Pole saws

[slowrev]

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.
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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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

 

[Tom_H]

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.