The photographs show a bucking saw, not a sawmill
An electric chainsaw on a two-wheeled frame with a long lever handle, built to cross-cut logs. Five models with bars from 1300 to 2400 mm, motors from 3 to 5.5 kW, and a chain speed that appears nowhere on the page.
The marketplace title files it under sawmill, and that is the one word on the listing worth arguing with. In six of the eight images the bar is entering a log crosswise. There is no guide rail, no slab frame, no winch and no levelling track anywhere in the gallery, and those are exactly the parts that turn a chainsaw into a mill.
The distinction decides what the machine is for. A mill cuts along the grain to make boards, and its economics are about kerf: every millimetre of blade thickness is timber turned into sawdust, multiplied down the length of the log. A bucking saw cuts across the grain to break a trunk into lengths, and its economics are about time per cut. Kerf is almost irrelevant, because there is one cut per section rather than ten parallel ones.
So if you want boards, this is not the machine and no amount of power fixes that. If you want firewood lengths or logs broken down to a size a mill or a truck will take, it is exactly the right shape of machine, and the rest of this article is about whether the numbers hold up.
Five models, and one name that does not match its plate
The specification is a five-row table, which is better than most of this catalogue manages. Read it as delivered:
| Model | Guide plate | Max log | Margin | Motor | Weight | kW per metre of plate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DM-1300 | 1300 mm | 1100 mm | 200 mm | 3 kW | 190 kg | 2.31 |
| DM-1700 | 1600 mm | 1300 mm | 300 mm | 4 kW | 200 kg | 2.50 |
| DM-1900 | 1900 mm | 1600 mm | 300 mm | 4 kW | 220 kg | 2.11 |
| DM-2100 | 2100 mm | 1900 mm | 200 mm | 5.5 kW | 250 kg | 2.62 |
| DM-2400 | 2400 mm | 2200 mm | 200 mm | 5.5 kW | 280 kg | 2.29 |
Four of the five model numbers are exactly the guide plate length. DM-1300 has a 1300 mm plate, DM-1900 has 1900, DM-2100 has 2100, DM-2400 has 2400.
DM-1700 is the exception: it carries a 1600 mm plate. That is a hundred millimetres short of what the name promises, and it matters at the point of ordering, because a buyer who orders a DM-1700 expecting a 1700 mm bar will get a 1600 mm bar.
Two readings are possible. The name may be a nominal class rather than a measurement, in which case the plate column is authoritative. Or the plate figure is a typo and the machine really does carry 1700 mm. Either way, confirm it in writing, and check the delivered bar with a tape measure before you accept the crate.
The margins are not consistent either
Subtract the log diameter from the plate length and the table gives 200 mm, 300 mm, 300 mm, 200 mm, 200 mm. There is no single rule behind those figures.
That matters because the margin is the clearance that lets the bar pass through the log and get its nose out the other side. On the three models with a 200 mm margin, that is 100 mm at each end if it is shared evenly, and the housing that grips the bar occupies some of the motor end.
So the published maximum log diameter is a plate dimension, not a measured capacity. It assumes the full plate is available for cutting, which it never is. If the housing grips 150 mm of bar, the real maximum falls by that much, and the DM-2400's 2200 mm log becomes 2050 mm or less.
Ask what the swing arc actually reaches. It is a different question from the plate length and it is the one that decides whether your logs fit.
The chain speed is the number nobody publishes
Everything else on this page is secondary to one figure that does not appear anywhere: how fast the chain runs.
Saw chains cut well between about 20 and 25 metres per second. That range is not a marketing claim, it is the working range of the tool, and it shows up in the safety standards: protective clothing is classified at 16, 20, 24 and 28 m/s because those are the speeds saw chains actually run at.
