Here is our review for the best 5 mini chainsaws under £50, perfect for light pruning and small garden jobs. Honest, useful and practical advice on what these tiny tools can and cannot do.
Best 5 Mini Chainsaws Under £50 – Cheap, Cheerful and Unsurprisingly Useful
If you've ever gazed upon a massive petrol-powered chainsaw and wondered, yeah, that's a bit overkill for a bit of branch topping, then you might find mini chainsaws are just what you've been looking for.
All of the items in this list were under £50 when reviewed, which means that all of them are extremely budget-friendly, and somewhat easier on the wallet than a Friday night takeaway – yes indeed.
Manage Expectations – These are Mini, Not Mighty
However, before you begin picturing yourself as a successful lumberjack influencer, it should be pointed out that these are budget tools, and they are intended for small projects. Light pruning, shaping, slicing through small branches, and taking care of those annoying small tasks that don’t quite warrant hauling out your heavy-duty equipment. None of that slicing through thick wood, long cutting sessions, or projects that would warrant your hi-tech, seventeen-layer Kevlar-lined trousers.
Safety First, Because They Still Have Teeth
Although mini chainsaws look cute in a chainsaw sort of way, it is, nevertheless, a blade spinning quickly in proximity to your hands. Additionally, many low-cost models come equipped with various degrees of useful or you've-got-to-want-to-make-sure features. Therefore, glove up, pay attention, and don’t let your curiosity get the better of you simply due to a video seen on YouTube that claimed you should be able to cut down a telegraph pole.
Real Talk on Performance
So, some of these ads on e-commerce pages can be a bit overexcited. “Eight hours of battery life! Logs cut to the width of your thigh! Oh yes, Jan.” Well, you are unlikely to be doing prolonged periods of cutting or prolonged periods of use, but for certain tasks, certain expectations, a mini chainsaw costing under fifty quid can prove a handy addition to your arsenal.
Who are these for?
Beginning DIYers, small gardeners, weekenders who like to prune, and anyone in between who needs a cheap, easy-to-carry instrument for small cutting tasks. These are not for professional landscapers, serious wood choppers for firewood, or individuals who feel that all things ought to be constructed like a tank.
With that in mind, let’s dive right in to our top five mini chainsaws that provide you with a tremendous amount of bang for your extremely small investment.
Top 5 Mini Electric Chainsaws
#1, Peektook Mini Cordless Chainsaw 6 Inch
If you ever found yourself envying your scissors for a bit of attitude, you’re in for a surprise with the Peektook 6” Mini Chainsaw, which comes with a bold promise of packing a powerful brushless motor, a chain speed of 34.5 feet per second, and accessories that are guaranteed to make you part of a tiny but passionate world of lumberjacks.
In all honesty, this is a rather light-duty pruning tool with only as much bite as needed for small branches and small logs. This product only weighs 2.2 pounds, which is perfect for tight spaces, seniors, or anyone who prefers not to wield gardening tools that consist of, say, what appears to be American steel.
Safety features are pleasingly good for a budget mini saw, with a safety lock and finger guards that help your digits stay where you want them – always a bonus. There are also two batteries, though in all honesty, you’ll find you get bursts of cutting rather than all-day rambling in the woods. These are meant to be powerful enough to cut through timber with ease, but let’s face it, this is a mini saw for mini tasks.
The kit comes with gloves, goggles, and spare chains, which is a good point since these are things that you will use. So long as your expectations are in line with what it can do, this product is a useful little gadget costing under £50 that reduces the annoyance of small gardening tasks.
#2, Angseen Brushless Mini Chainsaw Cordless 6 Inch
Another budget-friendly device, this one being the Angseen 6-inch cordless mini chainsaw, which, as suggested by the product description, is for limited use and not suited for tree cutting. With two 2.0Ah batteries, this device offers a lot for a low price, but of course, as with most cordless devices, use will be limited until it needs to be recharged. With this idea in mind, users can find no issues with its motor performance, which, in all honesty, functions fairly well even with small branch cutting.
Like most other mini chainsaws in this range, when it comes to safety, it all hinges on your own attentiveness rather than being foolproof. The dual-button start ensures that it does not turn on by accident, which is a good point, and while goggles are always a bonus in a kit, it would be a good idea to upgrade the goggles if you are purchasing this product for personal use.
Angseen also packs in a bunch of accessories like additional chains, gloves, a tool set, and an oil bottle. This is like getting a birthday present from a person who has shopped for all gifts from discount stores. Nevertheless, this product would work for a person needing to trim a branch here and there. This product functions as a trimmer without putting a dent in your purse. This product is not a professional heavy-duty device, but it costs only a small amount of under £50.
#3, Semflagree Mini Chainsaw 6-Inch
The Semflagree 6” cordless mini chainsaw is touted as a “smooth, powerful, effortless” cutting experience, as if this were a product that ought to rip through wood like a hot knife through butter. While it does, in fact, cut rather nicely for small tasks like trimming your overgrowth, it’s no dream machine, as long as your expectations are in line, of course. The brushless motor design is a pleasant improvement from the traditional “brushed” motor types from yesteryear, and it even cuts rather “smoothly,” though you couldn’t quite say it was “powerful.”
