One Last Run of Paul Wheaton’s Permaculture Playing Cards

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I’ve got a heck of a stocking stuffer for you guys from Paul Wheaton. The Permaculture Playing Cards: the perfect thing for your friends, family, coffee table, and game night.

Click here to see more: https://richsoil.com/cards.jsp?f=479

This is a full deck of cards, with each card completely packed with info about a major permaculture component. Its a deck you can play a game of cards with, or you can read it front-to-back, like a who’s-who book of permaculture.

Every card features a Permaculture Principal or person, like Polyculture, Bill Mollison, Black Locust, Willy Smits, Paddock Shift System, Allen Savory, Fungi, Food As Medicine, Cast Iron, and Diatomaceous Earth, to name just a few – each included incredible detail and artwork.

Buy a couple decks, or a whole case. Paul says this is probably going to be his last run of these cards, so once they’re gone, they’re gone.

Check it out: https://richsoil.com/cards.jsp?f=479

P.S. – I think the sales page could be a bit more clear but the pricing on it per group of cards 2, 12 units etc is the total cost including shipping.  The way it is lined out I can see some thinking it is just the cost of shipping.  It isn’t all pricing is for said quantities including shipping.

STX-3000 Turboforce Meat Grinder – Item of the Day

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 10

Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is the STX-3000 Turboforce Meat Grinder.  I spent a lot of time in 2017 deciding on what meat grinder I wanted to buy.  I was pretty much in love with the Cabela’s Carnivore but had a real hard time paying 400-500 dollars for a grinder.  Specifically since I use one heavily 2-3 times a year during hunting season, then only about 1-2 times a month for small amounts throughout the year.

So I looked at a lot of options but came down on the STX-3000 Turboforce Meat Grinder because I firmly believe it is the best value under 300 dollars on the market.  First it is a size 12, in other words big, it has great capacity.  It also has two speeds and a reverse setting, which at times can be important.

It comes with three blades, most only come with one and while such blades are a standard product in all grinders they usually cost 12-20 bucks a piece to replace.  It is also powerful.  The first weekend I had it,I put 20lbs of deer and pork though it in about 15 minutes and it worked flawlessly.  One day I had a beef roast that I wasn’t thrilled with as a roast, so I picked up some pork and ground up both with the wagon wheel for chili meat.  It took longer to take it out than it did to put 10 lbs of meat though it.

After months of research, using several different grinders and finally buying and using this one I have found THE GRINDER I recommend.  I can promise you that you will not be disappointed with this one.

On another note we made about 20 lbs of sausage with this grinder using the sausage stuffer attachment.  Dorothy and I ended up getting pretty good at it, but was the last time I used a grinder, any grinder to stuff sausage.  I have now added the LEM 5 pound stuffer to our pantry.  The grinder worked fine as a but likely it took about 4 times as long as using a dedicated stuffer to do the job.

It also makes keeping meat more chunky if that is what you are looking for in a sausage impossible.  Even if you grind your meat chunky, that second time around the screw breaks it down a lot more even without the cutting blades involved.   A stuffer simply pushes the meat into the casing with no screw or friction, so it is a better tool for the job.  Yes it is a unitasker, but for some tasks a unitasker is the right fit.

In this case for grinding you just can’t beat the STX-3000 Turboforce Meat Grinder unless you spend hundreds of dollars more, and then, you don’t beat it by that much.  So if you need a grinder in your kitchen, I can’t recommend this highly enough.

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com

 P.S.  – Here are a few videos I posted to facebook using this grinder.

 

Even though these videos are on facebook, you should be able to see them even if you don’t have a facebook account as they are publicly posted.

Life as An Anarchist in a Small Community – Epi-3207

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:00:12 — 27.5MB)

Reed Richard is a father, permaculture enthusiasts, gardener/conductor, rouge thinker/philosopher, musician/dancer, bitcoin curious, novice builder/plumber/electrician, author, the list goes on…

Living on a semi small island on the Salish Sea on unceded territory, Reed enjoys life with his family of 5, all home births, in a community on 20 acres of land, celebrating the pagan sabbath in attempt to rekindle a connection through the generations. He also tends a 3/4 acre plot of which 4000 square feet is planted in a combination of berries and food forest along with bigger patches of squash and potatoes. 3 greenhouse structures, one of which is currently uncovered, handle tomatoes, cucumber, ganga, and various other edibles and medicinal.

