Doing some tree trimming

[nikdfish]

I considered the alternatives & the Stihl was the only option for me to get the job done in a reasonable amount of time & with the minimum of fuss & complexity. I am hoping to have things much more mower friendly before next season kicks off. Luckily, the wife doesn't have a problem with my picking up tools to get things done. As I get older & the effects of past injuries add up, I am more inclined to let the tool do the work when possible .

Nick

 

[kthompson]

I began with manual telescoping saw and it is still the height champ and works great for smaller limbs high up. Not hard to use. Then found out my Royobi had pole saw attachment for it from Sears which was made I think for Poulan. Seems like there were a few brands that used the same tools with different stick on labels. This is truly not a commercial setup but it can not be beat for the price. Not sure the reach but think at least ten feet. Was looking recently at buying commercial pole saw and decided on the commercial multi use set up when I happened to ask the dealer did they rent those and yes was the answer. Think it is $50 per day and if I plan the work one or two days will take care of my needs for at least two years and at that it would take at least ten rental days to pay for the saw which for me would be more years than I likely to be able to use one.

 

[JimRB]

I have a Stihl pole saw attachment for my Stihl Kombi motor. I also have one extension pole. The Stihl with a sharp chain is handy when you are clearing trails from high wind downed trees. An oak that falls across the trail has a number of good sized limbs 6-8 feet off the ground. That is a height that the pole saw lets you get to while still keeping your distance. I was cutting some oak branches 8-10 inches thick with the pole saw. Once they were clear enough I could go after what was left with my MS210 and MS310, 16 and 24" bars. I also cursed those same big limbs when they twisted and got the saw stuck. Wedges and a little hatchet are your friends when you do not read the branches correctly. Some of that tree trimming was on rails to trails paths where the sides slope down sort of steeply. The trees would have been easier to deal with on flat ground.

 

[oldballs]

I've been using manual pole saws for years. One is a Sears with a blade and a cutter. It has four extensions....even gets the kids' kites, rockets and parachutes out of the trees.

Anyway I just bought a Stihl HT-103 and on its first use I felt like a Cave Man that had just discovered the wheel.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[ultrarunner]

Anyone have any issues with the telescopic Stihl Pole Saws?

The one in the family was in for warranty several times... used around the farm when needed... maybe once a month.

 

[lpigott]

My HT-131 is a couple years old now and has been perfect. Granted it has not been used day in and day out but it will lay down more limbs in my yard than I care to deal with in a hurry. They have replaced my model now with a new version. I think it is just like a lot of things, take care of them and don't abuse them and they will do the job they were designed for.

 

[newbury]

I just ordered an Echo Pole PPF-225 saw from my local Mom and Pop... could have bought it for the same price Home Depot online but my saw shop stands behind what they sell...

Brother bought Stihl extended Pole Saw two years ago and has had a lot of problems with the extended part disengaging the drive... heard it has been redesigned now.

Never had a bad anything Echo so I went that way and it is not telescopic...

Hope to accomplish what you are doing soon!

For those of you thinking of ordering an Echo product they have a one day promotion event listed here and it's 20% off. California lists 14 sites. It's dealer specific, not all dealers do it, but it makes their prices a lot less than Home Depot etc.

 

[ultrarunner]

For those of you thinking of ordering an Echo product they have a one day promotion event listed here and it's 20% off. California lists 14 sites. It's dealer specific, not all dealers do it, but it makes their prices a lot less than Home Depot etc.

Yep... I thought about is and would save about $80 but the nearest one would be over an hour each way and generally heavy traffic... good suggestion though!

Most of these type of events seem to bypass San Francisco and surrounding area... didn't have a Kubota Dealer in several counties here.

