It works good when running it with my hands, but it does require 2 hands to operate this way. It also works well as a bow saw allowing you to cut with one hand if you want to. All you have to do is find the right length branch that can tolerate the sharp bend needed without breaking. This usually means a green piece of wood (still alive and attached to a tree) and it seems a lot of us here don’t like to cut branches off a tree so the bow saw comments are for information purposely only. No trees were harmed in my testing (that you know of…)of the saw!