Tree Trimming Saw?

[ddawg16]

Time to trim back my avocado tree.....my *** is too fat and too old to be climbing up in that big tree...

I'm looking at 2 options....has anyone used one of these? ($45)


Or something like this? At $22 it almost seems too good to be true....
I do have a limb pruner....but it's getting old and tired

 

[Shiftless]

How big in diameter are the limbs you are aiming to cut? How high off the ground will the cuts be? I assume you plan to stand on the ground and not get up on a ladder, right?

 

[uratool]

I've used both but only use the pole saw anymore....in my experience, the rope saw has a tendency to become bound up in a partially cut limb requiring you to climb or cut the limb by other means. My suggestion is to spend more on the pole saw, I've used the really cheap ones and the weak link is the extension clamps are weak.

 

[rancherbill]

I use the pole trimmer, they work great.

The wire thing would be hard to get in the right spot and you risk damaging the the tree by cutting in the wrong spot.

 

[captain14]

I’ve used a couple of the Fiskars versions of the pole saw. It works great but I’ve had the limb pinch the blade so I could not get it out or continue sawing. I had to use the second one to make a relief cut or shift the limb to release the blade.

My first one was a Craftsman which was great also until the plastic handle started breaking up.

 

[ddawg16]

How big in diameter are the limbs you are aiming to cut? How high off the ground will the cuts be? I assume you plan to stand on the ground and not get up on a ladder, right?

I don't like heights.

The largest limb I'll cut is about 4".

I had a gardener trim it about 5 years ago and he cut way too much.

Thanks for all the input. uratool and rancherbill.....good points about the rope saw.

Pole trimmer it is.

Sad part now....the way the tree has grown, the center of it would make for a great tree house for my kids....except they wouldn't be able to fit in it now. I'll have to take some pics for you

 

[Lassen Forge]

I have a pair of pole saws - one is like the red one above on an extendable pole, good but limited to size of limbs on the "clipper" side, the other is a homemade gig using a blade from a pruning saw on a 16 foot long 2x2... heavy, but works really well...
I *Just* got one of those battery chainsaws (Ryobi, same battery platform as my leaf blower) on a pole... 10" bar, will try it out later... I just don't know if it will be long (or sturdy) enough...

 

[hkd76]

We used pole saws all the time when I worked for the phone company in Omaha cutting a path through the trees for an aerial house drop. Always worked well.

 

[Git]

We have one of these - bought it in 2006 and is still going strong (little spendy though). I usually use the cutter part, not the saw blade. (You pull a strap to cut and is good up to about 1" branches)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004TBMV/?tag=atomicindus08-20

And just bought one of these - they go on sale for $50, and gets pretty good reviews (haven't used it yet though)

 

[Shiftless]

Every year or 2 I hire a pro to shape and prune our 40 foot tall Atlas Cedar. He climbs into the tree and uses an electric chain saw and from the ground uses a super long pro grade pole saw.
On our little quarter acre city lot, I have a couple of other much smaller trees that I prune with a pole pruner or another (old) tool which is basically an electric chain saw on a long pole, 8 inch bar. Corded.
I also use an M12 Milwaukee Hackzall fitted with an 8 inch carbide pruning blade.
For a hand pruner I highly recommend Felco. Expensive tool of course but a pleasure to use. If you take care of it, it will last many years.

 

[rlitman]

Tip for those using a hand saw on trees:
Spray the blade down with silicone lubricant.

Also, don't forget to use the three cut method when taking off limbs if you don't want to hurt the tree.

 

[LeonardY]

I've used both.

in my experience, the rope saw has a tendency to become bound up in a partially cut limb

I find this the case too. I found that getting another rope out board of the cut and having some pull on it helps quite a bit.
I also like to have another person on the other end of the rope so the cut is not wrapping the branch.

I prefer to cut with saw blade it's a little more controlled.

 

[ybnormal]

I've had an extendable pole saw with branch lopper for over 25+ yrs, still works, put a new blade on. the one thing I've noticed over the years is that the 'landscaping' crews I see always seem to have a simple pole saw with no lopper to get hung up, and it is usually a wooden handle made longer by fitting a wooden handle extension into the metal coupler. they don't use twist locks on the handles.

 

[rlitman]

I've had an extendable pole saw with branch lopper for over 25+ yrs, still works, put a new blade on. the one thing I've noticed over the years is that the 'landscaping' crews I see always seem to have a simple pole saw with no lopper to get hung up, and it is usually a wooden handle made longer by fitting a wooden handle extension into the metal coupler. they don't use twist locks on the handles.

