# wooden pruner poles



## ammons phillips (Apr 12, 2002)

i was told by a friend to look up karl keummerling for some (i believe) hemlock pruner poles...6ft. &12ft....does anyone know how to contact him? the poles are really sweet...hexagonal. thanks,b


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## treeclimber165 (Apr 12, 2002)

I've used the hexagonal wooden poles, Davey Tree had them. Not much different than using closet rod from Home Depot. BTW, the closet rod is about 92 cents per foot and you can get any length you like. Probably less than just shipping costs on the hex poles. 
I have a 12' I made a couple years ago, will probably make up another 8' one for using in the tree, as the 12' can be too long at times. 
Oh, our shop foreman at Davey ALWAYS cut down the tip too much and the heads ALWAYS wobbled. I found that using a wood rasp works well. Shave down the tip then twist the saw head on the end. Pull it back off and shave down the spots marked by the saw head. Keep doing this till the head fits down almost all the way on the pole and the head is fitting snug all the way around. Then drill your hole through the rod for your bolt. Try to keep it as tight as possible, a loose pole saw head is aggrivating.


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## John Paul Sanborn (Apr 12, 2002)

Yup yup, those loose heads suck. If you get one you can just shim it with a peice of cardboard.

KK also carries basswood poles, I hate the hemlock caue the splinter easily. 

12 ft is the best length in big trees. In the sectional poles all the wobble is from the joint slop.

I cannot find my old KK catalog! Sorry.


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## Toddppm (Apr 12, 2002)

KK 888-222-6166


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## jack c. loesch (Apr 12, 2002)

*karl kuemmerling*

hey mate:here's his info.i have 5 of those poles and they do break.are fiberglass poles any better?
jack



129 EDGEWATER AVE. NW 
MASSILLON, OH 44646
Phone Toll Free 888 -222-6166


E-mail Address: [email protected]


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## sonny (Apr 13, 2002)

Remember the name SKY PRUNERS. The # 1 prunner in So. Cal.
Some day we will be able to ship them.


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## seanlarkin (Apr 13, 2002)

orrrrrr......you could look on page 42 of the new 2002 Sherrill catalog, where you'll find 12' Octagonal Ash poles. 
-Sean


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## ammons phillips (Apr 13, 2002)

thanks y'all for the info...anyone used the silky polesaws? seems like the aluminum would make for a stiff saw , maybe better control? oh, i also bought one of the silky ibuki saws....it's one bad ninja-saw...i have a few "gear head" tendencies i guess. any info on the aluminum would be helpful...i definitely understand the safety issues handling a lightning rod in inclement weather. b


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## jsirbasku (Apr 13, 2002)

*silky pole saw*

Ive recently purchased the silky 4 piece aluminum pole saw and think it is great. It is not really suitable for use while climbing though. It is heavier than most pole saws. I rarely use a pole when climbing anyway. 
I bought it for a large job that im working on which is basically street clearance pruning along a road through a national wildlife refuge. The trees are only being raised over the roadway and pruned at all, therfore 95% of the cutting can be done from the ground. these trees have been neglected for years and are all over the road and loaded with grape vines and such. The silky is the best pole saw ive used from the ground! The bladed tip and butte end of the blade make tearing through vines much easier, plus the fast adjustment from 8 ft to 20 ft without having to snap on more sections is great. The monster blade is as aggresive as they get. The blade is sometimes a bit to large to get right next to the collar on some cuts depending on branch angle, and you have to make sure the pins catch the holes in the pole section because the red clamps alone will not hold while cutting. Be careful not to pull a section right out of the end while cutting, if you get any sort of kink or bend in the tubing it will not work anymore. It is a great tool to have for the right kind of work, but i will still always have 1-2 back ups besides the silky with me.

my other poles are fiberglass, i used to use wood ones but they dont hold up as long as i would like them to.(Like alot of other things)
i have made wooden pole saws out of closet rods like tc165 mentioned, the wood is not as good as manufactured hex poles but they work just fine, especially if you have bunch of extra ferrules around from old broken poles. A good cheap way to reuse them without ordering new hex poles.

