Walmart is selling this Yahhu cordless chainsaw for $44, with the listing saying you save $186 off the crossed-out price of $230.
I don’t want to tell you what to do, but just know I would NEVER buy something like this. I’d sooner buy a handheld manual pruning saw than something like this.
A reader – thank you Scott! – wrote in about it:
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This article popped up in my Apple News feed and immediately threw up red flags – [Scott linked to an article titled Walmart is selling a ‘handy’ $230 mini cordless chainsaw for only $39, and shoppers call it ‘awesome’.]
If that doesn’t load, it links to this item at Walmart
First, I don’t even know how a company can sell a 6” chainsaw with two or three batteries, extra chains, case, and misc accessories for under $50. There are several identical versions I. Various colors. The baggy gardening gloves are an obvious safety issue and it’s unclear if the glasses are appropriately rated. I can’t imagine that wing nut stays fastened with the vibration of the tool.
I know I shouldn’t be shocked that this exists at this price point. I’m just surprised that Walmart isn’t concerned about the liability they just have even though they just “fulfill” this.
The no-name chainsaw was heartily endorsed by a “commerce writer.”
There are so many of these cordless one-handed chainsaws on Amazon, Walmart, and other online marketplaces.
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This particular model is sold by “Xinyu-us” and fulfilled by Walmart.
Personally, I’d rather buy a brand name power tool. Getting something from Craftsman, Worx, or Ryobi will cost more, but those brands stand behind their products.
We’ve already seen how some direct-to-marketplace tool companies aren’t cooperating with recalls. See Also: CPSC: Cheap Cordless Drill Sold at Amazon can Cause Injury and Death.
I see a lot of these tools being marketed on social media, and I can see how such tools can be enticing, especially at their low price points.
In mid 2024, the US CPSC – the Consumer Product Safety Commission – found Amazon to be liable for recalled products “that are defective or fail to meet federal consumer product safety standards.” Meaning, I think that if there’s a safety issue or recall, Walmart will likely be held liable as the distributor.
I can’t tell you whether the no-name cordless chainsaws are safe or not, but I would never trust them – not the tools or the Li-ion rechargeable batteries.
Amazon and Walmart sell those tools because people keep buying them. Mass media and review sites keep recommending these tools because they get affiliate commissions when people buy them. So why do people keep buying them? Because they’re cheap? I really don’t know.
It’s not just Americans buying these cheap no-name tools. If you look at Amazon’s bestsellers lists these one-handed saws top the charts in many regions.
Remember how back in around 2016 hoverboard batteries were exploding? Apparently there are still fires, injuries, and deaths from hoverboards and scooters. There’s fierce competition among super cheap marketplace tool brands, and it might only be a matter of time before they get lax(er) on safety precautions.
The concept is neat, and these no-name models are half the price of those you can find at retail stores. But I really don’t see how anyone can trust these brands.
There’s a cordless battery and adapter maker, and they wanted to send me review samples. They pointed to a YouTuber’s review, and said the influencer tested the batteries in ways the brand could not. Excuse me?
they did more tests than we ever could. Exposed some issues that we need to improve, and results that prove the battery does work reliably even after several impact tests.
That was a brand that seemed to take pride in their company and products, and they told me that a YouTuber can better test their products.
I hope to send you a battery system that we spent 2 years building.
I declined. How much safety testing do you think is done by most brands with alphabet soup names?
Are these random-branded one-handed cordless chainsaws and Li-ion batteries being thoroughly tested?
Sometimes I wonder if this is how Skynet will take over. “Suitable for all kinds of people.”
“Acceptable low noise.” They’re comparing a mini chainsaw to a full-size model that’s shown cutting large logs.
Is this really a typical application – cutting smooth-planed wood boards?
I don’t know how people look at these saws and think “I’m sure they care about my safety.”
I do not trust no-name cordless power tools, cutting tools, or rechargeable batteries. The links below are for reference only.
The least expensive brand name compact chainsaw I could find is this Ryobi 18V model, which sells for $99 at Home Depot.
It only comes with one battery and one chain, but sometimes less is more.