Reed has lived in community for over a decade and spent 4 years studying collective living in North America.

Reed is a trained musician, saxophone being the primary instrument, and has been dancing in the ecstatic dance, dance temple, contact dance worlds for 16 years. Utilizing this sense of listening, Reed has turned his focus to the natural world to listen to the pulses of nature to assist with cocreating a thriving place of being.

Reed enjoys fatherhood, encouraging his 11& 2 year Olds, and 3 month old to live an embodied, hands in the earth, emotionally agile, engaged in discovery life.

His current home has space for chickens, with 60 birds coming in January to augment the 10 hens currently in the coop and run. Thoughts of ducks and pigs, to work the land are actively being spoken of with his other landmates.

Reed is also part of a weekly Manventure group. Engaged in a wide array of activities, the manventure group builds trust and fun into being healthy men and a strong network of doers.

Resources for today’s show…

 

Sponsors of the Day

 

Reed’s Links

 

Video Version of Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

MSB Sale – 35 Bucks a Year for Life – Discount Code “christmas”

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I have been promising you guys a sale on the air for over a week.   Well, how does 15 bucks a year off and the rate locks in for life as long as you don’t cancel. So you can sign up or renew today for just 35 bucks for a year.  And remember it ain’t just off your first year, it is 35 bucks a year for as long as you remain an active member. Just use the discount code christmas when you sign up.

I set up MSB from the beginning with the hope that it would not cost my members a dime in the long term. So I set out and locked in about 70 discounts on tons of stuff you likely buy all the time. Simply by using these discounts a few times a year I can’t see how anyone living a modern survival lifestyle won’t get their money back at least two times over a year, especially at 30 bucks.

So consider signing up today. Again just use the discount code christmas when you sign up. To do that just go here and set up your account.

If you want to pay by check, silver, etc. you can get a form to fill out on the sign up page. Just print it out and make sure to write the discount code on the form. If you pay with silver we will just give you some extra time instead of cutting the price.

If you want to pay with cryptocurrency, just email me at jack at thesurvivalpodcast dot com with TSPC in the subject line and we can work it out.

* This sale expires on Monday Dec. the 12th, no exceptions.

P.S. – A special note, the default online payment method is now credit/debit cards via Stripe. Some folks seem to think they need a Stripe account to use that method, you don’t. It is just my merchant account provider. All you need is any major credit or debit card and you are good to go.

I do still take PayPal but they have been really buggy with a ton of failed renewals and problems when people are trying to sign up and they have been NO HELP in fixing it. So while you can use PayPal I prefer that you sign up via Stripe. And if you have a PayPal debit card you can of course use it that way.

Lodge Carbon Steel Seasoned Skillet – Item of the Day

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NOTE – The 10, 12 and 15 inch skillets are all on sale today for 20 off retail.  Also, lately I have seen a debate running on twitter between “carnivore bros”, what’s better, stainless steel or cast iron for searing meat.  The answer is sorry bros, you are both wrong.  Carbon steel is the way.

Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is the Lodge Carbon Steel Seasoned Skillet.  These are my go to for searing and if you ever go to a professional restaurant where a lot of searing happens you will likely see dozens of these in use, and there is a reason, they work really damn good.  While I used them mostly for searing at first they have now become my go to for 90% or more of my stove top cooking.

There are quite a few options from 8 inches up to a huge 15 inch one with double handles.  I currently own an 8 and a few 12 inch and one 15 inch skillet and they serve my needs very well.

I am a huge fan of old cast iron but it is heavy and it is not efficient when it comes to getting it hot, what it is good at is staying hot once you get it there.   Thinner carbon steel is efficient at getting hot quickly.  These come pre seasoned and if you use proper care they will stay stick free and last forever.

When I first got these pans I really used them the most for searing off meat in two ways.

