Bi-annual polesaw/ pole pruner rant

[Guy Meilleur]

Re: Jameson Telescoping Pole

Originally posted by seanlarkin
you can look at the test version of our new site to see it by going here: http://www.wtsherrill.com/TEST/page08.shtml
-Sean

So $68. + $39. =$107, while florian is $109. coincidentally close, eh?

Wondering how close total weight is. A very big factor for old and weak climbers like me.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I' used Guys Florian pole a few times. Kinda nice gadgette. I would probably have to get used to the thickness of the handle first.

I just wish he would have had sharp blades

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by John Paul Sanborn
I' used Guys Florian pole a few times. Kinda nice gadgette. I would probably have to get used to the thickness of the handle first.
** The Maxi is thicker than a jameson, the Mini much thinner. I use it exclusively now since the Maxi was ripped off. It will make 6" cuts on pretty hard wood.

I just wish he would have had sharp blades
** Yeah, the replacement blade I got in february is still in use. I just straighten it out by hand when it gets too wiggly. That lasts until I get it pinched again. The whole rig I'm guessing is 1.8 lbs. lighter than jameson's. Wild guess.:jester:

 

[Ax-man]

Brian ( Rocky )

Thanks for steering Guy in the right direction, saves me some typing.

Guy,

I'm not familiar with florian, I never heard of it till you mentioned it. But I am going to check it out.

My reference to cheap and chinzy was toward those combo units sold in discount chains to homeowners who want to "Save on the high cost of tree trimming". These same combo units are sold in some of the trade catalogs. They are almost worthless IMO.

I don't know if they come with a booklet on proper tree pruning, I wish they did and people would read it.

I get so tired of seeing dead stubs, or internodal cuts that sucker on the ends and become what I call " Frizily, Frazily, Frustrated limbs " caused by homeowners, lawn people and wanna be tree trimmers all for the sake of clearance for lawn mowing.

In regards to your muscular sub trainee.

When employees break tools I have a little chat with them. The first thing I say to them is "" BRUTE FORCE ACCOMPLISHES NOTHING'''' It only results in broken tools or maybe a bad injury to yourself. If you can't solve a problem one way, try another and get the right tools to do it with. In other words ' THINK BEFORE YOU GET A BIGGER HAMMER'

Your lucky you got some money back. In most cases your just plain S.O.L. might as well have thrown that $100 plus bucks to the wind. Because you now you have to buy it twice or do with out it.

 

[Stumper]

Guy, Since you have a Florian I was wondering-Have you tried their pruner head? I've looked at it in the past but didn't want to spring the bucks to try it out.

And has anyone tried the Azel Aluminum poles? They claim that they are super light and the 'cat's pajamas'. I could find them useful in lots of situatuions but I'm afraid of conductive poles-I'd have to carry non conductors too and there is only so much room for gear on the truck.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by Stumper
Guy, Since you have a Florian I was wondering-Have you tried their pruner head? I've looked at it in the past but didn't want to spring the bucks to try it out.

Their ratchet pruner is wagt first caught my eye, makes very clean cuts and that ratchet saves the shoulders.

 

[rbtree]

Sean,

I went to your "test" site page, and am very disappointed to see that the new Jameson saw head now has no eye. That is the most convenient way to hang the saw, and now one will have to do some mod or add a sling and mini biner or ring.

 

[seanlarkin]

rbtree,
Apparently you weren't alone in your disappointment. They've redesigned the head, though I've not seen it yet, so that may not have been the issue they resolved.

Also, I don't know if I mentioned this already, but we are bringing back the Gilmore polesaw heads, which are the ones we used to sell.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by rbtree
the new Jameson saw head now has no eye.
** Jameson has to lose weight; maybe that's why the eye got cut out. florian has no eye; I just wrap the sling and clip a biner. Lightness is worth the hassle. I clip on the polesaw less than 5 times a day but I stroke it hundreds of times.
Hmm, maybe a hole could be drilled in the wide part of the blade so a dogleash-sized snap could clip on...:Monkey:
Also I wonder how much the Jameson pole w Gilmore head weighs...anybogy got thta rig they can put on a scale?

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

i'm not sure where these are being hung, but i seen guys hang 8' polesaw from hip? Even with scabbard, i dont think i want something stiff hanging um uhhhhh even 4' below me ready to jam against or in to me if i fell against pole or slid jamming pole up? Let alone getting cut by blade; there prolly is a demonstration somewhere's whereby you can be cut by one of those blades from 1/2" away !

i think the spring steel would be hard to drill!

 

[rbtree]

" stroke it hundreds of times "

Impressive, Guy!... :Monkey:

 

[MasterBlaster]

I've climbed lotsa times with the polesaw hanging from my saddle, but only to move into another quadrant of the canopy. I have a hole drilled in the end with a piece of slickline tied in it. The blade hangs down, on the other end.

 

[Ax-man]

Guy,

I checked out the Florian, nice tool

The only thing I saw that I didn't like was the hook on it. It looked a little small to me from the picture. Hooks like that only allow one to pull hangers inward, some times hangers have to be pushed out the tree. Curved hooks like that on the Florian make this hard to do.

This is why I have always liked those Smith heads on pole saws. One can push or pull a hanger from the crown of a tree.

In addition to the push pull thing, the larger hooks make snagging ropes easier, grabbing limbs away from roofs easier, raising or pulling a wire if need be.

My favorite thing to do for low limbs over a roof is to side notch the limb with power pruner, while doing backcut have some one pull (prefer push) limb with pole saw hook and hinge the limb away from target.

But to make a fair evaluation I would have to have the tool in my hands and work with it .

 

[Guy Meilleur]

Originally posted by Ax-man

I checked out the Florian, nice tool
The only thing I saw that I didn't like was the hook on it.

** Good eye, ax-man. The teeny hook is a big problem--hard to hang up in some spots and yes not so good for hangers. A lightweight anodized hook like florian's made larger like the standard one (smith?) with the knob above for pushing would be ideal.

Lightweight imperative for stroking hundreds of times.

"It ain't the meat, it's the motion..."