This calls to mind… Disturbingly Catchy Tuned Tiny Chainsaw Safety Video
Jason M
The best alphabet soup product I’ve ever bought was a clamp on laptop screen that’s amazing and $99.
That being said, I would never trust something like this with batteries and moving parts. Eventually they need to crack down more on the marketplaces because it’s impossible to hold the 3P sellers accountable. They just fold up shop and pop up as new letters and colors a week later.
I don’t need it but that Ryobi is a great deal, even cheaper than the Hart counterpart.
Scott F
I like how the “Home Woodworking” application picture shows cutting a tree branch. These tools do not belong in the market.
How do the alphabet soup brands compare to a company like Vevor? Feels like Vevor just consolidated the logistics for all of the alphabet soup vendors and just sell those same products under their name, but any thoughts to comparability? I do not buy much from Vevor either, but don’t tend to scroll past quite as fast when their name pops up compared to Yahhu. In product categories where quality is less a concern, of course..
fred
The lure of cheap goods always seems to sucker-in some consumers – sometimes with less than benign consequences. Some tools can be downright dangerous – and if a “throwaway” price cajoles a newbie into using one without knowing how the consequences can be disastrous. I’ve always wondered about how the number and severity of power tool accidents relate to tool price. It would be interesting to have statistics that relate chain saw (or table saw) MSRP to the number of units sold and then to the number of reported accidents resulting from their use.
adam
Vevor is the same junk consolidated into a brand.
will
A chainsaw would stress the battery hard and a cheap battery may get hot enough to cause harm to the user. I think I’d go with the Ryobi or get a pole saw.
Shane
I actually have a couple of Vevor products that Im very happy with. Albeit one is an ultrasonic cleaner and the other being linear bearings and rails. And most recently…..the end vise for my work bench. To discount them altogether is a bit unfair from my perspective, I was hesitant to try their brand and I would never even take into consideration a product like this……rotating chain blade with plastic guard and trigger, an inherently dangerous tool, without some homework, but the point is that it’s not ALL junk. It’s tough these days to just buy a “brand “ in a lot of cases . There is a formula for me (though I cannot make public my personal algorithm for comparison and purchasing of tools) because my interest and expectations will likely be different from yours and will probably always be fluid in a way that shapes around my interests in the moment. It’s not helpful to other prospective buyers to trash a brand name wholesale. Even Walmart/ Hart/ Hyper tough has US made tools on offer at very competitive prices. There are even a few jewels at harbor freight. There is no be all/end all brand.
Rog
Every single one of those promo images has either a typo, major grammatical error, or both. Yikes.
Jared
The pictures kind of have that look that makes me thing they’re using stock photos and photoshopping the tool into the model’s hands. I.e. the model never actually held the saw, even while bamboo “catting” or putting his face up next to an overhead saw without safety glasses.
HondaDriver
I’m on board with the safety claims made here. The obviously inexperienced operators depicted using these in unsuitable applications are only going to cut off a few fingers. They’d be much worse off with a full size saw.
A W
This comment made me laugh out loud. Thank you.
Tucker
Yikes! Between Ryobi and other “house” brands at Lowes and Walmart, I just don’t see the need.
I have one of the brushless Ryobi saws and it is wonderful. Took a bit to get the chain tension to stick in place, but since then I use it all of the time to cut up brush.
Doresoom
I’ve gotten so many offers to review this type of saw from dozens of different alphabet soup companies. No way I’ll ever do it, those emails get deleted immediately.
MM
I like the concept of the mini chainsaw. I really like my Dewalt DCCS623B, it is remarkably capable and punches well above its weight. I had written a long review on it for the Toolguyd forum but I can no longer link to that. Awesome tool.
However, I would never consider these cheapies for a variety of reasons:
1) Power. Chainsawing is a high power requirement process. Weak chainsaws are an exercise in frustration, and I can’t imagine I’m getting much power for these silly low prices.
2) Safety. I don’t trust the safety features from these alphabet soup brands. And really this compounds with #1. People tend to push underpowered tools harder to make up for the lack of performance, and that is a safety problem in and out of itself. Pushing a tool too hard because it’s not adequate for the job is already dangerous and it becomes even more dangerous when that tool is of shoddy quality.