I have the wooden handle ones. They're made by AM Leopard, which is a big name in landscaping supplies. I also have a fiberglass pole by Jameson that fits the same aluminum ends. They're a lot more solid feeling than the stuff sold in box stores, but the gold standard saw is a Japanese brand named Silky, and they sell an telescoping aluminum pole that's surprisingly springy, yet their world class blades take it in stride.

One thing to keep in mind with a pole saw is that you're not pushing the saw into the cut. The curve on the blade is what forces the cutting action, so a bouncy pole doesn't matter since they're cutting only on the pull stroke.

If you do buy the type with the lopper head (mine has interchangeable heads), wrap the rope 1-1/2 times around the pole. It prevents the pole from bending back as you pull the rope.

 

[ybnormal]

the biggest problem I encounter is when cutting a branch and you can't quite get side-on to it so as you cut it starts to bind up the blade as the branch starts to sag. having a springy fiberglass pole just makes the problem worse.
went ahead and bought a corded extendable electric chainsaw from HarborF a few years ago. for the amount of cutting I do its perfect for the job.

 

[RTM]

I've never seen a pro use the chain thingie. They all use pole saws.

I have an 8' pole saw, and a 19' pole saw. The extension clamps on the 8', as mentioned above, are the weak part of the pole, had to take mine apart and repair it once after 20+ years. Dealing with the dual purpose saw and lopper, combined with cheap overseas manufacturing of the head, is a pain. but more maneuverable for the smaller cuts.

My 19' comes with interchangeable heads, saw or lopper. Much easier to maneuver without the dual purpose head.

The 3 cut method rlitman mentioned above is how my arborist does it on big stuff, especially on my cedars, which are weak. Smaller cuts are just 1 & 2 closer to the trunk.

 

[Iridium rand]

Please don’t throw your money away on one of those rope pull saws they’re absolutely terrible, you’ll spend 10 minutes trying to get it loose every time it binds for every 1 minute of actual cutting.

best option other than an actual gas powered polesaw is one of the long blades, takes longer but works well enough just make sure you’re well versed in the limb dynamics mentioned earlier since it’s not fun dealing with the blade pinched by a half cut branch when you’re 10 feet away on the ground

 

[mike93lx]

I love my fiskars pole saw. The loppers are amazing and particularly helpful when cleaning up brush especially thorny ****. I'll take the blade off for that and it will get in pretty tight spots. I'm on my second blade after 10ish years

It's one tool that if it broke, I would buy the same thing, right away

 

[snickers muncher]

I've used both. The pole saw works much better.

The chain type did what I needed it to though---a few branches quite beyond the reach of a pole saw. I used a weight to get a line over the branch. The line pulled paracord that was on one end of the saw. It took a while and it got stuck a few times.

 

[Neggy]

I have a cheap Home Depot pole saw/pruning saw that does 99% of the palm tree trimming around the Casa south, but I have a Ryobi battery powered pole chain saw similar to the sunjoe one pictured above and I have a couple of extra extensions that I can use to give me more height but it makes it REALLY hard to handle

My neighbors keep asking to borrow the Ryobi ... it is a very popular tool on my street

 

[minke]

Tip for those using a hand saw on trees:
Spray the blade down with silicone lubricant.

Also, don't forget to use the three cut method when taking off limbs if you don't want to hurt the tree.

What is the point of cuts 1 and 2? Not obvious to me.
thanks,,,

 

[mike93lx]

What is the point of cuts 1 and 2? Not obvious to me.
thanks,,,

To take strain off the connection to the tree so the limb doesn't rip bark and wood off when cut 3 is most of the way through

 

[ybnormal]

What is the point of cuts 1 and 2? Not obvious to me.
thanks,,,

as Mike93lx pointed out, cut #1 is to prevent the saw blade from binding in the cut #2. cut#2 is to take the branch off the tree. cut #3 is to trim it close to the trunk of the tree without the full weight of the branch causing it to rip away.

 

[woody 73]

I had to laugh so hard at the too old and fat *** remark...
I have lost the nerves in both my feet, so that when they are on the rung of the ladder i have no feeling left. Still climbing it to cut trees but slowing down because of my age.

You can buy any pole rods of your choice from fiberglass, bass wood, aluminum, and maybe carbon fiber, I think? Then you can buy any saw head that will fit from a good arbor store.

For shits and giggles i just planted about 40 trees in the last three days and my wife wants to kill me.

 

[woody 73]

PS: Never have any metal pole rods around any electric wires near your tree, you will never have to worry about a fat *** again.

 

[Git]

Cut #1 also keeps the bark from getting ripped off from the rest of the tree when the cutoff part falls

 

[minke]

Thanks for the answers.