An electric motor in this class turns at 2860 rpm. Drive a sprocket straight off the shaft and the chain speed follows from the tooth count and the pitch:
| Chain pitch | 7 teeth | 8 teeth | 9 teeth | 10 teeth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/8 inch | 3.18 m/s | 3.63 m/s | 4.09 m/s | 4.54 m/s |
| 0.325 inch | 2.75 m/s | 3.15 m/s | 3.54 m/s | 3.93 m/s |
| 0.404 inch | 3.42 m/s | 3.91 m/s | 4.40 m/s | 4.89 m/s |
Every one of those is between a sixth and a ninth of where a chain wants to be. At 3.2 m/s the chain is not cutting, it is scraping, and the teeth take a bite far heavier than they were designed for.
So there must be a step-up inside the housing
A drive housing is visible in the photographs, on the far side from the bar, and a belt or gear stage in there is the only way the machine can work at all. The arithmetic says how much:
| Sprocket, 3/8 inch | Direct at 2860 rpm | Step-up needed for 20 m/s |
|---|---|---|
| 7 teeth | 3.18 m/s | 6.3 to 1 |
| 8 teeth | 3.63 m/s | 5.5 to 1 |
| 10 teeth | 4.54 m/s | 4.4 to 1 |
A four to six to one step-up is entirely normal engineering, and there is no reason to assume it is absent. The point is that its ratio is unpublished, and that ratio, not the kilowatt figure, is what tells you whether the machine cuts.
This is why the power ratings should be read with care. Five and a half kilowatts at a chain speed of 4 m/s delivers a great deal of force and very little speed, which is a brute-force way to cut and produces a rough face. The same power at 20 m/s is a normal saw. The kilowatts are the same number in both cases.
Three-phase, and what that means for siting
The motor photograph settles a question the written specification leaves open. The nameplate reads three-phase asynchronous motor, and the green sticker beside it is a China Energy Label. This is not a single-phase machine.
That is a siting decision rather than a detail. Three to five and a half kilowatts on 380 or 400 volts three-phase is a workshop supply. There is no domestic socket that will run it:
| Motor | Full load at 380 V | Direct-on-line start | Generator to plan for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 kW | 6.6 A | 33 to 46 A | 7.5 to 9 kVA |
| 4 kW | 8.8 A | 44 to 62 A | 10 to 12 kVA |
| 5.5 kW | 12.1 A | 61 to 85 A | 13.8 to 16.5 kVA |
For comparison, the same power on 220 volts single phase would need 20 A for the small model and 36 A for the large one, which no ordinary circuit carries either. If you have only single phase, this machine needs a converter rated above its starting current, not just above its running current.
In a forest, that means a generator. Starting current is what sizes it, at five to seven times full load on a direct-on-line start, and the figures above are the practical envelope. A soft starter or a variable frequency drive lets you use a smaller generator and is worth asking about if you plan to work away from mains.
Grade 3 on the energy label is the floor
The gallery makes a feature of the three-level energy efficiency label and the words energy saving. It is worth knowing what the grade means, because the framing is slightly generous.
Under the Chinese motor efficiency standard, three-phase asynchronous motors are graded one, two and three. Grade three is the efficiency limit, the minimum a new motor in this power range is permitted to be sold at. Grade two is a step better and grade one is the top.
None of that makes the motor bad. Grade three corresponds to what the international IE3 class calls premium efficiency a decade ago, and it is a perfectly ordinary industrial motor. But it is the entry grade, not a selling point above the norm, and the saving on a machine that runs for minutes at a time is small money next to the capital cost.
Cutting time scales the wrong way as the models grow
A cross-cut has to clear a circular area, so the work grows with the square of the log diameter, while the motor grows in a straight line:
| Model | Log | Area of one cut | Power per square metre |
|---|---|---|---|
| DM-1300 | 1100 mm | 0.950 m2 | 3.16 kW |
| DM-1700 | 1300 mm | 1.327 m2 | 3.01 kW |
| DM-1900 | 1600 mm | 2.011 m2 | 1.99 kW |
| DM-2100 | 1900 mm | 2.835 m2 | 1.94 kW |
| DM-2400 | 2200 mm | 3.801 m2 | 1.45 kW |
The largest log is 4.00 times the area of the smallest, but the motor is only 1.83 times as powerful. Work that through and a cut on the DM-2400 takes about 2.18 times as long as a cut on the DM-1300, for a log about twice the diameter.
