tools away, wind up the cord stow away safety gear and put up saw, With Japanese saw when done, just set it in your tool box. My Dad was a very good carpenter and when air nailers first came out they tried to sell those to my dad, he said No thanks. One tool salesman made an offer that if he was faster than dad, would you BUY the rig, nailer, compressor, hoses, special nails. Well Dad was in a large subdivision south of Chicago and the sales man Had a tool customer across the street from dad's house. They got started in morning, dad and a helper and the sales man and a helper., Both teams shingling like mad. These houses were the size where it would take about a day to roof one.. The other team had their roof covered a few minutes before dad and they came over to the driveway of his project and said, "well we are done before you, what do ya think of that?" Dad looked at the salesman and smiled as he put his nail apron and tools in the truck, " Well I am finish, you still have to pick up your nailer and your compressor and power cords and hoses and I am going home for the night."

Cutting a rebate with your Stanley no 78 versus cutting one on the table saw

Great video. I am in my last few pages of the book and it is amazing. I love getting all the background of the journey your family has gone through. I am also watching all your videos from beginning to end. It really brings it all together with the book. I believe Mrs.W did the bulk of the writing for the book. I just wanted to say great job. Looking forward to seeing more speed races. maybe some friendly competition with Mrs. W and Jack as well. Love the channel, keep it up. Happy fathers day Cody.

Cody, I absolutely loved your guys book. It really shed light on your guys story and is a very enjoyable read. Thank you for sharing so much with us all. God bless you and the family.

That was way more intense than I thought it would be. My palms were sweating...

A scribing knife verses a pencil.

This reminds me of the old video you did of an electric drill versus the bit and brace. Good stuff!

Remote country living for 4 years now and we frequently reference your video. Thanks for sharing ... we've learned so much.

I REALLY REALLY want your shop :/ Even though I know thats wrong...

The idea with a Japanese saw is to pull DOWN when cutting timber. You used the saw across the wood like you use a European saw. This is totally the wrong way to use it. If you want to keep it straight, you need to cut one alternate sides which let you follow the lines correctly.

I finally ordered your [signed] book! I have been watching for almost a year, and watched many of your backlogged videos from before then. I like your mass appeal. You appeal to handy people, like myself, while also giving me a window to view the life of a prepared/independent family.

Loved the video, as always, but the message was what really hit me hard. My family is going through some major changes to get more out of life, not dissimilar from the life change you explained that you and Mrs. W went through. It is very scary, but your comments are truly helpful and comforting.

If that's a pull saw you were pulling it up the wood rather than pulling down into it .

scythe vs combine harvester

Just to tease you a bid. I loved the spelling on Japan "Japane" LOL just messing with you pal. Great video, I was laughing to tears!!

Just ordered my signed copy, so thankful I didn't miss out, Thank you as always sir

It's a Le Mans start, not a Monte Carlo start. lol

band saw vs hand saw. how clean is the cuts

I would really like to see a jigsaw and the necessary cleaning of that cut on a finished piece vs something old school, I'm not sure if it's a coping saw or how you would create a rounded corner or an ogee in a traditional way but I often get frustrated by the rough cut from a jigsaw and when the blade skews. I'm not an expert carpenter by any means but I expect would learn a lot from that video.

my old mans a carpenter and i grew up being taught both the new ways and the old ways. my dad grew up on a ranch in honduras and from his dad was taught to build via the old ways. i respect having the mindset to show and use both. it's what makes great craftsman. a true craftsman.

Did he spell Japan "Japane"? There is definitely an "E" on the end right? Not just me?

isn't it a la mans start?

Great audio on this one! The natural reverb that comes from having the mic some distance away from the mouth + the surroundings, makes it seem more natural.

the grain inside your cuts was gorgeous

Bruh, u spelled Japan wrong on the wood

ok lets see cut 200 on that house framing day. this looks like it would be a lot faster to drive a nail than air nail if I had to plug in the compressor and line every time and wait for the compressor to fill up.

One thing I have noticed in Japanese woodworking videos, is their extreme patience. They never rush on a cut, especially an important cut. I think their hand saws are incredible, and it's just a personal preference on how you want to use tools. Doug Fir imo is the hardest of the soft woods, and when very dry harder than some "hardwoods", at least on blades.

It's wrapped in bamboo strips Cody. Hmmm, I've never seen such fair race in my life, but then I haven't lived that long. However, I think it should have included a one hundred yard dash at the end. Btw, the Japanese saw is more for cutting mullions to make shoji screens than 6 X 6's LOL . Thanks that was fun.

to my knowledge he is not using the saw correctly, it's a pull saw not a push.

This is kind of bullshit.. The skill saw isn't designed to cut something that thick. Add another inch and the skill saw's cut time goes to infinite, as it's completely unable to cut it. That doesn't prove the hand saw is infinitely better, but you have the wrong tool for the job.

One of your best videos. ~John

glad to see the side by side. look up proper form on pull saws! both hands pulling at a 10 degree angle slightly down but mostly parallel to the deck.

The Japanese saw is better for your manliness.... also the dog is not good for your manliness.....

You might want to learn how to use a saw.

Hey Cody. I would like to see, on any of your tests, start to finish. In other words, to truly see if something is faster, you have to add in the time it takes to get the tools out, run the extension cords, perform the task, then put the tools away. Just to see the total time it takes. I think this test showed the hand saw would have been faster even if you took your time to make the cut square, compared to the SkilSaw, especially when you factor in the set up and clean up times. This was a fun video. I agree with another commenter, do a push vs pull saw comparison, either rip or cross cut.

