Supreme Glow PS1102-BRK Pocket Chainsaw, Black, 28"

I was attracted to this product for backpacking and camping. I camp at least once a month in Central Texas. I recently used it for a 2 night kayaking and camping trip. I compared this to several similar products and decided on this one because it is the only one that looked like the handles separated from the saw. I figured this would be good if I wanted to put long ropes on it for throwing in trees and cutting high limbs (which I've done with rope and a regular chain saw chain).This started out as a great product. I love that it stores easily in the provided canister, which is also useful for keeping it oiled without getting oil all over your gear. The handles were sturdy and comfortable. I did about a dozen cuts through 2 - 5 inch logs without issue. The larger ones were a lot of work so we'd team up, one man on each end, pulling in tandem. Either way, it was a lot more efficient and easier than trying to use a hatchet.The product is simple, a chain, two wire loops, and two handles. You thread the handles through the big hole in the loops and thread the small end of the loops through the chain. All the problems with this product begin with the loops. They are made to go on/come off easy so that you can put the chain in the storage canister. However, they come off too easy. As soon as you let off slack the loops would come loose from the chain. This was annoying when you were sawing, relaxed for a second, and tried to continue only to realize you were pulling on air. The biggest problem with the loops are that they are the weakest link. The larger hole in the loop is held with a weld. While sawing on our second night this weld broke on one of the loops. Unfortunately we had no suitable substitute with us, but at least we had enough wood for the night. It could have been the heat from doing a lot of cuts in a row that weakened the weld, but I expect this type of use to be acceptable. It lasted two nights and a little over a dozen cuts. Because of the way it's made, I can still use the parts and probably repair it with strong hooks instead of the loops. Still, I'm going to look at other products.Pros:- Canister to keep chain clean and oiled (can re-use the canister for other products)- Breaks down small, can use different handles/ropes- Cuts much easier than a hatchetCons:- Handle loops disconnect easily from chain, constantly have to reset after cuts- Weld on handle loops isn't strong enough, breaks rendering saw uselessSummary:Skip this product unless they make stronger loops. Try other saws as will I.

I bought this pocket chainsaw to keep in my car for emergencies and the occasional camping trip. However, I have found other uses for it as well. The included handles can be quickly knotted onto the ends of the blade-- or onto a longer rope. I decided to try trimming upper branches out of trees using a couple long ropes, with general success. I threw a weighted rope up into branches 30'-40' feet in the air, attached the handles, and proceeded to prune branches that only a lumberjack would normally be able to cut. Look out below, and obviously use common sense and a hard hat if you attempt this. Since the links are constructed in such a way that the saw can only be folded in one direction (cutting-edge inwards), it was surprisingly easy to pull the saw up into the tree, position it, and cut the branch. I have done this with branches anywhere from 2-3 inches (5 minutes work) all the way to 8" (half hour of hard tugging). Occasionally the blade would bind up, but a hard yank always worked it loose. The bad news-- all this work will dull the blade, and it appears to be difficult to resharpen.

I bought this as an experiment to try pruning branches high up on a massive Oak tree. I was able to get the saw up into the branches using a baseball, fishing line, and rope. The fact that the saw only bends one way makes it rather easy to get it positioned around a remote branch.I started big! I attacked a 10 inch thick dead tree limb 50 feet in the air right where it met the trunk. This turned out to be a massive job. It took me hours of sporadic cutting. I couldn't cut continually for more than about 10 minutes before needing a rest. I was determined!Cutting through a remote limb means that you are committed. There is no way to retrieve the saw or the rope if you simply give up. You've got to completely remove the limb. Well, I'm happy to say that as twilight fell, this massive limb came crashing to the ground. I was barely able to lift it even with the help of another person.The saw worked... slowly. But it ended up rather dull. $25 for a single cut is not a great value, but at least I have one less massive branch hanging near my home.

I bought this saw, choosing it over the others because it had a narrow kerf (that means it removes the least wood, and should thus require the least effort). It was pretty good out of the can, allowing me to take down a dead oak limb that would have cost at least $100 to have removed by a tree service. So far, so good. But there was one thing wrong. It was dull right out of the can! I clamped it up in a vice and worked it over with a triangular file, and it works at least twice as efficiently! I mean, I didn't go nuts, just put a point on the teeth, but it goes at least twice as fast, with less effort! A good product, but it could be great if it only came sharp. Probably a liability issue: Caution, sharp objects may cut you! Duh.

I don't always carry this with me backpacking. It's come in handy a few times and I was very glad to have it once in wet weather. I got caught in a wet winter storm which made most of what little wood I could find usable. The pocket chainsaw allowed me to cut some usable wood from a downed tree about 18 inches in diameter. It wasn't the easiest time, but I wouldn't have had anything otherwise. I normally don't make fires, but when it's wet and the temperature plummets from an expected 50 degrees to 35 a little warmth is welcomed. It's been handy for smaller thick branches as well when I wasn't carrying a heavy enough knife for chopping. While it's a bit heavy for the gram watcher it is very small and takes up little space.