Has anyone any experience of pole saws? I have lots of trees & large hawthorn bushes that need sorting out because they are encroaching into the fields of some land I just bought. It's so bad that years ago it would have been a shape saw job before we could get to the tree limbs with a telescopic and a chainsaw.
If you're a SUN JOE owner, would like to hear your experience with the extendable tree saws durability and how they compare to other pole saws you've tried.
I have experience with two different pole saws. First I bought a Ryobi 18v cordless(Home Depot is exclusive Ryobi dealer). I still use this around the house and have made hundreds of cuts with it. Always wondered why I had not bought something like it years ago. It is not terribly fast but I have cut many 6" limbs around fence rows and pastures. Did I say I have made hundreds and hundreds of cuts with it? And it is still going strong. For a home owner with modest needs I highly recomend one.
Then I had a 3/4 mile of osage orange and other trees to side trim and clean up. The Ryobi would not reach high enough to suit me so I bought an Echo brand gas engine pole saw. I have two other Eco brand chain saws I'm very happy with so I went with Echo for the pole saw. The higher end model that telescopes out to, IIRC, 12 feet. It works so well I wondered why I didn't buy one 20 years ago. Cut limbs as high as I could reach up to 8". Works wonderfully but a person needs to be careful not to land a large limb on himself. Had a couple of close calls. I will put that saw to work again this fall when it cools off. I use it a lot of places where I used to reach as high as I could with a regular chain saw or have someone lift me up with a telehandler.
Those are my two experiences. Pole saws are highly useful. As far as electric corded, cordless or gas powered that is going to depend on a persons needs and pocket book.
Sorry I can't give you any experience with the specific brand you are looking at.
Get a Stihl Combi system with a saw attachment and add implements as you need to. I have one and added a 4 foot extension so I can reach 12 feet up. Only problem is it is very heavy and a real workout....
I had an Echo gas pole saw for a few years and certainly got a lot of use out of it, but replaced it with a Stihl when the echo started needing yearly repairs. I don't have patience for small engine repairs for some reason.
The Sun Joe saw appears to be in the ballpark price range with others in it's class and I would consider that it pays for itself within 5 to 10 hours of run time. If it can't last 10 hours without needing repairs or breaking down, I would have just as soon paid someone to do the job for me and sat in the shade.
I would think that this type of saw is for home/yard owners where an hour or so a year is all that it gets used OR an inexpensive one time use/large project tool. Kind of like some of the cheaper Harbor Freight tools, if they last past the first job then they did their job and any use afterwards is a bonus.
I have to say that if I had to lug the generator around to do the trimming, I would have to really consider buying a gas unit especially If the job is big.
I can tell you that just ONE hour of using the saw to trim limbs and such will produce many, many hours of picking-up, hauling, piling, and burning the brush. Amazing tools!
I'm a little late to this thread and you may have already made your purchase, but I highly recommend the Kobalt cordless pole saw from Lowes. It'll reach 13' and the runtime on the lithium ion battery is suffecient for a large property with 2 acres of planted pines. Had mine about 4-5 years and would buy again.
Glad you mentioned this, it is exactly what I need for trimming some low hanging branches over my road. I don't know why I never considered electric before, but after looking it over, I think it will suit my needs perfectly. Thanks!
Originally Posted By: 2Old2Soon
I'm a little late to this thread and you may have already made your purchase, but I highly recommend the Kobalt cordless pole saw from Lowes. It'll reach 13' and the runtime on the lithium ion battery is suffecient for a large property with 2 acres of planted pines. Had mine about 4-5 years and would buy again.
Hi. Unfortunately, I have not used this brand Sun-Joe of saw. But, often in the blog about saws, they write a lot of good reviews about it. I'm already thinking about buying and trying. For example, the blog I sometimes read has a whole article on the advantages and disadvantages of a Sun-Joe saw https://polesawguide.com/reviews/sun-joe-swj807e-review/.
I like mine too snrub. Great for removing plants i don't want that grow to big around the pond. I really like it when i can point and say cut that one instead of me using it
Do not judge me by the politicians in my City, State or Federal Government.
I never realized how much I would use one till I got it.