One –  I will sear steaks and such BEFORE finishing on the grill or in the oven.  They provide the best sear I have ever gotten and if you are finishing in the oven they can go strait in.

Two – For searing after a sous vide cook.  Again they are just the best thing I have found.  I have also begun doing reverse sear sous vide as well, especially with skin on duck breast, then a second quick sear after the cook.

But over three years that has changed.  First I found the factory seasoning on them to be very good, way better than I expected.  They are very low stick, note I didn’t say non stick.  I have pretty much given up on other cookware at this point and use Lodge carbon steel pans exclusively.  Honestly I have two 12 inch skillets that sit on my stove at all times.  I use these for 70-80% of things that I cook indoors at this point.

The primary advantage of the carbon skillets over the cast iron is they heat up a lot faster and are easier to get searing hot.  They also weigh less so they are easier to toss food around with when you don’t want to use a spatula and damage food by doing so. Also being able to go from searing on a stove top to finishing in the oven is perfect for thicker cuts of meat, things like seared duck breasts, 1 inch strip steaks, etc.

But what about sticking?  This is what every pot and pan set on TV sells to, a non stick surface.  Look I won’t say nothing sticks, because you can find things that will.  What I will say is the “egg test” is what most people base their opinions on.  Well in a well seasoned and cared for carbon steel skillet you have to chase an egg with the spatula at times because it is almost too non stick.

After trying both expensive and low cost cookware over the years today I do almost all of my cooking with the following

 

I feel like I have mostly had what can only be called an amicable divorce from cast iron.  As in I still respect it, we still have a friendship and do some stuff together but carbon steel has replaced cast irons role in my life. It is just better, period.  Honestly at this point about the only cast iron item I use often is my dutch oven.  Again more on this in an upcoming show.

Lastly as a prepper, when it comes to carbon steel pans, I love the efficiency here. If you are ever in a situation where fuel needs to be rationed you want a pan that heats up fast, cooks fast and finishes fast.  So check out Lodge’s Carbon Steel Skillets today.

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com

P.S. – For those involved in the stainless vs. cast iron debate, I suggest a trip to a high end restaurant with an arranged tour of the kitchen.  If the restaurant uses pans to sear and cook meats at high temp, there is a 95% or better chance you are going to see carbon steel skillets all over that kitchen, and there is a reason.

P.S.S. – I find the Lodge pans to be more than adequate for my kitchen.  I have read some negative reviews on Amazon and most are frankly people that don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground in the kitchen.  That said they are not “perfect” and not a high end pan.  If you want to spend almost double but get pans like you’d find in the highest end kitchens in the resturant scene check out Matfer Bourgeat.  These are French Made and while I am not willing to pay the premium on them for all my pans I am thinking about adding a 12 incher just to experience the difference.  Note you will have to season from scratch with these but it is actually preferable assuming you take the time to do it right.

Bitcoin as a Solution to Humanitarian Crisis – Epi-3206

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:35 — 15.5MB)

Jonathan Kohn is a Venezuelan born Energy professional with experience in Land and BIS management for the oil and gas industry. Prior to founding BitPetro, Jonathan served as VP for Balanced Energy LLC, where he was responsible for the development and capitalization of over 70 drilling projects in Texas.

BitPetro was founded in 2014, it focuses on the use of data science to provide land research and acquisition services focused on the intersection of Bitcoin and the Energy industry. Mr. Kohn also runs a Cripto Conserje, a Bitcoin Humanitarian project on the Colombia Venezuela border in the city of Cucuta.

The Cripto Conserje team believes that everyone should have access to financial tools like Bitcoin regardless of where they live or what kind of government controls their country’s economy. Like many things in the world COVID put a pause on their operations but now, with help from the bitcoin community they hope to raise enough to build a Bitcoin Humanitarian Center.

The work can continue as the land has already been purchased on the outskirts of Cucuta, they now need to get through permitting and construction with support from the Bitcoin Mining community though donations visa v the LN network or through donated Hash power.

