Saker Mini Chainsaw Review [2023]

Saker Mini Chainsaw Review: 4-inch Portable Electric

This is the big-picture overview of the mini chainsaw’s features and design.

Opening the Box

When you open the box, you can expect a couple of things:

• The Saker Mini Chainsaw
• 1 - 2 electric batteries
• User manual 
• Charge cable
• Chain wrench
• Phillips head



Standard stuff. 

Let’s dive into the tool itself. 

First Impressions

When you put the battery into the saw, you’ll notice off the rip that it’s pretty well-balanced.

The saw doesn’t feel lopsided one way or the other, and the rubber grip should be comfortable enough for just about any user. It feels good.

It doesn’t feel that heavy. Around 2 pounds is the average weight for a mini chainsaw. I love the compact size.

Starting the saw is simple, just like any electric chainsaw (or any chainsaw).

You hold down the safety with your thumb and pull the trigger with your index and middle fingers.

Your ring and pinky fingers sit on the lower part of the handle. 

Safety Features

What I noticed at first use was that the saw is loud. You’ll need some hearing protection for sure. 

Also, this is a right handed tool. If you are a lefty, well… it might be hard to use. It is not ambidextrous. Using your left hand will take some finagling. 

Speaking of safety features for chainsaw parts, mini chainsaws all come with a rubber guard on top of the blade. The Saker Mini Chainsaw is no exception.

There’s a rubber guard that sits on top of the blade which will protect you from any debris that might fly off during cutting.

It’s a nice feature and even though it seems like it would get in the way, it doesn’t. 

In addition to the rubber guard that sits on top of the blade, there’s also a safety hand that sits in front of the trigger.

The plastic feels sturdy enough to last, and should protect your hand from any stray branches or brush when you are cutting. 

Battery

The 20V Max 1.5 Ah Battery is a bit underwhelming. 2 Ah would have been better but what can you do.

You can expect 30 Watt hours from this little battery operated saw at 550 Watts.

If you want longer usage time, you should consider buy the model with two batteries. 

The battery comes with a charging cable. The jack plugs right into the top of the battery.

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There is no charge indicator on the battery, so you won’t know when it will run out of power. 

But there is an LED on the cable so you know when the battery is fully charged.

It’ll be red when not charged, and green at full charge. The battery itself takes over an hour to charge. 

What Can You Cut

According to the user manual, you shouldn’t cut anything over 4 inches with this chainsaw.

That being said, the mini chainsaw can be used for:

• Small carpentry repairs in your home
• Pruning small branches
• Trimming up the garden
• Simple landscaping or yard maintenance
• DIY Projects

Make sure you don’t apply too much pressure on the blade. It should cut itself. 

Funny thing about the guide bar is that it boasts 4 inches but if you actually measure it out, it comes in at just under 4 inches.

So yeah, you really don’t want to cut anything too big with it. 

Lubricating the Chain

Weird thing about this mini chainsaw is that you apply lubricating oil directly to the chain rather than through an oil reservoir.

If you are cutting fruit trees, you’ll want to make sure you switch the oil to vegetable oil otherwise, you can damage the fruit tree. 

The blade comes with a small amount of oil to get you started, but with heavy use, you’ll be buying more oil in no time.

The good news is that it has a high-quality guide chain.

You apply oil to the chain so that some of it soaks down and lubricates the bar.

Once you apply the oil to one spot, rotate the chain and apply some more to get the full thing. 

Tensioning

Tensioning the Saker mini chainsaw isn’t difficult. It’s similar to a regular chainsaw chain tightening.

Unlike some of the other models we’ve been reviewing, this is not tool-free tensioning, but the kit does come with a wrench and the Phillips head. 

The user manual says to pull the chain down in the middle of the blade. You should have enough give for 2 - 3 mm. If you can do that, you are at the proper tension. 

If not, loosen the bolt next to the blade with the wrench.

Once loose enough, you go to the back of the blade and tighten the chainsaw chain with a Phillips head.

This is pretty intuitive when you have the blade in front of you.

Tree Pruning

Mini chainsaws are one of the best tools for trimming trees. I find this saw to be the perfect tool for small tree pruning jobs.

But if you are going to start pruning trees, make sure you follow the proper pruning technique.

On top of that, you’ll want to prune any deciduous trees in the Fall or Winter when they are dormant. 

Cutting smaller branches is pretty easy. Secure the branch with one hand, and cut with the other.

You should be able to cut through anything under a few inches with ease.

For larger branches pushing the 4 inches, you’ll need to use relief cuts on the branch to avoid damaging the tree.

This is easy enough, just make a small cut on the underside of the branch before you cut through the top. 

You can expect this little chainsaw to cut through plenty of different varieties of trees:

• Pine trees
• Palm trees
• Ash trees
• Fruit trees

Doesn’t really matter so long as the branches are small enough. You’ll get into trouble with it if you start aggressively cutting larger branches.

Do your best to stay away from really hard woods like sumac and the chainsaw should last forever.

Pricing

Saker Mini Chainsaws come in at different prices depending on the model.

The one we are reviewing here, the 4-inch model with 1 battery, is currently at $39.99 on Amazon.

Now, if you want, and what I recommend, is getting the 4-inch model with two batteries.

That will cost you $79.99. To be fair, at that point, you are getting to close real chainsaw territory, so just keep that in mind. 

At $79.99, you are coming close to some of the lower-end, regular-size chain saws.

You'll have to decide if you want a bigger model, or if you only need the smaller lightweight design.

The SK1804D-1: Things I Like

Build Quality: The Saker Mini Chainsaw has excellent build quality. It feels tough, and it works tough. I can’t see anything wrong with the overall design.

One thing to note is that the motor is on the right side of the blade. You’ll have to cut branches with the motor facing outward as it can obstruct how you cut.

Battery Life: Even though I complained about the 1.5 Ah battery life above, it lasted pretty long around the house.

Can’t complain, and you might not even need both batteries for small work around the house.

Any extensive usage though, and you might need two batteries.

Cutting Power: The chainsaw delivers. You can expect quick and easy cuts for anything up to 4 inches. No complaints there.

Try to stay away from harder woods, and even dead wood but for regular pruning jobs, it’s great. 

The SK1804D-1: Things I Didn't Like

Wrist Strap: This mini chainsaw comes with a wrist strap that is a bit on the smaller side.

I have trouble getting my hand through it. And there’s no way my hand is getting through if I’m wearing a glove. 

The good thing about the wrist strap is that it’s short enough so it can’t reach the chain. 

Bar Length: The chainsaw is advertised as a 4-inch mini chainsaw but if you measure the bar it comes in just under 4 inches.

We aren’t sure if that’s because you should only cut up to 4 inch branches or because of the blade length but I would’ve liked to see that extra bit of length.

SK1804D-1: The Bottom Line

The Saker Mini Chainsaw is awesome. Does it compare to giant gas chainsaws?

Well, no. But it isn't supposed to! But it does have a pure copper motor.

It's a mini chainsaw meant to bridge the gap between loppers and chainsaws.

If you aren’t a commercial arborist and are just looking to do some pruning around the house, this is an excellent option for your toolbox.

Conclusion

And that’s it!

What do you think about Saker Mini Chainsaws?

Love ‘em? Hate ‘em? 

Let us know by sending us an email!

Before you go...

If you are unsure on gas or electric chainsaws, check out our other guide on the Best Chainsaws of 2023. We go over every type of hand saw you can imagine.