I recently got my first mini chainsaw injury – and hopefully my last!
I’ve been using these battery-powered tools a lot lately because companies keep sending them through for me to review.
I’m only too happy to receive them because they are an excellent way to prune small trees (or even cut down small trees), prune or remove shrubs, or cut lumber.
However, because I’ve been using them so often, I became complacent and one of the 6-inch saws actually kicked back and cut the palm of my hand!
Mini Chainsaw Dangers
I was using this mini chainsaw at the time – it’s the ASJMREYE Mini Chainsaw that I recently did a review on.
It’s by no means the fault of the chainsaw, it was completely and totally user error.
It could have been any of the other mini saws I’ve been using lately:
I had been removing wooded shrubs from the front of our house for over an hour with the saw, and then decided to go and prune some overhanging branches of a large tree.
It was at the end of the day, I was tired, rushing to get things done before sunset, and not paying attention at all.
I was cutting a branch above my head, holding the branch with my left hand to keep it from moving, and then using the saw in my right hand.
My mind was 100% on other things when suddenly the mini chainsaw jumped and hit the palm of my left hand.
This is my hand a couple of days after the incident.
I definitely got a fright when it happened as you never know how bad it’s really going to be.
While it certainly bled a lot and took a while for it to stop bleeding, but I really got away with it.
It’s a week on now and the wound has healed up nicely – I had no issues using my Husky 450 yesterday and splitting wood with this MTD Log Splitter.
I’m lucky it only hit the palm of my hand and then bounced off, rather than hitting my wrist, fingers, or simply striking harder than it did.
I’ve got a new rule: always use chainsaw gloves when using the mini chainsaws!
Mini Chainsaw Safety Gear
I think the most important piece of safety gear when working with mini chainsaws is a good pair of chainsaw gloves.
I think hand injury is the greatest risk when using these tools.
Eye protection is good as well, and if you wanted to get really serious, chuck on your chainsaw chaps, but there is a very real risk of cutting your hand so start by protecting that.
When you fall off the horse, you’ve got to climb back on, right?
And I’ve jumped back on the mini chainsaw horse and I’m using a pair of heavy leather gardening gloves while I wait for my chainsaw gloves order to arrive.
Even these would have likely prevented me from getting cut by my saw the other day.
UPDATE: I bought a pair of VGO chainsaw gloves to protect my hands in the future.
Mini Chainsaw Accident
Because these mini chainsaws are so small, it’s easy to forget that they could be lethal.
When you first use them, you’ll realize straight away that they can be quite dangerous, but once you’ve been using them a lot you can forget – as with everything.
You don’t expect them to kick back with much force, but they can so be extra careful once you’re comfortable using them.
I hope you can learn from my mini chainsaw injury and that that can help prevent you from having an accident too!
Check out my YouTube Channel to see some of these mini chainsaws in action.
And lastly, here is some more info about regular chainsaw injuries and accidents.
