Mini chainsaws are made for cutting through wood that is simply too large for regular secateurs. They eliminate a lot of the work that can easily turn into an overwhelming task and are perfect for pruning.
If you have the funds available, this guide can assist you in finding the best mini chainsaw for small projects.
The best mini chainsaws for 2023 are listed in this guide, along with some helpful advice on how to choose the right tool for you.
Best Mini Chainsaws
Sun Joe 8″ Convertible Pole Chainsaw
Many of the chainsaws you’ll find under 10″ are pole saws, designed to be lightweight for easy lifting and cutting down tree limbs that are more than 8′ feet off the ground. The main issue with them is that a long pole is attached to them, making them awkward for jobs that are closer to the ground. With the ability to remove the pole and use the chainsaw alone, this Sun Joe convertible chainsaw solves that issue. This qualifies it as a miniature chainsaw, making it ideal for navigating small spaces.
Even though it is longer than mini chainsaws that can be held in the hand, it weighs only 5.5 pounds and has a slim profile that makes it simple to handle and move around while performing any light pruning and cutting tasks. And all you need to do is attach the pole and get to work when it’s time to prune branches off of a very tall tree.
It’s the only chainsaw in our collection without a battery, which is a bummer. If you don’t already have one, be prepared to spend a little extra money on an extension cord since it uses a regular electric cord and may require one that is very long.
However, this Sun Joe will handle the majority of the light work required in a backyard for less than $80 and is small and light enough to not be a burden. Consider something more robust if you anticipate having to cut down numerous old, thick trunks.
Stihl GTA 26 Cordless Garden Pruner Saw Kit
The mini chainsaws from Stihl, which has one of the best chainsaw lines in the world, are excellent. This small cutting tool is packed with safety features and is also user-friendly and comfortable to hold.
A chain oil supply is included in the kit to protect your tool from gum and sap on young wood, and the batteries’ quick charging times ensure that you never have to wait around for very long.
Craftsman V20 Cordless Lopper
You can’t go wrong with the Craftsman V20 Cordless Lopper if convenience and safety are top priorities for you. Despite weighing in at 9 pounds, it’s not as cumbersome to use with one hand as a one-handed tool would be because of its scissor-like design.
The Lopper’s purpose, like that of the other chainsaws on this list, is to quickly cut small to medium-sized branches from your backyard trees. However, it’s odd design is for safety reasons. Blade guards protect the bar and chain on both sides; the lower one moves with the handle, much like a pair of scissors, so the chainsaw itself is only visible when you open it. The same blade guard serves as a jaw to hold branches in place while you squeeze and the chain slices through them. The jaw closes down once it has been cut, protecting the blade and lowering the risk of injury.
The Lopper does it a little differently, whereas many models have two-button activation specifically for safety reasons. It can’t turn on by accident when you’re just carrying it around in one hand because there is a button on each of the various handles. Due to the likelihood that the jaw will be covered in sawdust at the conclusion of your gardening session, this safety feature may also prove useful when cleaning it.
Although the Lopper is less adaptable than standard open models due to its shape, you still want to make sure you spend $140 on the right tool. It will, however, make your work much simpler and give you peace of mind if you are clear about what you need it for.
DEWALT DCM565N Cordless XR Brushless Chain Saw
This DEWALT DCM565N Cordless XR Brushless Chain Saw has a number of features that 1) make it easy to use, and 2) help it stay easy to use moving forward if ease of maintenance is what you value most.
First off, it automatically oils the chain, saving you from having to remember to do it. Second, there is no need for additional tools and the chain tensioning can be completed quickly. So while it still has plenty of power, this cordless option is a great substitute for a model that runs on gasoline.
It weighs only 3.6 kg and has a respectable 30 cm bar, but it is still manageable and simple to use. This cordless chainsaw is suitable for most tasks around the house and garden because it can easily cut through softwood trees up to 30 cm thick.
It has an Oregon bar and chain installed, which is a well-known brand in the chainsaw industry, making replacement parts simple to find when needed.
This cordless chainsaw is sold without a battery in order to keep costs low. It ought to be compatible if you already own a DEWALT 18 V battery. Otherwise, you’ll have to buy one on your own. An average 5.0 Ah battery provides 70 cuts per charge.
The only real drawback is that it uses a lot of oil, so you’ll have to refill it frequently—possibly more frequently than you would with other models.
This is one of the best cordless chainsaws for ease of use and maintenance if you’re looking for a good substitute for a petrol-powered model and don’t want a tool that requires a lot of work to maintain.
