Looking For A Pole Saw

[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.