My dad had a 6 foot long two person saw. We sharpened it up & tested it against a 20 inch Makita electric chainsaw which was really good. Built like a tank, weighed a ton. It was a good saw.

We were very surprised just how quick a two person saw would cut, even with two very inexperienced workers. The key was to get into a really good rhythm, rather than getting exhausted, let the saw do the work. Nevertheless we were still tired.

The timber was 600mm diameter trunk, still green. The chainsaw was a bit short but factoring in this issue, there wasn't a lot in it between the two saws.

I have a family heirloom two person crosscut saw hanging over my BBQ along with other stuff, like a rabbit trap & a reaping hook that got lots of work pre motor mowers in my youth.

From about the age of 10 I was required to get on the end of the saw with my Father to cut up old Telephone poles to provide firewood blocks for us & the bloody neighbours!   I think that my Father was paid in long necks (bottled beer), but no soft drink or pocket money for me.

Many years later I needed to trim some old Power poles to construct a retaining wall at my first house in Ferny Grove.  No chains saws available, so out came the old crosscut.  No sharpening, just new handles from a broom stick and straight into the job solo.   Fantastic!  Did the job with ease, hadn't been sharpened (or used) for almost 20 years!

It would have been a different case with one of those giant saws, standing on a plank up the base of the forest giant, using wedges to stop it from jamming.  Highly skilled, dangerous & hard work.

It wasn?t only America that had massive trees cut down using hand saws. This photo shows a tree stump at Gippsland. The logs would have been cut up and them removed probably using ox teams.