3) Parts/service. Chainsaws have wear parts that need replacement: chains, bars, and drive sprockets. Not only are the durability of these components questionable with a saw this cheap, I want something where I can easily get replacements as needed. With a Dewalt, Milwaukee, Stihl, Makita, etc, it’s easy to get replacements. I’m sure some of the cheapos use standard size bars and chains but I’ve seen some that do not.
At the $50-100 price point I’d go buy a Silky Bigboy and never look back.
Jared
That’s a good point actually – there are handheld saws (like Silky) that cut as fast as small powered ones.
I don’t object if someone would rather carry a cordless saw than do the arm motions themselves. However, I don’t expect the saws in this price category are genuine competition for a Silky. Even more so if you take safety and reliability into account.
mark w
Samurai pruning saw will get ppl there for even cheaper. Corona’s solid. They all cut pretty fast if you’ve got decent technique too.
Josephus
Don’t chainsaws have strange quirks when using them? A propensity to kick and/or dig in and keep going? Depending on user intelligence of course so if the user doesn’t know what they’re doing…
Have a pole chainsaw at work for cutting branches that get into the barbed wire. It’s decent enough, about six feet tall. It’s an older (dark blue) Ryobi model. I’ve already told the supervisor I won’t be cutting anything larger than very small branches with it.
The management sometimes get overzealous with their project planning and think an intrinsically motivated person can do superhuman things. No I’m not using the tiny pole saw to cut through a two foot wide tree branch. Also not an arborist.
Goodie
You only need a chainsaw if you need a chainsaw.
They do have some quirks. The saw wants to move in the opposite direction of the chain’s direction (Newton’s third law). That should be intuitive to folks, but it’s not. Once you learn how the saw works and you have the right safety gear, they can be fairly safe.
However, some of those pics make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Holding onto the board while cutting? Not the safest thing to do without chainsaw gloves. Those cookies are way too big for that little saw and pose a pinch hazard. Then there’s the “is this the right saw for the job?” shots. I wouldn’t cut S4S boards with a chainsaw. It’s not a clean cut. I also wouldn’t be cutting on a bench with a chainsaw.
I have a chainsaw with 14 inch bar and several recip saws. For somebody who wants to prune trees, I think the recip saw is the better tool most of the time.
TomD
Chainsaws are good at being chainsaws and not much else.
There’s a reason I prefer to do pruning with a sawzall or hackzall than with the mini chainsaw, even from the same manufacturer.
Alex
I have, and use, a mini chainsaw – mostly for trimming back the sturdier trees in my back garden. 2 conscious choices buying it – one to go with a brand name (with any tool that has the potential to be hazardous I need to have some level of trust in it (don’t skimp on things that can kill you)), and secondly to go with corded rather than battery (it gets used seasonally, so seems easier than charging, plus it feels better in my hand when I am up a ladder)
The one I have is an excellent tool where I don’t need a full chainsaw
MacLean Flood
I have a really old Makita 18v 6″ saw…not even brushless. Oiling system has never worked. Absolutely great for little light tree work… especially once I removed the metal nose guard. Perfect for feeding things into my WoodMax chipper…forks tend to get stuck in the feeder. Used it for trail maintenance with the Forest Service. As to cheap ones…well…it’ll be interesting to see the kinds of injuries folks get. Cheap means more accessible…and more folks who don’t know or respect how fast a chainsaw can hurt you. Check out my Tree Wheeling video on my Trash and Trail channel on YouTube. We used the Makita to get two Christmas trees out of the snowy woods of Oregon snow wheeling in our Jeeps.
-Mac
MM
Chipper feeding is exactly what motivated me to buy my Dewalt!
Also, it looks like I was wrong about not being able to link to the full review, it seems the page is still up:
https://discuss.toolguyd.com/t/dewalt-mini-pruning-8-chainsaw-dccs623b-review/3178
I’d expect similar usefulness from any other quality brand.
