Pole saws

Robert_in_NY · Aug 31, 2005

I am thinking of getting a pole saw to help maintain tree limbs along my fields. TSC has a Poulan for $140 but I have no idea if they make a decent saw. I have friends who sell Huskvana (sp?), Sthil and Echo and so far I have only talked to the one who sells Huskvana and his cheapest saw is $450. Does anyone have any idea if the Poulan saw is any good? I can get 3 of them for the cost of just one of the others but if they only last a year or if I always have to fight with it then it isn't worth it. Any recommendations of a good pole saw?

BB_TX · Aug 31, 2005

Can't speak for the other brands, but I have an Echo. Yes, a little pricey, but works great. Have had it about 3 years with no problems.

rockyridgefarm · Aug 31, 2005

I have a Tananka, which is similar to the Poulon. My buddy has the poulon. We both kept wanting pole saws, but not to the tune of the Stihl/Echo's. We both got to use both the echo and Stihl. For the price we are both happy with what we got.

1bush2hog · Aug 31, 2005

How much do the Poulans weigh compared to Stihl/Husky/Echo?

I would think with a pole saw that Less weight = more $$

Wouldn't matter much if you look like Arnold /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

hobbyfarm · Aug 31, 2005

The ECHO should easily last 20 years with minimal maintainance. ECHO also has lots of online manuals etc. IF parts are ever needed.

Great stuff.

rockyridgefarm · Sep 1, 2005

A little more on my original reply.

The echo/Stihl units are great. They are designed for commercial duty and other than being heavy will do it all.

But I need to cut limbs up to 10' high on LOTS of trees. I seldom need to go higher. My unit and my buddy's Poulon have held up well to that, and we have them. We kept putting off buying a $500+ unit.

Echo and Stihl both offer smaller units, but they aren't much cheaper than their big ones.

You can turn the Poul;on into a weed cutter, so if you later upgraded, you still have a weedeater.

I think it is a good buy for under $200 for regular property owners. Commercial buyers maybe not.

slowrev · Sep 1, 2005

I just bought a poulan pole saw at TSC about 2 months ago on sale for $99. It is a good little saw and came with a dual line string trimmer head as well.

Ben

frank_f15 · Sep 1, 2005

Robert: how heavy a work load will you be giving this saw? I have a regular poulan chain saw, don't use it very much but it has been fine for me. I also was thinking of getting a pole saw and for what i would use it for i would try the POULAN. BUT THAT IS ME, YOUR NEEDS MIGHT VERY WELL BE DIFFERENT.

Panache · Sep 1, 2005

Several of the weedeater brands have a polesaw and a recip saw attachment for their machines. most are interchangable between brands. Lowes carries the Troybuilt. I have a Ryobi with a recip saw. It is good just slow. I also have a Stihl extendable pole saw. Both have their place. It is nice to reach up about 16' to cut limbs back at the trunk like they should be rather than just cutting as far up as you can reach.

hbarski · Sep 1, 2005

I bought the TSC Poulan pole saw and would highly recommend it. The best bang for the smallest buck. Get your self a 5/32 file and just keep it sharp and oiled and you will not regret the purchase.

slowrev · Sep 1, 2005

I bought the TSC Poulan pole saw and would highly recommend it. The best bang for the smallest buck. Get your self a 5/32 file and just keep it sharp and oiled and you will not regret the purchase.
//

Yep and I got mine for $99 with a free trimmer head /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Great deal!
Get the Oregon file guide thingy. It makes it a snap to sharpen, I use it on my regular chainsaw as well. I can sharpen a chain as quick with it as it takes my FIL to set up his electric sharpener and I need no electricity, just a cool drink as I file.
Tip...Take the same amount of file strokes on each tooth... usually 4-6.
Ben

Jagmandave · Sep 1, 2005

Are you all talking about electric or gas saws for $100?

I have an electric pole saw that I bought 3 years ago and it works great, as long as the chain is sharp it cuts like heck! It's also very useful for getting under bushes or cutting out other brush along the gound.
A couple of caveats tho. The higher the limb is, the more vertical the saw is, be careful the limb doesn't fall on your head!
Also, I've had problems with the collar that you tighten to extend the pole. Mine, made of plastic, failed, and I can't buy a replacement without buying the entire pole. I wound up putting a clamp around it and it still works, but watch out for cheap design. I would like an attachment that would let me pivot the saw horizonatally on top of the pole, so I could saw downwards on the limb instead of across it...........

