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'Like a hot knife through butter': This mini chain saw is $40 for 4th of July

During summer, even trees need a little bit of R&R. That means one thing: Pruning! Not only is pruning a great way to get some refreshing — and productive — outdoor time, it's a good bet that a lot of your plants could use a trim. Plus, with the 4th of July only a few days away, you might need to do some snipping if there are any out-of-control Roman Candle incidents. After all, 'scorched' is not the description you want for a tree. Amazon has an awesome, efficient, crazy-affordable way to get it done: the Saker Mini Chain Saw, marked way down for the 4th of July. This popular yard tool is easy to use and perfect for cutting through thicker branches.

This chopper has a high-efficiency motor that handles even thick branches with ease, all while weighing under 3 pounds. 

Save $40 with Prime
$40 at Amazon

This is a 50% discount if you're a Prime member. That's well worth your hard-earned dough, especially when you consider that miniature chain saws from other brands like Craftsman are $90 or more. There's a reason more than 10,000 people have bought one of these in the last month.

If you have trees in your yard, they probably need a bit of pruning. Certain varieties even require it to stay healthy throughout the year. Compared with a pair of traditional pruning shears, this little chain saw makes the job practically effortless.

This chain saw is only 4 inches long. There's a safety lock that has to be pressed before the saw activates, and it comes with a handy carrying case, so you can safely store the device when it's not in use. The battery is a 20-volt, 1500mAh rechargeable. It can still get bogged down when cutting particularly thick branches, but it's sufficient for most jobs.

Saker mini chain saw
Axe yourself: Wouldn't it be nice to branch out to a new world of (literally) handy power tools with this chain saw? (Amazon)

This little chain saw has skyrocketed in popularity and currently has over 8,500 five-star reviews.

"I'm so glad I didn't spend a bunch of money buying a lot bigger electric saw," one reviewer said. "All I really need to do is cut small branches and saplings. This little guy did it with ease. I was really surprised at the power, to be honest with you. ... It cuts through small saplings like a hot knife through butter. I would most definitely recommend this for small jobs."

"One of my favorite purchases!" another fan raved. "I love to help with yard work and with 3 acres of oak trees, chain saws are a must! But sometimes I just need a little chain saw for the smaller limbs. This fits the bill perfectly! It is so easy to use, and as an almost 50-year-old woman, I like that it's not huge and bulky."

"My neighbor has a pine tree that constantly rains down seeds in my backyard, causing a LOT of saplings to sprout," said a third shopper. "I was periodically using hedge trimmers to take them down, but the Florida heat meant that I neglected this all summer and then some... I gave this a chance and I am glad I did! I was able to cut down half the saplings in about an hour or less. With trimmers, it would be a miserable, sweaty, all-day affair."

"I had a palm tree growing in a hard-to-access location so I couldn't use a larger saw," a reviewer said. "It worked as advertised. It did freeze up on me a couple of times, but I was asking a lot of the small blade going through a pretty thick trunk. Because it was lightweight, it helped because I had to stretch to reach it."

Another user warned that the battery wasn't always stable. "The only downside is that the vibration kept causing the battery to fall off, but I simply cupped it in one hand while I sawed and that actually provided more sawing stability."

Identical to the other version in most respects, this saw comes with two batteries instead of one. PS: It's also available in pink!

Save $28 with Prime and coupon
$72 at Amazon

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.

If you have Amazon Prime, you'll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.)

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