Looking For A Pole Saw

[kathy50]

I love doing pruning with the hand saw. Today I am looking (online) at some cordless electric pole saws. They are:-

1. A Detailed GreenWorks Pole Saw Review GreenWorks Pole Saw Review
2. A Practical Black and Decker Pole Saw Review

According to the reviews, Greenworks will cut for 45-60 minutes and Black Decker will cut for 20-25 minutes.

On the other hand, my husband likes Black Decker a lot because it reaches high and it might be a little unbalanced at first but you just set the blade on the limb to be cut and squeeze the trigger.

Dear friends, have any experience/ opinions these poles saw? :confused3:

Advance
Thanks

 

[ericm979]

I have that Black and Decker. Don't get it! It does not have a chain oiler. Instead you get a small bottle to fill with oil and dribble on the chain. That's no good. The Greenwoks review says the gears strip. That's not good either.

After I got the Black and Decker I got a Lyxx from Harbor Freight. It works a lot better. It's got a chain oiler. The gears haven't stripped and I've cut hardwood limbs larger than the saw blade (don't do that, it's dangerous). But don't fill the oil tank to the top like you do on a chain saw. It'll leak all over when you have the saw upright. There's a MAX line on the view window that I ignored.

 

[EddieWalker]

If those are you only two choices, and the Black and Decker was free, I would say go with the other brand. There is no bigger piece of junk out there then Black and Decker!!!!

I was looking at those Greenworks tools a few months ago at Lowes and I was tempted to give them a try, but decided to hold off and see what comes out next. Currently, I let my wife use my Makita Sawzall with a pruning blade on it for most of what she wants to do. If it's too high in the air, I'll get it with something else. Most of the time, she'll use the Kawasaki Mule and position it so she can get into the bed to get higher, or even climb onto the roof to get some branches.

 

[coldsteelva]

I use the Toro TrimmerPlus system. The motor head has interchangeable attachments which saves space. I have the line trimmer head, hedge trimmer, pole saw (with extension segment) and there are many other by both Toro and Husqvarna that are interchangeable.

 

[mcfarmall]

A buddy of mine has a STIHL that you can change over between a weed whacker, pole saw and a big rubber broom thingy...he swears by it.

 

[kathy50]

I have that Black and Decker. Don't get it! It does not have a chain oiler. Instead you get a small bottle to fill with oil and dribble on the chain. That's no good. The Greenwoks review says the gears strip. That's not good either.

After I got the Black and Decker I got a Lyxx from Harbor Freight. It works a lot better. It's got a chain oiler. The gears haven't stripped and I've cut hardwood limbs larger than the saw blade (don't do that, it's dangerous). But don't fill the oil tank to the top like you do on a chain saw. It'll leak all over when you have the saw upright. There's a MAX line on the view window that I ignored.

Hi Ericm,
Thanks for your informative information.
My friend John use Lyxx cordless pole saw. But he tells me this tool has low torque, so even small branches are hard to cut. He recommends me do not buy this one but look for different pole saws. This is a lightweight pole saw, but not worth your money. he is sad that he wasted $150 on a pole saw that can barely cut a thin branch.

 

[flingwing1969]

You may not like my suggestion but I would suggest a manual pole saw for these reasons:

1. Manual pole pruners are lightweight, easy to handle, and will not leave you with a sore back.
2. They can be found in much longer lengths than powered saws - up to 21 feet, and pretty easy to handle too.
3. You do not need to run cables or struggle to start a gas engine
4. I would never use power tools on an old, gnarled apple tree, for example too many twigs to tangle a power saw.
5. Working with a pole allows you see the overall shape of the tree as you work.
6. Because of the longer reach, you don't have to use ladders they are dangerous.

I have a very high quality gas powered pruner that I blessedly got for free because I haven't used it in years - I always use my 21' telescoping Barnel and have never looked back. I can slice through a 4" branch in about seven pulls and the blade has a hook on the end that prevents it from slipping off the branch when you pull. My property is densely wooded with pines, firs, cedars and black oak and I can work for an hour and not get tired - I'm 71 by the way. This is not a cheap item, they run around $240 from Amazon but I personally think it is well worth the price. Here is a video of another type that is well thought of.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I bought the Harbor Freight Lynxx battery powered pole saw, and for the $130 find it to be AMAZING! It has incredible battery life, more than enough torque (never slows down, even on 4" branches) and extends to 8 feet (plus my 6.5' reach).

The one battery will far outlast you in a session. My 69 year old father and I took turns last fall passing it back and forth for 4 hours and ran the battery to half. At that point we were both beat from cutting and dragging.

In that 4 hours I also used the pole saw (collapsed) to limb the cut off branches so that they would fit into the burn barrel. I am very impressed with the saw and would recommend it with clear conscience.

 

[check]

You may not like my suggestion but I would suggest a manual pole saw for these reasons: 1. Manual pole pruners are lightweight, easy to handle, and will not leave you with a sore back. 2. They can be found in much longer lengths than powered saws - up to 21 feet, and pretty easy to handle too. 3. You do not need to run cables or struggle to start a gas engine 4. I would never use power tools on an old, gnarled apple tree, for example too many twigs to tangle a power saw. 5. Working with a pole allows you see the overall shape of the tree as you work. 6. Because of the longer reach, you don't have to use ladders they are dangerous. I have a very high quality gas powered pruner that I blessedly got for free because I haven't used it in years - I always use my 21' telescoping Barnel and have never looked back. I can slice through a 4" branch in about seven pulls and the blade has a hook on the end that prevents it from slipping off the branch when you pull. My property is densely wooded with pines, firs, cedars and black oak and I can work for an hour and not get tired - I'm 71 by the way. This is not a cheap item, they run around $240 from Amazon but I personally think it is well worth the price. Here is a video of another type that is well thought of. <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=543822"/>

I agree. The manual ones work well, and they are amazingly light.

