Bucket operators- Hydraulic stick saws or gas power pruners

[John464]

Say you got an industrial contract with 35 trees to trim. All bucket truck accesible on roadway. Job will take you four days. In the air 8hrs a day.

When working the tips in a bucket truck which do you prefer. A hydraulic stick saw or your gas powered pruner? and why?

 

[clearance]

Hydraulic trim saw, no question. The glass stick with a skilsaw blade on the end.

 

[Bigus Termitius]

Hydraulic stick with bar and chain would be my preference by far.

 

[diltree]

You can get a nice hydro-pole saw or pruning shear that is insulated and dialectically tested to work around the power lines.

 

[(WLL)]

Hydraulic stick with bar and chain would be my preference by far.

x2 it is far lighter and stoes away nice. it does not use gas and has much power.

 

[ropensaddle]

Having used them for many years I would say depends on the work,
if it is around overhead conductors definitely the wizz saw or pole.
Another factor is if it is a hundred degrees out I will definately
be using my power pruner they get hot great in winter stinks
in the summer! Both have advantages hydraulic much quieter
faster and cheaper to run but reach is limited more than the
power pruner!

 

[BostonBull]

Is this job to be done around conductors? You say they are all bucket accessible, right? Why not use a top or rear handled saw? Bucket too short? or do you plan on shaping these trees with heading cuts?

 

[John464]

Is this job to be done around conductors? You say they are all bucket accessible, right? Why not use a top or rear handled saw? Bucket too short? or do you plan on shaping these trees with heading cuts?

no wires. a rear handle saw? way too slow. We do this job every year. annual contract. just a shaping. not much growth occurs in a year. bucket isn't too short

on each bucket setup we can hit 4 trees(not complete them). Trees are in a line on both sides of the entrance way. With a pole saw it is quicker and can reach more with less positioning of the boom. I am weighing the options of having more reach with the stihl power poles or less fatigue with the hydro stick saws. I currently don't have any hydro stick saws, but after having an employee tear his rotator cuff on this job last year I am most likely buying a light hyrdo stick saw. Just wanted to see what you guys prefer.

 

[BostonBull]

So are you shaping them properly, hand saws, snips small saws etc? or just making heading cuts?

I put rear handle up there because some guys think that a top handle is sacreligious.

 

[Davey Dog]

Hydralic stick with a bar and chain... Possibly a stick with a pruner head as well.

 

[lawson's tree s]

hydraulic is the way to go stanley makes a good one. sherrill tree sells them to they are nice never have to stop and fuel up. just keep plenty of o rings for inside the hanle as they tend to leak there some times and will leak on to the truck. could get a wizz saw or a hydraulic pruner too good luck

 

[ropensaddle]

Yeah and just in case you have never been told never feel for a hydraulic leak.