Mini Chainsaws with an Offset Bar

There aren’t too many mini chainsaws with an offset bar, or variations of that concept, on the market at the moment. But there are one or two and they are worth looking at.

The Worx WG324 20V Power Share 5 Inch Mini Chainsaw

Having a mini chainsaw with an offset bar would seem to hold several advantages if you really want to be accurate in your cutting.

Worx is a main stream traditional chainsaw brand that doesn’t specialize in mini chainsaws. However seems to have recognized the potential advantages of having an offset bar. Not many other brands have.

So hats off to them for producing a mini chainsaw that dares to be different…..with a price tag that is also a bit different to your run of the mill mini chainsaw 🙂

The other thing that is unusual about this Worx mini chainsaw is the 5-inch bar. So neither the more traditional 4-inch bar or 6-inch bar size.

Which is interesting because they could have chosen any length bar. Maybe they know something we don’t??

So Why the Offset Bar

Its pretty simple really. Improved line of sight.

With the bar set on the side and not smack in the middle, you have a better chance of guiding your cutting direction more accurately.

How important is that? Well that’s up to you. But here are just two examples of where an offset bar could be an advantage:

When using the saw for some DIY carpentry and cutting along a line you have drawn on a plank.
Where pruning requires a fair degree of accuracy. For example cutting just beyond a new bud in order to get rid of excess foliage but save the new growth.

More about the Worx WG324

So apart from the offset bar, what other aspects of this mini saw are worth mentioning when comparing it to general expectations for a mini saw.

First off, and disappointingly so, this is not powered by a brushless motor. This seems to be a blind spot at the moment for Worx as even their smaller traditional design chainsaws do not yet have brushless motors.

The other (but less surprising) omission is an automatic oiler. Would be nice to have but certainly not a deal breaker for a mini saw where adding a few drops of oil to the bar and chain from time to time is rarely disruptive to your work flow.

On a more positive note:

It has a tool-less chain tightening system – always a bonus.
The battery is interchangeable with the other 20V battery powered Worx tools, of which there are a fair few!
Safety features include a retractable chain and bar guard and a protective guard around the trigger area
A chain speed of 18.4 ft/sec (5,6m/sec) which is not mind blowing but respectable enough for most jobs it will be asked to perform.
Weighs in at 3.86 pounds (1.75kg) with battery attached. That makes for easy handling at most heights and angles.

And the clever little lock switch that can be operated from either the left or right side which makes life a lot easier for lefties.

Last consideration. Replacement chains seem to be difficult to come by at the moment. That issue will hopefully be addressed as it goes without saying that, at some point, the chain will need replacing. However, its not sensible or cost effective to replace the chain every time it gets a bit blunt, so learning to sharpen a chainsaw chain is a worthwhile skill to learn

And so on to the other “maverick”.

Enhulk

So this is an interesting concept.

The Enhulk is a mini chainsaw with an offset bar and chain that can also be moved 45° to either the left or right of its normal straight out front position.

The question is really this: A useful function or a bit of a gimmick?

No doubt its a great concept that could have some useful applications.

The worry with these small tools however is this. With (very) limited space to work with design wise, many of these type of functions unwittingly become the weak points of the tool.

The safety baffle on many mini chainsaws is a case in point. Great idea but many users complain about how fragile the connection of the baffle to the tool is.

The jury is probably still out on how effective this concept is and if it does fulfill a genuine need or not.

Having said all that, lets look at other aspects of this saw. After all, having the swivel function does not mean you have to always use that function. It might just be a “nice to have if needed” but you don’t use it 99% of the time.

Tale of the Tape

At the listed price, this is a fairly cost effective option for a 6-inch bar mini chainsaw with the following attributes and bits and pieces that come with it:

Automatic lubricating system
A chain speed of 26.4 ft/sec (5m/sec) – compare that to the Worx above
Safety features including safety baffle, lock switch and trigger guard.
Tool-less chain tension system
2 spare chains and a replacement 6-inch bar
Two batteries and a charger
A protective scabbard which is a bit of a rarity in this size of saw.However there is some speculation that this has been adapted from another tool and is not specific to this saw??
A pair of gloves

So all in all not a bad package.

If in doubt, compare it to some of the top rated 6-inch bar mini saws on the market.

In Conclusion

A mini chainsaw with an offset bar has some advantages over the more conventionally designed mini chainsaws.

The question is whether you need those characteristics of the tool or not?

If they would be advantageous then these mini chainsaws are well worth considering,.