 

[Pilot]

I bought a Power Pruner about 20 years ago, before they got bought out by Echo. I can reach about 13 ft., someone younger and stronger can probably go another 3 ft. or so. Power is from "the little engine that could." Never any engine problems, but the bar oil drains out after use and I lay it on a bucket lid to catch the mess.
Don't try to reach too high as the limb will start to fall and pinch the bar. For high limbs I start out near the end and work my way in so there won't be much weight to pinch the bar.
When I fall a tree I sometimes break out the pruner to cut the limbs that are down near the ground so I don't have to bend over so much.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

I’ve got a Stihl HT131, works great, but it’s a workout over extended periods. I still have my old Echo PAS 240 split shaft with “power pruner” attachment, but never use it. I have a lot of low hanging branches to trim around the field edges that never seem to end.

 

[ovrszd]

I’ve got a Stihl HT131, works great, but it’s a workout over extended periods. I still have my old Echo PAS 240 split shaft with “power pruner” attachment, but never use it. I have a lot of low hanging branches to trim around the field edges that never seem to end.

I'm sure I would benefit from having a good pole saw. I too have constant trimming along field edges. Problem being I can't reach the limbs that are banging off the canopy of the tractor. So if I deal with them at all I end up ripping them off the tree with the Grapple. That sometimes does damage to the tree that I can't accept. Just not sure I'm man enough to meet the demand!!!

 

[japody]

I have the Echo and found that using the shoulder belt takes a lot of the load off your arms. Also found the pole saw is really useful when cutting wild rose bushes. Used to get stuck all the time trying to cut them down with loppers, but not anymore when using the pole saw.

 

[ultrarunner]

I'm on the fence about the shoulder belt... did you go with generic or Echo?

Do you spend a day cutting or more for occasional use?

I'm thinking an hour or two at a time a half dozen times a year.

 

[ArlyA]

We use pole saw for hours on end and yes they do get heavy,, but we have no shoulder belts either. I'd guess we do 200 hours of cutting each fall. Our Echo's are not the telescoping types, so they must be lighter than those models.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I looked at the Stihl Kombi engine but just couldn't justify that price. I found a Poulan Pro with split shaft and pole saw for $169. I already had a string trimmer attachment and tiller (from a much earlier Poulan and Troybuilt purchase) The carbs went bad on the Troybuilt and I accidently backed over the Poulan with my Kubota RTV900.
The Poulan has about a 3 foot removable extension so it can be made into a length of around 8 feet or 12 feet which still may not be enough so with help from my brother in law we use the RTV bed to cut from which gives another 4 feet of reach which is nearly always enough to get most low hangers.
We did once but my B-I-L's Troybuilt 8 long extension onto my Poulan with 8 foot of drive and it took both of us to use it but man could we get some reach.

I think the pole saws cut faster than a normal chainsaw, maybe they turn faster and the narrow chain sure helps. Mine only has a 8" bar but I think it would pull a 12" if I could find one to fit the Poulan power head.

 

[ultrarunner]

We use pole saw for hours on end and yes they do get heavy,, but we have no shoulder belts either. I'd guess we do 200 hours of cutting each fall. Our Echo's are not the telescoping types, so they must be lighter than those models.

This is why I decided on non telescopic... weight and less to go wrong... time will tell.

 

[two_bit_score]

20/20 hindsight but I think I should have bought the Kombi system. Pole saw, string trimmer, blower, hedge trimmer, etc. main thing only one power head to maintain a motor.


.

 

[Wagtail]

We use pole saw for hours on end and yes they do get heavy,, but we have no shoulder belts either. I'd guess we do 200 hours of cutting each fall. Our Echo's are not the telescoping types, so they must be lighter than those models.

You could jury-rig something up using an old golf bag strap.

A Mate of mine did this with a hand-held Echo string cutter.

 

[ArlyA]

Like this? We only use our whackers with shoulder straps. We've occasionally done this for more than a 10 hour day, so we do know the importance of using them......

Having said that, we don't use shoulder straps with the power unit while pole sawing.

You could jury-rig something up using an old golf bag strap.

A Mate of mine did this with a hand-held Echo string cutter.

 

[Wagtail]

Yep (in the second photo).

Truth be told, I couldn't stand that type of trimmer. The vibration from the 2-stroke, after an hour or so, left my hands in agony for days after. And that was with wearing diver's foam-neoprene gloves!

I bought a Stihl 'bicycle handle' trimmer with a chest harness and never looked back.