Pole saws

[Michael_S]

I'm thinking of buying a pole saw to trim some of the many low hanging branches on my property. A Home Depot rental shop near me has a used Echo unit for sale. They want $300. They say the motor and shaft have both just been completely rebuilt. It does not have a warranty.
New unit goes for $600.
Is this a deal or should I buy new?
Anyone have any experience with these saws in general?

 

[beenthere]

Either way its a gamble. If the $300 one lasts 5 years, then it is a good deal.
Won't know until you try it. Have to wonder why it needed over-hauling in the first place.

 

[RiverV]

I'm thinking about getting one to prune my fruit trees with. Any suggestions or recommendations? Thanks.

Dave

 

[fishman]

Stihl has a unit with a non-extending pole that is under $450 as I recall. If those branches are under 15' up in the tree, this might be a good option for you.

I've been thinking of putting my portable generator on a carry-all behind my tractor and buying on of the electric pole saws for around $100. I don't know if this option might appeal to you or not, but I think I'm going to try it.

 

[EastTexFrank]

That's basically what I did. My buying philosophy is that if you are going to use it a lot then buy the best you can afford but if it's only used occasionally then get something that will do the job and not tie up too much money. I bought a reconditioned Remington electric pole saw from Northern Tool for about $100 to take down a couple of branches that were threatening to fall. I've run it off the generator and off an inverter on the tractor battery. It worked fairly well on the few occasions that I have used it. The only thing was that when working at full extension, when the branch comes down, the pole saw head tends to follow it all the way to the ground and hit pretty hard unless you are strong enough and quick enough to catch and hold it. I think I'd worry about treating a $600 piece of equipment that way.

 

[fishman]

Thanks for the info. That sure sounds like a plan to me. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[RiverV]

Thanks, A 15 ft. pole length should be fine. I'll go look at the Stihl. Think I'll go with a gas trimmer as I have around 30 plus fruit trees now and another dozen or so going in this year to contend with. Didn't realize these things were so expensive.

Dave...

 

[fishman]

Actually, to be more accurate, the fixed-length Stihl trimmer is only about 10' in length. However, you can reach limbs 15' up or so when you are using it. Sorry for the confusion. It should work well on dwarf or semi-dwarf fruit trees.

 

[bebster]

I'm a big fan of the Stihl pole saw. Expensive but works great.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I bought a Shindaiwa a couple of years ago. I've worn out about 6 chains, 1 bar, and it still runs great. It was recommended by a rancher buddy (he has one of their chainsaws and says its the best he's ever used in that size).

The Shindaiwa wasn't cheap, I can't remember exactly maybe about $450. I bought the hedgetrimmer attachment also for another $250. (you can put different attachments on the motor.
The local Stihl dealer (B&B Hardware in Giddings Tx) has been a Stihl dealer for a long time. They have junkpile stacks and stacks of Stihl weedeaters etc...they are known for not running the tidy-est business operation. Seeing this made me realize that even the best brands can break. I like what I read on the Shindaiwa website and thats why I went with one...Kyle
http://www.shindaiwa.com/products/chain_saws/p230.html