What Jobs Can Mini Chainsaws Do Well?
The question of what jobs mini chainsaws are good for has a multitude of potential answers!
The question that really needs answering is: What job do you want a mini chainsaw to do for you? Then comes which is the best mini chainsaw for that job?
But lets start by stating that mini chainsaws are serious tools that can be very useful for a variety of jobs around the house or on camping trips. They do a great job when used correctly.
They are frequently used for pruning small trees and bushes, to cut up wood in a workshop, to cut up firewood (small logs).
In fact they can be used in just about any situation where you previously would probably have used a small hand saw or small axe.
The most important factors to take into account when considering whether a mini chainsaw will do the job for you include:
- Size of the material you want to cut up/through.
- Duration of the job(s)
- How often will you need to use the mini chainsaw
Lets look at these 3 a bit more closely.
Size of the Material
Mini chainsaws are small chainsaws. They are designed and built to do small jobs that a larger chainsaw would probably not be able to do very well, or at all, due to its size.
The 2 pictures above illustrate this situation.
The job of cutting the wood stored in the left picture is huge. No mini chainsaw could meet that challenge – not even the best rated mini chainsaw is capable of that! On the other hand, pruning a small branch as depicted on the right is an ideal job for a battery driven mini saw!
Hauling out a big conventional chainsaw would be wasted time and effort for one little branch. In fact, a big chainsaw would not make a very clean cut which is not what you want when pruning a plant!
While the above comparison is obvious, we also need to factor in the different mini saw sizes.
The most common way of measuring the “size” of a mini chainsaw is by referring to the length of the bar. That is the piece that the chain runs around on and the quoted length is measured on one side only.In other words, the length of chain available for cutting.
The most common mini chainsaw bar lengths are 4 inches and 6 inches.
However, you also get 5 inch, 7 inch, 8 inch and 10 inch mini chainsaws.
A general rule of thumb is that you should not try cut through any wood that has a diameter or width that is less than 1 – 2 inches SMALLER than the bar length.
That is a bit of a mouth full.
Put another way. If you have a mini chainsaw with a 6-inch bar, then don’t tackle anything more than 4 to 5 inches in diameter.
Duration of the Job
Mini chainsaws are small battery driven tools. Despite the recent advances in battery technology, most mini chainsaws only have the capacity to operate for 20 – 30 minutes.
Then you need to recharge the battery which will take anything from 2 to 3 hours.
A second battery will allow you more work time but they are also expensive so it doesn’t make sense to have 5 or 6 batteries that you can just keep rotating through while the others recharge.
So at some point you will have to stop while the battery recharges.
That’s not a bad thing because it allows the motor to cool down and rest.
The bottom line here is that the job you envisage doing with the mini saw should not take longer than about 20 mins. That is 20 mins cutting time, not altogether.
That is actually quite a long time if you are pruning items around your garden or on a bush trail etc. It could easily translate into an hour plus of work as you move from one small job to the next.
In fact, the above scenario is where a mini chainsaw comes into its own as it is:
- Small in size
- Light
- operated with one hand
- very maneuverable
To summarize thus far. Mini chainsaws are ideal for cutting through small diameters and working in short bursts of activity with rest periods in between.
How Often Do You Need to Use It?
In some ways this is related to the first 2 questions.
Big chainsaws can operate day in and day out, mini chainsaws can’t. If you try to use them constantly they will blow up/break down/just plain break.
This is because they are small tools with small motors and designed for small jobs.
If you use them like that, they will give you good service for a long time.
So given the above…..
What are Mini Chainsaws Good For?
General Garden Pruning
Although maybe not the ideal tool for pruning things like roses (cordless pruning secateurs are the preferred weapon of choice because of their precision cutting), mini chainsaws are great for pruning back small trees, bamboo and large bushes.
The added advantage for many older gardeners is that these tools are light and so are not too taxing to use.
In addition, the chain and motor do most of the work which enables people to do more in less time.
Their disadvantage of course is the cleanliness of the cut is not brilliant but it is good enough for most situations.
Camping
Need to cut some kindling, for your camp fire or clear a trail of some errant small branches, then a battery powered mini chainsaw is the ideal tool to take along with you.
It is light, small, quick and efficient and for a bonus point – not very noisy!
In Your Workshop
A mini chainsaw might be able to help you with small woodwork or other DIY projects.
Do remember though that if you use your mini chainsaw “out of context” then it’s likely to have a shortened life span. So sawing through PVC piping etc is not a good idea!
And More
A mini chainsaw is a very useful mini tool to have around. Decorative art work? Making a fire? Resizing a wooden fence pole etc etc?
A mini chainsaw can do all that and more!
Are Mini Chainsaws Good Enough to do all this?
There are obviously different sizes and makes/brands of mini chainsaws with different capabilities.
They all have their little quirks and strengths and weaknesses.
However, on the whole, they are all capable of doing a job for you as long as you keep the basics in mind.
To reiterate these:
- Don’t use them for jobs they are not designed for
- Don’t overuse them
- Keep them clean and the chain sharp and oiled
Do that, and both you and your mini saw will be fine! 🙂
PS You can find out more about mini chainsaws and chainsaws HERE