Deal or Dud: Sportsman Pocket Chainsaw

A manual chainsaw that fits right in your pocket.

The manufacturer says it’s perfect to clear brush and build shelters, but can it pass the Deal or Dud test?

From super-sized to super selection, you'll find it at Fannin Tree Farm.

"We grow our trees over 2,000 acres. This lot is 20 acres," said Margie Webb with Fannin Tree Farm.

The open-to-the-public family-owned farm offers expertise on what to plant, what to avoid and even harvests and rehomes trees to keep them from being cut down.

With a 98% success rate, the inventory there comes and goes constantly, especially during this last year

"From the tornado through the COVID, there has been a big run on trees," Webb said. "So we’ve been quite busy over the last 12 months."

But not too busy for a Deal or Dud test.

The Sportsman Pocket Chainsaw is advertised to be portable and powerful, cutting limbs up to six-inch caliper.

So it was to the brush pile where the folks at Fannin turn remnants from removals into mulch.

The instructions indicate to give it a spray of WD40 before each use.

On a two-inch caliper limb? A breeze.

Four inches? Harder work and heavier breath, but we bust through.

So we move on to a 6-inch caliper. It takes some strength, some resolve and a little more WD-40, but it's a clean cut.

"Emergency camping. Workout. Good exercise, and I have fun," said Fernando with Fannin Tree Farm.

"It's the Sportsman Pocket Chainsaw. What do you think: Deal or Dud?" asked Steve Noviello.

"It’s a deal, 100%!" Fernando said.

For best results, hold the chain as tight as you can. The real speed here comes from the cut that happens on three sides simultaneously.