I really enjoyed this video (really more than I can say). I purchased your book (sorry not the signed copy) from the link you provided. We've been talking about "getting out of the grind" for just over a year and I hope that as we read through your book we can finally decide whether this is really possible for us. I just wanted to tell you thank you for both.

that isnt the type of stuff you use a razorsaw for. They are used for small projects, and precise projects. It wasnt good for you, but put some time into it, and you would be amazing with the tool.

Technically the skill saw never finished the round, so it loses by default.

Splutter vs one of those nice fancy splitting mauls. Depending on cycle time of the splutter, I think could out split a splutter for a period of time, the real question is for how long can you keep up. Specially when getting up against a round with lots of twist and knots.

looks like great fun! Could I be mean and pick? On the hand saw front, I'm not sure if: a) the saw was large enough for the size of timber, and b) if you positioned yourself in the best way for this saw - to me it looked like you were using it like a traditional push saw. that's me picking. Love your channel, and wish you all the best!

I've used pull saws for years where I need a hand saw, use them for most everything from framing to dovetails and even have some I one for pruning. I don't use them where an electric saw will work better.

Yes I've ordered it lets hope this time it gets to the UK!

If you are doing multiple cuts, you wouldn't have to worry about plugging in the cord every time. Also, the more cuts you would do with the hand saw the more tired you would get, and the slower you would go. So, it might be pretty close when you are doing 1 cut, If you had to do... like a hundred cuts, it wouldn't even be close. Well, take it easy.

Happy Father's Day...it was exciting to see the difference between the very nice Japanese hand saw and skill saw. You seemed so pumped-up for the race:) Just like a kid which is always enjoyable because this seems what you really love doing the most! Thank you and Mrs. "W"...

I don't know if this has been mentioned or not but hammer and chisel vs router on a hinge recess or lock faceplate,I recently just bought that type of saw, I think it comes into its own when making precise shoulder cuts on tenons and trimming dowels, Great video Cody

Great idea for comparisons between hand and powered tools. I really like the Monte Carlo style start, but where the hand tools would really shine would be to start the clock when you enter your shop. You only need to grab 2 tools (saw and square) vs finding the extension cord, plug it in, lay it out to the work piece, etc.

With hand saw, always cut the 4 sides on 0.5 inch... thus your cut will be nice and straight.

How do you like the straight handle on the "Japanese" saw? It doesn't look ergonomic to me, but I haven't tried one.

Oo, is that one of the Japanese saws that the samurai recommended?? Very nice. Love all of you work and the family -George

I'd like to see the brake drum forge up against the wood burning forge. Would be cool. You've definitely inspired us to start our modern homestead. We just bought 17.5 acres is southwest Michigan and we are excited about our new adventure. So thank you for that. I hope to also start a RU-vid channel about it as well and would like to make and send you something. Your great thanks for the video.

Whats the name of that type of saw, not the make but the type of saw. I don't always have power where im working and that looked like a lovely saw.

Love the vids man!! keep up the great work

Great video as always my friend. Do you both plan to write any more books, This was a pleasure to read.

Could you please do joinery, traditional vs. modern tools to see which way had the better quality, and fastest finish?

My experience with most power tools is that they are quicker at making multiple, identical cuts. Hand tools are usually quicker for a single task. They take less time to set-up and calibrate.

I have had a heck of an experience trying to find an 1 &3/4 auger or paddle bit for a drill so that I could hang a thick pull-up bar all the way through a 4x6 the long way. I ended up with a hole saw of the correct measurement, but had to bottom out the hole saw bell then chisel out the waste so that I could go further it usually took about 3 chiselings before going all the way through. anyways paddle bits vs augers, hand driven vs drill gun, also include my absolutely mad way of drilling a 1&3/4 hole through 6 inches of wool. a couple more thoughts if i am remembering correctly hard vs soft wood has nothing to do with how easy the wood is to word with, it has to do with the type of seed they come from, a hard or soft shell seed. i could be wrong... also thanks for the wonderful content and cant wait for my autographed copy of your book to come in..just ordered it.. thanks

The most powerfull cordless drill on the market (makita xph07 ) against your best/biggest hand drill against a standard corded drill I think it can be interesting to see wich one is faster but also wich one is the most controllable

what kind of folding saw do you recommend? like for cutting tree branches? is fiskars any good?? or corona???

What a blast! Not sure I've ever seen Cody wear jeans before. Thanks for letting us in again.

That was awesome Cody. I've been saying for years that Japanese hand saws are faster for small jobs or occasional use than getting out the power cord ( or generator!) and other associated gear for a power saw. Although I have to two HD77's and am happy to use them too. All great tools and it was great to see your contest here. Great idea. Next I'd like to see a crosscut Vs. chainsaw, with all the associated sharpening, oiling, etc. built in somehow.

A valiant effort! Kudos!

Great video! Maybe you could do two runs with the handsaw though? One fast to test the speed, and the other a bit slower to show the quality of the cut. Thanks!

Splitting a set amount of wood with an axe vs your hydraulic splitter, but you have to hook up and drive the hydraulic splitter to the location first. A whole cord is probably way too much, but the fewer rounds you have to split put the advantage towards the axe I would think. I wonder where the balance is, where the speed of the hydraulic splitter makes up for the time it takes to set up.

how can I get a t-shirt? I didn't find them on your website