Their goal is to raise 100K to build and operate the facility with an annual budget of 50K. The overriding goal is to provide a financial safety net for refugees who, for political and/or economic reasons, cannot access traditional banks and financial institutions.

Resources for today’s show…

 

Sponsors of the Day

 

John’s Links

 

Video Version of Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

Anker Soundcore Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker – Item of the Day

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 5

Note – This is one of my favorite items in the TspAz catalog.  I have sold literally thousands of them with nothing but positive feedback and today they are on sale for 30% off.

Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day the Anker Soundcore 2 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker.  This is the one has IPX7 Waterproof and wireless stereo paring with a second speaker.

The Soundcore 2 Is on sale today and gives you 12 watts of sound and an honest to God 24 hour play time on a single charge.  I personally own a pair of these and love them.  At 40 dollars each they are solid deal and pair of them produce awesome sound.  Yet at 28 bucks a piece in my view they are a steal.

I use these in my workshop since it is not wired with AV like my garage is.  So you are looking at 40 bucks for one or 80 bucks for a pair.  To me at that price a pair is the way to go.  And today they are on sale making a pair only 56 bucks.

Don’t over look that 2X paring!  Again for just 56 bucks you can get two and create a true stereo environment with any bluetooth device.  Think cheap surround sound with say a laptop playing movies.  Or any TV with bluetooth ability.  Or think one on each corner of a deck or patio.

Anyone will love this as a gift, and it is the kind of speaker you don’t freak out about taking to public places.  I own a 300 dollar Bose speaker, it is fricken awesome, but it is also 300 fricken dollars and is not water proof.  I am not sitting it on a table at a camp ground!  Hell I don’t even trust myself not to forget it and leave it out in the rain when working on the back end of my property.

So how good are the dang things after all that?  In short, they are very good.  Now they are not shake windows loud but I’ll put it this way.  If you are hanging out in a group and chatting with music on, you won’t want it all the way up, it will be too loud.  But if you are listening by yourself and do turn it all the way up it can handle the power and still sounds great.  The over all sound quality is excellent and one even survived Dorothy driving our Subaru Outback over it.  I don’t advise doing that but it does say something that it survived the abuse doesn’t it?

The biggest complaint I have personally had with various bluetooth speakers and other bluetooth devices is syncing.  Some sync easily, some are buggy as crap.  Every Anker bluetooth device I have used works flawlessly.   My biggest skepticism when I first tested an earlier model of these in late 2018 was the stereo paring.  It also works flawlessly and every single time.  Once a set “know each other” you don’t even need to do anything but turn them on.  And yes they still will work solo, two is one and one is none anyone?

Every time I bring you Anker items I finish with this, but in a world of cheap electronic crap there is a reason.  I have sold literally 10s of thousands of Anker items over the years.  I have never had one complaint of a failed or damaged item that Anker did not make right.  It is why you guys keep hearing me recommend them.  So if you want to up your audio game in 2022, check out the Anker Soundcore 2 Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker while its on sale.

P.S. – I love Anker so much I have created this link, it always pulls up any and all Anker Products that are on special deals at any given time.  Do BE AWARE it also has sponsored non Anker products in it, because that is how Amazon rolls.  But it is worth checking this out from time to time.  Anker really is the best value electronics brand on the market.

Gardening the First Pillar of Homesteading – Epi-3205

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:28:56 — 40.8MB)

I get a lot of requests for more “old school” episodes of TSPC and most of those focus on homesteading, permaculture, hard skills, etc.  Today we begin a 4 part series where we will go into what I consider to be the 4 pillars of any proper homestead from a quarter acre suburban homestead to a large landholding in the country.

Note this series is not about commercial farming for a profit, scaling food production to feed 50 families, etc.  Rather old school American homesteading like our grand parents did.  Feed yourself, store surplus and share surplus with your neighbors.  That is not to say a side hustle market garden or similar won’t fit with this series just that the foundation is first about “feeding the family”.

So what are the pillars, for this discussion there will be four….

  • Gardening
  • Back Yard Livestock
  • Perennials and Herbs
  • Local Hunter Gatherer Knowledge (foraging and trade)

 

Like any set of “pillars” these are not end all, be alls, just the foundation on which to build.  Each is connected to others though function stacking and additional systems.   Gardens create waste, animals create waste the two are connected via composting, compost feeds the garden which feeds the humans and animals as one example.

