The idea to fell trees by electricity originated in the early XX century in Germany.

For that purpose, a steel wire was wrapped around a tree at its bottom, then an electric motor was started up causing the wire to move very quickly around the tree trunk. Heated by current and friction, it charred the wood and easily cut the trunk. Danger of fire was practically excluded, since the wire was not red-hot. Electric motors opened new opportunities to create different types of saws. The arguably simplest saw was developed by mechanic Kharlamov from Arkhangelsk, Russia, in 1936. Its design included an electric motor attached to a frame with a conical friction roller installed on the motor extension, which came into contact with the sawing disc causing it to rotate. The Kharlamov saw was usually operated by a motor mechanic with an assistant.

The bow saw turned out to be the most productive one, since it had a cutting section in the form of an endless band stretched on the pulleys, with one of them connected to the motor drive. This bow saw was designed by the employees of the Ural State Forestry Engineering University (at that time called the Sverdlovsk Forestry Engineering University) in the 1940s.