A below or underground saw?

[BigJohn]

I see there is a post here for an above ground saw so I ask what the heck is a below or underground saw? I bet that sucker doesn't dull when you hit dirt. Or maybe it's like a ditch witch?

 

[sawn_penn]

I see there is a post here for an above ground saw so I ask what the heck is a below or underground saw? I bet that sucker doesn't dull when you hit dirt. Or maybe it's like a ditch witch?

I helped with the restoration of an old tourist cave. One of the guys was running a chainsaw with a carbide blade - he was using it to cut up old concrete walkways. Maybe that qualifies as a below ground saw?

Alternatively, in New Zealand I helped a friend drill core samples in a cave with a drill based on a modified Stihl chainsaw. That was nearly 3000' below the surface of the earth, so that certainly must qualify as a below ground saw! Shame it wasn't running a chain. I'll try and hunt up some photos. It was pretty cute what we did with the exhaust.

 

[BigJohn]

Funny but this sillly thread got me thinking. I think some good may have come of this of thread. I will let you all in as soon as I cover my own butt and put my claim to the idea.:monkey:

 

[coveredinsap]

I call my thrasher Poulan 14" 1950 'Dirt Shark' a "below ground saw"...for cutting out stumps and such below grade. Does that count?

 

[Bermie]

How about a Stihl E220 we used to quarry out a 10,000 gallon fish pond behind our house? Carbide chain and no exhaust down in de hole!

 

[Lawn Masters]

I think a ditch witch qualifies as a "below ground" saw. or a big rock saw. I hear they work GREAT for cutting roots to get the whole stump out of the ground. besides those, I like using a crappy consumer saw for that job. aint gonna ruin my favorite pro machines doing "dirty" work.

 

[antigrassguy]

Homelite super 2, used to trench that invisible fencing, blast your dog, wire. Loosen chain a little and no oil needed. Easy to carve around rocks, but really need to lean on it thru limestone driveway. A real bear to resharpen.

 

[sawn_penn]

Alternatively, in New Zealand I helped a friend drill core samples in a cave with a drill based on a modified Stihl chainsaw. That was nearly 3000' below the surface of the earth, so that certainly must qualify as a below ground saw! Shame it wasn't running a chain. I'll try and hunt up some photos. It was pretty cute what we did with the exhaust.

Here's a photo:View attachment 32891

(That's me in the shadows on the left)

Exhaust went through an initial cooler and was then blown into big plastic garden bags. These bags were sealed and left. The oil in the exhaust would then condense out onto the inside of the plastic bags.

The idea was that when we left we'd put a pinhole in each of the mountain of plastic bags, and then we'd come back months later and recover the collapsed pile. This was to keep the oil out of the cave environment, and to keep the carbon monoxide out of our lungs.

I really don't remember (I wasn't into saws ten years ago) but it looks like a Stihl 08S with a modified post hole borer. There was also an attachment to feed water into the core drill.