Customer Reviews

Chainmate CM-24SSP 24-Inch Survival Pocket Chain Saw With Pouch

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the real deal w/ the modified carbon steel chainsaw blades - not the crappy model w/ the thin folding-saw type blade.
This thing EATS wood and weighs nothing!! It takes a little bit of effort but you can chew through a hardwood tree half a foot thick in literally a couple minutes; half that if you use two people (one on each end).
My only advice would be to spray it down with some wd-40 before you head out to smooth out the action and reduce kinks.

Would def. recommend if you're into winter/fall camping and overnight hunting.

This Chainmate "Survival Pocket Chain Saw" rips through wood with amazing ease! I used this to cut a 2" diameter branch in less than 30 seconds. Here are my observations:

+ Compact; takes up very little space in the backpack
+ Efficient; the chain saw blades cut through wood almost like butter
+ Easy to Use; just wrap the blade around the offending branch, take a handle in each hand, and move it back and forth
+ Includes Pouch; can be carried on belt (a little large) or in your backpack

I have nothing negative to say about this one at all.

Highly Recommended!

CFH

This saw is great for yard work! I was using a handsaw for some tree branch removal and getting really ticked off. This saw cuts much better and doesn't get stuck nearly as often. You get a lot more work done with less effort. The chain eliminates awkward sawing positions in tight spaces. It works much better than I expected.

I am a woman, 5'7", 123 lbs. With this and a length of 550 cord, I made short work of cutting through huge branches that were easily 15-20 feet beyond my reach. I second the recommendation of a quick spray of WD 40. A really great tool to have and definitely one for the Go Bag.

Length:: 0:24 Mins

When I was setting up a very basic camping kit, one of the things I purchased was this Chainmate Survival Saw. One of the suggestions that John "Lofty" Wiseman made in his SAS Survival Handbook was to purchase a flexible saw to put in a survival kit. He also recommended adding certain items to an old tobacco tin (or something along those lines). I agreed with Wiseman's suggestions and decided to add a few things to this basic survival/camping packet in an old tobacco tin and seal it with masking tape. Some of the things that will fit in a tin are Tinder Quik Fire Tabs, an Emergency Fire Starter and some UCO Stormproof Matches. Together they can figuratively (and perhaps literally) be a lifesaver when you need to start a fire in inclement weather.

This flexible Chainmate Survival Saw is much more compact that many others that come with large rings. Wiseman says that when you get your saw, in order to protect it "from rust and breakage cover it in a film of grease" and that these saws "can be used to cut even quite large trees." I haven't attempted any large trees, but I have no doubt that if need be I wouldn't have a problem. This 24-inch saw is in a convenient pouch that can be tucked inside a backpack or, if you prefer, can be worn on a belt. This Chainmate Survival Saw is a fantastic bargain that you might want to add to your list of "needs" and "must haves" to your camping/survival pack.

After this video was shot we cut through a hardwood tree 8" in diameter. It took a few minutes, but it was amazingly easy.

From the reviews and the idea of this product, I purchased it with great zeal and immediately threw it in my camping bag. I then climbed a mountain, found a log, whipped out the Chainmate, and sawed away. Then continued to saw away. And continued to saw away for another 15 minutes before giving up in exhaustion.

To be fair, it was a really thick log (like 9-10"), but what excited me about this product was the potential to saw through much larger wood than you could with something like the Gerber 46048 Sportsman's Wood Saw, Coarse. And it's true, you can saw through large logs, but it is going to take you FOREVER to do so. This is simply not an efficient cutting mechanism, and worse off it tends to catch mid-stroke.

"But how often are you really going to cut through stuff that big?" You may ask. And that is true, you will probably encounter much smaller pieces of wood when you are in a situation that would leave you only with a Pocket Chain Saw. But in that case why wouldn't you just use a typical folding saw instead? They weigh less and work more efficiently.

I also have doubts on how long the blades on this saw will last, as mine seem to not be performing as well already.

A pocket chainsaw is a great idea but I think there are better ways of executing it than this. And believe me, I really wanted it to work :(

I wanted to wait for more than a dowel to go through this saw before i took the time to write a review. Hurricane Irene provided a perfect opportunity to flex its muscles and it excelled! the storm pulled a 20' long and 5" thick branch out of the maple in front of my house and propped it against the adjacent sycamore: a peril to anyone walking past which would likely still be there considering a tree in my neighborhood still blocks a roadway three days after the storm! after pulling it down with 550 paracord i went at it with my Chainmate pocket chain saw. cutting out the splintered joint and higher parts i managed to clear an obstruction from my property and secure an excellent bow stave with 15 minutes worth of work. I only needed to make 2 cuts. today i was walking my dog at a local park and brought it along in the hopes of doing some covert bow stave recovery if i happened across any other downed trees of manageable size. while none such presented themselves one formidable sycamore had fallen against another tree, its trunk and four lowest branches making the foot path almost impassable. on my way back through i stopped, secured my dog at a safe distance and had at them. i would not carry a coglan''s style folding or other such pack saw into the bush without a hatchet to begin with so bearing that in mind i can say that this saw is better than a folding saw. i would carry this and my Estwing No.1 sportsman's axe into any woodland area. its a bike chain with carbon steel teeth - keep it oiled and clean! i learned that lesson after the soaked bark of the maple gummed up the chain. using a tool that does not require fine motor control, as can deteriorate when suffering from hypothermia, can save your life versus a hatchet that requires accurate strikes and i believe practice. Instructions: place chain on wood teeth side down, grab handles, pull this way and that way.

Before I start, I'd like to say that I may be using the chain saw incorrectly or something but I really have no way of knowing by just taking the thing out of the box. And with that out of the way I shall start my strange little review.

I have only tried this thing on two different types of wood, both of which were about an inch or so in diameter.

The first one was a dried out piece of lumber. It did not go well. It slipped around without really cutting so much, but then again I don't know if the chainmate was designed to do that.

The second time I used it, it was on a small tree in my yard that required removal. That went great. It sawed through that thing like butter until it got towards the end when it started to freeze up.

I also noticed it is rather tedious to clean, when you're sawing through green wood, quite a bit of wood bits and sap get stuck to the saw bits and stuff. After use you need to take a wire brush to it. This is not a flaw because maintenance of your tools is a part of owning it to begin with, I just wanted to put that out there.

After trying the chainmate out on these two drastically different types of wood, I concluded that it works best on green, round shaped wood. Does that make it a bad product? Hell no, when are you going to encounter a square tree blocking your path? The chainmate is incredibly good at taking down small trees whether it be trail clearing, or just yard work. The chainmate is good at it's job.

I ordered this for my son after he has lost his first one, which he purchased at an army/nave store, and this one was far more superior! We both were very happy with the quality and workmanship of this saw. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for something that is going to last.

A little pricey but a good quality piece. I've sawed through a couple of thick branches just to test it out. Tore through them with ease. Looks like it should hold up for awhile and provide a handy way to trim and cut dead branches and small trees when I'm out in the woods.