That is not a fault in the design. It is what happens when you scale a saw by making the bar longer rather than by adding power in proportion. But it does mean the biggest model is the slowest per cut, and anyone buying it expecting more output per hour has the relationship backwards. You buy the big model because your logs are big, not because you want to work faster.
What the log weighs, and why you never move it
At the top of the range the numbers stop being about the machine at all:
| Log across | 2.4 m long | 3.0 m long |
|---|---|---|
| 1100 mm | 1597 kg | 1996 kg |
| 1300 mm | 2230 kg | 2787 kg |
| 1600 mm | 3378 kg | 4222 kg |
| 1900 mm | 4763 kg | 5954 kg |
| 2200 mm | 6386 kg | 7983 kg |
Those are green hardwood at 700 kilograms per cubic metre, which is a fair figure for oak or beech before drying. A two-metre log three metres long is close to eight tonnes. The machine is 280 kilograms.
That ratio of roughly thirty to one is the whole operating method in one number: the saw travels to the log, always. Every photograph in the gallery shows it that way, with the frame wheeled up to timber lying on the ground. A machine on two small pneumatic tyres is not going to shift a log, and no amount of leverage on the handle changes that.
It also sets a practical limit that the specification does not mention. Cross-cutting a log on the ground means the bar has to reach below the log's centre line, which means either rolling the log or digging. On a 2200 mm log you cannot roll it by hand, so you cut from the top and finish from underneath, and the bar has to be long enough for the second cut too.
140 kg on each tyre
Two wheels carry the whole machine: 95 kg each on the DM-1300 and 140 kg each on the DM-2400.
Small pneumatic tyres of the size in the photographs are rated in that region, so the machine is inside its wheels. What the photographs do not settle is the ground. A wheel carrying 140 kg on a forest floor of leaves and brash will sink to the axle, which is why the tread is a block pattern and why the description calls it off-road. Plan on firm ground, or on planks laid down, or accept that you will be dragging it.
One more detail worth noticing: the wheels are not identical across the gallery. One shows a yellow hub with a single central nut, the other a red hub on a six-bolt circle. Those are different builds, and a single nut on a 140 kg wheel is a different proposition from a bolted hub.
The safety equipment is a switch
There is a grey control box on the frame with a rocker switch on top. The label claims overload protection, which is reassuring for the motor.
What is absent is more significant. A petrol chainsaw carries a chain brake that stops the chain in a fraction of a second when the operator's hand is thrown forward, and the trigger is a dead-man control that stops the chain the moment it is released. Neither appears here. The switch is on the frame, so it stays where it is while both hands work the handle and the log.
On a machine whose whole purpose is to be levered through heavy timber, that is worth thinking about before the first cut rather than after. Ask directly whether a chain brake is fitted and whether the switch is a maintained or a momentary type. A maintained switch that stays on when released is the wrong answer for a saw.
There is a second, subtler point. Protective clothing is certified against chain speeds of 16, 20, 24 and 28 metres per second, and the whole mechanism depends on the fabric being drawn into the sprocket at speed. If this machine's chain runs well below 16 m/s, standard chainsaw trousers have not been validated against it. That is an argument for asking about chain speed again, this time for a safety reason rather than a performance one.
The bar is branded, which raises a question
One photograph shows the bar clearly enough to read the name on it, and it is a branded Stihl bar rather than an unbranded one.
That is a genuine quality signal if it is what ships. A branded solid bar in a long length is a material part of the value of a machine like this, and it is the part most likely to be substituted with a cheaper equivalent between the sample and the container.
So ask two things: whether the bar is included at the brand shown, and what length and what chain it carries on each model. The photographs show bars of visibly different lengths, which is consistent with the five-model table, but no photograph ties a specific bar to a specific model.
