# Worlds Smallest Chainsaw - Good Trail Maintenance tool?



## Klurejr (Oct 13, 2006)

Anyone ever used one of these? Seems like a great little tool that can fit in a backpack for trail maintenance.


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

I have a folding saw that makes quick work of anything up to around 3-4". There's also the pocket chainsaws...chainsaw blade with handles on each end that does pretty well with larger stuff.









https://www.amazon.com/Chainsaw-Par...8-2-spons&keywords=backpacking+chainsaw&psc=1


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Klurejr said:


> Anyone ever used one of these? Seems like a great little tool that can fit in a backpack for trail maintenance.


seriously looks like the only thing it's good for is cutting your fingers off.


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

Yeah, uhh, no.


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## tbmaddux (May 22, 2012)

It took him about 20sec to cut through a 1x4. Pretty sure I can do that with my Silky, and I don't have to figure out how to power it.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

tbmaddux said:


> It took him about 20sec to cut through a 1x4. Pretty sure I can do that with my Silky, and I don't have to figure out how to power it.


what's the point? I have a folding silky I use at work and agree - this thing looks significantly slower, and no less effort, either.

How is this better than a battery powered reciprocating saw? I think there's good reason it's not available in the US


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## eb1888 (Jan 27, 2012)

Nowadays with bigger 18v lithium batteries a Milwaukee or Dewalt recip sawzall can do the work.


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

tbmaddux said:


> It took him about 20sec to cut through a 1x4. Pretty sure I can do that with my Silky, and I don't have to figure out how to power it.


this. looks like my silky can equal that thing in speed, and the silky
can take on much larger stuff


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## epic (Apr 16, 2005)

It's cute. I'll give it that.


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## Cotharyus (Jun 21, 2012)

Honestly? I've got a big set of Corona loppers that will probably cut anything that will and do it in a fraction of the time. If I need something portable to cut something larger, I've got a folding corona saw I keep in my pack. That thing? That's a novelty item or something. I honestly can't figure out what possible purpose that could serve.


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## sturge (Feb 22, 2009)

looks useless to me...my $20 folding saw from Lowes is lighter, easier to carry and cuts way bigger things much faster. Just used it yesterday on two 5" blowdowns...took all of 2-3 minutes and I was back on the bike.


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

Cotharyus said:


> Honestly? I've got a big set of Corona loppers that will probably cut anything that will and do it in a fraction of the time. If I need something portable to cut something larger, I've got a folding corona saw I keep in my pack. That thing? That's a novelty item or something. I honestly can't figure out what possible purpose that could serve.


it would be good for landscapers trimming and pruning bushes, that's about it


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

127.0.0.1 said:


> it would be good for landscapers trimming and pruning bushes, that's about it


there are better tools for that job, too


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## HacksawReynolds (Dec 1, 2017)

Seriously.


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## Harryman (Jun 14, 2011)

I timed a casual cut on a 14" spruce with a silky katana boy at 4 minutes. You need to cut a lot of trees per session to not be able to handle it with a silky.


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## jimPacNW (Feb 26, 2013)

I bought a small black and decker 20v cordless electric chainsaw from a pawn shop for cheap, I think it came with a hedge trimmer (which I love for trail maint). 
The problem with the cordless electric chainsaws is that they don't have anywhere near enough power to remove that wide gap of wood that the chain teeth cut out. A narrow blade is a lot more efficient, I use a small bow-saw that fits in a pack, it works a whole lot better than the 20v chainsaw. I've given up on the chainsaw. When I got it, the chain was on backwards, the previous user must have really been disappointed with it's performance!


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

jimPacNW said:


> The problem with the cordless electric chainsaws is that they don't have anywhere near enough power to remove that wide gap of wood that the chain teeth cut out.


I used a cordless Stihl chainsaw a few weeks ago and ripped through a 12" telephone pole in less than a minute. I decided then that my next saw would probably be electric.


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## Cotharyus (Jun 21, 2012)

jimPacNW said:


> I bought a small black and decker 20v cordless electric chainsaw from a pawn shop for cheap, I think it came with a hedge trimmer (which I love for trail maint).
> The problem with the cordless electric chainsaws is that they don't have anywhere near enough power to remove that wide gap of wood that the chain teeth cut out. A narrow blade is a lot more efficient, I use a small bow-saw that fits in a pack, it works a whole lot better than the 20v chainsaw. I've given up on the chainsaw. When I got it, the chain was on backwards, the previous user must have really been disappointed with it's performance!


