Paul prefers those that cut on the pull stroke rather than the push stroke, because they make cutting much easier. He also recommends saws with a locking blade. Its an important safety feature that prevents the blade from collapsing accidentally and putting the user at risk. Another handy gizmo is the electric log splitter, which is actually safer than the manual method of splitting logs with an ax. Place a log (preferably a dry one) on the bottom plate, depress the two switches on the handle, and let the hydraulic mechanism do the rest. It splits logs with relative ease and because its powered by electricity rather than gasoline, its also relatively quiet.