 

[WWheeler]

Pruner poles and pole saws in inexperienced hands can leave very ugly cuts that will not heal right and can leave dead wood & rot or stubs that can cause sickly regrowth. I'd suggest hiring someone who does trees to do the work.

FWIW It's a poorly kept secret that if you can catch the contractors trimming trees for power companies, municipalities, or DOT in your area and stop to talk with one of the crews very often you'll find one or more of them are licensed/insured to do tree work as their side gig since most of those companies they work for do not do private work, and generally turn out to be both reasonably priced and very good at what they do.

 

[rharman]

I've had the Fiskar Pole Saw shown above for YEARS - Don't understand that $100 price though.... Works OK but I'd recommend the "chain saw on a stick". You'll be a lot happier and it will work for the neighbors overhanging hedges.

 

[oldwino]

Got tired of the binding rope as well. Invested in a Milwaukee pole chainsaw and will never go back.

 

[Renegade1LI]

I bought the Dewalt battery pole sale, the thing is a beast, a little heavy but once you get used to it you'll never go back. Have all dewalt yard tools now it's a pleasure with no gas to mix.

 

[Kscardsfan]

I got real tired of doing it by hand so I bought a Stihl power pole saw and haven’t looked back.

 

[beemerphile]

I managed to pop a biceps tendon some years ago and the orthopedic surgeon told me that a great many of those injuries that he sees came from the operation of pole saws because of the high leverage on the load. More about it here. That's not how I popped mine, but I own a Stihl pole saw with an extension shaft and it is something I think about every time I use it. By the way, second runner up was lifting a truck tire onto the lugs. Done that too. Now I try to keep the load closer to my chest with less extension of the bicep.

Now sporting a nice cadaver tendon. I'll have to thank the guy if I ever see him.

 

[ChevyEFI]

My kids happily climb trees, and help with a limb ot three when I am trimming trees. Fuel Hackzall is 11-year old approved. He isn't happy to hold it overhead for 30min. work with a 5ah attached like I am, though.

 

[Shiftless]

My kids happily climb trees, and help with a limb ot three when I am trimming trees. Fuel Hackzall is 11-year old approved. He isn't happy to hold it overhead for 30min. work with a 5ah attached like I am, though.

I too use (an M12) Hackzall for pruning. I attach a 3ah battery.
My suggestion to keep your unpaid tree trimmer assistant happy is to leave that big 5ah on the ground and equip him with a 3 and have a spare already charged up if he runs out of juice.

 

[Showkey]

Pole saws are a lot of work or effort. ( mentioned in post #33).
shoulders and rotator cuff are ( should be) a major concern.

I would climb a ladder before using a hand pole saw for any higher, multiple or larger cuts.
Ladder use power saw:





Powered pole saws have their limits and many are very very very poor quality.
ProjectFarm not a huge fan…….but………this shows the saw limits.

 

[mike93lx]

Pole saws are a lot of work or effort. ( mentioned in post #33).
shoulders and rotator cuff are ( should be) a major concern.

I would climb a ladder before using a hand pole saw for any higher, multiple or larger cuts.
Ladder use power saw:





Powered pole saws have their limits and many are very very very poor quality.
ProjectFarm not a huge fan…….but………this shows the saw limits.

Ladders are the most dangerous tools most of us own.

A torn rotator cuff won't kill me, but a fall from a ladder can.

I'll stick with a pole saw and my feet on the ground

 

[rlitman]

Pole saws are a lot of work or effort. ( mentioned in post #33).
shoulders and rotator cuff are ( should be) a major concern.

I would climb a ladder before using a hand pole saw for any higher, multiple or larger cuts.
Ladder use power saw...

Seriously? That's like suggesting using a circular saw on a ladder to open packages, because box cutters are dangerous when standing on the floor.

Ladders are the most dangerous tools most of us own.

A torn rotator cuff won't kill me, but a fall from a ladder can.

I'll stick with a pole saw and my feet on the ground

You beat me to the post.
Ladders AND chainsaws together. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[Showkey]

Seriously? That's like suggesting using a circular saw on a ladder to open packages, because box cutters are dangerous when standing on the floor.


You beat me to the post.

Note picture below that caption of a M12 trimming chain saw held with one hand ……….guess my fault for not putting an arrow to the saw of choice



yes, then .seriously

 

[WWheeler]

If you do use a ladder you definitely should make sure you secure the top to the tree and preferably tie yourself into it also. Tree limbs and logs can be unpredicable in how they flop to ground and they very often will kick the bottom of a ladder right out from under an unlucky somebody.