 

[tcreeley]

My wife loves to use her 40 v Ryobi chain saw. She just went out today before the snow comes to trim an apple tree.
She wants a pole saw too. We have a regular pole saw, but it is too hard for her to handle easily. We already have the Ryobi 40v weedwacker which she also loves.

We'll get the Ryobi 40v polesaw. They all use the same batteries. No down time! - I like the 40v chainsaw - handy. Easy to use. It is not my old Husky 266, but it is easier to start!

A hedge trimmer is in the future too! - re Black and Decker - the industrial line of 30 years ago used to be really good (I have a 7"grinder, 10" skillsaw and a corded drill. All still going.) I look the other way on them today.

Here is Home Depot's 40v Ryobi pole saw Ryobi 1 in. 4-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Pole Saw - 2.6 Ah Battery and Charger Included-RY4561 - The Home Depot

 

[newbury]

Polesaws are just saws on poles. They can be manual saws or powered (electric chainsaws, gas, 2 stroke). Have not seen a diesel, saw a rare hydraulic.
Manual work real well with a sharp blade and a strong arm. They are relatively light weight compared to a powered saw but you provide the power.

I've a lot of hardwood trees that need trimming down in Mississippi. Mostly gum. I was using a 17' telescoping fiberglass polesaw. Worked well but I don't think I ever got through a 4" diameter branch in 7 pulls, especially not after the first couple.

So I bought an Echo PPT 280 w/ 4' attachment, this let's me go out 17 feet. Basically a 30cc chainsaw on a stick. Like a Stihl MS 170.

Here's my son using it at 12'

Here's most of it w/ attachment

and here's the first limb I cut at full 17' extension

.

That being written I'm probably going to be getting a Lynxx 40V pole saw, just to add to my toolset. I can envision using it when I'm up in trees or on a ladder.

To the OP - If this is going to be occasional use determine if you will want other tools that will use the same battery.
Check for the possibilities of extensions.
Look for youtube videos of it's use.
Find an assembled one and hold it out at full extension for 5 minutes to see if you can handle it. They get heavy quick.

 

[yomax4]

I have an apple orchard and a lot of deer stands.I bought that $550 Stihl top end pole saw. Very high quality but it weighs 300# and if you run a tank of gas through it your arms will fall off. I'm looking for a good Battery op pole saw too. Anything better than the Lynxx?

 

[ericm979]

Hi Ericm,
Thanks for your informative information.
My friend John use Lyxx cordless pole saw. But he tells me this tool has low torque, so even small branches are hard to cut. He recommends me do not buy this one but look for different pole saws. This is a lightweight pole saw, but not worth your money. he is sad that he wasted $150 on a pole saw that can barely cut a thin branch.

His must be a dud. Like I said I've cut hardwood that's larger than the bar length. It's stronger than the Black and Decker.

 

[kathy50]

My wife loves to use her 40 v Ryobi chain saw. She just went out today before the snow comes to trim an apple tree.
She wants a pole saw too. We have a regular pole saw, but it is too hard for her to handle easily. We already have the Ryobi 40v weedwacker which she also loves.

We'll get the Ryobi 40v polesaw. They all use the same batteries. No down time! - I like the 40v chainsaw - handy. Easy to use. It is not my old Husky 266, but it is easier to start!

Hi Tcreeley,
Can you use it horizontally, out a window for example, or is it too heavy when fully extended?
How much does it weigh?
Can I add a second intermediate pole?

 

[goeduck]

I have an apple orchard and a lot of deer stands.I bought that $550 Stihl top end pole saw. Very high quality but it weighs 300# and if you run a tank of gas through it your arms will fall off. I'm looking for a good Battery op pole saw too. Anything better than the Lynxx?

300 lbs? Did you fill it with lead gas?

 

[yomax4]

300 lbs? Did you fill it with lead gas?

Might only be 250# ?

 

[oosik]

I have and use a manual pole saw. Don't have any trees like Newbury shows in post #11. My big trees are all Ponderosa pine and I've never had to prune any of them. I do pruning on my few fruit trees and a couple ornamentals. Manual equals no problems with batteries or small, cranky gas motors.

 

[tcreeley]

Hi Tcreeley,
Can you use it horizontally, out a window for example, or is it too heavy when fully extended?
How much does it weigh?
Can I add a second intermediate pole?

We have not bought one yet. I'm really taking a guess here off the Home Depot description. - Says it weighs 14 some pounds. I don't know if that includes the battery weight (toward the bottom end of the saw).

It says the reach is 9-10'. I think that includes the extension.

It should do fine horizontally.

I don't think the weight would be too much to handle as the battery would be at the bottom end, providing better balance.

I'd go find one locally and see how it feels in your hands, before buying - cuts down on variables. - Good luck.

If you are cutting through a window, horizontally - you might get away with a regular pole saw as the weight of the saw can rest on the limb as you cut, especially if you need a longer reach. I've had good luck with this - Fiskars pole saw - Amazon.com : Fiskars Power-Lever Extendable Pole Saw & Pruner (7-14 Feet) : Garden & Outdoor

 

[kathy50]

So I bought an Echo PPT 280 w/ 4' attachment, this let's me go out 17 feet. Basically a 30cc chainsaw on a stick. Like a Stihl MS 170.

Handle and throttle position is uncomfortable. Difficult to handle, too heavy.

 

[tcreeley]

The advantage to an electric pole saw vs gas are two things. - electric has less top heavy weight and my wife can't pull start a gas engine of any size. She gets tired of having to ask me.
The less I do - arthritis, etc - the more she likes to do. The right tools for her make a difference.