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Wire saw or pocket chainsaw

Updated: 16.10.2026

You are looking at two amazon.co.uk titles that both say wire saw, and one of them is a twisted cable while the other is a chainsaw chain with handles. The choice of wire saw or pocket chainsaw is that mechanism, not a brand contest. Prices for the whole set are on the [wire saw comparison](/hub/power-saws/wire-saw). How the specification rows lie is on the [wire saw buying guide](/hub/power-saws/wire-saw/sub/wire-saw-buying-guide). Products Compared used the listings stored on 16 October 2026 and did not run a side-by-side cut. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are looking at two amazon.co.uk titles that both say wire saw, and one of them is a twisted cable while the other is a chainsaw chain with handles.

Our top picks

Skyocean Skyocean 36 inch pocket chain

Best overall

Skyocean Skyocean 36 inch pocket chain
7.4/10about £17.99
View offer
HJUWANG HJUWANG 24 inch pocket chain

Alternative

HJUWANG HJUWANG 24 inch pocket chain
7.0/10about £8.99
View offer
Tweruna Tweruna 3-pack wire saw

Best value

Tweruna Tweruna 3-pack wire saw
6.5/10about £5.29
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Same search, two mechanisms
  2. 2.When the cable is the one to buy
  3. 3.When the pocket chain is the one to buy
  4. 4.When you want a different saw

Same search, two mechanisms

FamilyMall’s blade row says 8 inches at £3.99. HJUWANG, B098JXZMMK, is two 24 inch chains, 11 teeth, plastic handles, £8.99, 4.3 from 127 reviews. Skyocean, B075JFPZZY, is one 36 inch chain, 16 teeth, nylon paracord, £17.99, 4.3 from 4,178 reviews. Cables in these UK reviews part at the crimp or mid-wire. Chains catch in the kerf. OTOTEC at 0.25 mm is a third tool for tile. A 4,500 RPM row on HJUWANG, Skyocean and FamilyMall does not describe a motor.

When the cable is the one to buy

Listings name PVC, hose, plastic, bone and soft metals alongside wood. A KS Tools braided wire, 650 mm, is sold for ABS, PVC and CPVC at about £6 before VAT. That is the trade job, not an amazon.co.uk review of these ASINs. FamilyMall, 4.0 from 1,055, praises thin dry wood and complains about rings that cut fingers. The two-piece TRUMIZON at £4.99 has written reviews on a ram’s horn, a lamb joint and dry camp wood. Homirty, £5.59, is 3.2 from 44, with a break after four 25 mm softwood branches. The single TRUMIZON’s only written review says the wire snapped. Stroke and grip are on how to use a wire saw.
Skyocean Skyocean 36 inch pocket chain

Testsieger

Skyocean Skyocean 36 inch pocket chain
7.4/10about £17.99
View offer

When the pocket chain is the one to buy

One HJUWANG review calls about 75 mm comfortable, and an allotment stem around 8 inches was hard to take further. Skyocean reviews mention something like 75–100 mm and fallen wood around 6–8 inches. Those are comments, not a rated capacity. A stick under about 25 mm is inside the cable reviews as well, and at that size the chain costs £8.99 or £17.99 against a cable under £6. Plastic handles on the 24 inch pair are a poorer grip than paracord. Skyocean’s included line is a bag, not a rope. Named picks are on the best wire saw page.

When you want a different saw

The Health and Safety Executive’s chainsaw pages cover a powered machine, its training and its protective equipment. They are not a rule that a householder must hold a chainsaw certificate to pull a 36 inch chain in a private garden. Paid work is a different duty under PUWER 1998. A folding pruning saw is the usual alternative when the wood is in reach and you will cut more than once. This comparison does not price one.

Common questions

What is the physical difference?
A wire saw here is a twisted cable with a ring at each end, usually claimed at 70–80 cm, mostly £3.39–£5.99. A pocket chainsaw is a length of chain: 24 inches and 11 teeth on the HJUWANG pair, or 36 inches and 16 teeth on Skyocean. Trust teeth and an inch-long blade row for the chain, and small rings for the cable. The 0.25 mm OTOTEC wire is neither.
Which one for a stick under 25 mm?
A cable is enough for thin dry wood, which is what FamilyMall reviews actually praise, and it is the lighter pack. A Homirty review still broke a cable after four 25 mm softwood branches, so thin does not mean the wire will survive a series of cuts. For one thin stick, the cable is the match if you have a spare.
Which one around 75 mm?
The chain is the one the reviews describe at that size. A HJUWANG reviewer called about 75 mm comfortable. Skyocean comments sit around 75–100 mm and on fallen pieces of 6–8 inches. Those are reviews, not a rated capacity. Expect the chain to catch, and keep the toothed face on the wood if the teeth are one-sided.
Which one for PVC in a cupboard?
The cable, if you can see the cut and both hands. Several cable listings name PVC or hose. A chain’s links are the wrong shape against a pipe in a tight corner. Tweruna’s crimp still failed on drainpipe in a UK review, so a cable is the shape, not a guarantee.
Why do chains jam and cables snap?
A chain jams when the links catch in the kerf or the teeth are facing the wrong way, which Skyocean and HJUWANG reviews both describe as catching. A cable snaps at a crimp or mid-wire, which is the Homirty, Tweruna and single-TRUMIZON pattern, sometimes on the first use. Neither failure shows up in a 4,500 RPM row.
Does “wire saw” on a chain listing mean it is a cable?
No. HJUWANG’s title says pocket chainsaw and wire saw, and the specification row says 11 teeth and 24 inches. Skyocean is sold the same way. If teeth and a blade length are present, you are buying a chain. A cable listing will talk about rings, a stainless strand, and a length in centimetres.
When is neither the right tool?
When the wood is large, decayed, hung up, or over a building, a road or a line, or when you would need a ladder. A folding saw is the better everyday cutter for wood you can reach, and it is not priced in this set. A pocket chain is not a safe substitute for a powered chainsaw.

Related pages

Power saws

Wire saw

Best wire saw: reachable branches, or a spare cable

Wire saw buying guide: cable, chain or diamond wire

Rope saw for high branches you can cut from the ground

How to use a wire saw: tension, stroke, when to stop

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings for this set. Last checked on 16 October 2026.

  1. HSE, PUWER overview (retrieved 16.10.2026)
  2. legislation.gov.uk, PUWER 1998 (retrieved 16.10.2026)
  3. HSE, chainsaw operators (retrieved 16.10.2026)
  4. HSE, aerial tree work (retrieved 16.10.2026)
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 16.10.2026)
  6. Advnture, camping saw guide (retrieved 16.10.2026)
  7. Spyral Saw, wire saw instructions (retrieved 16.10.2026)
  8. KS Tools 123.0005 via Mister Worker (retrieved 16.10.2026)