Yet another pole saw thread: There's got to be a better way

[tree md]

Most good arborists I know have either 10' or 12 ft. basswood (or fir and hemlock they're making them out of now quite often) straight, stiff, and light long poles, they have some extra replacement poles on hand ($20ea.), take a sheet of sandpaper to them once in a while, and keep your $15 Jameson, or some other cheaper tri-cut razor toothed blades like Gilford for $12 or $13 sharp. Keep a watch on the blades when loading truck etc, and they will last longer and cut VERY well, and then just change them out ever month or so.

If you get a pole (and you know wood, so grab one and look at the grain, and mount the head on it in such a way that its solid, treat it like your samarai staff, and become zen with it, take care of it, and it will be your best friend.

I would never spend $200 on a pole saw! :sword:
How much weight can you really save from a basswood pole. Not much.

Excellent post. Thanks for the advise.

"I would never spend $200 on a pole saw!"

I think if you ever gave the Hayauchi a try and see what you can do with it you would reconsider.

 

[Raymond]

Excellent post. Thanks for the advise.

"I would never spend $200 on a pole saw!"

I think if you ever gave the Hayauchi a try and see what you can do with it you would reconsider.

I'm gonna get one this summer.

 

[treeseer]

I think if you ever gave the Hayauchi a try and see what you can do with it you would reconsider.

Just yesterday I used my Hayauchi to pull out some storm-fallen branches out of the top of a 30' elm, and deadwood a maple without climbing it.

Then I collapsed it and put it back in my honda civic wagon.

 

[Greenstar]

Yeah, have a lightweight, collapseable, aluminum $200 polesaw on the job, with all the groundies around, I wonder how long that would last! Lol...

 

[fishercat]

people that work around me know what they can and can't use.

Yeah, have a lightweight, collapesable, aluminum $200 polesaw on the job, with all the groundies around, I wonder how long that would last! Lol...

if they are in a bind they can use my saws if i am standing there but if i'm not right there ,don't touch.

 

[tree MDS]

I love a polesaw, especially for rigging tip tie/butt tie, I'll just hang out at the trunk your average 70-80' red oak, set the tip line with three 6' sections and smoke cigs while keeping two guys very busy- maybe enjoy a nice smoke or two.

I waste very few moves in a tree and almost always stay several cuts ahead in my mind.

Damn good help for pruning (even though I dont really like it) big trees also.

You can pry my polesaw from my cold dead fingers.

 

[treeseer]

YOur groundies would steal it? break it? Both?

Maybe a lock and key...

 

[Greenstar]

I love a polesaw, especially for rigging tip tie/butt tie, I'll just hang out at the trunk your average 70-80' red oak, set the tip line with three 6' sections and smoke cigs while keeping two guys very busy- maybe enjoy a nice smoke or two.

I waste very few moves in a tree and almost always stay several cuts ahead in my mind.

Damn good help for pruning (even though I dont really like it) big trees also.

You can pry my polesaw from my cold dead fingers.

Me too! I can climb out to any tip, but WHY?
I never climb a tree without my polesaw. I use it all day long, its like part of me. Its zen.
I can set up strategically in a location, lean back, and prune like 10 or 12 things from one central location.

IMHO I don't think you can do a correct Class I pruning without a pole saw.

Peace

 

[Raymond]

Me too! I can climb out to any tip, but WHY?
I never climb a tree without my polesaw. I use it all day long, its like part of me. Its zen.
I can set up strategically in a location, lean back, and prune like 10 or 12 things from one central location.

IMHO I don't think you can do a correct Class I pruning without a pole saw.

Peace

I too like my stick tools, for the right situations.
But I wouldn't consider every tree the right situation.

 

[YankeeinSC]

I own 20 Stihl products and haven't ever even considered a bumpersticker! ...and I thought I had passion.

 

[M.Green - SVTS]

Jameson Fiberglass

When we are clearing and hangers are left we use Jameson poles. They work great and I have never seen one break (aside from the truck driver running over the aluminum end of it) the whole time that I have been doing this sort of work.

 

[Raymond]

When we are clearing and hangers are left we use Jameson poles. They work great and I have never seen one break (aside from the truck driver running over the aluminum end of it) the whole time that I have been doing this sort of work.

