Pole Saw

[Piperflyer]

Who has experiance with pole saws. I'm looking to purchase one and would like comments on the pro's and con's of different brands.

 

[94BULLITT]

Who has experiance with pole saws. I'm looking to purchase one and would like comments on the pro's and con's of different brands.

I have a Troybilt 27cc trimmer with a pole saw conversion that I bought at lowes to use as a pole saw. It cuts pretty good but is loud. You can buy different trimmers that fit it that may be quieter. I should have got a Stihl but the one I wanted was close to $600. If you are going to be doing much at all with it I recommend a Stihl professional. I have never been dissatisfied with a Stihl product. Stihl also has the kombi system that can be used as a pole saw and a bunch of other stuff that may be a option for you.

 

[Dr Dave]

I have a Polan Pro trimer/pole saw combo, works good for my needs. Five years old and still works great, for $189.

dave

 

[homeputter]

I bought the Stilhl pole saw about 12 years ago. I have never had a problem with it. I don't use it a lot, but it is very handy when I need it. It cuts very well and there is no other adjustment if you need to extend it to its full length.

 

[DT86]

I have rented a Stihl pole saw twice to trim tree limbs that were hanging over fences and my farm roads. Don't recall the model. It did everything I needed it to do. After a long day holding that thing up in the air I was always more than happy to return it.

 

[94BULLITT]

I think the polan is the same as the troy bilt.

 

[HCJtractor]

Who has experiance with pole saws. I'm looking to purchase one and would like comments on the pro's and con's of different brands.

I assume you mean gasoline powered vs. a manual saw. I have tons of experience with both!! Must have cut down 10,000 trees with one. I like the Kombi unit from Stihl. They make several motors. I like the motor that is one size smaller than the largest, forget the number, but maybe a 130??? The saw attachment is universal and fits all motors. This is a great unit! I have two. I like its balance, its light weight, power, and the fact that it can be broken down into two short lengths so transporting it on a tractor or 4 wheeler is easy. It cuts extremely well. I can reach limbs about 10 feet up and it easily can be used with one hand while standing on tip toes. THey also make a 3 foot extension to increase the reach for those occasional taller limbs, but it detracts from the balance, so I try to use it only when absolutely necessary. For limbing roads, pathways, shooting lanes, it is superb. I can carry it all day, operate it with one hand, and it does not beat you up. If you must have a longer one, the Stihl pole saws are nice, but much heavier and will tire you more quickly. Their length makes them hard to transport and store. For cutting from ground level up to 10 feet,the KOMBI is the best!!! And that's where most of my cutting occurs. For the few limbs 10 to 25 feet up, I use a manual saw, but that's work!! Would not want to use it much.

The only down side is that the short chains will dull fairly fast, especially if you touch the ground, so you must be careful when trimming sapplings close to the ground. I can go through a chain in a day of heavy use. But the chains are cheap, and i cycle about a dozen resharpened ones. I can easily cut down trees up to 8 inchs in diameter, limb them and section the trunk. I use my grapple to clean up the mess. My typical use is to walk my roads and shooting lanes, dropping overhanging limbs and trees in the road, perpendicular if possible. I will cut several miles of roads in a morning. Just did this last weekend. I rarely touch the cutoffs, just let them fall. I then come back with my grapple and boxblade and drive forward scooping up the debris. As I drive. huge piles are collected and they tend to catch and grab other debris. The box blade catches whatever the grapple misses. When I have a mass I can't see over, I clamp it and push it to a pile or carry it away. I have it down to a science as I do this along 6 miles of woods roads and trails and to keep my shooting lanes open and wide.

Check out the Kombi! THe hedge trimmer attachment and sidewalk edger that are also interchangeable are also nice if you have need of those.

 

[rswyan]

I have one of the Stihl professional units that 94BULLITT mentioned earlier - an HT-101 I think. It will give your arms a real workout if you are doing high pruning - at least it does mine - but I only have the regular shoulder strap, not the full harness/support system.

Been a good saw, although I had to have the carb replaced this year (note to self: don't leave gas in it over winter)

 

[rswyan]

I have one of the Stihl professional units that 94BULLITT mentioned earlier - an HT-101 I think. It will give your arms a real workout if you are doing high pruning - at least it does mine - but I only have the regular shoulder strap, not the full harness/support system.