The inclusion of two 2000mAh batteries means that you can switch while the other is being charged, but even then, you are looking at small batteries, and you should not expect long sessions. On a positive note, even with a small weight and a compact design, it becomes easy to use for beginners, seniors, and anyone who wants a chainsaw that does not struggle with their arm fatigue. Using it with one hand is not a problem, but for all mini chainsaws, it is always important to use both hands.
Safety features are generous, with gloves, goggles, and a splash guard that comes in handy when it has a tendency to launch wood chips in your direction. Semflagree has also put a lot of thought into a two-button safety start, which can't help but make you feel a little safer. There is a sense that you are getting a reasonable prune kit but are stuck in a "light use” category do to battery life and cutting cycles.
#4, Bamse Mini Chainsaw 6 Inch Cordless
The Bamse 6-inch cordless mini chainsaw also tries to offer a point of uniqueness with a focus on throwing bigger numbers your way, particularly when it comes to the 4000mAh batteries. While it offers theoretical run-times longer than most budget minis, you do notice a difference, even if it only has an hour of cut-time when working with anything bigger than a branch. Still, this will take longer than 2Ah minis, but it still falls under a light-duty use.
Although it's relatively heavy for a mini chain saw, this is no doubt due in part to it having bigger batteries. Some compensation for this comes with a belt clip, LED lamp, and carry case, which seems like a rather considerate lot for a budget product. The lamp, of course, is very useful in a wooded area or in the late afternoon in winter, but it certainly isn't bright enough to light up a night. The battery meter, on the other hand, can help you avoid that embarrassing split-second when your saw runs out.
Safety has received a bit of attention, with a rotating guard, a lock-off button, and a rubberized handle that is comfortable to hold. The package contains almost all that you would wish for, which in itself offers it good value for those who like a bit of everything in their set.
Performance-wise, it performs relatively well with small to medium-sized branches, but slows down with larger ones. The extra weight affects its portability, as it’s not as agile as other options, but longer battery life adds to its advantage, especially for users who want fewer interruptions. This remains a mini saw in nature but with a bit of endurance.
#5, SINPY Mini 6 Inch Chainsaw Cordless
The SINPY 6-inch cordless mini chainsaw launches with a lot of audacious claims, like a powerful 880W motor, improved batteries, and a promise that it can tackle a six-inch log in eight seconds. Again, as with all budget options, a lot of these claims are to be taken with a huge dose of skepticism. Nevertheless, it does fall into the zippy side of sub-fifty options. There’s a lot of vitality to it, and it slices through small branches relatively quickly, partly due to it being incredibly easy to wield due to its greatly reduced weight.
The 2000mAh batteries are not enormous, but for cut-throat use, they are sufficient. The battery life for this device would provide maybe thirty minutes of practical use until requiring a charge, putting it firmly in the ancillary use range. The small automated oiler that accompanies this device is a great surprise as it pertains to a product of this low a price point. These benefits cutting performance, as it keeps a proper flow of oil to help eliminate jerkiness that a mini-saw can provide.
The company has evidently done their best to resolve issues with motor smoke and cut-stoppages, but it remains to be seen if it will stand up with a longer lifespan in this regard. There are many accessories available, and with their inclusion of a pair of cut-resistant gloves, goggles, and a carrying box, it’s a fairly comprehensive set. This is no professional-quality device, but it will serve a purpose for small trimming needs.
Conclusion
Picking out a good mini chainsaw for under fifty pounds is a bit like picking out a good inflatable sofa. They all do the job, they all are a bit hit and miss, and none of them are meant for proper, hard work. If you remember that, then it can be a real useful little tool.
Recommendations
If you are looking for better performance and a marginally improved user experience, then Semflagree (Option 3) would be a good choice. If you are looking for a product that offers better battery life but compromises on mobility, then Bamse (Option 4) would be a good choice, as it offers the longest battery life in this price category. If you are someone who wants as much power as possible with as little expenditure as possible, then SINPY (Option 5) would be a good choice, despite some of their claims being a bit over-the-top. Options 1 and 2 would be ideal for those who are looking for a product for occasional use.
Who these tools are for
They are suitable for beginners, small gardening, rapid pruning, campers, DIY projects, and users preferring small tools that are easy to operate. These chainsaws are suitable for use as a standby in homes where a chainsaw is needed only every now and then.
Who these tools are not for
These saws are not alternatives to a “proper” chainsaw, and overuse of a pair of these would result in draining a battery or slowing down a chain. Anyone requiring a heavy use, cutting thick logs, large firewood preparation, and long working sessions would be advised to look elsewhere.
Final Word
Used well, these little chainsaws can be a cheap and cheerful gardening assistant, ideal for trimming but never destined for cutting down large timber or timber felling glory…
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