Oh you can brake'em.

 

[Raymond]

I own 20 Stihl products and haven't ever even considered a bumpersticker! ...and I thought I had passion.

Yeah I'm silly like that. I wanted a couple tats but wanted it to be corresponding with me. And a dragon and sword just wasn't it.

 

[murphy4trees]

Forgive me for sounding repetitious here, but I wouldn't want the newbies around here to be misled by all the bad info on this thread. Anyone that thinks you need a pole saw to prune or remove a tree, or that it is in some way better or faster to use one, has never seen a world class climber in action. If you had, you wouldn't be making such ridiculous statements.

I know that sounds smug and condescending and that is why some people find my posts irritating, but it just happens to be true,and I don't know any other way of saying it. I have a hyuchi and two 12' wood polesaws on the job at all times, but they don't get used in the tree much.

I went to arbor day last year and watched a whole lot of climbers running around trees making pole saw cuts. It was painful to watch their slow and clumsy movements.. A pole saw would just get in the way of a good climber. I made a comment to Tony Tresselt, a first class arborist in Lancaster, PA,... "lot of pole saws up there today" and he just nodded, knowing exactly what I was talking about. I AM amazed that a company can make any money in this business with that type of production.

 

[tree MDS]

Forgive me for sounding repetitious here, but I wouldn't want the newbies around here to be misled by all the bad info on this thread. Anyone that thinks you need a pole saw to prune or remove a tree, or that it is in some way better or faster to use one, has never seen a world class climber in action. If you had, you wouldn't be making such ridiculous statements.

I know that sounds smug and condescending and that is why some people find my posts irritating, but it just happens to be true,and I don't know any other way of saying it. I have a hyuchi and two 12' wood polesaws on the job at all times, but they don't get used in the tree much.

I went to arbor day last year and watched a whole lot of climbers running around trees making pole saw cuts. It was painful to watch their slow and clumsy movements.. A pole saw would just get in the way of a good climber. I made a comment to Tony Tresselt, a first class arborist in Lancaster, PA,... "lot of pole saws up there today" and he just nodded, knowing exactly what I was talking about. I AM amazed that a company can make any money in this business with that type of production.

:chatter:

 

[Raymond]

:chatter:

Yeah Murphy, I sometimes worry about someone calling me on repeating myself but if you never do I should be OK.

 

[tree md]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoRPohOA8WI

 

[tree MDS]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoRPohOA8WI

That may just be the funniest post I've seen yet md.

Lol, rep comming!

 

[tree md]

LOL, Murph Repped me for it. He can't be too bad. We all think our way is the best.

Funny, I have hired technical climbers who will take an hour setting up and climbing up and down a tree 3 times when they would sometimes be a lot more productive just gaffing up it old school, natural crotching and using a blakes hitch. I like using new school techniques when they make more sense but when I have a quickie, I'll natural crotch and lower it in a minute instead of taking the time to set up a block or what have you. I try to draw on all of my experience I have learned over the years. Am I going to prune a whole tree with a pole saw? No. Am I going to pull a hanger or prune one limb with a pole saw when it will save me time by not having to climb. Every time. You've got to use common sense and use your head to be productive in this business. I'll take a less technical climber who is more productive over a world class climber trying to earn style points every time. I'm not competing in the worlds competition, I'm trying to make money.

 

[Ghillie]

LOL, Murph Repped me for it. He can't be too bad. We all think our way is the best.

Funny, I have hired technical climbers who will take an hour setting up and climbing up and down a tree 3 times when they would sometimes be a lot more productive just gaffing up it old school, natural crotching and using a blakes hitch. I like using new school techniques when they make more sense but when I have a quickie, I'll natural crotch and lower it in a minute instead of taking the time to set up a block or what have you. I try to draw on all of my experience I have learned over the years. Am I going to prune a whole tree with a pole saw? No. Am I going to pull a hanger or prune one limb with a pole saw when it will save me time by not having to climb. Every time. You've got to use common sense and use your head to be productive in this business. I'll take a less technical climber who is more productive over a world class climber trying to earn style points every time. I'm not competing in the worlds competition, I'm trying to make money.

Exactly, use the tool that works best for the job.