PSA: a hand saw beats a top handle saw on anything under 6 inches

Everyone in my crew reaches for the little top handle saw on limbs under 6 inches and I think that is backwards. Two months ago we were pruning a row of silver maples in Fort Wayne and I did half the row with a 26 inch Silky and the other half with the saw, and the hand saw side was done faster with cleaner cuts and no bar pinch. The saw binds on small wood because the kerf closes up, and by the time you back it out you have lost more time than the saw saved. I know the saw looks faster when you watch someone who knows it, but add up the sharpening, the fuel, and the kickback on a limb at shoulder height. Has anyone actually timed both on a full pruning job, or am I fooling myself here?