What is not published
| What you need | What is published | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Chain speed | nothing | The one number that decides whether the chain cuts or rubs |
| Sprocket tooth count and pitch | nothing | Turns the motor speed into chain speed |
| Drive ratio between motor and sprocket | nothing, though a housing is visible | Either a step-up is inside or the chain runs at a quarter of speed |
| Voltage and frequency | the motor is three-phase; the plate is not legible | 380 or 400 V, 50 or 60 Hz, decides whether it runs where you are |
| Full load current | nothing | Sets the cable, the breaker and the generator |
| Chain brake or dead-man control | a rocker switch on the frame, and a claim of overload protection | Nothing stops the chain when the operator lets go |
| Bar brand and whether it is included | a Stihl bar is visible in one photo | A branded bar is a material part of the value |
| Swing arc and pivot height | nothing | Sets the real maximum log, independently of the plate length |
| Cutting capacity in square metres per hour | nothing | The only figure that lets you price a job |
| Which build ships | two colour schemes and two wheel hubs in the same gallery | Confirm before paying |
The motor nameplate is present in the photographs and its rows are laid out in the standard pattern, but the characters are too small to read at the published resolution. That plate would settle voltage, frequency, current, speed and efficiency in one image. Ask for a close photograph of it.
What to put in the enquiry
| Question | Why the answer changes the decision |
|---|---|
| What is the chain speed in metres per second, and at what sprocket | Against the 20 to 25 m/s a chain needs, this single figure says whether the machine is viable |
| Is there a belt or gear step-up, and what is the ratio | If not, the chain runs at 3 to 5 m/s and cannot cut cleanly |
| What are the exact voltage, frequency and full load current | The nameplate is present in the photo and legible in none |
| What is the maximum log diameter the swing arc reaches, not the plate length | The stated maximum is a plate dimension, and 200 mm of margin is not much once the housing grips the bar |
| Does it have a chain brake or any dead-man control | There is a rocker switch and nothing else visible |
| Is the Stihl bar included, in which length, and what chain | A branded bar in one photo and no statement anywhere |
| Which colour and which wheel hub is the shipped build | The gallery shows an orange frame with a single-nut hub and a blue frame with a six-bolt hub |
| What is the cutting rate in square metres per hour on hardwood | Nothing on the page lets a buyer estimate a day's work |
| Is a spare chain and a file guide supplied | A chain is the consumable and the machine is useless without one |
Before you order
Four questions decide this machine, and none of them is answered on the page. Chain speed in metres per second, because that single figure separates a saw from a scraper. Voltage and current, because a three-phase motor determines where the machine can be used at all. The real maximum log diameter from the swing arc rather than the plate length, because 200 mm of margin does not survive contact with a housing. And whether any braking exists, because the answer tells you how much of the safety you have to supply yourself.
If those come back sensibly, the rest of the machine is sound in an unglamorous way. The five models are scaled coherently at around two to two and a half kilowatts per metre of plate, the frame is heavy enough to resist a bucking cut, and the method, saw to the log on two wheels, is the right one for timber that weighs tonnes.
What it is not is a sawmill, whatever the title says. Judged as a bucking saw for firewood and log reduction, the range is reasonable and the largest model is a serious piece of equipment. Judged as a mill, it has no rail, no slab frame and no way to hold a line, and the boards will not come out straight however much power is behind the chain.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a sawmill or a chainsaw?
It is an electric chainsaw on a two-wheeled frame with a lever handle, built to cross-cut logs. None of the eight images shows a guide rail, slab frame or track, which are the parts that make a chainsaw into a mill. It breaks logs into lengths; it does not produce boards.
Why does the model number not match the guide plate on the DM-1700?
Four of the five models have a plate equal to their number, but the DM-1700 is listed with a 1600 mm plate. Either the number is a nominal class or the figure is a typo. Confirm in writing and measure the bar on arrival.
What chain speed does it run?