Been a good saw, although I had to have the carb replaced this year (note to self: don't leave gas in it over winter)

 

[HCJtractor]

Who has experiance with pole saws. I'm looking to purchase one and would like comments on the pro's and con's of different brands.

What do you plan to use it for??? Mass trimming like I described earlier or surgical tree pruning? If I wanted one for pruning ornamental trees that I wanted to look nice, and only wanted to cut minimal numbers of limbs, I would advise a good professional grade telescopic manual saw with a high quality Japanese blade. They are smooth and fast, leave clean cuts, and allow surgical precision. But they will also give you a workout if you have lots of cuts to make or cut thick limbs. A professional arborist supply store, like Sherrll Arborist supply, describes and sells various models. Stihl at one time sold a nice one that was a Japanese saw with a Stihl label, but sold also under other names. I have one of these also. So which saw is better depends on what you plan to use it for. Just don't buy the cheapo Home Depo pole saw. THey are junk.

 

[bcp]

I would like one that let the bar angle, maybe 45 degrees, so you can cut from the top down on a tall limb instead of the side.

Bruce

 

[greasemonkeyok]

Ditto everything HCJtractor said above in both posts.:thumbsup: In my limited experience with the Sthil professional, he is right on.

The only thing I can add is: lifting the operator in the bucket of your FEL is a good way to bend the pole, or worse.:duh: When the operator is on the ground, all he has to manage is the balance of the saw and the reaction of the limb being cut. In the bucket, the operator also has to manage his balance, kinda like a circus act.

 

[Ed of all trades]

I have a stihl weed eater that cost $200 with the saw att. I can put on it, it won't reach as high as the one with the shaft that breaks down in the middle but is a lot less $$$ too. I also have a manual pole saw. they both work well. I can cut limbs 20' up with the manual easily, and have cut higher. If you get a manual pole saw DON'T get a happy homeowner type if you plan on using it much. I got mine from a company that builds trucks power companys, ect. It cuts very well, I also got a hand saw from them and with small limbs I can cut them off before you can crank a saw. With tree saws quality is everything.:2cents:

 

[MrWhippy]

I have an Echo 266 motor unit with pole saw attachment and extra extension. I also use it as a straight shaft string trimmer. It is an excellent unit. Easy start, year after year.

I have concerns about the smaller Stihl engines since my MS180 chainsaw disaster (never ran well, flooded easily, eventually warped a head). The bigger Stihls seem to have a much better build quality.

 

[Ed L]

I would like one that let the bar angle, maybe 45 degrees, so you can cut from the top down on a tall limb instead of the side.

Bruce

Stihl makes an adapter to set the angle at 30 degrees. Cannon makes a special bar thats angled on the bottom to do the same thing.
Cannon Bar Works - Pole Pruner

Ed

 

[HCJtractor]

Thats interesting. I guess I never saw any problem with a straight blade, but I can see how the angled blade may prevent binding on a really big limb, but I don't seem to ever have a problem with that. The angle may be good but seems it would be a little awkward for most cuts that were not high up. Most of my cuts are at ground level or below 8 feet. The straight bar works just fine for me

 

[94BULLITT]

I have never had a problem with the bar being straight either. I always make a small undercut then cut it from the top say it does not get pinched and it does not peel the bark off of the tree that way.

 

[bcp]

I cut lots of high limbs on fir trees. Pretty hard to cut from the top when this is the only way you can reach the limb at all.

 

[bm3]

I have a Stihl , best pole saw made . I use my saw to trim branches along a long gravel road and overhanging branches in my fields . Saw is a real work horse

 

[JoeBuyer]

I have the Sthil Kombi 130 that HCJtractor has. Great unit and he describes it well. That saw is the 4mix and you can tell it has more power than you would think. I have the graphite extension section and it isn't as off balance when it is on the saw as the normal extension section. Like HCJtractor said, it breaks down into small sections so I can haul it in almost anything, even the trunk of the car. The connecting hardware where it joins is a lot stronger than you usually see.