Alexk
I work for a guy that has a similar off brand one. It uses Dewalt batteries, but I’m sure it’s not an authorized product. I’m kinda blown away at what it can cut. That being said, after reading this post, I’m going to research and buy one with a good build reputation. The little saw has been real handy.
Kilroy
Serious question: Why use a 6″ mini chainsaw instead of a reciprocating saw (“Sawzall”), larger chainsaw, or a handsaw (e.g., bow saw or trapezoidal stamped steel wood saw).
Unless size/space is REALLY a big factor, I think 1 or more of the above tools would work just as well or better for most applications, and would likely be more versatile and potentially safer as well.
MM
A chainsaw cuts much more efficiently than a recip saw, it’s not even close. Larger chainsaws size and weight makes them somewhere between awkward and downright dangerous to use for pruning.
I totally agree the recip saw is more flexible. It’s the classic “jack of all trades, master of none”. If someone wants a general purpose saw no question that’s better. But it’s not better for pruning or cutting firewood. Though I do think that the average homeowner who just needs to prune a little here and there can get by with a recip saw just fine.
In my opinion the Japanese style folding saws or arborist’s handsaws which cut on the pull stroke have made the old-school bow saw obsolete. That’s why I recommended the Silky Bigboy as an alternative above. There are many other brands that make similar things (Tri Saw, Samurai, Corona, Oregon, Stihl, etc.) Silky happens to be my favorite. Something like that with a curved cutting edge and fleam-filed teeth cuts a lot more efficiently than a bow saw and fits into tight spots for pruning easily. They also leave a much smoother cut than a chainsaw does, which is nice if you want to borrow the pruning saw for a DIY project.
Dave P
“A chainsaw cuts much more efficiently than a recip saw, it’s not even close.”
Agreed. For the first few cuts when the cheap Chinese chain is sharp. Or until that little Chinese piece of junk mini saw breaks.
Then, (if the saw itself will still run) you need to stop and sharpen it, or do like most people-suspend your project to go buy another chain (or wait while one is shipped to you because the cheap off-brand that you have doesn’t exist in any local store).
A pruning blade in a hackzall or sawzall is a cheap consumable, and when you hit the dirt or a piece of wire (or whatever), you just pitch it, grab another and keep on pruning.
I would wager that a mini chain saw is far more dangerous as well.
If I was in the market for a tiny little pruning chainsaw, I’d buy a name-brand one of whatever battery platform that I already had. Parts are available, batteries are dependable and safe, and I’d wager the saw itself is safer and will last exponentially longer. But I’m not in that market. A 14″/16″/18″ EGO or Milwaukee chain saw–(I prefer the EGO)–absolutely. There’s a lot to be said for something you can pick up and pull the trigger on without firing it back up after every time that you set it down–assuming that it starts in the first place. But I have zero desire for one of those tiny baby chain saws. I’ll stick with my bypass or anvil pruners or my Hackzall with a pruning blade.
MM
I’m certainly not recommending these no-name models. Kilroy’s question didn’t seem limited to them, and my answer certainly wasn’t.
Buying one from whatever platform one happens to be on is exactly what I did. It happened to be Dewalt in my case. The big names have good chains. I’ve had excellent life out of the factory chain (made by Oregon) as well as the Milwaukee Hatchet chain. If you don’t need to use one very often then buying a pruning blade for an existing recip saw makes total sense.
Fowler
I think of you have a lot of branches to cut around 2″ in diameter, the mini chainsaws would be worth it, but for my place I’ve been using a hand saw and a hackzall with a Diablo pruning blade. The pruning sawsall blades make a huge difference
AP
Nope! Not worth it at all. The Milwaukee 6 inch is ideal for pruning. You can buy the Milwaukee 8 inch and add the 10 inch bar and chain from their pole saw. It’s even possible to go bigger yet. Throw a FORGE battery on it and you’re cooking with gas. It costs more but they’re better, safer and more powerful.
Tx Manx
Yea, the marketing collateral is wildly over reaching. No one is going to use these light weight chain saws for any sort of furniture woodworking, except possibly a skilled artisan creating rustic outdoor furniture. Even then…
I am guessing that many consumers are like me… this is the perfect size for my wife. I got her the Ryobi version. From a build quality perspective, it is good enough.
