Yeah, it seems more like it would be a novelty / "no one ever tried this before!" than an actual weapon.
Just like this:
And no, it's not photoshopped either. That really does exist and I have been there (I live not too far away from it).
Obviously, it's not designed to cut wood. But it does have an engine and it does run.
A snake would be the same way. Sounds like a pet project of a scientist rather than an actual machine that would be viable for general use (as a weapon or whatever).