Pole Pruners

[Wade Lippman]

I got a SunJoe for like $30. It worked just fine, once I got them to replace the defective chain. I don't doubt the Stihl would be better, but how much do you need to use it?

[Ronald Blue]

I have the pruning attachment for my string trimmer. It works amazingly well. I think I paid $69 for it and it's worth every cent. So what if your arms get tired after a few minutes. Take a break. You will be amazed at how much you can accomplish in those few minutes. The Craftsman, Troy Bilt, Ryobi, and Husqvarna all work together. Unless you want a dedicated pole saw these work great. Interchangeable attachments.

[John K Jordan]

I have several pole pruners, both saws and bypass pruners with a pull rope. Fiskars makes a nice one. I have a chainsaw on a pole but it's not long enough

If possible, I simply climb a ladder and remove branches with a hand-held pruning saw. The type sold to foresters are a dream to use - I have a couple of Silky Zubat saws I bought from Bailey's Online. Cuts through 4" limbs with little effort. Comes with a great scabbard that fits on the belt.

If I'm feeling extra lazy I climb the ladder with a Dewalt 18v reciprocating saw with a pruning blade.

I don't have the requirement to remove the lower branches on pines but I often do because most are dead and look bad.

JKJ

[Ole Anderson]

I have an old Craftsman telescoping aluminum, plastic covered pole saw/lopper I got from my dad when he moved.. Probably 40 years old. Works fine for me. I have a Stihl 018 that I use (carefully and tied in) from a ladder, or up in the tree with my saddle and ropes when the branches are over 3". And a Corona hand saw for smaller branches close to the ground or when climbing. If you ever work from a ladder, remember the branches have a nasty habit of taking the ladder out from under you as they fall. Tie the ladder to the tree. And if you are up in the air, use PPE. Plenty of scary Youtube fails.

[Tom M King]

The main trouble I found with the telescopic poles, is that when you need to jerk a limb down, that got hung up on something, the poles will slip. That's what that hook is for on the back of the saw I've posted several links to. The non-telescopic poles are very secure.

I have all sorts of stuff to cut limbs with, including climbing gear. No one could pay me enough money to cut tree limbs off a ladder.

[mike stenson]

The main trouble I found with the telescopic poles, is that when you need to jerk a limb down, that got hung up on something, the poles will slip. That's what that hook is for on the back of the saw I've posted several links to. The non-telescopic poles are very secure.
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Yes, this. I have a lot of mesquite on the property and the current (telescoping) pole trimmer has been.. problematic. Thanks for the links Tom, I really don't like powered pole trimmers either.

[Tom M King]

Those connections are not like anything else I've seen, and might not be readily apparent when you first look at them. The pin that goes in the holes is on a steel spring arm. You pull the pin out of the hole, with pressure against that spring, and swing it to the side. Then slide the poles together, align the holes, and move the pin back to engage both holes. It's not really hard to operate, but I've never had one of those connections to come loose.

With that saw, you don't need to undercut a limb. It'll cut through small ones, like an inch, with one quick swipe. On larger limbs that take multiple passes, watch for the limb to start bending down, then back the blade up, and take a quick stroke. It'll cut through quicker than the limb can bend, and peel bark down.

We have four of the 6' poles. The hard part, with a 24' pole, is getting it up in the air. It's easiest with two people. One person gets about half way, and throws it up, while the second person helps with the swing. Once it's up in the air, it's not that bad to handle, even going from tree to tree. 12' is no sweat, and 18' is not too bad. With a single 6' pole, there is nothing easier to handle in that reach range-I've either owned it, or own it.

We limbed up all the trees on this 2 acre point, to get a better view of the lake. That was just the last job done with them. I thought I had a better picture of it, but can't find it. This will give you an idea though. That's the point the sunset is off of, in my avatar. I have a throwing chainsaw chain that I plan to remove those Pine limbs with, but haven't gotten to them. They're about 40 feet high, and the bark is so thick, I don't want to climb them. The ground was too soft when I had the lift.

[Frank Drackman]

I have a Stihl pro model but think that any would do what you are asking. More important to me is the harness. It goes over both shoulders and buckles in the front. The saw attaches near the buckle. This keeps the weight & balance much more manageable than the single shoulder strap that comes with the saw.

[Mike Cutler]

Thomas
I had a very similar need this past spring.
I bought a Ryobi , 40vdc,battery powered, pole saw at Home Depot.
I really thought it was going to be a pretty "junky", but that it would do the job I needed and if I tossed it in the trash I would still be ahead. If nothing else I would sell the battery on Craigslist.
Let me tell you, that little plastic chain saw flat out works! I've been limbing Cherry, Oak, Maple, Pear, and Pine. The largest diameter was maybe 6" of cherry. I also have these nasty briars, and that pole allows me to get to the bases, cut them down, and not get torn up.
Mine is not the telescoping version, it has pole sections that you hook together. I think it cost me about $150 with tax. It's $150.00 I do not regret spending one bit!

[Bruce King]

Guess I need to upgrade. I have palm trees that shed fronds off the bottom but don’t fall off for a long time.
I rigged a real sharp pruner saw with hose clamps to a batch of plastic pvc and electrical conduit. Works fine but storage is a pain.

[Mark Paavola]

Thomas, I think for what you are doing the Stihl homeowner version is the way to go. I have the Husqvarna version and it works very well. It is the 8 foot version. My wife uses it all the time with no issues whatsoever. The are not that heavy and usually well balanced. By the way I am 64 yrs old and a little guy. 5'7" 160 lbs.

[Thomas Canfield]

For power, the Stihl poles are the best judging from the tree trimmers around here. I have 2 bypass rope pull pruners that also use a saw blade for larger limbs but work well for up to 1" especially on green limbs. Some of the dead oak 1" are a chore. I also have a Pouland Pro pole saw (does a job and has been reliable for about years so far) that I can use up to about 12' on limbs up to about 6" diameter. My problem now is the trimming I need to do is about 15' plus and I am not getting on a ladder to work like that anymore at docs strong suggestion. A rope pull bypass pole trimmer would handle most of the small limbs and pretty fast work. Just don't want to get the trimmer hung up and have to climb up to get it free DAMHIK.

[John K Jordan]

...Just don't want to get the trimmer hung up and have to climb up to get it free DAMHIK.

There is that potential of a pinch from a twisting limb. Good reason to have two pole trimmers - the second to cut the first one free!

I like to carry two chainsaws into the woods for that same reason. But another more sensible solution is to carry an extra bar and chain and any tools needed to swap them in the field, then cut the jammed bar free.

JKJ

[BOB OLINGER]

I have an inexpensive Remington 10" electric that does a surprisingly good job. Menards sells them for about $90 less the 11% rebate. While a gas powered one would be nice, the electric do most of what I've needed. A key is to keep using a sharp chain - replacement chains are less that $10.

[Melvin Feng]

I've got the Stihl HT-56 C-E. Overall, I am very happy with it, but have only used it a handful of times. I do like that it splits in half for transporting. It has a very narrow chain that cuts quickly. It isn't heavy compared to the other units, but it can get tiring if you are using it for lengthy periods of time. I don't use it with the shoulder strap, so that could definitely help with fatigue if you were to use it.

If all you need to cut is up to 12 feet, I think it would work really well. If you ever need to cut higher though, the saw I'm looking at is the extendable manual silky that can go up to 21 feet. I would only use it for branches that I can't reach with my Stihl though.