Mine is an older Summit, bought in 88 I believe, with the hand climber piece (lol, without the hand climber it would remind you of an old baker with a fold out seet). No way would I attempt to take it apart in mid air and go around a limb but, as someone has already posted, a hand saw works fine. I prefer a wire saw that fits neatly in my pack. As for reliability, I have been using mine for 16 years and it hasn't failed me yet. I love mine.