Today though we keep it simple and start with what many call “the gateway drug to homesteading and/or prepping”, gardening.  When I was a kid in rural PA and would cruise around on my bike and eventually my car, it seemed every third or forth yard at best had a garden.  I didn’t know it but I was a “poor kid” and yet between these gardens and what the land provided (hunting/fishing/foraging) I never even thought about food being a problem.

When I moved to Texas after my time in the army I was shocked as I drove though suburbs and saw almost no gardens and those that I saw were simply ornamental.  And even those planted with wholly useless landscaping plants that provided no food, no medicine not even any decent pollinator habitat.

Today though things are different, while I don’t see a garden in every third yard I do see a few in every neighborhood, see posts about it all the time on Nextdoor.com, etc. People are coming back to the idea that the freshest food comes from your own back yard.  When I think about the gardens my grand parents and their neighbors grew though they have some common points that we have largely lost today in what they grew, how they grew it along with how much work they put into it.

My grandparents pretty much worked hard at the beginning of the seasons, a little during the middle and then hard again with harvest and preservation at the end.  Kids like me were used for on going mid season tasks, think watering during a drought or weekly cutting of broccoli second crops or green been harvest.  The garden was not a hobby, it was something that helped feed us.

My youthful zest even then for “new stuff” was lovingly scoffed at.  Basically “okay kid, try what you want but dig an additional bed, all of the space is planned already and we’ve been doing it that way since before your dad was born”.  Today I try to balance that old and new mindset.  Finding amazing new things like last year finding Indian Snake Bean or finding Ping Tung Eggplant a few years back, yet sticking to the “tiny farm” mindset of my grand parents.

Join Me Today to Discuss…

  • The four pillars and why we are talking about them at the beginning of winter
    • Gardening
    • Small livestock
    • Perennials
    • Hunter/gatherer/local-trade knowledge
  • Why a garden as the first pillar
    • Can be done almost anywhere
    • Can be done very inexpensively
    • It is something you can do for your food security
    • It really is “the gateway drug”
  • The gardens of my grandparents and their contemporaries
    • Great things that did well with little effort in their climate
    • Focused on 8-12 crops that were happily eaten and stored in my grand parents case
      • Tomatoes
      • Sweet Peppers
      • Green Beans
      • Wax Beans
      • Broccoli
      • Cauliflower
      • Cucumber
      • Garlic
      • Sweet Corn
      • Cabbage
      • Butternut Squash
    • Plants were laid out like a “small farm” rotated seasonally but in dedicated rows
    • All beds were in ground beds, no raised wooden frames
    • Cabbage was planted first, then broccoli and cauliflower, the the rest
    • When the first freeze came we were DONE for the season (hunting season)
    • Fertility was the neighbors horse manure, fishing remains, mulch and gasp 10-10-10 fertilizer
    • Toxins like 7 dust were used (only when and were deemed necessary)
    • Herbs like dill were randomly grown in and around other plants
    • Harvest was an on going affair in a scheduled way to create meal quantities and/or enough to make storage make sense
    • My modern version
      • Follow the wisdom, grow what you eat all the time that is easy for your climate
      • Reserve an area to test new stuff annually, adopt what you discover
      • Incorporate trellising (vertical space)
      • Add in automated irrigation (Texas ain’t PA)
      • Use shade as a strategy
      • Grow niche crops in things like aquaponics, hydroponics and wicking beds
      • Grow dual use crops like sweet potato
      • Use raised beds but only because I absolutely have to
      • Replace 10-10-10 with an organic equivalent
      • Fight disease with organic methods or just grow other things
      • Plant in an organized way but interplant more than they did with vines, etc.
      • Grow things more for daily meals and mass scale storage (growing season is 250+ days vs. 130-150)
  • My 12 Core Crops
    1. Peppers (sweet & hot)
    2. Tomatoes
    3. Cucumbers
    4. Tromboncino Squash
    5. Asian Long Beans
    6. Asian Egg Plant
    7. Asian Cucumbers
    8. Swiss Chard
    9. Sweet Potato
    10. Fennel
    11. Basil
    12. Indian Snake Bean
  • Lessons I take from my grandparents way of thinking
    • What we call less then ideal they called practical
    • There is room for fun but if you spend money/time you need an ROI
    • Don’t spend money on shit you don’t need
    • Don’t use something unless it is necessary
    • Don’t waste your production, eat it, store it, give it away or feed it to livestock
    • Harvest and harvest then harvest more it will create more production
  • My hope one day is gardens are more the exception than the rule, here’s why

