Best el cheapo pole saw...

[downsizingnow48]

For reaching up high I put the old Remington on my FEL boom. Close to the buildings a long extension cord works fine. Otherwise I put the small Honda generator in the backhoe bucket. I hold down the trigger with a plastic tie and use a switch mounted on the ROPS to turn the saw on and off. Very easy to set up and take down.

 

[k0ua]

Any power saw will have a far heavier nose compared to a manual pole saw. These things need some force to swing the saw up to the limb. It might be easier on your shoulders to get a manual pole saw and do the project a few minutes per day.

Also most have a hook or slicer on the back side - but the ones used by professionals don't have that. The simple type - saw only - is lighter and won't get trapped where you have to rassle it to get it free. Avoiding getting the back side of the tool snarled up and stuck will avoid much shoulder stress.

I agree, for a lot of small limbs I use my 13 inch saw I adapted to a telescoping painters pole. Good for up to about 24 feet and not very difficult to use. for larger limbs close to the ground I use the ryobi I posted.

 

[California]

Here's a photo 20 years ago showing a Redwood tree that now has grown to interfere with the tail of the windmill.
Photo

In recent years I've been using a simple manual pole saw horizontally out the top-floor window of the water tower, to top that tree annually. Redwoods grow fast and this one sends up at least three new vertical spikes as soon as its topped.

Using the manual pole saw at full extension horizontally out that window is extremely tiring. It feels like it weighs 100 lbs after a few minutes. My battery saw is only half the length of this old manual saw I use, and even at the electric saw's lesser length I doubt I could dig it into a horizontal cut hard enough to start cutting.

I need to take that tree out. I already removed one next to it that had grown to blocking the driveway.

Bonus pic. Last year the Redwood was too thick and dense to cut from out that window. I climbed the tree to top it face to face.
Photo2
In the photo you can see the stumps of four vertical spikes I cut off with a pocket pruning saw after I got up there. (I'm sitting on a couple of larger stumps). I really need to cut 6 ft off of the trunk of the tree to get it back down to where I can maintain it out the window again. But I should just remove the tree.

 

[/pine]

The problem with manual pruning saw type blade is what I will be cutting is rhododendron that is crowding one side of the road...
The rhododendron is very gnarly and has no solid support...the limbs (even the max. 2.5" limbs) are too flimsy...the saw blade would just move the whole limb...The shear would be good but the stuff is very hard and there is so much of it...

I'm likely going to hire a helper and have them do most of the shoulder work...

If I can get the Ryobi (BC30) power head to run I am leaning towards one of these: 10" Pole Saw Attachment (Fits All Universal System Trimmers) 854641��7184 | eBay

 

[powerstroke444e]

Milwaukee 18 volt pole saw is by far my favorite and I have owned stihl and husqvarna pole saws. For 95% home owners and most landscapers it is a well put together tool.

 

[Diggin It]

I'm also finding various styles of extendable loppers by several brands including Fiskars, Ryobi, Stihl and Milwaukee. Some are more like bypass pruners, others are a chainsaw type with a thumb to hold the branch and I've seen a few that are similar to bolt cutters.

But I don't know what their reach or branch capacity is.

 

[cdaigle430]

I have the Ryobi pole saw, been using it for two years now. It attaches to my 40v battery Ryobi trimmer but can be used with any EZ Attach compatable brand gas or electric. If your only going to use it fro 2 hours every so often maybe battery would be better? But seriously-every ten years? would be better to rent one.

 

[RalphVa]

Elec. or gas...looking for the cheapest saw that actually works OK...need about 8' reach the lighter the better...not going to be cutting anything bigger than 2.5"...

...Need it for about a 2 hour job that likely wont be needing done again for another 10 years...the 2 hours does not need to be continuous...

I'd go with the 40v Kobalt pole saw. They're 10' reach. They're the only Kobalts now on sale. Others are on factory recall.

Ralph

 

[almega1962]

I bought a harbor freight electric polesaw last week and it works great. It seems well built and for the price I'm very happy with it. It was about $60 with the 20% off coupon.