Taranzy Six-Inch Mini Chainsaw review – big cuts come in a small package

REVIEW – Who doesn’t like to cut things apart?  The more violent the cut, the better!  Chainsaws are the tool that comes to mind for raw power and destructive cutting force.  But…chainsaws are big, heavy, smelly, and generally a pain to deal with.  Lucky for us, there is a new generation of mini battery-powered chainsaws that do all of that cutting, just on a smaller scale.  Today, we’ll be digging into the six-inch mini chainsaw from Taranzy.

What is it?

The Taranzy mini chainsaw is a lightweight, battery-operated mini chainsaw that can cut limbs up to six inches in diameter.

What’s in the box?

• Storage and carry box

• Taranzy Six-Inch Mini Chainsaw
• 6-inch chain guide plate (or bar) (installed)
• Chains – two, one installed and one spare
• Batteries (two lithium)
• Charger
• Screwdriver
• Instruction manual
• Oil bottle (empty)
• Safety glasses
• Safety gloves (1 pair)
• Multi-tool card
• Warranty and info card

Hardware specs

• Dimensions: 15.25″ L x 4.75″ W x 4.5″ D (with battery installed)
• Weight: 41.4 oz (with battery installed)
• Body construction: thermoplastic and rubber
• Bar length: 6 inches
• Bar and chain construction: steel
• Chain speed: 19.2 ft/sec
• Batteries: 2x 21V, 2.0Ah high-energy lithium
• Battery life: approximately 45 minutes
• Switch: claimed to be a variable speed switch with safety lockout (see comments in the performance section)

Design and features

There’s no getting around it – the Taranzy Six-Inch Mini Chainsaw is cute.  It is a fully-functional chainsaw that is lightweight and easy to handle. At just over 2.5 pounds, it doesn’t place much pressure on your hands when in use. The battery mounts on the bottom. There is a safety wrist strap located just above the battery mount.

Pressing the large button on the front of the battery allows you to release it and slide it off the chainsaw.

The Taranzy Six-Inch Mini Chainsaw’s battery charging port is located on the front of the battery (circled in white).

The chain rides on the chain bar. A movable chain guard sits on top, preventing sawdust and sparks from flying back toward the operator.

A twist knob releases the chain cover.

Here, we see the sprocket that drives the chain. You can also see the chain alignment and tension pin sticking through the bottom of the bar, just above the chain.

To adjust the tension of the chain, you turn this recessed screw (circled in white).  The manual recommends not tightening the chain “too tight” but offers no guidance as to what that means.  You can also see the small, single LED on the front of the housing.  The LED is designed to illuminate your work area.

Loosening this screw releases tension on the chain.  This allows you to remove both the chain and bar for maintenance or cleaning.

The documentation for the Taranzy Six-Inch Mini Chainsaw and website claim that the trigger is a variable speed trigger.  It is not.  Pulling the trigger turns on the saw.  Releasing it stops the blade.  There is exactly one speed.  A trigger lock sits above the trigger.  Sliding it to the right locks the trigger.  Sliding it back to the left enables the trigger.

Setup

The saw comes assembled so the only setup is charging the batteries. You can see the red indicator on the power pack.  This turns green once the battery is fully charged.

The chainsaw comes fully assembled so once a battery is charged, you can snap one onto the saw, and get to cutting stuff.

Performance

Luckily for me, neighbors had some cutting to do.  Support poles in their lanai were rotted and needed to be replaced.  They needed to cut the bottom off of two of them so their floors could be refinished first.  Time to fire up the Taranzy mini chainsaw!

The poles are 20-year-old laminated 4×4 posts. They are quite hard and tough to cut.  As you will see in the video below, they proved to be no issue for the Taranzy chainsaw.

After that, I removed a couple of fronds from their Sylvester palm.  The saw went through that like butter.  I easily cut up the fibrous fronds into small pieces.

What I like

• Light and easy to use
• Cuts very well
• Easy to service
• Ships with everything you need including a replacement chain

What I’d change

• The advertised variable speed switch isn’t variable speed – it is on or off
• The LED light doesn’t do much
• The storage case is a little flimsy
• Including a small sample bottle of chain and bar oil would be a nice touch

Final thoughts

I was ready to write a scathing review of what I assumed was a cheap little tool.  After slicing through some tough 4x4s and fibrous palm fronds, I’m a convert.  The Taranzy Six-Inch Mini Chainsaw is the real deal.  It has enough power to get the job done, assuming that the target of your slicing aggression isn’t more than 5″ across.  You’re not going to be cutting down forests with this thing.  But, for home use trimming small tree branches, this one sweet tool. With its dual batteries and 40-50 good cuts per battery, you could get some serious trimming done without having to pause to charge.  If you’re in the market for a mini chainsaw, the Taranzy mini chainsaw is worth a solid look.

Price: $59.90
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Taranzy.