 

Resources for today’s show

 

Sponsors of the Day

 

Video Version of Today’s Show

Remember to comment, chime in and tell us your thoughts, this podcast is one man’s opinion, not a lecture or sermon.

Join the MSB Today

Join the MSB Today

Want Every Episode of TSP Ever Produced?

Remember in addition to discounts to over 40 vendors who supply stuff you are likely buying anyway, tons of free ebooks and video content, MSB Members also get every edition of The Survival Podcast ever produced in convenient zip files in blocks of 24. More info on the MSB can be found here.

Jack’s Bourbon Cooled Coffee is Back for the Holidays

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From the Desk of Nicole Sauce: (11-28-22)

Jack’s Bourbon Cooled Sumatra is back at Holler Roast Coffee this holiday season. Every year, Holler Roast Coffee sources a fresh crop of Jack’s signature bean, and every year they sell out. This premium coffee makes a great gift and you can add gift wrapping options, or add a special mug or cup to make an easy gift for your difficult-to-buy-for friends and relatives.

The beans are roasted to order in small batches and cooled with Four Roses Bourbon to increase speed of cooling and better develop the natural sugars at the end of the roasting process. We stumbled on this method of cooling beans in Vietnam. Street roasters use vodka to cool their beans. You will be surprised by the sweet, chocolatey tones.

It is no surprise that Jack likes this Sumatran bean with its complex flavor profile and hearty-yet-smooth mouthfeel. It is even less surprising that he prefers the coffee roasted more lightly than is traditionally recommended for the Sumatran bean at a medium roast. Jack does like to go his own way, but if you want it darker or lighter we can do that for you.

With the Holidays nigh, Holler Roast has launched a few great gift ideas beyond Jack’s signature coffee:

  • Spirit-Cooled Coffee using Bourbon, Rum or Nicole Sauce’s House-Made Vanilla.

  • Sampler Pack Trios, either spirit-cooled or cooled with air. This offering is packaged in a gift box or gift bag.

  • Coffee of the Month packages – Give the gift of a different coffee each month for three, six, or twelve months!

Gift cards, mug and coffee packages can also be found at HollerRoast.com.

Notes from Jack

This year, Nicole has added the easy option for anyone with a list of folks they would like to see gifted. She will take your spreadsheet, hand-write your cards and send your entire list a coffee gift for a flat fee. Find out more on the Holiday Coffee page at Holler Roast.  That’s pretty neat.

Don’t forget to use your MSB discount when ordering if you are a member and if not now is a great time to join the MSB.

Oregon Self Sharpening Electric Chain Saws – Item of the Day

The Survival Podcast Posted on by 9

Special Note – I am running this today because the 18 inch plug in saw is on sale for 90 dollars, and the 16 inch plugin saw is on sale for 72 dollars this is a beyond stupid cheap price.  For the average back yard this saw will do anything you need and has a lot of safety built into it.
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That said please understand these tools have limits, they can’t run with a commercial quality gas saw like say a Shihl or Husqvarna Farm Boss, they serve a totally different purpose.  Hell they can’t even run with cheap gas saws.
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However when you watch the video at the end please understand how hard a piece of seasoned live oak is.  It is akin to cutting something just below stone on the hardness scale.  Which is why I chose it.  For trimming trees and felling smaller trees and such these saws cut like butter within their size limits.  I  have taken down a lot of trees on my property with both saws.  Even oak if not seasoned they tear through it very easily.

