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Folding saw buying guide

Updated: 21 October 2026

You open amazon.co.uk, search for a folding saw, and the first page mixes garden pruning folders, yellow camping saws, Japanese pull saws, and a folding jab saw for plasterboard. They share a hinge and a star rating, but they do not share the same job. This folding saw buying guide walks through the checks that matter before price or reviews, using the nine listings in our [folding saw comparison](/hub/power-saws/folding-saw). Prices are GBP as captured in that table. Peter F. compared amazon.co.uk listings and public UK guidance. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You open amazon.co.uk, search for a folding saw, and the first page mixes garden pruning folders, yellow camping saws, Japanese pull saws, and a folding jab saw for plasterboard.

Our top picks

HAUTMEC HAUTMEC 230 mm folding saw

Best overall

HAUTMEC HAUTMEC 230 mm folding saw
9.6/10about £16.99
View offer
GRÜNTEK GRÜNTEK 180 mm folding saw

Rank 2

GRÜNTEK GRÜNTEK 180 mm folding saw
9.8/10about £15.98
View offer
GTIWUNG GTIWUNG folding saw

Best value

GTIWUNG GTIWUNG folding saw
8.8/10about £6.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Start with the job, not the bestseller rank
  2. 2.Blade length and listing rows you can trust
  3. 3.Teeth, stroke, and green wood
  4. 4.Locks, handles, and what is in the box
  5. 5.Price bands and review volume

Start with the job, not the bestseller rank

Split the shelf into three buckets, plus one trap. Garden pruning folders are for green wood at ground level: coarse teeth, usually a pull stroke, and a lock that holds the blade open under sideways load. Camping folders prioritise closed length, covered teeth, and a latch that keeps the blade shut in a pack. The Goldblatt is a drywall jab saw, 8 TPI bi-metal, with push-and-pull claims for indoors. It shows 4.8 from more than six thousand reviews because plasterboard buyers use it. The KFSCIP row is a double-edged Japanese pull saw with almost no review evidence. Write down green branch, camp stick, board hole, or pull-saw joinery, then open only the matching rows.

Blade length and listing rows you can trust

Blade length is the second check, and rows often disagree with themselves. The GRÜNTEK prints 180 mm, the HAUTMEC 230 mm, the Nordic Arnvik 210 mm, and the EZARC 266 mm, the longest pruning blade here. The Goldblatt jab blade is about 133 mm. The GTIWUNG blade-length row says 13.5 mm while dimensions print 30 cm, so measure it. XCDMJ has no blade-length row, and the GETBSTOOP camping row omits length too. Magazine guides often cite branches of roughly 10–12.5 cm as a rule of thumb for pocket folders. That is an editor’s field note, not a guarantee for every ASIN. A longer stated blade gives more stroke, and a longer tool once it is closed. When two numbers conflict, favour neither.
HAUTMEC HAUTMEC 230 mm folding saw

Testsieger

HAUTMEC HAUTMEC 230 mm folding saw
9.6/10about £16.99
View offer

Teeth, stroke, and green wood

For live green wood, UK garden writing commonly points to roughly 6–8 TPI: deeper gullets, faster clearing of wet chips. The HAUTMEC bullets say 7 TPI triple-cut. The Nordic and several others claim 8 TPI. The Goldblatt uses 8 TPI for board, a different material. Most pruning folders here cut on the pull or leave the stroke unstated. Gardeners’ World and Silky’s UK guidance treat pull saws as pull-on-cut, with light pressure on the return. Pushing a thin folding plate is how budget blades buckle. Impulse-hardened teeth mean a replacement blade, not a home file. The XCDMJ box mentions spares; several mid-price rows do not. Stroke and support are on how to use a folding saw.

Locks, handles, and what is in the box

Gardeners’ World wants a thumb-reachable lock that holds the blade open under load. Barnsdale Gardens’ notes on Felco-style folders add a closed lock so the blade stays shut in a pocket. The HAUTMEC describes a bolt lock when open. The Goldblatt mentions a lock against accidental closing. The EZARC claims a double lock, yet one UK review says it did not engage. UK reviews on the Nordic Arnvik say it locks open but not closed. The GRÜNTEK uses cork, which reviewers link to a damp grip; several others use rubber or TPE. The EZARC and GETBSTOOP include a bag. The XCDMJ bullets promise two spare blades. Rows that print 4500 rpm or 8 watts on a hand saw are copy-paste noise.

Price bands and review volume

The GTIWUNG is about £6.99 with more than two thousand reviews. The XCDMJ is £7.69. The GRÜNTEK and HAUTMEC sit around £15–£17. The EZARC is £23.97 and the Nordic Arnvik £44.99. The GETBSTOOP at £15.99 has seven reviews and a 3.9 line. A 4.7 from fifty reviews is not the same confidence as 4.4 from two thousand. In the comparison the GRÜNTEK is the top pick and the GTIWUNG is best value, and only for the job those rows actually fit. Named ASINs are on the best folding saw page. Garden versus trail is on pruning saw vs camping saw.

Common questions

Should I buy the cheapest high-star folding saw?
Not without the job filter. The cheapest high-volume row here is a landscaping saw with conflicting length fields and bendy-blade comments in UK reviews. It can suit light ivy and thin stems if you accept those limits. It is a poor default when you need a confirmed 180 mm pruning blade or a closed lock for a pocket.
Do I need the blade to lock closed as well as open?
For pocket or rucksack carry, yes. Gardeners’ World and independent tool tests treat a closed lock as part of safe carry. Several listings here only promise open locks, and UK reviews on the Nordic folder report no closed latch. If the saw lives in a tool bag with a sheath, open-only may be tolerable. If it rides in a jacket, treat a missing closed lock as a dealbreaker.
What TPI should I look for on garden branches?
Aim for the coarse band UK editors cite for live wood, roughly 6–8 TPI, and verify the pull stroke on your model. Finer teeth appear on double-edged pull marketing and on jab saws meant for board. Coarse teeth cut faster in green wood and leave a rougher face, which is usually fine on shrubs.
Is a jab folding saw ever the right outdoor saw?
For tree work, no. The Goldblatt in our table is a drywall jab saw with a short bi-metal blade. Outdoors you want pruning or camp tooth geometry and a handle built for branch loads, not panel plunge cuts.
Why do spec tables show rpm on a hand saw?
They should not. Several listings copy motor fields from unrelated categories. The power-source row on those ASINs still says manual or hand powered. Trust the power row and the title, not rpm or watt lines.
When is a fixed pruning saw better than a folder?
When you cut often and need stiffness and speed without hinge play. The English Garden notes that folders trade some speed and rigidity for pack size. Keep a folder for occasional ground-level lops and tight access. Buy fixed when the saw is in your hand every weekend.

Related pages

Folding saw tree rules

Folding saw

Best folding saw picks for pruning, value and board

How to use a folding saw: lock, stroke and support

Pruning saw vs camping folding saw: pack or garden

Sources

Gardeners’ World, The English Garden, HSE, GOV.UK and the 2012 tree preservation regulations, plus the amazon.co.uk folding-saw bestseller list fetched on 20 October 2026. Listings in this set are the comparison file, not a live price check.

  1. BBC Gardeners’ World: best pruning saws (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. The English Garden: pruning saws (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. HSE: tree work at height (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. HSE: arboriculture (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK: tree preservation orders and trees in conservation areas (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. Town and Country Planning (Tree Preservation) (England) Regulations 2012 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. GOV.UK: wild birds advice for making planning decisions (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. amazon.co.uk: best sellers in folding saws (retrieved 20 October 2026)