Bosch Cordless Chainsaw UniversalChain 18
Chainsaws can do quite a bit of damage, so it’s understandable why people with little experience with them frequently find them to be intimidating. For precisely this reason, Bosch developed their UniversalChain 18V Cordless Chainsaw. This chainsaw is made with novice users in mind and is intended for people who require a power tool to assist with tree pruning and firewood cutting. I had plenty of the latter to do as a result of Storm Arwen, and I was depending on this chainsaw to assist me in repairing the damage.
Bosch has made sure that assembly is as straightforward as possible in an effort to make this chainsaw as appealing to beginners as possible. You don’t need any tools to attach the chain to the bar because it is already attached to it. I was able to get this chainsaw up and running in about five minutes because oil is also provided for the chain’s automatic oiling system.
This battery-operated chainsaw has a few distinctive design features that immediately catch the eye. The first is its size; with a 20 cm bar and a very small body, it is the smallest of the six cordless chainsaws I reviewed. The chainsaw’s metal tip guard is the next to be discussed. It serves to lessen vibration, provide a cleaner cut when pruning trees, and keep you from using the chainsaw’s nose as a cutting tool. Why? Because whereas this chainsaw is made for beginners, that requires experience.
Worx WG320 JawSaw Cordless Chainsaw
Worx’s fierce-looking JawSaw may at first appear too bizarre to be a useful tool, but it is actually a fully functional chainsaw that is made with user safety and convenience in mind.
Retailing for under $120, the JawSaw has a very capable 6″ bar and chain inside its front jaws. To avoid accidental exposure, it is concealed in the lower one. Those jaws lock the tool onto a branch or thin trunk (up to 4″ in diameter) and, once you push the handle forward, the chainsaw starts moving up and cutting through.
The JawSaw has the advantage of effortlessly cutting branches and trunks lying on the ground, despite being slightly less comfortable to hold than the Lopper. It can be placed directly over a branch and then applied pressure while being raised slightly by the outermost tooth. It will be easily cut through by the chainsaw.
The JawSaw can only be used in certain spaces due to its shape and design, just like the Lopper. The WG307 is a corded alternative that costs about $60 less.
RLSOO Small Chainsaw
If you’re looking for a powerful, high-quality chainsaw that’s also reasonably priced, the RLSOO Small Chainsaw is a great option. This small chainsaw has a high-quality copper motor that enables it to handle a range of cutting jobs, from pruning branches to felling trees. Because of the superior alloy used in its construction, the chain will effortlessly cut through any material while maintaining its sharpness.
This little chainsaw has an anti-slip handle that makes it simple to hold and steer while you’re cutting. Additionally, a rotating safety bezel that shields your face from splinters and prevents wood splashing is a feature of this product. This tool is lightweight (2.4 pounds) and portable enough for anyone to carry around in their tool kit while still being powerful enough to assist you with any task.
Makita DUC353Z Twin Li-Ion LXT Cordless Chainsaw
After testing several of their cordless tools, I can understand why Makita is regarded as one of the best power tool manufacturers out there. As a result, even though I had high expectations for their DUC353Z Twin 18V Cordless Chainsaw, I was also a little unsure of its ability to perform the task I had in mind for it, which was to assist me in felling the numerous mature trees that Storm Arwen had scattered throughout my farm.
It took less than ten minutes to assemble everything. The entire process took place without the use of any tools because of how easy it is to assemble thanks to Makita’s design. Better yet, the machine comes with a small bottle of oil, so you can get it going as soon as you open the box.
This is unmistakably a Makita tool in terms of appearance, and I adore the brand’s signature blue and black color scheme. This battery-operated chainsaw has some really impressive design features. It features a sturdy 35cm bar with an Oregon chain (you can’t find chains of higher quality), an on/off button, ergonomic handles, and a metal spike bumper that should give the chainsaw better leverage. It also has two batteries that can be charged at once.
Mini Chainsaw Buying Guide
The term “mini chainsaw” can be confusing and used very liberally on the market. Here are a few things to think about as you browse all of the options available online.
Safety Concerns
Numerous’mini chainsaws’ are available for purchase online. The vast majority, though, are not produced by reputable companies like Milwaukee or Stihl. They’re generic products with unknown names, and they’re sometimes accompanied by outrageous claims — for example, listings saying they feature 98V batteries, when the realistic range is 12V-20V in a single battery pack measuring around 5″ x 3″.
