Thread: Any advice on long pole tree pruning?

I had a similar challenge looked at buying an expensive long pole tree pruner. Found this did the job BLACK+DECKER 18V Lithium-Ion 20cm Pole Pruner Kit 2.0Ah : Amazon.com.au: Garden. Also purchased a second green bin from Boroondara Council to speed up the removal of the cut up branches.

I bought one a few years ago, telescopic aluminium pole with a pruning saw and lopper attachment. I think the pole is about 7 meters or so which has been brilliant for being able to prune trees on our block without needing to use a ladder. The long pole also is great letting you stand well back from the branch while cutting. I've found a good sharp pruning saw gets through the branches pretty well without the fuss of the chainsaw. The one we ended up with was CutAbove tools, just from ebay but seems to be reasonable quality for how I use it anyway.

i was faced with the same thing about 6 or 7 years ago and bought one of the solid shaft chinese multi-setups. Not sure what brands of equipment you have there, but think stihl or shindaiwa power unit and then buying the accessory heads for pretty much $300 per.

Except the chinese clone was 52CCs (it's a big pig, and overpowered, but that's not the worst thing in the world), and $160 shipped. Extended hedge trimmer, pole pruner chain saw, brush cutter and string trimmer attachments. Still works fine and has only had one issue - needing the grommet changed in the fuel tank. The attachments all work, but the quality isn't overwhelming - the powerhead is a monster, though. By not overwhelming I mean, like the hedge trimmer attachment could stand to be filed or stoned to actually be sharp, and the pole pruner head isn't as robust as one would like so if you horse it around hard, you can get the chain to skip off of it.

I've used it on about five different things so far aside from occasionally using it as a string trimmer. It's got too much power for much of that - squeeze the trigger with a little indiscretion and the head too close to the ground and it clears the earth.

Almost forgot, the drive shaft for the top section of the shaft wasn't fully inserted when i got it so it seemed like it didn't work. I loosened all of the connections and pushed them together around the machine and tightened them back up and that solved it.

I still see the same thing offered in the states for $200 now. For what it cost and how infrequently I need it (once a year or two), I'll deal with its quirks.

Last word about it, though - half of men (or more) and almost all women will not be able to manipulate it with an attachment on the end of all of the extension sections.

I've only ever had a hand-powered model, with a saw resembling a boomerang on the end of the pole. At full extension, it's hard work. I've never used the little chain saw on the end of a pole, but it looks a lot more attractive.

For smaller branches, the pruners that hook over the branch, with a cutter that you operate by pulling on a rope, work well.

Either way, you will have to remind your shoulders throughout the project how much money you're saving.

Thanks to all.

I've settled on this for the moment:

Detachable Pole Pruning Saw 8m Tree Trimmer Saw Shearing Storage Bag Portable | eBay

that's a good start. I purchased a pole pruner of that type, I think before the saw, and was able to do most of what I needed to do on my front yard tree (the one that my wife worries about). I think the saw was for a later trip.

Remember, even if you buy an import pole saw or find a good used one locally that's western world-made, you'll be far ahead.

that's my excuse for having both types.

And a long fiberglass ladder and hammer drill (to install a chimney top damper) and any number of other things that have all fit in far less cost than the first estimate for where they were used.

How that works for you will depend on willingness to nuance it up through the branches, as with all of them, it does sometimes seem there are four or five branches working together preventing you from getting to the one you want.

You can buy yourself something else at the end of it (good liquor or another tool) if it's bad enough!! You'll still be far ahead.

My pole pruner ended up coming in handy a couple of years later on a huge long runaway rose of sharon hedge (about 100 feet of it, some 20 feet tall at the top, and the mrs wanted it all cut even).

Any suggestions on reciprocating saw blades for tree limbs.
I've got the triton battery powered one.
Runs great.
All these blades are universal.
So any recommendation forthe length and TPI and perhaps brand.
Thanks in advance.

I'm pretty sure they make some that are specifically for pruning.

I was given a Ryobi pole pruner as a birthday gift from my wife a couple of years back - I think it was intended more as a hint than a gift.
Anyway, it works well. I've used it a few times now and it seems to cut through everything pretty easily - and I have yet to sharpen the chain on it. Fortunately all of my battery powered hand tools are also Ryobi, so batteries and charger are all compatible.

18V ONE+ 8” (20cm) Oil-Free Pole Pruner | RYOBI