It is not published anywhere. Driven directly from a 2860 rpm motor the chain would run 3.2 to 4.5 m/s depending on sprocket, against the 20 to 25 m/s a saw chain needs, so a step-up of about 4.4 to 6.3 to one must be inside the drive housing. That ratio is the number to ask for.
Can it run on single phase?
No. The nameplate reads three-phase asynchronous motor. At 380 or 400 volts three-phase the models draw about 6.6 to 12.1 A at full load. The equivalent single-phase currents would be 20 to 36 A, which no domestic circuit carries, so a converter or a generator is needed off mains.
How big a generator do I need?
Size it on starting current, not running current. Direct-on-line starting draws five to seven times full load, so plan 7.5 to 9 kVA for the 3 kW model, 10 to 12 kVA for 4 kW and 13.8 to 16.5 kVA for 5.5 kW, or use a soft starter or drive to reduce that.
Does the biggest model cut fastest?
No, the opposite. The largest log is 4.00 times the area of the smallest while the motor is only 1.83 times as powerful, so a cut on the DM-2400 takes about 2.18 times as long as one on the DM-1300. You buy the big model for big logs, not for speed.
Is the three-level energy label a benefit?
It is the entry grade. Under the Chinese motor efficiency standard grade three is the efficiency limit, the minimum a new motor may be sold at, with grade two and grade one above it. It is a normal industrial motor rather than a premium one, and the running-cost difference is small on a machine that works in short bursts.
What safety features does it have?
A rocker switch on the frame with overload protection for the motor. There is no chain brake and no dead-man control visible in any image, so nothing stops the chain when the operator lets go. Ask whether a brake is fitted and whether the switch is momentary rather than maintained.
Key specifications
Frequently asked questions
- Is this a sawmill or a chainsaw?
- It is an electric chainsaw on a two-wheeled frame with a lever handle, built to cross-cut logs. None of the eight images shows a guide rail, slab frame or track, which are the parts that make a chainsaw into a mill. It breaks logs into lengths; it does not produce boards.
- Why does the model number not match the guide plate on the DM-1700?
- Four of the five models have a plate equal to their number, but the DM-1700 is listed with a 1600 mm plate. Either the number is a nominal class or the figure is a typo. Confirm in writing and measure the bar on arrival.
- What chain speed does it run?
- It is not published anywhere. Driven directly from a 2860 rpm motor the chain would run 3.2 to 4.5 m/s depending on sprocket, against the 20 to 25 m/s a saw chain needs, so a step-up of about 4.4 to 6.3 to one must be inside the drive housing. That ratio is the number to ask for.
- Can it run on single phase?
- No. The nameplate reads three-phase asynchronous motor. At 380 or 400 volts three-phase the models draw about 6.6 to 12.1 A at full load. The equivalent single-phase currents would be 20 to 36 A, which no domestic circuit carries, so a converter or a generator is needed off mains.
- How big a generator do I need?
- Size it on starting current, not running current. Direct-on-line starting draws five to seven times full load, so plan 7.5 to 9 kVA for the 3 kW model, 10 to 12 kVA for 4 kW and 13.8 to 16.5 kVA for 5.5 kW, or use a soft starter or drive to reduce that.
- Does the biggest model cut fastest?
- No, the opposite. The largest log is 4.00 times the area of the smallest while the motor is only 1.83 times as powerful, so a cut on the DM-2400 takes about 2.18 times as long as one on the DM-1300. You buy the big model for big logs, not for speed.
- Is the three-level energy label a benefit?
- It is the entry grade. Under the Chinese motor efficiency standard grade three is the efficiency limit, the minimum a new motor may be sold at, with grade two and grade one above it. It is a normal industrial motor rather than a premium one, and the running-cost difference is small on a machine that works in short bursts.
- What safety features does it have?
- A rocker switch on the frame with overload protection for the motor. There is no chain brake and no dead-man control visible in any image, so nothing stops the chain when the operator lets go. Ask whether a brake is fitted and whether the switch is momentary rather than maintained.