Looking for help choosing a pole pruning saw.

[Abbeville TSI]

First off, I'm not in the tree service business. I have a Stihl pole saw, non extendable. I have to trim overhanging limbs from the the driveway and there are some higher than the pole saw can reach. I don't want a longer extendable pole saw because of the weight and my old body. The manual pruning saws on a muti sectional pole are what I would like to use. I won't use it enough to justify top tier but I hate to use junk. Looking for suggestions and vendors, thanks.

 

[kenmbz]

I have heard from people using the Stihl Combi with very good results.

I have an M18 pole saw, and it is not bad with the extension for a battery saw. I do trail clearing so I push mine more than the usual homeowner.

What's your price range?

 

[jimrb]

I have a Jameson pole with a saw head and a lopper head, Not sure that it works tons better than the cheaper chinese head I had first. OK, the Jameson lopper works better as it is a compound lopper. I see Fiskars has pole saws that are a bit less than a Jameson fiberglass setup.

 

[sb47]

I made my own pole saw using the top rail from a chin link fence and a Razor saw. I took a dowl rod and shaved it down to fit inside the rail, then took my die grinder with a cut off wheel to cut the slot for the saw blade. Then drilled the 2 holes for the bolts to mount the saw blade on the pole. It works great. Nice and light and plenty sturdy. I made 2 of them. One 10' and one 20' long.

 

[dboyd351]

How much higher you need to cut? If it is only a few feet drive a pickup under the branches and stand in the bed.

 

[CDElliott]

First off, I'm not in the tree service business. I have a Stihl pole saw, non extendable. I have to trim overhanging limbs from the the driveway and there are some higher than the pole saw can reach. I don't want a longer extendable pole saw because of the weight and my old body. The manual pruning saws on a muti sectional pole are what I would like to use. I won't use it enough to justify top tier but I hate to use junk. Looking for suggestions and vendors, thanks.

You might look at the Barnel Telescoping pole saw.

 

[calamari]

I made my own pole saw using the top rail from a chin link fence and a Razor saw. I took a dowl rod and shaved it down to fit inside the rail, then took my die grinder with a cut off wheel to cut the slot for the saw blade. Then drilled the 2 holes for the bolts to mount the saw blade on the pole. It works great. Nice and light and plenty sturdy. I made 2 of them. One 10' and one 20' long. View attachment 946089View attachment 946090

I made my pole saw with a Cabela's flats boat push pole. It's 18' and is three sections you glue together to make a single structure. It's light and flexible and I clamp a pruning saw head to the pointed end like is shown in the picture. Buy the best pruning saw you can find with the shape of the saw shown and it will cut like crazy. I take the saw off the pole when I use it for duck hunting. If you have trouble cutting fast enough when the limbs are as high as you can reach, tie a length of para cord to the pole right behind the saw and have somebody pull down gently on the rope while you cut. It really increases the cutting speed but just don't have them pull too hard because you won't be able to pull on the pole.

 

[dsell]

I tried the green, yellow, and blue Jameson poles. Go with the blue. 30 ft is the max. 24 would be best. I have a 16 in. Wide Barracuda Tri-Cut Saw Blade on it.

 

[ArtB]

Welded up a platform fits on top of the backhoe bucket, gets me 20 ft high to start.
20 ft piece of square steel tube and electric chain saw on the top end, gives me a 45 foot or so reach.
Have seen a few pros in the area with platforms welded over the top of pickup cabs, give them an added 10 feet.

 

[thenne1713]

I made my own pole saw using the top rail from a chin link fence and a Razor saw. I took a dowl rod and shaved it down to fit inside the rail, then took my die grinder with a cut off wheel to cut the slot for the saw blade. Then drilled the 2 holes for the bolts to mount the saw blade on the pole. It works great. Nice and light and plenty sturdy. I made 2 of them. One 10' and one 20' long. View attachment 946089View attachment 946090

(Problem is) that metal handled saw is NEVER the saw you want to grab if working around electric wires.... which is why when you buy one, most are PVC or fiberglass

 

[trains]

Telescopic silky saw of your choosing.

hayachi, forestor, hayate.

 

[sb47]

(Problem is) that metal handled saw is NEVER the saw you want to grab if working around electric wires.... which is why when you buy one, most are PVC or fiberglass

Yes that is true, however I don't have any power lines to worry about.

 

[Abbeville TSI]

How much higher you need to cut? If it is only a few feet drive a pickup under the branches and stand in the bed.

That might work well....better if one to back the truck up and one to cut.

 

[J_Ashley]

(Problem is) that metal handled saw is NEVER the saw you want to grab if working around electric wires.... which is why when you buy one, most are PVC or fiberglass

Now I have to ask, why not make your own setup from PVC and a good saw for the end.

Although, I think the Stihl PP100 is only $150ish. Still metal handled from what I can tell. But it seems a bargain at that price.

 

[dsell]

Now I have to ask, why not make your own setup from PVC and a good saw for the end.

Although, I think the Stihl PP100 is only $150ish. Still metal handled from what I can tell. But it seems a bargain at that price.

PVC is too heavy and too flexible.

 

[sb47]

PVC is too heavy and too flexible.

I have had a few rather cheapish extendable pole saws in the past and the one common issue I always had was the pole had a weak spot where the poles came together. I agree PVC is to flexible. I don't have any power line issues so I like the one piece metal pole better. I made one 10 and another one 18' I also like how smooth the one piece pole is with no joint or clamp holding it together, and cheap to. Metal is stiff and sturdy and durable. The chain link fence top rail (pole) comes in up to 21' Thats a pretty good reach but a long pole to maneuver around. 18' is about as long as I wanna drag around.

 

[J_Ashley]

I mis-typed. Stihl's PP900 is the one I was thinking of. Comes with the saw, lopper head, and (2) fiberglass poles. Can add more poles. For $160, why bother messing about trying to save a few coins. The Fiskars tools for even less still.

I'm all for some DIY ingenuity. But, I'm becoming a little wiser in my old age too.

 

[dsell]

I have had a few rather cheapish extendable pole saws in the past and the one common issue I always had was the pole had a weak spot where the poles came together. I agree PVC is to flexible. I don't have any power line issues so I like the one piece metal pole better. I made one 10 and another one 18' I also like how smooth the one piece pole is with no joint or clamp holding it together, and cheap to. Metal is stiff and sturdy and durable. The chain link fence top rail (pole) comes in up to 21' Thats a pretty good reach but a long pole to maneuver around. 18' is about as long as I wanna drag around.

I had to send back a set of the b'lite Jameson poles because the connections were stuck. The new set can still be a pain on the joints, but the first set was nearly impossible to get apart. However, they are not weak at the joints. If someone is trying to get by with a bit less coin, the green Jameson are not bad. The yellow is stiffer, but the heaviest of the 3. All have the same joints.

 

[kenmbz]

I just use the box store fiskars when I need something quick. Blade is just ok, but it will take out most high branches fine.
Lopper is not bad for up to and 1" or so.
M18 pole saw with extensions for anything big.

 

[Automender]

I purchased a Barnel 24 foot pole saw about five years ago after dealing with cheap ones. They also sell a forged pruning head which I purchased also. I love both of them but they are expensive. However when you get it extended to 24 ft it gets a little harder to control and the forged head pruner is heavy at that height. https://www.barnel.com/polepruners.php