Cutting up to a 4 inch branch?!? No way. Well, if you need to do just one, sure maybe. But working an afternoon trimming out in the yard, you will be exhausted…. here is what my wife discovered…
THE BIG PROBLEM
These saws are too light for the chain to cut efficiently. How light? If left laying on the ground, these will likely float up and away like a helium balloon. Or at risk of being picked up by a magpie to decorate their nest.
Think about how a chain saw works… you put the blade on a branch, pull the trigger, and the WEIGHT of the saw forces the chain to bite into the wood.
With these light saws, the only force pushing the chain into the wood is your arm. I guess if your wife is making a small number of cuts or is the Scion of Hercules that she may put up with the effort. However, even small branches (1″ out less) will require her to apply effort. After a couple hours and if some cuts are above shoulder height…. it will be exhausting.
A BETTER ANSWER
The Ryobi 18V Bypass Lopper…. about 3 feet long. You pull the trigger, the machine does the rest. It will probably cover 90% of your trimming needs.
Check it out : )
Sam Held
I do not have a lot of trees and what I am cutting with it is never over 2 inches in diameter so I have a mini-chainsaw. Very easy to use and gets into tight places. I had shoulder surgery a few years ago so loppers were hard to use since especially if there is a lot of work to do. I have Stihl’s GTA 26 and it is very handy for the limited pruning I do over the summer and then for winter prep. Ace and Northern Tool had it on sale over Christmas season for $150 or its normal $180 with a spare battery. Might still be but have not looked.
Totally agree with the post, if you are going to get one then go with a name brand. I was close to buying the Ryobi but it does not use oil and while I will not use it often, that made me nervous to not oil that chain. I did buy the Ryobi pole saw for higher up pruning that goes with my expand-it series trimmer and it has an auto-feed for oil on that.
Would definitely avoid these alphabet soup models unless it was one-off use and be done with it or you were testing the concept before getting into one of the higher quality versions that Ryobi, Milwaukee, Stihl, etc. have. They are an investment unless you are already on the battery platform.
Ron
RYOBI is the lowest quality I’d buy. I have a mini brushless RYOBI chainsaw and it’s my go-to saw for smaller projects. Next in line is Dewalt brushless 12”……then for large jobs, Milwaukee. They all work incredibly well. The Milwaukee 16” is probably the best performing saw I have. I don’t have any experience with the crazy brand named tools on Amazon/Walmart, and will never take the gamble.
Seth Goodson
Say what you want. But we have two of these and they work great. Way better than expected. I think we have $50 between the 2 of them. The batteries last a lot longer than I thought they would. Cleared out some trees in the property next to us. Ended up being 3-4 dump trailer loads. Would cut them limbs down and chop them with the M18 chain saw. Use these mini chainsaws for making them easier to stack in the trailer. Worked great. I was very skeptical when my wife purchased as I am 100% Milwaukee. However I didn’t want to pay the price for the m12 version and for how often I use it I caved. Happy I did and would do it again.
David G
Put me in the name brand saw group. I’ve had the 12” Dewalt for a couple of years and bought the bare tool for $99 based on a recommendation from this site. I got the 8” blade pole saw for Christmas and have used both the past few weekends trimming trails on our property.
I just noticed that Home Depot has the 12” saw and battery kit for $149 right now which is a great buy. Would definitely recommend to anyone with the Dewalt 20v battery ecosystem.
Keith
Friend of mine gave me one when her Dad gifted her one, and they shipped him 2! Nothing I would have bought for myself, but I’ve have found uses for this one around the house. Usually sits in the basket on my zero turn. If a branch starts hanging too low, it gets lopped off so I don’t have to duck my head.
Where I used it a bunch was out on my hunting stand. Cutting back branches and clearing shooting lanes where the pole saw was too tall or awkward.
Worth what I paid for it.
Champs
To paraphrase the old argument, before we all took photos with our smartphones, the best camera is the one you have on you. Chainsaw prep is WORK, while a folding hand saw is rough and ready.