JS


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## Kneejerk Bombas (Apr 13, 2002)

I have used the hex poles and found they break and give slivers, but they are fairly cheap and light.
I now use the fiberglass poles and find them very durable and strong, although a little more costly than wood as well as a little heavier, but no slivers and no breaking them.
The silky looks like a cool tool but very expensive, I bet I would wreck it in the first couple days. It has thin aluminum and some plastic parts and kinda looks like it could get bent or dented and then it would not go up and down any more, but not having used one I will defer to comments from those who have.


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## DDM (Apr 13, 2002)

Ive got a silky 21' Aluminun pruner The only problem i have with it is when completely extended it bounces so much its tiring to make a cut . I had thought about filling the last extension with expandable foam to try and remove the limberness.


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## John Paul Sanborn (Apr 13, 2002)

I have the 2 section silky Zubat. great saw, cept no hook to hang with. I use a tiny 'biner and a girthed sling. Light as all can be and 9ft fully extended. They have a 3 sectioned one too.

Sean, you should have someone talk to Wall (they are the NA distributers no?) and see if they could get Silky to make a folding polesaw witha hanger hook.


I know a couple guys in this area who have manufactured a hook for their 21 ft silky, they say it is awsome to climb with. My saddle is probibly around 30-40 lbs anyways so what is a little more in a saw?


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## Kneejerk Bombas (Apr 14, 2002)

My little trick is to install the blade on the same side as the hook. This makes the pole more streamlined. It also protects the blade, somewhat, but it also protects other things from getting cut by a falling saw.

Polesaws are falling out of favor because of the lower quality cuts that they make, you just can't do as nice a cut as if you are right there with your hand saw. Kinda like how the power pruner is thought of, handy, but they do really bad pruning cuts.

Insult them all you like, I find them like any other tool, great if you use them properly. And yes, I have seen the tree bears(unskilled climbers who stick at the trunk and do 90% of their cuts with the pole saw) missusing them, but they still have their place in our industry.


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## John Paul Sanborn (Apr 14, 2002)

They the ones holding on with one hand, cutting with the other?


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## VERDITREES (Mar 19, 2013)

*"Wood" only use the hexagonal 12' hemlock poles in a tree*

I too believe that the wooden poles, taken care of, are the lightest, safest poles to use aloft. I have been climbing for 30+ years and thought I was " all that" till I became an Electrical Line-Clearance Specialists, So you want to be a tree climber, eehhh!!!!!! Just another world of Climbing and techniques. I have been doing research on the Hexagonal Hemlock Laminated wooden poles and came upon this site, I joined and saw some members videos and have to say, YES, I am among treemen!!!!!!!!!!!!

I use to run my own business and worked for some locals during those colder months when things were too slow, I thought I saw it all ( in a tree ) till I became a member of the local union and worked around electrical wires, which believe me, Do NOT attempt any work around these or any other wires without the proper training and safety gear needed to perform this type of work, actually, another form of artistry!!!!!!!!
I would like to ask others if they could recommend any other mfgers of the Hexagonal Laminated Hemlock wooden poles, 12's please, Thanks, Verditrees....... :msp_wink:


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## old_soul (Mar 20, 2013)

I see this an old thread but I can say I remember buying poles from Karl Kuemmerling. They had alot of good, old school supplies. and local too!!!!

Unfortunately they closed down last year, the auction was in December. In case anyone didn't know.


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## beastmaster (Mar 22, 2013)

I haven't seen a wood polesaw or pruner in years, thank God. I'v been using a blue plastic one lately, 16 ft one piece pole pruner, light as a feather and strong as hell. You'd be surprised how handy that thing is.
I use a pole saw a lot in the tree. I try to buy a new blade every week for it. 8ft fiberglass extension and I have a removable head. like my right arm.


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## treeguy007 (Aug 22, 2013)

*bass wood poles*

Just got basswood poles !!!!12fters . only place we could find them was Endors arborist and rope supply. had to call them their web wite isnt fully functional yet. They took over where K.K. left off.


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## Grace Tree (Aug 22, 2013)

Didn't know Kuemmerling was gone. Really surprised they lasted this long. 
Phil


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## yeahbuddy24 (Aug 22, 2013)

Yup wooden pole pruners and silky pole saws rule. I do mostly pruning and use them all the time. Even got the original heads on thevpruners that my grandpa and old man used to use. Fred Marvin inc. 1968 Akron Ohio. Those things last forever.


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## 68 Buick (Aug 22, 2013)

I use to put a thin wrap of duck tape on my wooden poles to help keep down splitter issues. It worked pretty good.


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