The real problem with that saw is it's 20v. The smallest saw you'll find of any real quality is 40v, and many are 60v. I'm sure I don't need to explain the math there. These electric saws are great for cleanup jobs on the trail.


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## JustMtnB44 (Nov 8, 2004)

I think Bosch intended for the mini chainsaw to replace tools like jigsaws. Definitely not useful for any kind of trail work, as a folding saw would be way faster and could handle bigger stuff.

Full size battery electric chainsaws are perfect for trail work and clearing larger fallen trees - quiet, no mess, easy to use.


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## 127.0.0.1 (Nov 19, 2013)

I see this as landscaper tool for those who's wrists get beat with felcos or otherwise fatigued from non-powered pruners. ideal for that, plus can reach in and it grabs the branch. for trail, a silky bigboy is far lighter, better cutter, and can take on bigger stuff.


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## endo_alley (May 28, 2013)

This is the way to go.

IBUKI 390 Extra Large Teeth | Silky Saws

Or for the big stuff.

https://www.japanwoodworker.com/products/lynx-4-two-man-crosscut-saw


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

JustMtnB44 said:


> I think Bosch intended for the mini chainsaw to replace tools like jigsaws.


I dunno about that. Big advantage of a jigsaw is that you can easily do curves with it. And with the fine teeth, smooth cuts. This thing? Straight-ish lines at best. And rough cuts.



127.0.0.1 said:


> I see this as landscaper tool for those who's wrists get beat with felcos or otherwise fatigued from non-powered pruners. ideal for that, plus can reach in and it grabs the branch. for trail, a silky bigboy is far lighter, better cutter, and can take on bigger stuff.


Maybe. I just see battery life to be a major limitation for something like this. I use felcos at work, and honestly use them on stuff far smaller than I'd bother with using a powered saw. I use bigger pruners for stuff like that. And a big advantage of larger pruners is their extra reach. Which this tool just doesn't offer.


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## aero901 (Apr 11, 2012)

Another solution for a problem that didn't exist.


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## tbmaddux (May 22, 2012)

Ok, so next time you want to hate ebikes or wilderness bills or IMBA or Lycra or goggles or people who skid in corners or the fall line or water bars or leaves or flowers or Strava or shuttles or DH or XC or enduro or freeride or people with too many toes or those things they inserted into paper magazines that fell out in your lap – hey, remember magazines? they’d mail them to you so you could read them – or full suspension or dropper posts or carbon or 29ers or ANY of that, instead, just hate this tiny chainsaw!


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## Dave_schuldt (May 10, 2004)

May be good for cutting brush for someone with bad elbows or wrists but otherwise useless. You can use it with one hand while the other holds the branch, recip takes 2 hand unless you're really strong. Otherwise waste of money.


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## bsieb (Aug 23, 2003)

The 18v Hackzall is the one handed recip saw, and works well with a pruning blade. But a Silky or other hand saw is still way faster. It seems a lot of r&d money is going into making battery powered forms of everything, because they are perceived as being superior by novices. That said, I have a 40v 16" cordless chainsaw, which replaced my stihl ms250 some years ago, and I never looked back.


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## bpressnall (Aug 25, 2006)

I usually carry three of these in my pack, as they get dull quickly, then I take them home and sharpen them under a microscope. Works great, and the three saws only weigh nine times more than the big silky. They buzz through a 3" oak in less than 20 minutes!


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## ironhippy (Nov 21, 2017)

Silky folding saw, cut was bigger than the blade.

30 minutes total stop, probably 10-12 minutes cutting per side.


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## Clayncedar (Aug 25, 2016)

My 18" Corona pruning saw or big-assed bypass loppers sure as hell going to get the job done faster than that gag gift chainsaw.

I have three chainsaws from 14" to 20" bars and sometimes wish for something just a little smaller for the longer hikes in to remove fallen cedars. I know two guys using 12" bar chainsaws - one battery-powered,and the other gas and realistically that's as small as what works well here in Pennsylvania.

Maybe for carving the Thanksgiving turkey? 😉


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