# Pole Pruners



## stehansen (Jul 26, 2005)

Who makes the best pole pruner? I have a Stihl, but I have never used any others except for when I was a kid my Dad had those long aluminum pole pruners. (they sucked)


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## Lifesabeach (Jul 26, 2005)

Doubt you'll find any better than Stihl for gas powered pruners.

Got the 101 myself, and I'm thinking I need one more.


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## Lifesabeach (Jul 26, 2005)

The hydrolic ones are pretty awesome but not a one-man operation.


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## R Schra (Jul 26, 2005)

Lifesabeach said:


> The hydrolic ones are pretty awesome but not a one-man operation.



? we have a Husqvarna hydrloc pole pruner. Thats one man operated. I prefer that above the stihl powered pole pruner. That freakin thing is a blame to the name. Its absolutly a crime to operate that stihl pruner. Its heavy, full load on forearms and shoulders when working low, overstretching youre arms to get high enough. And for all, no way you can prune the branches correct as you have to make the strangest manouvres to get the blade right. 

On the other hand, that Husqvarna pruner is heavier BUT at the end of day youre more relaxed as the saw handles easier. The big advantage is the motorunit is carried on the back, the gasthrottle can slide on the pole, so when working low you can slip the gas up the pole and the saw is balanced in weight. The biggest advantage is that the blade is on a bal joint. you can easily adjust the angle to prune correct.

That husqy is the only we have, other normal saws all stihl. I never let our company buy us that stihl polesaw. thats a hack unit.

For the rest we use the silky polesaws, they are much better as the old haevy polesaws

[edit] it seems that the husqvarna hydrolic polesaw isnt available any more??? thats a shame. I have to be carefull with ours.... ill see i make some pics of it....


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## Stumper (Jul 26, 2005)

To pick a nit-Pole pruner describes an extension lopping tool that cuts by shearing.-The best of those is the Corona 1600 (Bull -Lopper) IMO. The Marvin PH4 is also very good and is lighter in weight but has less capacity.

Regarding the Chainsaw-on-a-stick designs commonly called Power Pruners after the first Technic Tool design that has evolved into the current Echo line. I chose the Echo. The Stihl looks good but I have heard numerous reports of users bending the shaft. Not so with the Echo which is a very robust and long running design.The Echo also offers an additional 5 foot extension.-An option that has proved very useful in a few circumstances but isn't desirable enough to install 98.623% of the time.

P.S. The Husqvarna system that R. Schra describes hasn't been available in this country for several years to my knowledge but it was a very impressive system.


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## ROLLACOSTA (Jul 26, 2005)

Lifesabeach said:


> Doubt you'll find any better than Stihl for gas powered pruners.
> 
> Got the 101 myself, and I'm thinking I need one more.



I agree with this guy 100%


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## Lifesabeach (Jul 26, 2005)

ROLLACOSTA said:


> I agree with this guy 100%




CHEERS!


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## Tree Machine (Jul 26, 2005)

I'm glad Stumper brought up the distinction in names between pole pruners (the title of the thread) and power pruners, which is what's being discussed.

I love the Corona 1600 Bull Lopper, with one personal upgrade, as my pole pruner of choice.

My power pruner is Echo, and I like it, but as Schra says


Schra said:


> Its heavy, full load on forearms and shoulders when working low, overstretching youre arms to get high enough. And for all, no way you can prune the branches correct as you have to make the strangest manouvres to get the blade right.


 He says that about the "Stihl powered pole pruner" which (to nitpick) is a Stihl Power Pruner, or Stihl powered pole saw.

I like the sound the sound of the Husky backpack unit. So is this thread about pole saws, pole pruners or power pruners?


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## JonnyHart (Jul 30, 2005)

I have heard great things about the ARS pole saw. The description for it says it has a detatchable saw head so you can connect a pruner head. Any idea where I can get a quality pruner head that will fit on it, or an adapter? Do any of the Silky polesaws have detatchable heads for a pruner?


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## R Schra (Jul 30, 2005)

JonnyHart said:


> Do any of the Silky polesaws have detatchable heads for a pruner?



I havent seen that from silky. I have made a adaptor for a Skandia pruner on the hayauchi pole. It works but also bending it when pulling the cord. I will make a adapter to that new Hayate pole to, i think thats though enough to hold.


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## stehansen (Jul 30, 2005)

Stumper said:


> To pick a nit-Pole pruner describes an extension lopping tool that cuts by shearing.-The best of those is the Corona 1600 (Bull -Lopper) IMO. The Marvin PH4 is also very good and is lighter in weight but has less capacity.
> 
> Regarding the Chainsaw-on-a-stick designs commonly called Power Pruners after the first Technic Tool design that has evolved into the current Echo line. I chose the Echo. The Stihl looks good but I have heard numerous reports of users bending the shaft. Not so with the Echo which is a very robust and long running design.The Echo also offers an additional 5 foot extension.-An option that has proved very useful in a few circumstances but isn't desirable enough to install 98.623% of the time.
> 
> P.S. The Husqvarna system that R. Schra describes hasn't been available in this country for several years to my knowledge but it was a very impressive system.




