Tips and trick for pole saws

Treeaddict

Treehouser
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I just started using a manual pole saw and will have a powered one tomorrow. Ironically, I haven’t used it on the ground yet- only in the canopy.

A video instructing on the manual ones suggested relaxing grip for a moment after pulling the saw backwards. He also said to use the flex of the pole in rhythm to apply pressure (hard to describe)

What are some other things to make their use effective and efficient? Best angles, hand positioning related to body, etc…
I’m sure there’s nuances or maybe I’m just overthinking.

One thing I don’t like is pulling it up with my climb line tail and having to keep it away from my line which is basal anchored. Gonna get/make a scabbard
 
That's what I can use it for! I might be able to get some water hose from a job site. It was being discarded. I looked at it, thought "I can use that for something", but nothing came to me, so I left it. It might make a good cover for a polesaw. I think it's 4". If it's still there when I go back, I'll grab it.
 
In a specific situation you can apply pressure on the topside of the pole with another limb acting like a fulcrum point. It's abusive to the tool and tree if you're a ramrod but is handy when the pole is maxed out and you can't put any weight on it.
 
Every good tree guy needs a good polesaw.

Starting at the beginning, imo the best set up is a 12'-14' one piece fiberglass pole (no longer made afaik) with a new mondo blade on it. You can take 1" limbs in one pull with the right angles.

Hard to imagine doing GTW without it.
 
Every good tree guy needs a good polesaw.

Starting at the beginning, imo the best set up is a 12'-14' one piece fiberglass pole (no longer made afaik) with a new mondo blade on it. You can take 1" limbs in one pull with the right angles.

Hard to imagine doing GTW without it.
i only own pole snips which i really like but i dont own a polesaw, only used one a couple of times to trip stormdamage. im a polesaw hater :)
 
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I hate them too but finding them to be a necessary evil at times. Maybe a bucket/lift would do it instead but that would be cost prohibitive
 
A well put together pole saw is great for quick canopy raising, and putting a pull rope up about 20' in a tree or up 32' via guy in the loader bucket, and manually pulling small trees and hangers, and raising low wires for truck access, and of course reaching a few long range pruning or deadwood cuts.

We use one every day or two where some other means would be deficient .

Power pruner is of course great for thicker low limbs, I'd hate to be without either tool.
 
I'm like Cory, a power pruner for me gets used for quick canopy raises and for thicker lower limbs.

Any bigger limbs in the mid-section or canopy get the top handle saw on the way up.

As far as a manual pole saw, I wouldn't be caught dead without one. They have came a long ways and I know there are a lot of good ones out there on the market now. But I've been loyal and still stick to the Stihl 18 footers. I seem to get 2 years of daily use out of them unless a helper or extra climber does something dump and leaves them laying in the drop zone, than I get to deducting pay checks.

I wouldn't be caught dead without a manual pole saw though, I do most of my work with one, for dead-wooding, especially at the tips, there's nothing that can beat it. My stihl blades have a hook attachment on them I use a lot for swiping suckers, dead-wooding. I even use mine for setting my climb line every day. I throw a ladder up after inspecting the tree, climb the ladder, and use my 18' Manual to set a nice high crotch within 60 seconds;

I have a lot of nice uses for mine, retrieving things, setting lines, dead-wooding, anything hard to reach out near a tip.

I'd take my manual pole saw over my power pruner any day of the week to a job.

Like I said, the only time my power pruner gets used is big branches down low or for raising canopies.
 
A well put together pole saw is great for quick canopy raising, and putting a pull rope up about 20' in a tree or up 32' via guy in the loader bucket, and manually pulling small trees and hangers, and raising low wires for truck access, and of course reaching a few long range pruning or deadwood cuts.

We use one every day or two where some other means would be deficient .

Power pruner is of course great for thicker low limbs, I'd hate to be without either tool.


This. Used mine other day for the same application lol. Customer had a zip line and some playground line running right across the yard. Manual Pole made quick work of raising it up to get chipper access and get the chipper box truck in. I find all kinds of uses for my poles. Again, I prefer manual over gas unless it's over 4".
 
Pole gear ... Have and use of course , sold my HT75 or whatever it was to some landscapers ... Lopper head or straight sharp saw blade. If it's something simple easy I will use extensions but I can do a much neater job just climbing for it.
 
but I can do a much neater job just climbing for it.
I agree on that. The access from below and the choice of angles are less than ideal, plus there's a big risk of jamming the blade in the cut or/and tearing under. Plus, it's less tiring to climb, if it's more than a few cuts.
I find the pole saw useful though for a slight deadwooding in the lower canopy (less time) and for pruning the tips of the long low limbs (easier reach).
But at full length, it has zero power in the cut and I hate the waves along the pole. I can't make them work for me and instead, they constantly bounce the blade off the kerf. Argh !!!
 
Very true.

Somewhat species, equipment, and market specific.
How about a powered one?
Yes, occasionally.

I have a KombiSystem pole chainsaw, with one aluminum and two carbon fiber extensions.


I bought an extending manual saw for stripping branches off tops in small wood, allowing lighter tops to catch if I'm strapped to the rigging point, or manual handling of tops to be thrown.
 
I"ve had trouble finding one piece long yellow poles lately, can only find 6' sections
 
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I"ve had trouble finding one piece long yellow poles lately, can only find 6' sections
Wonder if it has to do with everything being shipped to the consumer nowadays and it’s much more cost effective to ship the smaller sections?
 
Never go to a job without my 21' Hayauchi and my Fiskars pole snips and the Stihl pole saw.
Timing the bounce and flex with the pull cut at full extension is a bit of skill.
I have gotten my polesaw stuck 30' up a tree, it stayed there for two days until I got back to it.
 
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I have gotten the manual one jammed. Luckily I got it out. It’s scary because I’m using the pole saw because I can’t get over to the branch. How would I retrieve the saw? Second pole saw I suppose?!
 
Other than attempts at humor or stupid remarks, I generally let the adults talk here at the House and absorb what I can. I do enjoy treework and film most of what I do but feel cowardly if I don't share it with tree people. That being said....

 
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