Had to choose between a pole saw and a chainsaw for a big job last week

I was trimming a 40-foot oak in a tight backyard in Austin and had to pick between using my electric pole saw or renting a gas chainsaw. The pole saw meant I could stay on the ground, but it only handles branches up to 6 inches thick. The chainsaw would work better for the bigger limbs, but I would need to climb or use a ladder, which seemed risky. I went with the pole saw because the tree had a lot of medium sized branches that needed cleaning up. It took a solid 4 hours, but I got it all done without any ladder work at all. The trade off was that some of the thicker cuts near the trunk were too big for the pole saw, so I left those for the homeowner to hire someone else for. Has anyone else used a pole saw on a big oak and had issues with the thicker branches?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade73820d ago

I ended up using my pole saw on a similar sized oak last month and halfway through it laughed at me when I tried cutting a 7 inch branch. It was a humbling reminder that my arms are not built for that kind of ambition.

claire_butler120d ago

Pole saws lie about their capabilities