I still covet the Milwaukee pruning hatchet, but the Husky folding manual saw at Home Depot is maybe $12 and more than good enough. It’s not so much work for me that a $50 alphabet soup special or a pruning blade in the Hackzall I already have would be significantly better.
mark w
The samurai brand fixed blade pruning hand saw has been a great worker for me for the same thing. Kinda a silky alternative that’s thinner metal & flimsier, but was like $20 or something and cuts really good. I’ve flush-cut maybe 7 stumps like 6-7″ diameter, shoving it into dirt while doing so & it’s holding up great
Richard
I had one of these, specifically one that used DeWalt batteries. It worked fine for about a year, I only used it to prune branches from downed trees. The biggest issue I had was the chain coming off but I finally RTFM and figured out how to remedy that. I’d probably buy one again if I needed one.
William Adams
My wife bought one and used it for a while until it got overtaxed in a series of cuts and quit working.
Need to replace it with an equivalent Stihl or other brand which is available locally and has local warranty/support.
JR Ramos
I wouldn’t buy one of these either but mostly because if I need one I’m going to probably need/want higher quality and performance.
Safe? A lot of hyperbole, most often coming from people that don’t understand the nuts and bolts of devices like this. Show me. Buy one, take it apart and examine its parts and construction, and show me that it is not safe and explain why. That means more than blind distrust and fear, imho. I mean we can probably expect thinner wiring and soldering and maybe not much in the way of heat dissipation but that’s not inherently unsafe (may lead to product failure, though). Prove that it isn’t unsafe in a way that relies upon something more concrete than a “brand” name.
These soup-name “brands” are not manufacturing these devices. The factories that do, however, most often do some safety testing (pick a tool or a factory and let’s go from there rather than trying to group it all into one claim).
But really…some real data and information, not unfounded claims and assumptions. At least if you’re going to call out safety.
Stuart
It could be safe, could be unsafe. All I’m saying is that I don’t trust brands like this. How will you know the difference between brands that test and strive for safety, and those that slap things together at the lowest price point possible?
Is there any accountability? According to the CPSC, a lot of brands are not cooperating with recalls, hence their pushing responsibility to the marketplace, such as Amazon.
Brand names occasionally issue responsive or preemptive recalls. Defects and flaws happen. What happens if or when there’s a safety concern with a no-name brand tool? These aren’t screwdrivers or tool boxes, there’s lots that can go wrong.
MFC
I’ve gotten a couple of these for review and they are cheap. They have all had extra chains and multiple batteries. The quality is worse than ryobi, which is saying something, and they are made for small pruning jobs, and not extensive use. My main concern has been with the reliable charging of the batteries, and so far they’ve been fine. But I’d trust the Ryobi before any of those alphabet soup brands.
PKS319
There is so much negativity here. I think the potential for chains saws to revolutionize trim carpentry (shown above the “Suitable for all kinds of people” example) really needs to be explored. However, I suspect that tool aside, a better approach to holding the workpieces would be good because “hard hurts honds.”
MM
Assuming you’re being serious and not sarcastic, Bosch rolled out a serious attempt at this a few years ago with their “NanoCut” micro-chainsaws. There are several versions on the market: most are styled like the tools being discussed here (AdvancedCut 18, EasyCut 12, UniversalCut 18v-65, etc.). There’s also two resembling a jigsaw (EasyCut 50 & AdvancedCut 50), and even a tablesaw variant (AdvancedTableCut 50). There could easily be more models I’m forgetting. These are not marketed in North America but were covered by a lot of tool reviewers and Youtubers. The general consensus seems to be largely negative. They cut slowly, the replacement bar-and-chain cartridges are expensive and of questionable life, but the most important issues–damning for many tasks–is that the cut quality is poor and it is difficult to cut a straight line. So I don’t think this would be revolutionizing trim carpentry because a chainsaw likely isn’t capable of the precision and cut quality required.
