Sportsman Pocket Chainsaw - Camping Folding Hand Saw With Free Fire Starter, 36-Inch Heavy Duty Chain 48 Teeth, Best Pocket Saw for Survival Gear, Hunting, Backpacking, Tree Trimming or Emergency Kit

Works great, although I found it a little difficult to position it to get it to start cutting. Once it starts cutting it will quickly and easily cut through large limbs. I used it to cut through several limbs of 5 inches diameter at 20-25ft high.

This may get a bit long, but I had the opportunity (necessity) to put this little thing through a torture test. So I am going to cover several topics I have read in other reviews and what my experiences were.Teeth - This chain is narrow, which really helps reduce drag as you are pulling back and forth. Someone thought there should be a cutting tooth at every link, and some said teeth which cut in both directions. I think the manufacturer got this right on. More teeth would have meant more drag and require more strength on pulling the chain through the wood. My experience (results below) is having that non-cutting direction to pull when the chain binds in the wood, is worth more than the bi-directional cutting.Tooth orientation - This one can be a bit annoying, but the key is the first cut into the log. The chain really can't get sideways, so if a gentle pull along the log feels as if the chain is cutting, have at it. If the first gentle pull across is smooth and easy, you need to reposition the chain. Once it starts cutting, the narrow width of the chain keeps it in the kerf and there's no issue until it gets to binding. Repositioning the blade is easy. Pull the chain off the limb until you are on rope, then slide along the limb a little bit and try again. You have a 50/50 chance it sets correctly.Binding - Except when the chain eventually started to get dull, the only real times the chain bound in the cut was when I pushed too hard and got aggressive. If you go back and forth, and let the saw do the work, it does not bind. The only other bind is because the weight of the limb will flex and close up the cut channel on the bottom. This can be avoided by cutting some from one side of the limb, then changing sides where you stand every once in a while.Results - I was cutting avocado tree branches between 25 and 30 feet in the air, from the ground. The hardest part of the ordeal was getting the stupid rope up in the tree, on the branch you wanted. I used the pouch the chain came in, put a rock in it, and tied it to the rope to help throw it. It took a lot longer to get the rope in the tree than it did to cut limbs. I cut three large limbs of about 8 inches in diameter, and another two about 4 inches in diameter, before the saw started to feel as if it was dull. For a hand saw, that's a lot of wood. The average time it took to cut through the 8 inch limbs was 3-5 minutes. These are standard chainsaw chains, so they can be sharpened, however my task at hand is now over. For the inexpensive cost of this saw, I will order a new one when I have more limbs to do.FYI - Two quotes I got from tree trimmers were both over $1000, so it was well worth the time and effort.

It's fairly sharp. I have questions about the durability of the straps, but they've held so far. Chews through pine like butter. Hardwood takes about twice as long. It's definitely a workout, as one would expect. Would recommend keeping hands separated by at least a foot if not two; not only will this make the cutting easier, but it will prevent you from cutting yourself (speaking from experience). Works best when using the full length of the chain (long strokes) and applying significant pressure.Would recommend.

Originally purchased the Sportsman Pocket Saw back in the fall, but not able to use until today due to recent rotator cuff surgery. I will soon be 60 yrs old and I was blown away at how well this pocket saw works. Had to bring down a 50 ft tree near our house and I was able to take out the top 25 ft of the tree with this saw. Shot fishing line over a branch at the ht of trunk I needed to cut. Then pulled a heavier gauge nylon string over the branch using the fishing line. Then using the string....pulled the rope saw into position (50 ft of 550 paracord tied to each strap). Then stood back 50 ft from tree up on a high bank behind our house and started sawing the trunk portion with short even strokes while maintaining even and consistent tension of the paracord ropes. I was absolutely thrilled at the efficiency of this saw! I cut through a 5" diameter of trunk, 25 ft up in the air and proceeded to bring down the 25 ft top segment of this tall wild cherry tree in 5 minutes. I was ecstatic....I basically sawed through an inch of wood every minute and the top of the tree was on the ground in 5 minutes. Think about what you are doing, take your time getting set up, be safe......the actual sawing process was the easiest part of the procedure. I lubed the chain with silicone spray prior to hoisting it up in the tree.....also twisted the rope while pulling the chain into initial position in order to get the teeth oriented toward the tree trunk. I painted the leading edge of the straps and the top of the straps white to aid in visibility from the ground to visually help with positioning (actually used some old white out from a bottle that had seen better days and that really stood out from my position on the ground below). After taking out the top of the tree I was able to take down the remaining 25 ft base of tree with my Stihl chainsaw w/out worrying about hitting the house. This pocket saw is one of the most ingenious, well-made tools I have ever come across. I initially ordered it after reading all the good reviews. I was not disappointed at all. This is also the first review I have ever written on Amazon. I do not work for the company and don't know anyone that works for them. But I'm here to tell you this saw is the best thing since sliced bread (no pun intended). It does exactly what it is supposed to do and it does it well. Just use common sense and get your game plan together. The cutting is the easy part. I am actually placing another order today.....I want to have a spare on hand and the price point is very attractive. I still have 5 more trees I need to bring down in a similar fashion and I'll be using my newfound favorite tool on all of them. Whoever came up with this design is brilliant. Yes it would be good to have teeth on both sides but I really didn't have an issue orienting it up in the tree.....may have taken me 5 min at most to get it oriented like I wanted. I am a very pleased customer!

I had a wide (~30") stump in the ground that I wanted to cut the top off of. This didn't really work at all. It started making a groove in the wood but then kept binding up. Maybe it's just hard to keep level so it won't twist, not sure. If this works for you then it'll probably be fine as it seems quality. Maybe I needed the one with twice as many teeth but I'm not going to waste money on another one just to try it.