This is what I was talking about.


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## Kneejerk Bombas (Jul 31, 2005)

Lifesabeach said:


> Doubt you'll find any better than Stihl for gas powered pruners.
> 
> Got the 101 myself, and I'm thinking I need one more.



Having both stihl and echo power prunners, I disagree and have the opinion that the echo is a far better tool.


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## a_lopa (Jul 31, 2005)

ill second that them echos are p.o.s


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## Ekka (Jul 31, 2005)

I got a Stihl HT75 and have tried the Echo.

I like the power of the Stihl but it does get heavy and the echo can have another section added to it making longer than Stihl. I think too that the Echo has some advantage over the Stihl around power wires, plastic head or something.

Anyway, I bought the Stihl and have had it 6 years now, don't use it a real lot but wouldn't be without one either ... and stuff any saw that doesn't have an engine!


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## priest (Aug 5, 2005)

I too have heard of the backpack hydraulic Husqvarnas. They have called to me in my sleep so much that I have thought of trying to design my own someday. I heard a few years ago that they were discontinued only because the price was too high-over a thousand dollars. That may or may not be true, but I would pay twice that for a truly quality "power pole pruner" that was lightweight, especially if the reach could extend to fifteen feet or more.
I purchased the standard Stihl "pole saw" for the first time a month ago. At first I was impressed with it, but that thing is a cheaply made piece of crap. It is already useless and ready for hopefully an exchange or refund. Granted we use it to pull limbs out of trees after they are cut, which takes some force. But what else it the hook on it designed for? 
The buttons that snap already unsnap so easily that you cannot cut sizeable limbs without them slipping out (after a month of light use). That's a joke for $200.


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## Bermie (Aug 5, 2005)

priest said:


> I purchased the standard Stihl "pole saw" for the first time a month ago. At first I was impressed with it, but that thing is a cheaply made piece of crap. It is already useless and ready for hopefully an exchange or refund. Granted we use it to pull limbs out of trees after they are cut, which takes some force. But what else it the hook on it designed for?
> The buttons that snap already unsnap so easily that you cannot cut sizeable limbs without them slipping out (after a month of light use). That's a joke for $200.



Don't know what you call 'light use'! Had my Stihl pole saw for two years and its one of our most usefull tools, used a lot, the snap buttons on mine are fine, maybe you got a lemon, or maybe they're not making tham as sturdily any more?


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## vharrison2 (Aug 5, 2005)

Bermie, you going to get to use that new saw?


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## Bermie (Aug 5, 2005)

It's still in de box!
I've got a torn calf muscle and am doing office work for the next week, can't even cut my grass!


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## Tree Machine (Aug 6, 2005)

YOU'VE got a torn calf muscle. I'm an authority in torn calf muscles. Mebbe it's all point of reference, but I don't think you've got a torn calf muscle.


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## Bermie (Aug 6, 2005)

You've got me there TM!! :blush: All things in perspective.


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## Mr_Brushcutter (Aug 6, 2005)

i quite like the manal one we have very nice. Got a 2" lopper on it and you can then take that off and shove a saw on it. Goes to 5M. I'm taking out a dead cherry in a few weeks and i'm going to hire a proper saw on a stick for the day. Should be good.


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## Bermie (Aug 6, 2005)

*Fiskars pole pruner*

I also have a Fiskars pruner, about 5' long, very light, has a bypass pruner on the end that can be swiveled 90 degrees either way. Also the pull cord can be operated either from the very end or a sliding handle halfway up. I use this a LOT way out on the ends of branches when I'm doing ornamental pruning. The swivel head lets you get the correct pruning angle nearly every time. Almost bought a new one in the US it was only $35 when I bought mine here for $75!!! Didn't think it would survive the airlines cargo all the way from Green Bay to Bermuda!


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## clearance (Aug 6, 2005)

I really like the Jamieson pruners, the ones with the yellow glass sticks about 7' long that are for use around powerlines. They are great for r.o.w. work if you put 3 sticks together. If there is a maple or cottonwood tree up to 20' away from you, you can reach out, hook onto branches and bust them of to get the required clearance. It sure ain't pretty but with some muscle you can do 2,3, or 4 trees by only having to climb one. They work well for thier intended use also.


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## a_lopa (Aug 7, 2005)

clearence i found using a hv hot stick/switch puller( telescopic type) with a parrots beak tightly duct taped to it and a hand line tied to the parrot beaks cord hand for that sort of thing.


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