I have heard a few folks talking about Proyama saws lately, so I thought I would give one a try.

I ordered a “kit” and within a few days it was sitting on my front porch.  My plan was to unbox it, assemble it, check it over, and take it with me on a trip into Tennessee the following weekend where I had been hired to clean up a 35 acre property.

Saw Setup

I was pleasantly surprised at all the extras included in the box.  It really is a “kit”.  Included are:

• Owner’s manual
• 22″ bar and chain
• 18″ bar and chain
• Ear muffs
• Work gloves
• Fuel mixing bottle
• Face shield
• File, 2 gaskets, and a small tool
• Bar/chain guard for storage
• Scrench
• Dogs
• Hardware
• Storage bag

It only took me a few minutes to everything assembled.  There was nothing special or unique about loosely bolting the 22″ bar on, unboxing and untangling the chain, looping it around the bar and clutch, and then using the flathead end of the scrench to set chain tension.

I fueled it up, added bar oil, and started it of course.  No way am I driving somewhere to spend a couple of days cutting without making sure the saw runs!

It was not difficult to start.  I primed it and gave it two, maybe three yanks.  It was probably 75 degrees F outside when I cranked it up.  I avoided giving it full trigger throttle.  I prefer to break my saws in a bit easy, even though I’ve been told by engine “experts” I don’t have to worry about it.

The storage bag is a nice touch.  It is pretty thin material, and might not take much abuse, but it’s more than most manufacturers include.

Features

This saw did not cost me a fortune, but at the same time it wasn’t the cheapest 22″ option out there.  I would say it’s closer to opening price point than mid price point.

I am told it is made in China, but it is packed with features.

It has a magnesium case to help reduce weight.  It weighs around 14 pounds.

It has a primer bulb, which I’ve found typically helps get a saw started with fewer pulls.  Would you rather rip your arm off a couple of extra times pulling on that cord, or just push the primer bulb?!

They use a filter to reduce the amount of grit and dirt that circulates through the case and around the motor, which in theory should help it run better and cooler for longer.  But the drawback… you have to clean the filter.

They have a rubber sleeve/grip on the handle.  They claim to have an anti-vibration system, but I’m not sure if it’s anything more extensive than just that grip.

I’ve heard this saw is similar to the SupMix 62cc saw, or possibly made by the same parent company.  But I’ll point out Proyama advertises this as a 3.5 HP motor, 12k rpm speed, where as the SupMix I reviewed a while back was 4.2 HP and 8500 rpm.

My Review

This thing is typically easy to start, whether it is warm or cold.

It cuts well, and has reasonable power.

My saw sometimes had just a bit of a stumble off idle, but it was not annoying and didn’t seem to affect it running or cutting at normal RPM.

It cuts fairly fast, ergonomics and balance are good, and it cuts straight.

I would give the chain durability a solid C, maybe a B.  I did end up with some burrs on some of the links.  I actually wish instead of packing the saw with both a 22″ chain/bar and an 18″ chain/bar they would have just sent it with a spare 22 bar and chain.

I took this saw along with an old trusty PoulanPro.  I wouldn’t say I preferred it over the PP, but it is not a bad saw.

Along those lines, I don’t like it as much as the Supmix behemoth I reviewed last year, but it’s a different size saw and frankly I didn’t pay as much for this one.

All in all, I rate it a “B” and I think it’s worth the money.