Robert_in_NY · Sep 1, 2005

Hello Frank, I have a couple miles of tree line to trim back along some new fields I have aquired. I am leaning towards the Stihl as it has a 30 degree attachment for the head to improve the angle of cut. My dealer friend who sells these has the HT-100 for $429 and the HT-101 for $599.

All in all I have roughly 5 miles of tree line to maintain (as of right now), as well as 4 apartments and our deer pens all of which will see the pole saw. So it will be easy to justify the higher end saw if it is worth it and from all the responses I have received on this board and the newagtalk site it looks like it is worth the extra. I just need to visit my Echo dealer and see what he has to offer.

As for regular saws, we have 4 Homelite saws that see a lot of use. The oldest one is around 20 years or so and is actually the favorite of all 4. What I worry about is the fact a pole saw is a slightly different beast and I do not want to buy something that won't last at least a year under a decent workload and would much rather have something that will last multiple years instead of something that I am always fighting with when I need it. The price of the Poulan scares me some as the old saying "you get what you pay for" is usually quite true (like everyone I learned that lesson the hard way).

rswyan · Sep 2, 2005

Robert,

I just bought an HT-101 about four weeks ago - very satisfied so far for the most part - it's my 3rd piece of Stihl equipment (FS-66 Brushcutter, 031AV Chainsaw) The thing starts very easily and the motor is very powerful (hardly ever need to run it wide-open)

I've been using the HT-101 to trim the limbs off of felled trees in a 70' x 90' area of woods that I am clearing to put up a polebarn. In fact, I have been using it to actually buck alot of the trees (anything smaller than 7" - 8") and it works great (no bending required like with the chainsaw)

The only shortcoming I've seen so far is the shoulder strap - the stock one isn't the greatest in terms of comfort. I've been using the padded one from my FS-66 (same one is offered for the HT-101) and it works fine. They also offer a saddle/bucket harness for the HT-101 which you might want to check out given the amount of work it looks like you have.

beenthere · Sep 2, 2005

I have had the Stihl for several years now, and it has been tough and mean, couldn't ask any more from it. Lives up to it's name.

Robert_in_NY · Apr 6, 2007

Well, I thought I would update this thread. Since we bought the orchard and vineyard we decided it was time to just put the money on the table for the proper tools. Went over to my friends shop who sells husqvarna and bought the 326p5 pole saw and the 326HD75 hedge trimmer for helping in the grapes as well as the raspberries. Had the helmet with ear and face protection tossed in as well as I am tired of apple tree branches bouncing off my head and walked out the door $910 lighter. Then it started snowing so I have not had a chance to use any of these yet but they are in the barn waiting for the snow to stop. Thanks to everyone who added to this thread. Enjoy the day.

Tom_H · Apr 6, 2007

I have an electric that I got on sale at Harbor Freight for about $89. It's out in storage right now and I can't remember the brand. It might be this model:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=38086

It does cut well as long as chain is sharp. I got a small elec. sharperner for very little, also from Harbor Freight, that works well.

DR has a pole saw designed like a long weed eater. This puts the engine at the bottom, a torque shaft running up the pole, and at the top, a small gearbox and the chain. I don't know how much less that gearbox might weigh up on top in lieu of the motor/engine, but it does beg the question of how much easier it might be to handle a unit with more of the weight at the bottom, and less up at the top. They also have a similar "attachment" like this that you can just stick on the end of a regular weed eater. These can be seen here:

http://www.drpower.com/prdSell.aspx...p1Name=Lawn&Chap=Pruners&src=AW51568XE2553829

http://www.drpower.com/prdSell.aspx...p&Chap=DROtherEquiptment&src=AW51568XE2553829

texbaylea · Apr 6, 2007

If you buy one of the add on pole saw heads for the MTD made brands, Troybilt, Ryobi, etc. keep them well oiled. I have a Troybilt that wore a groove in the sprocket due to a hired hand not keeping it oiled. It took over 6 mos to get replacements.

Otherwise it worked well for what we were doing in brush clearing.

Vernon

George2615 · Apr 6, 2007

And all this time I thought pole saws came from Poland.

Tom_H · Apr 6, 2007

George2615 said:
And all this time I thought pole saws came from Poland.

That's a Polock saw. It takes two guys to hold it-one on each end to hold the saw steady and rigid, and of course the eight other polocks to sway the tree back and forth against the saw teeth.