Every day I bring you an item on Amazon that I personally use or has been purchased by many members of the audience and I have researched enough to recommend.

Today’s TSP Amazon Item of the day is a three fer.

They are the

 

In the video below I use both saws to cut seasoned live oak.  I can’t emphasize how hard this wood is, it will plumb smoke a drill bit.  I decided to do a seasoned hardwood log rather than a live cordedsawpiece of wood for the video to demonstrate a worst case scenario rather than a best case one.

You will note the plug in saw has a 18 inch vs. 16 inch bar compared to the cordless.  It also has considerably more power as you would expect.  The beauty of the plug in saw is cost, for only 135 dollars you get a self sharpening saw, that simple always works.  The down side is working with an extension cord attached to your saw.  I see this saw as best for bucking in one location or for the small property owner, say and acre or less that just needs a saw they can count on.

cordlesssawThe cordless saw has plenty of power, I really should have cut some green lumber with it to show the difference.  I have dropped, slashed and bucked quite large live oaks with it, say with trunk sizes of 10-12 inches.  It is very light weight compared to a gas saw and even if I am using my gas Husqvarna I still tend to have this with me for limbing, bucking and slashing.

The common attributes these saws have that make them wonderful are as follows.

  • Noise – they are much quieter than a gas saw, and they only run while cutting, no constant idle.
    `
  • Self Sharpening – pull a lever and run the saw a few seconds you are back to a seriously sharp chain.
    `
  • Self Breaking Chain – while the plug in is better at this (it is instant see the video) the cordless only lets the chain run for about 1-2 seconds after you let the throttle go.  This signifigantly reduces injuries.  Most not all but most chainsaw injuries happen after the throttle is released.
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  • No Tool Chain Adjustment – the number one reason your saw will start cutting poorly is the chain gets loose.  With most saws you loosen the cover with a wrench, tension the chain with a flat screw driver, then re-tighten the cover.  With these saws you have two dials, both can be turned by hand and proper chain tension can be restored in a few seconds.

 

Again while these saws have many advantages over a gas saw, they are not equal to one.  If I had to drop several trees I would reach for my gas saw.  However my little three acre homestead has been very well served by these saws.

They are ideal for small property owners, people that use a saw say a dozen times a year of less, etc.   Franky they are a pleasure to use, the self sharpening feature makes up for having less power then a gas saw.   Sure I can sharpen a chain, but that takes time, and like many time is one of my greatest assets, anything that saves time is valuable to me.

These saws do use special chains, which are sold with the sharpening stone.  I get a lot of use out of one chain though, I cut up a lot of dead stuff, prune a lot of trees and go though about one chain a year.  That isn’t much.

  • Here is the chain/stone set for the plug in 18 inch saw the cost is 36 bucks.  Get it Here.
  • Here it the chain/stone set for the 16 inch cordless saw the cost is 36 bucks.  Get it Here.
  • If you have the first generation of the cordless saw, it has a 14 inch bar.  Get it Here.

 

Please note that if you have the first generation saw with the 14 inch bar and want to upgrade to the new saw with the tool free chain adjustment (like I did) you can buy the bare tool and use your existing battery and chargers.

In any event if you are in need of a chain saw that will just work, all the time, be easy to maintain and won’t beak the bank or your ear drums, check out either the Oregon Cordless Self Sharpening Chain Saw or the Oregon 18 inch Plug In Electric Self Sharpening Chainsaw or the Oregon 16 inch Plug in Electric Self Sharpening Chainsaw today.

Remember you can always find all of our reviews at TspAz.com

P.S. –  Chainsaws are dangerous tools, even modern saws like these with great safety enhancements.  I think anyone using a saw for the first time should take a class or get an experienced person to teach them safe use. 

I have some personal rules I follow.  One is I don’t let anyone near me when I am cutting, if I can touch you with my saw without taking a step you are too close.  I also always make sure to clear two avenues of escape when felling a tree, in case it falls other than were planned.  There is a LOT more, again if you are not experienced do not use these or any such saw without getting some instruction.

I have seen several chain saw injuries and they are really awful injuries!

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