However, that said, I feel that many reviewers were overly harsh in their reviews and missed the point entirely. For example, Wranglerstar called it the worst chainsaw he ever used and thought it was a piece of garbage. However, you could see in his testing that he was treating it like a much larger saw and was expecting speed out of it. He was clearly abusing it and not thinking about what a tool like that would actually be best suited for. Yeah, no kidding, it’s going to cut branches a lot slower than a bigger cordless saw. But I feel these tiny saws can be useful for specialty applications. The Nanoblade saws can start a cut from a small hole, as with a jigsaw–or even plunge cut–but they don’t require extra clearance for the stroke of the blade and they generate little vibration. They can also be used to fit into narrow spots, sort of like an extra-narrow bandfile. I’m planning on buying one despite the negative reviews as I can see some applications where this tool could be a real problem-solver. But I think it is clear that they’re not very good general-purpose tools and especially not well suited for trim.
Stuart
https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/bosch-nanoblade-mini-chain-saws/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
MM
Did you ever get a chance to demo any of them?
Stuart
No – it never launched here.
PKS319
I am sorry MM – I was being sarcastic but I appreciate your detailed comments. I see a use in the garden – and pole-based chain saws have many excellent uses (Stihl makes a good one) – but carpentry not so much. What most caught my eye in these pictures was the danger of even minor kickback onto a nearby hand.
Nate
I love my Ryobi P5452BTL, I use it alongside a recip for general yard cleanup and pruning.
I use the recip below ground level, to cut off roots and stuff where the chainsaw would get wrecked by sand and grit. But the chainsaw is so much faster and easier to control for pretty much everything else.
Would I use one any cheaper than the Ryobi? Ehh, probably not. I trust Ryobi to have cut all the corners they can and still make a reasonable product. I mean, on the one hand, electric chainsaws are pretty predictable; the hand grip is back here, the moving parts are over there. But I don’t like the ones where the plane of the chain intersects the user’s knuckles; if something falls apart, you have to react pretty fast before that thing whips around.
I’m sure they work fine until they don’t, but I want them to remain safe in that condition too.
And I absolutely wouldn’t leave the batteries charging unattended!
Chris
My mom bought both me and my brother one (we’re both in our 40’s) one for Christmas. It is without a doubt the cheapest-made battery tool I’ve ever held.
I put a battery in it and spun the chain about a revolution to see if it worked, but that’s it so far. I’ll report back if I’m ever brave enough to try to actually use it. 🙂
mark w
“Hard Hurts Hands” in the last photo had me cracking up 😂
Bob
I got one of these generic mini chainsaws a year or two ago free for review. It does fine for what I think it was intended, trimming branches an inch or two in diameter. It’s quality is nothing to write home about but it actually does run for a good bit on a charge. They usually come with an extra chain and you routinely have to tighten up the tension and manually spritz some oil since there is no automatic lube system. But it does cut and usually pretty well, a couple of seconds to go through a branch or limb. Its not big enough for kickback to be an issue, there is no safety on it anyway except for a plastic hinged guard.
I’d hazard a guess that most of the people naysaying these cheapo saws have never even touched one. Serious amount of tool snobbery. As for using a reciprocating saw, try that on a branch that can move a bit and watch the whole thing vibrate back and forth. Chainsaw wont do that. Now I wouldn’t stick it in the ground to cut a root, but otherwise its good for trimming.
Jamanjeval
We purchased one of these saws from Amazon that uses Milwaukee M18 batteries. No regrets. It cuts fine. I really thought we would smoke it after a few days of (appropriately light, but all day) use but it kept going. It was intended to just be a test if that kind of baby chainsaw was a gimmick or useful tool and we would just buy the real Milwaukee if it was.
I’d recommend going with a generic tool that takes brand name batteries that you already have and use even if it’s a seemingly worse value than one that includes proprietary batteries and charger of unknown quality.
Mopar4wd
I have one of these cheap mini chain saws. I got it as a present a few years ago. Honestly it’s not horrible but the batteries don’t last more then a few cuts and it’s pretty easy to overwhelm the brushed motor if you push it. But I have used it a fair amount cutting branches and break down so e pallets and other scrap wood. Would I but it myself no but I will keep it as long as it works.