What Are Mini Chainsaws Designed to Cut?
Nope, not this!!
In essence, mini chainsaws are designed to cut through anything that a chainsaw would normally be used on.
But on a smaller scale.
So, mini chainsaws can be very effective in performing a number of tasks and cutting through a range of materials.
There are all sorts of variations of mini chainsaws which will have an influence on what they can cut. And what they can’t!
For example, the Worx mini chainsaw pictured left, has a 5-inch bar and chain which is much shorter than an 8-inch bar.
So immediately you can see that, with this mini saw, you wont be able to cut through branches with a diameter of greater than about 4 inches.
On the other hand, the Hychika pictured below has an
8-inch bar and can therefore handle objects with a bigger diameter( up to about 7inches)
The other difference between these 2 examples of mini chainsaws is the type of electric motor they are fitted with.
The Worx has a brushed motor while the Hychika has a brushless electric motor.
The difference between the 2 types is quite significant in many respects and you can read about the advantages of a mini chainsaw with a brushless motor here.
What are Mini Chainsaws Designed to do?
Maybe that statement should read – originally designed for, rather than normally used for.
For example, in certain geographic areas,chainsaws are regularly used to cut holes in ice! However,
that was not what they were designed for. Likewise PVC piping.
Chainsaws were originally designed to cut down and cut up trees. So we could say that cutting wood is what they were originally designed for.
When considering what we can cut with a mini chainsaw, even that statement needs to be refined a little!
So, here goes. All the points below involve wood of some description.
Garden Plants
Mini Chainsaws like this one are great for pruning and trimming small to medium sized garden plants.
They are light, easy to operate, and their battery charge usually lasts long enough to accomplish a fair amount in the garden!
And you usually have the option of a second battery which can extend your working time significantly.
Most small to medium size plants can easily be tackled with a 4-inch bar or 6-inch bar mini chainsaw.
These mini saws are also not very long.They are thus very maneuverable and can get into, and operate in, small and difficult to access areas.
Orchards
Same as above but possibly on a bigger scale. Either way, a mini chainsaw can speed up the pruning of orchards.
Cutting Firewood
If you need kindling or have some logs of firewood that are too long, then a mini chainsaw is the ideal tool to accomplish that chore. Don’t get too ambitious though.
Remember the golden rule for mini chainsaws – don’t try cut through anything that has a diameter bigger than the bar length and preferably have an inch or two to spare!
NB: Most mini chainsaw marketing blurb will claim they can cut through branches etc that are much bigger than the bar length. There is no doubt many can, but that’s not what they were designed for and doing that regularly will result in a broken mini saw sooner than later.
Using it like that once or twice is not usually an issue, but rather buy a saw with a bigger bar length if you run into that problem on a regular basis.
Bucking & Limbing Trees/Cleaning up Storm Damage
Bucking and limbing felled trees is usually done by big powerful gas powered chainsaws on the forestry level. Big trees, big logs, big branches need a big, powerful chainsaw.
However, if a small to medium sized tree gets blown over in your garden during a storm, your mini chainsaw may well be just the tool you need to cut it up into smaller, more manageable pieces.
Camping/Road Trip Accessory
Having a small, light and compact mini chainsaw that is battery driven is an ideal tool to have stashed away when you go camping.
It’s not a bad idea for a cross country road trip either!
Cutting a bit of firewood, clearing a hiking trail, removing a fallen branch from your path etc etc.
It can be a very handy tool to have with you.
Of course, you need to make sure it is well maintained (chain sharp and correctly tensioned) and the batteries are fully charged for it to be of any use to you! But that is for the pre trip “to do” list of activities.
Home DIY Carpentry Projects
A mini chainsaw can be a very handy tool to have if you indulge in a bit of DIY woodwork.
It is however not a precision cutting tool, so a mini chainsaw is not suited for woodwork along the lines of joinery.
However, they are ideally suited for cutting the odd plank or cutting small diameter logs for building a rough wooden structure e.g. a tree house.
In short, a mini chainsaw is never out of place in a workshop. It can accomplish a multitude of small cutting jobs for you that might otherwise require a trip somewhere to have that job done.
Cutting Bamboo
Its an interesting feature of the marketing blurb for mini chainsaws that many mention that they are ideal for cutting through bamboo. But how relevant is that to us?
There are 2 aspects to this claim:
- Its good news because bamboo is a pretty fibrous material that can cause havoc with many cutting tools.
- Most of the mini chainsaws on the market today are made in China. Cutting bamboo is perhaps more relevant to that population than most of the rest of the world.
Just another little foible of using local to try market internationally…..but informative to some degree anyway!
In Summary
The question of what you can cut with a mini chainsaw can be answered broadly in one word: Wood!
However, as we have seen above, not all mini chainsaws have the same capabilities, and “wood” comes in many different sizes, shapes and formats.
The key aspect of this question is to understand and appreciate the limitations of mini chainsaws. Then use them within those boundaries.
If you do that, then a mini chainsaw will be a great investment that will serve you well.