In Search of Mini Chainsaws with an Extension Pole
It is surprisingly difficult to find genuine mini chainsaws that come with a telescopic extension pole.
We are not talking about pole saws here. There is a great selection of those available which you can browse through here OR check out our top 5 picks here.
No, we are talking about a genuine mini chainsaw, designed for use with one hand, that can be attached to an extension pole in order to improve your reach. (like the ImoumLive pictured left. Click on the pic for more information about this example!)
Those, my friends, are extremely rare! That despite their obvious advantage for those with a garden.
Not sure why because it is an obvious add-on that would greatly increase the appeal of any mini chainsaw.
And there are pole chainsaws that you can detach the the saw part from to use but these are essentially designed to operate on the end of the pole and have a secondary non pole ability.
A subtle but important difference especially as the pole chainsaws tend to have bigger bar chains. We are talking 8-inch, 10-inch or even 12-inch plus bars. Those are on the outer limit (and beyond) of a mini chainsaw that you can comfortably operate with one hand (when not attached to an extension
pole!)
But for the real deal mini chainsaw with an extension pole…..drum roll please….we introduce the
T Tovia 5-inch Mini Chainsaw
So this is a genuine “mini chainsaw”! It has a 5-inch bar and is primarily designed to be used with one hand to do small jobs around the garden or in the workshop etc.
The pole folds out to a pole that extends your reach by 7.5 feet.
NB the pole is not of the telescopic variety. This is a probably a good thing.
Telescoping in and out tends to mess up the electronics between the operator and the saw on the end of the saw. Which pretty much negates any functionality of the pole 🙁
What it Offers
Lets have a look at the actual T Tovia mini chainsaw.
First off it is equipped with a brushless motor. That is an immediate plus as these motors are just so superior in every way when compared to normal electric motors.
At 2.8 pounds (1.27kg) this is indeed a light saw which is good news in 2 departments. First its easy to work with as a conventional mini chainsaw. Secondly, it wont become an unwieldy weight on the end of the extension pole!
And the 19,7 ft/sec chain speed is not too shabby.
Lets talk the extension pole. Its not round so the purists might not want to call it a pole. Maybe an extension or similar. Irrespective of what you want to call it, this part is about 64 cm or 25 inches long in its folded down state. It unfolds to three times that length for a total length of 75 inches (190 cm).
That is not far off the reach of purpose built pole chainsaws!
Sadly, that (and the ImoumLive above) seem to be about it for mini chainsaws with an extension pole. However, given the ever expanding number of mini chainsaws appearing on the market, it surely only has to be a matter of time before more offer this valuable addition.
Lets hope so.
You can check for yourself by clicking HERE and scrolling through what comes up …..you might be lucky and come across a new offering.
Up Next
So as not to leave you with only two options, here are a few of the other options you have that might consider.
They are not really mini chainsaws with a pole. Rather they are small chainsaws that are designed to be used on the end of a pole. But….they can also be taken off the pole and used as a normal chainsaw if and when required.
Lets start with the
SUN Joe 2 in 1
The Sun Joe SWJ806E has an 8 inch bar and no battery – it needs to be plugged into a power source. That (unfortunately) means extension cords and all the potential hiccups that come with them!
On the plus side, its a 2 in1 tool that you can use on the end of the pole or as a chainsaw.
Also. the telescopic pole extends to 8.6 ft (2.62m) which is some reach!
However, at 8.4 pounds(3.8kg) this is no lightweight fairy on the end of a pole!
Even without the pole, you can see in the picture that it is very definitely designed for using with 2 hands.
NB OBSERVATION The release button that allows you to detach the saw from the pole is very poorly positioned! More than one person has complained that they have hit this button entirely by mistake while sawing away above them and the chainsaw part has come tumbling down! Not good 🙁
With that said, lets look at the competition in the form of
The Black & Decker BECSP601
This B&D comes equipped with a 10-inch bar and also has to be plugged in to a power source.
The pole extends to 8.2 ft (2,5m) and the saw can also be detached from the pole and used as a normal 2-hands-required chainsaw.
However the manufacturer claims that it weighs an eye watering 14.4 pounds (or 6.5kg)! That is getting to the point where you are going to have to go to gym to pump iron to be able to swing this thing around with the pole!
So this really is a chainsaw stuck on the end of a pole. Could work but not really in the spirit or scope of this article!
And a Final Option
Black & Dekker 20V MAX Chainsaw Attachment
This forms part of the Black & Dekker Yardmaster interchangeable system. The system features a base unit and extension pole and the idea is that you can then attach a variety of tools on the end.
This is the chainsaw attachment. There are others such as a blower, trimmer etc.
The one (only?) advantage this has over the other 2 options above is that the system is battery driven.
Other than that, you can’t operate this as a chainsaw by itself. Most people feel its better(and cheaper) to buy the individual tools designed specifically for the job.
All in all this would be a last resort and bought for the other options it offers and not specifically as a chainsaw with an extension pole!
In Conclusion
So you are looking for a true mini chainsaw that has an extension pole?
As we have seen – not a lot of choice really.
Go with the T Tovia (which to be fair ticks all the boxes) or the ImoumLive, or make do with one of the compromises above OR investigate true polesaws
Alternatively you could look at Hard Working Extendable Electric Pruning Shears
Good Luck!