Not only do I cut limbs up high, which I expected, I use it to cut stuff like briar bushes or sprouts that with a regular chain saw you have to fight the brush and get scratched up wading in to get to the base. Where I waded in through brush and briars with a regular chain saw with the pole saw just reach in and get it done.
I thought it was horribly expensive for such a small saw. Heck you can buy a big chainsaw for the same price. But once I had one do not want to be without it. Just makes some work more productive. No more having someone lift me up in the tractor loader or telehandler to cut off limbs. One man job. Safer too.
One thing to be careful of using one. There is that temptation to reach juuuussst a little higher and cut that limb right over the top of your head. It is surprising just how much a 2" diameter limb hurts when it hits you over the head. Keep the reach within limits so the limb falls other than where you are standing. Also cutting a limb with branches sticking out, that one you did not anticipate can whack you. I have learned rather than cutting a limby big branch off, cut it in a couple or three places and bring it down in smaller sizes. The saw cuts the limbs so fast it just takes a jiffy and less likely for a limb to get you.
Bought my last Dewalt tool. No longer a quality manufacturer. Research it yourself. Will switch to Milwaukee on my next purchase. Will need to retool on batteries but tired of junk. https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/2825-21PS
I have the M18 Milwaukee Quik Lok system with the weed eater, brush cutter, pole saw and extension, and hedge trimmer (head articulates and can be parallel to ground to demolish saplings and does wonders on emergent overgrow without throwing it all out into the pond like a weed eater). It has been amazing for everything I've used it for. I think i saw they are coming out with a tiller head, but I was impatient and bought Ego's (which I love as well).
RAH: We have so much invested in DeWalt batteries and tools that it is hard to switch; but... I'm inclined to agree. If starting over, I'd go Milwaukee and not think twice. Most of the stores in this area are switching from DeWalt to Milwaukee too. I asked why and they said customer service and issues.
At the time we bought the pole saw and a replacement 12" saw, we also bought a pressure washer kit. My wife was really interested in it as an option to wash off vehicles with starting the big gas power washer. Heavy, awkward, and incredibly weak. Think nozzle attachment on water hose was more forceful. I'm going to ask my wife to try it out and then see if we can take it back.
Too bad neither are US companies any more.
The 12" chainsaw was handy; but quit on us after a year of very limited light use. DeWalt customer service was helpful. I sent it in. Lady from India or someplace called me and told me that no longer under warranty. I pointed out their advertised warranty. She said not that one; but they would repair it for a fee (which was almost new price). I asked her to let me think about it a bit (to confirm what would cost for bare saw). Unrepaired saw arrived in the same box a couple days later.
Batteries are so freaking expensive that if you have a couple-three good tools from one brand, it's damn hard to switch to another for a tool your brand isn't great at.
"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever." -S. M. Stirling
I have a battery-operated chainsaw, that is very handy to carry in the truck as a BACKUP!
I have gotten my main saw pinched before when cutting storm blowdowns that were stuck in other trees. Very nice to have a second chainsaw to slowly cut your first saw free.
Also nice to have the battery saw in the truck when you encounter a small tree that is now blocking a road - on a work day that you didn't think would require a saw.
I wondered why the battery chainsaw was less effective, than my gas saw. Found some specs that actually published chain velocities. Turns out the battery saw chain only moves about 20-25% of the speed of your gas chainsaw.
However, if you keep the chain exceedingly sharp, the battery chainsaw is a helpful tool. And with no gas fumes, I can leave it in the foot well of the cab, so it doesn't get "liberated" from my truck while I am at the hardware store, etc.
FishinRod: Yeah. They are very handy. Our 60v bigger dewalt cuts about like a real saw. I recently had a tree that was about two feet diameter blow down across four wheeler path. Had both battery and gas saws in UTV and had to use both as one got stuck (tree was held up by root ball on one end and branches on other so a little trickier to cut. The old 12" dewalt also leaked oil badly when sitting up. had to keep on side all time - otherwise it'd be an oily mess.
Theo: Yep. Otherwise, we'd be buying all Milwaukee. I've seen battery converters advertised; but I've also read of problems with them so... I'd probably fry the battery and tool both if I tried one with my luck.