Additionally, frauds have been reported. One of the earliest handheld chainsaws to enter the market, the Stihl GTA 26, is purportedly available on many websites for a significant discount. The seller either doesn’t ship anything at all or ships a completely different item (similar to the generic items found on retail websites under other names).
Whether they are small or large, chainsaws are hazardous power tools that, if used improperly, can cause serious injuries. It is not a good idea to buy a product like this on the cheap. The reputation of the brand you are considering should come first. The tool’s safety features, such as two-step activation (requiring pressing two distinct buttons or triggers to turn it on), a blade guard covering one side of the chain, or a divider that keeps your hand from the chain in case it slips, should also be considered. Additionally, an automatic oiler isn’t a bad addition because it will keep the chain from sticking or even coming off. Manual oiling can be tiresome and is simple to overlook in the middle of a task.
Power
Chain speed (in meters per second) and torque are used to gauge the power or cutting capacity of chainsaws. Unfortunately, only one of these figures—usually chain speed—is displayed sometimes, and other times none of them are. However, because these chainsaws will be used to cut small branches, chain speed will be more important.
The chain’s ability to spin with force is referred to as its torque. It’s crucial when working with hard woods like maple, but it’s even more crucial if you’re trying to cut big pieces of it and run into knots in the middle of the process.
High chain speed, on the other hand, makes cutting small branches a lot easier because even with hard wood, there is very little resistance overall in a 1″ to 4″ diameter branch. You should also take torque into account if you anticipate using your small chainsaw occasionally for more difficult tasks. However, you should consider a full-size chainsaw (maybe even a gas-powered one) if you’ll be taking down trees or branches wider than 6″ on a regular basis.
Size and Shape
Commercial-grade gas-powered chainsaws tend to have guide bars that range from 16″ to more than 30″ in length, and can weigh anywhere from 9 pounds to 25 pounds or more. For a mini chainsaw, you should be looking for lengths in the 4″ to 10″ range and a weight below 7 pounds for maximum portability and ease of use.
There are many options when it comes to shape, ranging from conventional two-handed configurations to lopper-like designs that typically offer more safety. The now common handheld pruning chainsaw is another option.
To remove small 1″ to 3″ diameter branches, a lopper-style chainsaw can be more than enough. For more versatility, power and out-of-the-garden projects, you might want to get something closer to a traditional two-handed chainsaw with 8″ to 12″ guide bars.
Warranty
When it comes to a pricey and potentially dangerous tool, the warranty is crucial. The maker ought to be able to assist you if any component of your chainsaw breaks, either by troubleshooting the issue or by quickly supplying replacement parts.
Two to three years of warranty time is typical for battery-powered chainsaws. Anything less than that — or even worse, no warranty information — should be viewed as a warning sign.
How to Use a Mini Chainsaw
Similar to manual pruning saws, mini chainsaws should be handled carefully. For larger branches, begin your initial cut higher up, and when two branches meet, cut from the top down. By doing so, the risk of snapping branches will be greatly reduced, and it will also make it easier to make cleaner cuts, which will help the tree or shrub heal more quickly and with less risk of infection.
However, the majority of mini chainsaws are made to be operated with just one hand, leaving you with the other free to hold smaller branches. A few mini chainsaws have two handles. If this is the case, make sure your grip hand is at least 6″ from the blade, and the tool hand is gripping firmly, and behind any guards.
Wrapping Up Our Mini Chainsaw Buying Guide
The most practical power tool you can purchase for the garden is a mini chainsaw, despite the fact that it may seem a bit frivolous and like a luxury item.
For larger projects, see our buying guide for the best chainsaws, but for pruning and garden upkeep, having a decent mini chainsaw in your toolbox will serve you better.
FAQs
What is a Mini Chainsaw Good For?
Small gardens, shrubs, and craft projects all benefit greatly from the mini electric chain saw. You can trim trees, vines, cut wood, and prune branches with this small chainsaw. Additionally, totem poles can be carved in gardens and courtyards using a cordless electric saw.
Is There Such a Thing as a Mini Chainsaw?
Use a mini chainsaw to complete trimming and pruning jobs that are too small to be handled by a regular chainsaw but too large to be handled by manual loppers. Although still small enough to be maneuverable and fit in places where larger saws might not, these sturdy machines can chew through thick branches.
What is the Smallest Chainsaw?
Chainsaw, 12-Inch, Echo CS-271T.